Two hours later. Island of Avalon.
Gently lowering Nephalem's injured and broken form into the waters of the magical lake, connected to Gaea herself, Morgana and Morgause both seized their magical activity, so as to not disrupt the process of healing. To say that Merlin and his cronies had done a number on him would be an understatement of the century, for Hadrian had not just taken on attacks of physical and magical nature, but of the caliber that were deadly for even the stronger creatures. Merlin has definitely come prepared to fight Hadrian, and has provided his Custodians with not just the most powerful arms he had, he also casted the most effective enchantments and empowerments that he could provide, with Abaddon's Hand being just the tip of the iceberg.
From what Mordred had revealed and Morgana had surmised herself, Hadrian was affected by at least 15 different curses, many of which were older than Roman Empire itself, and he still pushed on, mainly thanks to his mutant nature. His rapid adaptation negated and reversed most of them as quickly as it could, but at the cost of not being able to stop Abaddon's Hand curse, which in the end had cost Hadrian dearly. Still, it took multiple attacks of it just to put him down, and this fact alone spoke volumes, for the Abaddon's Hand was powerful enough to render even True Sources powerless from one or two attacks. Then there was also the fact that he took a direct hit to his heart and was drained to near completion of his life force and magic, yet still drew breath… If that was not a miracle or God's will, Morgana and others did not know what else it was.
However, even though Hadrian did survive, mainly thanks to his sheer refusal to die and Mordred breaking free, he was broken and beaten past even Morgana's ability to heal him. His body was racked with so much damage and dark magical energies that it was literally breaking apart, and so they needed to act fast. Hence Morgana had summoned her own Isle of Avalon into this dimension, bringing it out of its own pocket dimension and transported Hadrian to it, where the magical energies and primordial powers of Gaea could help him. This was her only idea, and the sole one that she could come up with that would save Hadrian's life, but with the amount of damage he sustained… There were not unfounded worries that he would not be able to recover fully from what had happened.
Morgana and Morgause watched as Hadrian submerged into the waters, before leaving the lake and joining the gathered group, who all watched it happen. Dorea Black was the first one to speak up, looking just as bad, if not worse, as when her husband was killed in front of her.
"Will… Will those waters help him?" She asked with a weak and shaky voice, almost as if she did not want to make herself believe in miracles.
"The Lake itself is a conduit of Gaea's primordial powers, which are the source of this Isle's existence, and are one of the most powerful concentrations of pure magical energy." Morgana explained with a tired voice, as she looked at the lake. "If anything is going to help Hadrian, it will be this Lake."
"I'm not gonna pretend that I understand any of this magical stuff, but the way I look at it, you've just drowned one of my best agents and my Godson to boot." Nick Fury noted with an irate tone, not caring that he was talking to one of the most powerful Sorceresses in the world. "How is this going to expedite his healing? SHIELD has the facilities and means that would be more than enough to get him back on his feet."
"Simply repairing physical damage won't do him any good in the condition he is in, Director Fury. Merlin has drained Hadrian of his life force and magical powers, essentially depriving him of the most essential thing that he needs for living." Morgause stated to him. "I'll put this in the way you understand, given your illiteracy in magical terms: Hadrian cannon live without his life force, and magic is part of him, hence we need to replenish it. In addition, that Lake will not only do it, but also repair the injuries inflicted upon him, as well as wash away the curses put on him. If we don't get rid of them, it will all be for naught."
"And as for drowning, you don't have to worry about it either. The Lake itself will provided the needed stuff for him to survive." Mordred added, dressed in a red and black jacket, with jeans, black shirt underneath and shoes, having disposed of the armor. "You don't need to worry about Nephalem right now. It's Merlin that should be your main concern, because if we don't stop him before he finishes his plan, he will be unstoppable and undefeatable."
"I'm sorry, but are we really going to be listening to this guy?" Sirius asked aloud of everyone, as he pointed at Mordred. "He and his buddies have put Hadrian in that state, and now he is here and telling us that he is on our side! And besides, all we have are his words and really, Merlin being evil and…" At that moment, Mordred snapped and grabbed Sirius by collar, effortlessly lifting him above himself.
"Listen here, you piece of Black shit! I don't have time or patience to explain to you why your oh so precious Merlin is evil, so you either believe us and stay to help, or you can get the hell out of here and join the rest of your weak minded kind!" Mordred's powerful voice was enough to put the fear of the very God into Sirius, before he was released and unceremoniously allowed to fall on the ground.
"You really should've learned how to keep your mouth shut and use your brain, Sirius." Arcturus simply shook his head, as he watched his grandson get up. "Do you really think that he would've been allowed here, if were meaning harm to any of us? Morgana may be his mother, but she is not stupid, unlike your mother, and has made sure to check things out. If she and others say he is clean, I will believe them."
"But Grandfather, what about Merlin? You can't actually believe that he is…" Sirius was still unable to come to terms with this fact, yet it was Bellatrix who interrupted him this time.
"Sirius, for magic's sake, do shut up and listen to the people who know better." Bellatrix let out a sigh, turning to Mordred. "Sir Mordred, what exactly is Merlin actually planning to do, and for what did he need Hadrian's power?"
"Yeah, and how do we find the bastard?" Nick Fury asked the second most important question in his head.
"Right now, I do not know where exactly he is going to be, but I do know what he is planning and what he needs." Mordred stated. "This is Merlin's magnum opus, the culmination of hundreds of years of planning, manipulation and scheming. Merlin's plan is to take the powers of Gaea and use them to literally remake the world in his own image. For that sole reason he had furthered the creation of the Wizarding World, fostered it and its aspects that best suited for his plans, subtly nudging things into the right direction. I will not go into all of details, and will simply say this: Merlin made sure that when the time was right, he was able to put his plan into action. And to bring it to fruition, he needed the power of a special True Source, one who could literally take powers of others and make them his own. For that purposes he had me and my brothers resurrected and hunt True Sources, and has influenced the Wizarding World into considering them the greatest threats ever."
"And also make sure that there were great enough powers to oppose him when he starts to put his plan into action." Carol Danvers surmised, with Mordred nodding to her. "But something tells me that he didn't account for all of the heroes that now exist. With SHIELD, Avengers and others, we'll put that bastard into the ground in no time."
"Do not be so rash to think that way, Carol. I'm all for making him pay, but he has had unlimited time and resources to prepare for his grand plan, so he will not make it easy for us, even if we bring in the big guns." Natasha noted, with Mordred nodding to her.
"He won't, and it won't be just because his powers and might. You'll have to go through my brothers, the finest and strongest of Camelot, armed with weapons and clad in armor that would be enough to bring down even Gods, and I can assure you- they are good." Mordred stated to them. "But even without them, Merlin has been amassing resources, means and more for centuries, and the most powerful asset he has is the Wizarding World itself and its inhabitants. He plans to use them as his cannon fodder, something to put between him and those who would oppose him, while completes his ritual."
"The question is, will the Wizards and Witches actually help him, given that he is a True Source, something that they are supposed to hate with passion?" Wanda asked.
"That is not what he is in their mind, Wanda. Merlin for Wizarding Kind is what Jesus Christ is for devout Christians, and his word will be more powerful than any reason or logic." Dorea stated to her. "And long since realized that my kind doesn't deal in either and will believe anything it wants, and we've been indoctrinated for centuries to believe that Merlin is our God, and now… Now that same God has come and is offering them something that every Wizard and Witch has dreamt of: a world where they will be masters of the world, where they won't have to hide themselves. Same thing that drove so many to Grindelwald, but now it is Merlin himself who is telling them this, and unlike the former, he literally has their absolute and eternal reverence."
