369 The Lord of the Negative Zone, The Smartest vs The Strongest Final, The Phoenix Trial and Mixing a New World with Everyday Life.
It wasn't that Allen had the best timing in history; he had arrived at the battlefield earlier but hadn't intervened… he couldn't without entering into a problematic subject.
Allen could no longer be controlled by laws, norms, or rules; it was a matter of whether he would choose to respect the law, even if he didn't need to.
Magneto had brought mutants to attack a prison created to contain dangerous criminals. Even if Reed seemed to be in a position to intimidate him and his children. Even if, to many, Magneto appeared to be just a gray-haired man trying to save a friend, he was a full-fledged criminal. He had even ripped out a bridge to come here and attacked The Vault without worrying about whether anyone died. So yes, Reed, who seems like the biggest jerk, is just defending the supervillain prison.
Allen couldn't intervene without getting caught up in something that could trigger a world-changing event. On the other hand, it seemed there were a lot of nervous people praying that Allen wouldn't make a move, and mutants hoping Allen would help them just because he was a "mutant." What sense did that make?
He simply wanted to help some boys and girls learn to control their powers, and now it seemed like he had to decide how the world would be.
…
– 'Emma, are you okay?
Allen stayed in the sky and decided to first speak to Emma telepathically.
– 'Allen is here?!'
There was a mix of joy and fear; she was Emma Frost. She would not have made it to the top of the business world without an agile mind and it would be impossible for her not to understand the implications of Allen's intervention.
Emma felt guilty; she was here, and that made Allen feel more obligated to come.
– 'I'm sorry, darling, I didn't mean to involve you in such trivial matters.~'
Allen blinked. 'Don't worry, Emma. You're part of the reason I came, but it was also because of that man named Reed Richards…'
While his relationship with Emma Frost wasn't just that of mere acquaintances and there was an ambiguous atmosphere—she had even expressed her desire more than once to warm his bed—their relationship wasn't as loving as Emma's words made it seem. However, Allen didn't correct her or tell her to stop, which made the woman happy as she felt she had taken another step forward.
Allen smiled slightly. 'Emma, tell me… what should I do…'
While he wished to maintain neutrality, it didn't mean he was afraid to intervene. Just to be clear, after the change, he wouldn't mind stepping in and kicking both sides' butts and coming up with any excuse, like being in a bad mood. But that wasn't necessary because he had a valid excuse: Emma Frost. If he helped her, he would be helping his woman, and no one could say anything.
But this put Emma in a difficult situation; she always aimed for Allen's well-being and didn't want to give him trouble. Could she cause him problems? No.
But by not doing so, she would let all the mutants present die.
Allen noticed the girl's hesitation (in this world, Emma was still young).
– 'Tell me, Emma, do they deserve to die?'
Emma thought for a moment; she had spent some time in the Brotherhood and knew better than anyone what kind of people were there. Certainly, Pyro wasn't a good person, nor was Sabretooth, Toad, or Frenzy. But many were simply marginalized and abandoned and had no choice but to use their abilities to survive.
– 'I know many have done bad things, but letting them die is hard… can I?'
– 'Emma, as I said, it would only be a nuisance for me. Do it…
– 'Thank you…I love you❤️'
– 'If you hadn't sent me a private message every day telling me the same thing, it would have been more emotional.'
– 'No! My inability to contain my feelings worked against me this time!'
– 'Don't worry, it was something lovely'.
– 'Really? ❤️'
– 'Yes...'
– 'Ah~'
...
(Emma Frost is the girl who acts differently in person than she does by message. 🍷🗿)
...
Emma felt relieved to receive Allen's approval. Still, Emma didn't act, hoping it wouldn't be necessary and that maybe the mutants would manage to get out of this situation on their own.
In the end, Magneto ordered a retreat, but it was too late; Reed had already decided to finish them off—not out of justice, injustice, vengeance, necessity, orders, or any excuse villains use to justify a massacre. It was worse. He did it out of sheer boredom.
Emma gritted her teeth. 'What a fickle bastard, he's worse than a movie diva!'
She had no choice but to help Wanda, who had lost her powers and would die crashing against the icy ground.
That was the signal…
…
Of course, the conversation between Emma and Allen was private, so, to the Chat and the dolls, Allen simply appeared without revealing himself and watched from the air.
