Marvel: You Call This A Sorcerer?

At this time, Loki and Sylvie, who were in the Void, had already subdued Alioth, broke through the time barrier, and arrived at the place holding the TVA's biggest secret.

Kang the Conqueror's doorstep.

A purple castle hidden within the temporal stream.

The two approached the castle entrance with apprehensive hearts.

The ruined castle doors were tightly shut.

Judging by the looks of it, the castle seemed to have existed for an immeasurable number of years.

The two got close, took a look at the door, and exchanged glances.

They both had a feeling that the TVA's biggest secret was hidden inside.

Sylvie extended her right hand, wanting to break down the door in front of her.

However, before they could do anything, the door slowly opened on its own.

Without saying a word, Sylvie prepared to rush in, but Loki stopped her.

"Wait!"

"Don't you think it's not that simple?"

Loki grabbed Sylvie's arm, an obvious look of hesitation on his face.

Sylvie looked puzzled.

She couldn't understand why Loki would have such a thought.

"We've made it this far, and now, because of a door, we're going to stop?"

"And then just turn back?"

"Have you forgotten what that other Loki sacrificed for us?"

Sylvie looked at Loki, her tone unconsciously rising.

The "other Loki" she mentioned was the elder Loki who had sacrificed himself to distract Alioth so they could reach here.

He was the only casualty of this mission, and also the most heroic.

Loki opened his mouth, remembering the Asgard conjured by old Loki's illusions in his final moments.

Combined with what he had seen of his "future," Loki felt confused.

"No, I'm not saying we should stop."

"I'm just saying that it won't be so simple in there."

"We can't just blindly charge forward."

In front of his beloved, Loki would never admit to being afraid.

Of course, this wasn't really cowardice.

After all, there were too many things he needed to consider.

But Sylvie remained silent, simply watching Loki to understand what he was worried about.

"From the beginning, I've felt like everything has been an illusion."

"Whether it's me right now or everything I've experienced, nothing feels real."

"And also, that man with the Infinity Gauntlet, filled with Infinity Stones!"

"His identity remains a mystery to me!"

Loki turned around, still the most concerned about Ronan.

Ronan had left an extremely deep impression on him.

It wasn't just because he saw Ronan wielding Infinity Gauntlets that shattered his worldview.

"More importantly, he had encountered him even before coming to the TVA."

"Those time agents watched him take the Tesseract, yet not one of them tried to capture him."

"Which means he's not a time criminal but someone who can freely enter and leave the TVA."

Loki still remembered when he was taken away by Hunter B-15.

Ronan was standing right beside him, holding the Tesseract.

Yet, the time agents chose to capture Loki, not Ronan.

"I don't know why he has so many Infinity Stones."

"But if he wanted to kill us, we would have died back on that planet."

"Which means he's not here to hinder our plan."

Sylvie took a step forward.

Unlike the hesitant Loki, Sylvie was far more decisive.

When she set her mind to something, she would see it through to the end.

"We have no proof, do we?"

"Not only do we have to guard against an already likely enemy, but we also have to face an unknown entity who's never been mentioned within the TVA."

"Can we really win that easily?"

This was what Loki feared the most.

Again, Sylvie gave no response, simply pushing the door open and walking in.

Loki had no choice. He couldn't let Sylvie go in alone, so he quickly followed her.

Since they'd already entered, his worries could only stay bottled up inside.

Ronan, sitting in the castle, watched the scene with interest.

If he remembered correctly, the "normal storyline" shouldn't be like this.

Sylvie was supposed to be the confused, anxious one, hesitating for the first time, while Loki showed no hesitation at all.

But this time, the roles were reversed—Loki was the one filled with unease, while Sylvie was unnaturally calm.

It seemed that Ronan's presence had changed something between the two.

This piqued Ronan's interest.

The scene continued.

As they entered the castle, the large doors slowly closed.

The first thing they saw was two statues standing on either side, with a dark passageway in between.

Other than that, there was absolute silence.

This was...

Loki keenly noticed the two statues.

He could be sure that these weren't the statues of the Time Keepers.

At the very least, the number didn't match.

"Hello there!"

At that moment, Miss Minutes suddenly appeared before them.

The unexpected voice caused both to draw their weapons, breaking out in a cold sweat.