"Then from that moment on we'll have to consider every Wizard and Witch as potential threat, even those who are within SHIELD." Phil Coulson stated, already trying to come up with the ways of dealing with it. "But will he be able to do what he means?"
"With Yamato and Hadrian's power alone, he became one of the most powerful beings on this planet, but not enough to take down Gaea herself." Morgana commented. "However, that is why he has been furthering the coming of the Hour or Reckoning: he knew that Theia would be created, and that she is the Avatar of Gaea and holder of her power. With Yamato, he can sever her link to Gaea, and with Hadrian's power, he will be able to absorb all of her powers, and gain the direct connection to Gaea herself, and all of Earth's magical might. With all of that at his back and call, he might just be able to challenge her."
"It's not just his power that you need to be worried about, or my brothers and their might. All of that is just the tip of the iceberg." Mordred stated, drawing the attention. "Merlin had spent the last 14 centuries not just researching new ways of gaining power, or obtaining it, but also preparing for the coming of Theia. And for that end, to weaken and defeat her without losing too much of his own power, he has made pacts and enslaved beings and creatures from other realms. Demons from the realms of Hell, creatures from the Nine Realms, raised armies of the dead knights and mages, forcefully possessed men and women containing powerful demons and more- Merlin has a veritable army at his beck and call, and he is able to summon it where he wishes."
"How big is this army that he has amassed, how diverse and dangerous it is?" Nick Fury asked of Mordred.
"It is massive and just as diverse, and it can literally overrun the British Isle in a matter of hours, two or three days if we are lucky, and that's not counting the various pacts he has made with beings from other realms." Mordred stated. "You want to fight and destroy it, then you need bring out all of your fire power to him. Every conceivable weapon, soldier, mage and more- point towards Merlin and his hordes of monsters, because he will summon them when he gets ahold of Theia and have them do all of his dirty work."
"With all of that might and power he has, plus the armies that he is amassing… He might just be able to pull it off with Theia." Doctor Strange stated, as he already did the magical math in his head. "If he has made alliances and pacts with the Lords of Hell and other beings, then Theia will be facing off against the most dangerous creatures in all of existence, creatures that might just be able to hurt and destroy her, bringing Merlin's plan to fruition."
"Yes, unless Gaea decides to directly engage him." Morgause stated, drawing the attention of others, some looking at her with surprise. "What? I may be a True Source with prophetic powers, but even I cannot say what Elder Gods will do for certain. Merlin's plan does hinge on the fact that Gaea herself will remain inactive, but I have my doubts, or rather hopes, about it. However, there is one more thing that does concern me, and one that Merlin clearly has not taken into the account: Chthon."
"What do you mean by that?" Carol asked of her.
"Gaea is the reason why Chthon can't simply walk into our world and wreak havoc, and she maintains a barrier, created by her power and will that prevents him from coming. If that barrier was to be disrupted, by something like a power shortage… We could be dealing with the most dangerous power in all of creation." Morgause explained to her. "Hence why we need to stop Merlin from executing his mad plan, because if he succeeds, he'll bring about the apocalypse of all creation as we know it."
"Mordred, you have said that you know the details of his plan. Son, can you tell us anything that would allow us to pinpoint his location?" Morgana asked of him.
"His plan wasn't exactly too elaborate, but he will need time to get accustomed to the powers he took from Nephalem, as well as Yamato, but even with them he won't stand a chance at fully powered Theia." Mordred stated to them. "In order to even up the playing field, he would need to have a near unlimited supply of magical energy that would supplement his own powers and let him fight Theia on equal grounds. A place where currents of magical energy combine into a pool of power that is almost as powerful as one in here." It took Morgana but a second to figure out where Merlin would be.
"Hogwarts. That is where he will be." Morgana stated. "The place itself stands on the crossing of multiple magical lines and he will be able to easily access and use it to bolster his powers. Not only that, it is the perfect rallying point for all of the Wizards and Witches, the perfect symbolic place for the creation of the new world." Nick Fury already began to call his forces to converge in there, when everyone felt a surge of energies coming from the lake, forcing them to look towards it.
"What… What was that?" Carol asked, as she shuddered from the energies emanating from there, as the lake's waters glowed with golden and red colors, while Morgause and Morgana just stood there, still and in clearest shock.
The two True Sources that were present looked at what was happening through more than just mortal eyes, for they also had the vision of magic to use and which they put to use… And what they saw right now was nothing short of miraculous.
At the same time. Realm beyond Life and Death
Hadrian's eyes opened up, as he felt himself slip from the normal realm of life and now he was in the place he did not recognize, but sensed that this was no longer even the normal plane of existence. He looked at himself and saw that his form was in perfect condition, yet it did not feel like his physical form, which immediately made it clear to him that this was rather his spiritual form, his soul as some might call it. He stood in the plane that was accessed by something or someone with the truest of powers, commanding the energies that shaped the very form and essence of this indescribable place. Recalling what had transpired earlier with him, Hadrian let out a small sigh and spoke up.
"So, Merlin has done me in the end…" Hadrian made a conclusion, closing his eyes with the realization that he has perished.
"He has defeated you, yes, but has not killed you. And though he has brought closer than anyone else before him to it, it now falls upon you to make the final decision." A caring, yet powerful voice shook Hadrian out of his thoughts, making him look around himself to try and find its source. "I have observed with great interest, Hadrian Black, and my heart had ached for all the struggles and injustice that you had to face and was dealt. Yet I was also elated and rejoiced at your successes and when you rose to the occasion and fought for what was true and right. You have saved many innocent and wronged ones, while also serving punishment and vengeance to those who deserved it. A merciful Angel and a vengeful Demon in one, a true Nephalem."
"It would seem I have attracted the attention of someone pretty high up in the food chain." Hadrian commented, speaking more to himself than the one who has apparently brought him here. "Would you mind manifesting yourself in some way, or are you just going to continue playing the omnipresence?" At that moment, the presence chuckled, before it manifested itself in a new form, making Hadrian realize who he was talking to.
"Does this form ease your mind, child?" Gaea asked of him, standing before him in a form of a beautiful woman with light brown hair and green eyes, dressed in a green dress. "Forgive my earlier way of communicating. I had not anticipated that you would react so strongly to it."
"There is nothing to forgive, I'm just… Well, let's just say I've had a rough couple of days and I'm not all that in the mood for spiritual communications." Hadrian joked, with Gaea chuckling a little at it. "And I've just made a literal Mother Earth chuckle at my poor attempt at humor. Tony and Clint are so gonna be jealous."
"Though you handle this better than most, your humor does betray your fatalistic outlook at the current situation, something that I was not expecting to ever see with you, Hadrian." Gaea said to him. "Has Merlin broken down your spirit, as well as your body, and rendered you incapable of seeking justice and vengeance?"
"Do not mistake my humor for the lack of anger, for I am angry and furious, but those are nothing compared to my desire to end him for good. Not because he had managed to seemingly kill me, but for what he is about to do to Theia." Hadrian's tone turned serious. "You already know what he shall do, don't you? If Theia really is your daughter now, then stop her, do not let her get anywhere near Merlin."
"I fear that this is now beyond my reach, for Theia had felt your demise the moment it took place, and she knows who is responsible for it. She has now disengaged from helping those in need and is now pursuing the one responsible not just for your death, but also for all that has happened at the hands of the Wizarding Kind." Gaea stated to Hadrian. "Theia's mind is blinded with the desire for vengeance and she is now driven to seek it. I had tried to persuade her to stay her hand away from them, but she is like her brother in this regard: unyielding once she decides to do something."
