"What did I do?" Doom was nearly amused by Reed's current demeanor. "I did what you and your team couldn't. I saved what was otherwise unsalvageable amidst total annihilation."
Doom slowly walked toward the current Mr. Fantastic. His white cloak fluttered without wind, elevating his presence like that of a god walking among mortals.
"I am a maker of miracles. But since you're still standing here, you must be one too."
"We built a ship—we could only save ourselves," Reed replied, eyeing the white-clad Doom. "I couldn't help but notice—you've crowned yourself."
Peter Parker, standing behind Mr. Fantastic, also chimed in, "Yeah, we were all quite shocked. Really shocked."
As if saying it once didn't convey the level of disbelief, Peter felt the need to repeat it.
"Crowned? I've worn this crown for some time now. It is my birthright. But I see myself as something more than a king," Doom replied calmly, unfazed by Mr. Fantastic's remark.
He didn't seem the least bit upset by their presence.
"Is that so? I find that doubtful," this time, the voice of dissent didn't come from Mr. Fantastic but from Thanos, standing nearby.
The Mad Titan stepped forward, fixing his gaze on Doom. "If someone dares to play god, they shouldn't be ashamed to admit it."
Upon hearing Thanos' words, Doom replied resolutely and serenely, "I am God."
In the next moment, Doom raised his hand, unleashing a surge of energy that shattered the ground beneath Mr. Fantastic and the others.
But no one could clearly see how Doom had done it.
It was as if he had planted explosives there in advance.
"I know you're all confused, but don't worry. Even though I am omnipotent, I am still merciful." Doom looked at the figures flung into the air by his energy. "I will give you some time to shed your old beliefs. Then you'll kneel, submit, and worship me—for this world belongs to me."
But Doom immediately sensed something wrong—his white cloak had begun to catch fire.
And before him, light unlike anything he had ever seen flared to life.
A voice followed.
"I don't need time to think. I don't need your mercy. Even if you've claimed it, altered it—it doesn't mean it'll forever belong to you. Everything changes, everything evolves."
A figure appeared directly in front of Doom and, with a wave of his hand, sent a beam of energy slamming into Doom.
"The future cannot be denied." Cyclops—no, he was more than Cyclops now. He had the power of the Phoenix. "And in the end, you're just like every other human—showboating in the moment, trying to control powers far beyond your reach."
Doom could feel his armor beginning to melt. His eyes widened in disbelief.
Cyclops didn't stop speaking. "And me? I'm a mutant—not just an ordinary human."
Phoenix energy swirled around Cyclops, making him appear even more divine than Doom had upon his arrival.
It was as if he were the only true god in this world.
"I am the living future. And every world—including yours—belongs to us. This planet… this planet belongs to me—"
Suddenly, Cyclops could no longer speak clearly.
Because a hand had gripped his throat—it was Doom's hand.
Cyclops looked on in horror at the once-again-standing Doom.
Meanwhile, Doctor Strange—or rather, Sheriff Strange—raised his hand as he witnessed the scene, gathering his power.
T'Challa, uncertain of Strange's intentions, asked, "Stephen, what are you doing?"
"I've seen too much over all this time. I've hidden too much," Stephen replied, his eyes showing a glint of finality. "Back then, I didn't choose a side. Now, I do."
That left T'Challa even more confused. What did he mean by not choosing a side back then, but choosing one now?
Doom, still clutching Cyclops by the neck, hoisted him high.
"The future?" Doom stared at Cyclops. "What you call the future is just a dream, boy."
"And now it's time to wake up."
With those words, Doom snapped Cyclops' neck.
At the same moment, Doctor Strange completed his spell: "I will bring forth his other fear!"
Doom heard Stephen's words and saw the magic radiating from him—he knew instantly what his old comrade had done.
He dropped Cyclops' body and turned to face Stephen. "You would betray me, old friend?"
Stephen said nothing. He focused all his energy, having no time for words—he had already seen the one he needed to see.
"Bat."
Stephen's image appeared abruptly in front of Bruce.
But Bruce instantly recognized the projection for what it was—not a real presence, but a magical image. Stephen's form flickered with instability.
Bruce didn't react much—he was already preparing to head toward Doom's sanctuary, the heart of Doom's domain.
"Doom is here," Stephen said as he opened a portal beside Bruce.
Bruce said nothing. He didn't understand why Stephen was switching sides now, nor what might be waiting on the other side.
He couldn't afford to gamble.
Stephen knew that even he wouldn't believe what he was seeing, but this was the most he could do now.
In the next second, Stephen used his magic to display everything around him to Bruce.
Thanos, Mr. Fantastic, the Creator, Spider-Man—
And Doom, the God-King.
"Head for Doom's castle. I'll meet you there," Bruce said, turning to Jessica and placing a small device in her hand. "This will help you find who really matters."
Leaving those words behind, Bruce turned and pulled out a battle helmet.
On the other side, Doom stared at Stephen, his eyes fierce. He roared, "You know where he is!"
"I don't—but Thor may have told me," Stephen replied. Of course, he didn't actually know. But the original message from the Thor Corps gave him enough to make a good guess.
