The light in Stephen Strange's eyes dimmed, like dying embers.
But only for a second.
The ashes reignited—burning brighter than before.
"The Ancient One passed the title—and the Eye of Agamotto—to me," he said hoarsely, his voice like sandpaper. "But she also left behind a mess. Her disciple, Kaecilius, brought the power of the Dark Dimension to Earth in pursuit of so-called eternal life."
He paused, gathering his thoughts—or perhaps reliving the exhausting battle.
"Mordo," Strange continued heavily. "He couldn't accept that the Ancient One drew upon dark energy to prolong her life. He believes magic itself is a violation of natural law—a sin. Now he's hunting sorcerers, stripping them of their power. His next target is the New York Sanctum."
"So you want me to help you clean house?" Levi's lips curved faintly.
"No." Strange shook his head, meeting Levi's gaze with a surgeon's composure and resolve. "The Ancient One said Mordo is my trial. I must handle him myself. But she also said—if Dormammu breaks his oath and sends an avatar—that's beyond me. She told me to find you."
"I owe her a favor," Levi replied simply. "Mordo is yours. Dormammu is mine."
Strange's tense shoulders finally relaxed.
"Deal."
Without further words, Strange raised his hands. Sparks flared orange as a portal expanded, revealing the iconic circular window of the New York Sanctum.
They stepped through.
Dark energy hit them like a physical force—thick, almost tangible, reeking of sulfur and decay.
The main hall was in ruins.
Mordo floated midair above a rotating black magic circle, the Staff of the Living Tribunal in his grip glowing with ominous light.
Opposite him, Wong strained behind a cracked magical shield that flickered like fragile glass on the verge of shattering.
"Strange! You finally returned!" Mordo's eyes blazed with fury and disappointment. "Have you come to stand judgment? You and the Ancient One are thieves—stealing power that was never yours!"
"Mordo, stop this," Strange said, the Cloak of Levitation settling around his shoulders as golden mandalas formed in his palms.
Levi had no interest in their moral drama.
He strolled past them as if out for a casual walk, stopping at the center of the hall and glancing up at the ceiling, now warped into abstract chaos by dark energy.
"Stop hiding. I can smell your rot from across dimensions."
The air above twisted violently, like fabric burned through by a cigarette.
A colossal head slowly forced its way out of the tear—impossible to describe in human terms. It was formed from swirling violet nebulae and billions of wailing faces. It had no true substance, yet radiated a mind-crushing pressure.
Dormammu's avatar.
Its arrival caused the Sanctum's physical laws to unravel. Walls melted like wax. Black crystalline spikes erupted from the marble floor. Whispers filled the air.
"Mortal… you carry the scent of Time… and the Ancient One's loathsome energy." Dormammu's voice bypassed air entirely, reverberating inside Levi's mind like a billion souls screaming at once. "You believe you can stop me?"
"Why not try?"
Levi vanished mid-sentence.
He reappeared above Dormammu's head, driving down a brutally simple punch. Crimson Law of Force and deep-blue Law of Space spiraled around his fist, forming a visible vortex.
No finesse. No mercy.
Boom!
The massive head lurched downward, nebulae churning violently—but no real damage.
Countless black tendrils shot outward like venomous serpents, sealing off every escape.
Space around Levi warped into an irregular convex lens. The tendrils, capable of shredding tanks, bent and refracted wildly, blasting craters into the Sanctum walls.
"Interesting," Levi smiled.
This avatar stood firmly at the Skyfather threshold. Inferior to Odin's true body—but stronger than any opponent he'd faced before.
Perfect sharpening stone.
Golden lightning erupted as his divine physique activated fully. He became a streak of light circling Dormammu at extreme speed.
Short-range spatial blinks placed him in blind spots, each punch collapsing localized space under the Law of Force.
At times he met attacks head-on, letting dark energy slam into him. Adaptive Armor flickered, analyzing energy composition, while the Law of the Body converted impact into strength.
The Sanctum's interior devolved into chaos. Strange and Mordo were forced into the Mirror Dimension, leaving Wong gaping from the corner at this godlike clash.
"Insect!" Dormammu roared.
Its nebula-mouth opened, unleashing a beam of pure Dark Dimension energy—erasing matter and space alike.
Levi didn't block.
He clapped his hands. Space parted like a curtain, forming a micro-wormhole that swallowed the beam.
A second later, the wormhole reopened behind Dormammu's head.
The beam struck its originator.
In that fleeting moment of instability—
[Skyfather-level target detected: Dormammu (Dimensional Avatar).]
Levi's heart jolted.
So he could copy now.
Before, he'd been too weak—like a child trying to dismantle a loaded gun.
Now, just one step shy of Skyfather-tier, his body and soul barely met the threshold.
He confirmed instantly.
[Copying… Energy analysis… Law imprint separation…]
[Copy complete.]
[Ability acquired: S-Rank – Dimensional Invasion (Beginner).]
Information flooded his mind. It wouldn't boost him immediately—but the potential made his eyes gleam.
Perfect for him. In the future, he could spawn countless versions of himself—infecting parallel universes like a virus, harvesting their power.
That split second of distraction cost him.
"Embrace the Dark!" Dormammu thundered.
The environment shifted violently.
Levi found himself dragged into a pitch-black void.
No light. No sound. No direction.
Infinite pressure bore down on him—the weight of an entire dimension concentrated on one body.
His Law of Space was completely suppressed, frozen like cement.
"It ends," Dormammu's voice echoed with judgment.
Cracks spread across Levi's body. Golden blood seeped out.
The Law of the Body repaired frantically—but destruction outpaced recovery.
Conventional means were useless.
Then gamble everything.
Levi closed his eyes.
He relinquished all fine control—doing only one thing.
He forced the blue Sea of Space and the crimson Sea of Force within him to collide.
A suicidal act he hadn't dared attempt during his breakthrough.
But now—no choice.
Boom!
Two incompatible fundamental laws clashed violently. Not fusion—only annihilation and explosion.
A chaotic storm of red and blue erupted outward from his body.
"Dual Laws—Storm!"
Crack!
The dark void shattered like glass under a hammer, spiderweb fractures spreading before total collapse.
The violet storm surged onward, smashing into Dormammu's colossal head.
"No—impossible!"
The nebula-head dissolved instantly within the storm—like ice dropped into acid.
The dimensional tear above the Sanctum snapped shut, dragging the last trace of dark energy away.
Silence returned.
Levi knelt amid the ruins, blood-soaked and gasping. His internal laws were tangled chaos—but he laughed.
He had touched the handle of the Skyfather gate.
And finally understood why he could copy Infinity Stones—but not Skyfathers.
The Stones were primordial law manifestations—pure, impersonal.
Copying one was like a child stealing a loaded gun—dangerous, but the gun didn't resist.
Skyfathers were different.
Every ounce of their power bore their personal imprint—Odin's thunder, the Ancient One's sorcery, Dormammu's darkness. Copying them before was like trying to stuff another soul into his body.
Now?
He had the Law of the Body as vessel—and rudimentary multi-law integration.
He finally qualified to wrestle with such wills.
At that moment—
The Mirror Dimension above fractured like a broken mirror.
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