"And yet she draws all of her might and power from you. Aren't you able to stop her by forcing your will upon her, like you did with her earlier?" Hadrian asked of Gaea.
"I have not forced my will upon her in no way, for I had asked her to be who she is now and she accepted to be my Will and daughter, but even so, I shall not force my will through my power. Such is not my way, but the way of my brothers, Set and Chthon." Gaea revealed to Hadrian. "I am an Elder Goddess and Mother of All Creation, but it is not my place to take away the freedom and will of others, for it is not the power and authority that I wish to gain. Such ambitions are what caused my brothers to fall, and I shall not follow their paths, even if my heart tells me to do everything to save my daughter."
"So you will just stand by and watch as Merlin rips out her power and then proceeds to use it against you? I'm no Elder God or Sorceror Supreme, but I know that if he does succeed, it will mean the end of the world as we know it, and it's not just him usurping you." Hadrian spoke with anger in his tone. "You realize that Merlin is risking unleashing Chthon and other beings from other realms upon the world with his madness? You are the Mother Earth itself, you have to care about what happens to your creations!"
"I do care, hence why I do not assert my will and all you all to make your choice, despite the consequences that it brings. Even with the Wizarding Kind I have allowed them the chance at doing the right thing, but instead they've become the harbingers of devastation, destruction and misery, hence why they are now being judged and punished, for I do care about all of my creations." Gaea answered. "And that is why I have brought you here, Hadrian Black, because like Theia and myself, you too have in you the desire to protect those that have suffered, yet also do what must be done for the good of all. Even if it means branding yourself as a monster in the eyes of others. And why you have jumped at the opportunity to stop Merlin, without a second to consider the danger."
"Yeah, not my brightest moment, but he needs to be stopped, no matter what. And if I have to claw my way out of Hell or Heaven to get to him, I'll do it without a second of hesitation." Hadrian stated to Gaea. "I've failed Rose, but I will not fail Theia, nor will I let anyone make use of her in any form, even if it means sacrificing my own life."
"Your life is not what I would ask of you." Gaea simply told him, with Hadrian finally realizing why Gaea had pulled him in here.
"Now I remember… Theia told me back in Azkaban that had it not been her, you would chosen me to be your Will and Avatar upon the Earth and against the Wizarding Kind." Hadrian recalled. "Merlin and his servants had killed me, destroyed me physically, and he took more than just my life, but my very magic and my arms from me… If I were whole, I would not rest until I put a stop to his plans."
"Injuries and wounds can be mended and healed, broken bones and body restored and reinforced, and your magic is life's right, and it can't be taken from you completely. He took only contents, but not the source itself, and like water in the well, it shall refill again." Gaea metaphorically stated. "I am prepared to restore you back to life, stronger and mightier than ever before, and though I cannot reclaim your arms or restore them, I can give you the means to forge new ones."
"And what would I have to give in exchange for it?" Hadrian asked of Gaea, before she transmitted him into his mind what she wished of him, surprising and shocking him. "You… You would ask of me this? You know that unlike Theia, I would not be objective about the fate of the Wizarding World. I know of its faults and all that, but there are still hundreds of thousands of people, and you would have me deciding their fate and delivering the punishment instead of her?"
"I would ask you to do what is right, Nephalem, and find the way that would see the Wizarding World finally end." Gaea told him, with Hadrian processing what she had asked of him, before coming to a decision.
"I will do it, not for myself or for you, but for Theia." Hadrian stated, with Gaea nodding to him, before manifesting a broken golden sword with blue hilt, one that Hadrian had recognized instantly. "Is that…"
"Caliburn, The Golden Sword of Assured Victory, created to serve the purpose of finding the true and noble King of England that would bring it to glory, yet which was broken when said King had forsook his vows and showed his true dark nature in moment of weakness. It's remains were casted into the lake and found their way to Vivian, who had returned them it to me… This weapon was supposed to serve the righteous and true of themselves, and so it did, before the power had corrupted and destroyed that person." Gaea explained to Hadrian, before turning to him. "Unlike King Arthur, you know the weight and allure of power and are true to yourself, and like this sword, you are broken. I can only give you the way forward, but only you yourself can rebuild yourself and this weapon… Make your choice, Hadrian."
There was no choice to be made and all of his decisions were already made, and Gaea knew it as well. Hadrian felt that too, and he felt the rush of power and magic that he was accustomed to, and with his mere will, he manifested the broken remains of Force Edge, destroyed and broken like he was in the battle, yet they still contained in themselves power and might that he once had. And so Hadrian will use them to forge himself and his new power upon the foundation of what he already is and possessed. With the mere thought, the shards of the blade and hilt revert into the pure energy from which they had been birthed, and then moved towards Caliburn. The golden remains of the blade bonded with the new material, fusing with it and mending the broken weapon, before expanding and changing it, yet Hadrian was not yet done, for he was going to do even more.
In the last moments of his defeat, he had glimpsed into the mind of Merlin and he saw his plans, the means by which he was going to obtain what he coveted, and Hadrian knew that to fight him, he would need a weapon that surpassed Force Edge and Yamato. Though Caliburn already was a fine and mighty weapon, he would have not just restored, but made anew, stronger and mightier than even the Excalibur. And for that reason Hadrian summoned one last thing into the realm, one of two pieces of Chthon's raw essence and power that he had pried away from him and contained in the form of a red crystal, taking a form of a blood tear. This small shard of an Elder God was nothing compared to his entirety, but it alone contained itself the might that could make even Gods quake, and now Hadrian was going to use it.
Now all of the components were in one place, Hadrian proceeded to fuse the crystal with the hilt of the reforming weapon, it's blade expanding and elongating, gaining more width and mass, yet with it came power and might that its previous owner would never have known. With all of his will and might, Hadrian poured into this mix his being and might, his will, anger, desires and what he was, making Caliburn into more than just a choosing sword, but an extension of his might and being, a manifestation of Nephalem's pure power and might, but also his being and essence. The eldritch and primordial energies of the weapon submitted and now joined his, and in one moment that seemed to last an era, Hadrian had done something that Merlin will regret for the rest of his soon to be ended life.
The reformation and change were over, and the Sword of Assured Victory once again shown itself, bearing the resemblance to its former look, yet surpassing the past grandeur and beauty. The previously narrow and fragile looking golden blade was now a wide, long, with golden center, and peerless white steel surrounding it, sharp and mighty, made to truly bring victory. A blood tear crystal now adorned the guard that resembled wings of an angel, with the hilt's blue color changing for one of blood red, similarly changed to accommodate the new size and parameters. The new Caliburn seemed to breath with energies and power that were out of this world, and the moment Hadrian grasped it firmly in his hand, he realized the sheer might and power that he now possessed, and with it, his pact was sealed with Gaea and his restoration complete. With her blessing and all the needed knowledge granted by her, he finally departed the realm, and returned to the land of the living.
Isle of Avalon.
The lake's waters seem to boil and rise in waves, before from the depths and it's embrace comes what it had contained, healed and reforged anew. Hadrian rises from the waters, his body again mighty and powerful, healed and healthy, and the moment his form is released from the waters, he flies to the shore, carried by four pair of ethereal wings, before landing onto the solid ground. Shock and surprise are seen clearly upon everyone's face, yet it quickly abates once Dorea runs and embraces her son, with some others following suit.
"Hadrian… My boy, how is this possible?" Dorea was shocked, for mere minutes ago, she saw him destroyed and nearly torn apart, yet now he was before her as if nothing had happened.
