〜Marvel Cinematic Universe, Earth-616〜
The Hulk, with nothing but muscles in his brain, had his mind shut down at this moment, voluntarily transforming back into Dr. Banner.
Beside him, Thor, the God of Thunder, stared wide-eyed, as if trying to discern the difference between the two Lokis on the screen.
Hmm, one Kid Loki, one old Loki, is there any difference?
Why would Loki say that the other one only looks like Old Loki, but in essence, is not?
Thor stared at the Old Loki on the screen, but felt only disgust emanating from him.
…Unlike the previously exiled God, Old Loki, this Old Loki gave him the feeling… of pure evil and… destruction?
—
〜Whoniverse, ????〜
"Traces of time?"
The Doctor frowned slightly.
As a Time Lord, he keenly sensed the traces of time on this Old Loki.
And these traces were not light; it was even possible that he had mastered some kind of ability, rather than relying on the Time Stone or similar powers.
Loki, the God of Lies and Trickery—if it were his original form, it should be impossible for him to master time abilities. That means…
Is this Loki from another timeline? Or perhaps…
The Doctor's eyes widened sharply.
—
『 Although the guy in front of him had the exact same appearance as Old Loki, his essence was definitely not Old Loki!
Kid Loki held the Sword of Truth, looking at the Old Loki before him with suspicion and uncertainty.
But Old Loki did not care in the least about Kid Loki's hostility, not even when Kid Loki pierced his chest directly with the Sword of Truth!
For a liar, this Sword of Truth is lethal!
But… Old Loki was not lying, nothing at all!
He grinned savagely and flung Kid Loki away with one hand, laughing loudly, "I saw the result, thus I created the cause; I saw the story, thus I wrote the origin! This is who I am!"
He walked toward Kid Loki step by step, the evil smile on his face almost swallowing up Kid Loki. "I created this sword. I created it with time, blood, and stories, all for this moment!"
"Do you think I am still that Loki of the past?! Idiot! Fool! I am the Loki of the future! I am the fate you want to escape! But you will never be able to escape, because no one wants you to escape!"
"I am the King of Loki! I am your future! I am you!"
At this moment, the All-Mothers of Asgardia also appeared. They felt no guilt whatsoever for their questioning of Kid Loki, because it was all a cooperation they had already reached.
It turned out that the All-Mothers of Asgardia had long ago learned of Old Loki's whereabouts through prophecies of the future, and in the prophecy, the appearance of the future Loki heralded the prosperity of Asgard!
That was why they had let Loki capture him back.
And on the first day, Loki brought Old Loki back, Odin and the All-Mothers of Asgardia interrogated Loki about his purpose and where he came from.
Old Loki did not hide it, stating bluntly, "I come from the end of the universe. The future Thor has become the King of All Gods. Under his rule, the Ten Realms are prosperous and flourishing, and Asgard has reached its peak."
And he… was the villain from beginning to end, a role of no consequence to Thor.
Coming here this time was also because he was being hunted and had to flee here.
But the All-Mothers of Asgardia and Odin heard the meaning behind Old Loki's words.
Things always have two sides. Although Loki caused Thor a lot of trouble and even destroyed Earth, it also greatly promoted Thor's growth and stimulated his potential.
In other words, Loki's appearance was beneficial to Asgard!
And this just happened to confirm the prophecy!
Loki's return to the present was exactly what was needed to accelerate Earth's destruction and propel Asgard to its peak!
As for the life and death of Earth? Aside from the people of Earth, who would care?
Kid Loki felt the betrayal. He said nothing and chose to resign, and the All-Mothers of Asgardia did not try to keep him; from the very beginning, they had treated Loki as a tool. 』
『 .....』
〜Myriad Worlds livestream Chat〜
[ Chaotic Evil Gudako (Type-Moon): "Earth… became a catalyst for the King of All Gods? Pfft, hahahahahaha! So this is the 'sacrifice friends to heaven, infinite magic power' strategy, right!" ]
[ Li Huowang (Dao of the Bizarre Immortal): "Heh, suddenly thought of a phrase: 'Those not of my race must have different hearts.' Now it seems that is truly the case." ]
[ Thor Odinson (Earth-616): "Oh, it's not like that! Brothers, let me explain!" ]
[ Deadpool (Earth-10005): "Forget it, Thor! Explanations are just cover-ups, and cover-ups are the facts! What more do you want to say at this point? You were in cahoots with Asgard all along to destroy the world, right? Now I, Deadpool, am going to eliminate you on behalf of the Avengers!" ]
[ Tony Stark (Earth-616): "Aven…gers?" ]
[ .....]
〜Doraemon World〜
"Doraemon, what do you think Old Loki's goal really is? A villain who looks that evil couldn't possibly turn good on his own, right? And according to what I know, wasn't Ragnarok in Norse mythology triggered by Loki?"
Nobita asked.
Doraemon was surprised that Nobita could think of this, but he didn't answer immediately.
