Convergence

It all started with a spell gone horribly wrong.

Megumin, the self-proclaimed greatest explosion wizard, was in the middle of what she called an "experimental upgrade" to her already world-wrecking magic. The goal? Bigger, flashier, more explosive explosions. The problem? She had no idea what she was doing.

The spell was supposed to be an enhanced reality-distorting blast—a way to "light up the cosmos," as she put it. Unfortunately, Aqua, the useless goddess, decided it would be a great idea to bless the spell with extra divine energy—because "what's the worst that could happen?"

Turns out, the worst was the multiverse imploding in on itself.

The sky cracked. The air screamed. The very fabric of existence folded like a cheap lawn chair.

Across multiple universes, powerful beings, heroes, and, unfortunately, idiots, were ripped from their realities and flung into a world none of them had ever seen before: Shrek's Swamp.

Shrek was just minding his own business, enjoying a peaceful morning in his swamp, when the sky literally exploded above him.

BOOM!

A Jedi Starfighter crashed right into his cabbage patch. From the wreckage, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi stumbled out, coughing up smoke.

"Great," Obi-Wan groaned, wiping soot off his robes. "Another fine mess, Anakin."

"That wasn't me!" Anakin snapped, brushing dirt off his leather tunic. "I was literally flying! How is this my fault?!"

Before they could argue further, another portal opened up midair—this time, a drunk man with a spear, a farmboy with a flaming sword, and a wolfish-looking blacksmith tumbled right into the swamp's murky waters.

Mat Cauthon, Rand al'Thor, and Perrin Aybara sputtered as they surfaced.

"Bloody flaming hell, where are we?!" Mat yelled, flinging swamp water from his coat.

"That's… a very big ogre," Rand muttered, staring at Shrek.

Shrek, arms crossed, glared at the ever-growing cast of characters ruining his morning.

"Alright, who in the name of Farquaad's ghost is messing up my swamp?!"

But reality wasn't done spitting out heroes just yet.

A portal above Shrek's outhouse suddenly spewed out Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, all of whom landed face-first into a pile of mud.

"Ugh," Batman groaned, peeling himself off the ground. "I hate magic."

"Well, at least we're not fighting aliens this time," Superman said, helping Wonder Woman up.

Seconds later, a rainbow-colored wormhole ripped open the sky, and out tumbled Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America—all three of them landing on Shrek's house with a loud CRASH.

"Ow," Tony Stark muttered. "Okay, I think I just tasted dirt. I do not like tasting dirt."

Shrek took a deep breath. "Alright, that's it. EVERYONE GET OUT OF MY SWAMP!"

Just when it seemed things couldn't get worse, a final dimension-ripping surge tore through the sky. This one deposited Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, and Tyrion Lannister right onto the roof of Shrek's outhouse—where Batman was still standing.

"Who are you people?" Batman growled, glaring at the three medieval-looking newcomers.

Tyrion brushed himself off, unfazed. "I'm just happy to be somewhere that doesn't involve dragons trying to eat me."

Daenerys side-eyed the literal Norse god (Thor) and an actual Kryptonian (Superman). "What in the seven hells…?"

Jon Snow, still covered in the ashes of Winterfell, just sighed. "I don't know what's happening. But I hate it already."

And so, within a span of five minutes, Shrek's once-peaceful swamp had turned into the single most ridiculous gathering of warriors, sorcerers, superheroes, and total idiots in history.

Obi-Wan looked around at the madness, sighed, and turned to Anakin.

"I have a bad feeling about this."

The swamp was in chaos. The once-quiet marshland, which had previously been home to nothing more than an irritable ogre, a talking donkey, and the occasional fairytale nuisance, now housed an army of displaced warriors, heroes, and confused travelers from across reality. The smell of scorched earth, ozone, and singed Jedi robes lingered in the damp air.