The Emperor – A foolish decision as a governor, sacrificing many to save one.
Gilgamesh – He tried to send a clear message: you can't attack us without consequences…
Artoria – As a king, it might not be the smartest decision, but as a leader, the fact that he doesn't abandon even the most problematic among them will make his followers' loyalty soar… he'll even gain more approval among the still-hidden mutants.
…
Rick – Wow, that guy's got twenty percent Reed Richards, twenty percent a variant of me, twenty percent Deadpool, and that's too much, twenty percent Joker which is literal insanity… but I can't figure out the last twenty percent…
McDragon – Dude, you just gave me chills with what you said.
Wade – It's true, that guy doesn't have my perfect butt, he shouldn't even have five percent of Deadpool!
Batman – You just described an enemy I'd never want to face…
Superman – For you to say that this so-called Definitive–Reed must be terrifying…
Jack Sparrow – *Cough* sir, he's Reed Definitive, just as I demand people call me Captain, I'm quite respectful of others' nicknames…
MJ – Mmm, I'm no grammar expert, but is that correct?
Tearju – It's certainly not the standard way… but there must be a reason for it.
Rick – *Burp* the guy's a narcissistic egomaniac, he wouldn't let a word come before his own name…
Athena – You must have a lot in common, maybe you share more than twenty percent with him
Rick – Shut up, recycled goddess of the Zodiac Knights who isn't Saori!
Athena – Wow, looks like I'm right…
Rick – I hate your type of woman
Athena – Thank you :3
Rick – Tsk…
…
But Allen's audience is massive, and there was a separate group from the usual Chat who were nervous, scared, angry, and cautious about Allen's actions.
Kally crossed his arms impatiently; he hoped Allen would help the mutants, which would mean defeat (he believed in Reed Richards but not to the extent of thinking he'd beat Allen). However, Reed's defeat would bring benefits for Kally and help prove that Allen wasn't on his side, and when the time came, he'd help Magneto and the other mutants in the event of a war.
When he saw Allen intervene, his smile widened, but Gyrich frowned.
"You did it, Walker, hahaha!"
"Kally, why did he wait until that moment to intervene…"
"Huh?!... How should I know?!... Wait, Emma Frost!" Kally's face reddened with anger.
Certainly, Allen intervened when Reed attacked Emma Frost, not before. There were rumors of them being seen together in Monaco, and Emma had a business partnership with Wednesday before the infamous incident.
"DAMN!" Kally pounded the desk.
Kally knew Allen planned to use the excuse that he only intervened to protect his new girlfriend; something like that was blatant, but it was still an acceptable excuse.
"Walker played us…" murmured Gyrich without much surprise, 'In the end, in their eyes, we're like insects playing. To one of them, we literally don't matter, and to the other monster, Kally is just a resource for his crazy inventions…'
…
...
...
Allen intervened, and his first action was to finish Reed off. Allen always had a constant pulse in his head towards Reed telling him –Don't let him do anything–
Allen followed that intuition and attacked him intensely with every intention of finishing him off instantly, something he wouldn't do with other opponents.
But the first round was a victory for Reed by trapping Allen in the Negative Zone.
…
The Negative Zone is a hostile and unsettling place, especially if someone arrives unannounced. Allen opened his eyes while he found himself standing in that place. The first thing he perceived was a vast emptiness as if the space was endless and lacked direction.
The sky had a reddish-grayish hue, as if always on the verge of a storm. Floating rocks and debris drifted through the air with no apparent gravity.
Allen held his nose… the atmosphere was heavy and hard to breathe as if the air was filled with electricity and dust.
*Growls*
In the distance, flashes of energy and unstable structures can be seen forming and dissolving at random. Everything feels strange, and nothing seems to have a fixed form.
[Allen, time also seems distorted here, with moments passing incredibly fast while others stretch indefinitely... I'll try to stabilize time for you...]
A constant sense of danger lingers; it feels as though something or someone is always watching from the shadows. Strange and deformed creatures roam the horizon, some alone, others in groups, but all of them exude a palpable hostility.
The Negative Zone is a place where despair can quickly take hold of the mind, and where the environment is not only alien but actively hostile.
It's a realm that defies the laws of physics and logic, where survival is far from guaranteed.
...
The Emperor frowned in disgust at this place, but the four chaos gods secretly watching his screen were the opposite.
