The one who appeared was Mephisto.
In the end, temptation had won.
Through the Ghost Rider, he had already learned about the situation on Earth. The battle there had escalated into an all-out war. The violent collision of countless energies had become so intense that even the dimensional rift could feel the overwhelming shockwaves.
Such a devastating conflict could only mean one thing.
Earth was under immense pressure.
If they invaded now, there was an excellent chance that Earth's defenders would no longer have the strength to stop them.
Although Mephisto held the greatest influence over Earth among the dimensional lords, that advantage alone wasn't enough. But if they could seize this opportunity to invade...
The rewards would far outweigh any previous gains.
After only a brief hesitation, he finally made his decision.
He would attack.
Dormammu laughed the moment he saw Mephisto appear.
"I knew you'd come eventually."
"I hope you're prepared for war."
"Otherwise, I'll be the one claiming Earth first."
Mephisto said nothing.
Instead, he opened his own dimension.
A sea of sinister banners stretched across the sky.
That alone proved one thing.
He hadn't begun preparing today.
He had long been ready.
Whenever the invasion of Earth began, he intended to strike with his full strength.
The instant the dimensional gateway opened...
Balthazar's face changed dramatically.
At the same time, Dumbledore immediately turned toward the opening rift.
Though he couldn't see the enemy clearly, the terrifying magical pressure pouring through the breach told him everything.
The war had begun.
Raising his wand, Dumbledore shouted,
"Everyone, prepare for battle!"
His voice was amplified by magic.
It echoed across the entire battlefield.
"So... it's finally here..."
David stood together with Harry Potter and the others.
Though their backgrounds were completely different, they now shared the same purpose.
They were comrades fighting to defend Earth.
Being close in age, they had become good friends during their preparations.
At the same moment...
Every combat machine that had been standing by opened its glowing eyes.
War had arrived.
Every weapon Nolan had prepared for this battlefield entered full combat readiness.
Soon...
Two enormous figures emerged from the dimensional gate.
Dormammu's body seemed to exist entirely within endless darkness.
His true appearance couldn't even be seen.
Mephisto, on the other hand, was even more terrifying.
He looked exactly like the devil from ancient legends.
The two dimensional rulers stood upon the battlefield, looking at the assembled sorcerers before them with mocking smiles.
Mephisto spoke first.
"Where is Nolan?"
"Where is Earth's so-called guardian?"
His voice dripped with ridicule.
Dormammu laughed as well.
"The one who stopped me before isn't here."
"You don't seriously believe insects like you can stop me, do you?"
Behind them stood the endless armies of two dimensions.
Dumbledore took a deep breath.
"Dormammu."
"Mephisto."
"As long as we're here, you will never invade Earth."
"And Nolan will arrive soon."
"He's far stronger than either of you realizes."
"If you value your lives..."
"Leave now."
Unfortunately...
Neither of them cared in the slightest.
If they truly feared Nolan, they never would have chosen this moment to invade.
It wasn't Nolan they feared.
It was Earth's complete defensive network.
As long as even one part of that defense was missing...
They believed they could crush Earth's resistance and seize the entire Reality Dimension.
To them...
This was the perfect opportunity.
Without another word, both rulers gave their orders.
The massive dimensional armies surged toward Earth.
"Attack!"
Dumbledore immediately issued the command.
Every sorcerer unleashed their magic.
At the same time, countless combat machines opened fire.
To prepare for the dimensional lords, Nolan had hidden countless contingencies here.
This mechanical army...
In the real world...
Could have destroyed any nation on Earth.
Yet on this battlefield...
It wasn't enough.
Wave after wave of dimensional creatures were annihilated.
But under the absolute control of Dormammu and Mephisto, none of them dared retreat.
They continued charging forward without fear.
Before long...
They smashed through the first defensive line and crashed directly into the ranks of the sorcerers.
A brutal slaughter erupted.
Everyone fought desperately.
Almost no one knew it...
But the intensity of the battle here rivaled the war at Wakanda itself.
With the support of Nolan's machines, Dumbledore and the others barely managed to stabilize the front.
But...
It wasn't enough.
Not even close.
Because the true monsters...
Hadn't moved yet.
Neither Dormammu nor Mephisto had entered the battle.
The moment either of them acted...
The entire battlefield would collapse into a disaster no one wanted to witness.
"We need reinforcements!"
Dumbledore shouted.
Balthazar nodded.
"Don't worry."
"Nolan told us the battlefield AI would evaluate the situation and notify him immediately if war broke out."
Hearing that, Dumbledore finally relaxed a little.
He didn't know how the battle at Wakanda was progressing.
But he knew one thing.
They couldn't hold this line forever.
If no help arrived...
Earth would fall.
Meanwhile...
At Wakanda.
Thanos moved.
His army had already been deployed.
His three generals were fully engaged in battle.
Even under those circumstances...
Earth's resistance remained astonishingly stubborn.
Even Nolan himself had yet to make a move.
If this continued...
Thanos wasn't even certain he could win.
