Stephen slowly raised a finger.
Wang's face darkened. "You mean… this is our only chance to win?"
Kang's expression shifted at Wang's words, his gaze drawn toward the fractured space where the two combatants fought.
"No." Stephen shook his head, then looked toward the ongoing battle.
"Nathan Hawk will win…"
Before Stephen could finish, Kang immediately spoke up. "Then we should prepare for what comes next, right?"
Stephen tilted his head and gave Kang a wry, serious smile. "What I mean is… we have only one chance to save Billy Kaplan."
"You mean… Billy?" Kang turned sharply. His nanotech armor gathered around his eyes as he studied Billy Kaplan's condition.
Billy's body appeared to shatter like porcelain, yet miraculously, each fragment rapidly healed itself.
"That's his reality magic… no, it's chaos magic. After this battle, he's destined to die," Wang observed, noticing the red mist around Billy. He turned to Stephen Strange, bewildered. "Impossible, right?"
Stephen nodded. "Yes… he is Wanda's child."
"Damn it… that dark tome and chaos magic again," Wang muttered, recalling unpleasant memories.
"What should we do?" Kang asked anxiously.
Stephen fixed his gaze on Kang. "You need to join forces with Billy Kaplan against Nathan Hawk."
Kang was shocked but nodded, obeying Stephen Strange despite not fully understanding his intentions.
Stephen continued, "Just make sure Nathan doesn't kill Billy. Then act freely."
Kang still didn't quite grasp the plan. Activating his nanotech armor, he launched himself toward the battlefield.
"And me?" Wang asked, puzzled.
Stephen smiled. "I need your body." The ethereal Stephen merged with Wang's body, sending Wang's spirit outward.
Wang blinked, utterly confused.
"Watch closely," Stephen said, controlling Wang's body. He lifted him high, spread his palms, and pointed toward Billy Kaplan. Under Stephen's guidance, Wang's body began a mysterious summoning ritual.
Beneath the fractured space, Wang radiated mystical energy, his eyes gleaming with profound light. Stephen's voice spoke through him, chanting spells with a steady, commanding tone:
"Powers of time and space, heed my call. I seek your blessing to save this world."
As the incantation continued, Wang's fingertips warmed, radiating immense energy. Mystical runes hovered around him, forming a complex magic circle.
Wang, witnessing this, was awestruck by Stephen's sorcery. He realized this was a summoning of cosmic significance.
Stephen continued the ritual, intensifying the spell. Blazing magical flames rose around Wang like meteors tearing across the night sky.
"Reality and illusion, time, space, and chaos—converge and obey my command!"
Mysterious visions appeared around Wang, seemingly drawn from multiple dimensions and realities.
A massive time vortex formed, weaving past, present, and future together. Shadows of events floated within, prompting reflection.
A starry night sky manifested around Wang, constellations and planets shimmering, revealing the secrets of the universe.
Chaos energy began to surge, enveloping Wang in a powerful, unpredictable force, as if the universe itself were responding.
Finally, a mystical space appeared before Wang, transcending past, present, and future, imbued with otherworldly power.
After the ritual, Stephen withdrew from Wang's body. Wang stared in awe. "What now?"
"Wait," Stephen said with a confident smile.
"Wait… what?" Wang thought he misheard. Did Stephen just say "wait"? Just to show me some world-shaking 3D spectacle?
Meanwhile, Nathan Hawk and Billy Kaplan continued their fierce battle in the fractured space. Nathan relentlessly unleashed electric attacks, attempting to overpower Billy. Kang, controlling his nanotech armor, tried to assist Billy.
Kang's armor had advanced weaponry—energy beams, missiles, and electromagnetic pulses—designed to distract Nathan and give Billy a breather. Kang's tactics proved surprisingly effective, constantly switching weapons and creating diversions.
But Nathan, in his electric form, had lightning-fast reflexes. He dodged attacks with precision and countered swiftly, his spinning electric blades neutralizing Kang's nanotech assaults.
Though doubt flickered in Nathan's mind, it quickly vanished.
He intensified his assault, his electric body blazing with light. Spinning electric blades formed a whirlwind around Billy, trapping him within.
