After several exchanges with Leo, the Ancient One realized she had gained no advantage—in fact, she had fallen into a clear disadvantage.
Still, she didn't take his earlier words too seriously.
There were existences even the Time Stone couldn't peer into—mutants like Franklin Richards, Jean Grey's Phoenix, the insane Legion, or Scarlet Witch Wanda.
Their powers surpassed the reach of time itself.
Even she, the Sorcerer Supreme, could not glimpse their futures.
So when Leo claimed such absurd things, she assumed he was just bluffing.
"Next," the Ancient One said softly, her tone suddenly sharper, "I'm getting serious. I hope you don't disappoint me."
And with that, her figure vanished from sight.
"Teleportation?" Leo smirked. "That trick won't work on me."
A deep, divine blue light flared before him—calm yet infinitely powerful.
Buzz!!
The Ancient One reappeared behind him in an instant, her palm already glowing with golden runes.
It was her ultimate technique—Soul Ejection.
A strike that could knock the soul right out of the body.
She had used it on both Doctor Strange and the Hulk. Once struck, there was no resisting it.
A soul was too fragile to fight back.
To her, victory seemed certain. Even if Leo could see her coming, he couldn't stop this.
But the moment her palm descended—
Time slowed.
Or rather, Leo moved faster than time itself.
Super Speed activated. The world froze. The Ancient One's hand hung midair like a still frame.
In that frozen moment, Leo swiftly reached into his system space and pulled out—
Ten Soul Stones.
Each one glowed faintly, their orange light resonating with an ancient, otherworldly pulse.
Even if these Soul Stones weren't bound to this Universe's laws, their energy was undeniable—echoes of infinite souls trapped within.
Leo lined them up before him like a barrier.
He had no intention of dodging. No running.
That wasn't his way.
He faced danger head-on—madly, recklessly, like himself.
The Ancient One's instincts screamed. Even frozen for a second, she could feel something shift.
The Eye of Agamotto hanging at her neck glowed green, sensing the disturbance in time—and another familiar, terrifying power: its kin.
The Time Stone itself reacted.
And then—impact.
A blinding flash.
No explosion. No sound.
Everything vanished into stillness.
Only the two of them—Leo and the Ancient One—understood the depth of what had just occurred.
It wasn't a battle of power. It was a clash of souls.
And in that silence… the Ancient One's composure shattered.
Her eyes widened. Her lips trembled.
Before her floated ten Soul Stones.
Ten.
"Impossible…" she whispered. "No… this can't be real…"
She counted again, her fingers shaking.
"One… two… five… ten—!"
Her breath caught. Her entire body trembled.
"How is this possible?!" she cried, her voice breaking. "How do you have ten Soul Stones?! Did you plunder countless parallel Universes?!"
"No—no, this can't be! The Living Tribunal would never allow it!"
Her composure shattered completely. She was panicking—terrified in a way she hadn't been in centuries.
Because this… this defied cosmic law.
"Hahahaha!" Leo's laughter echoed through the Mirror Dimension. "Surprised? Didn't see that coming, did you?"
"This is fate! I am destiny itself! The chosen one!"
His grin stretched almost ear to ear, wild and gleeful.
He didn't even bother showing the other Infinity Stones—if he did, the Ancient One might actually lose her mind.
But the Ancient One's expression hardened.
"No… you're not," she said coldly. "I don't know where you got those, but they're not active!"
Her sharp gaze focused on the gems, and she could feel it—the absence of law, the faint hollowness of unlinked energy.
"They're fakes—or rather, fragments without connection to their Universe's laws. The Time Stone can sense it!"
She had wielded the Eye of Agamotto for centuries; she could recognize dormant Infinity energy immediately.
"These Soul Stones are real," she admitted, "but powerless."
Her reasoning was sound—only this Universe's Soul Stone could awaken the rest.
Leo just smirked. "Maybe. But even if they're fake, your little Soul Ejection didn't work, did it?"
His eyes gleamed coldly. "And now… it's my turn."
"What—?"
She barely had time to react before—
Crack!
The Ancient One's Ring of Fire Shield shattered. A sharp, invisible force slashed through her defenses.
She gasped—pain flared through her arm as blood splattered the golden floor of the Mirror Dimension.
"You—! This is spatial magic?!"
Panic flashed in her eyes. She hurriedly conjured two more Fire Shields, layers of glowing defense circling her.
Leo laughed. "Just a little spatial blade. Showing off in front of the great Sorcerer Supreme, that's all."
His modest tone was betrayed by the smug grin on his face—white teeth flashing as his aura blazed brighter than ever.
For the first time in ages… the Ancient One truly felt cornered.
...
Author's Note:
The full completed version of Marvel: My Drawer Is Full of Infinite Gems! is now on Patreon!
🔗 patreon.com/Shadow_demon_007
Thank you for your support! 💙