"Avengers!" Captain America screamed and caught Mjolnir before adding dramatically, "...Assemble."
Battlecries resounded across the battlefield as the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, the Wakandans, and more charged fearlessly at Thanos' incoming army.
"The Emissary… has arrived."
An augmented cosmic voice reverberated across the battlefield, just as the two armies were about to collide. All who heard felt their soul drain from their body as a deep chill crawled up their spine.
The battle, of course, came to a grinding halt.
As they wondered who it was that had just arrived, lightning unlike Thor's, darker and alien
crackled fiercely in the sky and tore open to a dimensional rift so massive it seemed like a maw seeking to devour the earth in its entirety.
"What in the world…" Spiderman muttered, staring at the spatial split in pure shock and perplexity.
A confused Tony Stark turned to Doctor Strange, who was keeping the flooding at bay, but quickly recognized the look of ignorance in his eyes. Even the Sorcerer Supreme, didn't know what was happening.
Thanos and his army stood and watched too, unable to proceed with the battle due to the arrival of a new variable.
Crack!
The dimensional rift stabilized, and a lone being in the shape of a man, wearing a blinding white garment and golden pillar-shaped headgear, was sitting on a mighty golden throne. With him was no army, only the backdrop of the universe accentuating his greatness.
Nobody dared attempt to confront the descending being or try anything funny. Silence had spread like a plague. Even Thanos looked up with carefully hidden fear.
It was clear to everyone present that a bigger problem had arrived.
The Emissary radiated a bright, golden light that strangely felt otherworldly and unfathomable. Instead of inspiring worship and awe in the hearts of those who set their eyes upon Him, He inspired fear and trembling.
There was nothing divine about this being.
His voice, ever grand, echoed with the weight of a thousand universes across the battlefield as he began:
"Champions of Earth… and conquerors of the cosmos. Your battle is meaningless."
The Infinity Gauntlet and Stones instantly disappeared from where they were and appeared above the alien's hand, floating for a few seconds before turning to dust and disappearing.
The Avengers glanced at one another apprehensively, not one felt confident enough to properly arm themselves. Even Thanos, unnerved, lowered his double-bladed sword. With the infinity stones gone, their battle was now pointless.
"I am the Anchor and the Voice, here to enact the will of my Lord.
"Another trial awaits you… The War of Worlds. Greater than conquest. Greater than survival. The very fabric of your universe trembles, and only through combat shall it be restored."
The Emissary extended a hand and the battlefield glowed with cosmic radiance. All those already fallen on both sides rose animatedly before taking in breath once again.
"Even fallen warriors shall no longer find peace in death… for all must be aware."
He spread his arms wide and across the sky and battlefield, countless species, worlds, universes were shown to just… fade, as though they never even existed.
"This is the fate destined for your multiverse. All your lives, your wars, your stories. Nothing shall remain."
The Emissary ended the battle-wide vision and continued: "You must choose your warriors. Thirty in number who shall lay down their lives for you in the interdimensional war of worlds. Mortals, mutants, gods, titans — it matters not. Choose them wisely."
"Wait!" Thor finally voiced out. "Whom do you serve? What do they seek from us?"
The Emissary waited a few seconds before answering, "Thor, son of Odin. You wish to understand why this is happening. You are confused. But you are also mistaken… in thinking you can ever understand or question the will of My Lord. You couldn't have even spoken if He did not permit."
A minute prior…
Elsewhere, in another dimension, the sky above Earthrealm shattered with cracks as it merged with Outworld. The Elder Gods' silent presence loomed like a veil across the heavens. And Raiden, charged with divine lightning, raised his hand to deliver the final blow against Shao Kahn.
"I am conqueror of realms! No god can stand against me!" Shao Kahn screamed in defiance.
"This ends here, Kahn. The Elder Gods have declared it. Your invasion dies with you!" Raiden angrily voiced, The sacrifices that brought them to this point were far too much.
He condensed the lightning coursing through his veins into a ball in his hand, but just as he was about to release it on Shao Kahn, a cold and majestic voice resounded across Earthrealm, saying:
"The Emissary… has arrived."
A dimensional rift of great power, greater than that of the Elder Gods, split open in the sky, pulsing with a strange and alien energy.
Raiden felt compelled to extinguish his lightning ball, and it was the same for Shao Kahn, who lowered his hammer, confused.
A lone being in the shape of a man, cloaked in an obsidian garment reminiscent of the dark side of the universe, with a sun-shaped head mask sat majestically on a dark ebony throne.
The Emissary's presence devoured all the light around him, bringing about a night-like atmosphere that felt strangely divine. It was a paradox. Such a dark being, when those around set their eyes upon him, instead of feeling fear and trembling in their hearts, they felt awe and worship.
Their voice, ever cold and alien, emerged from no visible mouth, but said:
"Gods and conquerors… mortals and revenants… your mortal struggle ends here. The fate of all realms lies beyond your petty wars."
"Who dares tamper with the will of the Elder Gods?" Raiden screamed out to the man-shaped creature.
"I am the Divide and the Silence, here to serve the Great and Mighty One.
"A trial beyond imagination begins. Mortal Kombat… shall be waged not only for Earthrealm, but for all existence."
The Emissary raised a hand, and the battlefield darkened with divinity, and all fallen kombatants, whether they were revenants or already buried, arose in the various realms and were restored to life.
He spread his hands and across the sky and battlefield, countless species, worlds, universes were shown to just… fade, as though they never even existed.
"This is the fate of your world, shall you lose. Mortals, conquerors, gods. No one shall remain."
Raiden looked about the scene in shock. Shao Kahn looked upon it with fear evident in his murderous gaze.
"Decide amongst yourselves, thirty in number, who shall defend you in the War of Worlds."
Happening concurrently in both dimensions, the Emissary added, "Twenty-four hours you have been given. At the appointed time, I shall return and the trial shall begin."
The Emissary ascended back into the dimensional crack, His voice fading into oblivion but echoing across both universes.
"Triumph, and your story endureth. Fail, and it is destroyed...
"...Thus spoke Zaratulstra."