The women of the tribe screamed as the men, driven by fear, took up arms against their enemies. However, their weapons were far from modern—sickles, axes, hammers, and pitchforks were all they could muster.
The witch, observing their desperate preparations, almost laughed aloud at the sight.
"Die!" she screeched, her voice filled with venom.
She rose into the air, her black cloak fluttering as a swarm of locusts erupted from the forest behind her. The locusts descended upon the tribesmen, devouring their flesh with relentless ferocity. The witch laughed heartily at the sound of their anguished screams.
Suddenly, she froze, her expression changing as though she Reaching into her robe, she pulled out a small clay figure and set her sights on a strong tribesman.
"You should be honored," she said mockingly.
With a twisted smile, she snapped the clay figure's head off. Instantly, a cloud of black smoke seeped into the man's orifices.
The man convulsed on the ground. Moments later, the witch cradled him tenderly, whispering into his ear, "Wake up, my brother."
The man's body jerked violently, and when he rose, his entire demeanor had changed.
"Sister..." he muttered, his voice low and menacing.
"A strong enemy approaches," the witch warned. "Eat quickly!"
He nodded eagerly. Opening his mouth unnaturally wide, he began to absorb the life force of more than a dozen young men nearby. Unlike his sister, he was not a picky eater. He consumed not only their vitality but their flesh and bones as well, leaving no trace behind.
As he fed, his body grew at an alarming rate. Soon, he towered over the others, his muscular frame exceeding two meters in height.
He sighed with pleasure, but before he could relish his newfound power, a thunderbolt struck him from the sky. he was hurled backward, but then rose, he was unscathed.
"She's got help," Zatanna said nervously, landing gracefully beside Dane.
"One for each of us," Dane replied. "I'll handle the big guy."
When the witch brother saw his enemies, flames burst out all over his body. Dane could smell the sharp, sulfur-like scent in the air.
The ground beneath the giant seemed to move, wrapping around him. His skin burned with fire and fused with earth.
In moments, he grew into a massive, three-meter-tall giant, his body blazing with intense yellow flames.
These flames were soul flames, created by magic and fueled by the souls of the people he killed.
Among the two Evil God siblings, the younger brother was the one meant for battle. His power made him for close combat.
When the giant transformed, Zatanna glanced at him and then looked at her own much smaller frame.
"Well, I guess this one's all yours," she said to Dane.
The Flame Giant roared and charged at Dane, swinging a fiery fist. Dane stood his ground, meeting the attack head-on with his own punch. Their fists collided, sending out a powerful shockwave that shattered the giant's stone fist into burning fragments.
The flaming debris hurtled toward the witch, but she reacted swiftly, chanting a spell. The stones froze in midair before reversing direction, this time targeting Zatanna.
Zatanna, gripping her hat with one hand and her staff with the other, quickly cast her own spell. "tcapmi!" she shouted.
The fiery stones scattered harmlessly, but their flames shifted to an eerie green hue. Zatanna's eyes widened in alarm as she sensed something was wrong, but by then it was too late.
The green fire spread to the nearby tribespeople. Their faces twisted into grotesque forms, their life force draining away. The flames acted like a virulent curse, and those it touched transformed into monsters.
Zatanna froze in shock at the horrific sight. The witch laughed triumphantly, watching as the newly-formed monsters bowed before her like obedient slaves. She then commanded them to attack Zatanna.
Dane, keeping a close eye on the battlefield, acted swiftly. He unleashed a bolt of divine lightning, striking down several monsters before they could reach her.
"They're already gone," he said firmly. "Don't let it scare you—focus and fight back!"
Zatanna, snapping out of her shock, nodded and raised her staff. She cast another spell, her words flowing instinctively. Suddenly, the monsters' feet sank into a swampy mire, halting their advance.
Zatanna couldn't have performed such large-scale magic before her time in the Rock of Eternity. It was clear that her powers had grown significantly since claiming her place on the throne.
But witches are not ordinary people, although their strength has declined due to the fact that they have not been sacrificed for a long time.
But the witch wasn't an ordinary foe. Though weakened from years without sacrifices, she was still far beyond what a novice magician like Zatanna could handle alone.
The witch sneered, turning her attention back to the tribespeople. Instead of pressing the attack on Zatanna, she sent the obsidian monsters toward the tribe, aiming to infect more victims and grow her army.
Meanwhile, the Flame Giant regenerated his shattered arm with ease. He glanced at Dane with a serious expression, realizing that this opponent was no ordinary man.
Dane, however, wasted no time. He clapped his hands together, summoning thunderous divine energy. Bolts of sacred lightning surged from his palms, crackling with power that seemed to ripple through the air itself.
This divine thunder was a natural enemy of evil and worked to suppress the dark magic fueling the Flame Giant.
The giant let out a deafening scream as the lightning struck him, hurling his massive body backward.
Seeing this, the witch's expression darkened. The black mist around her body dispersed, and she teleported away once more.
No sooner had she vanished than a fist charged with crackling electricity slammed into the ground where she had stood, leaving a massive crater.
Dane, his gaze sharp. He hurled lightning from both hands, destroying the remaining monsters one by one.
"Her teleportation is a problem," he said grimly. "If she escapes to a crowded area..."
he didn't finish the thought. They both knew that in a crowded place, the witch's strength would grow rapidly.
"We need to find a way to stop her movement," Dane continued. "The good news is, she's been sealed for thousands of years. She doesn't know this area well and is likely still wandering aimlessly."
"And the bad news?" Zatanna asked.
"There's more than one tribe near this forest."
Zatanna frowned. "Then we need to move fast."
"Wait," Dane said, crouching to carve a glowing magic circle into the ground.
