Chapter 128: The Onslaught Returns

"Mirror Dimension, you have no influence over the real world here!" Stephen Strange shouted while hovering in the air.

"Well done!" Wanda praised him from the side.

"Who are you?" Kaecilius climbed up from the ground, staring at Wanda. How could this woman possess such immense power? If not for the dark energy flowing through his body, he would have been killed by that last strike. Kaecilius looked at Wanda with a mix of shock and fury; why were all the women who practiced magic so powerful? Both the Ancient One and Wanda were like this.

Kaecilius pressed his hands downward, causing the space within the sanctuary to shift and fold. In the Mirror Dimension, his dark energy was even more potent. Suddenly, the ceiling of the room came crashing down toward the three of them. Wanda raised her hands, her red energy bracing against the ceiling, while Stephen Strange and Mordo dashed toward the door. Wanda flew out after them.

The trio landed on the street, standing on the pavement as they watched the three enemies emerge from the sanctuary.

"Kaecilius's dark energy is amplified in the Mirror Dimension; I fear we are no match for him," Mordo remarked.

"How do you know unless you try?" Wanda replied, unbothered. Having trained at Kamar-Taj for a year, she could wield the Chaos Magic within her far more effectively than before, and thus, she did not fear Kaecilius.

Suddenly, the entire ground stood upright; Kaecilius had warped the environment again. Stephen Strange flew up using his Cloak of Levitation, Wanda stood atop her own red energy, and Mordo utilized his magic boots to hover in mid-air. Kaecilius slammed a palm against the ground, and the vertical road transformed into a massive wave, crashing toward them.

"Trying to manipulate the environment with me?" Wanda channeled her full power. A wave of red energy instantly enveloped the entire street, smoothing the buckled road back into its original form. With a flick of her right hand, she leveled the ground, and the three of them landed back on the street.

"This is impossible! You can alter spatial matter through sheer will alone! Who are you?" Kaecilius asked, looking at Wanda in disbelief.

"My name is Wanda. I’ve only been studying at Kamar-Taj for a year," she answered calmly.

Kaecilius was speechless. Was this what a genius looked like? Dr. Stephen Strange had been gifted in magic, but this woman named Wanda was simply preposterous.

"I don't believe you're that strong!" Kaecilius raised his hands, and the surrounding buildings suddenly sprang to life, folding and layering themselves as they crushed down toward the three of them. Wanda held her hands up, forming a red magical shield above their heads to withstand the crushing weight of the countless buildings. She gritted her teeth, struggling to hold on.

"I'll use a portal to get us out of here!" Stephen Strange shouted, preparing to summon one.

Just then, the structure above them exploded, shattering into floating debris. The pressure on Wanda suddenly vanished, and she let out a sigh of relief. A figure in orange robes appeared—the Ancient One had arrived.

With a wave of her hand, the Ancient One sent the three of them to the side, while Kaecilius and his two subordinates were pulled toward her.

"It's true! She really does draw energy from the Dark Dimension!" Mordo said, staring in shock at the dark purple ritual symbol appearing above the Ancient One’s head.

"Kaecilius!" The Ancient One ignored Mordo and turned to address him.

"When I came to you, I was heartbroken, lost, and in need of help. I trusted you as my mentor, yet you were full of lies," Kaecilius spat.

"I sought to protect you," the Ancient One replied.

"Did the truth hurt me?" Kaecilius retorted.

"No, but your actions will," she answered.

"I have a new mentor now."

"Dormammu is deceiving you. You do not know his true nature. His so-called eternal life is not heaven, but endless agony," the Ancient One warned.

"Liar!" Kaecilius, refusing to listen, summoned two magical blades and charged at her, flanked by his two subordinates.

The Ancient One fought all three, moving fluidly. She countered the magical blades with fans conjured from energy. While Kaecilius tried to manipulate the environment to distract her, the Ancient One's energy proved far superior, and she easily suppressed his movements. Stephen Strange and the others watched, seeing no need to intervene while she held the upper hand.

But just as the Ancient One seized one of the subordinates to finish him, Kaecilius lunged forward, driving his blade through his own subordinate's back and into the Ancient One's chest.

"How is this possible!" Mordo cried out. He knew the extent of the Ancient One's power; how could she have fallen to Kaecilius so easily?

Wanda reached into the air, her red energy instantly binding Kaecilius and his remaining follower. She squeezed, and the subordinate’s bones shattered before he could even scream. Kaecilius, shrouded in dark energy, struggled against her Chaos Magic, howling in pain as he was crushed.

Stephen Strange rushed over to check the Ancient One’s wound. "We must get her to a hospital immediately!" He summoned a portal, scooped her up, and dived through, emerging in the supply room of the hospital they had visited before.

Kaecilius, meanwhile, flickered with dark energy and vanished into thin air.

"He got away!" Wanda said.

"What do we do now?" Mordo was on the verge of a breakdown; his faith of many years had collapsed in an instant.

"Are you alright?" Wanda asked him.

"I need a moment," Mordo replied.

"There's no time. Kaecilius is likely heading to destroy the Hong Kong Sanctum!" Wanda said as she donned a sling ring. She opened a red portal and, after giving Mordo a sharp look, stepped through. Mordo followed.

They arrived at the Hong Kong Sanctum just in time; Kaecilius had not yet arrived. Inside, they found Wong, the sanctuary's guardian Li, and a dozen other sorcerers standing ready.

"Where is the Ancient One?" Wong asked, surprised to see them.

"She was wounded by Kaecilius. Stephen took her to the hospital. We feared he would strike here, so we came to help," Wanda explained.

Mordo stood silently, his expression vacant. He no longer knew if his faith was worth upholding.

"Regardless of what magic she used, she used it to protect this world!" Wanda urged him.

"...She did what she thought was right, but the price must eventually be paid," Mordo murmured.

"Mordo! If the Hong Kong Sanctum falls, the world falls! We must defeat Kaecilius!" Wanda declared with fierce resolve.

Mordo looked at Wanda, Wong, Li, and the remaining sorcerers, then nodded. No matter what, they had to thwart Kaecilius's scheme first.