Earth.
Sharon Carter, Daisy Johnson, and Jessica Jones were all inside the Locke Technologies Tower.
"Where did Nolan go?"
All three of them frowned.
They knew Nolan had been preparing for a war. Even Tony Stark had intended to join him.
Because of this, the entire White House had been on edge.
The three of them had no intention of sitting idle either.
They were far from ordinary people. Each of them had already made up her mind to fight if it came to that.
Sharon Carter had been keeping a close watch on Nolan's movements.
But the moment she realized something was wrong, Nolan Locke had already vanished.
Even the massive number of robots that had been in production recently seemed to have disappeared overnight.
"Has the war already started?"
Daisy Johnson frowned slightly.
"But how did they leave?"
They had already called Pepper Potts.
Only to find that Tony Stark was gone as well.
Jessica Jones slammed her fist into the wall, leaving a deep crater in the concrete.
"That bastard!"
She cursed, though worry was written all over her face.
"Check the news. If something this big is happening, there has to be something about it."
But there was nothing.
No reports. No alerts.
Only strange meteor-like streaks suddenly appearing across the sky, catching people's attention.
They weren't the only ones who sensed something was wrong.
The White House was in a state of panic.
Everyone was asking the same question.
Where did they go?
Those tens of thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands of robots. A force powerful enough to rival entire nations.
Without similar combat machines from Locke Technologies, even the most powerful countries would struggle to stop such an army.
So where had they gone?
No one could find any trace of the mechanical legion.
No one knew what was about to happen.
They couldn't locate Nolan Locke or Tony Stark either.
The uncertainty alone was enough to make everyone uneasy.
Those two wouldn't be stirring up something insane again… would they?
The atmosphere grew increasingly tense.
Meanwhile, at the center of the battlefield.
The war had already reached its most brutal phase.
In fact, the tide had begun to shift in Nolan's favor.
Dormammu's furious roars had done nothing to turn the situation around.
Nolan, piloting the Evangelion-class armor, clashed with him head-on again and again, turning the battlefield into a storm of raw, overwhelming force.
Another strike.
Space itself trembled.
The AT Field shattered for a split second, only to restore itself instantly.
Nolan stood at the very front, untouchable.
His voice boomed from within the armor.
"Dormammu, leave Earth!"
The command echoed across the entire battlefield, filled with authority and unyielding dominance.
It sent a surge of morale through Earth's forces.
Ivar and the heavyset mage felt their spirits rise once more.
The wizards of Hogwarts shouted in unison.
Because everyone understood what that voice meant.
Nolan Locke was winning.
Dormammu's expression darkened.
His power still surged, vast enough to twist space itself.
But he understood the situation better than anyone.
Earth, even without the Ancient One, was not as weak as he had imagined.
The new Sorcerer Supreme lacked experience, but his talent was extraordinary.
And this human, Nolan Locke, possessed the power to hold him back, at least for now.
Meanwhile, his army was being steadily worn down.
Soon, he might find himself completely isolated.
At that point, even he could be trapped here.
Yet he refused to accept it.
Dormammu turned, staring into the endless dimensions behind him.
"What are you waiting for?"
"The Ancient One is dead. This is our best chance!"
He knew that many powerful beings were watching from other dimensions.
If even one of them intervened, this war could still turn.
But…
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The Ancient One was dead?
According to whom?
That was only Dormammu's claim.
And even without her, he had failed to win this battle.
What if she wasn't dead?
What if this was all a trap?
Long ago, they had signed a pact with the Sorcerer Supreme.
No one truly knew the consequences of breaking it.
Dormammu dared to take that risk because of his strength.
But others were not so reckless.
If someone chose to uphold the pact and strike back at them, the cost would be unimaginable.
So no one moved.
"Damn it!"
Dormammu roared.
Nolan's voice rang out again, colder this time.
"Dormammu, get out of Earth!"
No negotiation.
No compromise.
Just one message.
Leave.
This is Earth. This is my territory.
Tony Stark felt his blood surge as he heard it.
"Dormammu, get out of Earth!"
His voice wasn't loud, not in a battlefield like this.
But the next moment, Stephen Strange amplified his own voice with magic.
"Dormammu, get out of Earth!"
His power carried the words across the entire dimension.
Countless mages raised their heads.
Amplification spells spread.
"Dormammu, get out of Earth!"
"Dormammu, get out of Earth!"
The roar spread like a tidal wave.
Ivar's eyes filled with tears.
If not for these invaders, he would still be learning magic under his teacher, chasing knowledge and wonder.
"Dormammu, get out of Earth!"
He poured all his anger into the shout.
The heavyset mage roared as well.
He had seen too many people fall here, friends and strangers alike.
Even he had lost an eye to a dark creature.
Harry Potter's glasses were shattered, stained with blood.
