"Malrick, please be gentle when you strike… oh, it seems it might be too late."
Tiamut slapped his forehead, covering his face with his fingers in disbelief. The crimson energy that erupted after hitting Arishem the Judge had blown apart with overwhelming force. Streams of high-energy particles spread infinitely, and the core of the Realm of Split began to crack under the shockwave. Countless beings from across the realm turned their gazes toward the disturbance. Usually such battles did not happen in the void — power struggles among dinsions ant conflicts were contained within their boundaries, not fought out in empty space.
The energy, amplified and reflected by Malrick, was so destructive that it took ti to calm. Only when Malrick reached out and invoked the Power of Aurora — reabsorbing all residual energy — did the horrifying dinsional explosion finally subside.
When the void stilled, Arishem the Judge was curled up, no longer resembling a humanoid; his form was twisted, broken.
"Malrick, you truly showed restraint toward Arishem the Judge, you even held back?" Tiamut hovered beside him, voice full of astonishnt.
Many abstract entities lacked rcy — they would have obliterated Arishem on the spot. Even when summoned, so Celestials would angrily demand: "You dare call upon Eternity?" Tiamut had expected the Judge to die today. He did not expect Malrick to pull back at the last mont.
"I was only testing his strength. Why kill him?" Malrick said with calm indifference. "Take him away. Tell him I'll summon him for another conversation soon."
Tiamut nodded. "I'll send him back to the Celestial dinsion first. Do you want to co with ? I can introduce you to so allies."
Tiamut showed no pity for the battered Judge. After all, he was not truly dead. And even if he had died — he once was absorbed by Agatha — it would not be the first ti.
"No. I still need to find an unclaid dinsion," Malrick waved his hand. Having pumled Arishem, he felt a surge of satisfaction. He couldn't hide the small thrill thinking about tricking Dormammu next.
Tiamut expressed curiosity. "What kind of unclaid dinsion is it?"
Malrick used energy to display the coordinates Dormammu had given him.
Tiamut examined them. "I know this place. It is indeed unclaid. I can take you there." He gestured toward the direction.
Tiamut ant what he said. Without waiting, he flew beside the mangled Arishem the Judge. Then he condensed a ball of cosmic energy around him and, with a forceful push, expelled him into the void. The massive form of Arishem soared away.
"What are you doing?" Malrick asked, surprised.
"That energy will send him back. I don't need to stay. I'm here to guide you." Tiamut replied, flapping his wings.
Malrick watched the red dot of the Judge fade before nodding. "Very well."
They set off together. Once again, Malrick rode on Tiamut's head. As they traveled across the emptiness, space stretched and warped around them.
After so ti they stopped above a small dinsion.
"Below is the dinsion pointed to by the address," Tiamut said, pointing toward a shimring world.
Malrick peered down. It was a universe slightly smaller than the observably defined universe — more than enough to hold his Divine Kingdom after his breakthrough.
But as his gaze pierced the dinsion's interior, his expression changed. Inside the world lay a vast city inhabited by two intelligent species living peacefully. Only a handful of individuals had power comparable to Skyfather-level entities.
This dinsion was indeed unclaid — yet to occupy it would be impossible.
Because this place… was Sephiroth Dinsion, a city belonging to the followers of Oshtur, a goddess among the Vishanti. The city was a Vishanti stronghold, positioned next to Dark Dinsion, where Dormammu dwelled. Its purpose was to block Dormammu's expansion.
Given the ties between Kamar-Taj and the Vishanti, Malrick could never seize such a dinsion. If he attempted it, Dormammu would constantly invade, and the Vishanti would retaliate.
He looked at Tiamut then smiled. "Dormammu is truly ruthless and cunning."
He sensed the presence of the Dark Dinsion nearby. Dormammu had clearly anticipated his move.
Tiamut hovered nearby. "Are you going to destroy this place?" he asked.
Malrick's face darkened. "Do I look like a Titan who enjoys slaughter?"
Tiamut hesitated. "Your address ca from Dormammu, so I assud you ant to cooperate with him."
Malrick's eyes narrowed at the sight of a flaming pumpkin-headed figure rising from the Dark Dinsion — Dormammu, stepping out into the void.
Their gazes t. Dormammu's laughter echoed like a death bell.
"You ca, Sorcerer Supre! Hahaha!" Dormammu's massive form expanded to thousands of kiloters across the void. His presence spread like a net over the city below.
Chaos erupted in the Sephiroth Dinsion. Alarm bells rang throughout the city. Protective spells were cast everywhere. The Vishanti prepared for invasion.
But Dormammu's target was not the city. He had set his trap for Malrick.
"Hand them over! All your dinsional worlds! I will spare your life if you submit!" Dormammu roared.
Shock registered on Malrick's face. Dormammu's sche was simple, crude — brainless even. Use false information about an "unclaid" dinsion, lure him here, then kill him.
The simplicity made it almost — pathetic.
"You call this my territory?" Malrick spoke softly. "Dormammu, this dinsion belongs to the Vishanti. You know that. This is not what we agreed on."
Dormammu sneered. "Our contract said you get info on an unclaid dinsion. I delivered. Now all conditions are fulfilled — the contract ends."
He advanced, confident he had won.
In the Realm of Split, the Infinity Stones were weak. Yet the energy from them still surged within Malrick. Dormammu, outside the Dark Dinsion, was at most a top-tier Skyfather, possibly weakened here.
Malrick said nothing. Simply flicking his fingers as Dormammu lunged, he unleashed a fusion energy stream like a cosmic river. It engulfed Dormammu's massive form.
In the blink of an eye, Dormammu, who had just threatened conquest and enslavent, was gone. No scream, no pleading, not even a last instant of fear. He vanished instantly, erased from existence.
Malrick withdrew his arm calmly and spoke: "Let's leave this place."
Tiamut, still perched on his head, seed unsurprised. "Where to?" he asked.
"You go first. I will follow."
Tiamut resud flight with Malrick riding on his head.
Back in Sephiroth City, the inhabitants — Vishanti kin — were awestruck. Dormammu, their feared torntor, was dead. Many believed it would take at least a century before he could recover, if ever. For now, peace would reign.
anwhile in the Dark Dinsion, chaos erupted. A small fla flared up, voraciously sucking in the surrounding dark energy. The storm of energy undulated violently; at the center, the pumpkin-headed figure began to regenerate. Flas licked and expanded, limbs reford.
"It can't be… that Sorcerer Supre used those disgusting Stones!" Dormammu's weak but furious voice echoed in the void.
He panicked, thinking. If Malrick ca to the Dark Dinsion, he would seek death.
"Forget it. A human's lifespan is short, a hundred years at most. For now, I will tolerate him." Dormammu hissed.
"But when that Sorcerer Supre falls, I'll devour Earth for revenge."
A promise made in shadows.
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