"Are you sure we don't need to intervene? Just leave everything to Earth? Besides the Ancient One and Scarlet Witch, who else is even left down there? The other side has six. It took me forever to deal with that group last time."
Inside the dimly lit security room of Hell's Kitchen Community College, the voice echoed with a quiet urgency.
It was still the same two middle-aged men playing chess.
The more weathered one raised his voice, speaking to the man across from him—whose right sleeve hung limp where an arm used to be.
He clearly didn't take the so-called Kang Dynasty or Reed Council seriously.
While ordinary people were fleeing in terror outside, these two were still calmly locked in their eternal game of chess.
"Soldiers fight soldiers, generals fight generals. Can't you see? He's only sent clones down there. Trust them. That's why you left the system in place, isn't it?"
"We don't have much time. They'll be here soon. We need to be ready to take the stage." The one-armed man sat with an expression calm as still water. The chaos outside held no weight to him. To this man, even the destruction of Earth was a lesser concern than the unfinished game between them.
"Yes," the weathered man murmured, a complicated smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "It's time for us to finish this. But… why not stay a little longer?"
"No," the one-armed man shook his head faintly, a near-invisible sadness flickering in his eyes. "This world no longer belongs to me. There's nothing here that's still mine. We have no future, no past. There's no need to cling to the present…"
The weathered man looked like he was about to say something in return—but the other cut him off before the words could form.
"General! We have only one chance left. It's our turn!"
The moment the words were spoken, a strange light surged through the security room. Both men vanished in an instant, leaving behind nothing but the unfinished chessboard and a trace of residual warmth in the air, proof that they had once been there.
The pieces remained perfectly arranged, as if still whispering of the epic that was about to unfold.
The fate of the Earth hung delicately in the balance.
Above Manhattan—
I stood alone in the sky, under the gaze of millions.
Before me, the three leaders of the Kang Dynasty and the Reed Council formed a perfect triangle—encircling me like predators.
"Is there really anyone strong enough on Earth to turn this around?"
The question echoed across the hearts of the crowd like a whisper. The eyes of the common people below were filled with both despair and hope. They stared skyward, as though searching for one final miracle.
I met the scornful gazes of the Scarlet Centurion and Immortal Kang, and the cold disdain in Speaker Reed's eyes.
And yet, I also saw the silent prayers of every helpless soul on Earth—hoping, pleading for salvation.
"Calling all defenders of Earth—stand against the forces of Kang and Reed."
As soon as I—Alex Ray—spoke, three overwhelming energies pierced the sky from different directions. Two from Hell's Kitchen, one from Kamar-Taj.
Even the Immortal Kang and Speaker Reed tensed as they sensed the incoming power. These presences were clearly on par with their own.
The first was a woman wreathed in blazing fire—the cosmic phoenix flaring around her, wings stretching through the sky like a divine omen. It was Phoenix Jean Grey.
The second was a calm, radiant figure, flowing like a river of magic—serene, boundless, and wise beyond comprehension. The Ancient One.
And the third—pure chaos wrapped in elegance. Her aura twisted between reality and void, as if she could devour existence itself. Her eyes were bottomless wells of darkness. It was Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch.
The three arrived beside me in unison.
Even Immortal Kang and Speaker Reed appeared genuinely surprised—not at their identities, but at the fact they coexisted here in the same timeline.
In countless multiverses, these three had ascended beyond mortality. Some had become gods.
But here… fate had brought them together.
"Heh," Immortal Kang smirked. "This just got interesting."
Speaker Reed gave a slight nod of agreement.
The Scarlet Centurion sneered. "What? Is every man in this universe dead? You're relying on women to save you?"
"One woman is enough to crush you," Jean answered coldly.
She raised her hand. A stream of flame erupted like a dragon, roaring toward the Scarlet Centurion. The blaze carved a brilliant path across the sky, igniting the first strike of war.
The Ancient One moved next, preparing a spell aimed at Immortal Kang.
But a new figure flickered into view before her—a monk-like man radiating both intellect and arrogance.
"Let me test the power of the Supreme Sorcerer," said Reed the Monk, his eyes gleaming with challenge.
Wanda, without hesitation, went straight for Rama-Tut.
Meanwhile, a suited Reed variant spotted that I was unguarded. He lunged in for a sneak attack.
But before the blow could land, a meteor-like card whizzed through the air, intercepting the strike effortlessly.
"You dare attack our king?"
A figure materialized before me, cards spinning in his hands.
The King of Cards grinned. "The goddess of victory smiles upon us tonight."
Reed in the suit hesitated. Three cards now floated in the air before him, humming with arcane energy.
Then—two new beams shot across the battlefield: one laser, one green plasma. They forced Immortal Kang and Speaker Reed to teleport aside.
When they reappeared, two new opponents had stepped into their paths.
A masked figure with a mechanical voice confronted Speaker Reed. "Join the glorious evolution."
It was Doctor Octopus, now reborn with the Arcane Herald Victor template—his eyes blazing with twisted conviction.
Before Immortal Kang floated a green-haired young man on a hovering skateboard.
"Doctor Octopus?"
"Green Goblin?"
The two enemies stared in disbelief.
Immortal Kang looked amused. "Interesting. I've never seen a Green Goblin with power like this. You have potential. You're a lot like me. Want to join us?"
Green Goblin—Harry, empowered by the Time Assassin Ike template—smirked.
"I heard you're immortal, that time means nothing to you. But here's what I think—time isn't about how much you have. It's about how you use it."
There was no more talking.
The battle erupted in full.
As for me—my figure shimmered, then began dissolving into light.
I left only a single sentence behind.
"Then I'll leave this to you."