When Lorien and Wanda arrived above Kamar-Taj—
Boom~!
A thunderous explosion erupted from the dark clouds. Stephen, clad in his robes, was blasted backward, slamming into the city wall before sliding down.
"Cough, cough, cough."
Stephen hacked painfully, then quickly glanced at his cloak. Seeing it catch fire, he hurriedly shook it out.
"Thanks."
The cloak twitched its hem, signaling there was no need for thanks. But it was in rough shape. That last strike had been absorbed almost entirely because it wrapped itself around Stephen, shielding him from the worst of the blow.
Even so, at least thirty percent of its fabric was now torn and burned.
Looking at his cloak reduced to tatters, Stephen lowered his voice apologetically.
"Sorry. I'll find the right magical materials and mend you properly."
One corner of the cloak dipped in a nod, then pointed toward the dark cloud.
From within, Dark Stephen slowly descended. His twisted face turned toward Stephen, voice rasping like gravel.
"Your power isn't nearly as tough as your mouth."
The remark made Stephen laugh faintly. He shook his head, wiping the corner of his mouth.
"You—"
He started to speak, but the cloak tugged at him and pointed toward the sky behind.
"Hm?"
Stephen turned in confusion. The sorcerers of the Sanctum saw him look back, and they too turned their gaze upward.
Only then did everyone realize—
Two figures were suspended in the sky above the Sanctum!
"Lorien?!"
Stephen gasped, equal parts shock and joy.
Wong finally let out the breath he'd been holding. This was the man who had once bested the Ancient One. He was here.
The storm would break.
Dark clouds? What dark clouds? Disperse already!
But this wasn't Lorien's fight. A mere pseudo–Sky Father-level? Did Lorien really need to act?
Wanda fixed her gaze on Dark Stephen.
Dark Stephen tilted his head, his eyes narrowing as his voice rasped out,
"Seems you're the same."
Wanda shook her head slowly.
"No. You're nowhere close."
Then she raised both hands. Scarlet energy surged between her fingers, building in a violent swell before she thrust it outward.
BOOM~~~
A wave of scarlet energy roared forth!
"Down!" Wong shouted instantly.
The sorcerers dove to the ground. Stephen's cloak yanked him against the city wall, flattening him just in time to see Dark Stephen's fate.
The crimson wave detonated.
Suspended in midair, Dark Stephen had no way to dodge.
The next instant, the energy wave tore straight through him.
Boom~!
In a flash, sunlight returned to the heavens.
The sorcerers raised their heads. The oppressive black clouds had vanished without a trace, replaced by a sky as clear and beautiful as before.
And Dark Stephen?
He was hurled backward like a ragdoll, crashing into a distant hillside. Dust exploded into the air, and his earlier menace evaporated completely. Not even his silhouette could be seen.
"Hsss…"
Stephen sucked in a sharp breath. He had fought Dark Stephen for what felt like an eternity, only to be knocked flying himself. Yet with just a wave of her hands, Wanda made Dark Stephen look as if he'd been erased from existence.
Wong, watching from below, thought the same thing.
The woman at Lorien's side… was she holding back on purpose? Or was she already on par with the Ancient One?
That was what both he and Stephen believed.
Little did they know—they were still underestimating her.
Wanda hadn't even used the Mind Stone. She hadn't drawn on the staff or any of the other relics Lorien had given her.
If she unleashed everything at her disposal now, even the Ancient One wouldn't stand a chance.
At this moment, Wanda's full strength already surpassed Sky Father-level.
As the dust thickened, a swirl of black mist seeped outward, spreading into the air before dispersing into all directions.
"Trying to escape?"
Stephen looked more closely, then quickly shook his head.
"No… he's using a new ability. What is he doing?"
Wong narrowed his eyes at the black mist spreading around them. This wasn't drifting through the sky like before. It wasn't that oppressive, city-crushing cloud. Instead, it was more like a haze—thick, smoke-bomb-like fog spreading to blanket the area.
Lorien let out a helpless sigh.
"Going stealth right in front of me? That's some real disrespect for the sorcerers here, don't you think?"
Wanda nodded in agreement.
"Stealthing in plain sight… pathetic."
That was how the two of them saw it. But the sorcerers below had a very different reaction.
"Stealth?!"
Wong and Stephen froze.
So that's what this was? Stealth? They had thought he was trying to escape, or preparing some other spell. But… with so many people here, why stealth at all?
The mist thickened rapidly. At the sound of Lorien and Wanda's words, it dropped the act. The black fog spread at alarming speed, swelling outward until it threatened to engulf the entire Sanctum.
It began seeping into every hall and chamber—like it was searching for something.
