Whoosh!
The sound of a sonic boom ripped through the battlefield as a blurred shadow shot forward like lightning.
The Eternals barely had time to blink before the shadow collided violently with Ikaris.
Boom!
The impact shook the very ground beneath them. Ikaris was blasted away like a ragdoll, crashing through a mountain in the distance, tearing it apart and leaving a colossal hole in its side.
Dust and rubble rained down as silence fell for a heartbeat. Then—
A figure appeared beside Ajak, calm and immovable amidst the chaos.
"Are you hurt?"
His voice was low, expression unreadable, eyes steady.
It was Alex.
Ajak shook her head gently. Golden light flickered across her palms, weaving into delicate patterns. Her wounds sealed themselves in moments, leaving behind no trace of injury. Healing was her gift—and her burden.
The others, however, were not looking at her.
Every Eternal present had turned their eyes toward the newcomer—the one who had thunderously floored Ikaris in an instant.
"Alex!"
"Impossible! How can you be here?"
Shock rippled across both factions. They had been certain Alex had been trapped, immobilized by Phastos's ritual. Yet here he was, alive, free, and stronger than ever.
Even Ikaris, staggering from the rubble, couldn't hide his confusion.
His eyes narrowed as he studied the man before him.
"You… you're not Alex. Who are you?"
Though the resemblance was exact, Ikaris's instincts screamed otherwise. This figure lacked the same cosmic aura. He was strong—terrifyingly so—but not the real Alex.
Ajak's voice cut through the tension.
"He's a clone. A projection of Alex."
The realization hit the Eternals like a storm.
Kingo's face twisted in disbelief.
"Ajak… is what Ikaris said true? That you conspired with mutants to betray Arishem? I didn't want to believe it, but—this… this proves it."
Ajak's expression hardened, her tone resolute.
"There's nothing left to explain. This ends today."
"Fine," Ikaris growled, eyes burning with heat. "After I finish with this clone, I'll deal with you."
But Alex's lips curved in a cold smirk.
"Finish me?"
He didn't wait for Ikaris's answer. His eyes flared red.
Sizzle!
Twin beams of heat vision erupted, lancing through the air toward Ikaris.
Sizzle!
Ikaris countered instantly, firing his own beams. The two attacks collided mid-air, crackling violently. For a fleeting moment, they seemed equal—until Alex's beams surged forward, devouring Ikaris's like a storm swallowing candlelight.
"Urgh!"
Ikaris strained, pouring every ounce of strength into resisting. But it was futile. His beams were smothered, inch by inch.
And Alex wasn't about to play fair.
Boom!
His palm snapped outward, unleashing a crushing telekinetic wave. The invisible force slammed into Ikaris's chest like a mountain, sending him spiraling backward through the sky.
Thud!
He smashed into the ground, coughing from the impact. Yet stubbornly, he rose again, charging forward with defiance.
But Alex was already there.
Every strike Ikaris launched—every punch, every beam, every desperate attempt—was smothered with ease. Alex was faster, stronger, sharper. He dominated the fight from start to finish, never giving Ikaris even a second to breathe.
"No way… even a clone of Alex is this powerful?"
"Look! Ikaris is being… crushed."
The watching Eternals were stunned speechless. Some could only watch in grim silence, while others—those who had followed Ikaris—grew pale with panic.
Desperate, Sprite raised her hands.
A ripple of illusions spread across the battlefield as dozens of Ikaris duplicates appeared, darting through the sky in perfect synchronization. The real Ikaris melded among them, hidden by the mirage.
To anyone else, it would've been impossible to distinguish the real one.
But to Alex?
It was laughable.
His super-hearing easily picked out the steady heartbeat of the true Ikaris. His psychic senses mapped every movement, every flicker of energy. Sprite's illusions were as transparent as glass.
Whoosh!
In a blur, Alex vanished and reappeared before the real Ikaris.
Boom!
His fist slammed into Ikaris's chest, sending him flying once more.
"What!" Sprite gasped in disbelief.
But Alex didn't even glance at her.
"Out of my sight."
His voice was ice as he lashed out with a single punch from a distance. The telekinetic shockwave struck Sprite like a hammer, hurling her to the ground.
"Sprite!"
Sersi cried out in horror. Though Sprite had chosen the opposite side, their bond had never faded. Seeing her friend fall wounded twisted her heart with anguish.
But she couldn't help. Her abilities were useless against Alex.
Sizzle! Sizzle!
Meanwhile, Kingo raised his hands, unleashing a storm of energy blasts that rained down on Alex.
Boom!
The explosions engulfed the battlefield in a blaze of light. But when the smoke cleared, Alex stood untouched within his shimmering telekinetic shield.
In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance.
Thud!
One punch. Kingo crumpled, sent sprawling across the dirt.
"Outrageous!"
Druig roared. He couldn't stomach the sight of his comrades being beaten down. His eyes glowed as he unleashed his mind-control ability, forcing it onto Alex's consciousness.
For a moment, his expression twisted with concentration.
And then—
His eyes widened.
"What… Impossible!"
His power—the ability to control minds with absolute authority—had no effect on Alex.
Not even the faintest ripple.
The battlefield grew eerily silent.
One by one, the Eternals realized the horrifying truth:
Even against all of them together, Alex wasn't just holding his own.
He was winning.
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