Nick Fury's schemes were of little concern to Kurogai Blackwood. Whatever plans S.H.I.E.L.D. had, they meant nothing to him. He no longer feared hidden conspiracies; he had enough strength to crush them outright.

There had been a time when calculation was necessary. Back when he first arrived in this world, he had been weak, and caution had been survival. Hydra had loomed over everything then. Without the power to confront them directly, Kurogai had been forced to play the long game, step by step, until at last he destroyed Whitehall and dismantled his operations.

That was the past. Now he had no need for subtlety. If something stood in his way, he could simply use force to erase it. Why waste effort weaving elaborate strategies when overwhelming power was enough?

That was why Fury's quiet moves didn't bother him. If the director tried anything, Kurogai could swat him aside whenever he chose.

After handling Stark's situation, Kurogai finally allowed himself to relax. Instead of heading to the orphanage as he sometimes did, he returned to the manor where Rogue was staying. He intended to rest.

When he arrived, however, the manor was unusually quiet. Rogue and Susan were nowhere to be found. Since Susan had only recently joined them, Rogue had taken it upon herself to guide her—introducing her to their work and gathering information on rare metals. Their absence didn't worry him. Both carried safeguards he had prepared, and he trusted them to take care of themselves.

Left alone, Kurogai sank into thought.

"My abilities… only the fourth pupil ring has reached perfection. There's still a long way to go."

So far, only the Byakugan, his fourth pupil ring, had advanced to completion. The fifth, the Clock of Time, could be pushed further as long as he gathered enough raw offensive power. The third, the Sharingan, was also close—experiments at his base aboard the spacecraft were nearing completion, and once successful, it would reach perfection as well.

The others, however, still required time.

Beyond the pupil rings, he also possessed the undying strength of the Immortal Phoenix. That power needed no nurturing; it grew naturally alongside his body. The Phoenix was eternal, weakened only by catastrophic injury, but always rebuilding itself. Over time, it would only grow stronger.

Kurogai exhaled. "I've been idle too long… no, there's still one thing I've left unresolved."

His eyes shifted, the black irises twisting into a kaleidoscope of crimson patterns. Space rippled, and the dimensional rift of Kamui opened. Slowly, he drew out a metal sphere glowing with otherworldly light.

The Orb. The Cosmic Sphere. The prison of the Power Stone.

Kurogai's gaze sharpened. "After all these years… my body should finally be able to handle it."

He had obtained the Orb on Morag years earlier, drawn to it by instinct. Even before then, at Kamar-Taj, when he first encountered the Time Stone, he had felt a strange pull in his body, as if his very being sought out the Infinity Stones. That pull had only grown stronger with time.

The Power Stone had been tempting, but back then, even with the Immortal Phoenix coursing through him and his perfected body, his instincts had warned him: he wasn't ready. To touch it then would have destroyed him. So he had sealed it away in Kamui's dimension, allowing it to exist alongside him, hoping time would forge compatibility.

Years had passed. He had endured the cosmic storm. His ultimate body had ascended to a new stage. And now, for the first time, he felt certain he might be ready.

"Time to test it," he murmured. "But not here."

Even Kurogai wasn't reckless enough to attempt it in the manor. If the Power Stone's energy erupted uncontrollably, it would obliterate not only the building but half of New York as well. He wasn't concerned for the city's sake—he wasn't a saint—but drawing that much attention would be disastrous. His enemies around the world were watching, waiting. The last thing he needed was to show them weakness.

His eyes shifted again, the crimson tomoe spinning into a blazing star. Space shimmered like glass, and with a thought, he stepped through.

The Mirror Dimension folded open around him. Safe, isolated, detached from reality.

It was the perfect place to test the limits of his power.

_____

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