The sudden shift in the skies caught everyone off guard. Even Desaad furrowed his brow and turned his gaze toward the disturbance. Only Darkseid remained still, unblinking, as if completely unfazed.
"Those auras..." Desaad muttered, his expression growing darker as a familiar sensation stirred in the air.
He couldn't possibly mistake them.
Whether from their past skirmishes or from the recent energy signatures picked up on Earth, the presence was unmistakable—Kryptonian.
Apokolips had clashed with Krypton in the past. That grudge wasn't something as trivial as legend or hearsay. Darkseid might not show it, but Desaad, being one of the old guard, knew exactly what those encounters meant.
As the figures in the distance rapidly approached, Desaad's eyes narrowed. He remembered Steppenwolf's humiliating defeat—and how that Kryptonian had played a key role. Back then, Desaad had dismissed Earth as a primitive world not worth their concern. But now, his expression had grown considerably more serious.
With a burst of speed, Supergirl stopped firmly in midair, taking position directly above the downed Hourman.
She surveyed the scene below—a massive army numbering in the tens of thousands, their mismatched forms clearly from countless alien worlds and civilizations. Her face darkened with fury.
She had heard of Darkseid before, even if not from this exact universe. Tyranny, ambition, cruelty—those traits remained constant. And seeing all these terrified, enslaved soldiers, still refusing to surrender even in the face of death, filled Kara with deep, bitter frustration.
With just one piercing glare, she forced the front lines of Apokolips' slaves to instinctively take a step back.
"Hourman, are you alright?" Kara tilted her head slightly, asking quietly.
"I'm not down yet," Hourman said, forcing himself to his feet. But the strain on his face made it clear—he was nowhere near fighting shape. "Supergirl... be careful. He's not just some thug in armor."
Kara gave a small nod.
"I've already learned that lesson."
Their last encounter with Darkseid had nearly ended in total disaster. She and Alex had joined forces, but even together, they had barely held their ground—if that. Truthfully, they had been completely overwhelmed.
But that had been the Darkseid who wielded not only the Omega Effect, but also the Anti-Life Equation and Mobius Chair. A being whose might extended beyond even the multiversal hierarchy.
This version, though—he hadn't yet claimed the Anti-Life Equation. He only had the Omega Effect. Still, Kara wasn't about to underestimate him. After traveling across worlds with Alex, she knew what happened to those who let their guard down.
"So… you're really not going to listen to reason?" Kara's gaze lingered on the burn scars on Darkseid's face.
"You came here to talk peace?" Darkseid's voice was low, growling, as he stared back at her, unfazed by her tone.
"Even though I don't know exactly what Alex is planning," Kara said coldly, "I trust him completely—and you should too. Earth is not yours to claim, not even if you call yourself a god."
Just then, Black Adam and Shazam finally arrived, descending through the air and taking positions at Kara's back. Their eyes locked warily on Darkseid, brimming with readiness for battle.
Darkseid glanced over the two, then let out a faint, contemptuous chuckle. "Gods? Like those two?"
"Darkseid!" Kara's fists clenched tightly.
"Stop this madness! We all have bigger things to deal with than your conquest. Alex came to you, didn't he? Didn't he tell you that someone else—someone behind the scenes—is pulling the strings here?!"
Darkseid's burn scars flared with a dull ache at her words. After a long pause, he raised his head with a twisted grin.
"Kryptonian… It wasn't I who started this war."
"What… do you mean?"
Kara's expression froze. An uneasy feeling surged in her chest.
"What are you talking about?!"
But Darkseid wasn't listening anymore. His glowing red eyes shifted toward the city's horizon. Though it was still far, he could already sense it—an energy that was descending upon this world.
It was not of this universe. It was the antithesis of all things here—death, oblivion, and annihilation. Like the dark reflection of existence in a mirror.
Darkseid let out a faint sigh. His eyes flared with crimson Omega energy.
"…It's too late."
-----------------------------------
Gotham City.
With a thunderous sonic boom, Sentry threw an arm across Punisher to shield him while slamming his golden fist head-on into Omni-Man.
The shockwave was devastating—obliterating the surroundings and flattening everything around Arkham Asylum. The terrain itself had been reshaped by the sheer force of the clash.
