Satoru stepped into the central hall of Kamar-Taj's Inner Sanctum.
He remembered his first time here years ago when Saoirse brought him in when he first arrived into this world as a newborn. Now, for the first time, he walked the hall as the Sorcerer Supreme.
Three figures stood at the center of the room, each guarding a specific node of the Earth's protective grid.
There was Tina Minoru, the Guardian of the Hong Kong Sanctum. Beside her stood Sol Rama, the Guardian of the London Sanctum. And, there was Daniel Drumm, the current Guardian of the New York Sanctum.
Since Kaecilius was still recovering from the trauma of being Belasco's vessel, the Ancient One had assigned Daniel to watch over New York before she passed. He was a solid choice, Satoru heard a thing or two about this master from the others.
"Why did you call me here, Sorcerer Supreme?"
Finally… there was Master Wong.
Satoru grinned, his blue eyes sparkling with their usual mischievous glint despite the black robes he wore.
"Because you're my old buddy, old pal, Wong," Satoru responded. "We can't have you absent from the big meeting. Besides, let's be real — I'm going to be busy handling some very 'important' stuff from time to time. Whenever I'm not around, you'll be the one supervising this place. Congratulations on the promotion, acting Administrator Wong!"
Wong let out a heavy sign. He knew what he meant by 'important stuff'. Either it really is important stuff, or it is just one of those hunts for bakeries Satoru's been doing habitually.
Either way, he didn't bring that up, especially in front of the other masters.
Then, Satoru turned his attention to the three Sanctum Guardians.
"The Ancient One passed at sunset yesterday," Satoru stated, his voice echoing against the ancient stone walls. "She was the biggest 'Keep Out' sign this planet had. Now that she's gone, the vultures are going to start probing the fence."
He paced slowly around the globe on the ceiling that shows earth's protective grid.
"Are there any leaks?" Satoru asked without looking back at them. "Any dimensional neighbors trying to crawl through that sensed the Ancient One's passing? I want to know if there are things that require my attention and for me to get my hands dirty."
The three Guardians exchanged a look. They had all witnessed — or at least felt — the sheer, terrifying amount of energy Satoru had released to erase Mordo that even the late Ancient One had struggled with the Time Stone.
Daniel Drumm and Sol Rama both stepped forward to give their reports first.
"New York is stable for now," Drumm stated. "The usual low-level spirits are trying their luck, but nothing my team and I can't handle. The wards are holding."
"London as well," Sol Rama added, nodding toward the grid on the ceiling. "There was a ripple near the Thames an hour ago, when I went with my apprentices to check. We found Shuma-Gorath's offspring, Gargantos, but we've already taken care of it. Though, I think Gargantos was sent to scout out Earth."
"Hmm. Alright, I'll keep that in mind. So, nothing that required immediate attention as of now?"
"Yes, Sorcerer Supreme." Sol Rama bowed.
Satoru hummed, his gaze lingering on the flickering lights of the planetary shield. "Good. Keep it that way. But don't get cocky — if anything feels 'off,' or if you see something that makes you sweat even a little, call me. I'd rather show up for a false alarm than your funeral."
The two Masters nodded, taking a step back. Satoru then turned his attention to the final Guardian, his blue eyes narrowing slightly.
"Hong Kong Sanctum Guardian?"
Tina Minoru tightened her grip on her staff, her expression turning grave. "The situation in Hong Kong is... different. The seal against the Dark Dimension is holding, but we encountered a new problem. There are significant energies leaking from the Raggadorr Dimension."
Satoru stopped his pacing. "Raggadorr? That's… weird, isn't it?"
He knew about that realm.
He had borrowed its energies himself, specifically the Seven Rings of Raggadorr, which he had seamlessly blended with his own Cursed Techniques. From what he had learned in the library and through his own experience, Raggadorr was a neutral dimension.
It didn't care about the petty squabbles of gods or men, which was why sorcerers could channel its power without signing their souls away in a shady blood pact.
The dimension and the entity itself were generally considered indifferent to the physical world. For it to be 'leaking' on purpose didn't fit so… why?
"Last I checked, Raggadorr was pretty chill," Satoru noted, tapping his chin thoughtfully. But then, he has a suspicion, since they know Raggadorr's neutral, unless…
He turned to Master Minoru. "It shouldn't be knocking on our door unless someone — or something — is forcibly pulling on the strings from the other side."
Tina Minoru nodded, her face illuminated by the orange glow of the planetary globe. "That is our concern and what we assumed as well. The energy's being directed. We assumed someone is using Raggadorr to bypass our standard detection wards. It's a very sophisticated probe, Sorcerer Supreme. It's almost as if they're looking for something."
"So, someone's using a neutral dimension as a camouflage to see who's left in charge," Satoru smirked. "Smart. Sneaky, but smart."
He turned toward the large window, looking out at the snow-capped mountains. The sun was fully up now.
"It'll take time," Satoru guessed, glancing back at the glowing map. "Whoever is pulling those strings is being cautious. They're testing the water with their pinky toe before they jump in. Let them probe. Let them think they're being sneaky."