"Mother of All Creations was not about to let one of her finest defenders fall so easily at the hands of a traitor." Morgause answered, already knowing what had transpired, and once the elation abated a little, she spoke to Hadrian again. "In your hands now rests the fate of the Wizarding World, Hadrian. Though not a burden you wished to carry, it is yours now, and carry it you must till the end."
"Lady Morgause Le Fay, I presume?" Hadrian asked of her, with Morgause respectfully bowing before him. "Do you still hold loyal to Gaea and are prepared to stand against your former teacher?"
"Whatever the Great Mother will need of me, I shall give and then some more." Morgause stated.
"Good, because we'll need it." Hadrian said to her. "Merlin is marshaling his forces and powers at Hogwarts, the Magical Britain and majority of its populace are already under his sway and are prepared to give their lives for him, and worst of all, Theia is already on her way to Hogwarts, preparing to destroy him and blinded to the trap set against her."
"How much time do we have until he has her?" Morgana asked of him.
"Less then we need, for she decides to move towards it immediately, and Merlin has already gathered all that he needs for his plan to succeed. Mobilize the SHIELD, Avengers and the X-Men and send them to converge upon Hogwarts, and treat all of the Wizards and Witches there as enemies, for they will give no quarter to us and will fight to the death." Hadrian stated, before turning to Doctor Strange. "Strange, we are going to need to move a lot of forces and quickly to Hogwarts, and you are an expert in those things."
"I'll do all that needs to be done." Strange nodded to Hadrian, while he turned to Eva, Stheno and Euryale.
"Eva, Stheno, Euryale, I need you to immediately coordinate and inform Avengers, X-Men and SHIELD about what is going on and what they need to do. Avalon and its magic will aid you in spreading the word telepathically and forming a coordinated front against our enemies." The girls nod to him, with Hadrian turning to Fury and Coulson. "We need all of the big guns for this one, so do not spare anything you have. Strange will manage to teleport it."
"Alright, but what about you, kid?" Fury asked of him. "A few minutes ago you looked like Caesar on the Ides of March, and Merlin did steal your weapon and power. You sure you are gonna be able to fight him?"
"You know how I work, Director: whatever doesn't kill me simply makes me stronger, and I've just received the biggest boost of power in my life. And as for my weapon, I've got something to even up the odds." Hadrian assured him. "However, with Merlin and the powers and forces he has, coming underequipped will not do me any good. Hence why I need you to get the others to hold Merlin off, at least for a little while, while Morgana and I retrieve something." Morgana looked at Hadrian with surprise, before he nodded to her, conveying to her what he needed.
"Are you certain about this, Hadrian? You could not control it in the past and the energy that is infused in were literally destroying you." Morgana reminded him, drawing the attention of others.
"What are you talking about?" Wanda asked of her.
"Back when I was first turned into a Nephalem, I went here for about half a year to make sure that I wouldn't be a threat to anyone, and along with me, I also brought the crystalized essences of Chthon that I've ripped out him. After Wundagore and my encounter with him, I had a feeling that one day I would have to fight him or someone like him, only at an even more power, so I decided to prepare for that eventuality." Hadrian stated. "Each of those crystals had enough power to destroy an entire realm if used incorrectly, but that same power could be used to empower and enable someone to stand up against the gods. So Morgana and I… We used the bigger crystal as a power source to create an armor that would enable me to stand up against the likes of Thor at his most powerful form and win."
"We've succeeded, but the end result was even more powerful than we had anticipated, as not even Hadrian was able to properly use the armor without losing control of it. It amplifies his powers many times over, and can withstand nearly anything, from magic to literal death rays, but the sheer amount of power was enough to overwhelm Nephalem when he first tried it." Morgana stated. "We sealed it away in a pocket dimension of my creation and put in special safeties to prevent it ever being exposed to anyone, or it getting out of that realm in some way. It will take us a little time to locate and access it, but I still have reservations about getting it out of there."
"That was before, now I know I can handle it, Morgana." Hadrian assured her, with Morgana deciding to trust her student. "We'll get on with the spell immediately, but you'll have to buy us time."
"Harry, is this armor really that necessary for you fight against Merlin?" Natasha asked of him. "If things are going to be as bad as I fear they will be in there, we'll need down there with us immediately."
"Nat, Merlin broke me, literally." Hadrian stated her with dead serious tone. "And it is not just him that I am worried about. Merlin conspired with forces that would like nothing more than to get a chance to get into our Realm, and if they do then Merlin will become the least of our problems. Even with the power boost I have received, I am not going to be as foolish as I was earlier and I'll bring all the power I can against them."
"Then get on with suiting up, kid." Fury stated, turning to the trio of telepaths. "Alright, ladies, here's the plan..."
Ten minutes later. Hogwarts.
A massive host of Wizards and Witches from all over Magical Britain and even beyond it was assembled in Hogwarts, summoned by the call of their of magic and the one they all believe to be their savior and Father- Merlin. Theia moved onto the hill overlooking bridge and the castle, already observing the patchwork of an army that the man she was now after had gathered in his vain attempt at stopping her, and though the numbers were rather impressive, seeing as both Light and Dark Wizards and Witches have come here. However, for a goddess out for revenge, this simply made it easier for her to deal with them all at once, without having to travel from one place to another and allowed her to deliver justice unto them with full force.
Hogwarts and Hogsmeade were evacuated of all non-combatants, as Theia had felt out the surrounding area, while a horde of magical creatures of dark origins was assembled in the Forbidden Forest, ready to move towards her at a moment's notice. Unlike those which Theia had devoted time and effort to help, these were here because they wanted to be here and to destroy her at the command and behest of their master, with Merlin holding the leash. Towards them, Theia only felt resentment and desire to destroy, for the Great Hierophant has made quite the effort of assembling the worst of all kinds of creatures, who now moved towards her from their hiding spots, signaling to Theia that the Wizarding Kind had found her out.
With a languid manner, Theia diverted her gaze away from the castle for a moment and turned it towards the forest, sensing the deep-rooted corruption, malice and taint in abundance. Once this forest was one of Gaea's personal works, a home for hundreds of thousands of magical creatures where they could live in peace and prosperity, yet with the arrival of the Wizards and Witches, the forest had been changed forever. The Four Founders had built Hogwarts right in the middle of a connection of many magical lines to empower the place and charge it with the energies of Gaea, yet at the same time, they spread from Hogwarts a malefic taint that was picked up by the Forest and it's inhabitants.
Those that recognized the dangers that Hogwarts brought long since had fled, but others weren't so lucky, and many of them had withered away and died, and they were the fortunate ones. The rest were turned into malicious beasts and monsters that prowled this place for centuries, and now they were roused from their lairs and hunting grounds by the will of the malefic Source. Had Theia been given a choice before, she would have sought to help them return back into their original form, but now she saw the depths of their corruption and mutation, as well as the overwhelming taint that persisted in this once holy place. There was no longer any option of simple purification of this place, only purging it of all the evil it held and leaving not a trace of it.
Raising one of her open palms, a small ball of fire was produced by her will, smaller than an infant's fist, yet the moment Theia blew a little air into it, this little fire gained a new form of a literal firestorm. From her hand, the fire of unmatched strength and power was unleashed and flew straight towards the Forbidden Forest, burning away all that it touched with the power of a sun. It took it but a few seconds to reach its target, and once it did, already massive flame spread even more and in a matter of few moments it overtook the entire Forbidden Forest. In less than one minute all of the corruption, taint and malice that was accumulated in there was now being purified and destroyed by the fires of unimaginable power and heat.