When they realized it was Miss Minutes, they couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

"It's you?"

Sylvie asked in a low voice.

"Welcome to the Citadel at the End of Time. Congratulations on making it here after such a long journey."

Miss Minutes floated in the air, her voice adorably cheerful.

But Loki watched her cautiously, signaling Sylvie as they both moved to change their positions.

Loki's intelligence had once again taken the lead.

"He is impressed," Miss Minutes said, hitting the key point.

"Who is impressed?"

Sylvie moved along with Loki, and although she asked, she was almost certain that this "he" was the mastermind behind everything.

All she wanted was a name.

"He Who Remains."

Miss Minutes gave them a name.

"Who is that?"

"Is it the person I saw before?"

Loki asked Miss Minutes, immediately thinking of Ronan.

Ronan, watching the live feed, couldn't help but tug at the corners of his mouth.

Why did every suspicion end up on him!

All he did was scare Loki with Infinity Stones once.

Why was Loki holding such a grudge?

Sure, he used double the Infinity Stones...

"He created and controls everything here, but now only he remains."

"He wants to make a deal with you two."

Miss Minutes spread her arms.

It seemed that Kang the Conqueror was making good on his promise—letting Ronan watch a complete performance.

"He has been making creative adjustments, and he's succeeded."

"Now, without causing any damage, we can put you both back on your timelines."

Miss Minutes—or rather, Kang—proposed an enticing deal.

For these two, what could be more desirable than returning to a normal life?

They had fought for so long, wasn't this what they wanted?

"Without causing any damage?"

Sylvie repeated.

"So the TVA can continue its important work."

"And you can live the lives you've always dreamed of."

It was a blatant temptation.

"What's the life we've always dreamed of?"

Loki couldn't help but ask.

It seemed like he was asking Miss Minutes, but it also seemed like he was asking himself.

What was it that they had always longed for?

"Don't play dumb, sir. Isn't your failure because you arrogantly thought you could easily defeat the Avengers, and thus failed?"

"Do you want to win?"

"Do you want the throne of Asgard? It's yours."

"Want the Infinity Gauntlet? Take it."

"Want to kill Thanos? Now's your chance."

Every question Miss Minutes asked hit Loki hard.

These were all his regrets, things he'd realized after seeing his own future.

If he returned to normal, he could even save his mother, prevent her from dying because of him.

And so, he was silent.

"And you, young lady?"

"Years of running, loneliness, despair—don't you want to wake up tomorrow with countless happy memories?"

"Like, perhaps, two Lokis, on the same timeline..."

Miss Minutes presented the most tempting offer.

The two of them... could be together!

"Yes, it's crazy, but it's possible."

"Everything you want, everything you desire, you can have."

"Together."

Miss Minutes continued to tempt the two.

Sitting in front of the "TV," Ronan couldn't help but look intrigued.

It seemed Kang the Conqueror knew how to play his cards well.

If, at this moment, the two agreed to Kang's offer, what would happen next?

But it was quite simple.

If they agreed, Miss Minutes would let them in and tell them that all they had to do was kill him, and they'd get everything they wanted.

Kang's plan would still be complete.

After his death, the TVA would likely disband or fall into Ronan's hands.

What Ronan chose to do next would be beyond his control.

After all, the promises of adults, even when written down, often mean nothing.

"That's not realistic."

"My fate is mine to decide."

The first line was from Sylvie; the second from Loki.

After they said these two sentences, Miss Minutes shrugged in an exaggerated manner and left a line, "Knew you'd say that," before disappearing instantly.

The expressions on Loki and Sylvie's faces nearly made Ronan burst out laughing.

They were filled with confusion, disbelief, and perhaps a hint of regret.

As if to say, "Couldn't you tempt us a little more?"

If you pushed just a bit harder, maybe we would've agreed!

What kind of tactic was this? Just casually saying, "Come back, and we'll talk"?

Honestly, even as an observer, Ronan could tell they were tempted.

Their final responses were just an act of defiance.

But they didn't expect that with just a little pushback, the other side would withdraw entirely.

It defied logic!

Perhaps Kang the Conqueror realized their hesitation, so he quickly had Miss Minutes retreat.

The scene was a bit too comical.

Ronan took several deep breaths, trying to control his twitching lips.

