The red tornado stretched from the ground all the way to the sky.
In seconds, the courtyard—once as wide as a football field—was reduced to nothing but scorched earth. Even the school building in the distance was shaking, ready to collapse at any moment. The tornado pulsed like it could tear the world apart.
---
On the ground
As soon as Jean turned into a phoenix egg, Charles and the remaining X-Men retreated to safety, dragging their injured teammates with them. The Hellfire Club, who had been battling them moments before, also pulled back. No one dared to get close to what was coming.
Now, only Lin Fan stood there—alone in front of the phoenix egg.
The wind raged around him, but he stood calm, arms folded, eyes locked on the storm. He didn't say anything. He didn't move. But somehow, his presence was steady. Like a lighthouse in the middle of a hurricane.
Behind the Hellfire group, Psylocke appeared silently. She didn't speak. She just stared at Lin Fan with a mix of awe and admiration. In her heart, he was someone unshakable—even in the face of something like this.
She had clearly beaten Storm in their fight; her clothes were intact and her breathing calm. The same couldn't be said for the X-Men.
---
"Professor... what happened to Jean?"
"Why does she have that kind of power?!"
"And who is that guy? How does he know so much about her?"
The younger X-Men were full of questions, but Professor X was too weak to answer. Beast and Cyclops had to step in and try to explain.
Just then, Storm dropped out of the sky, barely standing. Her uniform was torn, her energy drained, and her iconic white hair was now uneven and short.
"I'm sorry, Professor… I couldn't stop her. There's a powerful psychic on the other side. I couldn't win."
X shook his head sadly. "It's not your fault. The Phoenix inside Jean… it's awakened again. But this time, it's different. It's fully out."
He looked toward Lin Fan. "Now... it's up to him. Let's hope he can stop what's coming."
That quiet statement made the others go silent. They all remembered how helpless they were against Lin Fan not long ago. And now he was supposed to be their only hope.
Cyclops clenched his fists, his pride wounded. He'd been captain of the X-Men for years—and yet, when it came to Lin Fan, he couldn't even win a single exchange. He blamed Lin Fan for that shame, even though deep down he knew it wasn't fair.
---
In the heart of the firestorm
Lin Fan stood quietly, waiting.
The storm stopped growing. The phoenix egg was now covered in a glowing red shell, and small cracks began to spread across its surface. Lin Fan's eyes narrowed.
"It's starting..."
The egg split open with a sharp crack, revealing a woman covered in dark crimson flames. She looked like Jean Grey, but there was something completely different about her now. Her eyes... her presence... it felt divine—and dangerous.
She wasn't Jean anymore.
She was the Dark Phoenix.
---
"Was it you who broke the seal? Did you summon me?" she asked, her voice echoing like it came from every direction.
Lin Fan nodded slowly. "Yeah. I let you out. But don't worry... you'll be going back soon. I just need something from you first."
Energy gathered around his fingers—ten glowing orbs of light.
[Magic Light Killing Cannon: Ten Shots!]
The blasts shot forward, tearing through space. The Dark Phoenix raised her wings, forming a barrier of flaming light to shield herself.
BOOM!
The attack landed. Half her wings were destroyed... but she was still there, unfazed.
That same power had once wiped out Dormammu's clone. But it had only injured her.
How strong was she, really?
The Dark Phoenix's eyes glowed. She raised a hand—and space around Lin Fan twisted, trapping him in a cage of invisible force. Then her wings collapsed inward, forming a cloud of black-red particles.
The next moment, they both vanished into the storm.
---
Above the Earth
A huge explosion lit up the sky. But before the sound even reached the ground, the two figures were already gone.
One clash.
That's all it took.
The force of their collision blew them halfway across the world, tearing open a straight path through the clouds that stretched across continents. Anyone looking up from Earth would see it—a narrow gap cut through the sky like a blade through paper.
All across the planet, beings with powers—humans and otherwise—looked up. They could feel it. Two beings stronger than anything they'd ever known had just flown overhead.
---
In the silence of space, Lin Fan floated.
Behind him was the moon.
In front of him... the Dark Phoenix.
The real battle was about to begin.
---