At first, Stephen didn't understand. Then realization struck him like lightning.
"He's after America!"
Wong's expression hardened the moment he heard it.
"Stop him!"
"Dispel the mist!"
America's importance was immense. Her existence would decide whether future heroes would ever encounter more versions of themselves—and how they would deal with it when they did.
Stephen had only brought America back a few days ago. If something happened to her now, the entire plan would collapse. When the next Multiverse threat appeared, they would have no way to respond—only sit and wait for annihilation.
The sorcerers, hearing Wong's command, immediately began casting spells to clear away the fog. But visibility had already dropped to less than ten meters. It was like walking in heavy smog: you could hear voices, but you couldn't see who was speaking unless they were right beside you.
And their efforts made no difference. The spells did nothing to the black mist.
Wanda's eyes flared red. She rose slowly into the air, one hand reaching forward. Scarlet energy gathered and coalesced into a massive crimson hand that clenched hard into the fog.
Crack~!
The sound of snapping bones echoed. The heavy mist evaporated at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"The fog's gone!" someone shouted.
Everyone straightened, eyes fixed ahead.
As the last of the haze dispersed, they finally saw the source of that sickening crunch.
It was… battle-damaged Dark Stephen.
All eyes locked on him. He was caught in the grip of a gigantic scarlet energy beast. One leg snapped, one arm broken, his neck twisted at an unnatural angle. His head hung crooked as he glared at them with bloodshot eyes.
Behind him, a young girl cowered in terror.
America.
The distance between them was only a few steps. Three meters? Five? Either way, far too close.
Dark Stephen tilted his head and fixed his gaze on Wanda, rasping out,
"Kill me if you want, but my true body still exists!"
"This vessel is just another unlucky Stephen!"
"You and I used the same magic!"
"Sooner or later, you'll end up just like me!"
"No one can escape its soul's corruption!"
"It's only a matter of time—"
Boom!
Before he could finish, Wanda's hand closed with a light squeeze. The massive hand of Chaos Magic clenched shut like an iron gate.
In that instant, Dark Stephen was reduced to nothing but ash.
Completely erased.
Wanda lowered her hand. The Dark Stephen who had been ranting moments earlier had already been wiped from existence.
Stephen stared, dumbfounded. Wong was equally stunned.
As for the ordinary sorcerers?
They were still fumbling with their artifacts, grunting with effort. Even the senior sorcerers couldn't unleash anything too devastating. Only at the level of Sorcerer Supreme could magic reach such terrifying heights.
But Wanda?
With a simple, almost casual squeeze, she had erased her enemy.
Nothing left behind.
That single strike had quite literally crushed him out of existence.
Stephen's mind reeled. Compared to him, Wanda was the one who deserved the title of Sorcerer Supreme. What was he, really?
"Ah!!"
Just then, a piercing scream echoed.
Everyone turned.
America was on the ground, frantically scrambling backward with both hands and feet. In front of her, a rotting hand clawed its way toward her foot.
The grotesque sight made her scream in panic.
"No!"
Stephen's mind jolted.
America triggered her powers when overwhelmed by emotion. That must have been what Dark Stephen was after all along—her ability to traverse worlds!
And right on cue, America's terror reached its peak.
A gateway opened.
A portal glittering with starlight spread open before their eyes—a passage to a parallel universe.
The others had no idea what it was. But America was already being pulled inside.
That crawling hand too was sucked in at the last moment.
"Oh no!"
Wong's eyes widened.
America was gone!
He immediately turned to Stephen, silently asking what to do.
The portal was still open. No one knew when it might collapse—perhaps the very next second.
Stephen thought for a heartbeat, then made his decision.
"Guard Kamar-Taj. I'll follow her!"
At once, his cloak lifted him as he darted toward the portal.
"No, Stephen!"
Wong reached out, trying to stop him.
"Other realms are dangerous! His true body could be in that world!"
But by the time Wong spoke, Stephen was already at the portal's edge, ready to leap through.
And then—
The Multiverse portal suddenly flickered and dissolved into nothing.
Stephen, cloak billowing, passed straight through the fading mirage.
"Hm?"
He spun in midair, eyes widening.
"Gone?!"
What now? Were they just supposed to let him slip away?
Wanda turned to Lorien. The decision now rested with him.
Whatever he said would be done.
Lorien reached out, ruffling Wanda's hair with a small smile.
"We don't let anyone who crosses us walk away, do we?"
"Exactly." Wanda nodded firmly. "He should be obliterated completely."
"Then it's decided."
Lorien extended his index finger and traced a slash downward through the air.
Zzzt~!
"It's only the Multiverse. No matter which universe he hides in, I'll find him."