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…
From their vantage point from a distance away, Illyana and Rintrah turned back just in time to see a colossal, swirling cosmic 'eye' manifest where they used to be.
"It's that power again…" Illyana murmured to herself as she stared dazedly at the eye. However, seeing it again after years with her knowledge of magic, she still couldn't understand what it was or what it can do. The only thing that she knows of is, she might be able to go back home…
Unlike Illyana, Rintrah hasn't seen this before. He stared in shock and was trembling all over. "By the warp and woof of the woven world… what… is that…"
…
Meanwhile, inside the barrier; the blood red sky, the dimensional energy which Belasco has been flauntingly using earlier to seal the space around them; it has been bypassed by the terrifying vortex of infinite light that circled a void of absolute darkness.
Satoru has only used the physical and passive effects of the technique, as it should be enough and doesn't find the need to disrupt Belasco's consciousness unlike with Ultron.
"What is... this?" Belasco gasped. He tried to move, but his limbs felt like they were being stretched across light-years while simultaneously being crushed into an atom.
Not only that, he felt the laws of his dimension and the energy of Limbo that always embrace him, they were absent.
"I told you," Satoru's voice rang out. He walked forward, his voice was echoing everywhere. "I know a thing or two about 'nothing'."
"I had a long day, but you still made me use this," Satoru stopped inches from the dimensional ruler.
Satoru reached out, his hand passing through the distorted pixelating chest of the demon.
"You wanted to keep us here?" Satoru whispered, his blue eyes glowing with a menacing radiance. "I'm shocked that you ever thought you could keep me here, when you can't even move… You insolent pedophilic shit."
"You..!" Belasco seethed. He tried to conjure some magic in an attempt to escape from whatever this is, but Satoru was one step ahead.
With a sharp snap of his fingers, the domain imploded.
The swirling light and crushing dark vanished in a heartbeat. Satoru stood alone in the center of the hollow. The chasm was gone. The obsidian spikes were gone.
And Belasco was gone. Just like that.
Satoru let out a long shaky breath, the blood-red sky of Limbo returning to its bruised purple hue. He felt the familiar, dull throb in his brain, but he ignored it. He looked down at his hand, then turned his gaze toward the ridge where Illyana and Rintrah had disappeared.
The spatial lock was gone. The air felt 'free' again, even though it is still the uncomfortable dimension of Limbo.
'I really need to find a remedy fast for this technique,' Even though he only used it shorter than with Ultron, it was still taxing his mind. He needs sleep and… sugar. He shoved his hands into his pocket and began playing with the Mind Stone with one hand.
Satoru started walking up the slope, hiding the fact that his knees felt like jelly.
At the top of the ridge, Rintrah looked like he was about to faint. "Master Gojo! Are you alright!? Where's the dimensional demon… is he..?"
"Gone, yes, for now," Satoru said with a nod, leaning against a red boulder.
He looked over at Illyana. She was staring at him, her grip on the Soulsword finally loosening.
"I don't know what you did, but Belasco has many followers and," She looked around at the unchanged landscape of Limbo. "Seeing how this place is still stable, he hasn't officially died yet."
Satoru nodded with a serious look. "I suspected as such, when I released my technique, I felt his soul disappearing somewhere close." He glanced at the castles in the distance.
"You're really real," Illyana whispered, her voice finally losing the paranoia. She looked at the tattered blanket on her shoulders, then back at Satoru. "You're really Magic Man."
Satoru's signature smirk crawled back onto his face. "I told you. I'm real, in the flesh. If I'm there, I'm there."
He pushed himself off the boulder and gave her a long, slow once-over. The girl he had seen several hours ago was a child; the one standing in front of him now was a teenager, he was interested to hear her story. "I don't know what kind of puberty you just went through, but you look like you've seen better days. We can talk about it when we get back, if you're up for it."
Rintrah, who had been nervously eyeing the shifting shadows in the distance, practically jumped into the conversation.
"Yes! Catch up! Do that! By all means!" the minotaur blurted out, his hooves clattering frantically against the stone. "But don't you think we should leave this place first, Master Gojo? Before the 'followers' she mentioned decide to come and see what happened to their master?"
"Good point, intern," Satoru chirped. "The hospitality here is terrible, be sure to leave a bad review."
"Yes, bad review." Rintrah nodded, whatever Master Gojo's rambling about doesn't matter, what matters is they're finally going out of this place.
He was about to take out his Sling Ring when Satoru suddenly held his wrist. He looked at him, confused.
"I think... it's better if I do the portal before you really master it, Rintrah," Satoru said, his voice laced with a playful but firm warning.
Rintrah froze, his large hand halfway to his pocket. He let out a sheepish smile, his ears drooping slightly. "A wise decision, Master Gojo."
