In this moment, he felt truly alive again.
A person dies three times: first, the body fails; second, burial seals them away; third, the world forgets.
When the universe collapsed, Doctor Strange Supreme hadn't physically died, yet in his heart, he had been completely buried. Now, he was resurrected.
Rejedo himself had pulled him from the grave, unceremoniously yet deliberately, as if even ready to brush away the dirt.
Strange could see Rejedo towering above Earth, reversing time subtly. Happiness, immense and overwhelming, wrapped around him.
If Frog Thor had not been present, Strange might have impulsively rushed forward to hug Rejedo's leg in gratitude. His excitement coursed through him, trembling and uncontrollable.
Still, he asked cautiously, "Your Excellency, if you reverse time, could it not disrupt the universe again, because of the absolute time point?"
"Don't worry," Rejedo replied with a mysterious smile. "This resurrection isn't a simple reversal of time."
He drew the very existence of a being from history into the present, as he had with Howard and Maksimov. This method caused no harm to the universe, but demanded tremendous skill: one must wield enough strength, understand the rules of time, and endure its backlash.
When Rejedo successfully resurrected Christine, Strange could no longer contain his awe. It had worked. An abstract entity had brought her back. He had waited too long for this moment.
He had traveled Earth seeking Kamar-Taj, crossed dimensions to study magic for centuries, and devoured countless Dimensional Demon Gods without fear. He had fought against the Ancient One and challenged the laws of reality itself, giving everything to bring Christine back. Now, he could finally embrace her.
"Your Excellency, I… thank you…" Strange's voice trembled, unable to fully express his joy and gratitude.
"No need for words. Come, I'll mark you," Rejedo said, waving his hand. A sigil from the God Realm Dimension branded itself onto Strange's body.
Strange felt no resistance, only a connection to a dimension and the automatic signing of a contract. Simultaneously, a pull from that dimension began to draw out his power.
For a moment, he was stunned. Rejedo, a Dimensional Demon God himself, had marked him for a purpose, siphoning his energy. Yet for Christine, any cost was acceptable.
To his surprise, the energy returned, cleansed and pure, imbued with warmth and light instead of the chaotic darkness it had once held.
"Your Excellency, this is…"
"Someone unstable cannot serve as my envoy," Rejedo interrupted, gesturing toward Christine. "Go, find her. Later, report to me in the God Realm Dimension. If you cannot locate her, consult Dormammu in the Dark Dimension. We are old acquaintances."
Strange looked at Rejedo, forming deeper respect for his future master. He bowed again, then returned to his universe, eager to reunite with Christine.
Outside the universe, Rejedo and Frog Thor observed the reunion. Strange embraced Christine, their joy evident as they held each other and eventually went to a hotel.
"Ahem, we shouldn't watch the rest," the Observer frog said quietly, gently pulling Rejedo aside.
"Oh? So even you value privacy?" Rejedo replied, withdrawing his gaze.
"The Observer watches the evolution of events, not people's private moments," Frog Thor said with righteous conviction.
"I see," Rejedo said, narrowing his eyes. Even beings who had existed hundreds of millions of years had limits. He had assumed Frog Thor might be indifferent, but the frog had principles.
"Of course! I observe stories of heroes, not private affairs," Frog Thor emphasized, glancing once more at Strange's universe.
"Earlier, when reshaping the universe, didn't you draw energy from the Dark and Hell Dimensions?"
"Exactly. Reshaping a universe requires tremendous energy; I couldn't rely on my own," Rejedo said plainly. "Better to borrow it from Mephisto and Dormammu. Consider it atonement for their sins."
Frog Thor's forehead broke into a cold sweat. From the Realm of Split, the Dimensional Demon Gods, drained of much energy, were yelling Rejedo's name and swearing.
"Your attitude toward these beings hasn't changed," Frog Thor muttered.
"What attitude could I have? They are scoundrels. I am helping them atone, making me their god. They should be grateful."
Rejedo remained indifferent. "Once Strange and Christine have their time together, I will have him assist in securing other dimensions, granting even more benefits to Dormammu and the others."
Frog Thor froze. "What do you intend to do?"
"Nothing. I'm giving Strange something to do," Rejedo said, waving farewell. The Rege Duo Clone departed Strange's universe, returning to the God Realm Dimension.
Rejedo's main body opened a passage back to his own universe, pausing to smile at Frog Thor. "The Throne of Heaven in the Realm of Split has been vacant too long. Perhaps it's time for someone to sit there."
After Rejedo left, Frog Thor stared into the void for a long moment. "There's a strange sense of familiarity… Did he just quote something from an Earth anime?"
Meanwhile, Rejedo returned to Earth and found Jarvis, handing over the Infinite Ultron armor and the Infinity Gems. Perhaps due to sharing Ultron's body, Jarvis instantly synchronized with the armor as it reassembled on him at a molecular level, embedding the five Infinity Gems naturally.
Jarvis felt a surge of power. "This feeling… Young Master, I appear stronger than ninety-nine percent of beings recorded by the TVA."
"Not bad. Earth will now be your responsibility, Jarvis. Consider this armor your annual birthday gift," Malrick said.
Jarvis looked down at the armor. "Thank you, Young Master. I appreciate it. Though it seems it had other masters before."
"Tony always liked giving second-hand gifts. Seems he was right," Malrick muttered.
Jarvis asked, "Where is Tony? Shall we test the armor's power?"
The two found Tony. "You gave Jarvis invincible armor? Impossible."
"Young Master speaks the truth," Jarvis confirmed.
"Fine, let's test it. My Hell Iron Armor won't lose!" Tony declared.
Minutes later, Tony collapsed, complaining. "My back… wait, my condition isn't right… Ow! Ugh, I…"
At night, Tony sipped water Malrick had given him, sulking on the sofa. Jarvis stood silently beside him, towel draped over his arm.
"Sir, do you need—"
"Quiet," Tony interrupted, signaling Jarvis to stay silent.