A thunderous explosion erupted on the ground, and Xu Mo vanished with a sharp "bang."
Magneto had no time to think. His body shuddered, and he quickly formed a protective sphere out of metal pieces.
It resembled a steel castle.
But this was merely a dazzling illusion. The corner of the steel ball was struck as if by a cannonball and was sent hurtling downward, like a meteor falling to the earth.
Xu Mo didn't relent. Magneto's stubbornness needed to be met with more force. A powerful man like him needed a lesson from someone stronger.
Shunpo, the art of instantaneous movement, allowed Xu Mo to appear at the side of the falling steel sphere in an instant. With a swift Leaf Hurricane kick, he cracked the surface of the steel ball, causing dense fractures to appear.
Inside, Magneto was jarred by the impact. His head spun, and he knew that if Xu Mo struck again, his defense might completely shatter.
The massive steel ball crashed onto the ice sheet, causing it to crack and send shards of ice flying.
Click, crack.
After the steel ball hit the ground, it began to collapse, leaving Magneto in an embarrassing state as he struggled to emerge from it.
The steel ball disintegrated into smaller metal spheres, which glinted brightly in the sun.
"It seems you're not as easy to defeat as I thought," Magneto called out, "but you can't beat me. You might be a mutant yourself. You should join us."
Magneto spread his arms wide, drawing the magnetic forces to him. The metal balls began to spin rapidly, creating a whistling noise as they moved.
Though this area was not a city with abundant metal resources, Magneto had other means. He extracted metal from nearby pavilions, signs, and railings—anywhere metal was present—and gathered it around him.
A massive metal storm formed effortlessly, sweeping toward Xu Mo. The smooth metal balls grew spikes, making them even more dangerous.
The storm charged forward, its spikes reflecting the sunlight as they surged toward Xu Mo.
"Hadō No. 73: Double Lotus Blue Firefall," Xu Mo chanted.
A scorching flame erupted from his palm, enveloping the metal storm. The intense heat melted the metal, causing explosions and a cascade of fire.
The continuous blasts sent waves of air, lifting smoke and dust into the sky.
"The Eleventh of Hadō: Thunder and Lightning."
Lightning crackled through the metal balls, hastening their melting and creating a thunderous snake of electricity that surged toward Magneto.
Magneto watched as the metal storm was consumed by flames and electricity. The crackling current surged through his body, turning him into a figure of black smoke, his pale hair standing on end.
With a panicked expression, he plummeted from the sky, looking like a fallen angel with folded wings.
"Everything is over, Magneto. You're too weak now."
Xu Mo's voice was like the cold wind of the underworld. Magneto felt a sharp pain in his abdomen as Xu Mo appeared at his side with blinding speed.
His eyes widened in horror as he realized he had no time to control his metal defenses. He was sent flying like a cannonball.
He crashed into the ice sheet, creating a trench as the ice layer disintegrated around him.
"Cough, cough. How is this possible?" Magneto gasped, his face pale. He struggled to his feet, coughing up blood. His earlier vitality seemed like a distant memory.
Lorna Dane rushed over, using a tissue to wipe the blood from his face, her eyes blazing with anger as she looked up at Xu Mo, who was descending slowly from the sky.
Xu Mo scratched his head, a look of mild frustration on his face. "I'm really trying to be careful. In the end, it was just a gentle tap."
He sighed, feeling as though he was using far less strength than required. Ninjutsu seemed pointless, Hadō spells felt underwhelming, and his lightning was but a small current.
He could only fight with what he had.
Meanwhile, Magneto, visibly dejected, managed to mutter, "If we were in an urban area, you'd be dead by now. The city's endless metal would have overwhelmed you."
This was indeed true. In an urban setting, Magneto's control over metal could have wreaked havoc, creating a metal wave that could destroy everything in its path.
Even Hulk might have struggled against such an onslaught.
But Xu Mo, noticing the advantage Magneto had lost, sarcastically remarked, "You've lost your geographical advantage. Don't expect me to hold back."
Magneto, infuriated, prepared to retaliate.
However, as he looked up, he was met with a gaze from Xu Mo's scarlet eye. The mysterious Gouyu began to spin.
Xu Mo disdainfully said, "See clearly. If you weren't an old man, I'd have greeted you with a direct attack."
"Kamui!"
In an instant, a black hole appeared on one side of the ice sheet, twisting and swallowing the surroundings. Within moments, a large pit formed, as if it had been carved out.
Kamui, though slower to aim against fast-moving enemies, was nearly instantaneous against mutants relying heavily on their abilities rather than speed. For Magneto, who had been about to summon a new metal storm, Kamui proved devastating.
As Magneto tried to control his metal defense, the hole appeared, and Xu Mo's spatial ability created a breach in his protection.
"What can you fight against now?" Xu Mo taunted.
Magneto felt as though he had fallen into an icy void. His shock was palpable, understanding the dire situation he was in.
Such abilities were unstoppable, he realized.
Simultaneously, he recognized that Xu Mo could not be a mutant—no mutant had such a diverse range of powers.
"Lorna, I ask you once more. Come with me. I need you to inherit my will."
Magneto's disheveled appearance and desperate tone tugged at Lorna's heart.
But like her father, Lorna was resolute. She shook her head, refusing to yield.
"Fine, if you choose to go your own way, I won't stop you. But I must say it one last time. If I keep insisting, you might never recognize your own father."
Defeated, Magneto could only turn away, his pride bruised by being overpowered by someone younger.
Just then, a familiar voice reached his ears, making him falter.
"Eric, why are you so embarrassed?"
Magneto's steps hesitated, his frustration evident as he recognized the voice.
4o mini