He was also speculating in his heart: Old Loki, Kid Loki…
Could it be… a story of the same world, where variants eliminate each other for survival?
—
『 At the same time, in a certain timeline.
On a desolate land, Doctor Doom arrived at the end of time. He looked silently at this barren world, a heavy expression in his eyes.
Just then, a flippant voice rang out, "Oh, ho, have you come to the end of time for sightseeing?"
In mid-air, Old Loki sat cross-legged, his body old and frail, and a skull was circling his right hand.
Seeming to sense Doctor Doom's confusion, Old Loki smiled, "Please don't mind me and this little skull; we are just checking my results."
"My recent interference caused your era to miss out on a whole lot of wars and suffering. I wanted to confirm that this future still hasn't changed."
"Loki, did you… Do all this?" Doctor Doom looked at the horrific scene at the end of time and asked with difficulty.
"Almost threw it all away. I'll have to be more careful in the future, or rather, in the past…" Loki laughed. The next moment, he turned into dry bones, and countless insects poured out from within his body, ready to devour Doctor Doom!
With just one look, Doctor Doom was terrified; he could see that these insects would be the death of him!
Without the slightest hesitation, Doctor Doom immediately teleported back to his castle.
Even though he was safe now, Doctor Doom still had lingering fears, and… even if he was safe now, the end would still come abruptly on some unknown day.
The future was like dust, wantonly trampled upon by a mad god.
After careful consideration, he summoned Kid Loki to his castle. He had to eliminate that god! 』
『 .....』
〜Myriad Worlds livestream Chat〜
[ Deadpool (Earth-10005): "Laughing to death, if you can't beat the old one, just beat the little one! Playing with time is awesome! Hahahahahaha!" ]
[ Reed Richards (Earth-828): "That is indeed the style of Doctor Doom." ]
[ Jiang Mingzi (Sun and Moon Are Wrong): "Oh my, these great beings who travel through the past, present, and future, no matter which world they are in, are very unreasonable~ I'm almost being driven crazy by these guys." ]
[ Kid Loki (Earth-616): "So, Doctor Doom is going to make a move on me?!" ]
[ Bai Junlang (Sea Tiger): "Isn't that obvious! Doctor Doom is going to brutally destroy you!" ]
[ .....]
〜Marvel Cinematic Universe, Earth-????〜
Inside the Time Variance Authority, Loki was silent.
Truth be told, if he hadn't become the God of Stories now, from his point of view, Old Loki was the one who best fit his ideal image.
Simply put, he was hypocritical, cunning, and mysterious, with a great sense of playing the world, or even the universe, in the palm of his hand.
No one could guess the thoughts in his heart; even being in a subordinate position was just a part of his plan.
This Loki… was quite to his taste. Loki stroked his chin, but after becoming the God of Stories, he understood his fate.
Loki must either die or become an ultimate existence.
The God of Lies, Trickery, and Curses, or something…
Loki stared at the Old Loki on the screen, as if he could see through his entire plan.
—
『 Viewers of Myriad Worlds 』
Doctor Doom couldn't beat the old one, so he went to beat the young one. At first, everyone found it funny, but soon they realized something was wrong.
This Old Loki… which Loki is this?
Doctor Doom went to the end of time, which means this is the future Loki. But which future Loki is it?
Is it the Old Loki they know, or… the Old Loki that the Kid Loki grows into? But regardless of which one, why would Old Loki show hostility toward an existence capable of time travel?
Everyone was still scratching their heads at this moment. Loki… no matter which Loki it is, what exactly does he want to do?!
.....
『 "Hello?" Kid Loki was confused. He had just taken a nap; where had he been taken to?
But there was no time for him to communicate. He saw countless Doctor Doom mechs emerging from the corners, surrounding Loki.
Seeing this, the First Mage of the Nine Realms directly pulled out a long sword and chose to engage in melee combat!
As expected, Loki was quickly defeated, but Doctor Doom did not kill him immediately, choosing instead to lock him in a magic bubble.
He still had many things he wanted to ask Loki about the end of time.
Just when Loki was at his wits' end, Verity Willis used an invisibility cloak to rescue him. And having been rescued again, Loki's feelings for Verity Willis grew even stronger.
He discovered… he seemed unable to lie to his partners and friends!
But little did he know, this was the curse Old Loki had placed on him! The God of Lies, cursed to only speak the truth!
Meeting Thor again, Loki summoned the courage to confess to his brother Thor about how the little Loki disappeared, how he himself was born, and what Old Loki had done.
Thor fell into a deep silence after hearing this, and then he was enraged!
He loved that child! After learning the truth, the anger in his heart could no longer be controlled. He struck out at Loki fiercely, almost killing him!
Loki's divine crown was shattered, and he was in a sorry state, but he still did not fight back.
At the very last moment, Thor stopped. He brought the prisoner-like Loki back to Asgard and told the gods the truth that had been hidden until now!
