IMUC Chapter 650 Kyle VS Ancient One

"Scarlet Witch loses, Kyle wins!"

"Hellfire loses, Ancient One Sorcerer wins!"

Almost simultaneously, Kyle and the Ancient One reappeared in the empty, silent dueling arena.

After a brief moment of silence, the audience erupted into cheers, their excitement swelling like a tidal wave that threatened to engulf the arena. The simulated starry sky above them seemed to tremble with anticipation.

What was about to unfold was the final battle of this super-powered competition, the ultimate showdown to determine who would be the strongest on Earth.

"I didn't expect you to defeat Hellfire so quickly," Kyle said, looking up at the Ancient One in the distance.

The Ancient One smiled. "That big guy was indeed very strong, but unfortunately, he was too focused on his own power. I lured him into a portal and sent him out of the map."

Kyle nodded, understanding the strategy.

In this competition, stepping outside the designated combat area was considered a loss, one of the pre-set rules they all had to follow.

"Interesting. Ancient One, I'm looking forward to our duel," Kyle said, his eyes locked onto hers. Even before the battle had begun, a fierce fighting spirit surged within him.

This was a battle nearly a century in the making.

Back then, Kyle had only reached the peak of the mundane world, far from being able to compare to the transcendent Ancient One. But now, he stood on equal ground, even aiming to surpass her!

Yet, he knew that unless he defeated the Ancient One, known as the "Earth's Guardian," he could not claim the title of the strongest on Earth.

"So am I," The Ancient One replied.

This time, she didn't shy away. She raised her gaze to meet Kyle's, calm and steady.

As if sensing the charged atmosphere before the battle, the God system intervened, announcing: "The final battle of this super-powered competition will be between Kyle and Ancient One Sorcerer..."

"Now, let the battle begin!"

Although both Kyle and the Ancient One had won their previous matches, Kyle had narrowly edged out a victory by 0.2 seconds, granting him the privilege of choosing the final battle's virtual map.

Not one to exploit map advantages, Kyle chose a setting they were both intimately familiar with— the very origin of everything— the map of New York!

The New York of seventy years ago!

In the old, worn-down virtual cityscape, cold winds whipped through the streets and alleys, stirring up dust as they blew by.

Kyle and the Ancient One appeared at opposite ends of the street.

Venom shed the windbreaker Kyle had been wearing, revealing his black combat suit. His handsome face lit up with enthusiasm, reminiscent of his youthful self during the Second World War.

"Still missing this," Kyle smiled, casually drawing a Carbonadium sword and slinging it across his back.

His intense gaze locked onto the Ancient One, but then he paused, noticing something. "Ancient One, where's your necklace?"

It was then that he realized something significant.

The Ancient One had always worn a necklace containing the Time Stone, a source of her security. It was likely that she only felt safe when it was with her.

That necklace was also one of the Sorcerer Clan's most powerful weapons, capable of reversing past events and foreseeing the future.

But this time, she wasn't wearing it.

The Ancient One looked down at her empty chest and smiled. "I entrusted it to someone else."

"Then congratulations," Kyle said, pausing as understanding dawned on him.

He sensed the mindset with which the Ancient One had entered this competition.

He smirked, teasing, "It's probably time for you to retire. Don't think Earth can't function without you. This is the era of the youngsters."

"Thank you, but I don't think you're a youngster anymore, are you?" The Ancient One replied, her smile bright and rare after hundreds of years.

For centuries, she had been burdened with concerns about the invasion of the Dark Dimension, the safety of the Time Stone, and the future of her successor...

It's hard to imagine the immense pressure this woman must have endured during the centuries when there were no superheroes and Sorcerers were few in number, as she alone carried the burden to reach this point.

So even if she fell into darkness and compromised her own principles, she had to keep fighting for the Earth's survival.

This was the Earth's greatest hero of the past.

...

"Sorcerer Supreme." Outside, Doctor Strange, watching the screen, glanced down at his chest where a pendant on a necklace hung, faintly blinking with a dark green glow.

Mordo stood silently beside him with an unreadable expression on his face, with no one knowing what he was thinking.

The match between Kyle and the Ancient One hadn't started yet. Mordo quietly turned and left the observation square of Carl's domain, unnoticed by Doctor Strange.

Inside the virtual old New York map.

"Ancient One, you are a hero worthy of admiration. I won't pity you, nor will I show any mercy. I will defeat you with my strongest power and ability!" Kyle declared, his fists clenched tightly. Suddenly, a layer of dark, hardened skin enveloped his body, his muscles swelling explosively.

In an instant, a monstrous, black humanoid creature symbolizing slaughter and battle emerged, wild and savage, before the eyes of billions of viewers on Earth.

This was Kyle's battle mode when symbiotically fused with Venom!

Since obtaining his double star form, he had rarely used this mode.

It wasn't that the Venom symbiote mode lacked power. After all, his body was now on the level of the gods, capable of withstanding the shockwaves of a supernova explosion. When combined with Venom's symbiosis, his body had no weaknesses apart from flames and sound waves.

But previously, he had never needed to use this form.

Against past enemies, even the formidable Kree leader or the celestial Ego, as long as he utilized the double star form, they were easily defeated without ever needing Venom!

Venom symbiosis mode.

Its strength lay in allowing Kyle to eliminate his physical weaknesses, merging the divine physique with the symbiote to infinitely enhance his body, becoming the strongest lifeform on Earth without requiring any additional energy.

Even though the spectators were watching the match through the virtual screen, they couldn't help but gasp in shock. Viewers from Imperial Japan and Germany turned pale, quickly exiting the SkyNet broadcast.

This was the true killing god— the one they had feared in the past!

Standing ten meters away, the Ancient One frowned deeply. She could feel the surrounding air as if it had solidified. This wasn't the domain ability like Raina's, but an unprecedented, overwhelming pressure.

"Come!" Kyle let out a low roar, and instantly, the air around him shattered. He pushed off the ground with his feet, causing the earth beneath him to collapse into a pit as a chaotic white whirlwind swept outward.

He moved like a rocket, transforming into a black streak, speeding toward the Ancient One.

The Ancient One's expression shifted slightly. Her movements were swift; she almost didn't need to chant or form any sigils. A half-real, half-illusory golden shield appeared on her right palm.

She pressed the golden shield forward, and the magical runes on it spun and expanded, materializing into a real void shield in front of her.

"Boom!!!"

A dark fist collided with the golden magical shield. The shield cracked visibly, with fractures spreading across it, before slowly shattering apart!

The Ancient One's eyes widened in shock.

(End of chapter)

I have finished translating this fanfic, IMUC (I Am In Marvel With Unlimited Cards) and have posted all the advanced chapters on Patreon (Last Chapter -- 706). (https://www.patreon.com/c/marvel6395). You can read all the advanced chapters there.