American Comics: Heaven's Reward

During the process of absorption, Agatha found it difficult to escape from her shackles, and her ability to absorb magic power was completely ineffective.

She attempted one last desperate struggle, trying to bewitch Aaron with her mind, but he simply looked at her as if she were an idiot.

"You're trying to use mind control on a magic god? What were you thinking?" he scoffed.

Agatha's face turned pale. That was her final move, and it had completely failed.

With only a sliver of magic power left in her body, she closed her eyes in despair.

"You knew I existed? Why?"

She couldn't comprehend how she had lost.

Aaron was a high god of Asgard—why would he take notice of an obscure witch from Earth?

He had even seemed to avoid direct confrontation with her magic at first.

She couldn't believe that a god of magic would prefer to fight with brute force instead of spells.

Clearly, Aaron must have known about her black magic from the start.

"You think I'll tell you?" Aaron sneered. Did she really expect him to reveal that he knew everything before his time travel?

He didn't give Agatha another chance to speak.

In one swift motion, he drained every last drop of her magic power.

Then, with a flick of his hand, he summoned a ball of flames, reducing the dark witch—who had blood on her hands—to ashes, erasing her from existence.

The entire process was clean and efficient.

Agatha's death did not stir the slightest emotion in Aaron.

He ignored her desperate pleas for mercy without hesitation.

Secrets? Knowledge? All of it was tied to the Mephista dimension.

If anything, he probably knew more than Agatha herself. Sparing her for such information would have been foolish.

As for the oath she had mentioned—expecting a witch who had devoted herself to the black magic god, Chthon, to keep her word?

Aaron would sooner believe that a good girl would suddenly stop at a red light.

And the so-called "creative magic" Agatha spoke of was nothing more than Scarlet Witch's Origin Magic Power.

She likely coveted Aaron's magic because she mistook it for the same thing.

Unlike Agatha, who was still searching for the true wielder of Origin Magic Power, Aaron could find Wanda anytime he wanted and figure out a way to activate her abilities.

As for Agatha's death—if it turned out to be the key to awakening Wanda's true power, there were countless parallel universes to explore.

If needed, he could simply snatch another Agatha from an alternate reality.

No big deal.

Huh?

Something caught his eye.

The Book of Darkness!

The moment Agatha perished, a simple yet ancient magic book appeared before Aaron.

Its cover was engraved with intricate, mysterious patterns, and it radiated an invisible aura of temptation.

A whispering voice echoed in Aaron's ears, urging him to open the book and uncover the powerful magic within.

"Whispers of the Old Gods?"

Aaron frowned.

If he hadn't already known what this was, he might have fallen for the trap.

But with the power of his mind, unless Chthon himself descended, no mere whispers could lure him into darkness.

After a brief moment of thought, Aaron decided to take the Book of Darkness into his possession.

Leaving it out in the open would only invite trouble.

Someone else might stumble upon it and cause an uncontrollable disaster—such as summoning Chthon.

Just like what had happened with Dormammu.

"Unfortunately, this is probably just one of the many copies of the Darkhold," Aaron muttered.

"Aside from recording some of Chthon's magic, it doesn't hold any actual power."

"If it did, I could've tried absorbing Chthon's magic directly. What a pity… what a pity!"

Aaron was disappointed.

For him, the book was almost useless—too dangerous to use, yet not powerful enough to be worth the risk.

It couldn't be discarded either.

The magic within was far too corruptive, capable of warping the minds of anyone who dared read it.

Even Doctor Strange, the most skilled sorcerer in Kamar-Taj, and Scarlet Witch, the wielder of Origin Magic Power, had fallen under its influence.

Agatha had claimed that black magic was subject to its supreme power, but that was merely the perspective of someone already ensnared by its corruption.

Aaron had many ways to increase his power.

He didn't need to gamble his sanity on Chthon's magic.

With a casual flick of his wrist, he sealed the Book of Darkness within his personal storage space, letting it gather dust in the void.

Meanwhile…

The battle between Aaron and Agatha had sent shockwaves through Kamar-Taj.

Those who had been secretly observing trembled in fear—not at Agatha's death, but at Aaron's methods.

"He absorbed Agatha's magic—just like she did to other witches!"

Wong's eyelid twitched in horror.

"Black magic! He's using black magic! The God of Magic in Asgard has turned to darkness!"