Billy roared, struggling against the storm, but Nathan's onslaught was relentless.
Seeing Billy in peril, Kang acted, sending electromagnetic pulses to disrupt Nathan's control.
"Is the red mist around him… chaos magic? He's nearly impossible to kill!" Nathan's eyes gleamed with intensity.
Still, he refused to be provoked. Clenching his teeth, he focused, pushing the electric whirlwind ever tighter around Billy. Billy's body crackled with electricity, letting out a pained roar.
Suddenly, Billy unleashed even more potent dark chaos energy, tearing through the whirlwind. His eyes glowed red, his power peaking.
Nathan was forced to halt the whirlwind, feeling immense pressure. Billy had become even more formidable, his body distorting as if merging with chaos itself.
Kang's heart sank. Billy was no longer the same—he was unpredictable, dangerous.
Nathan sensed the escalating threat. He gathered more energy, his glowing eyes locked onto Billy. The battlefield grew tense, Wang and Kang watching every move.
"Electroshock Wave!" Nathan called, concentrating all electricity into a massive orb between his hands.
The orb expanded, blinding with electric light. Nathan had reached his peak, existing purely as electricity, radiating power like a star.
Billy's body, hard as porcelain, sensed the impending strike. Knowing it was nearly unstoppable, he resolved to fight with everything he had.
His body morphed, dark and chaotic energy breaking through, his eyes glowing crimson like a demon from the abyss.
"Darkness has prevailed; chaos is coming!" Billy roared, hands clasped, releasing dark, chaotic energy.
At that moment, both Nathan and Billy struck simultaneously at their peak.
Nathan's orb surged forward, a massive electric wave sweeping across the battlefield.
Billy's dark chaos energy formed a shadowy wave, colliding with Nathan's attack. Sparks and energy rippled as light and darkness clashed.
The battlefield shook, space cracking under the force. Lightning and darkness intertwined in a spectacular, destructive display.
At that instant…
"Now," Stephen said, eyes gleaming.
Wang turned to Stephen, confused.
Stephen smiled, radiating confidence.
As Nathan and Billy's energies collided, a mysterious light flashed across the battlefield.
The soul-forms of Ancient One and Wanda Maximoff appeared. Ancient One suspended the Time Stone, sending waves of temporal energy into the space. Everything seemed frozen in that moment.
Time itself halted, freezing the clash of electricity and darkness. In the intersection, a static universe hovered.
Ancient One's eyes, deep and wise, surveyed the frozen energy. She knew it was time to act.
"Time Stone, obey my command," she whispered. The stone glowed, responding.
Using the Time Stone, Ancient One began reversing the energy's trajectory. Electric and dark energies gradually dissipated, returning to their respective origins.
Nathan and Billy returned to their positions, their attacks sealed within themselves. The fractured space stabilized, fissures slowly healing.
Wanda stood beside Ancient One, her gaze fixed on Billy Kaplan. "That's my child…"
"Yes, your child. Only your chaos magic can save him now," Stephen said from another world. Wanda flew swiftly toward Billy.
"Teacher, long time no see," she said.
Wang saluted excitedly. "Teacher!"
Gu Yi nodded, glanced at Nathan Hawk, then said to the others, "Honestly… I shouldn't have come."
With a tremendous roar, Nathan broke free and flew toward Ancient One, silent.
Ancient One shrugged, looking at Stephen Strange, then beyond him.
"Hmph… this time, you win," Karu's voice dissipated like mist. Nearby, a man in a suit elegantly appeared.
"Long time no see, Ancient One of this world," he said.
The elder nodded. "Yes, it has been a while, Mephisto."
"Since you have ascended to Eternity, why intervene?" Mephisto sneered.
"Go ask him," Ancient One replied, pointing at Stephen Strange with a slight smirk.
Mephisto's gaze burned with malice toward Stephen.
Stephen's face bore a calm, defiant expression: "What can you do to me?"
Nathan watched as Karu and Mephisto departed in anger, then looked to Ancient One. "Master Ancient One."
"I know your plan, Stephen. Follow me," Gu Yi nodded to Nathan with a smile.