He shoved his hands into the pockets of his black robes and shrugged. "We'll wait it out. If this someone—or something—decides to finally breach Earth, let them. I want them to feel like they've found an opening. Once they actually step through and stepped on Earth's soil, I'll deal with them then."
Tina Minoru looked hesitant. "You want to allow a breach? The protocol has always been to seal leaks immediately to prevent escalation."
"Old protocols for an old era," Satoru chided with a finger at her, his blue eyes flashed menacingly.
"I'm not interested in playing whack-a-mole for the rest of eternity. I want them to come here so they won't come back, capiche?"
The Guardians of the Sanctums and even Wong exchanged uneasy glances, but no one argued. The authority Satoru held now as Sorcerer Supreme was absolute, even if his methods were reckless by the standard they've been used to.
"Alright, we're done here," Satoru said, turning to leave the hall. He stopped at the doorway and looked over his shoulder. "Oh, one more thing. From now on, don't address me as Sorcerer Supreme. It's too many syllables and it makes me sound like a vegetable soup."
Wong raised a brow, crossing his arms. "Then what do you want to be called? We called the former Sorcerer Supreme the 'Ancient One' because she was the oldest and wisest among us, a title of respect and is now part of her legacy. You can't possibly…"
Satoru's lopsided smirk returned, wider and more confident than ever.
"No... you don't call me the Ancient One. That was her thing, and I'm not that old yet," Satoru said, his voice ringing with a terrifying level of self-assurance.
"Call me... The Honored One."
…
A month and a half later.
[ Pak Tai Temple, Hong Kong ]
The temple stood as a silent sentinel in the heart of the bustling city, seemingly ignored by the millions of people rushing past its gates.
At the center of the main shrine, beneath the towering, stoic statue of the deity, the shadows began to churn. A thin, sickly cloud of crimson smoke bled out from the floorboards, coiling upward like a snake.
The smoke formed into a circular swirling mass of deep red fog.
A single boot, made of dark, cured leather, stepped through the center of the vortex.
Following it was a man who's tall and lean, dressed in ornate dark-green and red robes.
Kaluu took a deep breath of the Earth's air, his lips curling into a yellow-toothed grin.
"She's finally dead!" he rejoiced. "I can feel it. That old fool has finally turned into dust."
Kaluu was not a name known to the modern world, nor to the young apprentices of Kamar-Taj. He was a relic of a darker age — the childhood friend, former peer, and ultimate rival of the Ancient One.
Centuries ago, in the hidden city of Kamar-Taj, he and Saoirse had studied side-by-side. But where Saoirse sought balance and discipline, Kaluu sought absolute power through the Black Arts.
He had once tried to turn Kamar-Taj into a kingdom of slaves, using mind control and dark pacts to achieve his vision. Saoirse had stopped him, exiling him to the Raggadorr dimension, where he had spent five hundred years rotting, waiting, and sharpening his hatred. He had watched through the veil as she became the Sorcerer Supreme, a title he believed was rightfully his.
He had been the one probing the Hong Kong sector, using the neutral energy of Raggadorr to mask his return.
"Five hundred years," Kaluu whispered, looking at his claw-like hands. "Five hundred years of waiting for a crack. Now that she's… GONE! BWAHAHAHA!"
He stepped fully into the shrine, the red smoke snapping shut behind him. He valued the seat of Sorcerer Supreme and he valued the Eye of Agamotto too.
"Now, let's visit the new Sorcerer Supreme…"
"You're looking for me?"
Kaluu spun around, his long robes whipping through the air.
Leaning casually against a weathered pillar was a tall figure in formal black robes.
Satoru Gojo didn't even look like he was in a fighting stance. He had one hand in his pocket and a half-eaten skewer of fish balls in the other. His crystalline blue stared at Kaluu.
Kaluu's eyes widened, his dark magic flaring instinctively. "You... you are the one? You're the new Sorcerer Supreme?"
Satoru did a slow once-over of Kaluu, from his ancient leather boots to his bizarre hairdo. He took one last bite of his snack, tossed the wooden stick aside, and sneered.
"So it was you who was poking at the fence?" Satoru sighed, his expression turning cold. "Gotta say, I'm disappointed. You look like you've been living under a rock, and honestly, you smell like it too."
Kaluu began to chant, his hands weaving a complex seal of Raggadorr. "Let me see if you can back that arrogance with actions, boy! I am Kaluu, the master of the Black—"
"Blah, blah, blah. Sorry, but I'm busy," Satoru interrupted, raising his right hand. He snapped his fingers, and the air between them collapsed. "I gotta go back and meet my students after neglecting them for a month. So... bye-bye."
"Hollow Technique: Purple… (Kyoshiki: Murasaki)"
...
[ Author's Notes ]:
Well... Satoru's gotta do what he gotta do.
New arc starting next chapter. Also, I didn't think I dropped the image of the relic, here it is:
[ IMAGE ]
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