The Himalayas.
Kamar-Taj.
As always, Stephen spent the day practicing magic and handling affairs across the Sanctums. Unlike Lorien Su, who followed his own Nine-to-Five Work System, Stephen had no real rest. Whenever an issue arose at any Sanctum, he had to deal with it. And even without emergencies, he still needed to continue honing his magic.
That day, when he attended a gathering at Tony's house, it was one of the rare times he managed to rest for an entire day.
By afternoon, Stephen finished his training session, stepped out of the Sanctum, and went for a walk to relax. Along the way, he ran into Wong.
Wong gave him a nod of acknowledgment.
"You've been working hard."
Stephen smiled as if it were obvious.
"Back when I was a genius surgeon, it wasn't just about talent."
Wong nodded in agreement. In medicine, talent alone wasn't enough. Without countless hours of surgical training, no one could become a top surgeon. Genius, after all, was 1% inspiration and 99% hard work. But that 1% inspiration was the most critical—sometimes even more important than all the effort.
The two shared a laugh and were about to head elsewhere when suddenly they both stopped in their tracks, lifting their heads toward the horizon.
Outside Kamar-Taj, a mass of black clouds was rolling in at a speed visible to the naked eye.
As seasoned sorcerers, Stephen and Wong immediately sensed the danger hidden within. Wong's expression hardened, and he exchanged a quick glance with Stephen. Both raised their hands and formed seals.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The ground of Kamar-Taj shook. From its edges, a radiant barrier surged upward, enveloping the entire sanctuary.
At once, every sorcerer looked to the sky. Their eyes met, and they instantly understood.
"Get the artifacts! Gather at the plaza!"
"Kamar-Taj's barrier is up! Move to the plaza now!"
"Take as many artifacts as you can! Bring extra for the others!"
The response was swift. As the barrier activated, the senior sorcerers coordinated the apprentices. Some sprinted toward the plaza, while others carried armfuls of artifacts, handing them out to anyone unarmed along the way.
Meanwhile, after erecting the barrier together, Wong opened a portal leading directly to the plaza's platform. He and Stephen stepped through.
By the time they arrived, dozens of sorcerers had already gathered. More came rushing in from all sides, clutching artifacts. Some even ran up from behind them.
Wong scanned the assembly and gave a firm command.
"Form the array!"
Immediately, the sorcerers moved into position, raising their artifacts toward the sky and channeling their magic to strengthen the barrier's defenses.
New arrivals froze for a moment when they caught sight of the distant black clouds.
"What is that?"
"Dark clouds? What's happening?"
"Formation!" Wong barked again.
The crowd quickly complied.
Before long, as the dark clouds loomed closer, the number of sorcerers swelled to nearly two hundred—the absolute limit of Kamar-Taj's forces.
In Doctor Strange 2, Stephen and Wong had been prepared in advance, joined not only by Kamar-Taj's sorcerers but also by reinforcements from the world's three great Sanctums. This time, they had no such support. At best, Kamar-Taj could muster fewer than two hundred sorcerers.
Now, the black clouds had reached the gates. Rows of mounted crossbow cannons stood ready. Stephen and Wong waited silently on the steps, while the sorcerers fixed their gaze on the dark cloud's center.
Then, the clouds began to part.
What emerged was a face so shocking it left them all stunned.
"Whoa~!"
"…Sorcerer Supreme!?"
"He is…"
"Don't believe it! He's fake! Just look at his face—how hideous!"
"Yeah! That's the power of Dark Magic. Don't be fooled!"
The moment "Stephen" appeared, the crowd did panic for a brief instant. But he was far too grotesque. Recognized immediately, he lost the chance to cause real chaos. If he had looked exactly like the real Stephen, things might have gone differently. But with a face like that… forget it.
Wong glanced at the twisted "Stephen," then turned to the real one standing beside him. That look alone made Stephen feel insulted.
"Is confirmation even necessary?"
"Ahem." Wong cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well, I suppose he's still recognizable."
The two even found the time to exchange a bit of banter.
But within the roiling black clouds, "Stephen" floated in midair, staring at the Stephen of Kamar-Taj. His voice was hoarse and grating.
"Stephen. Do you remember her?"
Dark Stephen stretched out a hand. An unconscious figure was dragged from the dark clouds, suspended before everyone's eyes.
Stephen's expression didn't change, but his pupils contracted sharply, then slowly dilated. A ripple of agitation stirred within him, though he forced a calm smile.
"It seems every universe has its Stephen and Christine. Don't you recognize her?"
Wong, watching Dark Stephen, felt worry gnaw at him. But in this moment, he couldn't afford to give anything away. His gaze stayed fixed, sneaking only the slightest glance at Stephen through the corner of his eye. Hearing Stephen's steady response, relief washed over him. Stephen was still composed.
