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While Earth sorted out its internal conflicts.
Hawk surveyed his new domain.
Through the crucible of the Four Elements of Creation and the evolutionary power of the Parasol World Tree, the void left by Asgard's destruction had been filled. A new divine realm had been born: the Parasol Divine Realm.
The realm was shaped as a flat expanse under a domed sky, a square continent cradling rolling mountain ranges and rushing rivers.
Among the mountains, waterfalls cascaded downward, weaving rainbows through the mist.
But the waterfalls in the mountains were not the grandest, nor were their rainbows the most spectacular.
The largest waterfall defined the very edge of the realm.
The earth stopped, giving way to an abyssal drop. A torrent of water plunged tens of thousands of feet, crashing into the swirling nebula below.
Standing anywhere in the Parasol Divine Realm and looking up, one could always see the outline of the Parasol World Tree, and perched upon its branches, a Phoenix burning with golden fire.
When the Phoenix rose and its fires burned bright, it was day in the realm.
When the Phoenix returned to its nest, it was night.
On the eastern plains, a grand staircase carved from diamonds climbed toward the sky. Ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine steps.
At the end of those steps, hovering miles above the ground, a palace complex sat nestled among the clouds.
But the palace looked... unfinished.
Which, to be fair, it was.
Gwen had only drafted a portion of the blueprints. Roughly a third of the grand design remained unsketched.
"Whatever."
"I'll leave it for Gwen to finish when she gets back."
Standing on the diamond plaza in front of the main palace, Hawk muttered to himself. He took one last look at the unfinished structures, then turned away. It was time to leave.
As he prepared to depart, Hawk's gaze deepened, piercing through the Parasol World Tree itself to stare into the vast expanse of the primary universe waiting outside.
By claiming the World Tree, he had put a target on his own back.
Time knew who he was now.
Hawk hadn't just angered Time. He had offended the primary universe itself.
The reasoning was straightforward.
If the primary universe had consumed the World Tree, it could have birthed a new multiverse. When that pie was cut, Time wouldn't have been the only cosmic force to get a slice.
Instead, Hawk had stolen the bakery, leaving the primary universe with crumbs.
So, he hadn't just snatched food from Time. He had robbed the primary universe blind.
Hawk had zero doubts that the moment he stepped outside, the primary universe would throw everything it had at him.
He already had proof.
The fact that his cosmic senses couldn't pinpoint which parallel universe Gwen had been banished to was proof enough.
Time alone wasn't powerful enough to blind his perception across the multiverse.
The other laws must have pitched in.
Space, for one. The primary universe's Spatial Law was an accomplice.
Only by combining Time and Space into a unified continuum could they isolate Gwen's location from Hawk's senses.
He had pissed off the primary universe, and they were going to try and crush him the second he stepped outside.
Bring it on... Just don't go crying when things get rough.
He had made his vow: Exactly how they sent his Gwen away, they were going to bring her back.
As Hawk considered the greeting he was about to receive upon leaving the World Tree, a cold smirk touched his lips.
You started this war. But I decide when it ends.
Hawk took a step. He crossed the boundary of the Parasol World Tree and set foot in the void of the primary universe.
His River of Time began to churn in the "future." Waves crashed along the timeline, generating vision after vision of his own death.
But this was an automatic defense mechanism by Time. It wasn't a fixed future—it was a projection—an intimidation tactic.
Time was unleashing a barrage of prophecies, trying to shake Hawk's resolve. The goal was simple: get him to flinch. The moment his will wavered, Time would lock one of those futures into certainty.
But...
Hawk glanced at the temporal assault snapping at his heels. He looked away.
Compared to Time's attacks, he was more focused on his own condition.
Because the moment Time discovered him, a crushing malice from the primary universe slammed into his body.
The universe was attempting to suppress his power.
Only—
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Hawk ignited his Cosmo. A shockwave of golden energy erupted from his body, radiating outward.
The cosmic suppression, which had momentarily dropped his power to mortal levels, was burned away as his Cosmo exploded to life. His strength began to climb.
In the blink of an eye, Hawk's power surged back to the Celestial tier.
"Heh."
"Is that all?" Standing in the vacuum of space, Hawk scoffed. "I barely even flexed."
