Apocalypse looked on incredulously, unsure if he had seen correctly. His words left Magneto Erik and the people watching via Egyptian drones in a state of confusion.
What he meant was...
Suddenly, under the gaze of countless observers, Apocalypse launched an attack, controlling a storm of sand and dust towards Syd.
Syd furrowed his brow slightly. His figure flashed through the sand and dust, instantly appearing next to Apocalypse.
The speed at which Syd moved was almost instantaneous. To Magneto Erik and others, it seemed like Syd had simply vanished and reappeared next to Apocalypse.
"Impossible…"
They instinctively thought they might be seeing things.
Boom, the sound of a sonic boom followed.
Those who recognized the sound looked on in horror, while those who didn't were puzzled.
[God Finger Experience +1]
With a crunching sound, glass shattered as Syd's attack impacted the invisible shield in front of Apocalypse, causing him to be sent flying backward.
[Spatial Transfer Experience +1]
Syd's figure blurred and in an instant, he reappeared beside the flying Apocalypse, raising his right hand.
[Black Particle Experience +1]
The black particles pierced through the invisible shield and penetrated Apocalypse's body.
Blood splattered as a gaping wound the size of a head appeared...
Syd slightly adjusted his aim, preparing to launch another black particle attack, this time aimed at Apocalypse's head. Although it was unlikely that a headshot would be fatal, it would at least incapacitate him temporarily.
However, before Syd could continue, Apocalypse's eyes, previously disoriented, suddenly focused on him with a clear reaction.
Almost instantly, a layer of sand rose from the ground, binding and wrapping around Syd's right hand, catching him off guard.
"The speed of this sand…"
Syd tried to force his way out, but found himself unable to escape. Despite his superhuman strength, he couldn't break free.
Apocalypse continued to fly backward, crashing into a nearby ruined wall before slowly standing up. His injuries were healing rapidly.
However, his attention was not on his own wounds but on the young man not far away.
Not just Apocalypse, but everyone's gaze was now on Syd.
As things calmed down, they began to understand what had just happened.
"Did you see that? Syd's speed…" Chris murmured.
"Yeah…"
"Was that a sonic boom?"
Magneto Erik and the others felt disbelief. This suggested that Syd's flight speed had reached the speed of sound?
But how was that possible? They had never heard or seen the Messiah move at such incredible speeds before!
Even in the recent video of Syd dodging missiles, his speed did not appear this fast.
"Why the sudden and drastic increase in speed, noticeable even to the naked eye?" Otto wondered aloud.
Storm Ororo recalled something and shivered slightly before saying, "Do you remember the recent debate about whether the White-Clad Mutant or the Messiah was stronger?"
Storm's voice quickly spread to Magneto and others, as well as countless viewers through the drone feed.
"Someone mentioned that when the Messiah first appeared, he wasn't as strong as he is now."
"Initially, when facing ten people, the Messiah appeared somewhat struggling, but now…"
"According to that person, the Messiah's strength has been rapidly increasing over time…"
As she finished speaking, Magneto Erik and others were astonished.
They were aware of this, having studied videos of the Messiah from earlier to the present. They had indeed noticed that his strength seemed to be increasing with time, but they hadn't thought much of it, assuming it was due to the Messiah hiding his true power.
After all, if the speculation was correct and the Messiah was indeed growing stronger with time, then his potential was beyond comprehension!
"Impossible…" Beast Hank muttered to himself.
At Stark Tower:
"Hey, are we still talking about science?" Iron Man Tony Stark was dumbfounded, shaking his head frantically to dispel the impossible thoughts forming in his mind.
Yet, the stark contrast in Syd's displayed power compared to before reminded him that this frightening speculation might not be so far-fetched after all.
And if it were true...
Syd could be far more terrifying than the White-Clad Mutant...
Tony Stark could only console himself that this was a temporary anomaly and that Syd might not always display such overwhelming power.
At S.H.I.E.L.D.:
Nick Fury was in unprecedented shock and gravity. Could such a terrifying person truly exist?
He instinctively tightened his grip on the pager for Captain Marvel and activated it.
Among the viewers, Phyllis, who had previously mocked Black-Eagle Igon, was filled with disbelief.
"Has the Messiah really become stronger over time?"
"Could that person's claims actually be true?"
As for Black-Eagle Igon, he was ecstatic. His hypothesis was coming true; the Messiah might indeed be even more terrifying than the White-Clad Mutant!
On-site:
As Apocalypse and Syd continued their battle, Cyclops Scott, accompanied by others, hurried to Professor X's side.
Looking at them, Professor X's feelings were complex.
Scott had recently reassured him not to worry too much. He had said that the Messiah's power was already frightening, and the rate of increase could not be too fast.
With such immense power and seemingly limitless potential, if this continued...
Professor X murmured, "This child's power is already terrifying. If it keeps growing, and if he loses control…"
And if Syd were to fall into the wrong hands due to carelessness...
Those nearby could only feel the looming terror.
The spectators felt a range of intense emotions.
Could an Omega mutant really handle this?
Far from the battlefield:
[Sunshine Radiance Experience +1]
Unable to free himself from the sand's grip, Syd's hand emitted a gentle golden-white glow, casting a toned-down version of Sunshine Radiance.
Under the gaze of countless spectators, the sand particles slowly vanished.
As Syd floated back into the air, looking towards Apocalypse, Professor X and others felt a complex and tense mix of emotions.
(End of Chapter)