Previously, Wong had been knocked off a cliff. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and managed to grab onto the steep cliffside, hanging there for most of the day.
He had just seized an opportunity to instantly kill a demon, but before he could even celebrate, three more demons appeared overhead, lifting massive boulders, ready to smash them down on him!
Wong turned pale with fright. Luckily, Zombie Doctor Strange arrived just in time, leaping up from below. He landed beside the three demons, spread his arms wide, and a swarm of evil spirits burst forth like a black firework, violently scattering in all directions. The three demons were instantly blown off the cliff, falling to their deaths.
When these four demons first appeared, they seemed terrifying and formidable. No one expected them to be dealt with so quickly.
Sure enough, going to the dark side gives you a serious power boost. Though Zombie Doctor Strange hadn't completely embraced his dark side, his appearance had clearly undergone a sinister transformation.
His dramatic entrance also deeply enraged Wanda. She glared at him and shouted angrily, "You used dreamwalking sorcery, you hypocritical bastard!"
Just think—not long ago, Strange had been so righteous and disappointed, sternly rebuking her for straying from the right path. Yet in the blink of an eye, he had gone down the same road. Naturally, Wanda was furious.
Without another word, she hurled a magic blast at Stephen Strange.
Doctor Strange shielded himself with bat-like wings formed from his evil spirits. The spectral mouths opened and swallowed the magic blast whole, neutralizing it completely.
"This time, you might have to kill more versions of me!"
Spreading his arms, Stephen Strange revealed the grotesque evil spirits behind him. Shadowy black arms extended from his back—he now looked every bit the villainous antihero.
Against this ominous backdrop, the Scarlet Witch appeared more like a divine goddess of judgment.
To be fair, Zombie Strange was indeed far stronger than before. He charged straight at Wanda while directing hordes of evil spirits to swarm her.
Caught off guard, Wanda struggled to keep up. These attacks were unfamiliar to her—after all, she was used to dealing with the regular Doctor Strange, not this undead, corrupted version.
Seeing that Wanda was temporarily overwhelmed, Strange moved to capitalize on the advantage. He coordinated with Wong, who had just climbed back up, first using the evil spirits to restrain Wanda, then adding a golden magical barrier on top to seal her in.
But Wanda Maximoff—both powerful and beautiful—was not so easily subdued. Even with two layers of sealing magic, she thrashed fiercely and managed to break through the outer layer conjured by Wong.
Exhausted, Wong shouted to Strange, "She's almost out! Stephen, go absorb America's powers—now!"
Hearing this, Stephen Strange's mutilated, ghastly face flashed with hesitation. But in the end, he turned and began walking toward America Chavez.
Wanda was too dangerous. If she got her hands on America's powers, it would be catastrophic for the entire multiverse.
Wong understood this. So did Strange. That's why they were willing to do whatever it took to stop her.
That was why Doctor Strange had dared to study the forbidden Darkhold, why he resorted to the corruptive dreamwalking magic—despite knowing the terrible consequences. He was fully aware that he might need to end his own life afterward to avoid turning into that monstrous, three-eyed version of himself.
In other words, Doctor Strange was ready to sacrifice himself. And if he was prepared to die, what did one more sacrifice of a young girl matter?
After all, if the multiverse collapsed, countless innocents would perish.
Outside the viewing screen, Pietro sneered as he watched Stephen Strange. "Stephen, no matter how many excuses you come up with, you're still doing the same thing as Wanda. That's the truth. You've just torn off your mask of hypocrisy."
He remembered clearly how Strange had flipped open the Darkhold and learned dreamwalking magic, all under the pretense of "saving the innocent girl, America." And now, he was going to kill her?
By now, Pietro had accepted that the Wanda in the video was not the sister he knew—he had mentally separated the two. Still, he couldn't help but feel disdain for this version of Doctor Strange. The man reeked of double standards.
Doctor Strange didn't argue. He simply shook his head and said, "Everyone wears a mask. I'm no different. But… I still believe I'll make the right choice. Just be patient, okay? Keep watching."
On screen, Wong looked solemn as he declared, "We have no other choice."
Wanda's struggles grew fiercer by the second.
Zombie Strange turned back to look at America, who was still bound. In a gentle voice, he said, "Yes. This is our only option."
Then, he raised his hand—not to drain her power, but to release her from her restraints. He stepped closer.
Tears streaked America's face. She looked up at the undead Doctor Strange and asked in a shaky voice, "You're going to absorb my powers, aren't you?"
After a short pause, she forced a small smile. "It's okay. I understand now."
It was clear she had resigned herself to sacrifice.
She carried an unbearable weight. She had done nothing wrong, yet simply because she possessed a unique ability, she had become a key factor in the chaos threatening the multiverse.
America Chavez was completely innocent. If given a choice, she would never have wanted this strange power. She would rather have lived a simple, ordinary, and happy life.
But she didn't have a choice—just like so many others in the world.
On screen, Doctor Strange still looked terrifying, but his voice was gentle and calm. He shook his head. "No, America. I came to tell you—believe in yourself. Believe in your power. That's the only way we can defeat her!"
At that moment, many kindhearted viewers outside the video let out a sigh of relief.
They didn't want to see another tragedy unfold. Wanda's descent into madness over the loss of her sons was already heartbreaking. If Doctor Strange were to kill an innocent girl on top of that, it would only make things worse.
Many people saw themselves in America. Most of us are like her—powerless, with no real choices. We've done nothing wrong, yet we become unwilling participants in other people's tragedies.
Thankfully, this looming tragedy seemed to have a hopeful ending.
"Heh… naive and self-righteous."
Of course, not everyone agreed with Doctor Strange's decision. Outside the screen, Erik scoffed. "Placing your hope of victory in the hands of a clueless young girl… that's not noble. That's weakness."
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