"Nicely done."
Kacilius suddenly smiled, then thrust both hands outward. Instantly, the entire hall began to fold and twist.
Mordo shoved away the two zealots restraining him and sprinted toward the exit. Strange burst forward as well, streaking past Kacilius in an instant and following closely behind Mordo out the door.
"I got Kacilius's Sling Ring—they won't escape."
Strange held up a Sling Ring in his hand, while his own still hung at his waist. Clearly, this one belonged to Kacilius.
"Move!"
Seeing Kacilius and his men heading out, Mordo shouted and took off running. Strange followed without hesitation as the two dashed into the street, weaving through traffic at full speed.
At the same time, back at the office, Karl and Wanda had already returned and were having lunch. Suddenly, a strange surge of magical energy appeared. Wanda immediately stepped outside and looked toward its source—it was coming from the New York Sanctum.
"It's from the Sanctum. It's probably Strange and Kacilius."
She returned inside and told Karl, who was still eating.
"Oh. Then let's finish eating first and go check it out."
Karl wasn't concerned in the slightest. He planned to finish his meal before heading over. He knew the Ancient One was watching everything from the shadows—Strange wouldn't be in real danger. By the time he arrived, he could simply play along.
Of course, the price of this "act" would be the Ancient One's life. She intended to use her death to awaken Strange's sense of responsibility and guide him into becoming the Sorcerer Supreme.
Meanwhile, Strange and Mordo were still inside the Mirror Dimension.
The city around them had completely transformed. Buildings shifted and relocated, straight roads bent at impossible angles, and structures rotated like pieces of a giant Rubik's Cube.
The ground beneath Strange tilted sharply, making it nearly impossible to move forward. Not far ahead, the street bent at a ninety-degree angle—there was no way to cross.
"Kacilius's connection to the Dark Dimension strengthens his control over the Mirror Dimension. He can reshape it at will—we're basically walking into our own deaths!"
Mordo rushed over, speaking urgently—though moments ago, he had been urging Strange to act.
Seeing Kacilius closing in, the two turned and ran again. As Strange ran, he drew a circle in the air, opening a portal not far ahead.
But Kacilius wasn't about to let them escape. With a push of his hand, the city in front of them rotated ninety degrees. Just as Strange and Mordo were about to pass through the portal, they were flipped along with the terrain.
With no other choice, they continued running along the side of a building. But Strange had a plan—he led Mordo toward Karl's office.
He knew Karl was highly sensitive to magical fluctuations. There was a good chance he already sensed what was happening. Their only hope was to get close enough for Karl to intervene.
Because of the shifting cityscape, the two ran along vertical walls.
"Where are we going?"
Mordo asked, confused. He had never been to Karl's office and didn't know its location.
"To get reinforcements."
Strange didn't have time to explain further. Right now, running was all that mattered. He could have flown—it would've been faster—but that would mean abandoning Mordo. And he knew Mordo was no match for Kacilius.
So he couldn't leave him behind.
While sprinting along the building, Strange opened another portal—this time, it led directly to the entrance of Karl's office.
Kacilius reacted instantly, slamming his fist into the building. The entire structure rippled like waves on water, disrupting Strange's concentration. Before they could pass through, the portal collapsed.
With another twist of his wrist, Kacilius warped the building into a spiraling corkscrew. Then, starting from the top, it split in two and bent downward. Strange and Mordo lost their footing and fell once more.
The entire city twisted into a vortex, spinning endlessly before splitting into four sections, each bent at ninety-degree angles and opposing one another.
Strange and Mordo stabilized themselves, standing at the edge of a fractured cityscape. Across from them, the city continued to shift and rotate. Strange's expression grew grave.
Then they began falling again.
The city had become a massive stage—Strange and Mordo fled desperately, while Kacilius and his two followers pursued them like cats toying with mice.
In a moment of chaos, the two were separated.
Strange ran alone, with Kacilius close behind. Above him, Mordo was being chased by the two zealots, already engaged in combat as they ran.
Suddenly, Strange's footing gave way, and he plummeted toward the ground. Just before impact, his blue cloak flared outward, slowing his descent and allowing him to land safely.
Strange froze for a moment—then his expression darkened.
He had completely forgotten… he could fly.
He'd been running around like an idiot this whole time.
What a waste.
The next second, the cloak spread wide, and Strange shot upward into the sky. The advantage of flight became immediately obvious—Kacilius could only chase on foot, constantly reshaping the terrain, while Strange soared freely through the air.
He was getting closer and closer to Karl's office. As long as he made it there, Karl wouldn't just stand by and watch him die.
Suddenly, an invisible blade grazed past his shoulder.
Before he could react, another one followed.
Behind him, Kacilius conjured yet another unseen blade.
Strange snapped into action, weaving erratically through the air in an attempt to dodge the attacks.
But then—
A blade pierced through his cloak.
At once, Strange spun out of control, like a plane that had lost a wing, spiraling toward the ground.
Kacilius closed the distance in an instant, forming a blade in his hand and thrusting it mercilessly toward Strange.
Buzz—!
Suddenly, scarlet energy surged into existence, forming a barrier that blocked the strike.
At the same time, a bolt of lightning as thick as a bowl crashed down from the sky.
Boom—!
Thunder roared like the heavens collapsing.
Kacilius was blasted backward, half his body scorched black by the strike.
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