Rumble…
The Titans of this world were nothing like the flawed prototypes Nolan had once left behind in another universe.
Their destructive power was overwhelming.
In mere moments, everything around them was reduced to ash.
Before facing the Titan mechs of Locke Technologies, the Dragon Emperor had believed his army to be invincible.
The neighing of warhorses, the clash of bronze weapons, the thunderous roars of countless soldiers.
All of it had once symbolized the force with which he conquered the world.
But now
Everything he had taken pride in had become utterly worthless before the Titans.
A few volleys were all it took.
His army fell silent.
War?
This was no war.
It was a massacre.
If those terracotta soldiers could still be called soldiers at all.
No matter how shocked or furious the Dragon Emperor felt, reality stood before him, undeniable and cruel.
His army was gone.
And he was not the only one left stunned.
Everyone else stared at the battlefield in disbelief.
This was supposed to be a war.
They had risked their lives to cross the world through unstable magic. One wrong step, and they could have been lost forever in the cracks of space and time.
And this… this was what they had gained?
An army that crumbled at a touch.
"Damn it! You're supposed to be the greatest emperor in history!"
Voldemort felt like he was losing his mind.
During the years he existed only as fragments of soul, sealed within Horcruxes, he had lost all direct connection to the outside world. Everything he knew came secondhand from his Death Eaters.
He had heard about the rapid advancement of technology.
He knew that non-magical humans were no longer as powerless as they once were.
But no one had told him they had developed weapons like this.
If he had known…
He would have never dreamed of conquering the world.
But it was too late now.
"What do we do?"
Voldemort turned to Maxim.
Among them, Maxim was the only one with any real understanding of the modern world.
As for his Death Eaters… he no longer trusted them.
Maxim glanced at the Dragon Emperor.
"What do we do?" he repeated quietly. "Do we even have a choice?"
No.
They had none.
The Dragon Emperor stepped forward.
To everyone's surprise, he transformed without hesitation into a three-headed dragon.
This was his true battle form.
His strongest state.
Even with the situation turning against him, there was no fear in his eyes.
"What are you waiting for?" he roared. "Do you intend to watch my soldiers fall one by one? If that happens, we lose our last chance to turn this around!"
His confidence steadied Voldemort.
He was right.
They had not lost yet.
He was Voldemort, the one who had nearly unified the entire magical world.
Beside him stood the first emperor of ancient times, and Morgana, the witch said to bring about the end of the world.
He raised his wand high.
"Death Eaters!"
"Prepare for battle! This will be the most glorious fight of our lives. A battle that will transform us. When it ends, no one will stand above us!"
His words reignited their fighting spirit.
Yes, they had been afraid.
They had underestimated their enemy.
But they were not defeated.
Their pride would not allow them to retreat.
Wands rose in unison.
A chorus of incantations filled the air.
Spell after spell surged toward the battlefield.
The remaining terracotta soldiers began to change.
Some twisted into magical creatures.
Others gained unnatural strength or speed.
This was the true foundation of pure-blood magic.
And now
The battle truly began.
"Charge!"
The Dragon Emperor roared, his wings beating violently as he launched toward the battlefield.
His target was clear.
One of the Titan mechs.
Under a storm of gunfire, his massive body moved with shocking speed and agility.
Though some attacks struck him, none hit his vital points.
With a thunderous roar
He slammed into the Titan.
Boom!
The towering mech, which had been slaughtering its way through the terracotta army, was sent flying and crashed heavily to the ground.
The Dragon Emperor landed, lifting his heads high and roaring to the sky, declaring his power.
His central head fixed its gaze on Nolan.
He knew.
That man was the key.
Only by killing him could this war be won.
But just as he prepared to take flight again
A sharp explosion cut through the air.
The fallen Titan rose from the dust.
Untouched.
Unharmed.
Its massive frame stood firm, every weapon system coming online at once.
In the distance, Nolan watched calmly.
Did they really think a Titan mech could be destroyed so easily?
Each one was protected by a powerful psionic shield.
The Dragon Emperor was strong.
Impressively so.
By Nolan's estimation, he could rival Thor.
And that was no insult.
For a being born on Earth two thousand years ago to reach such a level was already extraordinary.
But even Thor had struggled against these machines.
So what chance did the Dragon Emperor have?
The three-headed dragon attacked again and again.
Each strike landed with devastating force.
Yet the result was the same.
Nothing.
As long as the shield held, his efforts were meaningless.
It became a vicious cycle.
The Titan's attacks tore into him, slowing him, weakening him.
Until at last
The massive dragon crashed to the ground.
Dust filled the air.
When it cleared, the Dragon Emperor struggled to rise.
But he could not.
All he could do was look around.