Obi-Wan Kenobi surveyed the crowd, pinching the bridge of his nose. His patience was wearing thin, and he wasn't the only one. Batman was already prowling around, trying to make sense of the terrain, while Captain America was attempting to keep Thor and Superman from having an ego contest over who could smash things harder. Jon Snow had retreated to a tree stump, staring blankly ahead as if willing himself to wake up from this nightmare. Shrek, meanwhile, was still fuming.

"Oi, listen here, you lot," the ogre growled, his thick fingers pointing at the ragtag group, "I don't know who you are, where you're from, or why the hell you decided my swamp was the best place to have your little tea party, but I want all of you out. Now."

Before anyone could argue, the sky ripped open again.

A swirling blue vortex materialized above them, crackling with unstable magical energy. And then, as if reality itself was playing some cruel joke, four figures plummeted out of it.

The first to hit the ground was a scrawny, tracksuit-clad young man, landing face-first into a puddle of swamp water with an undignified splat. The second was a girl in a black and red mage's robe, who cackled wildly before raising a single arm in dramatic flair. The third was a blonde woman in heavy armor, who landed flat on her back and groaned in delight. And the fourth, the loudest of them all, was a blue-haired woman who tumbled out headfirst, rolling several feet before coming to an abrupt stop right at Shrek's feet.

A silence settled over the swamp.

Kazuma Satou groaned and pushed himself up, spitting out muddy water. His face was already set in an expression of utter despair. He knew. He already knew what had happened.

"No," he muttered to himself, shaking his head. "No, no, no. I refuse. I absolutely refuse to deal with this. Somebody kill me now."

Megumin, the explosion-obsessed mage, was already climbing onto a rock, her single crimson eye burning with excitement. "YES! A NEW WORLD! A NEW STAGE! THIS IS PERFECT! I, MEGUMIN, ARCH WIZARD OF THE CRIMSON DEMON CLAN, SHALL BRING GLORY TO OUR NAME BY UNLEASHING MY ULTIMATE—"

Kazuma grabbed her by the cape and yanked her back down before she could finish whatever monologue was about to destroy the local ecosystem.

"Not. A. Word."

Darkness, the masochistic crusader, was sitting in the mud, looking dazed but unusually pleased. "Oh… That impact… the sheer force of it… such power…" She shivered, gripping her chestplate as if savoring the moment.

"Nobody cares, Darkness," Kazuma said flatly.

Then there was Aqua. She lifted her head from where she had crashed, her bright blue hair falling in messy tangles around her face. She blinked, then grinned, as if finally realizing what had happened.

"Oh, hey! It worked!"

Every single person in the swamp turned to look at her.

A beat of silence.

"What do you mean, 'it worked'?" Batman was the first to ask, his voice dangerously low.

Aqua, completely oblivious to the tension surrounding her, stood up and dusted herself off. "Well, Megumin and I were working on this new spell, you see! She wanted to make her explosions even bigger, but I told her that if we tweaked the spell just right, we could harness divine energy to—"

"You," Obi-Wan cut in, stepping forward, "were tampering with the fundamental laws of magic and divine power?"

"Well, yeah," Aqua said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"And you blessed the spell," Kazuma groaned, rubbing his temples. "You actually did it. Oh my God, we are so dead."

"Oh, come on," Aqua said, rolling her eyes. "How bad could it be?"

"HOW BAD COULD IT BE?!" Shrek roared, throwing his hands in the air. "Lady, you ripped reality apart! Look at this! LOOK AT THIS!" He gestured wildly at the collection of superheroes, Jedi, medieval warriors, and sci-fi characters all standing in what used to be his peaceful home.

Aqua blinked. "Oh… ohhhh." The realization finally hit her.

Tony Stark folded his arms. "So, let me get this straight. This entire mess? This insane, multiversal disaster? All of us being dragged to whatever-this-place-is? You caused it?"

Aqua swallowed. "Um… technically, it was Megumin's spell—"

"Do not put this on me," Megumin said quickly, raising both hands.

Superman stepped forward, his usually calm demeanor starting to show cracks. "Can you undo it?"