Theia gazed at the flame for a few seconds, until she turned away for she sensed that three Wizards and two Witches now approached her. It took her but a moment to recognize her former Parents, her once Godfather, along with Albus Dumbledore and his deputy Minerva McGonagall and it took her even less to recognize why they were here.
"Your hubris impresses me, for you truly think that I will surrender to you and your false God." Theia spoke to them, without even waiting for them to speak up. "I have come to deliver justice upon the Wizarding Kind, and I shall not stop until my work is complete."
"Child, you are confused and beset by an entity that is evil and selfish in its nature." Albus spoke to her as if a grandfather would talk to a little child. "Please, Rose, allow us to help you. Your family is here to…"
"My family is Gaea and Hadrian Black, not these people, Albus Dumbledore. These have caused a great deal of harm and pain to the one I was before my birth." Theia stated with cold tone. "Gaze to your right, and witness what awaits you should you persist in your foolish attempts to conquer what can't be yours. My mind is as clear as the purest water, and my resolve is strong as the core of this world, and there shall be no negotiation or surrender from my part."
"Rose, darling, I get it that we have hurt you, but this was the only way for our family to…" James tried to speak up, but Theia interrupted him.
"You and the rest of your kind shall be silent, James Potter, and you shall listen: surrender Merlin to me now, and I shall spare the lives assembled here by his will. Return the power stolen from Hadrian to me, and I shall spare you two. Give yourselves to the judgement of Gaea, and you shall be spared prosecution." Theia stated to them. "Make your choice now."
"We will not be bullied into surrendering our world into the hands of the one who seeks to demolish it." Dumbledore stated, as he and the others withdrew their wands, with Theia simply smirking a little at them.
"As you wish." And with that said she unleashed a powerful surge of lightning at them, only for them to be teleported away a moment before her attacks reached her. "You may stall me all you wish, Merlin, but like Death, there is no stopping me." Theia stated to her enemy, knowing that he listened from his hiding spot, and in that moment she saw a magical barrier spring up around the massive castle, shielding it from anything that would try to make it's way inside.
With but a wave of her hand, Theia commanded the flames that consumed the Forbidden Forest to converge itself into a one massive formless mass, before sending it against the barrier. The converged fires struck at the barrier with a force of a solar flare, enveloping the entire barrier in itself and seemingly consuming all that that was inside of it. The ground and plantation around it all turned to ashes from sheer heat, yet the barrier stood and protected Hogwarts from the onslaught of fire, and so Theia decided to add to this mix something more.
At her command and will, darkest of clouds had gathered over the shielded Hogwarts, and then they unleashed the concentrated power of the harshest of storms in a single bolt of lightning. And that simple bolt of lightning, containing in itself enough power to destroy an island did its work. The magical barrier popped akin to an air balloon and the sheer shockwave of it dispersed both the clouds and the fires for miles away, with Theia dissipating the flames completely so that they would not cause more destruction.
The path to Hogwarts was opened and she descended from the hill to the bridge and immediately came under the hale of magical attacks of all kinds. Charms, Dark Magic, Transfigurations- all that and more was used against her by the Wizarding Kind, firing it from their safe distance, yet all it bought them was just covering the spot in dust and rubble. Not even bothering to acknowledge their determination, Theia commanded the air to send back all of the spells that were fire upon her back to their casters, before taking control of the magical energies here and used them to completely block all of Wizards and Witches from casting spells.
After that she was now faced with the army of stone statues come to life by the magic, marching towards her, yet with but a wave of her hand, Theia reduced that massive army to nothingness and clouds of dust that were soon carried away by the wind. Moving towards the massive castle across the bridge Theia intended to put an end to this charade as fast as she could, for even her divine patience was now running thin, however Merlin had other ideas, and he demonstrated it right when she reached halfway point. With swiftness and power, from the suddenly appeared portal right in front of her, one of Merlin's Custodians attacked Theia, the wielder of the massive mace appeared as fast as he attacked her with power.
The power of that single one attack was enough to send the young goddess flying from the bridge, but no real damage was actually inflicted, as Theia had put up around herself a defensive field. Yet she was pushed and forced to land on the ashen grounds that mere moments ago were Forbidden Forest. Once more standing firmly upon the land, Theia saw as the portals opened up and from them stepped outside the rest of his Custodians, his unwilling pawns and executioners, and the men who had hurt and brought Hadrian to the brink of his death.
"If you think that just sending your pawns will be enough to stop me, then you are far more deluded than I had originally perceived." Theia stated with fire in her eyes, addressing Merlin, and unexpectedly to her, it had an effect.
Right after she spoke, hundreds more of portals began to appear and open up, spewing out of them its contents and now Theia had realized that she should've probably kept her mouth shut, for she saw hordes upon hordes of demons and monsters of all kinds pour out their realms. In the air and on the ground, the entire space between Theia and Hogwarts was filled to the brim with Merlin's amassed forces, prepared and cultivated just for this moment, and Gaea's daughter had found herself surrounded by them. Creations of Lords of Hell, spawns of Chthon and Set, Fire and Frost Giants, undead armies and possessed Wizards and Witches, mutated into grotesque monsters- all this was prepared to attack in an endless wave of flesh, malice and blood.
Gathering her resolve and powers to fight with all she could, Theia braced for the onslaught, when suddenly multiple new portals opened up all around her, and she witnessed how the Earth's champions and heroes surged from them and struck at the gathered fiends. Avengers and X-Men, gathered together in full numbers and attacked together with coordination and power that caused the endless tides of enemies to buckle and break. And with them came the strongest holders of magic in form of Doctor Strange, Doctor Doom, Scarlet Witch and Morgause, and their combined magical attacks unleashed a true hell upon the invaders. In less than minute, Theia was no longer standing alone, and was now surrounded by those who would seemingly give their lives for her, and at that moment she joined the fight, unleashing the powers of the Earth.
"Theia, this Captain Rogers talking to you telepathically. Sorry for a late entrance, but we had to get through one of those magical barriers. Anyway, Hadrian sent us here to help you, and explained us the situation." Captain America, at that moment fighting alongside Wolverine, Colossus and Black Panther against Custodians, spoke to Theia. "I know you have your priorities, but right now, the further away you are from Merlin, the higher our chances are against him and winning this."
"I… I understand, but these hordes are endless, and the only way to bring an end to them is to attack Merlin directly." Theia stated, unleashing hellfire upon creatures of Hell and relieving Hulk, Giant Man and Hawkeye from them. "You can't maintain this fight indefinitely, and Merlin will not allow you to get close enough to him."
"Yeah, we have figured it out, hence why we are only distracting, until the heavy cavalry arrives." Cyclops chimed in, while his optical blasts were smashing through a giant hybrid of Minotaur and bat, before Vision had torn it apart, letting him change targets. "Anyway, Miss… Theia, I guess, you better stay here with us until that cavalry arrives."
"As you say, but you mentioned Hadrian, is he…" Theia saw a swarm of giant mutated flies carrying thousands of plagues descend upon them, and unleashed a storm of fire and lightning, aided by Storm and Thor, clearing the skies of them and other monsters for but a few moments.
"Don't worry about Hadrian, girl. He's back and is soon to arrive to kick some major ass!" Captain Marvel mentally stated to her, before smashing into the ground near Theia and proceeding to fight alongside her against the incoming enemies. "By the way, name's Carol! Nice to meet you!" Carol introduced herself to Theia, while blasting away hellhounds and curb stomping a Cerberus.
