"Damn it, this guy is so stubborn!"
Ultraman's arrogant words instantly caused Batman and the others to grow more serious.
Their reason for coming here was to fend off the impending crisis.
Ideally, they had hoped to cooperate with the people of this universe.
However, it was now clear that the other side had no intention of working with Batman and the others to face the approaching disaster together.
"Everyone, we're not lying. Just beyond this universe, in the void, a massive anti-matter wall is heading toward us."
"There's less than half an hour left before it engulfs this universe's reality."
"If you don't accept our help, your universe will likely face total destruction."
"Even if you don't care about this universe, at least for your own sake, you must..."
Clark slowly floated toward them, speaking with a grave tone, trying to persuade them to cooperate—if not for the universe, then for their own survival.
"Hmph, stop fearmongering. In this universe, one god-like being is enough!"
Feeling the powerful aura Clark emitted and the similarity between them, Ultraman's expression grew even colder.
He could sense that the other man was likely another version of himself from a different universe.
But Ultraman could not tolerate the existence of another version of himself in his own universe.
At that moment, he decided he wouldn't continue any further discussion. Instead, he clenched his fists.
With a loud bang, Ultraman's body erupted with incredible speed, charging straight at Clark in mid-air.
"Damn, is this guy really a Kryptonian?"
Even Superman began to doubt how the parents in this universe could raise someone with such a distorted sense of morality.
But as Ultraman suddenly appeared before him, launching a punch, Superman had no choice but to engage.
He too clenched his fist and rushed toward Ultraman.
Boom!
The two super-powered Kryptonians collided with immense force in mid-air, unleashing a shockwave that swept outward.
The terrifying force, like a hurricane, destroyed everything at the center.
Even buildings hundreds of meters away were struck by the shockwave, shattering their windows instantly.
After their fists collided, both Kryptonians wore serious expressions.
Their brief clash made it clear that neither was weaker than the other.
But facing another version of himself from outside this universe, Ultraman's fury surged.
Without giving the other man any time to explain, he charged at Superman again.
Bang... bang... bang!
In an instant, two incredibly fast figures clashed fiercely in the sky.
There were no flashy techniques—just simple punches, each filled with overwhelming power that left everyone in awe.
In mere seconds, they had exchanged thousands of blows, their bodies leaving afterimages that were hard to track with the naked eye.
The air around them crackled with explosions as they fought, like detonations going off in the sky.
Visible shockwaves rippled outward in every direction.
Boom!
With a thunderous explosion, the two figures, locked in combat, suddenly separated.
"Whew..."
Their brief encounter had already drained a considerable amount of their energy and strength.
Yet the stronger Superman became, the angrier Ultraman grew.
After taking a deep breath, Ultraman didn't hesitate. He charged at Superman again, his eyes glowing with a scarlet light.
Szzzz!
In the next instant, searing heat beams shot through the air, scorching the sky as they hurtled toward Superman.
Not one to be outdone, Superman's eyes glowed red as well, unleashing his own heat vision. The two beams met in mid-air, colliding with a fierce energy, neither side gaining the upper hand.
Szzzz... szzzz...
The two streams of energy clashed like lasers, their collision too close to call.
Both men shouted in defiance, channeling all their power into their eyes, intensifying the heat vision.
Suddenly, just as they were locked in their beam struggle, a dense green light appeared in the sky near Superman.
"Not good!"
Superman immediately sensed danger. The momentary distraction caused his heat vision to falter.
But that brief hesitation was all Ultraman needed.
"Die already!"
With a furious roar, Ultraman poured all his strength into his heat vision, which suddenly grew thicker.
His beams broke through Superman's weakened heat vision, striking Superman directly.
The impact sent Superman flying over a thousand meters, crashing into a distant skyscraper.
"Superman!"
From the ground, Barry cried out in concern as he watched Superman get sent flying, but it was too late to stop it.
...
"Batman, what should we do now?"
At this moment, Barry turned to Batman, awaiting his decision.
"It seems this battle is inevitable…"
Batman's expression beneath his mask showed a hint of helplessness.
What was initially meant to be an effort to counter the impending crisis and save the universe was now about to escalate into a chaotic battle between different universes.
However, they had no way to resolve this; those people didn't give them any chance to negotiate cooperation.
"That's right. It looks like to save this universe, we first need to defeat these troublesome opponents."
The members of the Justice League standing nearby also had expressions of resignation.
If possible, they too would prefer not to engage with the people of this universe before addressing the crisis.
"Everyone, since it's come to this, there's no need to hesitate any longer. From now on, we'll subdue these guys as quickly as possible and not let them impede our fight against the impending crisis!"
Batman quickly solidified his resolve. What they were trying to save wasn't just this universe but also the nearly infinite universe reality that would be consumed by anti-matter energy.
In that reality, countless humans, beings, and Earths awaited their salvation.
"Hmph, it's about time. I've been disgusted with these guys for a while now, tarnishing the name of the Justice League!"
