Hearing the explanation, Loki let out a quiet sigh.
"Doom's body isn't strong enough to bear the weight of the entire Multiverse's timeline," Loki said calmly. "When I gave him my power, I was forcing him to share part of that burden with me. Only then could I step away from the End of Time and descend from that throne."
He gestured toward the unconscious Doom seated upon it.
Malrick followed his gaze.
At that moment, Doom's body was entwined with countless green timelines. Before, those timelines had no physical form, only emitting a faint green glow whenever Doom used his power. Now, under Loki's control, they had become fully visible.
There was no doubt about it. Doom's power came directly from those timelines. At the same time, he had become a vessel, one responsible for maintaining their stability and continued existence.
Malrick looked away.
Loki continued, his voice steady. "Merging timelines requires a complete world reboot. Destroying the Multiverse was never my original intention."
"My first plan was to keep the reboot confined to a limited scope. Only the Main Universe and a few others would be erased, giving Doom the opportunity to construct Battleworld in the Void Land."
"Then, as the superheroes clashed with Doom, they would unknowingly receive my assistance. Together, they would reboot the Sacred Timeline."
"The renewed Sacred Timeline would then spread rapidly, like a virus, overwriting the remaining universes and restoring the Multiverse to its original state."
"This was my original plan."
Loki's expression darkened slightly.
"But a few years ago, after your Crossing, I glimpsed several neighboring Multiverses. One of them was far stronger than ours, the one you call the Comic Universe."
"There, a group of beings beyond imagination, the Transcenders, are actively pushing for the destruction of their own Multiverse. It is only a matter of time before they turn their attention toward us."
Loki frowned. "So I made the decision you see now."
Malrick's eyes narrowed as realization dawned on him. "So it's because of the Transcenders."
"Exactly," Loki replied. "Rather than waiting for them to erase us, it is better for us to take control of our own destruction."
Malrick understood completely.
If there had been no neighboring comic Multiverse, Loki could have contained the collision within a very limited range. But reality offered no such mercy.
The Marvel Universe Malrick had crossed into contained multiple cinematic and comic Multiverses existing simultaneously. The comic Multiverse itself had been heading toward a full reboot during the Secret Wars era.
The timing could not have been worse.
When rain is inevitable, unless one possesses overwhelming power, all one can do is endure it.
"Since that's your plan," Malrick said calmly, "I have no objections."
Facing the Transcenders, he had already prepared an escape route for his own Earth.
Loki nodded, a faint smile appearing. "I'm glad you understand."
Then his tone shifted. "However, I did not come here today merely to stop you from killing Doom."
Malrick raised an eyebrow. "Then what, an offline meetup? Or are you here to apologize for spying on me for over a decade?"
He struck an exaggerated pose, clearly inviting an apology.
Loki's smile froze, his expression stiffening. "No. I came to offer you a warning."
"You have already transcended our timeline," Loki continued. "I can no longer see your future clearly. But before you returned to our world, I glimpsed several possible outcomes."
His gaze sharpened as it locked onto Malrick.
"Besides total destruction followed by a reboot, there is another future our world might reach."
Malrick straightened, his expression serious. "What kind of future?"
If destruction could be avoided, that would be the ideal outcome. Despite himself, he felt a spark of anticipation.
Loki shook his head. "I don't know."
Malrick froze, disbelief flooding his mind.
Loki went on, "All I saw was a scene. After the entire Multiverse had been destroyed, laughter and joy still surrounded you."
"It may not point you in a clear direction, but I am telling you this in the hope that you can bring us that future."
His words were sincere.
This was a Loki who had sacrificed everything for the Multiverse. Even if he spoke in riddles, his resolve was undeniable.
Malrick exhaled. "You sound like a wandering fortune teller. Fine, I'll figure it out when I get back."
Loki smiled once more. "Good. As expected of this world's Superman. We will meet again."
In the vast hall, Loki's temporal afterimage slowly faded, becoming a transparent shadow.
Just before disappearing, he spoke again.
"One last thing, Malrick. Blaming the Multiverse collision solely on Doom is an oversimplification."
Before Malrick could respond, Loki vanished completely.
His final words lingered in the air.
"Even without Doom, the Multiverse would continue to collide."
"A few years ago, Monica Rambeau, known as Photon in the Main Universe, accidentally crossed into the Mutant Universe. Unknowingly, she pulled both universes toward one another."
"That single event led to the conflict between the Avengers and the X-Men, and indirectly caused the destruction of Earth in the Main Universe."
"Additionally, Reed Richards, Mister Fantastic, has repeatedly explored the Multiverse. His actions planted hidden risks that led to multiple universe collisions."
"Events like these are far from rare."
"Doom witnessed all of it."
"He understood that even without his intervention, the Multiverse was already heading toward destruction."
"That is why he chose to create Battleworld and prepare a complete reboot."
"You understand Doom. He would never tell you these things himself, so I have said them for him."
Loki's voice faded away.
Malrick stood in silence, deep in thought.
When he had previously investigated the universe collisions, Doom had already withdrawn the timeline source. Naturally, Malrick had failed to notice how many heroes had unknowingly destabilized reality.
"Doom wasn't wrong," Malrick muttered. "Superheroes can be disasters too."
Shaking his head, he walked toward Doom's throne.
He extended a finger, releasing a speck of golden energy that flowed into Doom's body and spread through his bloodstream.
Earlier, Malrick had not merely knocked Doom unconscious. He had sealed Doom's soul to prevent him from awakening prematurely.
Now, as the golden energy circulated, Doom's sealed consciousness slowly returned.
His eyes opened.
The instant he saw Malrick, his pupils shrank. Instinctively, he attempted to escape through time.
Malrick's palm pressed firmly against his shoulder, suppressing his temporal power completely.
"It's over," Malrick said evenly. "You lost."
"So the terms are mine."
"My condition is simple. You govern Battleworld, and I will not interfere. I will save the world in my own way, and you will not interfere either."
"There's no need for contracts. If you break your word, I will find you again."
With that, Malrick turned and walked out of the palace temple.
Doom remained alone in the hall, his expression shifting between clarity and turmoil.
After a long silence, he rose, dragging his heavy body down from the throne. He picked up his mask and placed it back on his face.
Once more, he became Doctor Doom, God Emperor of Battleworld.
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