Mordo took a deep breath, his voice filled with dread.

A traditional sorcerer lacked the ability to absorb magic from others.

Even Kamar-Taj's practitioners, who borrowed magic from the Mephista dimension, did so through treaties rather than forcefully seizing it.

Not only was it unrealistic to steal power from the godlike Mephistas, but none of them knew of Agatha's method of absorbing magic.

If such a spell truly existed, it would be considered forbidden—black magic of the highest order.

Its mere existence could throw the entire magical world into chaos.

Agatha had been reviled as the Dark Witch precisely because she wielded such magic.

Now, under their very noses, the God of Magic had drained her dry!

The relief they had felt at Agatha's death was swiftly replaced by fear.

"This must be reported to the Sorcerer Supreme! And to the King of Asgard!"

"A traitor has emerged under his command!"

"If we hadn't been observing, no one would have known he was secretly moving toward darkness!"

Mordo spoke urgently.

"Wong, maybe his ability didn't come from darkness," Wong suggested hesitantly.

After all, Aaron was a god.

Why would a god need to rely on a dark entity?

Besides, the power of gods wasn't something mortals could fully comprehend.

Perhaps Asgard had its own unique magic?

"Even if his power didn't come from darkness, he absorbed Agatha's magic!"

"For centuries, Agatha has been steeped in darkness. The magic he took is filled with its corruption—he will be affected!"

"You know how insidious dark energy is. The Sorcerer Supreme has warned us countless times—no matter what, we must never touch it. It will erode our very souls!"

Mordo's voice was firm, unwavering.

Ancient One had instilled in him an absolute hatred for darkness.

He had seen too many sorcerers fall, thinking they could control dark power, only to be consumed by it.

No one had ever resisted its corruption.

Even Mordo himself had hunted down those who strayed from the path.

And now, the thought of a corrupted god was terrifying beyond measure.

"If the God of Magic succumbs to darkness, who can stop him?"

He clenched his fists.

"I'm going to convince him to abandon that power!"

"Wait! We should consult the Sorcerer Supreme first!" Wong urged.

But Mordo had already opened a portal to New Mexico, determined.

"This is bad!" Wong groaned.

"If he offends that god and provokes Asgard's wrath, who will bear the consequences?"

As one of the oldest magical institutions, Kamar-Taj understood Asgard's history well.

They knew the terrifying might of the Allfather, Odin.

And Aaron, the God of Magic, was someone even the Sorcerer Supreme had to personally receive.

Mordo, Mordo… why must you be so stubborn at a time like this?!

Without another thought, Wong hurried to find Ancient One.

Only she could prevent disaster now.

New Mexico

After confirming that Agatha was dead and could not possibly return, Jean led Charles and the others forward in haste.

The battle that had just taken place was far beyond their ability to intervene in—beyond their very understanding.

The mere ability to manipulate celestial phenomena through magic was enough to surpass almost any mutant.

The world of magic was filled with mysteries.

Even Charles, with his immense psychic abilities, could do nothing but watch from the sidelines.

Only after Aaron had killed the evil witch did he dare to step forward.

"Are you all right, Aaron?"

Jean approached nervously, trying to gauge whether Aaron had been injured in the battle.

"I'm fine. She couldn't do anything to me," Aaron replied, shaking his head.

If he had struggled against Agatha, he might as well have found a place to slit his throat.

With his Gold Finger ability, losing to her would have been utterly disgraceful—a waste of both his potential and his existence.

At that moment, Phil Coulson approached, his face full of unease and guilt.

They had already offended Aaron once.

After painstakingly finding a way to ease tensions, they had been deceived by yet another military representative.

The female officer they had been living and working with day and night had turned out to be a witch—one who had even dared to attack the God of Magic.

And not just an attack—she had lost. Completely. To the point where not even her ashes remained.

Damn it! If you were going to die, fine—but did you have to leave us with such a mess?!

For once, even Phil Coulson, who was always composed, had no idea how to handle the situation.

There was only one thing he could do…

"I'm sorry!"

"We had no idea a witch had infiltrated us."

"Please don't hold our mistakes against us. We never intended to be your enemy. We truly—"

Before Coulson could finish, a sudden portal opened, interrupting him.

"God of Magic!"

Huh?

Coulson's face darkened.

Who is it this time?