Aqua laughed nervously. "Well, um… see, funny thing about that—"

Kazuma grabbed her by the collar. "Tell them the truth, Aqua."

"I CAN'T UNDO IT!" Aqua wailed.

A new, even heavier silence settled over the swamp.

And then, absolute pandemonium broke out.

Batman turned and walked away, muttering something about needing to prepare for the worst. Obi-Wan closed his eyes and took a deep breath, visibly restraining himself from losing his Jedi composure. Superman and Captain America both looked like they were contemplating throttling a supposed goddess. Megumin was laughing, finding the whole thing hilarious. Shrek stomped off, grumbling profanities under his breath. Jon Snow had buried his face in his hands.

And Kazuma? Kazuma just slumped to the ground.

"Why?" he groaned, staring up at the sky. "Why am I always surrounded by idiots?"

"Hey!" Aqua snapped, glaring at him. "Don't be so rude, Kazuma! You should be thanking me! Now you get to go on a big, grand adventure with all these amazing heroes!"

"That's not a good thing, Aqua!" Kazuma shouted back.

Tyrion Lannister, who had been watching this unfold with a bemused expression, chuckled to himself and took a swig from his ever-present wine flask. "Oh, I like these people. This is going to be fun."

Obi-Wan turned to Batman, who was now glaring at the swamp as if it had personally insulted him. "Well," the Jedi Master said with a tired sigh, "I suppose the next step is figuring out what to do about this mess."

Batman's jaw tightened. "Step one: find a way home. Step two…" His gaze landed back on Aqua. "Make sure this never happens again."

"Um," Aqua piped up nervously. "That sounds… ominous."

Nobody disagreed.

Kazuma sighed again. "I hate my life."

The swamp was already a disaster zone, but somehow, things were getting worse.

Tensions were high after Aqua's confession. The world's strongest warriors, greatest minds, and most irrational individuals had all been thrown together in a universe that, until now, had been mostly concerned with fairy tales and onion-based humor. The heroes had broken off into small groups, each trying to process the sheer absurdity of their situation.

Batman was interrogating Aqua, trying to extract any useful information on how to undo the catastrophe. Obi-Wan and Captain America were trying to establish order, while Thor and Superman were busy comparing muscles and probably forming a rivalry that would lead to many explosive arguments. Shrek had given up entirely and was now brooding in his swamp shack, muttering about "bloody heroes messing up his life."

And then, there was Mat Cauthon.

He was on edge, his fingers twitching at his coat buttons, his eyes darting around the swamp like a man who knew, deep down, that something was very wrong.

It wasn't just that he had been thrown into another world. It wasn't just that he had almost drowned in swamp water and was now surrounded by people who could throw planets or cut through steel with their minds. No. Mat Cauthon had lived through too many insane experiences to be surprised by this.

But what was concerning him? His luck. It was acting up again.

And when Mat Cauthon's luck acted up, the universe suffered.

He turned to Rand and Perrin, scowling. "Alright, what in the bloody ashes is this place, and how do we get out of it? Because I have no intention of sticking around to see what happens next."

Rand, powerful channeler and Dragon Reborn, looked at his friend with sympathy. Perrin, ever the quiet blacksmith, sighed. They knew Mat. And they knew that when the Wheel decided to spin oddly around him things got weird.

"Just... try not to do anything, Mat," Rand said carefully.

Mat's scowl deepened. "I never do anything! It just bloody happens!"

Kazuma, who had been people-watching while trying to come to terms with his own life choices, perked up. This guy... He felt oddly familiar. Not just in looks—though, to be fair, Mat kind of had that whole "scruffy, roguish slacker" thing going on like he did—but in behavior.

Megumin noticed it too. She leaned in toward Kazuma. "He's... kind of like you," she whispered.

Kazuma nodded slowly. "Yeah. It's like looking at an alternate version of myself if I had a gambling addiction and was actually competent."

Mat turned, having overheard. "Excuse me?"