"I love that decay and despair!"
"So much to discover in a place like this makes my mouth water..."
"There are so many hostile things to slaughter!!!"
"What a delight to see such a delicious being surrounded by so much chaos!~"
...
"WHO DARES ENTER MY DOMAIN?!"
Behind Allen, a strange creature descended. It was a humanoid insect in a purple suit, resembling a demon. His weight broke the ground and he was enveloped in energy that exerted pressure all around him.
Allen turned slowly and looked at his calm and lazy eyes fixated on his opponent. For anyone else, this place would be despair, but for Allen, it was just another strange place.
"You... WANT MY COSMIC CONTROL ROD?!"
The insectoid mistook Allen's gaze for greed.
"What's that?"
Allen hadn't been sent randomly to just any part of the Negative Zone; Reed Richards had specifically chosen this spot, where Annihilus resided.
Annihilus was an insectoid in a battle suit that granted him control over cosmic energy, and he had led numerous invasions across dimensions, capable of threatening the entire universe.
Allen noticed a small cylindrical object hanging from Annihilus's neck, which must be the so-called "cosmic control rod."
"It does seem like something incredible..."
Despite his words, Allen didn't seem impressed at all, but Annihilus, being very paranoid, interpreted the comment as a trap. He immediately increased his power and manipulated the cosmic currents to attack Allen.
Allen blinked. 'Technically, this place isn't my world, and everything seems full of things that want to kill you... so it'd be fine not to hold back, right?' He clenched one of his hands as his hair and eyes turned silver. For just an instant, the entire Negative Zone shook.
"..." Allen slightly parted his lips, letting out a breath charged with power.
All this Annihilus did not notice as his paranoia overcame him.
"Intruder, know your place, I am Annihilus the Annihilator! Firstborn of Oblivion! (Not confirmed), The Living Death That Walks, and Lord of the Negative Zone-!"
Allen's fist appeared in front of Annihilus's face.
"Huh?"
"Nice to meet you... I'm Allen..."
Allen's punch struck Annihilus with such force that it broke the dimensional barrier separating the normal world from the Negative Zone.
Since most of the impact was not absorbed by Annihilus, his head remained intact as it was torn off and went through the rift.
Allen destroyed Annihilus' body and paused, blinking for a moment before extending his hand.
[Allen? I can bring you back... it's not... ah.]
Allen grabbed the rift as if it were a solid object and began to pull it open with his hands.
"Seems like it works..."
[...]
They couldn't see each other, but the rest of the Chat turned their heads to Rick, waiting for an explanation.
Rick – That... I can't explain that... so don't look at me.
...
Allen saw Reed Richards on the other side, 'Looks like I got lucky, and not much time has passed...'
[Time did work right in the Negative Zone, it could've been the opposite without my intervention.]
'Thanks, Sis.'
[Flattery won't lower the shop prices... but you're welcome~]
...
Allen exited the Negative Zone, leaving everyone speechless.
Magneto had some knowledge of that place and did not understand what had just happened; he used his hands to open a hole to connect both places.
No, even the most resourceful person could understand that what just happened was anything but what they could explain.
All of this led us to the previous scene...
"Let's dance!… The Strongest!"
"I don't like the idea of dancing with a man but...go ahead..." Allen's eyes turned red, "Show me what you've got... The Smartest..."
"DAMN IT! YOU BASTARD!!!" Annihilus's scream echoed in everyone's ears; the insectoid head, previously severed, was still alive. It wasn't surprising—Annihilus could be reborn as many times as he wanted, one of the reasons he was a difficult and dangerous monster to deal with.
A purple sphere struck Annihilus, destroying him. Allen lowered his hands after eliminating Annihilus and looked at Reed who looked back at him.
Reed stepped back as four drones emerged from the center of his coat, while he also took out some glasses.
Allen raised his hand, releasing multiple dismantles imbued with hakai, the same technique he had used before to permanently destroy the evolved Sentinels.
Two more Sentinels appeared and used enhanced force shields to try to stop Allen, but to no avail, and once again, they ended up in pieces and did not self-repair, just like when they were destroyed by other mutants.
Reed frowned slightly, noting that the Sentinels couldn't adapt to Allen's hakai.
...
Whis – Even if they adapt a hundred times, there's nothing a god of destruction can't destroy, except beings equal to or more powerful than himself, and I doubt Reed can build a Sentinel of that caliber...
