MARVEL: TOAA

"John," Reina called softly, reaching out to press John's arm.

It was enough. She didn't want John to be consumed by his own negative emotions.

When John cast the curse earlier, she had seen a vision—an army of demons standing opposite him, their fiery eyes glaring with malevolence.

She feared that if John pushed himself further, something terrible might happen. To her, John was her Achilles' heel.

Even Sebastian Shaw, a tyrant hardened by years of manipulation and cruelty, had been overwhelmed by John's presence. The sheer force of his aura had shaken Sebastian to his core, planting seeds of doubt in his otherwise unshakable mind.

In that moment, Sebastian believed Raven's warning: "John can kill you."

Two tears fell from the corners of Raven's eyes. She had almost rushed forward to stop him.

But when she saw Erik's soul imprisoned in the cursed coin, his body collapsing into lifelessness, a strange sense of relief washed over her.

She realized that the bond between her and Erik had been severed.

If she survived this ordeal, she knew that she and Erik would never share a connection again—not in this life or any other. The Erik she once knew was now gone, and so were the lingering emotions that had tethered them.

"Is he... a devil? He's terrifying!" Susan muttered, her legs trembling as she watched John.

Even Daredevil and Gambit were pale, their faces etched with fear. The weight of John's power was something they could not fathom.

On the other hand, the members of the Hellfire Club were surprisingly composed.

With the exception of the White Queen, who appeared slightly uneasy, the rest maintained their calm. It was a testament to their villainous nature—they were accustomed to standing in the face of overwhelming force without faltering.

"Who else wants to be my enemy?" John declared, his voice resonating with unshakable authority.

This moment, astonishingly, was witnessed by a man who appeared no older than twenty.

Even the arrogant Red Devil, known for his cocky demeanor, managed a sheepish grin as he took an involuntary half-step back.

"Yes, that's the way it should be," Sebastian said, forcing a smile. "The strong prey on the weak, and the strong should have supreme power. If we unite, even in this void, we can conquer everything. What do you think? Would you consider it?"

Sebastian's tone was slick, his words dripping with manipulation. He was eager to recruit John, Reina, and Ravion into his fold.

John's abilities alone intrigued him, but Ravion's unique power to replicate mutant abilities and Reina's nascent control over air currents offered limitless potential. Together, they were a force to be reckoned with.

However, John's expression darkened. Sebastian had just attacked Reina—a crime John would never forgive.

"Ravion," John said coldly, "he dared to attack our family. Go. Test his strength."

Ravion's lips curled into a grin. He didn't need John to elaborate; he knew what to do. Sebastian had crossed a line, and there would be no mercy.

Sebastian took two steps back, and his loyal subordinates—the Red Devil, the White Queen, and Riptide—rushed to shield him.

"Bang! Bang!"

Ravion and the Red Devil clashed first. Both wielded teleportation abilities, but each had its strengths and weaknesses.

Ravion's tall, imposing frame gave him raw power, while the smaller, nimbler Red Devil relied on his agility to evade.

However, Red Devil's strikes barely fazed Ravion. His blows were soft and ineffective against Ravion's enhanced durability.

"Should we intervene?" Daredevil asked, his brow furrowed.

"No," Raven replied firmly. "We should focus on leaving here alive."

Susan hesitated. "Then why don't we escape while they're fighting?"

"Because we don't have a chance," Raven answered grimly.

As the weakest group in the room, they couldn't simply walk away. To stay meant risking involvement in the battle, but to flee would paint them as opportunists—an act Sebastian or John wouldn't tolerate.

Meanwhile, Ravion seized an opportunity. He caught the Red Devil's fist mid-teleportation, his grip unleashing a wave of freezing energy.

"Ahhh!"

The Red Devil screamed as frost spread rapidly across his arm. The freezing temperatures pierced his skin, shattered his bones, and numbed his nerves.

But the Red Devil was no novice. A seasoned mutant, he made a ruthless decision.

Without hesitation, he summoned a blade and severed his frozen arm at the elbow.

"Bang!"

The Red Devil teleported away, his severed arm clattering to the ground.

The White Queen and Riptide advanced to cover his retreat.

Emma Frost raised her hands, her telepathic powers surging into Ravion's mind. Simultaneously, Riptide conjured twin whirlwinds, merging them into a single massive storm.

The winds howled, whipping up debris and sand. Raven and the others shielded their eyes and stumbled back.

John and Reina remained unflinching, their psychic shield deflecting the storm's ferocity.

At the storm's center, Ravion stood tall, unmoved. His reinforced body resisted the onslaught, the winds and sand bouncing harmlessly off him.

"Impossible!" Emma exclaimed. "How can you use multiple abilities at once?"

Her diamond-hard skin glinted in the dim light as she braced herself. As a mutant with both telepathic and diamond forms, she was limited to using one ability at a time.

Yet Ravion wielded telekinesis while maintaining his physical enhancements—a feat that defied mutant logic.

"Nothing is impossible," Ravion replied, his voice calm.

In his hand, he formed a miniature whirlwind, countering Riptide's storm with effortless precision.

Emma quickly disengaged her psychic attack, shifting fully into her diamond form. She raised her arms defensively as Ravion turned his crimson gaze toward her, laser beams firing from his eyes.