Beside him, Ron knelt on one knee, having just slain an enemy.
In just a few short hours, they had all grown.
From students…
into warriors.
"Dormammu, get out of Earth!"
The battlefield thundered with voices, a release of fear, rage, and determination.
Nolan stared calmly at Dormammu.
This damned war.
He had known from the start that this wouldn't end as easily as it had in the original story.
But even he had underestimated its brutality.
Red Queen's constant reports told him exactly how many had fallen.
It filled him with anger.
And helplessness.
Even now, with the Evangelion armor, Netero, the Titan units, and countless advanced combat machines…
He still couldn't decide the outcome alone.
And this was only Dormammu, weakened by the Three Sanctums.
What about the future?
How powerful was Thanos, truly?
Could the Evangelion armor defeat him?
And if Thanos gathered enough Infinity Stones…
What then?
And beyond that…
Asgard.
Another looming threat.
If Odin fell, Hela would be released.
A being who might rival, or even surpass, Thanos.
He had no intention of being crushed before ever facing his true enemy.
But right now…
Nolan fixed his gaze on Dormammu.
Will you continue?
Dormammu stared back at the fearless human.
For the first time…
hesitation appeared on his face.
He could keep fighting.
But what would that change?
Even if he outlasted Nolan.
Even if his army somehow achieved victory.
He would be left weakened.
Easy prey for other dimensions.
And Earth would still slip beyond his grasp.
So he glared at Nolan, his twisted power surging violently.
"Nolan Locke… I will remember you."
Nolan laughed.
"Then remember this."
"This is Earth. I don't care about the past, but from now on, this is my domain."
"As long as I stand, you will never set foot here again."
"And if you dare try, pact or no pact, I will lead my army into the Dark Dimension and drag you off your throne!"
Dormammu said nothing.
Behind him, the dark army began to retreat.
The prying gazes from other dimensions faded one by one.
The war was over.
Stephen Strange stepped beside Nolan, his expression complicated.
He didn't mind Nolan's declaration.
To the lords of other dimensions, Earth itself meant nothing.
Only its ruler mattered.
Once, that ruler had been the Ancient One.
Now…
it was Nolan Locke.
Even if Strange wanted to claim that title, he knew he wasn't ready.
"We won," he said.
Nolan nodded and looked back.
The mechanical army, cold and efficient, continued its pursuit under Red Queen's command, while the mages began tending to the wounded.
The dimensional rift was stained red.
But Nolan didn't move.
There was still one last thing to do.
He stood in the void, scanning the surroundings.
The few remaining watchers quickly withdrew.
"Get lost!"
His voice rang out once more, unwavering.
"From today onward, Netero will remain stationed at the dimensional rift. Any invader will be killed without exception!"
Beside him, Netero stood in silence, like a lifeless statue.
But no one dared underestimate it.
After all, it had fought Dormammu head-on.
A terrifying guardian.
A harsh, mocking laugh suddenly echoed.
Nolan turned toward its source.
From within another rift, a pair of crimson eyes stared out.
"So the Ancient One really is gone. Do you think you can stop all of us?"
More presences appeared.
Only the strongest would dare show themselves now.
"Try it," Nolan replied coldly.
"Red Queen, initiate full combat readiness. Prepare to execute the ultimate directive."
All pursuing robots halted.
Support units surged forward, preparing for something unknown.
Nolan understood one thing clearly.
He could not show weakness.
Today was about deterrence.
If he faltered now, everything would be lost.
"Eye Demon, why not test him? You might succeed."
Another voice echoed.
The crimson eyes shifted, then laughed and vanished.
Test him?
He wasn't a fool.
Dormammu had already tried.
No one wanted to be the first to fall.
And what if the Ancient One wasn't truly dead?
If she returned…
it would be a catastrophe.
Even among dimensional lords, she was a terrifying existence.
Silence returned to the rift.
Only then did Nolan finally relax.
"Damn it… I never want to fight a war like this again."
Even with Strange restoring time, the cost wasn't nothing.
He could feel the exhaustion deep in his body.
Finally, he turned to the gathered crowd and smiled.
"It's over."
That simple sentence released all the tension.
But Strange still looked uneasy.
"This war may be over, but the dimensional lords won't stay quiet."
Nolan nodded.
He understood.
Their deterrence still fell short of the Ancient One's.
She alone had kept Dormammu at bay for centuries.
They had only managed to drive him back.
The difference was obvious.
But Nolan patted Strange on the shoulder.
"Don't worry. Time is on our side."
Strange nodded.
"Yes. Time."
He had only just become the Sorcerer Supreme.
He would grow stronger.
So would Nolan.
Even Tony was improving rapidly.
Time favored them.
New York glowed with lights.
At some point, the top floor of Locke Technologies lit up once more.
At the same time, the White House lights burned through the night.
Nolan Locke had returned.