Malrick reached out and placed his hand on Arishem the Judge's massive shoulder.
The two figures looked incongruous — as if a powerful leader visited a remote outpost and placed a reassuring hand on a subordinate's back, almost like he was checking if a child had done their holiday homework.
"Arishem the Judge, what makes you decide to destroy Earth without even seeking the truth?" Malrick asked.
Despite his size, Malrick's posture conveyed authority, the calm confidence of a being who had witnessed countless cosmic events.
Arishem's aura flickered, as though disturbed. "Do you realize, Malrick, that Tiamut has already begun to emerge with my aid in another location?"
Malrick frowned. "And you—you destroy worlds without investigating. You abandon the very rules of the Universe. Are you trying to tear it apart? Is Eternity forcing your hand?"
Arishem swallowed, his voice softer than before. "I… I judged too quickly. I assumed the Celestial seed on this planet had been corrupted."
As a Judge of the Celestials, Arishem was deeply bound to cosmic law. Under Malrick's quiet but firm scrutiny, he admitted, "On a different Earth, I encountered a witch, Agatha. She absorbed the power of several gods, even Celestials like me."
Malrick regarded him, his expression neutral but sharp. "Agatha? Absorbing Celestials? That sounds impossible."
Arishem nodded, regret in his voice. "Because of her, and in fear of your power, I acted rashly."
Silence hung between them. Malrick considered the story: his own Black Light Clone had once drawn energy from ten Eternals to devour Tiamut's flesh and blood. Perhaps Agatha had used a similar method — she drained multiple Eternals, then tapped into Tiamut's latent goodwill toward Earth to leech off the Celestial.
The cosmos was a strange place: a mortal could become a destroyer of worlds in the right conditions.
Malrick shook his head. "Even if that's true, Arishem, your actions were wrong from the start."
He waved his hand, drawing the Sun and the major planets from his inner world and repositioning them to their rightful orbits. He then used the Space and Reality Stones to restabilize the gravitational balance in the solar system. Finally, he released Tiamut, who had just completed the Emergence.
As soon as Tiamut arose, its psychic power reverberated across the system, its voice echoing in Malrick's mind: "Stop! Malrick helped me!"
Malrick's form glowed, transforming into a towering Abstract Entity. His right hand rested reassuringly on Arishem's shoulder — the image of a wise leader gently guiding a subordinate.
Tiamut stared. "So… Malrick, you know Arishem?"
Malrick nodded. "We crossed paths in conflict. Arishem is now apologizing for his earlier rashness."
Tiamut's voice was full of relief and gratitude. "You didn't just help me — you saved billions of lives."
Arishem kept silent, his gaze locked on Tiamut, puzzled by nothing seeming amiss in the Celestial's appearance. It looked fully formed, complete, without any obvious flaws.
"How… you emerged, Earth still intact?" Arishem asked, bewildered.
Malrick spoke quietly. "I used the Infinity Stones to provide Tiamut with the energy he needed."
Arishem's voice rose, thunderous. "That's absurd! You're violating cosmic law."
In the mental domain, his words carried weight. "We Celestials combined our power, triggered a cosmic rebirth beyond the six singularities to create this Universe. We created stars, seeded life. Intelligent beings grow, procreate, and nurture new gods. That cycle — death and rebirth — is how we maintain cosmic balance."
He paused, then added sharply, "By breaking that cycle, you disrupt the order."
Tiamut's voice trembled. "If my birth causes Earth's destruction and the death of billions, I'd rather not be born."
Arishem held firm. "You misunderstand. You are meant to create stars, to create life. Sacrifice is necessary."
Malrick intervened, firm but composed. "No, you're wrong. Every system you defend — your cycle, your balance — may be logically consistent. But you were wrong to plant the Celestial seed on Earth without understanding."
Arishem stared. A tension crackled at his voice as he spoke evenly. "Malrick, does Earth mean something special to you?"
Malrick's grip tightened slightly. "I grew up on Earth. It means everything."
He patted Arishem's shoulder again. "But do you know about the Time Variance Authority?"
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