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Boom!
Kalibak swung the Beta Club, a massive force tearing through the air, emitting a sharp whistle as it headed straight for David's head. But in the next moment, an iron fist struck his massive skull even faster, causing a burst of airwaves.
His head rang, and his gigantic, burly body, like a kite with a broken string, crashed into the tower, shattering it as he fell inside.
The beast-like pupils of the Steppenwolf contracted.
Kalibak, inheriting the bloodline of his nephew, possessed unparalleled strength compared to anyone on Apocalypse. Some even called him the God of Strength on Apocalypse. Yet, he was sent flying with a single punch.
"Interesting."
Mantis lowered his arms.
He seemed like an insect hunter with hunting instincts, and in the brief attack, he detected something familiar in David during his short attack.
He absorbed the terrifying impact of Kalibak, who could collapse a mountain with his force. His body remained in the air, not even retreating a millimeter?
"I'm going to tear you apart!"
Hovering steadily in the air, looking down, David slowly clenched his fist with an indifferent attitude. Kalibak, dizzy, shook his head and, in a sorry state, rose from the shattered bricks and stones, letting out an angry howl.
"Pay for my father's life, monster!"
With eyes glowing red, Cyborg, filled with hatred and anger, propelled forward with a flare beneath his feet and raised his fist. Like a launched missile, he charged straight at his father's killer, Kalibak.
Buzz!
"Get out of the way, you scrap piece of metal."
Kalibak disdainfully roared, and his Beta Club emitted a precise white neural laser that hit Cyborg's throat. Cyborg let out a miserable scream, as if enduring the pain of a thousand cuts in an instant, and his body stiffened before plummeting from the sky.
"Don't block my way."
Without even looking, Kalibak leaped towards David.
Swish!
David extended his palm, and a powerful gravity field captured Kalibak's body in midair. With a casual flick, Kalibak was thrown like a tossed stone, flying several hundred meters and creating a massive crater upon impact with the ground.
Casually, David caught the semi-conscious Cyborg, who had been hit by Kalibak's neural laser, and let him fall smoothly on the ground below.
Kalibak inherited the extraordinary strength from Darkseid's bloodline. Cyborg, having just undergone modifications and not fully accustomed to his new body, failed to withstand even a single blow from Kalibak, resulting in the loss of a significant portion of his combat strength.
In the city, a myriad of parademon armies hovered overhead, covering the sky, and the flapping of their wings created a continuous background sound.
Aquaman, together with the Flash on the ground, cleared out the parademons. Seeing the enemy leader on the tall tower being knocked down by the Beyonder, Aquaman leaped, wielding his trident, and aimed to impale the adversary in the crater, using the force of his fall to add force to his attack. However, a powerful hand caught him in midair.
Kalibak reached out and grabbed the tip of the trident that was about to pierce his forehead.
Aquaman exerted all his strength, veins popping on the back of his hand, using every ounce of his might, yet he couldn't make the trident move forward an inch. His eyes widened in disbelief.
"Get lost!
Atlantean, I can almost smell the fishy odor on you."
Kalibak mocked with disdain, giving a fierce swing. Aquaman, held by the trident, was flung violently and crashed through several buildings in the abandoned city.
Seeing this, Clark frowned, hastily flying to the rescue. Afraid that the fierce Kalibak would kill the three people on the ground, he delivered a punch, sending Kalibak, who had just risen from the huge pit, flying. With a sudden acceleration breaking the sound barrier, he pursued and punched him again.
However, the thick-skinned Kalibak took Clark's two punches, which could sink an aircraft carrier, as if they were nothing. He retaliated with anger, swinging his club.
"Kryptonian, I will drain every drop of your blood.
Let my father possess a parademon-like army composed of Kryptonians!"
"This world holds the hope for my return home.
I will not allow anyone to destroy it."
Above the tall tower, a silver giant axe radiated golden lightning-like energy. Steppenwolf exuded a ferocious aura, sounding like a demon crawling out of hell. He leaped high, slashing down towards David.
Encasing the clouds with the magical artifact, the Lasso of Truth, Diana swung like Spiderman.
Diana's agile figure cut through the sky to intercept, using her shield to block the Steppenwolf's attack on David. In the moment their figures intertwined and landed on the ground, they tore through the earth like lightning, carrying a thick sense of battle intent as they approached each other. The clash of sword and axe echoed, producing a resounding metallic collision heard for miles, creating billowing waves of energy.
"You go help them."
On the terrace of the tall tower, only Mantis remained, staring at him like a predator. David glanced back at the remaining two beside him.
Batman assessed Mantis, then turned his mech to attack Kalibak.
On the other side, Clark tried to block Kalibak's attacks with both arms but seemed to struggle against Kalibak's strength. If not for his ability to fly and his agility compared to the brute-like man, he would have been at a disadvantage.
Flying around Kalibak, he couldn't bring him down, feeling a bit pressured.
"Do you need my help with this, Beyonder?"
