When Richard observed the giant male agent rush to protect the female agent, his intuition suggested their relationship might extend beyond mere colleagues.
Protecting combat-support teammates was standard battlefield procedure, especially those less suited for direct confrontation. But Richard trusted his instincts.
After hearing Richard's words, the giant male agent and female agent remained silent, regarding him warily.
"You really don't have anything else to say to each other?"
Richard embedded his Masamune into the ground and waited. The gesture—whether signaling his sincerity or indicating the finality of their situation—carried weight.
After a few seconds of silence, the giant male agent turned to look at the female agent behind him, his expression betraying words unspoken yet desperately wanting to be shared.
Though he didn't verbalize his thoughts, the female agent—who had maintained an impassive demeanor since her arrival—responded with a radiant smile.
She raised her right hand and clasped the giant male agent's hand in hers.
Neither spoke. They simply gazed into each other's eyes.
Though merely eye contact, it conveyed everything they needed to express. Actions spoke louder than words.
If Richard had wanted to strike, this moment of vulnerability would have provided the perfect opportunity. Instead, he granted them this moment, watching alongside Jean and the others as the giant male agent suddenly reverted to his normal human appearance.
The agent then embraced the female agent and engaged her in a passionate kiss.
Time ticked away.
Nearly thirty seconds passed before they separated, and the male agent resumed his giant form.
"Thank you," he said to Richard, his voice sincere.
Richard didn't respond verbally. He simply nodded, retrieved the Masamune from the ground, and pointed its tip toward them.
Judgement Cut End!
The moment Richard executed Judgement Cut End, the battle reached its swift conclusion.
Neither the giant male agent nor the female agent possessed any defense against Judgement Cut End. Confronted by the incredibly powerful and elusive technique, they fell quickly.
Though they perished from Judgement Cut End, both agents wore remarkably serene expressions in their final moments, as if death itself held little consequence.
[The mission "One-Winged Angel (I)" has been completed!]
[The mission rewards, Hell's Gate and Black Materia, have been sent!]
[Skills: Hell's Gate, Black Materia Acquired!]
Following the deaths of the giant male and female agents, the mission completion notification immediately appeared in Richard's field of vision.
Ignoring this information momentarily, he approached the now-unrecognizable bodies of the agents and activated Plunder.
[Gain new abilities: Giant Body, Gravity Binding!]
[X-Gene Mutant power Content Update!]
[Alpha level: Plunder, Super Strength, Enhanced Durability, Accelerated Healing, Teleportation]
[Beta level: Repulsion, Stone Body, Ion Shock Wave, Mental Shielding, Mind Charm, Momentum Shift, Pressure Burst, Illusion Creation, Invisibility, Enhanced Senses, Mind Whip, Hypnotic Suggestion, Giant Body, Gravity Binding]
[Delta level: Energy Absorption, Telekinesis, Beast Intuition, Bone Claws]
After examining the remains, Richard summoned a sphere of intense orange-red flames using his Firaga technique. The flames engulfed the bodies of the fallen agents.
It's over.
Watching their remains transform to ash beneath the blazing fire, Richard experienced a moment of contemplation. Whether due to the mounting death toll of the past few days or the serene acceptance he'd witnessed in the agents' final moments, a fleeting melancholy touched him.
But he quickly recalibrated his emotions and teleported to where Jean and the others stood.
"It turns out that your assurance is of no use," he said to Jean.
"Please tell the Professor not to use the Cerebro to locate me, and don't send you to find me."
"If I want to see him, I'll visit the school myself."
Jean nodded solemnly. "I will convey your message to the Professor."
Richard turned his attention to Clarice and Sabretooth. "Creed, you're a good adoptive father, but you're not an effective teacher," he continued. "Besides, you can't protect Clarice forever."
"Clarice's powers have considerable potential. Once fully developed, she'll exceed even your capabilities."
"I suggest you allow her to study at Xavier's School. It would benefit both of you."
Though Richard didn't entirely endorse all of Professor X and Jean's methodologies, their teaching abilities far surpassed Sabretooth's. Clarice would receive better guidance at the school than following Sabretooth.
Moreover, Clarice's status as an unregistered mutant had already been exposed. The Department of Mutant Affairs had likely categorized both Sabretooth and Clarice as Richard's accomplices.
If Sabretooth wanted to protect Clarice from capture, allowing her to remain at the school represented their best option.
"You don't need to tell me this. I already informed Clarice last night," Sabretooth replied quickly. "She'll study at the school for a while. When circumstances permit, I'll return for her."
Richard regarded the feral mutant with surprise, not expecting Sabretooth to have already considered these factors.
"Until we meet again," Richard said, preparing to teleport away.
But an abrupt thought caused him to halt. He approached Wolverine instead.
"If you truly wish to uncover your past, ask him," Richard advised, indicating Sabretooth. "He's your half-brother."
Half-brother?
Jean and Wolverine exchanged startled glances, astonished by this revelation.
Their surprise stemmed from their complete ignorance of this connection. Sabretooth, meanwhile, appeared shocked that Richard possessed this knowledge.
Although Sabretooth had previously mentioned that Wolverine was his brother, he had never specified they were half-siblings.
How did he know?
Jean and the others regarded Richard with bewilderment.
Richard, however, had no intention of satisfying their curiosity. Before they could voice their questions, he teleported away, vanishing instantly from their sight.
In his absence, Wolverine's piercing gaze settled on Sabretooth.
Time passed swiftly.
Three months elapsed almost imperceptibly.
During this period, Richard gained intimate familiarity with life as an S-class Department of Mutant Affairs fugitive.
After eliminating the three agents, the Department's pursuit intensified considerably. Nevertheless, Richard maintained a structured routine.
When avoiding detection, he secluded himself to practice techniques like Judgement Cut End, Hell's Gate, and Octoslash.
When discovered, he engaged the Department's agents in life-or-death combat.
Three months of rigorous training and battlefield experience not only elevated all his skills to level 3 but also allowed him to Plunder valuable X-gene mutant powers.
These included heat rays Plundered from one agent and telepathic abilities from a psychic—similar in nature, if not equal in power, to those wielded by Professor X and the White Queen.
Additionally, Sephiroth's template fusion percentage had increased to 45%.
The skill upgrades and template fusion progress bestowed upon Richard flowing, waist-length silver hair identical to Sephiroth's.
Compared to his previous short hairstyle, the long hair presented certain practical inconveniences. Yet Richard harbored no complaints.
He discovered that Sephiroth's distinctive silver locks enhanced his already handsome appearance considerably. Measured against this aesthetic improvement, minor daily inconveniences seemed trivial.
In a forest dozens of kilometers from San Francisco, Richard Wesley—his silver hair flowing in the breeze—conducted his daily training regimen.
Judgement Cut End. Hell's Gate. Octoslash.
Time continued its relentless march.
Upon completing his exercises, Richard opened his attribute panel.
...
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