...
Wong, following my expectations, had been the least against my presence- as well as intended plans, for that matter.
As a matter of a fact, following the Ancient Bimbo's support, the master had actually found my idea rather humorous in itself.
Though he refused to show it. Instead electing to stand as far away as he could without showing any disrespect, to his master at any rate.
"Supreme One..."
Unsurprisingly, the one that had the most issue with my, well, everything, was Mordo himself. The man had made his express disapproval clear.
I idly set about the five pieces of blank paper around the bemused cow in the middle of the library's main floor. Five, forbidden, pages ripped out of a few tomes were placed up before each blank page. All of them mean to add and hold a specific condition that needed to be put into place.
Essentially?
The tome-pages were meant to act as a focus of sorts.
Evidently, the Masters Of The Mystic Arts had never thought to use them in such a manner, mostly because it would end up with the pages themselves been made unreadable.
But hey, they were forbidden and weren't meant to be read anyway so...
The first blank page's seal, the right-most one at that, was going to be used to continuously create and refresh a separated subform of the Mirror dimension. As I figured the upcoming cow of eternity would likely, in more ways than one, secrete different forms of corrupted essence. The modified mirror dimension was meant to act as a defence against it. While it likely could've been easier to simply create a single, eternal, one... I didn't want to risk letting it fester and grow. Regardless of how many assurances I had that it wouldn't affect the real world.
The second seal, left of the middle one, was meant to create a sub-space within the cow's psyche. One locked, and closed off from the cow's own... natural brain? Whatever it was. Which was meant to store most of the upcoming demon's consciousness. Kind of like a Jinchuriki's mind space, but with more locks and rules in place. I fully intended to leave no loopholes for the demon to try and use to get through.
The third seal, the one on the right of the middle one, was intended to be a storage one of sorts. With the added benefit of stabilising and more or less turning anything remotely corrupted that came out of the cow, and for lack of a better term, purify it. Coalescing and forming it into highly distilled essence, naturally, under lock and key. Said lock and key been both, the current Sorcerer Supreme, whoever they may be, and yours truly.
Without both of our approval, no one could realistically open the seal to gain any access to it.
The fourth seal, the left-most one, was intended to locate the field of the target himself. That been the timeless dimension known as the, completely originally named, Dark Dimension. But more importantly, it was also a fail-safe of sorts. As I also intended to add in a fine print that more or less cut Dormammu off any and all ties to the realm once the seal was activated. Essentially rewriting his very self so that should he ever escape, he would never be able to reach it once again.
When I'd explained this to the Sorcerer Supreme, she'd been rather worried as to how I intended to even reach said timeless realm.
My answer, admittedly enough, had thrown her for a stupor.
Evidently, she'd never thought to try it herself.
See, here's the thing. It was quite literally in the name. Timeless. When one had access to the literal Time Stone, reaching the Dark Dimension was a matter of, as certain time-travelling Doctor might put it, reversing the polarity.
I was quite literally using the time stone, like a goddamn filter of everything time-related.
The fifth seal, the middle one, was meant to specifically target Dormammu himself. As I, and the lady herself, didn't want to seal the entire damn dimension and everything inside it into the already unfortunate cow.
I'd promised to deal with Dormammu, and him alone.
The other half of the fifth seal, was to create a construct of sorts to serve as a placeholder to replace the entity itself, albeit without any of his true powers. Essentially it was an after-image of the entity, meant to take his place, once he was siphoned off. Strong enough to hold the Dark Dimension together, so it didn't just implode on everything else, but too weak to really do anything with it.
I wasn't particularly sure whether the Dark Dimension was Dormammu himself, or simply the realm he dwelled in.
Still, when I'd explained that particular part to the woman, a vast amount of the tension she'd been feeling since hearing my plan had more or less disappeared. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that it had become, likely, the most important part of the coming ritual, for her.
As far as she and I were concerned, a placeholder, after-image, whatever you want to call it, was a much better alternative to the real deal.
The real deal, which I might add, was most certainly not going to enjoy the coming ritual.
He was going to feel a hella amount of pain during the whole procedure. From been dragged across dimensions against his will, to feeling the effects of time, to getting trapped into a cow-
Yeah. Karma was about to bitch-slap the concept of time and mind-dulling patience into him.
And finally, in the middle of the semi-circle formation of ripped out tome-papers and incomplete seal-papers, floated the time stone itself.
Put all that together and... Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo, Dormammu was gonna go moo.
No. I didn't choose a cow for that particular thought.
Yes, I fully intended to make that the 'incantation.'
It had taken me around several hours to find the necessary information, a fact made more difficult with the constant badgering from most of the masters surrounding and watching me with hawk-like gazes. Most having come with their own questions, though a minor majority of them chose to whine about everything.
