Demon King of Time in Marvel

Chapter 11 : The Keep's Embrace

Devon stared at Another Ohma Zi-O. The raw power emanating from him was palpable. Facing him in his human form would spell certain doom.

With a surge of will, Devon transformed. The familiar black and gold armor materialized around him, temporal energy crackling at its edges. This is my most difficult battle.

Another Ohma Zi-O remained motionless, his crimson eyes burning into Devon. Then, he moved.

The initial exchange was a brutal display of temporal mastery. Another Ohma Zi-O manipulated time with breathtaking precision, creating localized accelerations and decelerations around Devon, making it almost impossible to track his movements. Devon relied heavily on his enhanced reflexes and combat prowess, barely managing to block and parry the relentless onslaught.

He activated his pseudo-precognition, trying to anticipate Another Ohma Zi-O's attacks. But his counterpart was using the same ability, creating a cacophony of conflicting future possibilities that overloaded Devon's senses. It was giving him a headache.He barely parried a blow that would have shattered bone, the force of it sending him staggering back.

Another Ohma Zi-O didn't let up. He used [Flash Forward], appearing behind Devon, a knee aimed at his spine. Devon, anticipating the move or rather, a possible version of the move, twisted at the last moment, the knee grazing his side, searing pain lancing through him. He retaliated with a blast of temporal energy, but Another Ohma Zi-O simply rewound himself a fraction of a second, the blast passing harmlessly through empty air. He's toying with me.

Devon activated [Bullet Time], slowing his perception of time. But Another Ohma Zi-O countered with his own localized time dilation, effectively negating Devon's advantage. They were now moving at speeds that defied normal perception, the chamber a blur of motion.

Another Ohma Zi-O used [Flash Forward], appearing behind Devon in an instant, delivering a powerful punch that sent him crashing through a section of the platform. As Devon struggled to his feet, he realized he couldn't fight on Another Ohma Zi-O's terms. Devon realized he was outmatched. Another Ohma Zi-O's power was overwhelming, his control of time far superior. He needed to change the rules of engagement.

He began to focus his temporal energy, not on direct attacks or defenses, but on creating a complex and unpredictable temporal environment. You are me, which means I can use what you have too.

He started by creating small, overlapping pockets of acceleration, and deceleration. These pockets weren't large enough to trap Another Ohma Zi-O completely, but they created unpredictable obstacles, forcing him to constantly adjust his trajectory and timing.

Another Ohma Zi-O roared, frustration evident in his crimson eyes. The temporal pockets weren't enough to contain him, but they forced him to constantly adjust, to compensate. He lashed out with blasts of temporal energy, trying to shatter the distortions.

Devon used the chaos to his advantage. He used [Flash Forward] to dart through the shifting pockets, appearing and disappearing unpredictably, landing quick jabs before retreating back into the temporal maze. He was using the battlefield itself as a weapon, turning Another Ohma Zi-O's mastery against him.

But Another Ohma Zi-O was adapting. He started predicting Devon's movements within the temporal pockets, countering his attacks with precise bursts of energy. Devon felt the tide turning against him again. He needed something more, something unexpected.

He took a deep breath, focusing his will. He began to weave [Rewind] into his strategy. He'd [Flash Forward] for a strike, then immediately rewind a tiny fraction of a second, creating a ghost image of himself, attacking from a slightly different angle. It was a gamble. It would either confuse Another Ohma Zi-O or leave Devon completely vulnerable.

The gamble paid off. Another Ohma Zi-O, momentarily thrown off balance by the echoing attacks, hesitated. Just a fraction of a second. It was enough. Devon, anticipating the hesitation, deactivated the temporal pockets, allowing time to flow normally for a split second. He then didn't attack. He lowered his guard, feigning surrender.

Another Ohma Zi-O's eyes narrowed. He saw the trap. He knew it was a trap. But he couldn't be sure what kind of trap. He expected a final, devastating attack. He didn't expect… nothing.

Devon met his gaze, his own eyes filled with a mixture of desperation and resolve. "There's another way," he whispered, his voice hoarse. "This doesn't have to be our future." Please, let this work.

Another Ohma Zi-O hesitated, his expression softening slightly. He saw the sincerity in Devon's eyes, the genuine offer of acceptance. He saw the path he had rejected, the path of connection, of responsibility, of humanity.

For a moment, the raw power radiating from him subsided, replaced by a flicker of recognition, perhaps even a hint of sadness.

Then, with a slow, deliberate movement, Another Ohma Zi-O reached out and took Devon's hand.

As their hands connected, a surge of temporal energy erupted, engulfing both figures in blinding light. Devon felt a torrent of memories, emotions, and experiences flood his mind – the life of Another Ohma Zi-O. He saw the desolate future, the chilling emptiness of absolute control, but he also saw the pain, the loneliness, the desperate yearning for connection. The power of Another Ohma Zi-O flowed into him, not as an invasion, but as a homecoming, a merging of two halves of the same whole.