Doom had already said someone had escaped—how could they not have begun taking action?
Doom reached out, about to shred Stephen with his energy.
But before the energy could touch Stephen, a figure appeared in front of him—cutting the radiant power clean in half.
Stephen looked at the tall, imposing form before him. For a moment, he wasn't sure if it was the Bat.
But once he saw the bat symbol on the chest, he understood.
Iron-Willed Batman made no comment, no move.
To him, the greatest threat was still that white-armored God-King—Doom.
"I thought you'd be hiding," Doom sneered, looking at the current incarnation of Batman. Though he had changed, Doom recognized him instantly.
That dangerous aura was all too familiar.
The Iron-Willed Bruce showed no response to Doom's words, nor did he make any move.
It wasn't because Doom was powerful—but because Bruce was preparing himself.
Doom stared at the Iron-Willed Bruce. He had long been curious about that Bat—how a single person could wield such mysterious and incomprehensible powers.
Now, the power emanating from Bruce was unlike anything Doom had known before. It seemed as if it had been born solely to oppose the so-called gods Doom referred to.
Yet soon, he sensed within Bruce a force he had once confronted himself.
Bruce had fully unleashed himself. From the prison within his mind, he released all those beings of immense power.
The Ravager, the Flash, the Broken Bat—even the LEGO version had been summoned forth by Bruce.
Bruce still remembered that behind the wooden door, he had once seen a message through the eyes of that child:
"Never argue power levels with comedy characters."
Though he didn't fully grasp what that meant, he thought perhaps LEGO Batman could offer an unexpected surprise.
At this moment, to the onlookers, the Iron-Willed Bruce's form surged once again. Some parts of his armor even shifted, revealing bone-like structures beneath.
Golden lightning now crackled around his body.
"Whoa, is he okay?" asked Peter Parker, who recognized the bat emblem on Bruce's chest from their previous team-up. But what Bruce was doing now far surpassed anything the Bat he once knew could have done.
What's more, Peter's Spider-Sense was screaming at him to stay away from Bruce.
And he wasn't the only one—Miles, standing at a distance, also felt as if he were being hunted by countless savage beasts.
His skin constantly tingled with a stabbing pain.
Bruce's current form could no longer be classified as any known shape or state.
The convergence of all his power had resulted in a transformation far beyond expectation.
Doom watched him warily, saying nothing, just as the body of Cyclops—whom he had killed earlier—suddenly began to rise.
It wasn't resurrection. Rather, something within Cyclops was trying to break free.
A fiery red Phoenix burst from his body, circling in the air before diving straight into Bruce.
Originally surrounded only by golden lightning, Bruce was now also wreathed in the Phoenix's destructive flames.
"The one thing you should never have done was force everyone to live in a false world, in false memories."
When Bruce finally spoke, everyone was stunned.
From his voice, they could hear several distinct tones—completely different voices speaking at once. If there was any commonality, it was perhaps that all of them sounded as if they had throat cancer.
"Do you think... the Batman we've known all along might have had split personalities?" Miles approached Peter Parker and swallowed nervously.
Peter glanced at the young black Spider-Man. He didn't know what to say.
He had only worked with Bruce once. Shouldn't Miles, of all people, know Bruce better? Why was he being asked about Bruce's mental state?
Perhaps realizing his own question didn't make much sense, Miles fell silent. He simply stared blankly at Bruce facing off against that man.
To be honest, Miles didn't like that other guy one bit.
Especially since, during their first encounter, the Doom of his own universe had tried to capture him—to extract the secret of mass-producing super soldiers from his body.
Though he had failed in the end.
Just as love for someone can extend to those close to them, hatred, too, can be passed along.
Doom wasn't intimidated by Bruce's current state. He just looked calmly at the now-unrecognizable Bruce.
"No matter how much power you gain, you'll never defeat me in this world. I am God!" Doom spread his arms wide, energy gathering in his hands.
He stared intently at Bruce.
Watching this unfold, Doctor Strange immediately drew a portal.
This was no longer a place they could remain in.
After this battle, it was uncertain whether the deserts of Utopia would even exist anymore.
"Go!"
Stephen shouted at the group he had brought with him.
Honestly, even he hadn't imagined Bruce might truly possess power comparable to God Emperor Doom.
After all, they had all witnessed firsthand the overwhelming might of the Beyonders.
Yet now, Bruce alone wielded such force.
Seeing Stephen lead the heroes away, the Black Order quickly understood what was coming next.
They had no choice but to flee as well, racing toward Strange's portal.
Only one person remained.
A former devotee of the Great Destroyer, now a traitor—Black Swan.
She looked at the godlike Doom, her eyes filled with awe.
She had once defected because she didn't believe the Great Destroyer was truly a god—just a man cloaked in divinity.
But now, she realized she had been wrong.
Doom had truly become a god.
Even if she were to be reduced to dust in this battle, she had no regrets.
Perhaps this was the Great Destroyer's punishment for her betrayal. Perhaps it was simply what she deserved.
As the portal closed, Black Swan gazed at Doom in obsessed reverence.
And in the next instant, energy tore her to pieces.
(End of Chapter)
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