He was only burning his Cosmo right now. He hadn't come close to detonating it.
Yes, the natural state of the primary universe suppressed his baseline power to mortal levels. However, all he needed was to ignite his Cosmo, returning him to his peak. As a Gold Saint, he possessed Cosmo energy reserves that were virtually limitless.
The primary universe attempted to suppress him, but it was futile. Hawk could sustain his Cosmo continuously, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. And most importantly, when you've hit a training plateau, the best way to break through is to add resistance.
"Don't stop now."
"Push harder."
"If you quit now, I'm going to be disappointed." Hawk's smirk deepened. Looking out at the vastness of the primary universe, he mocked the cosmos itself as if having a conversation. He let out a final laugh, turned, and prepared to leave.
Just then—
A tuning fork, larger than Earth itself, materialized from the void and swung at Hawk.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The cry of the Phoenix resonated.
As Hawk turned, a spectral projection flared behind him—a golden Phoenix perched upon a Parasol Tree, its wings cradling a golden universe.
In a flash, the spectral Phoenix shattered into the components of his Gold Cloth, locking onto his body piece by piece until the visor slammed into place.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Hawk raised his right hand, caught the incoming tuning fork, and with a vicious yank redirected its momentum, sending the wielder crashing toward a nearby planet.
A humanoid figure, encased in thick armor—sporting six circular sensors on its faceplate and standing an estimated two hundred miles tall—stumbled from the void and hurtled toward the planet below.
Just before the giant slammed into the surface, it stabilized.
"A Celestial."
"Which one are you?" Hawk raised an eyebrow, looking at the armored giant.
He wasn't surprised by the Celestials showing up.
He had stolen the World Tree. Time was furious. And since Eternity, the embodiment of Time, had created the Celestials... of course they felt their boss's anger.
Stepping into Time's line of sight was the same as stepping into the Celestials' crosshairs.
He had expected them to come looking for trouble. He just hadn't expected them to show up this fast.
Whatever... Even if the Celestials hadn't come for him, he was planning on hunting them down anyway.
He didn't have a choice.
Time lacked a physical form.
Eternity was MIA.
If he wanted to bring Gwen home fast, he had to go through the Celestials. They were the caretakers of the primary multiverse's timeline.
"Gargaratus!"
"The Vibrator!"
Having regained its balance, the six-eyed Celestial boomed, its voice vibrating through the vacuum of space.
"Gargaratus. The Vibrator." Hawk repeated the name, ran it through his mental database, and shrugged. "Never heard of you."
If he had to guess, this was one of the second-generation Celestials bred by the originals using a life-bearing planet as an incubator.
Calling them "second-generation" made sense.
Eternity had created three Celestials.
Arishem the Judge.
Exitar the Exterminator.
Eson the Searcher.
Eternity was the father, those three were the sons, and the rest of the Celestials running around the cosmos were the grandchildren.
Every Celestial's title was linked to its cosmic function.
The original three were obvious.
But Hawk also recognized several "Grandchildren."
Gammenon the Gatherer.
Hargen the Measurer.
And this guy introducing himself as The Vibrator? Hawk could guess his job.
He monitored temporal vibrations. When a tremor occurred in the timeline, he traveled to the epicenter to investigate.
The most logical deduction.
However, none of that mattered right now.
Hawk committed the name Gargaratus to memory, chuckled, and ignored the Celestial's two-hundred-mile height. He cut to the chase. "Your timing is perfect. Saves me the trouble of hunting you down. I'll give you one chance. Bring my wife back from whatever multiverse Time banished her to, and we can pretend this never happ—"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Hawk didn't get to finish.
Gargaratus, its form vibrating with the density of Adamantium, boomed back. "You disrupted the timeline! YOU MUST DIE!"
Hawk heard the response and laughed.
Too bad... Gargaratus didn't give him a chance to say anything else. After declaring the sentence, the Celestial swung its tuning fork, the six sensors on its faceplate flashing as it charged.
Seeing the incoming assault, Hawk smirked. He slid his right foot back, settled into a stance, and shook his head.
"Since we can't talk this out like civilized people... I guess I'll just beat the answers out of you."
"Burn, My Cosmo!"
"Phoenix's Winged Ascent!"
"..."
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