Chapter 90: I Am The Phoenix.

When Jean injected that wisp of Phoenix Force into Kurogai's body, a powerful, otherworldly cry echoed silently from within him.

It wasn't a sound that reached the ears in a conventional sense. Instead, it spread through the spiritual plane—an invisible wave that struck the minds of everyone nearby. It wasn't just a cry—it felt like a celestial being was making its presence known, as if a divine entity had returned and was announcing itself to all existence.

Everyone who sensed it froze. Their expressions shifted to shock, confusion, or awe. The overwhelming feeling of divine power sent ripples through their very souls.

At that same moment, Professor Charles Xavier, who had been handling some affairs in his office, suddenly paused. His expression shifted dramatically.

A terrifying force had invaded his mind, bypassing his formidable psychic defenses and implanting a single, resounding cry directly into his consciousness.

This wasn't just any force. Professor X's mental strength was among the most powerful on Earth, yet this presence shattered his barriers with ease. The magnitude of psychic energy was nothing short of cosmic.

"Professor, something's wrong!"

Storm burst into the room, visibly shaken.

"What happened?" Charles asked, eyes narrowing.

"I heard it... a cry, in my head. And the students did too. Every single one of them."

Storm's voice was firm, but her face betrayed her unease. A mental cry that powerful affecting everyone at once? It was beyond abnormal.

"You heard it as well?" Professor X's face darkened further. If this psychic shockwave was felt by Storm and the students, then what he had experienced was only the aftershock. And that made the situation far more terrifying.

If even the residual force could rip through his mind like that, how powerful was the original source?

His gaze sharpened.

He could feel it—the origin of the power wasn't far. In fact, Jean's presence was near it.

His heart sank.

"No... Ororo, get me to Jean's lab, now!"

Charles had instructed Jean to show Kurogai around, hoping it would spark something within the boy. Now, the presence of that overwhelming force near Jean could only mean one thing:

Kurogai was the source.

That truth hit him like a freight train.

Such power—cosmic, divine—emerging from Kurogai?

He felt a chill of dread, not just for what Kurogai might become, but for Jean's safety.

"Yes, Professor!"

Storm responded immediately and wheeled him out without hesitation.

---

Inside the Lab

Kurogai was unaware of the chaos erupting outside the lab. His consciousness was no longer grounded in the physical world. His entire mind was engulfed in the internal transformation taking place.

He felt it—a cerulean flame igniting within the darkest recesses of his being. The flame spread rapidly, lighting up his consciousness like a wildfire, consuming every shadow in its path.

Then came the Phoenix cry.

In the sea of blue fire, the flames began to take shape, coalescing into the form of a divine bird. Its wings spread, burning with cerulean energy, as if it had been reborn from eternal flame.

Kurogai recognized the form instantly. He had seen it before—countless times, in another life.

"This is... the Phoenix from One Piece?" he muttered in astonishment. "No... not exactly. Similar, but different. More intricate... more divine."

It resembled Marco's Phoenix at first glance—both wreathed in blue flames—but the differences were clear. The fire surrounding this Phoenix wasn't random or chaotic. Each flicker formed ancient runes, weaving together into flawless feathers. Its body looked sculpted by the universe itself—elegant, powerful, perfect.

More than that, its scale was incomprehensible. Marco's Phoenix was a few meters tall. This one—Kurogai felt like he was staring at a being the size of a planet.

It radiated an ancient presence, timeless and eternal, as if it had existed long before the concept of time was born.

As the final wisp of cerulean flame merged into the bird's form, it became whole.

And then, something awakened within Kurogai—a memory? A truth?

A message that wasn't taught, but remembered. It didn't feel foreign. It had always been there, waiting for this moment to be revealed.

"Undying... indestructible... eternally reborn... I am the Phoenix," Kurogai whispered, eyes wide with understanding.

This wasn't just an awakening.

This was revelation.

The Phoenix was his power—but not like Marco's or even Jean Grey's.

If Marco's Phoenix was a powerful mythical creature, Kurogai's Phoenix was a god.

In Marvel lore, the universe has five fundamental cosmic entities. They are the architects of reality. Kurogai's Phoenix didn't belong to them, yet it stood on equal footing.

Immortal. Unstoppable. Eternal.

Not a god... but more than a god.

A force beyond mortality, beyond even the celestial pantheon.

And now... that power belonged to him.

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