His expression darkened.
He hadn't expected Earth to possess someone as troublesome as Nolan.
Most of Earth's so-called heroes meant nothing to him.
But...
That blonde woman had caught his attention.
She wasn't enough to threaten him seriously.
Yet she was dangerous enough to deserve respect.
Since his subordinates couldn't defeat Earth's defenders...
It was time for him to act personally.
His eyes didn't turn toward Nolan.
Instead...
He focused on the blonde woman who had made him feel that faint sense of danger.
He would eliminate her first.
If Nolan intervened afterward...
He could deal with him then.
Nolan watched Thanos closely.
From the very beginning, he had never believed anyone except Thanos posed a true threat to Earth.
The key to this war had always been simple.
His battle against Thanos.
Seeing Thanos step onto the battlefield...
Nolan inhaled deeply and prepared to intercept him.
But just then...
A golden figure shot forward before he could move.
It was Carol Danvers.
Although Deathstar possessed the strange ability to absorb energy...
There was a limit to how much he could take.
Carol, however, wielded the nearly limitless power of the Space Stone.
She couldn't release infinite power in a single instant.
But she could continue attacking endlessly.
Eventually...
She overwhelmed Deathstar's absorption limit.
Although the battle had looked difficult...
It had always remained under her control.
After defeating Deathstar...
She immediately shifted her target to Thanos.
He was the true enemy.
Deathstar had been nothing more than a temporary obstacle.
Facing the charging Captain Marvel...
Thanos remained calm.
Gripping the Tyrant Slayer in both hands, he swung with overwhelming force.
A violent storm exploded from the blade.
Carol's pupils shrank.
She had never expected his strength to be this terrifying.
Even so...
She had no intention of retreating.
With a fierce roar, every ounce of her cosmic energy erupted.
As Captain Marvel...
She had never feared any opponent.
Not even Thanos.
Brilliant golden energy burst from both of her hands, forming an enormous beam that crashed directly toward him.
The two overwhelming powers collided.
Although Thanos' strike carried unimaginable force...
Carol's energy was no weaker.
For a brief moment...
The two sides remained deadlocked.
Then...
Carol was blasted backward.
She had lost the clash.
After landing, her expression darkened slightly.
But she quickly stood back up.
She wasn't seriously injured.
With her current power, even Thanos couldn't defeat her in a single exchange.
Still...
She now understood.
Thanos truly was an opponent unlike any she had ever faced.
From the distance, Nolan watched with an amused expression.
He had no intention of helping.
In fact...
He didn't mind letting Carol suffer a little.
Perhaps then...
She would finally understand the difference between them.
Just imagining the proud Captain Marvel...
The woman who called herself Earth's strongest hero...
Actually asking him for help...
Made him smile.
The smile looked almost villainous.
Fortunately...
Nolan was quite confident in his ability to hide his true thoughts.
"Damn it..."
Carol cursed under her breath.
She had noticed Nolan's expression.
It irritated her beyond words.
Now...
More than ever...
She wanted to prove herself.
She wanted Nolan to witness her true strength.
Even if her opponent was Thanos...
Even if Nolan himself viewed him as terrifying...
She believed she could defeat him.
Only she...
Could save Earth.
As for her previous defeat at Thanos' hands...
She had already pushed it from her mind.
That was the past.
Her power was limitless.
The earlier loss had only happened because she had never experienced failure before.
Since then...
She had pushed herself even further.
Her control over her cosmic abilities had become even stronger.
She even believed...
If she fought Nolan again...
She wouldn't lose.
Of course...
How much of that confidence came from stubborn pride...
Only she knew.
Carol charged once more.
Thanos met her head-on.
This time she was prepared.
She no longer lost as quickly as before.
Even so...
As the battle intensified, Thanos continued increasing his strength.
He never truly regarded Carol as his opponent.
Throughout the fight...
The corner of his eye never left Nolan.
Because he knew...
If anyone here could truly threaten him...
It was Nolan.
He feared only one possibility.
That Nolan would suddenly attack while he was occupied.
Even with all his confidence...
He wasn't certain he could survive a surprise attack from Nolan.
No matter how desperately Carol fought...
The difference in strength was absolute.
Before long...
Her body was covered with wounds.
She had been completely defeated in their direct confrontation.
Her face was filled with frustration.
Seeing this...
Every hero who could spare themselves from the battlefield charged toward Thanos.
They all knew how terrifying he was.
But if they could support Carol...
Victory might still be possible.
Most importantly...
They believed Nolan still had a trump card.
As long as Nolan remained...
Hope remained.
Then...
An urgent report arrived from the dimensional rift.
"The dimensional lords have invaded?"
Nolan's expression changed instantly.
The battle here had only just begun.
Yet the dimensional invasion had already started.
This was far earlier than he had anticipated.
He looked toward the battlefield before him.
Trouble.
Real trouble.
His face grew grim.
The battle here couldn't continue without him.
If he left now...
Thanos would crush everyone.
He needed...
A solution that could save both battlefields.
...
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