The small blue figure hovered in midair, hands still clasped behind his back. His eyes were pure white, without pupils, and when he looked at Levi, it felt as though he could see straight through him.
Levi tightened his grip on the trident, the power of laws within his body beginning to circulate. The opponent's energy was stable, with no leakage—but the pressure was undeniably real. This little blue being was at least mid-tier Skyfather level, possibly even higher.
A traveler from a parallel universe.
The small blue figure spoke, his voice echoing directly in Levi's mind—not through air, but through some form of mental communication.
"I am Ganthet, one of the Guardians, a founder of the Green Lantern Corps, and a maintainer of universal order. The weapon in your hand contains a Law of Death capable of threatening an entire star system. Under Interstellar Security Act Article 103, I have the authority to demand that you surrender it."
Levi said nothing.
He was evaluating.
Ganthet was powerful—but not overwhelmingly so. If they fought, Levi estimated he had a sixty percent chance of winning. The problem was that Ganthet wasn't alone. Behind him stood all of Oa—thousands of Green Lanterns, and other Guardians.
Provoking such an organization wasn't worth it.
"I refuse."
Levi's voice was calm, like he was stating a simple fact.
"I took this trident from the trench beneath Atlantis. It was sealed there for thousands of years and has devoured thirteen powerful individuals who tried to control it. If I hadn't taken it, someone else would eventually die. By removing it, I've eliminated a hidden threat."
Ganthet's expression didn't change.
"Your logic has merit. But it does not change one fact: you now possess a weapon capable of destroying planets, and your origin and motives are unknown. I cannot confirm that you won't use it to threaten universal security."
Levi looked at him.
"So what do you plan to do? Take it by force?"
"If necessary, yes."
Ganthet raised his right hand. A Green Lantern ring materialized out of thin air and slipped onto his finger. It flared with blinding green light—at least ten times brighter than Hal Jordan's.
Space around them began to warp.
Green energy surged from the ring, condensing behind Ganthet into a massive phantom—a giant hand over a hundred meters tall, each finger clearly defined.
Hal Jordan and the other two Lanterns had already retreated near their ships. Their expressions were grim. A Guardian taking action personally was an event that occurred perhaps once in several millennia. The last time had been during the battle against Parallax.
Levi didn't move.
He stood still, gripping the Dark Trident. Within him, six laws began to circulate simultaneously—Space, Power, Body, Mind, Time, and Reality—forming a complete cycle.
His Law Domain expanded.
A transparent sphere, one hundred meters in diameter, spread outward from Levi, instantly enveloping both him and Ganthet. Golden patterns flowed across its surface—the intertwining of six laws.
Ganthet's giant hand slammed down onto the domain.
No explosion. No roar.
It was as if the hand had struck an invisible wall, halting midair. The green construct began to disintegrate, starting from the fingertips, dissolving into particles of light.
Ganthet narrowed his eyes.
He increased the output. The ring shone brighter. A second giant hand formed, striking from another angle. At the same time, dozens of constructs appeared behind him—swords, spears, hammers, shields.
All of them crashed down onto the domain at once.
Boom.
This time, there was sound. The impact thundered across the sky, sending ripples across the ocean surface below.
But the Law Domain didn't budge.
The golden patterns didn't even flicker.
Levi stood at the center, looking at Ganthet.
"You can't break it. Within this domain, I define the rules. Your willpower constructs—no matter how strong—are still just a form of energy. What I wield is law itself."
Ganthet stopped.
He withdrew the ring's power. The constructs dissipated as he hovered silently, studying Levi for several seconds.
"You're right. Willpower cannot overcome law. But that doesn't mean I have no other methods."
He raised both hands and began chanting in an ancient language. The syllables were complex, each carrying a strange rhythm. Levi couldn't understand the meaning, but he could feel the surrounding space vibrating.
This wasn't the power of the Green Lantern ring.
This was the Guardian's own ability.
Ganthet's body began to glow—not green, but pure white. The light grew brighter and brighter, until even Levi's Kryptonian vision struggled to endure it.
When the light faded, Ganthet had changed.
His form was the same, but a translucent armor now covered him. Within it flowed patterns like galaxies—cosmic energy itself, accumulated over billions of years.
Levi's expression finally shifted.
He felt it now.
A real threat.
Ganthet's power had risen from mid-tier Skyfather to nearly peak Skyfather level. He had burned his own life essence to forcibly elevate himself to a level capable of challenging Levi.