How should he put it? Kang had indeed given him a good show.

"Let's go."

Loki took a deep breath. At this point, they had no choice but to keep moving forward.

Walking through the long hallway, they vigilantly looked around.

Until they arrived at a room.

Inside, three statues stood in a triangular arrangement, the ground broken, stones scattered everywhere, as if it had witnessed a fierce battle.

The thick dust on the statues indicated no one had been here in a long time.

Thunk.

Suddenly, a sound caught their attention.

They immediately turned toward the source of the noise.

Ding.

The sound of an elevator arriving echoed.

In an instant, Sylvie and Loki drew their weapons, pointing at the elevator.

Kang the Conqueror appeared before them.

"He Who Remains?"

Sylvie blurted out.

"He Who Remains?"

"She's still calling me that?"

"How terrifying."

Kang smiled slightly, taking a pear from his pocket and biting into it.

His relationship with Miss Minutes seemed different from the rest of the TVA.

To some extent, the two seemed to have an unusual bond.

"Can we talk in my office?"

"I have a surprise for you."

Kang tilted his head toward the elevator, inviting them in.

Loki and Sylvie exchanged glances, cautiously holding their weapons as they slowly approached Kang.

They got into the elevator.

Even with Kang standing with his back to them, neither let their guard down.

The man's demeanor was simply too strange.

Instead of being a sinister villain boss, he came across as a friendly comedian.

It defied all logic!

"Am I that surprising to you?"

Kang's tone carried a hint of amusement.

"No, it just seems easier to kill you now."

Sylvie responded with an iron determination.

Her words were just a way to muster courage for both of them.

Riding in an elevator with the final boss—how could they not be nervous?

Swipe!

In the next moment, Sylvie appeared to be attacked, and Kang's laughter echoed.

But his laughter came from behind them!

Before they could react, Sylvie was attacked again.

At this point, they both drew their blades, launching an attack at Kang.

Yet Kang had vanished from the elevator.

Boom!

The elevator shook, followed by the familiar "ding" sound.

They had arrived.

Both panted heavily, staring at the slowly opening elevator doors, where Kang once again stood outside.

"Please, come in."

Kang beckoned, stepping inside first.

His mannerisms were like that of a child.

Ronan, sitting in the office, couldn't help but purse his lips. He felt that this Kang had a split personality.

Seeing everything unfold, Ronan couldn't help but think Kang was either completely mad or deeply troubled.

What villain boss behaves like this?!

With a skeptical attitude, Loki and Sylvie cautiously walked out of the elevator.

They still held their weapons, appearing incredibly alert.

The "conflict" in the elevator had revealed Kang's abilities.

This teleportation ability—Loki had only seen it in one other person.

And that person was...

Wait!

As Loki stepped out of the elevator, the first thing he saw was Ronan sitting to the side, smiling at him!

That smile, that look, that gesture—Loki knew them all too well!

So well that every sleepless night, that smile haunted his thoughts.

The man with the Infinity Gauntlets, filled with Infinity Stones.

Instinctively, Loki looked at Ronan's hands.

When he saw they were empty, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

But soon, a new question formed in his mind.

"What are you doing here?!"

Loki blurted out.

Obviously, he was questioning Ronan!

"If I said it was a coincidence, would you believe me?"

"Plus, I was invited by him."

Ronan pointed toward Kang. It really was a coincidence.

And yes, Ronan had been invited by Kang to watch the show.

Ronan was telling the truth.

But Loki wouldn't believe such a flimsy explanation.

A coincidence?

A coincidence, my foot!

"Are you the mastermind?"

Sylvie stepped forward, her voice filled with accusation.

Knowing that this couple would soon be saying goodbye, Ronan didn't feel the need to get angry.

"How could I be the mastermind?"

"Look at my hands, how clean they are!"

Ronan extended his hands with a look of grievance, merely trying to convey that he wasn't the mastermind.

Nothing else!

Absolutely nothing!

Kang, standing to the side, pouted, feigning a wounded expression.

"I understand now!"

At that moment, Loki suddenly exclaimed.

With a face filled with realization, he looked at Ronan, then at Kang.

He seemed to have grasped the truth about the entire timeline.

The others, including Ronan, turned their attention to Loki.

And then Loki spoke the words that left everyone stunned.