Malrick switched his awareness, sending his main body back into his inner world while his Rege Duo Clone stayed outside. His transcendent-level Ultra-Thought power spread out across the Realm of Split, sweeping through the void like a great tide.
Most of this realm was empty space. The few dimensions he passed through were already occupied. A Hell-Lord once emerged, issuing a warning to Malrick. But faced with such immense Thought-power, the Lord dared not act. He limited himself to threats. Malrick ignored them as though they were nothing more than croaking frogs.
As he advanced into another dimension, a familiar consciousness reached out to him.
"Is that Malrick? You actually came to the Realm of Split too?" the voice sounded pleasantly surprised.
Malrick paused, somewhat taken aback. "Tiamut? What are you doing here?"
The Celestials' dimension — that shouldn't be in the Realm of Split. It's more like the higher plane where Observers dwell.
"Our team is here searching for Galactus's daughter," Tiamut answered. "Galactus is about to devour Earth again, only his daughter can persuade him to stop."
Malrick's surprise deepened. The Celestials now were not only refraining from seeding new worlds on Earth, but they were even taking action to protect it from the Devourer of Worlds.
Tiamut's voice echoed again, "I'm coming to fetch you, wait a moment."
Moments later, Tiamut appeared before Malrick's light-filled eyes, bouncing like an excited child.
"So we meet again, Malrick! Long time no see!" Tiamut chirped happily.
"For me, it's only been a few years. For you to say 'long time,' you must have spent centuries elsewhere." Malrick ran a hand through his thoughts.
"It's been millennia. Our Celestial team has been moving any leftover seeds off Earth all this time." Tiamut sighed.
"I love that planet as well, but being its cosmic porter for millennia—now that's boring."
"So you were slacking off? Not working seriously, Tiamut." Malrick teased.
"What I mean is, Arishem the Judge and the others can handle it. They don't need me." Tiamut waved his hand dismissively. "Arishem is the Judge: thorough, serious, always on duty."
At those words, Malrick's Ultra-Great Eyes flashed brighter.
"Arishem the Judge is involved too? That makes sense — you're all part of the same team."
"Where is he now? Can you contact him? Let's go find him." Malrick said firmly, clenching a fist.
Tiamut hesitated, confused. But Malrick traveled as light, streaking across void after void, guided by Tiamut's direction.
Soon before them stood Arishem the Judge, gliding through the void toward a certain dimension.
Malrick called out, "Arishem the Judge! Wait — there's a mosquito on your face!"
Before Arishem could react, a massive silver hand surged forth. Slap!
A palm strike charged with universe-shaking power slammed him, sending him spinning violently through the void as if his head might be torn away, his body rotating dozens of times.
Arishem eventually stopped, stunned, his six eyes staring at Malrick with shock.
"You… Your Excellency? Why did you attack me?" he forced out, covering his helmeted head with one hand.
"What attack?" Malrick asked innocently, setting Tiamut down gently. With Rejedo's visage — shining, righteous — he looked grand and imposing.
"Just now I thought I saw something crawling on your face, a dimensional tapeworm. I panicked, so I helped you by removing it. Sorry if I was mistaken."
He lowered his hand, expression calm and composed.
Arishem's confusion deepened into unease. In the past, this newly-born Abstract Entity had little to offer. Now, he stood powerful — perhaps stronger than Arishem had realized.
Abstract Entities indeed held tremendous potential. Arishem swallowed hard, wanting to retreat, but he forced a calm tone.
"You… we have an urgent mission. Thanks for the help, but I must go." He turned to Tiamut. "Come with me."
Tiamut nodded, but moved backward instead of following.
Malrick's voice was firm. "Arishem the Judge, after all this time, you've grown careless. You can't even dodge a surprise attack. How are you still fit to judge the cosmos?"
He paused, then said: "I became stronger these past years. Allow me to remind you. Let's exchange blows, for your own good."
Arishem winced. "Isn't this… improper?"
"Improper? If Dormammu struck you suddenly, would you still care about propriety?" Malrick shot back.
Arishem hesitated. "But Dormammu… outside the Dark Dimension…"
"What of it? If there's no Dormammu, there might be another demon," Malrick said coldly.
Arishem clenched his fist, tension visible even in abstract form. "Very well, Your Excellency."
Without further warning, Malrick launched a front kick, delivering ten-thousand-fold enhanced power. Though described as "only" the strength of twenty-four universes, the blow actually compressed the force of two hundred forty thousand universes.
Would Arishem the Judge, strong as he was, survive?
The Celestial armor he wore — designed to withstand cosmic calamities — protected him. The red armor held, though fragmented and cracked, exposing a similarly damaged form underneath.
Yet before long, cosmic energy stitched him back together. Malrick offered restorative energy from Rejedo's healing power.
As Arishem stood upright, shock and disbelief worn on his face, Malrick raised both hands skyward.
"Defend if you must. I will not strike unless provoked."
Arishem nodded, beginning to gather cosmic energy with a trembling palm.
Then he unleashed it: a crimson energy beam powerful enough to spark a Big Bang, blasting across light-years of void.
"This…" Arishem roared.
Malrick stood firm. The Rege Duo Clone leveled both arms, ready.
"Power of Aurora!"
Under that power, Malrick did not strike. Instead he absorbed the crimson beam entirely, then amplified it ten-thousand times and sent it back.
The crimson energy converged and returned with tremendous force.
Arishem the Judge stared in horror.
A rebound — a return of his own energy.
He had no defense. Not physical, not cosmic. The energy struck him, engulfing him completely.
At that moment, the Judge felt something he had never felt before: the presence of Death. Closer than at any prior cosmic council. He realized how fragile his cosmic order truly was.
His own power, his own authority — meaningless against a greater cosmic force.
As the amplified energy consumed him, that was his final thought.
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