"Theia, pleasure is all mine, Colonel!" Theia responded with excited tone, as she felt the rush of battle start to get her, as she unleashed earth itself against a cohort of blood-skinned swordsmen from Hell.
And from there the battle proceeded and in mere minutes the chaos reigned and once combined and unified force of the heroes were splintered and shattered into smaller units, yet continuing to fight on and trying to tie down the enemies, as well as unite into a single force. While mental communications allowed them to maintain the contact, physical disunity played a bad thing with them as it allowed the enemies to unify and push onto them with more and more numbers. Merlin did indeed has had hundreds of years to gather this uncountable force, and with the unlimited energies of Hogwarts, he could bring in more and more of them, until he had his fill of them. This was a truly desperate and matchless battle, where the few stood against the uncountable and even Gods were being overwhelmed by the enemies that continued their assault even after countless of their predecessors had fallen before them.
At some point Theia and Carol found themselves joined by Black Widow, Iron Man, Cyclops, Mordred, clad in his own armor of silver and red with Clarent in hands, Gorgon and Morgause, clad in black armor and wielding a seemingly corrupted version of Excalibur. The they faced off against the Custodians, with Mordred fighting against Gawain, the shielded knight with Excalibur Galatine as his main arm, while Morgause contended against mace wielding Iwain and armed with two swords Agravain. Gareth, armed with his twin handed axe, was fighting the elusive black widow, while Gaheris with his glaive was going after Theia personally, all the while the minions of Merlin were attacking all of them. In a desperate bid to gain them more time and breathing space, Theia focused inside of her pure magical energy, before unleashing it from herself and evaporating the incoming demons, undead and more, but Custodians were simply thrown away for a meters.
Unfortunately, this and the battle were leaving yet inexperienced goddess winded and two powerful and swift creatures then attacked her, taking her by surprise and knocking her off her feet and in the ground. Groaning from the pain, Theia looked up and saw these two creatures, before recognizing in them James and Lily Potter, her former parents, now transformed into grotesque demonic creatures. They were given the power that Hadrian once possessed, one that he took from Chthon through force and battle, by Merlin, yet these arrogant fools did not even realize just what manner of curse they were now putting upon themselves. Overwhelmed by the might that never should've been given into their hands, they were turned from humans into the things that bore no humanity or even semblance of mind and soul, now guided by things that no human should experience.
Girl's former parents looked at her as if she were a piece of meat and prepared to attack her again, intending to savor her flesh and blood to the fullest, when suddenly a hail of magical arrows was unleashed upon the hordes. Each one exploding in the flash of magical energies that disintegrated and destroyed hundreds of invaders, creating patches and paths for those who were still fighting for the world's safety to link up. Then, from the skies, came their caster, landing right between Theia and her demonized former parents, and the moment he stepped upon the ground, the tide had turned.
A figure with great immensity and power, standing almost as tall as Hulk and with appropriate bulk, clad in rich carmine armor that bore a hybridization of medieval ornate style and modern touch, with gold trim and adorned with the closed winged helm that covered his entire head, stood tall and defiant against the hordes amassed here. Even without seeing whom it was, Theia already knew that it was Hadrian, and that he was here to end this for good. Though his armor appeared to be bulky and clumsy, that initial impression was wrong, and with a swiftness that could not be matched by likewise armored Iron Man, Nephalem grabbed both James and Lily by their throats. And then, with little effort, he drained them of what was taken away from him, reverting them back into their human forms, before tossing their unconscious bodies away, before unleashing at the incoming horde of undead the Chaos wave that evaporated them.
The defenders stood stunned at the display, with Iron Man being the first one to raise his voice.
"You know what, if I wasn't so damn impressed, I'd probably sue you for appropriating my style and bastardizing it to such a degree." Tony Stark joked, with Hadrian chuckling from behind his helm, as he turned to him. "You are a sight for sore eyes, Harry, along with your Blood Angels cosplay. Let me guess, that's "the little Warhammer homage", you've been working on?"
"Not exactly, but what can I say, I'm a guy who likes to take inspiration from the things I like." Hadrian said, before turning to Theia, who smiled to her now significantly taller standing brother. "Are you alright?"
"Better than I was an hour ago, now that you are here." Theia stated to him with a smile. "I feared… That I had lost you."
"I was almost gone, but your mother and I, we've reached an accord and now I'm here to end this, for good." Hadrian stated her, before turning to the Custodians who were preparing to attack them again. "But first, I've got some scores to settle…" And with this, Nephalem manifested four pairs of carmine wings made of his magic, before leaping towards them.
His first target was Iwain, who had swung his mace at Nephalem, yet was unable to reach his mark and so carmine angel of vengeance reached him, grabbing him by the head and smashing him into the ground. With pulse of his magic, Nephalem purged son of Morgana of all the control that Merlin had over him, before releasing him and using his left gauntlet to block and parry an attack from Gaheris, with his weapon leaving not a scratch upon the armor. The moment he was opened, Nephalem reached with his right hand and blasted a pulse of the same energy into his head, liberating the knight, and then diverted his attention to Agravain and Gareth. Both were already in leap to take him down, when the larger man blasted them with his energies, finally freeing them, before turning to attention to Gawain. His shield afforded him protection from magic and his strikes were swift and powerful, but to Nephalem, they were not enough to either deter or stop him in his tracks, and so when Nephalem found his mark, he quite literally grabbed the magical shield away from Gawain and then released him.
The entire exchange took less than three minutes, and in that space of time, Hadrian had avenged his prior defeat and took down Merlin's most prominent and powerful minions, as the others watch in shock and amazement at this display of might and power, though some had a few questions.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but when did Nephalem go from solid 6.2 feet to full 7.5 and gained enough bulk to make Mr. Stalin here look a little underwhelming, no offence." Iron Man asked aloud.
"It's due to the overabundance of magical powers inside of him and need to contain it without causing any harm to his body, hence it adapted to a greater bulk and height so as a response to his increased power." Morgana Le Fay appeared from the portal, explaining to them the reason for it. "Same thing had happened with Hadrian when he obtained Chaos power and had to use magic to maintain his normal bulk, until he figured out how to use his metamorphic abilities to regain his usual stature. Now, he'll need to do the same thing again, only taking into equation his increased power." Morgana stated to them, before moving towards her released sons.
"Basically, he can smash things better now, hence why he is bigger and taller." Hulk summed it up in a way that had left quite a few of them impressed. "Speaking of smashing, there's still quite a lot of it to be done! HULK SMASH!" Hulk leapt from his spot and landed with a roar, causing a small earthquake to take place, as he smashed the incoming hordes of demons.
"Strange, Doom, Morgause, get to work on that anti-teleportation field ASAP! Everyone else, cover them and don't let anyone interrupt them!" Nephalem reached out mentally to the others and gave out orders, before summoning his reforged Caliburn, scaled up to accommodate his increased size, and then going to town with it.
And so again the heroes of Earth leapt into the fray, with Nephalem leading the charge, as he laid waste to the untold numbers of creatures that were summoned here, his weapon knowing neither mercy nor rest. Though it was once a ceremonial sword and not as fit for war as say Excalibur, Caliburn now was an entirely different beast, as it struck it's targets with power and might that rivaled and surpassed that of Excalibur. Mordred personally could attest to the fact that the newly reforged weapon was quite clearly superior to the one he saw his father wield and surpassed Excalibur, something that he had thought was a feat that could accomplished by gods alone.
