The phoenix circled high above the sky. Wherever it passed, flames followed in its wake. Greenwich University was already surrounded by fire, and everyone looked up in awe at the legendary figure soaring overhead—the mythical creature said to be born from flame itself.
Far away at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, both Nick Fury and Alexander Pierce stared at the live satellite feed in stunned silence.
"He… transformed again? Another monster?" Pierce muttered, his mind racing.
A dangerous obsession ignited in his eyes. He had to obtain Karl. He had to acquire that power—no matter the cost.
Fury, meanwhile, felt a deep unease. Including the previous two forms, this made three. And this time Karl had completely abandoned his human shape. Did that mean he had also abandoned his humanity?
Fury quietly prepared for the worst.
But in truth, he was overthinking it. Even in phoenix form, Karl's consciousness remained fully intact. The summoned beast did not influence his mind.
High in the sky, the phoenix made several sweeping arcs, familiarizing itself with its new form. This time Karl was no longer humanoid—he needed to adjust to the instincts and sensations of the phoenix body.
"SKREEE—!"
With another piercing cry, the phoenix beat its enormous wings and surged toward the sword-shaped ship. Its speed was terrifying. After only a few wingbeats, it had already reached low Earth orbit.
By now, the ship had completely entered the Elven Realm.
Karl immediately followed.
Without the slightest discomfort, the scenery shifted—and the phoenix passed through space into the Elven Realm.
Lush, vibrant green stretched endlessly in every direction. The entire world was blanketed in flourishing vegetation. Rivers wound like silver serpents across the land. The air itself seemed saturated with life.
In the distance, however, destruction had already begun.
The sword-shaped vessel had plunged into the earth. Countless strands of Aether shot outward like crimson arrows, piercing everything in their path. Whether elf or plant, anything touched by the Aether was instantly drained of life.
With a single sweep of its wings, the phoenix appeared directly above the ship. Dozens of blazing fireballs materialized around it and rained down in a relentless bombardment.
BOOM—!
The Aether coating the ship crystallized instantly under the searing heat, shattering like fragile glass and revealing the black hull beneath.
The phoenix spread its wings wide. Before it formed a massive sphere of fire—brilliant as a miniature sun.
The next instant, the blazing sphere shot downward and struck the exposed hull.
BOOM—!
The explosion rivaled a nuclear blast in force.
Yet no mushroom cloud rose.
The moment the ship made contact with the fireball, its surface began to melt—along with the surrounding Aether. The crimson energy didn't even have time to crystallize before liquefying under the unbearable heat.
Inside the ship, Malekith's body appeared charred and blackened. He had forcibly fused himself with the vessel. When the ship suffered damage, so did he.
"Damn you—! Cursed Midgardian! I will never forgive you!"
With a furious roar, the ship tore itself free from the earth. Countless blood-red spears filled the sky and shot toward the phoenix.
The phoenix beat its wings, conjuring a blazing barrier. The intense heat instantly crystallized the Aether projectiles into brittle shards.
Still, the attack bought Malekith a moment.
Seizing the opportunity, he piloted the ship out of the Elven Realm, racing toward the next realm.
"SKREEE—!"
The phoenix swept its wings again, unleashing a colossal fire tornado that tore through space and obliterated the remaining Aether blades.
Another fireball formed and struck the ship with precision. The impact knocked it off course. Instead of entering its intended realm, it was caught in spatial turbulence and hurled toward the Dark Elf world.
The phoenix immediately gave chase.
In an instant, the scenery shifted again—dark skies, endless black deserts.
The desolate realm of the Dark Elves.
Flaming meteors materialized around the phoenix like a celestial storm. One after another, they streaked forward like guided missiles, trailing brilliant tails as they slammed into the sword-shaped ship.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ship retaliated, launching countless Aether blades skyward. Meteors and crimson spears collided midair, lighting up the entire darkened sky with violent explosions.
Then, behind the storm of fire, a massive solar sphere descended once more.
It struck the ship directly.
Flames clung to the hull like living parasites. The sun-like fire instantly melted the Aether—and then continued burning. Within moments, the ship's structure began to fail catastrophically.
"Damn it! Damn it! You wretched Midgardian!"
Malekith's body was almost entirely charred, black-red ash flaking from him as he roared in rage.
"SKREEE—!"
The phoenix cried out again.
Before it, a world-devouring fire tornado took shape—vast enough to seem like heaven and earth merging into one.
With a powerful sweep of its wings, the inferno surged forward, carrying the pressure of annihilation itself.
"No—! I cannot die here! I still have unfinished ambitions! I have yet to conquer the Nine Realms—NO!"
For a single breath, the world seemed to fall silent. Even the ceaseless howling winds froze in place.
Only the apocalyptic fire tornado remained.
BOOOOM—!
The explosion shook the realm.
Within the inferno, the massive sword-shaped ship disintegrated completely. The blood-red Aether shattered into countless grains, scattering like dust in the wind. The vessel itself melted away, consumed entirely by flame.
High above, the phoenix circled slowly, as though confirming Malekith's demise.
When nothing remained, it let out one final triumphant cry.
---
On Earth, the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. forces had eliminated the remaining Dark Elves. Their lifeless bodies lay scattered across the battlefield.
Everyone lifted their heads.
Sunlight pierced through the once-obscured sky. The aligned rings of the Nine Realms began to separate once more.
The Convergence was ending.
But the colossal phoenix did not reappear.
As the rings faded and dissolved, warm sunlight bathed the earth again. The eclipse passed.
"Where's Karl? Why hasn't he come back?" Gwen asked, staring anxiously at the now-clear blue sky.
The clouds drifted lazily above, picturesque beneath the sunlight—yet the central figure of that painting was nowhere to be seen.
Peter stepped beside Gwen and the others, speaking gently.
"Don't worry. Did you forget about the Chocobo Space? No matter where he is, he can always return through it."
They had been so worried that they'd forgotten.
No matter where Karl might be—he would always find his way back.
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