Kazuma smirked. "You've got a certain loser-y energy, my friend. Just like me. It's the energy of someone who doesn't want to be here, but fate—or in my case, a dumb blue-haired goddess—keeps dragging you into messes anyway."

Mat narrowed his eyes. "And what do you know about fate?"

"Buddy, my entire life is a joke," Kazuma said, sighing dramatically. "At this point, I just roll with it."

Mat opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, something happened.

The wind shifted, rustling through the swamp unnaturally like a whisper in the air. Birds suddenly took flight from the trees, cawing in distress. The very ground trembled beneath them.

"Okay," Batman said from across the clearing, "what now?"

Then came the frogs.

At first, it was just one. A large, ugly swamp frog, hopping onto a rock. It stared at Mat.

Then, more.

Dozens. Hundreds. Thousands of frogs. They erupted from the water, raining down from the trees, crawling up from the earth itself.

The entire swamp was now a hopping, croaking nightmare.

Mat stared at them in horror.

Kazuma blinked. "Oh, wow. That's… impressive. Even I have never triggered a biblical plague before."

Megumin grinned. "Maybe you should try rolling dice, Mat. You might summon a tornado next!"

"SHUT UP!" Mat yelled, backing away as a frog launched itself onto his shoulder. He swatted at it frantically. "This is not my fault!"

"Clearly, the universe disagrees," Obi-Wan muttered, watching as a small avalanche of frogs buried Mat up to his waist.

"Alright, alright!" Shrek stomped forward, furious. "I let the space people slide, I let the heroes and wizards slide, but now, my swamp is full of bloody frogs! This is officially the worst day of my life!"

Mat, still flailing under the growing frog infestation, threw his arms up. "Oh, come on! Why does this always happen to me?!"

And then, as if fate wanted to mock him further, a frog leaped straight into his mouth.

Silence.

Kazuma, Megumin, Rand, and Perrin all froze.

Mat spat the frog out, wheezing. "I'm going to kill someone," he growled.

At that exact moment, the frog swarm vanished. Completely. They just… disappeared, as if they had never been there in the first place.

The group stood in stunned silence.

"Alright," Superman said slowly. "I don't know what that was, but I didn't like it."

Tyrion, sipping his wine, raised a single eyebrow at Mat. "Interesting. I've seen strange things before, but you, my friend, might be the strangest yet."

Kazuma walked up and threw an arm around Mat's shoulder. "I like you. You're just as cursed as me, but on a cosmic level."

Mat shoved him off. "Bloody hell, I don't need another lunatic in my life!"

Rand and Perrin exchanged glances.

"Sorry, Mat," Perrin said, shaking his head.

Rand sighed. "Yeah. Sorry."

Mat groaned. "That doesn't help!"

Obi-Wan, who had long since lost patience with the idiocy unfolding around him, pinched the bridge of his nose again. "Can we please focus on getting out of here before anything worse happens?"

A sudden, earth-shaking roar echoed from deep in the swamp, a sound so monstrous and wrong that even Thor stopped his flexing contest.

Kazuma sighed. "You just had to say it, didn't you?"

Mat threw his hands in the air. "I didn't do anything! I swear!"

"Sure," Megumin said, grinning. "That's what makes it so funny."

As the ground rumbled again, as the swamp itself seemed to shift, the heroes realized that this was only the beginning of their nightmare.

The swamp rumbled again, the tremors growing stronger with each passing second. Trees shook, water rippled violently, and the air itself seemed to buzz with unnatural energy. The heroes, already on edge from Mat Cauthon's cosmic nonsense, instinctively moved into defensive stances.

Shrek, however, was just done.

"I swear, if one more thing crashes into my swamp, I'm gonna—"

The ground suddenly split apart, sending mud and water spraying into the air. From the jagged fissure, shadowy figures began to emerge.

There were six of them, each stepping forward with a sense of purpose and menace. These weren't the usual goofy fairytale nuisances Shrek was used to dealing with. No, these were something worse.