Omni-Man stumbled back several steps, breathing heavily as he stared at the glowing figure before him. Gone was his usual calm—fighting this man called Sentry filled him with growing dread.
His opponent's strength, speed, durability—all superior to his own. Worse, Sentry could unleash powerful energy blasts, something Omni-Man lacked entirely.
If Mark hadn't been nearby, Omni-Man would've already fled. He was filled with regret. If only he hadn't been manipulated by that man in the chair… he would never have come to this cursed world.
He had thought this Earth would be just like the one from his universe. But things had turned out to be far more dangerous—far more complex.
And now, with that scheming figure in the chair already dead, any chance of returning home was gone. From the way Sentry fought, it was clear—there would be no mercy, no escape.
Glancing over at Mark, who was still locked in a stalemate with Doctor Strange, Nolan—Omni-Man—was already thinking of retreat. All he wanted now was to flee this planet, find his son, and disappear into the stars.
He could always rebuild Viltrum, start anew, and one day return—with his son fully grown—to conquer Earth and claim it for their empire.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, Omni-Man launched forward with sudden ferocity, risking injury to strike Punisher. He had already figured out that among the trio, Punisher was the weakest link. If he went for him, Sentry would be forced to defend—meaning he couldn't go all out in retaliation.
The plan worked. With each back-and-forth exchange, Omni-Man gradually began to seize control of the fight's rhythm, forcing Sentry to constantly position himself in front of Punisher.
While the battle raged on—
Suddenly!
From the ruins of Arkham Asylum, a twisted and terrifying energy burst forth.
Sensing the shift, Sentry immediately halted. His expression grew grim as he turned to look toward the source. What he felt emanating from the rubble bore an uncanny resemblance to the Void.
As the Void's greatest nemesis—and its other half—Sentry could sense even the faintest trace of it. He understood better than anyone: if the Void had emerged in this world, the destruction could be catastrophic—perhaps even total.
But something was off. Why was Void-energy present in this universe? And why did it feel slightly… different?
Sentry was momentarily frozen in confusion.
Omni-Man realized this was his chance.
Without concern for the unknown energy, he threw his full strength into a punch aimed at Punisher. If he could take him down—or even capture him—he could finally escape this cursed world alive.
But just as he moved, a violent, ear-shattering sonic pulse struck like a hammer.
The frequency tore through Omni-Man's inner ear, shattering his balance. He collapsed to the ground before he could reach Punisher.
Not far away, Invincible (Mark) fared no better. Mid-flight, the sonic pulse disrupted his equilibrium, sending blood pouring from his ears as he spasmed and fell like a stone from the sky.
Shocked by the sudden turn of events, Punisher turned toward the source of the sound—only to see Batman staggering out of the Arkham rubble, holding a strange device above his head.
The sonic pulse seemed tailored specifically to affect Omni-Man and Invincible. Sentry, Doctor Strange, and the others showed no signs of distress. But the Viltrumites—Omni-Man and Invincible—were convulsing, paralyzed.
"What the hell is that?" Punisher asked, eyeing the dark figure.
"Sonic weapon. Designed to disrupt enhanced neurological systems," Batman explained, his voice hoarse. "I tested it years ago on Superman. Didn't do much to him."
He looked coldly at the spasming Omni-Man.
"But it's just right for them."
"Guh… gghhh…"
Omni-Man twitched violently, stretching a trembling hand toward Batman. But the effort only worsened his condition—blood leaked from his ears, and something else too. Breathing became difficult.
"Everyone has a weakness," Batman said flatly. "Yours is auditory. I realized that during our first encounter."
Though the earlier scuffle had been brief, Batman's instinctive use of sonic disruption had revealed the Viltrumites' greatest vulnerability. It had cost him—he'd been caught in retaliation—but it also gave him the key to victory.
As the life drained from the two alien invaders, Batman clenched his wounded arm and turned to Sentry and Doctor Strange.
"I don't know who you are… but we have a bigger problem now. The door to the Anti-Matter Universe has been opened. We must prepare—the Anti-Monitor is coming!"
"Anti-Monitor?" Doctor Strange and Punisher exchanged uneasy glances, confusion etched on their faces.
"There's no time to explain. We have to—"
Batman's voice cut off abruptly. He froze.
Slowly, his head turned toward the ruined halls of Arkham Asylum.
"…No. He's already here."
....
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