Hal Jordan, with his arms crossed, and observed Mantis.
"Seeing this guy, I can't help but feel disgusted.
We both may be wearing a green costume, but this guy looks like a disgusting insect."
Mantis, wearing a helmet with a golden beetle-like design, exuded a cold and ruthless demeanor. In response to Hal's words, he pointed his finger, and a scorching energy beam shot through the air. Hal Jordan quickly erected an energy shield, but it was pierced through like paper.
"Ah!"
He screamed in pain as the scorching beam narrowly missed him, leaving a terrifying charred scar on his waist.
Hal Jordan's body was covered in goosebumps as he instinctively retreated a hundred meters, tightly staring at Mantis, fearing another strike.
If he hadn't dodged the beam just now, it might have pierced through his body.
"Green Lantern?"
As if just noticing Hal Jordan, Mantis spoke coldly.
"You dare to meddle in our affairs?"
"Since you know about the Green Lanterns, you should understand that we are the cosmic police. Anyone who invades other planets intending to bring destruction and disaster falls within our range of confrontation and pursuit."
Hal Jordan's face turned pale, but he didn't back down.
"You're right, but we are an exception."
Mantis sneered.
"We are warriors under the great Darkseid.
In his journey to conquer the world, no Green Lantern has dared to stop us. They all automatically step aside."
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Hal Jordan didn't believe it but didn't dare to provoke this terrifying individual, afraid of another terrible attack.
Having just completed basic training and becoming a Green Lantern, he now experienced a near-death encounter, making him realize that this responsibility was no joke.
"Go exterminate the parademons and help where you can."
David wasn't interested in letting them continue talking and spoke coldly,
"Dying at his hands won't make you a part of the Green Lantern Corps' glorious monument."
The Green Lantern Corps had once attempted to deal with Darkseid, who used death and cruelty to conquer and expand his dominion over countless planets. Over 3600 Green Lanterns had mobilized.
After suffering heavy casualties with two-thirds of their forces dead, the Guardians of the Universe and Green Lanterns finally reached Darkseid. However, they discovered they had no power to contend with the Dark Monarch and ultimately retreated in defeat. They signed a contract with Apokolips, the darkest of all planets in the universe, a peace treaty of non-interference.
Now, wherever Apokolips went, the Green Lantern Corps, who maintained cosmic order, would avoid confrontation, pretending as if nothing happened.
"You seem to know a lot, aboriginal?" Mantis looked at David in surprise.
"You talk too much nonsense!"
David swung his fist, tearing through the sky and pounding towards Mantis. Their fists collided like meteorites, creating shockwaves that swept for miles. The tower beneath their feet couldn't withstand their power, sinking several inches as a whole.
Hal Jordan was directly blown away by the shockwave. His face filled with horror as he glanced at the two who were like terrible giants clashing their fists and feet. He now understood why Batman had left so decisively. Clutching his wound, he turned and swiftly flew away to help others.
The power of the Green Lantern's will materialized into a supersonic fighter jet as he began attacking other parademons in the sky.
"As expected.
You possess abilities similar to mine," Mantis remarked, feeling the force they exchanged was like entering a profound and unfathomable ocean.
The power equivalent to the explosion of thousands of tons of TNT from the punch was absorbed. David, without surprise, shot a powerful cosmic energy beam from his eyes, dazzling and striking Mantis's face. Mantis had to raise his hand to block and was then heavily struck in the chest and abdomen.
David's scorching cosmic energy, capable of vaporizing steel, was absorbed, and the purple glow on his fist dissipated.
"It's useless.
Since you have the same abilities as me, you should understand that there is no such thing as a sneak attack or a vulnerable point for us!"
Mantis sneered, counter-punching. David caught his fist with an open palm, creating a shockwave, and their bodies remained steady.
The rapid exchange of punches and kicks continued. Each strike was awe-inspiring, but neither could force the other to step back. Only the shockwaves rolling and exploding in the air, like a thermobaric bomb bombardment, indicated the terrifying power of the two.
The terrifying energy that effortlessly leveled an entire city block was exchanged between the two combatants, absorbed by their bodies.
From the collision of fists and kicks to the energy-infused clashes, the intensity of their battle grew more fearsome. Energy burst forth, turning the ground into molten lava, melting and fracturing the walls of tall towers. The two ascended into the sky, continuing their relentless combat.
Enveloped in scorching energy, Mantis resembled a massive meteor with flames trailing behind as he threw a punch toward David.
Among the three people from Apokolips that descended upon Earth, only he possessed the ability to fly.
Buzzing sounds filled the air as David raised his palm, unleashing a cosmic energy torrent. Mantis, covered in hot energy, surged upward to meet him. Their exchange of punches and kicks, accompanied by destructive energies capable of obliterating everything, splashed like ripples in water, cutting buildings in half wherever they clashed…
The ground exhibited massive lava craters, resembling impact craters from meteorites.
The parademons within dozens of meters were evaporated into ashes.
