Chapter 288 : Identity Revealed!!!

Looking at the two shocked Lokis seated before him, the Black Man regained his composure and then adopted a conversational tone, speaking gently as if between friends:

"I understand your moral objections to the actions of the Time Variance Authority," he began. "Admittedly, my methods may seem deceitful, but the overarching mission to preserve the sacred timeline is genuine."

"But without me," Loki interjected abruptly, "what are you truly afraid of?"

The Black Man appeared perplexed, hesitating for a moment before replying, "I fear myself."

Observing the puzzled expressions of the two Lokis, the Black Man continued with a smile:

"Many years ago, I was known by many names," he reminisced. "Ruler, conqueror, visionary—and, of course, some called me a villain. But behind these titles lies a complex truth."

With a flick of his distinctive wristwatch, the Black Man summoned a swirling mass of liquid substance, which swiftly coalesced into a perfect duplicate of himself.

"Countless eons before the TVA, a variant of myself lived on Earth in the 31st century, known as Kang the Conqueror," he revealed. "One fateful day, he discovered the existence of a multiverse beyond our own."

"As he and other versions of myself across the multiverse became aware of each other," he continued, "we began to communicate. For a time, we coexisted peacefully, sharing technology and knowledge, each universe benefiting from the strengths of the others."

"Do you believe this?" Tony asked the Dwarf King, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

The Dwarf King responded almost immediately, "I do, though I believe what he found may not be separate multiverses, but rather divergent timelines within our own universe."

Tony's expression shifted, surprised that the Dwarf King had reached a similar conclusion so quickly.

"Forgive me, Eitri," Tony began apologetically, "I didn't mean to doubt your people's wisdom. After all, you are the creators of the planetary forge."

Embarrassed by his oversight, Tony realized that despite their simple and honest demeanor, the Dwarves were indeed a remarkably intelligent race.

Kamar-Taj

Ancient One breathed a sigh of relief.

This time, she was certain that what the other party had discovered wasn't the multiverse, but another timeline altogether.

This explains why the Battle of the Dimensional Lords never occurred!

Entities like the Beyonder, Crimson Lord Cytorak, and Hell Lord Mephisto exist beyond time, which prevents them from spawning variants like shadows on a screen.

However, this is just one less dire crisis.

While the other party's commitment to timeline preservation may sound noble, Ancient One remains convinced that they pose a definite threat.

[At that moment, Kang's tone shifted, and he spoke somewhat sadly:

["Yet not every version of myself is so straightforward.

["For some, the only purpose of the New World is conquest, a new goal!"

(Then... all-out war erupts, each variant fighting for its universe's survival, devastating other worlds!!")

["The universe approaches its end, or rather, the end of everything."

"You big liar!"

Meanwhile, on Earth, in an ordinary backyard somewhere above the Gobi Desert.

A sturdy man stood by an oven, baking pies and wearing a cute apron, muttered disdainfully.

Just then, a woman in a white dress approached with a smile:

"A liar indeed."

After scrutinizing the pie carefully, the man gingerly removed it from the oven and presented it to the woman with an expression of irritation:

"His words are sacrilege."

"How could Arishem the Judge, The Prime Celestial, allow such a universe-destroying war? It's likely they're battling each other across different timelines."

As an Eternal, he couldn't abide by such claims, dismissing them as untrue.

The woman, unwilling to dwell on the matter, scooped up some pie with her fingers, tasted the jam, and smiled contentedly:

"Gilgamesh, Mish, the sweetness is just perfect today."

"Indeed, I added two jars of jam this time."

The hall fell into a sudden silence.

After a few moments, Sylvie taunted, "So the Time Keepers showed up and saved everyone?"

In response to Sylvie's words, Kang clasped his hands in a prayer gesture and spoke with solemnity, "Amen... But no, from this point onward, it diverges from the TVA's teachings."

"No Time Keepers appeared. Instead, my first variant encountered a creature born from reality's sorrow, capable of devouring time and space!"

"Alioth?" Loki interjected.

"Yes!" Kang smiled, continuing, "I harnessed this creature's power and began experimenting with it."

Recalling those memories, Kang's expression turned fierce, his teeth gritted.

"I turned it into a weapon, ended everyone, and concluded the multiverse war."

Kang took a deep breath, regaining his composure. "Having done all this, my task became managing the flow of time to prevent further branches."

"Hence the Time-Keepers and the efficient cosmic bureaucracy, ensuring peace across epochs."

In the interstellar ship, Star-Lord tapped his thigh, eyes brimming with insight.

"I understand now. Kang is dead across all timelines, and each new time branch spawns a new Kang."

"The TVA exists to prevent that," he concluded.

This time, Yondu didn't argue. Deep concern filled his eyes.

Through countless losses, he had adopted a creed: no matter how plausible others' words sounded, he wouldn't easily believe them.

Yet Kang's explanation, though unsettling, made undeniable sense.

At this point, more onlookers began to regard the two Lokis with pity.

For the sake of universal peace, it seemed they harbored no vendetta, unsure of their next move.

Kang strode across the room and positioned himself before them. "You're here to confront the devil, right? Well, guess what? I'm here to ensure your safety," he declared.

"If you deem me evil, just wait until you encounter my variants. Then you'll know true evil!" he continued, eyeing the two Lokis who exchanged glances.

"Are you here to enforce suffocating order or to unleash chaos?" Kang pressed on. "You might despise the dictator, but things could be far worse without him," he reasoned. "I've lived through countless scenarios, and the TVA is the only solution that works."

Sylvie, breaking her silence, pointed directly at Kang. "Perhaps there's another possibility — that you're a liar."

Kang returned to his seat, propped his chin up on the table, and smiled wryly. "Well, maybe I am a liar."

At that moment, most viewers interpreted Kang's demeanor as self-deprecating irony.

However,

In the Shinigami world, Aizen wore a knowing smile at this revelation.

******

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