The first was Rumpelstiltskin, but not the pathetic trickster Shrek had once humiliated—this one had glowing red eyes, clad in dark, regal robes that reeked of sorcery. His sharp, pointed grin held no humor.

Beside him was the Big Bad Wolf, but twisted beyond recognition. His fur was black as ink, his eyes gleamed like molten gold, and his claws were unnaturally long, scraping against the swampy ground.

To his left, Mother Gothel from the Rapunzel tale, her beauty unnatural and preserved through forbidden magic, smirked with a knowing look, her nails crackling with arcane energy.

The next was The Pied Piper, his long coat flowing eerily despite the lack of wind. He raised his flute, fingers twitching over the keys. His smile was empty, soulless.

And behind them all, the Two Wicked Stepsisters—ugly no longer, but made monstrous by whatever force had twisted them into creatures of darkness. Their eyes glowed an eerie purple, their nails long and clawed, their dresses tattered yet regal.

The heroes tensed as the group of nightmarish villains stepped forward, spreading out into a semi-circle to block off any escape.

Kazuma, sensing the tension, gulped and leaned toward Mat. "Uh, are these your fault, too?"

Mat scowled. "How in the bloody flaming hell would I summon this?!"

Aqua, ever the helpful goddess, pointed at the villains and shouted, "AHH! MONSTERS!" before hiding behind Batman. Batman did not appreciate this.

Rumpelstiltskin, stepping ahead of the others, let out a chuckle. "Oh, good. It seems the little interdimensional accidents have finally noticed us."

Obi-Wan took a measured step forward, his eyes calm but sharp. "Who are you, and what do you want?"

Mother Gothel grinned, tilting her head in amusement. "Oh, you poor dears. You didn't think you could just waltz into our world, did you?"

The Big Bad Wolf let out a deep, menacing growl. "You don't belong here. None of you."

Superman's eyes narrowed. "Then maybe you can help us get home."

The Pied Piper let out a hollow, chilling laugh. "Oh, we will. But first, we have to eliminate the problem."

Shrek stepped forward, arms crossed, glaring. "Alright, listen up, ya fairy-tale rejects. I don't know what kind of bargain bin horror show this is, but nobody tells me what I can and can't do in my own swamp."

The Stepsisters hissed in unison, their sharpened teeth far too unnatural for human mouths.

Rumpelstiltskin smirked. "Oh, don't worry. We were given specific orders. Eliminate all foreign incursions to this world." His eyes glowed brighter. "That means all of you."

Batman's expression darkened. "By who?"

"Now, now," Mother Gothel tutted. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

And then, the fight began.

The Big Bad Wolf lunged first, going straight for Superman—which was a mistake.

BOOM.

One punch sent the massive wolf soaring across the swamp, crashing through trees like a furry meteor.

Before anyone could react, the Pied Piper's flute sang—a piercing, eerie melody that sent a wave of energy through the air.

Immediately, strange creatures crawled out of the mud, enchanted and summoned by his music—twisted versions of fairytale creatures: rabid gnomes, grotesque elves, and mutant gingerbread men with fanged smiles.

Jon Snow, sword drawn, immediately cut one down. "What are these things?!"

"They're the worst bloody army I've ever seen!" Mat yelled, swatting away a biting gingerbread man. "Get off me, you doughy bastard!"

Thor charged Mother Gothel, summoning a storm with Mjolnir—but the sorceress vanished in a swirl of dark magic, reappearing behind him and slamming him with a wave of aging energy.

Thor staggered, blinking. "What was that?!"

Gothel smirked. "A taste of time's embrace."

Batman threw a Batarang at her, but she caught it midair.

"Nice try," she whispered.

Meanwhile, Rumpelstiltskin weaved dark magic, sending spiked vines erupting from the ground toward Obi-Wan and Kazuma.

Obi-Wan sliced through them with a precise lightsaber strike. Kazuma, less gracefully, rolled away screaming.