Satoru let go of the minotaur's wrist. "Let me take the wheel this time."
Satoru reached into his pocket and fished out his own brass Sling Ring.
With a lazy, circular sweep of his hand, orange sparks ignited in the gloom of Limbo.
The portal tore open, revealing the lush, green canopy of the meditation garden and the cool, grey stone path beneath the bodhi tree. The contrast was striking, the serene peace of the Himalayas beckoning them away from the blood-colored hellscape.
Satoru stepped to the side. He looked at Illyana and gave a playful, mocking bow.
"Ladies first," Satoru said, gesturing to the portal with a tilt of his head.
Illyana stared at the golden ring of light. Her hands were trembling but she heaved a breath and steeled herself. Finally, she took a step without looking back.
"Go on, big guy," Satoru nudged Rintrah. "Try not to trip on your way in."
Rintrah didn't need to be told twice. He scrambled through the portal with a desperate clatter of hooves, nearly diving headfirst onto the grass of Kamar-Taj.
Satoru took one last look over his shoulder at the twisted obsidian towers of Limbo. Then, he followed behind Rintrah and with a sharp flick of his wrist, the portal snapped shut, cutting off the heat of Limbo instantly.
…
The second Satoru's slippers touched the solid stone of the garden, the first thing he saw was Rintrah groveling and kissing the ground.
"The grass! The cold! I have never loved the cold so much!" Rintrah practically bellowed.
Satoru ignored his disciple antics.
Satoru leaned his head back against the rough bark of the tree. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the side profile of Illyana's face.
Illyana was standing a few feet away, her broadsword wasn't on her hands anymore. She was staring up at the sky with an expression of utter bewilderment.
"I take it it's been years since you've last seen Earth's sky too?" Satoru murmured, his voice softer than usual.
He waited for a reply, but she remained motionless. He tried to lighten the heavy air, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Wait until you experience showering again. You do remember what a shower is, right? Or do I need to explain how to use soap to you?"
Still no response.
Illyana stayed rooted to the spot, staring unblinkingly at the real, dark-blue night sky of Earth as if she feared it might dissolve if she looked away for even a second.
Nearby, the peace was being thoroughly murdered by Rintrah, who had moved from kissing the grass to mooing and bellowing at the stars in a fit of ecstatic relief.
"Hey, keep it down, Rintrah," Satoru groaned, wincing as a sharp spike of pain shot through his temples. "Your voice is like a jackhammer to my brain right now."
The minotaur immediately went quiet, though he continued to pat the ground with a goofy, tearful grin. Satoru let out a long breath and finally let himself slide down the trunk, slumping onto the grass in a sitting position. His body felt heavy, just when he was thinking of just talking to himself instead.
A shadow fell over him. He looked up to see Illyana had finally moved. She was looking down at him, her hardened expression finally cracking around the edges.
"Thank you... Magic Man," she whispered.
It was the first time she had spoken without hostility or suspicion.
Before Satoru could offer one of his typical arrogant quips, pearly tears began to well in her eyes. They carved clean tracks through the grime and soot on her cheeks, dripping steadily onto the Himalayan grass below.
Satoru closed his mouth shut. For once, he didn't have anything funny to say. He just watched her cry, realizing that while only a few hours had passed for him, she had just finished a lifetime of war for her own survival.
Satoru watched her silently.
'First she tries to turn me into a shish kebab, now she's watering the lawn,' Satoru thought, though the mental jab lacked its usual bite.
He felt a strange weight in his chest. He had seen plenty of tragedy in his old life, but seeing a child who had clearly forgotten what it felt like to be safe—that was a different kind of mess.
He leaned his head back against the tree, letting her have the moment.
Just then, the quiet was broken by the sound of approaching footsteps through the stone archway.
Satoru shifted himself and looked over to see who it was.
It was Wong, Kaecilius, Mordo, and the Ancient One.
They stopped dead in their tracks.
"This..." The Ancient One began, her gaze jumping between the groveling Rintrah, the sobbing girl, and Satoru, who looked out of place.
Satoru didn't move from his spot on the grass. He just raised a shaky hand in a lazy wave.
"You guys… perfect timing. Meet Illyana, she's… a transfer student."
...
[Author's Notes]: Thank you and I appreciate the support you've been giving this fic.
I know I'm no 'perfect' author as much as I'd like to depict myself as, please excuse my mistakes on constructing a chapter.
For those wondering about the main female lead/love interest, I'll be addressing it here; I'm not spoiling shit! Is it necessary to know who it'll be, when in due time it'll be shown?
Also, the romance will be mature and not 'he saved me, imma give birth to tens of his babbies', or stuff like that.
It's chapter 21 now. If you've loved the story so far, your review would be much appreciated!
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