Hearing Batman's words, Aquaman impatiently grabbed his trident and leaped into the fray, charging straight at the enemy.
Barry also instantly transformed into a streak of lightning, rushing toward the foes.
The other Justice League members followed suit, charging at everyone except Ultraman, who was in the sky.
"Heh, your opponent is me!"
Barry's speed was undeniably the fastest. However, as he approached, he was blocked by a figure moving as fast as he was—the self-proclaimed Johnny Quick.
"You're a thief who tarnishes the name of the Speed Force. I'll show you that you don't deserve its power!"
Barry could never tolerate the misuse of the Speed Force by such a petty thief. Now, he was ready to show the true power of the Speed Force.
Whoosh... whoosh...
Soon, the two fast-moving figures darted away from the main battle, engaging in their own high-speed fight.
Their battle was so fast that others couldn't intervene.
"You green-skinned fool, let me show you the power of Atlantis!"
On the other side, Aquaman was locked in a fierce fight with the wielder of the power ring, and the battle was evenly matched.
"Hello, nice to meet you. I'm Diana from Themyscira…"
Wonder Woman approached the only female member of the opposing team. Instead of attacking immediately, she greeted her warmly.
She hoped her kindness would sway this universe's misguided counterpart.
"Diana... Themyscira…"
Indeed, as Wonder Woman mentioned their home, Themyscira, Superwoman seemed lost in thought, momentarily stunned.
"It's alright, Diana. We share the same homeland and life experiences. I believe there is goodness in your heart."
"You don't need to fight against us. Look around—are these the things you once vowed to protect?"
Wonder Woman seemed to sense the internal struggle in her opponent and slowly approached her, continuing her verbal assault to break down the psychological defenses.
"Is... this really my fault?"
Wonder Woman's words appeared to have some effect. Superwoman surveyed the devastation around them, the chaos and ruins caused by their battle.
A hint of regret seemed to appear in her eyes.
"Diana, let it go. Join us to save this universe, save your homeland!"
Wonder Woman had reached Superwoman and extended her hand in a gesture of friendship, as if to pull her from the depths of darkness.
"To save everything?"
Superwoman showed hesitation, then slowly extended her own hand toward Wonder Woman.
Eventually, she grasped it.
But in the next moment…
"Pitiful creature, do you really think you're redeeming me?"
As Wonder Woman believed she had successfully swayed her opponent, she felt the grip on her hand suddenly become immensely powerful.
In the next instant, she was flung away by a tremendous force, crashing against a nearby wall.
Whoosh!
Superwoman's figure then appeared before her, easily lifting her by the neck.
"Self-righteous woman, how do you want to die?"
...
"Well, this is quite a show!"
At this moment, the heroes from the first group to arrive in this universe had engaged in chaotic battle.
Although they seemed to have a numerical advantage, with Peter not participating, the battle didn't resolve quickly.
Peter, however, seemed uninterested in joining the fight, simply standing by and watching the chaos with apparent amusement.
If he had a bag of popcorn, he would...
"Wait, why don't I have one…"
Peter casually conjured a bag of popcorns, which appeared in his hand.
"That's more like it…"
Peter munched on the popcorns, watching the battle with a sense of detached enjoyment.
The impending anti-matter crisis seemed to have slipped his mind.
After all, he didn't have a strong belief in saving this universe.
Even if this universe were consumed by anti-matter energy, it didn't concern him much.
He was just wondering if he could find the root cause of all this when the anti-matter attack arrived.
Moreover, Peter knew well that despite Batman and the others preparing thoroughly to resist the anti-matter crisis, he believed they would struggle to save the universe from being consumed.
As Peter watched with some boredom, the battle between the two sides grew more intense, and time slowly passed.
Soon, nearly half an hour had gone by.
The battle between the two sides seemed to be nearing its end.
At this point, the difference in numbers became apparent.
Even without Peter's involvement and while he relaxed on the sidelines, the Justice League members managed to defeat their opponents.
Batman had thrown Owlman to the ground with a shoulder throw, grabbing him by the neck and saying, "We didn't want to be enemies with you. This could have been avoided…"
"Too bad, that's just your wishful thinking…"
"And I don't like your costume!"
Though Batman had Owlman subdued, Owlman's face showed no sign of panic.
"What?"
Batman was taken aback, suddenly feeling something behind his armor.
Unbeknownst to him, a small explosive bat-shaped device had attached itself to his back.
"How is this possible!"
Boom!
To Batman's shock, an explosion occurred behind him.
The powerful blast sent Batman flying.
Owlman managed to escape the hold, quickly getting up and running toward his nearby teammates.
Soon, both sides appeared to be in a state of exhaustion from the prolonged battle.
At that moment, Barry flashed in front of Peter.
"Mr. Peter, why aren't you…"
"This fight is meaningless…"
Peter seemed to anticipate what Barry was about to say, his gaze drifting to the distant sky.
"Besides, the end is coming soon!"
...
(End of Chapter)