"I must insist... This cannot be for the good of the world-"
I held in the urge to rub the bridge of my nose, instead starting on marking the papers themselves. The modified seals flew out of me as if they were water from a tap.
Part of the reason it had taken so damn long was due to the fact that while I could likely use the same sealing structure I'd learnt in Konoha, it wouldn't have been to the same effect. As it were, given the clearly different make of the... well, entire universe, I'd needed something a little more... in-tune. Though maybe fitting would be the right word for it?
Though for whatever reason, most of the masters had been rather stumped at the fact I could decipher their works in the first place.
Apparently, they were supposed to be forbidden because they were difficult to read... Or something like that.
"He is-"
"Mordo." The Ancient One's voice was rather tame, all things considered, despite the fact her disciple clearly didn't respect the hierarchy enough to trust her wisdom. "I've-"
"He is untrained!" The man echoed out, frustrated. "He has never before set foot in any of our temples, yet you let him read tomes forbidden to even the best of us! He claims to have a solution for a problem no master has ever thought up-"
"Mordo." The woman remarked, tersely this time. Her gaze was unflinching as she locked gazes with the man. This time, earning a more subdued reaction.
A reaction that immediately turned sour the moment he turned back towards me and watched the cow I'd unceremoniously brought in, promptly spit at the floor.
Thankfully not hitting any of the pages.
The cow's lazy gaze wandered around, entirely uncaring.
I let off a snort and rubbed the bottom of its chin, earning a pleased expression in return.
"He disgraces our sanctuary... Treats it as if it were a joke by bringing that creature in here..." Mordo finished his complaints, albeit much more quietly. The volume likely the only reason the Supreme One had let it go.
"He is a master of his own right." The woman remarked, backing me for some reason. "I... trust his claims."
As if I'd needed it.
Wasn't like I'd change my mind on our bargain over a protest.
If I succumbed to things like that I wouldn't have made it very far in my tenure as a Kage.
Of all the masters I'd expected, however, both to see here as well as accept my presence without question...
It hadn't been Kaecilius.
Evidently, the man hadn't gone bonkers over a lack of enlightenment in this timeline.
Unlike the others, the man neither uttered a word towards me nor did he stray away. Instead, he chose to keep himself as close as he could, curiosity and more, burning through his eyes as he took in everything.
Not once, did the thought that I was a fool cross his mind, nor leave his tongue.
Whatever his faults were in the original timeline... He definitely knew how to read a person. I'll certainly give him that much.
"Yet he refuses to offer proof. Instead bulldozing his way through our secrets as if he were entitled to them!"
Evidently, the woman's response had only brought back Mordo's vigour.
With a sigh, the first paper half-done, I promptly rose up from my place and turned towards him.
Despite having put up with his crap thus far, I really couldn't risk any distractions.
At my actions, I could see both, the Ancient One herself, and Mordo tense. Likely for different reasons.
The other masters as well for that matter, barring Kaecilius whose interest seemed to be preoccupied on the unfinished first seal.
I raised a single hand towards the woman, the tenseness in her shoulders disappearing.
"Proof?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow. "And why should I give you any proof? As far as I am concerned, I don't need to prove anything to the likes of you."
"The likes of me!?-"
"Yes. The likes of you. The likes of one so terrified of an entities' power, you'd consider him a damned god."
Something seemed to flash through the man's eyes at my words.
"Dormammu may not be a god, but only a fool would ignore his power!"
"You're right. Only a fool would ignore a power greater than them. And while he may hold you to that standard..." I took in a sigh, watching as a vein threatened to pop on the man's face. "Don't think for a second I would too."
"Supreme One..." Mordo grit through his teeth, tearing his eyes away from me towards the woman. "This man's arrogance may very well have tampered his mind... It could very-"
"Arrogant?" I questioned, a snort echoing out. "I am arrogant!?" I almost felt like laughing. "You have no idea what the fuck you're talking about!"
I took a single step towards him, watching as his body immediately braced itself, the man going into a combat stance of sorts.
"I've seen more things than your mind could begin to count! I've lived in worlds that treat the very laws of magic, that you fear, like a damned guideline! I've fought creatures that make the gods of your realms look like children!" My voice, with every word that came out, held more force in them, my tone changing with every sentence.
By the time I'd realised it, I'd found myself standing face to face with the man himself.
Lowering my voice, I calmly asked him a single question.
"And do you know what they all had in common?" My words came out in a whisper, one that, judging by the rest's reaction was heard.
When Mordo refused to answer, his wary, albeit focused, eyes still locked to my own, I calmly obliged.
"I. Conquered. Them. All."
...
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