The Superior Rebirth: A Hero's Awakening

Blade vs. Iron Will

As the night sky was veiled in ash and smoke, the flames from below painting the world in shades of ruin, Xavier stood firm—Excalibur gripped tightly in hand—his body ready to spring the moment Reginald Wycliffe made a move.

Their gazes locked, silent promises of violence flashing between them. Then, without warning, both of them launched forward—an explosion of speed—Excalibur colliding with Reginald's arm, which, in an instant, transformed into gleaming, metallic silver.

"What the...?" Xavier muttered under his breath, baffled. His mind raced. Did his arm just turn into iron?

Before he could think further, Reginald's left fist shot out like a bullet. Xavier barely managed to bend backward, narrowly evading the deadly strike. The sheer force of it tore through the air, throwing Xavier off balance and sending him sprawling to the ground.

Reginald wasted no time. His right hand morphed into a massive iron fist as he brought it crashing down with monstrous strength. The earth cracked and shattered beneath the impact—but not Xavier. Just barely, Xavier raised Excalibur, the blade taking the brunt of the blow.

What is wrong with this guy?! Xavier thought frantically, his arms trembling from the force. Why do I always end up fighting monsters completely out of my league? Do I have some kind of cursed luck?

Before, he had tried to block the attack with his Vector Shield—only for it to shatter instantly under the raw force. If not for Excalibur, his skull would've been pulp.

Gritting his teeth, Xavier twisted his body and struck at Reginald's leg. But Reginald saw it coming, his limb hardening into iron before the blow landed. Pain exploded up Xavier's leg as the impact reverberated back through him, forcing a grunt of agony from his throat.

"Nice try, kid," Reginald said with a mocking chuckle.

But Xavier wasn't done. Ignoring the sharp pain lancing through his leg, he pushed forward—kicking Reginald hard enough to disrupt his balance—then followed with another quick kick aimed at his face.

Reginald retaliated instantly, throwing another punch—but this time, something felt wrong. A cold, creeping dread slammed into Xavier's instincts.

Without a second thought, Xavier activated his vector teleportation, vanishing in a blink.

The ground where he'd stood erupted—massive iron spikes, thick as towers, spearing through the earth like monstrous thorns. If he had hesitated even for a heartbeat, he'd have been skewered.

Excalibur steady in hand, Xavier landed a short distance away, his eyes wide at the devastation. His mouth ran dry.

He did that with one attack?

Reginald strolled forward casually, hands in his pockets, as if they were out for a night walk instead of locked in a brutal battle.

"You're just as tricky as Percival said you'd be," Reginald said, a half-smile tugging at his lips. "But I've gotta wonder—why's that man so obsessed with you, Xavier?"

Xavier steadied himself. "I should be asking you that," he shot back. "I don't even know why his name keeps popping up everywhere I go."

Reginald laughed dryly. "Maybe because you're his nephew?" he teased. "Nah... that doesn't explain the sheer insanity he's sunk into for your sake."

He shrugged. "I won't lie—that man's a lunatic. Pure evil. Whenever he talks about you, he gets this... sinister smile."

Hearing that, Xavier immediately cut off Reginald before he could say another word. "I would like to chit-chat with you, but I have more important things to handle," he said, his tone sharp, as his gaze drifted toward Teslaine in the distance—finally stirring, her fingers twitching as she began to regain consciousness.