Asgard was now nothing more than history.
Whether it would one day be revived through the faith of humanity remained uncertain. But one thing was clear—within the Wasteland Universe, no divine realm remained.
The infinite magical energy within the Peregrine Child's body erupted outward in a massive wave, sweeping across not just the surrounding fractured dimensions, but potentially even shaking the very fabric of the real world.
A calamity of such magnitude could truly be called a "new era, where sun and moon shift."
This wasn't just the energy of one or two magical dimensions—it was the combined force of tens of thousands of mystical realms, all converging into a single detonation.
The resulting shockwave stretched across the entire cosmos, shaking every dimension it touched. Even the neighboring universes of the Wasteland Universe weren't safe from its effects.
But then again, as the cosmic dumping ground of the multiverse, there were no peaceful worlds left around the Wasteland Universe. In a place where entire planets had crumbled, the destruction of a single door hardly mattered.
Inside a space constructed from dark green-crystal prisms, Shazam peered through the translucent walls at the fading energy tides beyond, his expression one of utter disbelief.
To be honest, when he first sensed the instability in the Peregrine Child's body—when he realized that an overwhelming, uncontrollable power was about to burst free—he genuinely felt like he was staring death in the face.
Had that devastating energy detonated in the real world, it could have caused a space-time collapse across half the universe, wiping out countless civilizations in a single night.
And he had been right there, standing at the brink of annihilation. He knew that if Alex hadn't appeared at the last second to shield him, he would have been obliterated in an instant—his entire being, down to every last cell and even his soul, shattered into nothingness.
Now, slumped against the green-crystal barrier, Shazam stared at the prismatic afterglow of the explosion outside, still processing his near-death experience. His entire body felt weak.
Behind him, Alex materialized from thin air, accompanied by a peculiar man clad in golden armor.
Hearing the movement, Shazam snapped his head around. The moment he saw Alex, the anxiety twisting his gut finally eased.
"Alex! Thank god you're okay! I thought for sure you'd be torn apart by that raging energy out there."
Unlike Shazam, who had been protected, Alex and the Three Mothers had taken the full force of the explosion head-on. The Three Mothers hadn't even had time to scream before they were instantly reduced to pure energy. Yet, somehow, Alex stood there completely unharmed, as if nothing had happened.
"That energy wasn't aimed at me," Alex said, shaking his head slightly. "If it had been an attack, the blast would have obliterated me into nothingness. But pure, chaotic energy? That doesn't affect me much."
Though the explosion had been terrifying, it had been nothing more than an uncontrolled surge of raw energy. Using his Timepad's conversion device, Alex had no trouble absorbing it.
That was why he had dared to stand out there in the open.
"By the way, who's this?" Shazam's gaze shifted to the unfamiliar man beside Alex.
He was certain this man hadn't been part of their journey. And considering they were now at the very edge of the real world, there should have been no way for a stranger to appear here.
His instincts kicked in immediately—if this guy wasn't with Alex, then Shazam's lightning was about to fly.
"You can call him Lightbringer," Alex introduced casually. "He played a crucial role in taking down the Peregrine Child and the Three Mothers."
"Lightbringer?" Shazam tilted his head, scrutinizing the odd-looking man before him, wondering just what he had done to deserve such a title.
Meanwhile, Lightbringer found himself equally unsettled by Shazam's appearance.
The crimson cloak, the towering, muscular frame—Shazam stood a head taller than him, radiating an intimidating presence that reminded Lightbringer of a particularly troublesome individual from his past.
Not to mention the nasty scar slashed across Shazam's face. This was clearly no ordinary man.
Before Lightbringer could figure out how to respond, a bolt of lightning crackled through the air, and Shazam's enormous figure abruptly shrank, transforming into a lean, youthful teenager.
"Hey man, I'm Billy. Billy Batson," he said with a grin, extending a hand.
Though Billy was now technically an adult, he still looked strikingly young—anyone would mistake him for a high schooler. The only thing marring his boyish good looks was the scar on his face.
Lightbringer hesitated for a moment, caught off guard.
In his experience, people didn't just turn into superpowered giants. But he quickly recovered, reaching out to shake Billy's hand.
"You, uh… You can just call me Lightbringer."
Having left the world of the Boys behind, Lightbringer had abandoned his old, uncomfortable name. From now on, he would forge a new path under this title.
