Xavier's School in despair, a defense matrix that could not withstand a single blow

"Buzz--Buzz--Buzz--"

The piercing, highest-level alarm, like the wailing of a dying man, tore at every inch of air at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. The walls trembled slightly but continuously, the chandeliers on the ceiling swayed wildly, and dust fell in clumps, as if the entire building would be crushed into dust at any moment by that invisible, terrifying pressure.

The Main Control Room was in complete chaos.

"Defense Force Field overload! Energy reading has exceeded the limit! We... we can't analyze what that is at all!" A young Mutants Technician frantically typed on the keyboard, but all that appeared on the screen were strings of Scarlet gibberish and error warnings. His voice was shrill and distorted with extreme fear.

"Scott Summers! We can't hold on any longer!" Storm Ororo's face was ashen, she bit her lip tightly, and for the first time, her silver eyes lost their usual confidence and composure, leaving only deep horror.

She could feel the sky outside crying and wailing. On one side was a chilling, lifeless stillness that robbed all life, and on the other side was Chaos that distorted reality and overturned all logic. These two forces did not even attack actively; they simply existed there, and her celestial power was swallowed up instantly, like a stream flowing into the sea, without even a ripple.

"I know!"

Cyclops Scott Summers Summers, his eyes bloodshot, roared in response. He shoved the distraught Technician aside and slammed his hands onto the control panel. Without Professor Charles Xavier, he was the supreme commander here, the backbone of everyone. He couldn't fall, absolutely not!

His gaze was fixed on the bright red emergency button in the center of the control panel, which was covered by a triple physical lock.

That was Xavier's School's last trump card, the ultimate defense system—the "Bastion" defense matrix—that Professor Charles Xavier had spent half his life creating, combining the technology of the Shi'ar Empire with the most advanced technology on Earth.

In theory, it can withstand the direct Impact of a nuclear explosion of tens of millions of tons and can temporarily isolate the entire Academy from physical space. It is the last and most proud guardian of the Mutants 'Utopia.

"Activate the ' Bastion ' matrix!" Scott Summers's voice was hoarse, yet filled with an undeniable resolve.

"But Scott Summers, the professor said that unless faced with a global catastrophe, it should never be activated lightly! Its energy consumption is too great, and once it's turned on..." Ororo tried to dissuade him.

"Now!" Scott Summers whirled around, his eyes behind his Ruby-Quartz Visor burning with despair. "Ororo, look outside! That's not an enemy we can understand! We're facing annihilation!"

His words plunged everyone into a deathly silence.

Yes, destruction.

Through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows of the Main Control Room, everyone could clearly see that the sky had been completely divided into two terrifying colors. One half was a deathly, inky black that devoured light, and the other half was a frenzied, Scarlet that tore space apart. Under the confrontation of these two forces, the entire Westchester County seemed to have become a fragile canvas, ready to be torn to shreds at any moment.

This is no longer a battle; this is Divine Punishment.

"Execute the order!" Scott Summers didn't hesitate any longer. He turned the three physical locks, and with all his might, pressed the button hard!

Boom--!!!

Deep within the Academy, the massive backup energy core emitted a muffled roar. The entire building shook violently, as if a slumbering Beast had been abruptly awakened.

Visible to the naked eye, a deep blue energy, like a tide, surged forth from all directions of the Academy, rapidly converging and weaving in mid-air!

One floor, two floors, ten floors...

Countless energy grids overlapped, eventually forming a massive, hemispherical energy shield emitting a soft blue light above the Academy, completely enveloping the entire Academy.

"Buzz..."

As the shield took shape, the terrifying pressure that almost crushed human bones was instantly shut out. The trembling in the Main Control Room stopped, and the piercing alarm subsided.

"Success!"

"Oh my god... we're saved!"

"Is this the ' Bastion ' matrix? It's incredibly powerful!"

The overwhelming joy of surviving the ordeal instantly swept over everyone. Several young students even wept with joy, collapsing to the ground, panting heavily. The data on the control panel quickly returned to normal, and the azure shield displayed a perfect energy reading of "100%" on the screen, seemingly indestructible.

Scott Summers and Ororo exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of relief in each other's eyes.

"It seems we can hold out until... reinforcements arrive." Scott Summers's tense body relaxed slightly as he leaned against the control panel.

However, before he could finish speaking...

A very faint, yet incredibly clear, "click" sound suddenly rang in everyone's ears.

The sound was like a perfect ice sculpture in winter being gently touched by a red-hot Steel Needles.

The smiles on everyone's faces froze instantly.

Scott Summers abruptly raised his head, his pupils contracting to their maximum size in an instant.

And there it was, in the very center of that enormous, perfect, dark blue shield dome, directly beneath the juxtaposition of black and Scarlet...

A tiny, almost imperceptible white crack appeared.

silence.

The entire Main Control Room so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

Everyone stared wide-eyed at the crack, as if trying to erase it with their gaze.

impossible...

That's absolutely impossible!

That's the "Bastion" Matrix, capable of withstanding a nuclear explosion! It's Xavier's School's strongest defense! It's their last hope!

Those two... monsters outside... haven't even really made a move yet! It's just the clash of their unconscious auras as they descended and confronted each other...

"Crack... crack... sizzle--!"

Before they could break free from this absurd reality, an even more intense and crisper sound of shattering, like a symphony of death, suddenly began to play!

That tiny crack, as if it had come to life, spread rapidly in all directions at an astonishing speed!

One, ten, hundreds, thousands!

It only takes a breath or two.

The massive and sturdy azure energy shield that had just brought everyone boundless hope has now transformed into a cheap glass artwork riddled with jagged cracks, seemingly on the verge of shattering at any moment!

"No..."

A young Mutants watched as the screen instantly plummeted from "100%" to the blood-red message "Warning! Structural integrity below 10%!" He let out a desperate whimper, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted from fright.

Collapse!

The complete collapse of faith!

When hope is crushed in an instant, what follows is Abyss of despair that is deeper and bottomless than death itself!

Scott Summers Summers felt a chill run through him as he stared blankly at the sky through the tattered, spiderweb-like shield.

He saw it.

Within that churning black cloud of death, a tall, elegant figure, exuding endless arrogance and cruelty, slowly emerged.

She wore a dark green, tight-fitting War Armor and a menacing black Crown. Her dark green eyes held a hint of cat-and-mouse mockery and cruelty as she looked down at the ants who, in her eyes, even struggled, seemed utterly ridiculous.

Hela, the Goddess of Death in Asgard.

She seemed to have lost patience with the Scarlet Chaos, or perhaps she felt that this appetizer was enough.

She was about to take action.

Amidst the horrified gazes of the Mutants, Hela slowly, with an air of casualness as if brushing dust off her clothes, raised her right hand.

That slender, pale hand, in the eyes of the X-Men, was more despairing than any apocalyptic disaster.