And what he saw drove him into despair.
His army
Gone.
Not a single soldier remained standing.
His allies lay scattered across the battlefield.
Only a few of the strongest still fought on, barely holding on.
Peter Parker stared, stunned.
Balthazar let out a bitter laugh.
"Has magic… truly lost its place in this world?"
He had lived for centuries.
He had seen the world change, whether he accepted it or not.
But he had never imagined magic would be crushed so completely.
Nolan glanced at him.
"No," he said. "It's not that magic has no place anymore. It's that you're not strong enough."
"Not strong enough…?"
Balthazar wanted to argue.
But the words died in his throat.
He could not defeat the Dragon Emperor.
And yet Nolan had destroyed both the emperor and his army with nothing more than a handful of machines.
In the face of that…
What argument could he make?
Nolan seemed to read his thoughts. He glanced toward the distant Himalayas.
"The strongest mage in this world is behind us."
Balthazar followed his gaze.
"The Sorcerer Supreme?"
"Yes. Against her, even if I brought everything Locke Technologies has built… I might still fail to kill her."
There was a hint of awe in his voice.
Beings like the Sorcerer Supreme were simply absurd.
And even after the Ancient One, there would be Stephen Strange.
Balthazar was shaken.
As one of the top mages in the world, he had never thought himself far inferior.
But now…
It seemed the gap was far wider than he had ever imagined.
"So," Nolan said lightly, "want to visit Kamar-Taj?"
After a moment's hesitation, Balthazar nodded.
A smile spread across Nolan's face.
"I've wanted to go myself," he admitted, "but I don't quite dare."
"Why not?" Balthazar asked.
Nolan smirked.
"That old woman has lived for centuries. She's a little… unpredictable. I'd rather not walk into a trap."
Balthazar blinked, unsure how to respond.
Nolan changed the subject.
"If possible, could you teach me some magic?"
"Of course," Balthazar replied without hesitation.
"Perfect," Nolan said with a grin. "I need magic related to space, time, and soul defense. If I can cover those gaps… maybe I'll finally have the courage to go up that mountain."
Meanwhile, after a brutal struggle, Voldemort and the others had exhausted all their forces.
Only three remained standing.
Voldemort.
Maxim.
Morgana.
Despair filled their eyes.
"We need to run," Voldemort said.
Once, he had sworn never to flee again.
But he had already broken that vow once in New York.
And now…
He would do it again.
This time, there was no hesitation.
Maxim and Morgana agreed immediately.
They began casting together.
But Nolan was already watching them, a faint smile on his lips.
"Kill them."
In the next instant, over a dozen Titans unleashed full power.
Endless firepower rained down, blasting a massive crater into the earth.
"Did they escape?" Peter asked.
Nolan shook his head, smiling.
"They didn't."
Casting magic took time.
Titan weapons did not.
The battle was over.
The Titans lifted into the sky, carried away by transport craft.
At last, Peter stretched, exhausted.
"So… we're going home now, right?"
Nolan shook his head.
"Since we're already here, I'm going to Kamar-Taj."
Peter didn't fully understand, but he nodded anyway.
Then Nolan added,
"You and David should head back."
Peter froze.
"…What?"
Getting here had taken seconds.
Going back?
That meant a plane ride.
Would it take a whole day?
Seeing his expression, Nolan said casually,
"A supersonic craft from Locke Technologies will arrive in thirty minutes. You'll be back in New York within two hours."
Then he looked at Balthazar.
Balthazar understood immediately.
Magic lessons.
After sending Peter and David off, Nolan and Balthazar stayed overnight at a nearby hotel.
The next morning
Nolan opened a portal.
On the other side lay Kamar-Taj.
As they stepped through, Nolan frowned.
The last time he came, the sorcerers had rushed to greet him.
Now…
It was silent.
No one seemed to notice their arrival.
Puzzled, they walked deeper into the temple.
The few mages they passed moved quickly, their faces tense.
Then Nolan spotted someone familiar.
"Wong. What happened here?"
Wong approached, surprised.
"Mr. Locke… and you are?"
"Balthazar," he introduced himself.
Wong's expression shifted.
"So you're Master Balthazar. The Ancient One mentioned you more than once."
Nolan cut in.
"What's going on? Why does everyone look like this?"
Wong sighed.
"The Ancient One… has passed away."
"Dead?"
Balthazar's voice was filled with disbelief.
She had lived for centuries.
There had been no sign of her nearing the end.
How could she be gone?
Nolan, however, wore a strange expression.
No wonder she had sent him to Hogwarts.
No wonder Morgana and the Dragon Emperor had appeared.
Could it be…
She had arranged everything just to avoid meeting him?
And then quietly slipped away?
…