For the armies of Merlin, however, Nephalem appeared as nothing short of God of War and Vengeance made incarnate, as he stopped at nothing to bring them down cohorts of the monsters and demons. Flying upwards he decapitated with a single swing an Ice Giant and forced it to fall down upon the ground, crushing down smaller enemies beneath, before Nephalem dived down and landed in the midst of his enemies, his blade blazing with bright carmine power. What followed them some described as a vortex of slaughter and death, as Nephalem brought death to hundreds, delivering deathblows in abundance, while others felt inspired and elated to have him at their side.
The trio of powerful magicians worked their wonders to create the barrier that would close the portals, and once Morgana was done healing her sons, she joined their efforts and their work was made easier. Ten minutes after the battle had commenced again, the magical barrier that was an artificer's work was erected and in that moment the fate of Merlin's forces was sealed, as the portals distorted and popped out of existence in explosions of magical energy, disintegrating the nearby creatures. This was when the battle turned from a possible victory to an assured one, for after that Scarlet Witch, Morgause, Morgana and Theia unleashed their combined magical might upon the remnants of Merlin's armies that he had brought to bear. The pure magical energy saw them either banished or disintegrated from this world for good, and once more the road was cleared for them to go to Hogwarts.
"Alright, time for the final boss." Hawkeye commented, before Theia stopped them with her raised hand.
"Wait, Hogwarts is deserted, completely, and yet I sense…" Theia was about to speak up, but then a powerful and massive earthquake stopped her.
"What the hell is going on? How is there an earthquake in Scotland?" Wolverine cried out with anger, as he tried to stay on his feet.
"It is not an earthquake. It's Hogwarts." Nephalem replied, as he and some others looked at the castle and what was happening to it.
The magnificent castle of Hogwarts seemingly ripped from the very ground and floated into the air, before all of its structures and buildings that comprised it began to collapse and break under the will of some kind of unknown force. The broken down stone and wood began to reform and take new shape and forms, and before long, it had assumed its final form of a massive, hulking and grotesque construct in shape of a gorilla, standing well over a hundred meters and being just as wide, casting a shadow over the heroes and blocking out the sun for them. And the monster's ethereal red eyes looked down upon the heroes, zeroing in on them and preparing to crush them with his manifested might.
"What… What just happened?" Captain America asked, struggling to comprehend what they were now facing off.
"Merlin… He had fused Hogwarts with one of the greater demons of Hell, making it possess Hogwarts and now reshape it in the form that suited its needs." Hadrian explained, recalling his lessons in demonology, as the massive monster began to bear down on them. "To maintain his presence in our realm, he needs an anchor that acts as his access point in this world, and for a demon of his power and size, it is a really big one."
"Then all we have do to is find that anchor in him and destroy it, without it destroying us in the process." Cyclops surmised.
"Finding it is not a problem, it is where a normal gorilla would have its heart, I can sense it pulsing with power." Morgause stated, relaying the information through the telepathy.
"Then we have to break through its stone armor to reach that heart and destroy it." Cyclops was thinking of the ways on how to accomplish it, before deciding to ask Nephalem. "You don't suppose SHIELD has any super-powered weapons that could turn this thing into a pile of rubble?"
"Did I hear that right, or are you actually asking SHIELD for help?" Hadrian asked with a joking manner, with Cyclops giving him a deadpan glance. "Cyclops, if I didn't know you any better, I'd say that the Boy Scout is finally growing up."
"Yeah, yeah, I was a jerk, I get it. Look, you wanna go ahead and fight it, be my guest, but I'd much rather finish this thing quickly, without letting Merlin come up with any more tricks." Cyclops said to him. "So, does SHIELD have any doomsday bombs for it or not?"
"Not exactly a bomb, but a gun we do have for these kinds of things." Hadrian responded, before nodding to Strange to teleport them away from the place. "Fury, you got the picture. Bring the hammer down." Hadrian reached out with telepathy to Fury, before teleporting a good distance away from the monster, before it literally stomped them out existence.
Five kilometers above that very place, an experimental Helicarrier has taken position and adjusted its course, before it began to power up its main armament, consisting of single large cannon, which corrected its aim. One of the latest Potter-Black Enterprises weapons labs' developments, it an experimental type of weapon that could literally decimate entire countries if used incorrectly, hence when the SHIELD taken into as their new weapon, it required the approval of the UN World Security Council and Director of the SHIELD to be fired. A last resort weapon meant to only be used in the worst-case scenario, and Merlin was considered one such scenario and so Fury was given permission to fire it.
Once the charging process of it was complete, the weapon made its shot, spewing out a singular beam of particle energy of the color of a sun, which at the speed close to light speed hit the target. Any religious person who saw this would compare it to the literal power of a god, for the ray of light disintegrated everything that was in range of its effective use, with Hogwarts turning into nothing more but a cloud of ashes, while the surrounding area became a literal glass field with 5 kilometers in diameter. This was just one tenth of the power weapon, yet just that was already enough to instill the very fear of mankind into any of its enemy.
The heroes observed from a distance the display of power that SHIELD possessed from a safe distance on a hill, shielded from the shockwave and heat by Hadrian and his magical shield.
"Okay… That works too." Cyclops commented, once the heat wave passed and the shield dropped. "Why didn't you start up from that thing?"
"Because that thing needed to first get to the place, then charge up the weapon and then get a good enough fix on it all, plus it is an experimental particle cannon that utilizes an artificial pseudo-sun as its main power source. It takes time and effort to make it work without causing an explosion that would make Tsar Bomba look like little petard by comparison." Hadrian explained to him. "Do you happen to have a Master's Degree in Thermo-nuclear physics and engineering?"
"Nope." Cyclops replied honestly admitting to that.
"The question is, did we get the bastard with that gun?" Wolverine asked, coming closer to Nephalem, who shook his head.
"No, he escaped, along with the rest of those idiots. He probably realized that he is not going to win against us all, but I can still smell his presence upon the Earth, so he is still on it and not in some other dimension." Hadrian stated.
"He is in the Ministry of Magic." Theia stated, drawing the attention to her. "He teleported there, and now Mother is denying him leave from Earth." Nephalem turned to her, and even from his armored helmet, everyone could see what he was about to do.
Ten minutes later. Ministry of Magic.
The moment Nephalem and his companions made it to the Ministry via teleportation Nephalem unleashed his power and bound all of the Wizards and Witches in this massive complex of a building to his will through their magic. Forcing them down on their knees and unable to do a single thing, they were only allowed to watch as the Destroyer of Gods walked past them and moved to their supposed Great Savior, who looked with shock and horror at the man whom he had thought was destroyed, yet now… Now was here and mightier than he could have possibly imagined.
All of the attempts at escape that Merlin had made were in vain, for none of his portals opened, and what was worse Yamato had refused to even as much obey his commands and will. The sword appeared to have a mind of its own, or at least what constituted it, for the moment it sensed that Nephalem was alive and well, it had stopped to react to Merlin's will. The bond of synergy may have been broken, but Yamato's loyalties clearly were not so easily dashed away, and this was how he paid for hurting his chosen master, by denying him access to its might and power.
After making his way and stopping just a few meters away from Merlin, Hadrian spoke to the Hierophant.
"There is no more escape for you, Merlin. Your plans have been dashed away, your armies broken and now even Gaea herself stands against you." Nephalem stated to him.
"And do you think, that just because you have gained her favor and grow into a brutish thug in this paltry of an armor, I should surrender myself to you?" Merlin chuckled with arrogance, as he channeled his powers. "Foolish child, do you think that I, Great Merlin, will allow myself to be taken by the likes of you!" And with this, the Great Hierophant unleashed his mighty magic against Hadrian, striking him with the combined power of all the energies he had gathered over millennia.
