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[Superman] Chapter 174: Darkseid's Gaze
🕑 Added 2024-07-22 15:55:41 +0000 UTC"This..."
Peter's sudden change in demeanor instantly put everyone on high alert.
However, just as tensions between both sides were reaching a breaking point, someone inadvertently glanced at the sky behind Peter.
From the ruins of a distant city, a horde of Parademons and various alien high-tech aircraft surged forth. They advanced towards them with a force that seemed to blot out the sun, casting the sky into near-complete darkness.
At the forefront of the endless Parademon army was a familiar figure leading the charge—Superman, who had been sent flying by Peter not long ago.
"Damn it, we've been surrounded!"
The group looked around and saw that they were already encircled by thousands of Parademons, swarming like locusts and closing in from all directions.
"Bruce, what do we do now?"
Their eyes paused on Peter before gathering around Batman, their expressions heavy with concern.
"It looks like we have no choice but to fight to the last stand," Batman said, shifting his gaze from Peter's cold face to the advancing Parademon army. His eyes mirrored the same gravity.
At this moment, they were surrounded, and the nearest hidden Batcave was too far to reach for refuge.
"Yes, we must prepare to give it our all. I'm tired of hiding," one of them declared. "We have to put forth our final strength for this world."
Even though they were about to be engulfed by the enemy's army, their eyes showed no fear, only an unwavering resolve.
In the span of a few short years, they had witnessed the collapse of history, the defeat of humanity, and the fall of heroes. The Justice League, once the defenders of Earth, had fractured under the alien invasion. On Earth, humans, the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, and the Amazon warriors of Themyscira had all failed to withstand the alien forces, leading to the complete occupation of the planet.
Earth now resembled an apocalypse. Heroes like Wonder Woman and Aquaman had perished defending it. Superman, once the most powerful being on Earth, had been turned and now served the alien invaders.
Only a handful of heroes led by Batman remained, still resisting the alien dominion, hoping to restore Earth to its former glory.
But they all knew that, at this point, the chances of reviving the Earth's former prosperity were incredibly slim.
...
"Everyone, we will rewrite the fate of Earth with our own hands."
"The glory of humanity will be reforged in this moment!"
"We will cleanse our planet of its suffering with the blood of the invaders!"
"In the name of justice, we will drive out the evil from this world!"
"The light of the sun will once again shine upon the Earth!"
Batman, who had spent a lifetime devising plans, found himself facing the final battle that had come so suddenly. Yet, he did not retreat or give up. Even in the face of a million alien soldiers, even though only a few were standing with him, they seemed as formidable as an entire army.
Batman's gaze swept over everyone. There was no fear in their eyes, only the long-suppressed anger that now erupted fiercely.
His eyes lingered on the Flash, who looked back at him with a complicated expression before turning to the alien army gathering in the sky not far away.
Then, Batman tapped a high-tech device on his arm, activating his final hidden power.
At the same time, thousands of kilometers away, within a massive volcano, the walls of rock slowly parted. The next moment, accompanied by a powerful roar, a giant high-tech aircraft emerged from the volcano, bathed in the spewing ash. It shot up through the volcano’s mouth and into the sky, then veered in the direction of Batman’s location.
Meanwhile, Batman and his team were completely surrounded by hundreds of thousands of Parademons. Among them was Peter, who had just punched Superman away.
Perhaps because of the recent defeat, Superman harbored a deep hatred for Peter. Thus, after surrounding everyone, Superman did not immediately order the Parademons to attack. Instead, he flew down to confront Peter.
His cold eyes, filled with confusion and curiosity, scrutinized Peter closely.
"Who are you? How do you have such immense power?"
Superman’s expression was grave as he looked at Peter. This was the first time he had lost a power struggle, and it was to this mysterious man.
"Who am I? What do you think?" Peter responded indifferently, unphased by Superman's return. He wasn't afraid of a regular Superman, and not even Darkseid, who controlled Superman with the Anti-Life Equation, could intimidate him.
"Hmph..."
Superman’s eyes glowed red as he glared at Peter, his heightened senses scanning Peter’s entire body. But in an instant, Superman's expression changed dramatically.
"No, this can't be! How could you be... a Kryptonian?"
Superman’s face was filled with shock and disbelief. He felt the same genes, the same power, the same essence emanating from Peter, as if this person was a fellow Kryptonian like him.
"Ah!"
Suddenly, Superman clutched his head, vivid images flashing through his mind. A planet exploding in space, a spaceship carrying a baby through the cosmos until it landed on a beautiful blue planet. A loving couple adopted the baby and raised him. Then, a spaceship appeared in Earth's orbit, a massive device hovering over Metropolis, altering gravity and causing widespread destruction. Two figures engaged in fierce combat in the sky, their tremendous power demolishing countless buildings. In the end, Superman, in immense sorrow, broke his opponent’s neck, symbolizing the moment he had killed the last of his kind.
"No! Impossible! Krypton was completely destroyed. I’m the only one left. Who are you, and why are you pretending to be my kin?"
The memories swirling in his mind caused Superman immense pain. These memories, seemingly forgotten, had resurfaced upon seeing Peter. Pointing at Peter, Superman's face showed disbelief and suspicion, his expression also revealing intense inner turmoil.
"Superman, what's going on?"
Batman and the others were equally shocked, seeing Superman's pained and conflicted expression. Their eyes were filled with confusion.
"Clark..."
