Without hesitation, Kurogai ended Magneto's life. He had never been one to leave enemies alive.
With the situation resolved, Kurogai turned toward Rogue, walking steadily to her side. With a single motion, he shattered the iron restraints binding her.
"You alright?" he asked, his voice steady.
Rogue exhaled shakily. "I'm fine… thanks, Kurogai."
The relief in her voice was heavy. Caught in Magneto's trap, she'd lost all hope. If Kurogai hadn't intervened, she knew she wouldn't have made it out alive. That fear had now given way to overwhelming gratitude. And beneath that… something deeper had begun to stir.
"I'm going to grab the conversion machine. After that, we'll find Logan and the others."
Oblivious to the emotions building behind Rogue's eyes, Kurogai turned away. He still had unfinished business.
Raising his hand, a shimmering rift opened in the air beside him. With a flash of light, the machine Magneto had used to manipulate mutant genes was drawn into a dimensional space of Kurogai's own creation—his personal void. One day, when perfected, that device could become an asset unlike any other.
With the machine secured, Kurogai descended from the Statue of Liberty with Rogue at his side. Below, the battle still raged. Logan, Storm, and Iceman were locked in combat against Mystique and the others.
"Heterochromatic eyes?" Mystique's tone was tense as she spotted Kurogai descending. "Where's Magneto?"
"With me here?" Kurogai's gaze was cold. "His story's over."
Mystique's face hardened. Toad, fueled by fury and blind loyalty, lunged forward in rage. Mystique, meanwhile, did the smart thing—she turned to run.
But Kurogai wasn't letting either of them go.
A pulse of energy lit up his palm, a mystic glyph erupting into a glowing lash of light. The whip snapped through the air, coiling around Mystique's limbs, binding her in place before she could vanish into the shadows.
Toad was faster—but also dumber. His tongue lashed out, striking at Kurogai with venomous speed.
"Disgusting creature," Kurogai growled. "If you're so proud of that thing, you won't miss it."
His eyes glowed—Not the Geass, but the sharingan, Amaterasu . A jet of black fire ignited from his palm, searing Toad's tongue mid-air.
Toad screamed, writhing, clutching at his face. The fire didn't stop. Panicked, he leapt into the river—but the flames clung to him like a curse, devouring him until nothing remained.
"You're a monster!" Storm shouted, recoiling.
The others stared, frozen. No one had liked Toad—but to be burned alive like that?
Kurogai turned slowly to them, eyes unreadable. "I told you—I dream of being a hero."
And yet… none of them found that comforting.
He walked past them, approaching Mystique.
"Don't kill her!" Storm called out. "She belongs in the Academy. Xavier might—"
"Storm." Kurogai's voice lowered, calm but firm. "The line between villain and hero is thinner than you think. Don't push me toward the wrong side."
Mystique's mutant DNA was a treasure trove. Shapeshifter genetics were crucial to understanding the mechanism behind Magneto's machine. Letting her go was out of the question.
Without another word, Kurogai struck her unconscious with a touch, then opened another rift and pulled her into the void.
Storm flinched, recalling the way Toad had died. She said nothing more.
Kurogai turned to the others. "Magneto's plan is over. You stopped him. You're heroes. Isn't that enough?"
Storm and Iceman didn't answer. His words held no warmth. Logan, meanwhile, simply grunted. Rogue was alive. That was all that mattered to him.
And so, the battle ended—not with celebration, but silence.
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