A mushroom cloud rose high into the sky.
The force of the explosion rippled outward in devastating waves.
Mordo, the Guardian of the Sanctum, and the other sorcerers all spun the Sling Rings on their hands, conjuring protective wards to shield themselves.
"How can there be such overwhelming destructive power…"
The Guardian gasped, cold sweat dripping down his forehead as the pressure bore down on him.
He wasn't even withstanding the Beast Bomb itself—only the aftershock of its detonation.
What if he had been at the center of the blast?
What if he had taken the attack head-on?
Just imagining it sent a chill through his heart. He couldn't help but feel a flicker of gratitude that Senju Haruto was standing on Kamar-Taj's side, not as their enemy.
In truth, apart from Mordo and the Guardian, who barely managed to endure the shockwave, the other sorcerers were far worse off. Some had to combine their strength, merging their magic to raise a shared barrier.
Those who relied on their own strength alone—without teamwork—were shattered instantly. Their wards crumbled under the wave, and they themselves were blasted into the air, crashing to the ground and coughing blood.
The weaker among them didn't even have time to cry out before collapsing into unconsciousness.
"This guy's strength is insane…"
Mordo clenched his teeth, cursing inwardly. Haruto's power wasn't something a normal human should possess.
He, Mordo—second only to the Ancient One within Kamar-Taj—had spent years fighting creatures from the Dark Dimension, taking part in countless battles of every scale. But never once had he felt this powerless.
And even now… something told him this wasn't Haruto's true strength.
Because Haruto still hadn't used his Zanpakutō—the same blade he had once used against Kaecilius.
If he hadn't witnessed it with his own eyes, no matter who told him, Mordo would never have believed it.
"So this is Haruto's power…"
On the ground, Anna stared up at him with wide, awestruck eyes, utterly entranced.
As a mere apprentice, she had no way to resist the rippling force of the Beast Bomb. The only reason she hadn't lost her life was because Mordo and the Guardian had stood in front of her, shielding her with their wards.
If not… she wouldn't just be unconscious—she would have been dead.
And now, Haruto's display left her shaken to her very core.
"I only wanted a dependable teammate to get through this trial and leave Kamar-Taj…"
"But now, no matter what, I have to find a way to stay by Haruto's side…"
Her thoughts spilled silently within her heart. She believed with absolute certainty that Haruto would become a greater Sorcerer Supreme than even the Ancient One herself.
A legend worth following for life.
But Anna wasn't the only one stunned.
At Kamar-Taj itself, the Ancient One and the gathered sorcerers in the plaza watched the battle in New York unfold.
The moment she sensed the creature's power, the Ancient One had nearly intervened herself. In all her centuries of life, she had rarely seen a monster so troublesome breach into the mortal plane.
If not for Senju Haruto, she would have had to wield the Time Stone and face the creature directly.
"That artifact on Haruto's forehead…"
The Ancient One's eyes narrowed. The third eye that had opened upon him radiated an ancient, familiar energy she had never encountered before—yet it felt deeply connected to Agamotto himself.
The same origin. The same source.
Coupled with the way Haruto had spoken earlier, she could no longer dismiss it as coincidence.
In her eyes, that artifact—the third eye—was nothing less than the mark of the Sorcerer Supreme.
"Haruto, you truly are the genuine article."
"If you had revealed this from the very start, I would never have doubted you."
Her heart swelled with complicated emotions—regret for having doubted him, and acceptance, at last, of his true identity.
Not only did she acknowledge Senju Haruto as Sorcerer Supreme, but she recognized that his power had already far outstripped her own.
Without the Time Stone, she might not even qualify to stand as his opponent.
Perhaps it was time for her to step back.
To entrust this world to Haruto's guardianship.
He might even prove to be a better guide for Strange than she ever could.
Meanwhile, in the plaza, the sorcerers erupted in cheers.
They had seen evil fall once more, New York saved again, and justice stand victorious.
But above all, they realized something monumental—
They were witnessing the rise of a living legend.
For them, it was an honor. A glory.
Some were even already whispering wagers:
"Anyone betting? Will Haruto stay in Kamar-Taj? Move to the Sanctum Sanctorum? Or leave altogether?"
They knew he would soon face that choice.
Though Haruto had only been at Kamar-Taj for two days, genius was never bound by common measure. His record would stand unbroken for a long, long time.
Yet, the eyes watching this battle weren't only from Kamar-Taj.
In the Dark Dimension, Dormammu himself observed.
He had expected his greatest obstacle to invading Earth to be the Sorcerer Supreme and the Sanctum Sanctorums built by Agamotto.
But before his plan had even begun in earnest, one of his own lieutenants had been wiped out by some unknown interloper.
And what's more—he couldn't understand the power Senju Haruto wielded.
All magic in this world originated from ancient gods like himself. Earth possessed no magic of its own. Every sorcerer fought only by borrowing from their power.
Yet Haruto… Haruto's power was his own.
"Haruto…" Dormammu's gaze darkened. "Which pantheon's god are you really?"