The gods were equally furious after hearing this. This Loki… should not exist in Asgard!
Kid Loki knelt and begged, but it did not earn him any sympathy. Blood and tears flowed together, and there was endless bitterness in Kid Loki's heart…
In the end, he was exiled by the All-Mothers of Asgardia.
No matter what, he could not escape his fate. He was a bad guy, a villain, and would be like that for the rest of his life… 』
『 .....』
〜A Certain Magical Index World, Academy City〜
"Loki is so pitiful…"
The four members of the Railgun group felt moved and couldn't help but sigh.
Although, from a certain perspective, the other party brought it all on themselves, isn't the current Kid Loki partly composed of the little Loki?
Ruiko was also touched, but the girl's attention was currently more focused on Old Loki.
Everything seemed to be guided by Old Loki?!
Why did Old Loki plant such a curse on Kid Loki?
To compete for the identity of the Asgard special envoy? To clear out future troubles? To lead Asgard to glory as he claimed?
No, Old Loki's purpose shouldn't be these. His true purpose… was still Loki!
—
『 In the ice and snow, Kid Loki wandered lonely. He felt lost and desolate!
The world was so vast, yet there was no place for him to stay. Clearly… he wanted to be a good person.
But just when Kid Loki was in despair, a majestic figure appeared before his eyes!
It was his father, Odin!
Without scolding or shouting, Odin gave Loki warmth and comfort and sent Loki to Earth, where Loki came to Verity Willis's home.
Verity Willis welcomed him warmly, but before Loki could feel the warmth, Old Loki emerged from the void, smiling as he told Verity Willis everything Kid Loki had done.
After hearing this, Verity Willis could not accept Kid Loki, and she was even angrier and more aggrieved by Loki's concealment. Then, she turned and left.
Even the last friend was…
Anger and fury consumed Kid Loki. Looking at Old Loki beside him, who acted as if none of this had anything to do with him, Kid Loki had only one thought in his heart at this moment!
KILL THIS BASTARD!!!
But Old Loki just smiled. With a gentle wave of his hand, Loki's clothes were stripped off, and he was fixed to a chair.
Then, Old Loki dealt Kid Loki the final, and most fatal, blow! 』
『 .....』
『 Viewers of Myriad Worlds 』
Everyone's interest was completely hooked by Old Loki at this point!
What exactly was the secret hidden in Old Loki! What on earth did he want to do to Loki!
The gap in strength between Old Loki and Kid Loki was so huge that if the other party really just wanted to eliminate another version of himself, it would have been a wave of the hand.
So… for what reason?!
.....
『 Old Loki's aged fingers brushed across Kid Loki's cheek. Watching the speechless Kid Loki, he spoke slowly.
It was a story that Kid Loki could not change his own fate, no matter how he struggled.
It was also the truth that Kid Loki… was unwilling to face.
And Old Loki's identity finally came to light. Old Loki was Kid Loki's future!
Not the Old Loki of this world, nor the Loki of other worlds, but the future of Kid Loki, where Old Loki and Little Loki merged!
And his past was exactly Kid Loki's future.
It turned out that at that time, Loki had completed all tasks and truly atoned for his crimes, and people no longer called him the God of Lies, but…
People would not trust him from the bottom of their hearts. No matter how he changed, people still had prejudices against him.
This fact drove Loki nearly insane!
He destroyed Earth and went to war with Asgard at its peak, but in the face of the peak Asgard, his power was too small.
So he came here and persuaded Kid Loki that if they joined forces, they would destroy Asgard in this timeline!
Scenes of past betrayals appeared before Loki's eyes. FLAMES BURNED ON KID LOKI—THAT WAS THE FIRE OF TRUTH!!!
The flames swallowed Loki, and soon he arrived at a place of nothingness.
And here, two figures had been waiting for him for a long time.
One Old Loki, one Young Loki.
That's right, Loki would choose his true self here!
Was it the kind and new Little Loki with a pure heart, or the evil, powerful, and incomparably familiar Old Loki!
"MAKE YOUR CHOICE—!" the two departed ones said in unison.
Kid Loki was silent, his expression twisted and struggling.
Goodness… but it didn't believe in him at all.
Evil… but it was still the same fate.
So… so from the very beginning, NOTHING HAD CHANGED!!!
Loki's heart was twisted and pathological, his expression crazed, like a madman! 』
『 .....』
『 Viewers of Myriad Worlds 』
Pain, TOO PAINFUL!!!
Everyone felt sorrow for Loki, but at the same time, they became infinitely delighted!
Isn't this more interesting! This is way more interesting than a tool that only knows how to complete tasks!
This is what they wanted to see!
So, which one will he choose? Loki!
But the next moment, everyone was stunned. The Loki who was still hesitating on the screen just a moment ago suddenly changed!
.....
『 Only today do I know who I am! The God of Stories, Loki, IS BORN!!! 』
『 .....』
( Translator-kun: This one is quite confusing... if there's a wrong term I used, let me know. )