Garmadon learned quickly.
Not wisely—but quickly.
Through my scrying spell, I watched the moment understanding finally clicked into place. The Mega Weapon responded not to brute force, but to intent. Desire shaped reality, not words alone. Once Garmadon grasped that, his grin returned—wide, cruel, and confident in all the wrong ways.
His second wish was far more in character.
Evil clones of the ninja.
I felt the ripple immediately as the Mega Weapon bent causality again, reality splitting along conceptual lines. The clones weren't illusions or puppets—they were twisted reflections, carved from corrupted intent and empowered just enough to cause chaos without consuming too much of Garmadon's dwindling strength.
Clever.
But still wasteful.
I observed as the clones moved through Ninjago, sabotaging, stealing, fighting in public. Reputations shattered overnight. The people turned suspicious. Fear spread faster than truth ever could.
The ninja, predictably, were blamed.
I watched them scramble, confused and frustrated, forced into hiding while their doubles ran rampant. Eventually, they traced the chaos to the most absurd place imaginable—Darkley's School for Bad Boys.
I nearly laughed.
The confrontation that followed was… adequate. Lloyd played his role well, rallying the students, exposing the truth. The real ninja fought their counterparts with growing confidence, each battle forcing them to confront their own flaws made manifest.
Shadow Kai burned too hot.Shadow Zane calculated without mercy.Shadow Cole crushed without restraint.Shadow Jay lashed out without thought.
In defeating them, the ninja learned something about themselves.
Useful—but not relevant to me.
I barely paid attention as the clones were destroyed and their false crimes undone. Garmadon had gained little from the effort beyond momentary satisfaction. Another wish spent. Another drain on his power. Another step closer to vulnerability.
That was what did interest me.
By now, the pattern was clear.
Each use of the Mega Weapon weakened him—not permanently, but cumulatively. The energy cost wasn't just physical; it was existential. The weapon fed on the user's essence, and Garmadon lacked the discipline, foresight, or patience to compensate.
I, on the other hand, had centuries of restraint behind me.
I shifted my focus, scrying deeper now, peeling back layers of probability. I wasn't looking at what was happening—but what would happen.
Garmadon would grow bolder.He would rely on the Mega Weapon more and more.He would isolate himself, convinced of his superiority.
And soon—very soon—he would make a wish that left him exposed.
I rose from my seat in my private study, the air around me shimmering faintly with Oni power. The purple flames that now answered my will flickered lazily around my hand as I paced.
"The timing has to be perfect," I murmured.
If I struck too early, the ninja would interfere. If I struck too late, Garmadon might stumble into a wish that reshaped the board entirely. The Mega Weapon wasn't just powerful—it was unstable in the hands of someone so reckless.
That instability was my greatest ally.
I began preparations immediately.
Wards to mask my presence from temporal backlash.Anchors to stabilize localized reality in case the weapon discharged during the transfer.A contingency spell—time-locked—to rewind myself three seconds should something go catastrophically wrong.
Overkill for most.
Necessary for me.
I also adjusted my forces subtly. Stone patrols repositioned along ley lines. Ruina increased internal security. Clay oversaw the forging of additional Vengestone restraints—just in case Garmadon tried to fight back without the Mega Weapon.
Unlikely.
But I plan for every outcome.
Through my scrying spell, I watched Garmadon now—standing alone, Mega Weapon resting against his shoulder, staring out over the land he thought he would soon conquer. His aura was thinner than before. Fractured in places. The venom, the corruption, the repeated wishes—it was all catching up to him.
He didn't notice.
He never did.
"Go on," I said softly, eyes gleaming. "Make another wish."
Because the moment he did—
The Mega Weapon would be mine.