"You killed my brother," Morth'ak said, his voice now controlled but no less deadly. "Zorak was no saint, but he was mine to protect. You didn't just kill him—you erased him from existence itself. You denied him even the dignity of an echo in the cosmic record."

"Zorak sent assassins to my home," Elias replied simply. "They threatened someone I care about. The response was proportional."

"PROPORTIONAL?" Morth'ak's fury exploded outward, causing nearby realities to flicker and distort. "You obliterated a being who had existed for eons! You removed him from the River of Time! There is nothing I can do—nothing reality itself can do—to bring him back!"

"Yes," Elias acknowledged. "That was the point. A lesson needed to be taught."

Morth'ak stared at him, unable to comprehend the casual certainty in those words. "Do you have any idea what you've done? Zorak and I were sworn brothers for seventeen thousand epochs! He was my BROTHER, my anchor in an infinite existence! And you just... deleted him!"

"I am aware of your bond," Elias said, and something in his tone suggested he genuinely understood. "I have someone similar. Which is why I'm certain you understand my response to threats against her."

"Understanding doesn't equal forgiveness!" Morth'ak's form began to expand, silver flames spreading across the void as he prepared to unleash his full power. "I achieved 100% Reality comprehension. I can rewrite the fundamental nature of existence itself. I will unmake you just as thoroughly as you unmade him!"

"No," Elias said simply. "You won't."

Morth'ak began to speak, to unleash the reality-warping technique he had spent centuries perfecting, the attack that would reduce Elias to less than nothing—

Elias waved his hand.

It was not a dramatic gesture. There was no gathering of cosmic energy, no reality-warping technique, no complex manipulation of fundamental laws. It was simply a casual dismissal, as one might wave away an insect.

Morth'ak stopped mid-word. His silver flames flickered. His vast form began to dissolve, not into energy or essence, but into absolute nothingness.

"Wait .... what —" was all he managed to say.

Then he was gone. Completely. Utterly. Finally.

The void where Morth'ak had stood was empty, and not the normal emptiness of space. It was the emptiness of absence, of something that had never been. Even the distortions his presence had caused in reality smoothed out, as if he had never existed to create them.

Elias remained floating for a moment, his expression unchanged. He felt... nothing. No satisfaction, no remorse, no sense of triumph. Just a mild annoyance at the interruption, and relief that he could now return to his peaceful journey.

What Elias didn't know—or perhaps simply didn't care about—was that the ambush had not been as private as Morth'ak had believed.

Hidden in the folds of reality, using every concealment technique they possessed, seventeen other Multiversal Beings had been watching. They had been Morth'ak's contingency plan, hidden observers who could report on the battle's outcome and, if necessary, avenge him should he fail.

They had expected a glorious battle between titans. They had expected Morth'ak, with his perfect Reality comprehension, to at least put up a fight. They had expected that even if he lost, his power would force Elias to reveal the full extent of his capabilities.

What they witnessed instead shattered every assumption they held about power hierarchies in the multiverse.

Morth'ak hadn't just lost. He hadn't even registered as a threat. Elias had dismissed him with the same casual attention one might give to brushing dust off a sleeve.

"He didn't even try," whispered one observer, her voice trembling. "100% Reality Law comprehension, and Elias didn't even need to try."

"We need to leave," another said urgently. "Now. Before he notices us."

"He already knows we're here," a third observer stated with absolute certainty. "Look at his posture. He's allowing us to flee."

They didn't need to be told twice. One by one, the hidden Multiversal Beings fled, tearing holes in reality in their haste to escape. Some ran to their home universes. Others dove deeper into the void, seeking places where even Elias Vance might not find them. A few, gripped by existential terror, began the journey toward the Infinity Realm, hoping that ascending to a higher plane might put them beyond his reach.

As they scattered across the multiverse, they carried with them a new understanding: Elias Vance was not simply the strongest Multiversal Being. He existed in a category beyond their comprehension, operating under rules they didn't understand and couldn't hope to match.

The message they spread was simple and absolute: Do not provoke Elias Vance. Do not threaten his interests. Do not even think about him too loudly. The age of Multiversal Beings competing for supremacy is over. The age of Elias Vance has begun.

Elias phased back through the Aegis's hull, returning to his bridge as if he had simply stepped out for a moment of fresh air. The crew, who had been frozen in tension, immediately relaxed at his return.

"Status report," he requested calmly.

"All systems nominal, sir," the AI replied, its voice betraying no reaction to what had just occurred. "No damage to any vessels. The intruder has been... neutralized."

"Excellent. Resume our journey. Standard cruise speed."

"Sir, if I may..." the AI hesitated in a way that suggested genuine concern. "That was a being with 100% Reality Law comprehension. The readings suggest he had recently ascended, possibly strong enough to challenge—"

"He was angry and acted without proper analysis," Elias interrupted. "Understandable given his emotional state, but strategically foolish. Now, unless there are other interruptions, I'd like to return to my meditation."

The armada continued its journey through the void, its perfect formation undisturbed by the brief encounter. Inside the Aegis, Elias settled back into his meditation chamber, his consciousness once again drifting through Lyra's gift of knowledge.

Forty-two days remained until they reached home. Forty-two days of peaceful travel, intellectual exploration, and quiet anticipation of meeting his daughter.

Somewhere in the multiverse, beings who had witnessed the non-battle were rewriting their understanding of power. Civilizations were adjusting their policies. Factions were abandoning long-held ambitions.

But none of that mattered to Elias. He had a schedule to keep, a family waiting for him, and a fascinating set of theoretical problems to solve before he arrived home.

The journey continued. Peaceful. Optimal. Exactly as he had planned.

In the void behind them, the space where Morth'ak had stood remained empty. Not even a quantum fluctuation disturbed the perfect nothingness. It was as if the sworn brother of Zorak had been nothing more than a dream, a what-if that never quite managed to become real.

And perhaps, in the end, that's exactly what he had become.

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