"This will protect the survivors here and stop any attempts by her or her brother to return and finish the job."
The tribe was in ruins, but thankfully a few survivors remained. With the witch's hatred for them, Dane suspected she would try to kill them off if given the chance.
He handed Zatanna a pair of glowing blue handcuffs.
"This is a magic vessel made of eternal metal," he explained. "It's engraved with a spell that suppresses magic. The witch doesn't take you seriously—use that to your advantage and look for an opportunity to put these on her."
Zatanna smiled knowingly as she took the handcuffs. "Got it."
Zatanna clung tightly to Dane's arm as they set off in pursuit of the witch.
"They've found us!" the witch hissed to her brother as they sought refuge in the forest.
"We can't keep running forever," the giant grumbled. "That man is too strong. We're still too weak to face him head-on."
"It won't matter for much longer," the witch replied sharply. "I can already sense another tribe nearby. Their lives will feed our strength."
Her face twisted into a malicious grin. "Let's go. Those rebels will die!"
With a final scowl, the giant followed as the witch teleported them once more.
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Flying high above the forest, Dane suddenly senses them.
"They've disappeared again," he said, his eyes narrowing. He thought for a moment before his expression hardened. "They're heading for the next tribe."
"Then we can't waste any time!" Zatanna urged.
Invoking Mercury's Speed, Dane shot forward like a streak of lightning, the air distorting around them as they flew faster than sound. Zatanna clung to him, gripping his shoulders tightly as the landscape blurred into streaks of color below.
In moments, they arrived at a new tribe. The villagers were unaware of the danger approaching.
The witch and her brother materialized nearby, their dark presence casting a sinister shadow over the settlement.
"Split up!" Dane commanded, rushing forward in a blur of motion.
The giant barely had time to react before Dane seized his face with one hand, lifting him effortlessly. With a powerful leap, Dane carried him high into the air.
"Brother!" the witch screamed, watching helplessly as her sibling was yanked from her side. She clenched her fists in frustration.
Her gaze snapped to Zatanna, and she sneered. "You dare stand against me?"
With a flick of her hand, the ground beneath Zatanna erupted, transforming into jagged blades that surged toward her.
Zatanna raised her staff, her voice steady as she chanted a spell. A burst of radiant light erupted from the tip, striking the witch directly.
The witch shrieked, shielding her eyes as she stumbled back. Her howl was a piercing, unholy sound that seemed to claw at the very air.
Zatanna staggered under the weight of the sound. Her hands trembled, but she managed to whisper another spell, silencing some of the witch's cry.
Still, the residual power of the scream was devastating. Nearby villagers clutched their heads, blood trickling from their ears as they fell to the ground.
Zatanna's heart ached at the sight, but she steeled herself. She knew that stopping the witch was the only way to save them.
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High above, Dane held the giant tightly. He threw him with all his strength, sending the massive figure plummeting to the ground. The impact left a massive crater, dust and debris flying in all directions.
Hovering in the air, Dane summoned a lightning spear, hurling it down at the fallen giant. The crackling energy struck true, but even this was not enough to finish the him.
Dane scowled as he felt the evil god's life force stubbornly lingering.
"Persistent, aren't you?" he muttered.
He glanced briefly at Zatanna, seeing her struggle against the witch. She wouldn't last much longer.
Dane descended, landing on the giant's chest with a force that nearly shattered its ribcage. The creature groaned, struggling weakly.
"I don't use this often," Dane said, crouching over the giant. "But as a god, I'll grant you a shred of dignity."
The giant's glowing eyes widened in fear as Dane placed a hand on its forehead.
"SHAZAM!"
A thunderbolt ripped through the sky, striking them both with a deafening roar.
The giant screamed, its body convulsing violently as the divine lightning consumed it.
"No—!"
When the dust cleared, there was nothing left of the giant but charred, smoking remains. Dane stood tall in the crater, electricity crackling faintly around his body as he straightened.
Far away, the witch froze. She felt it instantly—the death of her brother. A deep, visceral connection severed in a heartbeat.
Her eyes widened, and then she wailed, a piercing cry of anguish that echoed through the forest. Her tears fell freely, grief mingling with fury.
Zatanna saw the opening and acted swiftly. With a determined leap, she flew forward, closing the distance between them. Before the witch could react, Zatanna snapped the glowing Eternal Metal handcuffs onto her wrists.
The effect was immediate. The witch staggered as the cuffs glowed with an intense blue light. The magic coursing through her body was abruptly cut off, leaving her weakened and vulnerable. She glared at Zatanna with seething hatred.
"You think these puny trinkets can hold me?" she spat. "I am a god!"
Her defiance echoed in the air, but before she could do more, a thunderclap boomed above. A red figure descended from the sky, shrouded in a glowing white cloak.
Zatanna's eyes widened. She had never seen Dane look quite like this, his presence in the divine attire.
Dane strode toward the witch, his gaze unyielding. "You've failed, Junen Moore," he said, his voice calm but laced with power. He leaned in close, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"Or should I say... Enchantress."
The name hung in the air, charged with ancient magic.
The witch's body jerked violently, as if struck by an invisible force. Her expression shifted from rage to shock, and then to confusion. Her eyes flickered with light as her entire being trembled.
In a matter of moments, the darkness drained from her. Her once-twisted features softened, and the aura of malice dissipated. Before Zatanna's eyes, the wicked witch transformed into a young archaeologist—Dr. June Moone.
She collapsed to her knees, her hands trembling as she looked at them in disbelief.
"Where... am I?" Joan whispered, her voice fragile, as if waking from a nightmare.
Zatanna stepped back, lowering her staff but keeping a wary eye on her. Dane, stood still, watching the woman carefully.
"It's over," Dane said, his voice steady. "You're free."
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