Batman looked at the tormented Superman with a trace of encouragement in his eyes. He understood that everything Clark had done to the Earth was not his true intention but the result of being controlled by that demon. If this intense stimulus could help Clark break free from that control, they would have a great chance to reclaim the Earth.
...
"Hmm? What’s happening on Earth?"
On a distant planet, covered in flames and lava, a giant figure sat on a high-tech throne within an enormous palace. His eyes, initially closed, suddenly opened, emitting a brilliant red light. It was as if he sensed Superman struggling against his control. In a deep voice, he questioned the white-haired figure below him.
"Report to the great Lord Darkseid, we just received news from Earth. They have discovered the last of the rebels, and under the leadership of the Kryptonian, they are utterly destroying those who dare to oppose your rule!"
Granny Goodness, one of Darkseid’s most loyal followers, knelt on one knee, hurriedly reporting to him.
"The last of the rebels?"
The red light in Darkseid’s eyes grew more intense, emitting a sense of oppression and fear as he seemed to ponder.
"How is the transformation of Earth progressing?"
Suddenly, Darkseid spoke again, asking another question.
"Reporting, my lord, the transformation of Earth is about seventy percent complete. It will still take some time before it can fully welcome the arrival of Apokolips..."
"Seventy percent? After occupying Earth for so long?"
Granny Goodness continued her respectful report, but seeing the growing intensity of the red light in Darkseid’s eyes, she hastily added, "The presence of the rebels has significantly slowed the transformation process. However, according to DeSaad’s report, once the heroes leading the resistance are completely eradicated, the transformation speed will increase significantly. Soon, we will be ready to personally welcome your arrival on Earth."
Facing Darkseid’s overwhelming pressure, Granny Goodness was visibly tense, a drop of cold sweat forming on her forehead, but she pressed on, explaining on behalf of DeSaad, who was overseeing the transformation of Earth.
"Hmph, then give him a little more time."
Darkseid’s authoritative gaze pierced the void. With a cold snort, the red light in his eyes blazed brightly, illuminating the entire hall before gradually fading. Darkseid closed his eyes once more.
Meanwhile, back on Earth...
"I am Clark, also known as Superman. I once fought for Earth..."
In Clark’s crimson eyes, a glimmer of clarity seemed to return.
"Hang in there, Clark!"
Batman watched Superman’s reaction, his eyes filled with encouragement and hope.
But suddenly, a cold snort reverberated across the skies of Earth. With this sound, the red light in Clark’s eyes intensified, just as he was about to break free from control.
"Damn it!"
Batman’s hopeful expression vanished in an instant, replaced by a curse of frustration.
"What’s wrong, Bruce?"
"Nothing, get ready for battle..."
Faced with the others' questions, Batman responded in a low voice. Meanwhile, the Batwing he had summoned was now less than a hundred kilometers away.
...
### Chapter 175: Darkseid's Gaze
"I am Superman, the most loyal servant of Lord Darkseid. I will conquer the entire universe for the great Lord Darkseid, crushing anyone who dares to oppose his rule!"
With the red glow in Superman’s eyes becoming even brighter, the painful and struggling expression on his face vanished instantly. He turned to look at Peter with a cold, almost mechanical demeanor.
"Hiss!"
At the same time, all the surrounding Parademons, sensing Superman's aura, simultaneously let out an earth-shattering roar. Their hideous faces resembled bloodthirsty demons, and their eyes glowed red, hungry for fear and war.
As Superman raised his hand and pointed at Batman and the others, thousands of Parademons began swarming toward them. Their jaws gaped wide, drooling thick saliva, as if they wanted to tear Batman and the others to pieces and devour them whole.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Cyborg was the first to attack. His mechanical body transformed into energy cannons, firing continuously at the swarming Parademons. There was no need to aim; under the dense cover of Parademons, each energy blast hit its mark, exploding upon contact and killing hundreds of Parademons instantly. However, this number was insignificant against the seemingly endless swarm.
Countless Parademons broke through Cyborg’s energy barrage and closed in on the group.
"Roar!"
Their pale faces were terrifyingly ferocious as they lunged forward with a roar.
On the other side, Superman turned his cold gaze toward Peter. Without hesitation, his eyes unleashed a powerful heat vision.
Zzzzzz!
The heat vision pierced through the void, shooting toward Peter at high speed.
"Let me show you who the real Superman is!"
In response to Superman’s challenge, Peter didn’t hesitate either. His eyes glowed with a golden light, unleashing a beam infused with the terrifying power of the Phoenix Force.
Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!
The intense heat and all-consuming Phoenix Force seemed to tear through the void, distorting the entire space.
Boom!
The two beams collided mid-air, erupting into a terrifying spectacle. The energy blast swept away the surrounding Parademons, annihilating them in an instant.
Amid Superman’s incredulous expression, Peter’s heat vision, like an unstoppable force, shattered Superman’s beam and struck his body. The immense power nearly pierced his steel frame, sending him flying and crashing to the ground. The impact dragged him across the ground, carving a trench dozens of meters deep and spanning thousands of meters, finally ending with a crash against a hundred-ton boulder, shattering it.
"This guy is just too strong!"
The shocking scene rendered the battlefield silent. All the Parademons and the resisting Batman and his allies stared at Peter in disbelief, their eyes filled with extreme shock. They never imagined that this person possessed a power far greater than Superman’s.
In a spacecraft dozens of kilometers away from the battlefield, an alien commander observed the scene with a grim expression.
"Where did this guy come from?"
"No, I must report this back to Lord Darkseid!"
...
(End of Chapter)
