The Superior Rebirth: A Hero's Awakening

The Devil in Disguise

With Excalibur now in hand, Xavier locked eyes with the man before him. The tension in the air crackled like thunder waiting to strike.

Then came a voice—playful, mocking, and utterly out of place. "Oh, forgive me! I haven't told you my name yet. How rude of me. Forgive me, oh dear prince."

The man bowed dramatically, a sinister grin playing at his lips. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Nigel. But you can call me 'Ashfang'—a name my comrades gave me for the sheer number of people I've sent to their graves."

Xavier remained stone-faced. His voice was calm, almost cold. "Stop wasting my time. If all you're going to do is talk."

Ashfang tilted his head in amusement. "Oh my! That's not very Xavier of you. Did something crawl under your skin, little prince?"

But Xavier wasn't here for games.

He shot forward in a blur, Excalibur glowing with intensity as he brought the blade upward in a fierce arc. Ashfang barely managed to sidestep—but a thin red line bloomed across his chest.

"Stronger than I imagined," Ashfang muttered, genuinely surprised. Then, his expression twisted into something wild. Unstable.

"Then allow me to entertain you properly!"

A swirling cloud of smoke coalesced in his hand, forming a wicked blade. Without hesitation, Ashfang lunged, the clash of metal ringing through the air. Xavier parried and countered, launching vector-enhanced slashes and bullets. Ashfang danced through them with ease.

"Too slow," he sneered.

Unfazed, Xavier extended his hand. "Astral Sovereignty: Oblivion Grip."

Gravity itself seemed to warp around Ashfang as a colossal hand of shimmering force emerged, seizing him. Xavier clenched his fist, and the hand flung Ashfang into the walls like a ragdoll.

Before Ashfang could recover, Xavier sent a wave of ethereal energy from Excalibur, shattering the ground in its path. But just before impact, Ashfang dissolved into smoke.

Xavier narrowed his eyes. "Where'd he go...?"

He didn't have time to answer his own question. Ashfang reappeared in a flash, driving a brutal punch into Xavier's gut. The force of it sent him flying, coughing violently.

Ashfang approached slowly, arms spread wide, an arrogant grin on his face. "Clever boy. Skilled too. But tricks won't save you."

He dashed again. Xavier barely managed to raise Excalibur in time, the force of Ashfang's strike slicing into his shoulder and neck despite the block.

Xavier grimaced, staggering. He struck back, aiming for Ashfang's abdomen—but the man vanished into smoke, which rapidly enveloped Xavier.

He coughed. Then choked. Blood dripped from his mouth, eyes, and ears.

Poison.

"Xavier!" Teslaine screamed, helpless.

Gritting his teeth, Xavier pushed through the agony. He swung wildly, Excalibur carving through the haze. The poisonous smog finally dissipated, but Xavier dropped to his knees, breath ragged.

Ashfang reappeared, laughing. "What you inhaled was my poisonous smoke—my power."

He leaned in, eyes sharp. "Funny thing about your Vector Shield. It protects against what comes at you. Not what comes in. Poison, vision, respiration... all bypass it just like He stated. Guess it's not so invincible, huh?"

Xavier clutched his throat, his mind racing. Who is this man talking about? How does he know so much about me... about my powers?

He exhaled shakily. Just how much worse can this get...