As their hands briefly clasped, Lightbringer suddenly recalled something and turned toward Alex.
"Alex, I need an explanation."
"An explanation? Of course! I'll definitely give you one," Alex said, offering a sheepish smile.
"What the hell happened?! Why did I wake up inside a monster's stomach? Do you have any idea how close I was to dying just now?!"
Lightbringer was furious, and rightly so. No one would be calm after an experience like that.
His last memory before waking up here was of his elemental form, drifting into slumber. He had hoped that, upon opening his eyes, he would find himself in a better world—
A world without war, without prejudice. A world where superpowers existed to make life better, where monsters like Him or the Vought Corporation had no place.
Instead, he had woken up inside an apocalypse-level monster's gut. And the worst part? The one who had thrown him in there was Alex.
"Listen, Lightbringer, I swear I didn't do it on purpose," Alex said hastily. "Pulling you out of your universe was complicated—I had to carefully protect your soul and consciousness. It took a lot of time just to reassemble you properly in this reality."
"Stop. I get all that. I just want to know why the hell you dropped me into a monster's stomach."
Lightbringer held up his hands, making a pause gesture.
"Based on what you've seen, I think you already understand. The Peregrine Child was invading this universe—my universe. And now, your universe too. To protect it, I needed your help."
Alex placed his hands on Lightbringer's shoulders, locking eyes with him.
"You are an elemental being, carrying a soul from the higher realms. As long as I live, your light can never be extinguished. So the only way to stop the Peregrine Child was to send you inside to detonate it from within."
Pausing for a moment, Alex's expression grew solemn.
"For this universe, Lightbringer, you are the true hero!"
"Hero..." Lightbringer's furrowed brows relaxed slightly. "Really? I just saved the universe?"
"Of course, it's true. If you don't believe me, ask Billy. We had no way to deal with the Peregrine Child. No one but you could have resolved this major crisis. So yes, you really did save the entire world."
Alex clasped Lightbringer's hands firmly and gave them a shake. "Congratulations. You've now been reborn, officially leaving the past behind and becoming a true superhero."
Hearing Alex's words, Lightbringer visibly relaxed. A smile slowly appeared on his face. "That's good… that's really good."
The guilt that had haunted Lightbringer—the fact that he had burned two children alive—had become a deep wound in his heart. But now, upon arriving in a new world, he had saved countless lives. This realization finally allowed him to ease his tightly wound emotions.
He wasn't a useless person after all. His power could be used for good, for deeds that people would celebrate and remember.
At last, he was no longer unworthy of the title of superhero. From this moment on, he was truly a hero who could save lives.
While Lightbringer was still caught in his excitement, Billy pulled Alex aside and whispered, "Alex, tell me the truth. Where the hell is this guy from?"
"He comes from a world that would make you speechless," Alex replied honestly. "Over there, superheroes get their powers from Compound V. And at the same time, superheroes are nothing more than 'celebrity entertainers' putting on a show."
"Huh???" Billy's jaw dropped, utterly shocked by the answer.
He could hardly believe what he had just heard. Superheroes were nothing more than showbiz idols? How could something so ridiculous be real?
"What if an enemy appears? What if a natural disaster strikes? Are they really expecting a bunch of celebrities to save the world?"
Sure, Clark, Diana, and the others were also admired like celebrities, but they never put on performances just for the sake of it. Their heroism was something deeply rooted in their hearts.
Billy couldn't believe that the so-called 'heroes' of that world would truly uphold the responsibilities of a superhero. If an enemy like Darkseid ever appeared, Billy figured that people would be better off trusting the military than relying on those showboating clowns.
Closing his mouth slowly, Billy snapped back to reality and continued asking,
"Then you said earlier that only he could deal with the Peregrine Child. Does that mean you already foresaw what would happen here before coming?"
"Of course not," Alex responded immediately.
"Then why were you so prepared in advance?" Billy asked curiously.
Alex simply shrugged.
"Well, it just so happened that we had the perfect guy for the job. If I didn't throw Lightbringer in there, it would've been me instead. And honestly, I really don't want to end up inside some monster's stomach—that's just disgusting."
Hearing that, Billy raised a finger, pointing at Alex, but for a long moment, he was completely speechless.
.....
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