Beerus – Hmph...
In the past, it took equivalent power to withstand the hakai of a god of destruction, not impossible, as several have managed to do it. However, it also depends on how much power the god of destruction uses and how strong he is.
A hakai from Mule, the god of destruction from Universe 3, who was the first to be knocked out during the gods' battle, is not the same as a hakai from Beerus, who managed to fight several gods of destruction at the same time.
...
It wasn't all in Allen's favor, though; his cuts didn't reach Reed, and it was as if he could see them.
'Those glasses must let him see my cuts'
Reed's drones, which looked strangely familiar to Allen, opened their red eyes and fired powerful laser beams that changed direction multiple times in the air.
"That's..."
Superman – Those are Darkseid's Omega Beams!
Batman – How did he replicate something based solely on videos?
It wasn't hard for them to see Allen's past fights, so Superman already knows what happened to his alternate version that fell into the hands of Darkseid.
The battle between Allen and Superman featured Darkseid, who, although he did not appear for long, managed to put Allen in a tight spot. Surprisingly, despite Reed having visited many alternate timelines, he had never ventured outside the Marvel multiverse; maybe he couldn't, or maybe he didn't want to. So, the only way I could replicate the Omega Beams is with the video of the Allen fight.
Illogical? Since when is Reed Richards logical? He's often given the excuse of being the smartest to do things that border on the absurd just to solve problems he often causes himself.
Allen dodged the attacks, but right after, another laser was already there. He had to increase his speed to avoid it and launched his dismantle, which Reed dodged.
"I've seen that trick before."
"Hehe" Reed laughed
"You calculate the angles of your lasers in real-time so they go where I'm about to move, making it look like you can see the future, and you calculate my attacks so it seems like you're dodging with ease..."
"Heh, I thought Professor Walker had already forgotten his origins..."
He hadn't. Even now, Allen still had a room full of comics and manga.
"What does being a professor have to do with my hobbies? I read manga, comics, collect figures... is there a problem with that?..."
As for why this came up, it was because the technique in question was created by a white-haired genius girl named "Shiro."
Reed was joking by doing this; after all, Allen a year ago was nothing like this, even now there was a ridiculous contrast in the change from a common guy to a monster like this.
Reed Definitive thought his first obstacle would be with someone incredible from start to finish, with an existence so overwhelming that it would not let him breathe, a god, a Lovecraftian entity, or some unrecognizable mysterious being, but who would have thought it would be someone with such a simple past with whom he would finally encounter a challenge that would push him to the limit.
Reed's expression became serious.
Behind Allen emerged a giant Sentinel; at the same time, Allen gathered a sphere of crimson cursed energy, and he fired in a single motion through the Sentinel.
Allen disappeared and appeared near Reed, who grinned as Allen's hand went through him, it was a hologram. But Allen would not be fooled by a common hologram, he was a replica of Reed from physically to spiritually.
Allen didn't have time to think four boxes appeared around him.
"Mother Boxes?"
"That's right, but these only serve to collapse space..." Reed's voice came from a Sentinel still under repair on the ground.
The air around Allen shattered, and he was crushed... though it was just a residual image. Allen appeared not far away and saw several Sentinels rising from the ground.
Allen moved his hand slightly and sliced them into pieces, except for one that seemed strangely familiar...
"The Sentinels evolve with every defeat!" shouted Reed. "This is the first one you destroyed!"
The Sentinel transformed its hands into swords and launched a slash similar to Allen's Dismantle.
Allen sighed, and the slash was stopped by the Infinity before he launched a more powerful dismantle, cutting the giant Sentinel in half. In the same motion, Allen pointed his hand at a space.
"Hollow: Purple..."
Reed Richards appeared, invisible, covered by a force field.
A Sentinel with armor appeared in front of him, blocking the purple with a powerful electromagnetic field.
"That was close, you bastard!"
Allen diverted his gaze from Reed to see that more Sentinels had appeared around him, moving very quickly...
Allen descended to the ground; they were traveling at least Mach 103 (Mach = speed of sound). Even so, they were still too slow…
Allen sighed and snapped his fingers, teleporting all the mutants on the ground away from the area.
He stomped on the ground, and the entire mountain's crust was torn away along with the Sentinels. Allen waved his hand from right to left, suspending the rocks and Sentinels in the air for a moment before multiple slash marks appeared across their bodies.
