"Malrick, please be gentle when you strike… oh, it seems it might be too late."
Tiamut slapped his forehead, covering his face with his fingers in disbelief. The crimson energy that erupted after hitting Arishem the Judge had blown apart with overwhelming force. Streams of high-energy particles spread infinitely, and the core of the Realm of Split began to crack under the shockwave. Countless beings from across the realm turned their gazes toward the disturbance. Usually such battles did not happen in the void — power struggles among dimensions meant conflicts were contained within their boundaries, not fought out in empty space.
The energy, amplified and reflected by Malrick, was so destructive that it took time to calm. Only when Malrick reached out and invoked the Power of Aurora — reabsorbing all residual energy — did the horrifying dimensional explosion finally subside.
When the void stilled, Arishem the Judge was curled up, no longer resembling a humanoid; his form was twisted, broken.
"Malrick, you truly showed restraint toward Arishem the Judge, you even held back?" Tiamut hovered beside him, voice full of astonishment.
Many abstract entities lacked mercy — they would have obliterated Arishem on the spot. Even when summoned, some Celestials would angrily demand: "You dare call upon Eternity?" Tiamut had expected the Judge to die today. He did not expect Malrick to pull back at the last moment.
"I was only testing his strength. Why kill him?" Malrick said with calm indifference. "Take him away. Tell him I'll summon him for another conversation soon."
Tiamut nodded. "I'll send him back to the Celestial dimension first. Do you want to come with me? I can introduce you to some allies."
Tiamut showed no pity for the battered Judge. After all, he was not truly dead. And even if he had died — he once was absorbed by Agatha — it would not be the first time.
"No. I still need to find an unclaimed dimension," Malrick waved his hand. Having pummeled Arishem, he felt a surge of satisfaction. He couldn't hide the small thrill thinking about tricking Dormammu next.
Tiamut expressed curiosity. "What kind of unclaimed dimension is it?"
Malrick used energy to display the coordinates Dormammu had given him.
Tiamut examined them. "I know this place. It is indeed unclaimed. I can take you there." He gestured toward the direction.
Tiamut meant what he said. Without waiting, he flew beside the mangled Arishem the Judge. Then he condensed a ball of cosmic energy around him and, with a forceful push, expelled him into the void. The massive form of Arishem soared away.
"What are you doing?" Malrick asked, surprised.
"That energy will send him back. I don't need to stay. I'm here to guide you." Tiamut replied, flapping his wings.
Malrick watched the red dot of the Judge fade before nodding. "Very well."
They set off together. Once again, Malrick rode on Tiamut's head. As they traveled across the emptiness, space stretched and warped around them.
After some time they stopped above a small dimension.
"Below is the dimension pointed to by the address," Tiamut said, pointing toward a shimmering world.
Malrick peered down. It was a universe slightly smaller than the observably defined universe — more than enough to hold his Divine Kingdom after his breakthrough.
But as his gaze pierced the dimension's interior, his expression changed. Inside the world lay a vast city inhabited by two intelligent species living peacefully. Only a handful of individuals had power comparable to Skyfather-level entities.
This dimension was indeed unclaimed — yet to occupy it would be impossible.
Because this place… was Sephiroth Dimension, a city belonging to the followers of Oshtur, a goddess among the Vishanti. The city was a Vishanti stronghold, positioned next to Dark Dimension, where Dormammu dwelled. Its purpose was to block Dormammu's expansion.
Given the ties between Kamar-Taj and the Vishanti, Malrick could never seize such a dimension. If he attempted it, Dormammu would constantly invade, and the Vishanti would retaliate.
He looked at Tiamut then smiled. "Dormammu is truly ruthless and cunning."
He sensed the presence of the Dark Dimension nearby. Dormammu had clearly anticipated his move.
Tiamut hovered nearby. "Are you going to destroy this place?" he asked.
Malrick's face darkened. "Do I look like a Titan who enjoys slaughter?"
Tiamut hesitated. "Your address came from Dormammu, so I assumed you meant to cooperate with him."
Malrick's eyes narrowed at the sight of a flaming pumpkin-headed figure rising from the Dark Dimension — Dormammu, stepping out into the void.
Their gazes met. Dormammu's laughter echoed like a death bell.
"You came, Sorcerer Supreme! Hahaha!" Dormammu's massive form expanded to thousands of kilometers across the void. His presence spread like a net over the city below.
Chaos erupted in the Sephiroth Dimension. Alarm bells rang throughout the city. Protective spells were cast everywhere. The Vishanti prepared for invasion.
But Dormammu's target was not the city. He had set his trap for Malrick.
"Hand them over! All your dimensional worlds! I will spare your life if you submit!" Dormammu roared.
Shock registered on Malrick's face. Dormammu's scheme was simple, crude — brainless even. Use false information about an "unclaimed" dimension, lure him here, then kill him.
The simplicity made it almost — pathetic.
"You call this my territory?" Malrick spoke softly. "Dormammu, this dimension belongs to the Vishanti. You know that. This is not what we agreed on."
Dormammu sneered. "Our contract said you get info on an unclaimed dimension. I delivered. Now all conditions are fulfilled — the contract ends."
He advanced, confident he had won.
In the Realm of Split, the Infinity Stones were weak. Yet the energy from them still surged within Malrick. Dormammu, outside the Dark Dimension, was at most a top-tier Skyfather, possibly weakened here.
Malrick said nothing. Simply flicking his fingers as Dormammu lunged, he unleashed a fusion energy stream like a cosmic river. It engulfed Dormammu's massive form.
In the blink of an eye, Dormammu, who had just threatened conquest and enslavement, was gone. No scream, no pleading, not even a last instant of fear. He vanished instantly, erased from existence.
Malrick withdrew his arm calmly and spoke: "Let's leave this place."
Tiamut, still perched on his head, seemed unsurprised. "Where to?" he asked.
"You go first. I will follow."
Tiamut resumed flight with Malrick riding on his head.
Back in Sephiroth City, the inhabitants — Vishanti kin — were awestruck. Dormammu, their feared tormentor, was dead. Many believed it would take at least a century before he could recover, if ever. For now, peace would reign.
Meanwhile in the Dark Dimension, chaos erupted. A small flame flared up, voraciously sucking in the surrounding dark energy. The storm of energy undulated violently; at the center, the pumpkin-headed figure began to regenerate. Flames licked and expanded, limbs reformed.
"It can't be… that Sorcerer Supreme used those disgusting Stones!" Dormammu's weak but furious voice echoed in the void.
He panicked, thinking. If Malrick came to the Dark Dimension, he would seek death.
"Forget it. A human's lifespan is short, a hundred years at most. For now, I will tolerate him." Dormammu hissed.
"But when that Sorcerer Supreme falls, I'll devour Earth for revenge."
A promise made in shadows.
---