Chapter 161: Divine Prophecy

"Ah, Luo Miou, why art thou Luo Miou? Deny thy father and abandon thy name; if thou wilt not, then swear to be my lover, and I shall no longer be a Capulet."

"Oh, Ju-alien, why is thy profile so prominent, as if hiding a retractable mouthpart? Why art thou bound in thin braids, as if a Bloodborne warrior come to Earth for trials? Why is thy skin so dark…"

"Ah, Luo Miou, oughtst thou not swear by the holy moon that paints the treetops silver?"

"Oh, Ju-alien, the moon is fickle, ever waxing and waning; thy love, too, may change. This bud of love, bathed in the rainbow's light, turns this meeting into a cruel trial."

"Good night, good night! Parting is so lucky, so fortunate—I am glad to see tomorrow's sun. Will heaven, devoid of mercy, see through my fear?"

"Ah! Here I shall make my final rest, to free thee, faithless one, from life's endless river. Eyes, behold thy final gaze! Shoulders, embrace thy final hold!"

"Even if thou sayest thou lovest me, I would rather be found by my kin and perish beneath their hatred than die here, slain by thy love."

After taking off in the X-Jet, the Joker Super tried to strike up conversation with others. But no one wanted to talk to him, so he simply played multiple roles and sang an opera.

If no one understood what he was singing, that would be fine. But the unassuming, flat-haired woman with a buzzcut, Selene, understood. Though dressed as simply as the others from Ginoza Island, her aura clearly was not that of a lowly henchman.

From his every gesture and step, there radiated an indescribable elegance, making one sense that this man was full of contradictions. At least, he understood the Joker Super's modified opera and said:

"The classic duet from 'Luo Miou and Juliet' is a deeply romantic scene. Have you turned it into this and still expect anyone to watch?"

"No, no, no, this isn't my alteration. This is an actual opera performed in a legitimate theater," the Joker Super retorted.

"What theater would be foolish enough to stage such a thing?" Selene said, looking disgusted.

"Wait, let me calculate with my fingers. Hmm, if you live another thirty-two years, you'll see this masterpiece performed in a London theater. This is a divine prophecy—guaranteed for young and old alike. Don't come looking for me—I'll treat you to a watermelon. Hahaha."

Selene looked ready to continue arguing with the Joker Super, but her boss, Magneto, glared at her. "Shut up!"

Selene, subordinate to him, obediently fell silent.

Losing his conversational partner, the Joker Super showed no discouragement; he began singing another classic opera piece alone:

"I once dreamed of bygone days. When the sails of my dreams flew high, life brimmed with hope. I dreamed love never ceased, I dreamed God was so forgiving. Back then, I was young and fearless—dreams forged and squandered…"

Unable to bear it, Magneto used his power to tear a piece of metal from inside the X-Jet cabin and cover half the Joker Super's face, silencing him.

Hank, displeased by the destruction of the jet, shouted in protest. But seeing the Joker Super could only utter "Ooooh ooooh" and say nothing, Hank endured it and did not demand Erik reattach the metal.

At last, silence returned to the cabin for a moment.

Soon after, the Joker Super frantically gestured to the others, but no one understood. He unfastened his seatbelt, walked over to pilot Hank, and began wildly gesticulating again.

Fortunately, Hank, having long served as a teacher at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, could not rely on telepathy like Professor Charles. Faced with children who could not speak, he could not simply push them toward Charles—he had learned sign language.

He quickly understood the Joker Super's meaning and said in surprise: "What! You talked too much and got thirsty? You're asking where the water is?"

The Joker Super nodded—this gesture everyone recognized.

Hank, without thinking, pointed to the cabinet at the rear of the cabin marked with a medical symbol: "Under the medical cabinet are emergency rations. There's bottled water inside."

The Joker Super then strolled, swaying dramatically, to the rear of the cabin and pulled out a bottle of water from under the medical cabinet.

Only then did others realize something was wrong—his mouth was sealed. How was he going to drink?

The Joker Super twisted open the bottle cap and moved to put it to his lips—only for the metal mask to block him.

Everyone expected him to turn and beg Magneto for help. Instead, the Joker Super used just one finger to pry open the metal mask. He drank the entire bottle with gulps, then reattached the metal cover…

When he returned to his seat, he fastened his seatbelt again and resumed his muffled "Ooooh ooooh," looking deeply frustrated.

Magneto, who had witnessed everything, had only one thought: "You're serious?"

Hank, who had set the X-Jet to autopilot and watched the entire scene, was now more panicked than anyone else.

He only wanted to return to the school and tell Raven, still recovering in the infirmary: Let's not have this guy as an ally. Just seeing his behavior now made him this uneasy—what would he do in battle? It was unthinkable.

When the X-Jet landed on the open ground of Queens Park, New York was already night. But for this brightly lit metropolis, life had only just begun.

Hank was executing the standard landing and shutdown procedures, while the others fled the X-Jet as if escaping a disaster. There was no choice—the man onboard was too chaotic; everyone was on the verge of punching him.

The Joker Super, however, unhurriedly unfastened his seatbelt, ripped off the metal mask from his mouth, and took a deep breath of New York's stale air. He combed back his slicked-back hair with both hands before turning to disembark.

The sight made Beast, now in his blue, muscular form, lose confidence in himself—he wanted to find a mirror and comb his own stiff, messy hair.

But neither he nor the Joker Super could disembark, because Magneto and the others had already blocked the exit hatch.

The Joker Super peered through the crowd's gaps—and saw a group of American soldiers, fully armed and armored, partially surrounding the hatch.

"What's this? Are they here to hand out gear? One bullet each, straight into the brain? How thoughtful, how embarrassing. I say just lay them on the ground—we'll pick them up ourselves. No need for such enthusiasm."

No one paid attention to the Joker Super's madness. The officer leading the soldiers shouted: "Magneto, the U. S. government's warrant for your arrest remains active. If you dare step off this aircraft onto American soil, I will execute the arrest order. Leave immediately."

(End of Chapter)