"Hmph."
Dark Stephen let out a grating laugh.
"As I thought, every Stephen across the universes is the same—cunning, hiding their true feelings, concealing everything until, in the end, they lose it all."
Oh~~~
At that, the real Stephen laughed.
"Sounds like someone's pretending to describe others, while actually confessing his own past."
"Don't tell me you lived a miserable life in your world, so now you've come here to lash out at other versions of yourself—and Christine too?"
"No way. Stephen should be doing just fine everywhere."
The moment those words left his mouth, Dark Stephen froze.
"You!"
That hit like defense break plus true damage.
With just those few words, Stephen had already guessed the reason behind this "Stephen's" arrival.
"A pitiful soul…"
He shook his head, heavy with regret.
The instant those words fell, the black clouds above churned violently. Countless wraiths burst from Dark Stephen's body, sending the whole of Kamar-Taj into upheaval.
Seeing this, Wong quickly whispered,
"You've angered him."
"But this way, we'll learn his weakness."
Stephen stood with his hands behind his back.
"From his appearance, I can't tell what kind of dark magic he's cultivated. But I can feel it—it's immensely powerful."
Wong gave a grim nod. This bastard… it'd be strange if he hadn't turned to Dark Magic.
The very next moment, a blazing fireball of darkness tore through the clouds, hurtling toward Kamar-Taj.
Wong's eyes went wide.
"Formation!" he shouted.
At once, the sorcerers reinforced the protective barrier. It had been active the whole time, but their combined effort bolstered its defense.
A heartbeat later, the dark fireball slammed into it.
BOOM~~~!
The two forces collided, unleashing a massive shockwave.
"Ah!"
The dark fireball exploded, sending sorcerers staggering as they struggled to hold the barrier. Some lost their footing and were blown away. In an instant, the Kamar-Taj barrier began to falter.
Seeing this, Stephen gave a sharp command.
"Attack!"
Creak—
The ballista cannons on the city walls aimed at Dark Stephen and fired enchanted bolts. But Dark Stephen raised a hand, and a portal opened directly in front of them.
Boom—
The bolts shot into the portal, only to come flying out of another one aimed straight at the barrier.
In the next moment, three consecutive bolts slammed into the shield, exploding on impact.
"Ah!"
Cries of pain rang out as sorcerers were thrown back. One weaker sorcerer was blasted clear off his feet, and a gap instantly appeared in the barrier.
Dark Stephen saw this opening and hurled another fireball.
"Hold it!" Wong shouted.
Stephen was already weaving a seal. The fireball struck the barrier head-on.
BOOM~~~!
This time, it was too much. After taking that massive hit, the already weakened barrier shattered completely. The shockwave sent sorcerers flying in all directions.
The ballista crews dared not fire again. Another volley could end up killing their own comrades.
At that sight, Stephen could hold back no longer. His cloak lifted him into the air as golden energy surged into his hands.
"Stephen!"
Wong cried out the moment he saw him rise.
"Come back! We'll face him together! Christine is still in his hands!"
Stephen said nothing. Without turning his head, he replied calmly,
"He won't harm Christine. He's just putting on a show."
Sure enough, the moment Stephen spoke, Christine was tossed from the dark clouds, landing roughly on the ground. Aside from a bump and a few scrapes, she was unharmed.
After all, they were both Stephen—they knew each other too well.
The two met in midair. This time, Stephen didn't go for close combat. His hands spun and split apart, forming two golden gears that he hurled forward like whirling saw blades.
Dark Stephen pulled the black clouds toward him with a gesture. The golden gears cut through but vanished as soon as they pierced the shroud.
Stephen immediately knew he'd missed. For a sorcerer, the deadliest flaw was when their spells failed to land.
Suddenly, a massive hand of shadow reached out from the clouds, clutching at him.
"Get lost!"
Stephen clapped his hands, releasing a golden shield of light that shattered the looming grasp.
On the ground, Wong was left dumbfounded. Watching the two Stephens clash in midair, realization struck him.
So when you were fighting that octopus monster… you were acting!
An actor, through and through!
...
Meanwhile, on the Himalayas, Wanda and Lorien observed the battle. The two Stephens were already locked in a fierce duel above Kamar-Taj. Dark clouds smothered the sky, but bursts of golden light broke through again and again.
After watching for a while, Wanda spoke.
"Stephen won't hold out much longer. Let's go. Once he's done, I'll crush Dark Stephen myself."
Lorien nodded. He understood all too well. It wasn't surprising that Stephen couldn't win. Without the Time Stone, relying solely on magic wouldn't be enough.
"Magic has its limits," he said, shaking his head.
"But the Dark Dimension's power is nearly limitless. Dark Stephen can just outlast him."
Wanda agreed.
"Yes. Let's go."
"Let's move."