"ARE YOU SERIOUSLY THROWING ME INTO A BOSS FIGHT RIGHT NOW?!" Kazuma wailed, pulling out his sword in sheer panic.

Megumin, however, was thrilled.

"This is it!" she cackled, stepping onto a rock. "A worthy battle for the GREAT MEGUMIN!"

Rand groaned. "Oh no, not again."

Megumin raised her staff. "EXPLOSION!"

A blinding blast of fire and energy tore through the swamp, annihilating a horde of enchanted creatures and launching the Pied Piper into the sky.

When the smoke cleared, Megumin was, as usual, collapsed face-down on the ground, grinning like a lunatic.

Kazuma sighed. "Every damn time."

Tyrion, dodging a wild swing from one of the Stepsisters, grimaced. "Insanity."

Shrek, meanwhile, was full-on brawling with the Big Bad Wolf, throwing punches like an angry Scottish tank.

"You think you can come into MY SWAMP?!" Punch! "Mess with ME?!" Kick! "I've fought a bloody DRAGON and LIVED!" Headbutt!

The wolf whimpered.

At the center of it all, Mat Cauthon, dodging lethal attacks purely by dumb luck, found himself in front of Rumpelstiltskin, who sneered.

"You, gambler, have no power here."

Mat grinned. "Oh yeah?"

And then, somehow, a loose rock tripped Rumpelstiltskin, sending the evil sorcerer flying backward into a tree, knocking him out cold.

Mat blinked.

Kazuma, watching this, muttered, "Alright, now I believe in your luck."

The battle raged on—but one thing was clear: whoever had sent these villains wasn't done with them yet.

The battle raged on, the swamp becoming a battlefield of magic, steel, and chaos.

Superman sent the Big Bad Wolf flying into the sky with a single thunderous punch, the beast letting out a pitiful whimper before vanishing into the horizon. Thor swung Mjolnir, sending lightning arcing through the air, frying a horde of twisted fairytale creatures into charred remains.

Shrek, red-faced with rage, picked up one of the Wicked Stepsisters by her feet and swung her like a club into her equally monstrous sibling. "I told ya," he growled, "get outta my bloody swamp!" With one last heave, he chucked them into the murky water, where Superman promptly heat-visioned the surface, sealing them in a boiling prison.

Meanwhile, Mat Cauthon, dodging attacks with the same ridiculous luck that had both blessed and cursed his life, somehow tripped and caused Mother Gothel to impale herself on her own magical staff.

He blinked. "Uh… oops?"

Kazuma, ducking behind a rock while Obi-Wan elegantly dismantled a swarm of demonic gingerbread men, peered over at Mat and muttered, "This guy's actual nonsense."

Megumin, cackling, barely had time to recover from her previous blast before clutching her staff again. "One more! Just one more!"

Kazuma was shocked at her ability to get back up; Aqua must have infused her with more stamina during the reality warping explosion. He lunged at her. "NO! NO MORE EXPL—"

BOOM.

A second EXPLOSION ripped across the battlefield, sending Rumpelstiltskin's unconscious body cartwheeling into the trees and disintegrating the remaining twisted fairytale creatures.

When the dust settled, silence fell upon the battlefield. The swamp, though scorched, shattered, and steaming, was finally free of its invaders.

Jon Snow, panting, surveyed the wreckage. "Is it… over?"

That was when the air itself shimmered—a rippling disturbance that sent a chill down everyone's spine.

Then, he appeared.

A figure floated above them, small in stature but exuding raw power. He was clad in his iconic red sorcerer's robes, his wizard's hat casting an ominous shadow over his round, black-button eyes.

His white gloves flexed as arcane energy crackled between them.

It was Mickey Mouse.

But not the cheerful, beloved icon of childhood. No—this Mickey was different. His smile was too wide, his eyes gleamed with malevolent intent, and his entire presence exuded an unnatural, almost godlike power.

A sinister chuckle echoed across the ruined swamp.

