At the same time, the ground beneath Strange's feet began to shift continuously, eventually forming a circular platform. The surrounding city rotated around it, transforming the area into something resembling a grand arena.
Clad in yellow robes, the Ancient One stood to one side. A spell circle hovered in her hand like a folded fan, its golden patterns slowly rotating.
Then, two crimson figures descended from the sky.
One was Wanda, her entire body wrapped in scarlet Chaos Magic. The other was Karl, wearing a red cloak—the lightning that had just blasted Kacilius away had come from him.
They landed on either side of the Ancient One. At that moment, both Strange and Mordo finally saw it clearly—the mark on the Ancient One's forehead, a symbol of dark power belonging to Dormammu.
"This… this… it's actually true!!"
Mordo felt as if his entire belief system had shattered.
The Ancient One—the Sorcerer Supreme—was supposed to stand in absolute opposition to darkness. And yet, just as Strange had said, she had drawn power from it.
In Mordo's eyes, she had betrayed Kamar-Taj, betrayed the Vishanti. She was no longer the Sorcerer Supreme.
Everything he had believed in was collapsing.
The teachings he had followed all his life—eradicate evil, destroy darkness—now stood in direct contradiction to reality. The one who taught him those principles had embraced the very darkness she warned against.
His face twisted in disbelief.
Of all people, she should have been the last to fall.
But now, she had become a servant of darkness.
"She actually drew power from the Dark Dimension… why… why?!"
Mordo collapsed to the ground, his conviction in ruins. In his current state, he could no longer fight—he needed time just to steady his mind.
The Ancient One glanced at Mordo and Strange, then turned her gaze toward Kacilius.
"Kacilius… I never expected you to go this far."
Truthfully, she had once held high hopes for him. Before meeting Strange, she had even considered passing the title of Sorcerer Supreme to Kacilius.
But his temperament was unstable—his mindset did not match his power. In time, he would inevitably become a slave to it.
And now, that had come to pass.
"Ancient One, back then I was lost… helpless… even despairing. I thought you would help me—but instead, you deceived me with lies."
Kacilius remained calm. With Dormammu's blessing, he felt stronger than ever. Even the half of his body that had just been scorched by Karl's lightning had already regenerated under the influence of dark power.
"I was protecting you. You weren't ready to know the truth—your mind couldn't bear it."
The Ancient One spoke plainly. Back then, Kacilius had been reckless and extreme—unfit to handle such knowledge.
"You were just hiding the truth."
Kacilius stepped forward.
"No. I was protecting you from harm."
Her expression remained serene. She had long since prepared herself for death.
She would use her death to awaken Strange—to guide him into becoming the Sorcerer Supreme.
In truth, even if it weren't Strange but Karl instead, she would have made the same decision.
She had lived too long.
So long that she had forgotten who she once was. So long that she had begun relying on dark power to extend her life. So long that she had grown numb to it.
This was not what she wanted.
She could feel the darkness slowly eroding her soul.
It had to end.
Karl frowned deeply. He understood her decision, yet he couldn't change it. Watching her walk toward death still weighed heavily on him.
But since she had chosen this path, the only thing he could do… was honor it.
He took Wanda's hand and stepped back toward Strange and Mordo, leaving the battlefield to the Ancient One and Kacilius.
"Strange—after everything that's happened, if you still plan to go back to being a doctor, I'll personally cut off your hands."
Karl's voice was cold as steel.
Strange didn't fully understand, but the look in Karl's eyes made him swallow whatever he was about to say.
The Ancient One was giving her life for him. If he still chose to walk away from this responsibility, Karl wouldn't hesitate to send him to join her—so she could "teach him properly" one more time.
At that moment, years of resentment erupted from Kacilius.
"I have a new master now. I don't need you to tell me what to do."
The Ancient One spoke calmly, "Dormammu is deceiving you. That's what he does best. You haven't seen his true nature. That so-called eternity he offers… is nothing but a living hell."
"Stop lying!"
Kacilius roared. Invisible blades formed in his hands as he charged forward. His two zealots followed closely behind.
Suddenly, a scarlet barrier appeared, blocking the zealots.
"You're not worthy of facing the Ancient One. I'll handle you two."
Wanda flashed into their path, her eyes glowing crimson. Chaos Magic surged outward, forming a massive phantom behind her.
The zealots exchanged a glance, then rushed her with invisible blades.
Wanda merely waved her hand.
Two enormous spectral hands extended from behind her and slapped them away.
The zealots twisted midair, regaining control before charging again.
"Overestimating yourselves."
Wanda muttered coldly. She traced a circle in the air—instantly, countless dark red crows burst forth, swarming toward them.
Boom! Boom!
The crows exploded on contact, detonating violently around the zealots.
Wanda raised one hand toward the sky—then slammed it down.
Buzz—
A massive scarlet magic circle descended from above, crushing down on the two like a mountain.
"Pff—!"
"Pff—!"
Both zealots spat blood as they slammed into the ground. Cracks spread across their bodies under the pressure, with crimson energy seeping through the fractures.
Without hesitation, they abandoned their bodies—their souls tearing free.
They were fanatics. Their lives meant nothing—as long as they could kill Wanda.
"They actually chose astral projection? Idiots."
Wanda flicked her hand. Two crimson whips shot out like living serpents, instantly binding the zealots' souls.
The moment they were caught, scarlet energy erupted from the whips.
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