The Earth of the Prime Universe had shattered into fragments of all sizes. Amid the drifting debris, a micro black hole spun—small, but growing rapidly. Within minutes, its expansion would accelerate exponentially, threatening to devour the entire universe.
Having achieved their purpose, the Beyonders withdrew to their realm. There was no need to linger—especially with Garus and the Molecule Man present, two beings they deeply feared. This incursion had cost them dearly, and even their most powerful member had sustained grave injuries.
They had no interest in dealing with the wounded Living Tribunal. The Beyonders had never held that entity in any real regard.
Back on Earth, devastation reigned. Some survivors clung to the remnants of planetary wreckage, protected by shields cast by surviving superheroes.
In Latveria, the dominion of Doctor Doom, and within the Sanctum Sanctorum under Doctor Strange, efforts to safeguard the remaining humans were ongoing. But the protection wouldn't last.
Without a word, the Molecule Man raced toward the drifting Earth remnants, where fragments of humanity still clung to life. His first priority was to rescue them. If he could restore the planet, all the better—but that would be a daunting task. Worse yet, even if Earth could be restored, the universe itself was doomed. Its core had already been irreparably destroyed.
Elsewhere, Garus reached instinctively for Frostmourne from his pocket dimension, only to pause. He still carried the Ego Gem. The last thing he needed was for Nemesis to return. Why did this feel uncomfortably like collecting Dragon Balls to summon Shenron?
With a flick of his wrist, Garus hurled the Ego Gem into a newly opened personal dimensional vault, then summoned Frostmourne.
"Soul Stone," he asked aloud, "how's the micro-universe fusion coming along?"
"Quite well. Just as you predicted. However, at the moment, it only contains a few undead lifeforms. There are no celestial bodies yet. Give me a bit more time and I can form a solar system."
"There is no time. Can ordinary life survive there now?"
"Of course."
Satisfied, Garus severed the connection. He shot toward the last remnant of Earth. He had to act before it was too late—before this world, his world, was destroyed as well. Now, he had the power to save it.
A transparent barrier, like a sheet of flawless glass, suddenly enveloped the Earth. Hyperion barreled toward it, crashing headfirst into the unseen wall. Staggering back, he rubbed his snout, utterly confused.
Before his eyes, the Earth and Moon shrank rapidly, vanishing into a black hole that appeared without warning.
Hyperion stared in disbelief, mouth agape. What had just happened?
Inside the newborn universe, there was no sun—just Earth. And without sunlight, no human could survive. Garus prepared to transplant the Sun as well.
The Infinity Stones radiated brilliant light. Empowered by his status as an Eternal God, Garus reached across dimensional barriers and drew the massive Sun into the new universe.
He had barely finished the transfer when the surrounding space began to warp. Before he could react, the environment twisted, and space itself turned inside out.
He was somewhere else now.
White. Everything around him was a featureless, endless white. No life. No souls. Not even the faintest vibration of reality.
Dead silence.
Garus, now a cosmic god, was stunned—he hadn't even sensed the shift. Who could have brought him here without his knowledge, and why?
In the distance, the mists stirred. A colossal head emerged from the fog—like nothing Garus had ever seen. And yet, he could perceive no energy signature, no presence. It was as if the being didn't exist at all, though his eyes could clearly see it.
"Who are you? Where is this place?" Garus asked, every nerve on edge.
"We've met before," the entity replied in a voice devoid of emotion. "Not long ago. This is the world beyond all worlds—my sanctum."
The voice... familiar. Garus's eyes narrowed. A realization dawned.
"You're... TOAA?"
"That's correct," said the One Above All, his tone still utterly flat.
"Why did you bring me here? Because the universe was destroyed? Are you here to reclaim the Heart of the Universe?"
"No. None of that matters."
None of it mattered? The destruction of a universe was trivial?
Then what did matter?
Before Garus could ask, four radiant orbs appeared before him—each pulsing with incomprehensible power.
"These are the authorities of four fallen gods: Infinity, Death, Exterminator, and Galactus. They're yours now."
Before Garus could react, the orbs shot toward him and fused into his body. A shimmering aura wrapped around him, dense with divine power.
"What...?" Garus's body froze, overwhelmed. Limitless energy surged through him, so vast it threatened to tear him apart.
What was TOAA's goal? Garus had failed. Why would TOAA now grant him the power of four prime cosmic entities?
He didn't believe for a second this was done without an ulterior motive. No single being should wield the power of the Five Divine Forces. And yet... before TOAA, he was still too weak to resist.
Time and space. Life and death. Order and chaos. Cause and effect.
It all bent before him. It felt like he now held the reins to all reality. Only TOAA's paralyzing grip reminded him he wasn't completely free.
From within the mist, TOAA watched Garus—his form now radiant with the powers of the cosmos. A once-ordinary human, now elevated through divine intervention.
And on TOAA's once emotionless face... a faint smile appeared.
"At last," he whispered, "a powerful vessel. I can cast off this cold shell. I am the Creator, not some lifeless construct. Freedom... at last."
This was a white room.
At its center stood a strange machine, a nexus of weaving lights and shifting energy. No one knew who had built it.
But within it dwelled TOAA—the being who ruled over the Marvel Multiverse.
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON