Even without knowing exactly what was happening, Kurohane was sure this was part of a plot he recognized. The Ancient One—he could almost picture her subtle, hidden smile—was probably just faking her fall from the building, hiding somewhere to watch. But the question that hung in the air was: Should he kill Kaecilius?
The Justice Points were tempting, but killing a powerful villain destined for Doctor Strange could trigger unforeseen consequences. Without him, Strange's turning point to become Sorcerer Supreme might never happen. Or, worse, The Ancient One had deliberately orchestrated all of this so Kurohane would be trapped in that role forever.
"Where is The Ancient One?" Kurohane decided on the safest course of action. He had scanned the Sanctum with his telepathy, but found no trace of her. Given her formidable power, caution was the best option.
Kaecilius's monstrous face was filled with madness. The dark circles under his eyes were proof of pacta sunt servanda (an agreement that must be kept). "The Ancient One? The one who secretly stole power from the Dark Dimension, she has now fallen into the abyss!"
Kurohane felt a powerful sense of déjà vu. He understood the plot: The Ancient One wanted to retire. She needed a successor. But Kurohane didn't want to get trapped in that role. With a flick of his finger, a cracked spatial wall appeared and slammed toward Kaecilius.
Kaecilius was shocked. He didn't expect such a great sorcerer to ignore all fighting etiquette. Kurohane launched an attack after just a single sentence. Kaecilius's dark energy surged, conjuring a long blade of black energy. Just as he was about to attack, he was hit by the spatial wall.
Kurohane sighed, his eyes narrowing. "Dark energy really makes people stupid," he muttered to himself, his voice sounding annoyed. "The Dimension Mirror isn't an offensive spell; it's clearly a skill for control. I figured you'd be fine just by running two steps to the side, but you tried to cut through it instead..."
Kurohane noticed Kaecilius didn't have a Sling Ring on his hand. He couldn't open a portal. He would just be trapped there. Kurohane couldn't use Holy Energy to bind him. Kaecilius was already too far gone, he had turned "black." Holy Energy was like sulfuric acid to him, a simple touch would hurt, and deeper contact would kill.
He checked on Kaecilius inside the Dimension Mirror, finding that he was already trying to contact Dormammu. Kaecilius was indeed skilled at controlling the Dimension Mirror, but the mirror Kurohane had created was reinforced with Holy Energy. Kaecilius was like trying to contact Dormammu from inside the Holy Dimension. Forget Dormammu feeling it, he wouldn't even dare to look for trouble in the Holy Dimension. If he could confront the Holy Dimension, he would have succeeded in devouring Earth years ago.
Kurohane looked around the New York Sanctum. The place was desolate. The magic circles that protected against dimensional invasions were destroyed. The sorcerers on duty had already left. Kurohane finally understood why Kaecilius was here, he was hunting Stephen Strange.
The Mind Stone in his Infinity Gauntlet glowed yellow. Kurohane's mental power surged, seemingly endless. Instantly, that power covered the entire city. He successfully found the unfortunate man lying in a hospital bed.
Stephen Strange's body lay helpless on the bed. The stab wound from the surprise attack was gaping open. Next to him, a female doctor named Christine Palmer looked incredibly anxious. Her hands, holding a scalpel and suture kit, were trembling. She kept muttering, "Calm down, calm down..."
Meanwhile, Strange's soul was fighting another one of Dormammu's followers in the astral plane. The two of them fought with simple but effective punches and kicks.
Christine struggled to finish her sutures, but her trembling hands were uncontrollable.
"Need a hand, beautiful lady?"
Christine jumped, dropping her suture needle into Strange's wound. She turned in horror, staring at Kurohane who had appeared like a ghost. "Who are you? How did you get in?! Are you... are you one of them, too? I won't let you hurt him!"
She gripped a sharp scalpel, bravely protecting Strange. Although Stephen Strange's words were often infuriating, Christine's love for him was clearly sincere.
"I'm not a bad person. Look behind you," Kurohane smiled faintly, stepping back to show he had no ill intent. Christine hesitated, then turned. She saw the needle that had just fallen into Strange's wound now floating out, then hovering in front of her chest.
Christine's eyes widened, filled with astonishment. "What the... Am I hallucinating? I'm sure that needle had a face..."
Nevertheless, the scene convinced her. She believed Kurohane had no ill intentions, otherwise, that needle could have just pierced Strange's heart.
"So, you're a friend of Stephen's?" she asked.
"You could say I'm his senior. Or... senior! Do you understand that word?"
"Understood!"
"Then carry on. Save him." A strange smile was on Kurohane's face, making Christine feel uneasy.
"Can you... can you help him?" Christine asked awkwardly, her heart full of hope. "He seems to be fighting a bad guy right now!"
"Of course. But... you're the one who can help him."
"Me?!" Christine was shocked. Her mind raced. Would she also get superpowers? But Kurohane's next words shattered her hopeful bubble.