Clark and the others, engaged in battles with their respective foes, looked up at the sky, visibly shaken by the overwhelming power displayed.
Blocking Clark's attack effortlessly, sending him flying with a swing of his club, Kalibak's eyes betrayed a hint of shock.
Despite his higher status than Mantis and being the leader in the invasion on this planet, he harbored a deep fear of Mantis, the strongest warrior of Apokolips.
Mantis, the strongest warrior of Apokolips, was an enigma. He spent most of his time in a charging chamber, resting and charging, resembling a vampire sleeping in a coffin.
In the usual war activities of Apokolips, the presence of Mantis was rarely seen. Perhaps only his father, Darkseid, knew the true extent of Mantis's power.
But now Mantis encountered an opponent who could withstand his strength on this primitive planet!
'Enemies in the past would despair and die quickly under Mantis's increasingly fierce and terrifying attacks.'
Whoosh!
Clark, recovering from being sent flying, and Batman in the Fenrir Armor swooped in again. His eyes were swollen, showing signs of slight discomfort.
Generally speaking, in comics, Kalibak is not a match for Superman, the Son of Krypton. However, it can only be said that due to the circumstances, he found himself facing an opponent he shouldn't have encountered at his current age. Many enemies he could have defeated were now turning the tables on him, leaving him somewhat battered.
The three clashed in the desolate city, piercing through buildings, and causing the earth to shake as if three colossal monsters were in combat.
Swish!
In the midst of the battle, the Godkiller Sword found an opening, slashing through the silver armor of the Steppenwolf, sparking a burst of flames.
Diana was surprised, looking at the divine sword in her hand. She had never seen anything capable of resisting the sharp edge of the Godkiller Sword.
"The universe is vast."
The ax swung down, blocked by Diana's shield. It felt like a mountain crashing down on her as the formidable force instantly forced her to one knee, cracking the ground beneath her. Steppenwolf, hands gripping the ax, exerted more pressure, a ferocious smile on his face.
"Amazon, do you, being descendants of the Old Gods, still possess such ignorance?"
"I suggest you pay more attention to what's beneath your feet."
Diana swung her waist-mounted Lasso of Truth, catching Steppenwolf's leg and yanking him off balance. With a powerful strike, she sent the humanoid beast in armor flying into the sky.
"Try this, alien.
You probably haven't seen this unique Earth sport!"
Hal Jordan, piloting the Green Lantern fighter jet, strafed and killed a horde of parademons. Seizing the opportunity, he fashioned a giant baseball bat out of willpower, adopting a standard batting stance. He swung it with force, hitting Steppenwolf on the back, sending him flying.
"I will turn this planet into a wasteland!"
Crashing into a ruined building, the Steppenwolf pushed aside tons of concrete, roaring in anger. He wiped blood from his mouth and, wielding his ax, charged again.
"For the first time, I'm somewhat disgusted by my abilities."
His energy blasts, capable of leveling entire mountain ranges, had no effect. Another clash, and Mantis wore a grim expression. He finally understood what it felt like for his previous enemies facing him.
"Have to admit, you've managed to annoy me for the first time in a long time!"
"Oh?
And what do you plan to do about it?"
Shaking off the residual scorching energy from his hands, David raised an eyebrow.
Both of them possessed nearly identical abilities. In terms of physical strength and energy blasts, neither could breach the other's defenses. Engaged in this endless exchange of absorbing and redirecting each other's energy, it seemed the battle might go on indefinitely.
'Gravity involves space-time, not just kinetic energy or regular forces.'
However, his gravity control wasn't potent enough to crush Mantis into severe injury or pulp through oppression alone. Otherwise, he would have dealt with him long ago.
[Template Fusion: 62% Complete]
However, not long ago, as the fusion process advanced, he gained a new way to manipulate gravity. However, this technique required exceptional control, and he was not yet very proficient with it.
"As a God, I have more than just this trick up my sleeve. Try this!"
Mantis focused his gaze, raising his palm as an incredibly cold aura, capable of freezing entire planets, pierced through the air. David dodged, but a glancing blow still left a freezing sensation. A bit of the chilling aura quickly crawled up his arm, instantly freezing it, causing him numbing coldness.
As the chilling aura reached distant buildings, ice spread rapidly, covering everything. The world transformed as if entering an ancient ice age. Temperatures plummeted to below minus two hundred degrees, nearing absolute zero. The entire abandoned city was sealed in ice and snow, frozen for miles around.
"Cold is not energy.
You can't absorb it."
Finally, an attack took effect, breaking the stalemate where neither could overpower the other. Mantis sneered; usually, he utilized scorching energy attacks, but in fact, this was his most powerful trump card.
However, he hadn't anticipated the day he would use it against someone with similar abilities.
"Beyonder? Your fate is already sealed. You can't transcend death, and can you transcend me!"
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(~˘▾˘)~Don't forget to send your power-stones!~(˘▾˘~)
(~˘▾˘)~Happy New Year!~(˘▾˘~)