Six months later, when the aurora borealis once again streaked across the sky, ordinary New Yorkers had grown somewhat numb to such spectacles—but reporters were thrilled. Thor's extraterrestrial identity had finally been confirmed.
Thanks to relentless global media coverage, Thor's Avengers organization had also risen to unparalleled prestige on Earth.
This new aurora signaled the imminent arrival of yet another extraterrestrial being. Who was it? Why were they coming to Earth? Countless people were glued to their screens, their hearts pounding with anticipation.
Reporters carrying all kinds of cameras and equipment followed the light to its destination, only to be blocked by prepared military and police forces. The chosen location was bizarre—this aurora was descending on the White House.
The President of the United States was immediately evacuated by S.H.I.E.L.D. Intelligence indicated that the visitor was "Kasa, the God of Light," a powerful and notoriously arrogant entity. If mishandled, he could easily trigger a catastrophic incident.
If a fight broke out, who would care about the President?
To prepare for the worst, Nick Fury summoned every Avenger and even brought Loki along. However, the Fourth Princess scoffed, saying only an idiot like Thor would dare provoke Gilgamesh.
Smart people recognized when not to poke a sleeping dragon.
As thick clouds gathered above the White House, multicolored light condensed into a blazing vortex. Everyone held their breath as a funnel of radiant energy shot downward.
Boom—!
Thunder tore through the heavens as a pillar of light crashed into the ground.
Within the rainbow glow, a figure flickered in and out of sight. But when the light vanished, there was nothing left—only a massive crater scorched with a strange celestial pattern.
"So… where did Gilgamesh go?" Tony Stark asked in confusion, gold-and-red armor gleaming. "Did he miss the landing zone?"
Nick Fury shot a questioning look at Thor.
Thor scratched his head, equally lost. "Heimdall does not make mistakes. Gilgamesh is on Earth."
"Then why is no one here? I definitely saw a figure in the rainbow light," Hawkeye said, his sharp vision allowing him to notice details others missed.
"Invisibility?" Natasha suggested. Loki, after all, was known for such magic; it wouldn't be strange if Gilgamesh, the God of Light, wielded similar tricks.
Prompted by her, Tony activated the thermal imaging scanner. Invisibility could hide shape, but not body heat. If someone was hiding, they would show up.
But the scan revealed nothing.
"This makes no sense. How does a perfectly healthy person just vanish in front of a global audience?"
While everyone scrambled for answers, in the Mirror Dimension, Gilgamesh—clad in radiant golden armor—stood with arms crossed, frowning at the Ancient One in her yellow monk's robes, her bald head gleaming under the shifting light.
"For over a thousand years," Gilgamesh sneered, "is this truly the extent of your sorcery?" His tone was sharp and disdainful. Golden ripples spread out behind him, and from the shimmering void, the hilt of a sword slowly emerged.
He reached out and drew it from the treasury. The sword Ea, its crimson blade swirling with runes that rumbled like distant thunder, seemed to proclaim its dominance with every pulse.
"You think imprisoning me in a place like this can restrain me?" he said coldly. Facing the Sorcerer Supreme, Gilgamesh immediately armed himself with an anti-dimensional Divine Construct—he clearly did not take this situation lightly.
"Please forgive the intrusion. I'm not here to fight." The Ancient One's expression remained gentle, showing she meant no harm. Gilgamesh, however, stayed wary. She was one of the few beings on Earth capable of threatening him; intentions aside, he would not let down his guard.
"Speak. Your reason better satisfy me." Gilgamesh's voice was stern. Ea roared in response, unleashing waves of pressure that tore open countless dark spatial cracks—quickly mended by the Ancient One's magic.
"Your arrival always puts me on edge." She sighed with a wry smile. "I know what Odin intends, but I still hope you won't bring destruction to Earth. At the very least… don't harm innocent lives."
"Is that a warning?" Gilgamesh's eyes narrowed, killing intent simmering. One wrong word and he would strike. He was accustomed to standing above all others—he didn't tolerate being threatened.
The Ancient One, of course, understood this as well, so she shifted her approach. "I prefer to call this an admonition."
She met his gaze directly. After a long moment, Gilgamesh finally sensed no hidden intentions in her words, and his expression softened. The Ancient One wielded the Eye of Agamotto, which housed the Time Stone—an artifact capable of manipulating time. In a true battle, she might not be able to defeat him unless she broke through to the Tenth Sense and transcended time itself, becoming like Dormammu—outside the three realms and beyond the five elements.
But achieving such a state was anything but easy.
"I always show proper respect to the strong," Gilgamesh said quietly, agreeing to her request. But before the Ancient One could sigh in relief, he added with a faint, amused edge, "However, if some ant dares to challenge the authority of the gods, I will not show mercy."
"…Very well." The Ancient One nodded helplessly. No one understood human nature better than she did. For every hero who bravely faced disaster, there were always a few who seemed determined to seek their own demise. If someone truly wished to provoke Gilgamesh, she saw no reason to intervene.
Besides, she had crossed paths with him before—and even managed to gain a slight advantage using the Time Stone. But controlling that artifact was never simple. Manipulating time created countless variables, each capable of leading to a brilliant future… or spiraling into catastrophic ruin.
Moreover, her own magic relied on drawing from Dormammu's dark power. Though she had never returned what she borrowed, its corruption had already taken a heavy toll on her.
If she were to clash with another being on Gilgamesh's level now, it would drain unimaginable amounts of energy and accelerate that corruption even further. It was simply not worth the price. She preferred to resolve matters through words whenever possible.
Her current priority was nurturing the next Sorcerer Supreme—someone who could inherit the burden of resisting dimensional threats… and serve as a counterbalance to Gilgamesh, preventing him from bringing chaos upon Earth.
The lineage of sorcerers was ancient; the Ancient One herself was but a single link in a long and enduring chain.