A surge of power had spilled from a magical circle and hit Hadrian squarely, enveloping him in the unbearable tidal wave, with the force of the impact shattering the ground and walls around them. Yet even this onslaught seemed to be nothing more than a nuisance to Nephalem, as he made his way to the Hierophant through the continuous assault, his armor protecting him from all of it. And once he was in reach of him, his massive hand formed into the fist and then he backhanded him, sending him flying through the atrium and into the fountain. The magical circle closed the moment Merlin's form crashed through the fountain and landed behind it, with Nephalem disintegrating the entire object just to let him through, before grabbing Merlin again by his head and raising his injured and broken form above himself.
"The Great Hierophant Merlin, always one to allow or make others do your own job for you, unable to bring yourself to do it yourself, and look where it has gotten you. A single backhanded strike and you are reduced to this…" Nephalem commented, as he gripped the struggling True Source tighter in his fist, close to crushing his skull completely. "You should've finished me off when you had the chance, instead of stealing my power and leaving me broken. I won't make the same mistake." And with that, Nephalem unleashed his power upon Merlin, breaking through all of his defenses and having his revenge.
In a mere moment Yamato was once again reunited with his master, their bond restored and strengthened to the new reaches, and then Hadrian reclaimed the power that Merlin had taken from him. And once he had it, he paid the Hierophant with the same coin he paid him, by taking away from him every single ounce of his magic, knowledge and power that he possessed and claimed for himself, and once all of Merlin's mind and soul were purged of it, then Nephalem had allowed him to die. He didn't do him the dignity or honor of using magic, no… Instead, he simply tightened his grip upon Merlin's head and popped it like it was a tomato, exploding it and drenching him in it's contents, before wiping those away with magic. Thus was the end of the man who had created the Wizarding World, unglorified and barbaric despite all of his pomp and seeming greatness, oddly similar to how his creation came to be. And now that he was through with this, it came time to finalize the Hour of Reckoning.
Summoning Caliburn once again into his hand, Hadrian transformed his form back into his more normal self, only instead of his usual dark purple Victorian coat, he now wore a rich carmine one, with golden ornamentation and details, with black vest and white shirt underneath it all. His sword returned to the scale that was appropriate to him and he moved to the place where he saw Dumbledore, Fudge and Amelia, all on their knees as his magic compelled them. Stopping before them, Hadrian spoke.
"And now, there is only the matter of you to deal with." Hadrian stated, allowing those three to speak.
"Just finish it already, you monster." Amelia spat out at him. "You've been waiting for a long time, haven't you? Just kill us and be done with it, like you did with your parents."
"James and Lily are alive, and I would've thought you knew me better than this, Amelia. Then again, I guess neither of us really knew much about one another." Hadrian commented. "But if there is one thing you are correct about, is that I have been looking forward to this particular event."
"P-please, have mercy on us!" Fudge cried out in fear.
"H-Harry, I understand that you are angry, but for the Greater Good…" Dumbledore tried to speak up, but was interrupted by Nephalem.
"I have no need in your excuses or your pleas for mercy. The Hour of Judgement has come, and I am Gaea's judge and executioner." Hadrian stated, as Theia, Morgana, Morgause, Wanda, Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom assembled around him, and together began to cast their magic. "It is time for the verdict and your condemnation." And with this, Hadrian gripped Caliburn with both hands, bringing it in front him, as he closed his eyes and allowed the combined might of his powers and the magic of Gaea to fill his weapon.
Connecting to all of the living creatures and the very life force and magical energies of this world through the ritual that was being performed, Hadrian's eyes blazed with carmine, as he saw his weapon blaze with golden light, as the power was assembled and now ready to be put to use. With an elegant and swift action, Nephalem plunged the mighty blade into the ground, unleashing into world and from it a wave of energy of unprecedented power and might. The very laws of reality and existence were broken and written again upon the Earth in that very instant, as Gaea's Angel of Vengeance has done her will and accomplished the task she sat upon him, to judged and punish the Wizarding World, and so he did just that. In that very instance, the Wizarding World had finally seized to exist, and once again, the world was whole as it should have been from the start, and the punished received their due.
Withdrawing his blade from the ground, Hadrian also withdrew his power from all of the Wizards and Witches that were present in there, yet none of them had dared to rise, for they all felt something change in them, permanently and irrevocably. Amelia was the first one to look at her former boyfriend and ask him.
"What… What have you done to us?" She asked of him, feeling as if she was no longer in control of herself on some level. "You… You enslaved us…" She realize what Hadrian did.
"You've strayed away from Gaea and her tenets, and for this you now will pay by serving her. From this moment on, all Wizards and Witches and those that shall join you through birth or choice shall all be connected to Gaea, for she is now the source of your magic, for all eternity." Hadrian stated to them. "Your allowed magic and power is now gone, and now all of you will need Gaea to use it, from the smallest of spells to your greatest conjurations. Try and deny her will in any form or manner, and your magic is forfeit forever. And those who had long since abused your right, were now deprived of it completely and without any return, like you, Dumbledore." Hadrian stated to them.
"You… You took away from us all our birthright." Dumbledore realize what Hadrian had done. "You made us slaves to another and now expect us to follow her commands?"
"Your very magic will compel you to do it, Dumbledore. It was either that, or immediate death of all that were guilty and not. I chose to decimate your kind and destroy those who were truly deserving of death and punishment, while you lucked out with enslavement." Hadrian stated to him. "58 thousand 211 souls died, with 489 thousand 998 were deprived of magic, so that the rest were allowed to live and adapt to the real world."
"What… What do you mean the real world?" Amelia asked of him with fear.
"Exactly what I mean, Amelia. The Wizarding World, your little paradise- it is over and gone. From now on, every single soul on this planet knows about you, about what you did and what has been done to you, and what had happened." Hadrian stated to them, with Iron Man projecting holograms of the news, showing that all over the world the people discovered the magic and all that, showing life footage of Diagon Alley, Magical Paris and so much more. "No charms, no hiding spells nothing… Welcome to the real world." And with this, Hadrian finally turned away from them and walked towards the real world.
He has done what was tasked of him, and with this relatively small blood on his hands, he had ended the travesty that was the Wizarding World, fulfilling the prophecy that Morgause Le Fay had made to Merlin about his end.
And so ended the era of folly, not with devastation or death, but with the reveal of truth, and now eternal servitude to the one they had denied and believed to have been their right from birth.
The Hour of Reckoning was over.
The End of the Wizarding World… It has come, and while I do know that all of you had expected there to be far more death and all that, but honestly, the type of enslavement that Hadrian had subjected the Wizarding Kind to in some ways is worse than death. Now they don't draw magic from themselves, but from Gaea herself, and should she desire so, she would deprive them all of it, taking away their birthrights and freedom that they were accustomed to it as we are to breathing air. And yeah, Hadrian had executed the worst of them, which were quite a lot, and took away the magic of those who deserved it, in other words, nobody was spared the judgement.
I shall keep it brief and I would like to thank you all for your support of this story and me personally, as it had allowed me to finally complete this arc before the coming of the New Year. I am doubly glad so because from the 13th of January I will be having my exams until the end of the month, and I will not be able to post, just like the last time. If I am lucky, I will get out another chapter, depicting the aftermath of Hadrian's actions, but I make no promises.
Anyway, as always, thank you all for your continuous support, and please leave a comment, question, suggestion and more, for I enjoy the feedback from people.
Happy New Year to you all!
Next time: Aftermath.
See ya!