"I do not wish to be your enemy," Ganthet said. "But if you insist on keeping that weapon, I have no choice. This state cannot last long—about five minutes. After that, my life force will be depleted. But within those five minutes, I am confident I can defeat you."
Levi remained silent.
He was calculating.
Ganthet was telling the truth. In this state, he could indeed stall—or even defeat Levi for a time. And five minutes was more than enough for Green Lantern reinforcements to arrive.
At that point, dozens of Lanterns plus other Guardians…
Even if Levi could win, the cost would be enormous.
More importantly—he didn't have time.
He didn't know how much time had passed in the Marvel universe. What state the world was in after Thanos's snap. Whether Wanda and the others were still holding on.
He had to return.
Levi loosened his grip.
The Dark Trident floated before him, tip pointing downward. Its dark red patterns still glowed. He hadn't fully let go—he was holding it in place with spatial law, suspended in a neutral state.
Ganthet noticed. The white light around him dimmed slightly.
He waited.
"I can choose not to take the weapon," Levi said. "But not by handing it to you—by returning it to Atlantis. Let them deal with it."
Ganthet shook his head.
"They lack the means to contain it. The trident has developed self-awareness. Ordinary sealing techniques are ineffective. Unless someone fully controls it, it will eventually lose control again."
"Then I'll control it," Levi said. "I've already suppressed the Abyssal Will within it. It obeys me. As long as I live, it won't go out of control."
Ganthet stared at him for a moment.
"How long do you live?"
Levi paused.
He hadn't thought about that.
With Kryptonian physiology, divine traits, super soldier serum, healing factor, and Celestial-level biology—his lifespan should be extremely long. Thousands of years at minimum.
But on a cosmic scale, thousands of years was nothing.
The trident had existed for tens of thousands of years—and could last far longer.
When Levi died… who would take over?
"I understand," Levi said. "You're worried that after my death, it will become a threat again."
Ganthet nodded.
"Exactly. That is why I require you to surrender it. The Green Lantern Corps has facilities capable of permanently sealing such weapons."
Levi smiled—not mockingly, but genuinely amused.
"You Guardians have lived for billions of years. You've seen countless civilizations rise and fall. You should understand this—nothing is truly eternal. No seal lasts forever. Instead of relying on containment, why not let me take it out of this universe entirely? I don't belong here. I intend to return to my own universe. Once I'm gone, this trident won't threaten yours."
Ganthet fell silent, considering.
Levi pressed on.
"You can sense it—my power doesn't belong to this universe. I was dragged here by accident. What I need now is enough energy to tear open a spatial rift and return home. Once I leave, I won't interfere in your universe at all."
The white light around Ganthet faded completely. The armor vanished, and he returned to his normal form, though slightly pale.
"Your proposal has merit," he said. "But I need to confirm something."
Levi waited.
"You said you require sufficient energy to tear open a spatial rift. That means you currently cannot do so. How do you plan to obtain that energy? If you begin harvesting energy recklessly in this universe, the damage could exceed that of the trident itself."
Levi considered.
It was a valid concern.
Even at mid-tier Skyfather level, opening a rift between universes required more power. His initial plan—absorbing solar energy or finding energy-rich locations—would take time.
And time was exactly what he didn't have.
"I can assist you," Ganthet said. "On Oa, we have a Central Power Battery, storing the accumulated willpower of the entire Green Lantern Corps. If you agree to one condition, I can allow you to draw a portion of that energy. It will be sufficient for you to open a rift and return to your universe."
Levi raised an eyebrow.
Nothing came for free.
"What's the condition?"
"Before you leave, help us resolve a problem," Ganthet said. "A mysterious force has appeared at the edge of the universe. It has already destroyed three inhabited star systems. Every Lantern squad we've sent has been wiped out—no distress signals. I suspect it has reached law-level. Ordinary Lanterns cannot handle it. If you're willing to assist, you will be compensated accordingly."
Levi looked at him.
Ganthet seemed sincere—but Levi had no interest.
He only wanted to return to the Marvel universe.
"I refuse," Levi said. "I'm not interested in being your hired muscle. I'll find my own energy."
Ganthet sighed.
"I expected that. Then let me propose an alternative. You don't need to fight—just accompany me to the location and use your perception to identify the source of that power. It won't take long. In exchange…"
He paused.
"I will give you a Green Lantern ring."
Levi blinked.
"A ring?"
"Not an ordinary one," Ganthet said. "It is the ring I once used. It contains thousands of years' worth of willpower I accumulated. It requires no oath, no connection to the Central Battery. You can directly draw upon its energy—to strengthen your Law Domain, or to fuel your dimensional rift."
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