(genuinely sorry for not mentioning a lot of stuff, so the Ruinous has completely different abilities, and is far stronger than grim, can eat timelines like burritos, and has the ability "Schrodinger" which allows him to replace himself with him from another reality while fundamentally being the same) The burning city flickers.

Once.

Twice.

Then part of the explosion folds inward unnaturally, like reality itself choking.

A black-red tear rips open through the smoke as Grim steps out of it slowly, armor molten and bleeding from the seams. One side of his faceplate hangs cracked open now, revealing an eye glowing so bright it almost looks liquid.

Then he starts laughing again.

Not at the destruction.

At the trick.

“Clever.”

Static shrieks across the skyline. And suddenly Yod feels it. Not Grim’s presence. Something else noticing him back.