Just as Apocalypse was about to leave, a few Cairo officials who had surrendered rushed over to him.
"Lord Deity, the multinational coalition, led by the United States, has reached the Suez Canal."
Apocalypse merely gave them a cold look, saying nothing.
Seeing this, Lorna stepped forward.
"Where are your troops?"
"Lady Lorna, our forces are gathering, but they stand no chance against the coalition."
Hearing this, Apocalypse replied calmly, "No need to worry; I will handle this."
His expression and tone suggested that he considered the coalition forces nothing more than a minor annoyance, something he could eliminate with ease.
The Cairo officials, observing him, couldn't help but wonder what went on inside his mind. But with their lives in his hands, they could only nod respectfully.
"Understood, Lord Deity."
As the officials departed, Lorna couldn't hold back her concern. "Lord Apocalypse, the coalition forces are powerful. I fear Cairo's soldiers won't last a single minute."
Apocalypse cast a faint glance at Lorna, "I never expected them to."
Hearing this, Lorna bowed her head, remaining silent. In truth, she was starting to regret her earlier decision.
Had she known better, she would not have saved him. Now they had attracted this kind of trouble.
Though she was grateful to Apocalypse for enhancing her powers, she doubted that, even with his strength and the help of a few mutants, they could stand against the military might of the entire planet.
In fact, many mutants shared her thoughts, though none dared voice them openly, intimidated by Apocalypse's overwhelming power.
A while later, they returned to the Cairo leader's residence.
Meanwhile, at the city's edge, an asymmetrical battle had begun.
The coalition, led by the U.S. military, launched an offensive with stealth fighters, obliterating Cairo's radar and anti-air defenses. Strategic bombers and helicopters followed, decimating ground armor units, while the main armored divisions advanced alongside infantry.
This typical modern warfare left Cairo's already demoralized soldiers fleeing in panic, unable to mount any resistance.
In just one night, the coalition reached the outskirts of Cairo.
As the sun rose, the people in Cairo could hear the rumbling of tanks and armored vehicles outside the city, with jets and helicopters flying overhead.
It was then that Apocalypse finally made his move.
He flew to the outskirts, raised his hands, and an invisible energy surged forth, disintegrating every missile and shell fired at him. Distant planes and tanks slowly crumbled into ash, disappearing into the air.
In mere minutes, tens of thousands of soldiers, hundreds of tanks, fighter jets, helicopters, and all forms of modern weaponry had been reduced to dust.
Everyone watching the battle via satellite or camera feed was left speechless, gripped with terror.
An icy chill crept up their spines, sending shivers through them as they looked at Apocalypse, standing like a god among mortals.
After completing his destruction, he looked upon the battlefield as if he had merely crushed a few ants, then turned and left.
......
Aboard an aircraft carrier over a hundred kilometers from Cairo, Nick and the others stared in silence after witnessing the annihilation of the coalition forces.
After a long pause, Tony finally broke the silence. "You want us to fight that monster? We'd be better off praying; our chances would probably be higher."
The others, though silent, shared Tony's sentiment.
From what they had seen, even if they all joined forces, they might at most make Apocalypse move his fingers an extra time.
This was not a simple difference in strength; it felt as if they weren't even of the same species.
Seeing this, Nick found it difficult to argue otherwise. In truth, he knew their mission was likely doomed.
But should he summon "her"?
With that thought, he touched the communicator in his pocket.
After hesitating, he refrained from pressing it.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I know our enemy's power has surpassed all our expectations. You're all scared, even terrified.
"Honestly, I feel regret too—regret for taking on this mission.
"I want to run, to avoid facing such a terrifying opponent.
"But if we run, who will face him?
"There are over seven billion people behind us. We're not fighting for ourselves; we're fighting for the lives and freedom of the world!"
"Tell me, what should we do now?"
After Nick's rousing speech, the team's morale began to rise.
"Kill him!"
"Yeah, let's take him down!"
"If not today, then tomorrow!"
"What are we afraid of? There are so many of us; he can't kill us all at once."
Nick nodded in satisfaction, but he didn't immediately send everyone into battle. Instead, he concluded the meeting.
He still needed to coordinate with the Security Council to finalize the attack plan.
Meanwhile, Maria, dressed in her black uniform, wandered onto the deck alone, a look of worry clouding her face.
As she watched the fighter jets take off and the crew bustling around, she sighed softly.
"What are you thinking about?" A voice sounded behind her.
She turned with a stern expression to see who it was.
It was Jean.
Jean also wore the black SHIELD uniform, her impressive figure no less striking than Maria's.
"Is something the matter?"
"Yes, there's something you should know."
"What is it?"
"Two months ago, when the Professor tried to probe Umbrella's activities with his psychic abilities, he suffered a severe backlash. It took him over a week to recover."
"Are you saying someone within Umbrella possesses powers stronger than Professor Charles?"
"I'm not sure, but it seems that way."
Maria fell silent upon hearing this.
"I understand. Thank you for telling me." With that, she walked back toward the command room.
Jean sighed slightly, watching her leave.
In truth, she had been reluctant to reveal this information, knowing it would lessen the likelihood of SHIELD ever crossing Umbrella in the future.
But to save the Professor, she had no other choice.
"Do you regret it?" A voice sounded behind Jean.
She turned to see Erik standing behind her.
"Regret siding with humanity? I've heard that Ororo and Scott have gone missing."
Jean's expression darkened, "I don't know... but I believe peace will come eventually."
"Or perhaps, we'll be wiped out first."
Jean shook her head, unwilling to continue the discussion, "And what about you? Why did you agree to side with the humans?"
"Me?"
Erik looked toward the distant city of Cairo.
"For the one I hold dearest."
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