Can't I even finish a sentence?

Even the ever-patient Coulson found himself wanting to draw his gun and educate whoever had just arrived on the proper way to behave.

Then he saw the portal—its very existence defying common understanding.

Oh… it's them.

Fine.

Coulson wisely held his tongue and decided to observe instead.

"Mordo!"

Jean immediately recognized the newcomer—it was one of Kamar-Taj's sorcerers, the Ancient One's top disciple.

Charles and the others exchanged puzzled glances before Jean quickly explained Mordo's identity and the significance of Kamar-Taj.

Meanwhile, Aaron frowned.

Is he here to cause trouble?

"God of Magic! I have one question for you—have you succumbed to darkness? Have you traded your soul for power?"

Mordo wasted no time, cutting straight to the point.

Aaron folded his arms and replied calmly, "Why would I ever submit to those guys?"

"Power! The power of darkness is always tempting, always offering shortcuts!"

"If you haven't fallen to the darkness, then why did you absorb Agatha's magic? That's something only evil black magic can do!" Mordo said gravely.

Aaron sighed, then sneered. "So that's what this is about? I thought you actually had something important to say."

He shook his head in disappointment.

"Mordo, the mysteries of magic extend far beyond your imagination. If this is the extent of the first disciple of the Sorcerer Supreme's knowledge, I seriously doubt whether Kamar-Taj will even survive after the Ancient One is gone.

How do you expect to protect the magical world with such a rigid mindset?"

"You—!"

Mordo was stunned into silence.

Because, compared to Aaron, he truly wasn't on the same level.

And deep down, he knew Aaron had a point.

Kamar-Taj's strength relied entirely on the Ancient One's presence.

Once she was gone, who among them could stand against the Dimensional Lords?

Even Agatha—a mere servant of Chthon—had been far beyond their capabilities.

"I may not grasp all the secrets of magic, but I do know that dark energy corrupts the soul," Mordo insisted, trying to regain his footing.

"You absorbed Agatha's power. You will be influenced by the Ancient Gods!"

"So that's what you're worried about? Did the Ancient One send you here?" Aaron asked with an amused expression.

Mordo clenched his fists but suppressed his frustration, answering in a low voice, "No. I came on my own."

Ever since the Kaecilius incident, Mordo had been deeply distrustful of anyone who even resembled a potential dark sorcerer.

When he saw Aaron absorbing dark magic and claiming the Book of Darkness, he rushed over immediately, determined to stop him from going down a dark path.

"Oh… no wonder!"

"If the Ancient One actually knew about this, she wouldn't have let you act so recklessly," Aaron said with a smirk, patting Mordo on the shoulder.

His tone was casual, but his words carried a sharp edge of sarcasm.

Aaron's opinion of Mordo was neither good nor bad.

Compared to his comic book counterpart, this Mordo could still be considered a righteous magician.

But as the Ancient One had pointed out, Mordo was too rigid.

To him, the world was strictly black and white—there was no middle ground, no compromise.

And while such an unwavering stance made him seem noble, it also made him dangerous.

His stubbornness led him to judge others without truly understanding them.

Aaron didn't consider himself a good person, but he certainly wasn't a villain either.

The idea that he would recklessly throw himself into darkness for power was laughable.

Why would I even need to?

These so-called "Ancient Gods" are just dimensional entities. What right do they have to make me bow to them?

If I truly wanted to, I could become a Dimensional Lord myself at any time.

Mordo, however, remained resolute.

"If the Sorcerer Supreme knew what you had done, she would never allow you to follow this dark path!"

He believed in the Ancient One above all else.

Her teachings had instilled in him an absolute rejection of darkness.

In his mind, he was doing the right thing.

But reality had a cruel way of proving him wrong.

The Ancient One arrived.

And the first thing she did was not to question Aaron's actions…

…but to apologize for Mordo's behavior.

"I'm sorry," she said calmly. "I hope you can forgive his ignorance."

"Teacher!"

Mordo's eyes widened in shock.

He couldn't accept what was happening.

Why was the Ancient One apologizing?

So many people had seen Aaron absorb Agatha's dark magic!

Was it because he was Asgardian? Because he had the King of the Gods backing him?

Was that why he could do whatever he wanted?!

Mordo clenched his fists, his worldview beginning to crack.

No… this isn't possible.