The light subsided, revealing Devon standing alone in the center of the chamber. He felt different, changed. The power within him was greater now, but it was also… balanced, integrated. He felt the echoes of Another Ohma Zi-O's experiences, his memories, his emotions, now a part of him, not a separate entity.

The shifting letters reappeared:

"Rather than fighting you have chosen to embrace your potential. Even with unmatched power, you have not lost your resolve. You have shown that you can make the impossible possible. You are worthy, the keep now listens to you."

Devon's figure vanished from the white hall. But what he missed was the last phrase the message was writing, slowly materializing beneath the rest:

"Welcome home. King of Time."

The letters shimmered for a moment, then faded, leaving no trace of the message.

Devon opened his eyes, and found himself sitting on the golden throne inside the main hall of the keep. The Keep's features and abilities flooded his mind: the library's vast knowledge, the training room's simulations, the ability to perceive and manipulate timelines, the power to travel to any point in the multiverse. It was all there, now a part of him.

Devon first decided to remodel the keep, in his own style. Since his armor was black and gold he decided to keep the same theme for the Keep but with a twist- let it be random. So that it would continue to cycle through appearances from modern to archaic, to natural.

He stood up and started walking towards the wall. As he did so, an ancient door materialized in front of him, opening to reveal a library. The vast collection stretched before him, an endless sea of knowledge. He didn't know where to start. He focused his intent, visualizing the book he needed.

A short book appeared, flying through the endless library, coming to rest in front of Devon. Opening it, he saw that three people had given the test. Of course, all three had failed, their names and histories, erased by time. Except for one whose name was still written : 'Nathaniel Richards'. How are you still around, Nathaniel?

He filed that information away. Moving back to the Throne Hall, he re-entered the door, this time finding himself in a training area.

Everything here worked on temporal energy, and the source of it was the intact timelines, so the more he fixed the timeline, the better this place would be.

Devon had integrated with Another Ohma, and his powers had increased drastically. He sensed the potential for devastating power within him. He decided to test himself.

Inside the testing room, Devon focused his will, visualizing a training simulation: a vast grassy plain, and facing him, the spectral form of Another Ohma Zi-O. The room shimmered, and like a hologram, the scenery changed from the bleak white hall to a windy grassy plain stretching to the horizon. Standing in front was a copy of Another Ohma.

He practised controlling his newfound powers for some time and then returned to the throne room. Sitting on his throne, Devon decided to view the timelines and assess the damage.

The scene shifted, with the roof of the throne hall now glimmering and showing various scenes of different timelines. Devon tried finding himself in various timelines, but there was no Devon. Not in any of the timelines, nor was there any Ohma ZiO.

I am a singularity. The realisation struck him, Is this also the reason this place chose me?

Devon continued to browse through various timelines, searching for himself, but with no luck. So he focused on the stolen time. A large ball appeared in front of him with most of it missing. Those must be the stolen chunks.

Realising that to get to the creator, he needed to learn more about the stolen time, and the successful experiments. He decided that he would need to intervene whenever he could find a major anomaly.

But currently, nothing was happening. I guess I am free to explore. He decided to go to Earth, a lot had happened in a span of a few months, and he needed some time for rest and relaxation, untill the next major anomaly takes place.

Devon sat on the throne, contemplating his next move. He decided to go to Earth, the 1990s. "Keep," he said, "open a gate to Earth, 1990s."

The Keep's shimmering letters appeared: "The outside environment may be hazardous. It is recommended that the master equip his armor before going out."

"Right," Devon said, willing his armor to materialize around him. He stepped through.

The air shimmered around him, the familiar sensation of temporal travel washing over him. He emerged onto solid ground. He looked up.

The sky was a deep, inky black, speckled with a breathtaking panorama of stars. And rising over the horizon, a blue and green sphere hung in the void. Earth. He was on the moon.

"Seriously?" he sighed, a wave of exasperation washing over him. "Okay, Keep," he said aloud. "I said Earth, 1990s. What gives?"

The Keep's shimmering letters appeared: "Designation: Earth, 1990s. Lunar surface designated as a temporally stable arrival point. Navigational recalibration recommended."

"A safe arrival point?" Devon muttered. "So, you dropped me off at the cosmic equivalent of a park bench?" He glanced around the desolate landscape. "Lesson learned," he said to himself. "Be more specific next time. And maybe tell me about the 'safe arrival point' thing before I step through."

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Nathaniel Richards' Private Notes:

He passed the trial. It had to be. The power I felt… it's unmistakable. But it's different. Not the raw, untamed power I once craved. This is… tempered. Controlled. He didn't conquer the shadow; he merged with it. Something I never could do. Something I didn't even think was possible. What does it mean? What will it do? The implications are terrifying. He's walking a path I never dared to tread. I fear what he will do. I fear what he is.

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