Reed was surprised to see his sentinels engulfed in fire, which made no sense because Allen didn't use the hakai..., however the answer came immediately when they were destroyed into ashes unable to adapt.
"What's that fire?!" exclaimed Reed.
"It was the "Trial of the Phoenix," the authority of the Phoenix Force to destroy and create "what doesn't work" in the universe."
Reed, of course, didn't know that Allen had obtained this new power because he acquired it while "fighting" Magneto.
Not only the Sentinels but even Reed Richards was engulfed in fire.
"Hahaha…"
"If I were you, I wouldn't be laughing."
Allen had not faced the Phoenix directly, but it was not a simple opponent; he wasn't even sure he would have won that fight.
Reed was covered in fire, even feeling like his soul would be destroyed this time.
"WHAT IS THIS?!"
The Phoenix Trial is one of the most terrifying and destructive powers in the Marvel Universe. It is a manifestation of the Phoenix Force, a cosmic entity representing life, death, and resurrection.
How powerful is it?
Cosmic Destruction: The Phoenix Trial can destroy planets, solar systems, and even entire universes. Its power is so vast that it is considered an existential threat to all creation.
Reality Alteration: It can rewrite reality at will, creating and destroying matter and energy as desired.
Control Over Life and Death: It has dominion over life and death, able to resurrect the dead and annihilate the living.
Energy Absorption: It can absorb any type of energy, from cosmic to psionic.
In summary, the Phoenix Trial is an almost omnipotent force capable of giving and taking life on a cosmic scale. Few beings in the universe could withstand it.
That was what Reed Richards was trapped in…
"AHHHHH!!! DAMN IT!!!"
Reed glared in anger but immediately smiled. "Next time, I'll make it more interesting for you, Allen heh..."
Allen frowned, and Reed Richards proceeded to self-destruct, including his own soul.
[What? Why did he do that?!]
Even the system couldn't understand the reasoning behind his actions.
Allen narrowed his eyes, "Maybe… just maybe, he has a way to reconstruct his soul, but only if it's destroyed under certain conditions…"
...
Rick – Yeah, he self-destructed because he had the certainty that it wouldn't kill him… What a disgustingly arrogant guy.
The Emperor – But destroying your soul, your own soul, and then reconstructing it… that goes beyond incredible…
Gwen – That doesn't change the fact that he did it to escape Allen's new power. Is it really that terrifying?
Superman – I don't doubt it. At the very least, it was enough for Allen to go all out from the beginning when encountering that Phoenix.
It has always been one of the most surreal aspects that Allen is more of a tourist in his own world than in the others.
...
Many people were confused by Reed's actions, but one reality is that the fight was over, it was a short but incredible fight.
The phoenix flew around Allen the previous power was not entirely Allen's but borrowed from the phoenix.
Allen raised his arm and the phoenix landed on it, "Thank you..." Allen stroked the phoenix.
"Shree~"
Allen used it out of curiosity and also to prevent Reed from being able to defend himself as it was something unknown to him.
[I don't know what happened, but… I guess it's time to go back to being a professor… Allen, what do you plan to do with that? I don't think you will only work for a week as a teacher before going to another world?]
'The answer to your first question is that before leaving, I should exchange a few words with the people present… to avoid being rude.'
[That's true… though, aside from Emma, you shouldn't feel obligated…]
'As for your second question, I don't plan to stop being a professor at the X-Mansion, nor will I neglect the university with Gwen, MJ, and Felicia, or my work at Arkham… It's not necessary anymore since I can return at any time.'
[That's true, I see. You'll go there for a few days, come back to give a class, then leave for a few days, return, go to university, and so on?]
'Basically.'
[I see, so I guess we're not going tomorrow!]
'What's the rush?'
[The host has the answer on your arm.]
Allen looked at the Phoenix. It was true that this strange, super-powerful creature was a surprise; if it weren't peaceful, Allen wouldn't have had a good time.
Allen doesn't know if there are more beings at this "Phoenix" level or even higher. It's better not to slow down with the collection, plus Allen can now obtain fragments by eliminating antagonists. If he's lucky, Allen might end up in an extremely hostile world that provides plenty of enemies.
===
A/N: It finally happened... a 4k word chapter... 🍷🗿
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