"Well, well, folks," Mickey said, his voice eerily unchanged from his usual cheerful tone, making it all the more disturbing. "Looks like ya took care of those nasty ol' bad guys for me, huh? Gosh! That sure was swell of ya!"

The heroes all tensed.

Shrek squinted. "The hell am I lookin' at?"

Obi-Wan stepped forward cautiously. "Who are you?"

Mickey's grin widened. "Oh, me? I'm just a harmless little sorcerer, tryin' to clean up this dirty, nasty place." His eyes flashed. "Y'see, this world? It ain't right. It's all dark and twisted. Fairy tales should be bright, happy, and wholesome. No more of this scary, grim stuff."

The heroes exchanged glances.

Tony Stark raised an eyebrow. "So let me get this straight—you're trying to sanitize an entire reality?"

Mickey giggled. "Now ya gettin' it, pal! I'm gonna fix it all up! No more grim endings. No more complicated morality. Just good ol' fashioned, kid-friendly storytelling!" His voice darkened, his shadow seeming to stretch unnaturally. "And you don't belong here."

Aqua, still hiding behind Batman, gulped. "I think he's gonna kill us."

Mat Cauthon, suddenly feeling incredibly unlucky, muttered, "Burn me, I think you're right."

Superman stepped forward, eyes glowing red. "If you're the one who caused this mess, then we need to stop you."

Mickey sighed, shaking his head. "Aw, shucks. Guess we gotta do this the hard way."

With a flick of his wrist, the air ruptured.

Massive, swirling portals tore open beneath their feet.

Kazuma shouted, "OH, COME ON!" just before he was sucked into the vortex.

Anakin ignited his lightsaber, only to be dragged through another portal with a shout.

Superman, flying forward at full speed, almost reached Mickey—until the sorcerer snapped his fingers and the Kryptonian was yanked backwards into a void.

The group disappeared in an instant, each swallowed by a separate portal, until only the echoes of their yells remained.

Mickey dusted off his gloves, looking down at the now empty swamp.

"Well," he said with a smile. "That takes care of that."

Then he vanished, leaving only silence.

The heroes awoke, scattered across unfamiliar terrain.

Mat Cauthon, Steve Rogers, Megumin, Daenerys, Wonder Woman, and Donkey found themselves in a vast desert, the sun beating down mercilessly.

Mat groaned, sitting up. "Where the flaming hell are we?"

Megumin looked around. "I don't know, but I already hate it."

Donkey stood up, shaking dust off his fur. "I knew that mouse was bad news! You see that smile? That was an evil mouse smile! And not even the fun kind of evil!"

Steve Rogers clenched his fists. "We need to regroup. If that thing can alter reality, we're dealing with something worse than we thought."

Meanwhile, Anakin, Darkness, Tony Stark, Shrek, Rand al'Thor, Jon Snow, and Superman were deposited in the middle of a vast, eerie forest.

Shrek immediately got up and groaned. "Oh, great. Another bloody place full o' trees."

Tony Stark scanned the surroundings. "Alright. Who wants to bet this place is cursed?"

Rand narrowed his eyes. "It feels wrong."

Darkness, ever the optimist, grinned. "If it's cursed, does that mean we'll be attacked? I welcome the challenge!"

Anakin groaned. "I'm surrounded by lunatics."

And finally, Batman, Obi-Wan, Thor, Perrin, Kazuma, Aqua, and Tyrion woke up in a massive, abandoned castle, the cold stone walls looming over them.

Kazuma groaned. "Let me guess… haunted?"

Aqua perked up. "Wait! If it's haunted, I can actually be useful!"

Batman ignored them, already scanning the room. "We need to figure out where we are—and more importantly, how to stop that thing."

Obi-Wan nodded, gripping his lightsaber. "Agreed."

Thor cracked his knuckles. "Then let us prepare. The mouse shall not win this day."

Tyrion took a sip of wine. "Well… this just got interesting."

The three groups, now separated, had only one goal: survive, regroup, and defeat Sorcerer Mickey before he could reshape reality itself.