"What the hell? What's that? Another demon?" Tony Stark's armor, monitoring the hell domain from a distance, suddenly noticed a transforming demon appearing nearby. Stark was shocked, realizing that while Robert's situation hadn't been resolved, another demon had appeared, indicating that his armors might not last until the end of the fight.
"What the fudge?! Are there really demons?"
"My God, if there are demons, where is my God?"
"Does this mean hell has breached into our realm? Why do demons keep appearing? Can the superheroes really protect us?"
Meanwhile, the audience watching the live stream began to call out, and in this nation, the name of Jehovah was widely known. Many people called out to Jehovah, though it seemed there was no response. Yet, a surge of faith began to rise.
Unseen by anyone, as more people silently called out to Jehovah, the rising faith began to gather in the Vatican, where the Pope opened his eyes and looked towards America in silence.
"Indeed, the emergence of hell makes people remember heaven, after all, we've run the most successful deity operation!" the Pope murmured after a while. "But God has long left the heavenly kingdom. Can those angels left to guard heaven be relied upon?"
No believer in Jehovah would want to believe that the Pope doubted the angels, nor did anyone know that the Pope felt the current situation on Earth was quite fine. God's existence, guiding people towards goodness without the need for supernatural beings to harvest faith, seemed sufficient.
With a thought from the Pope, an invisible force rose from him, channeling the rising faith into a giant cross, which then sank into silence.
"I hope the dimensional formation can block this surge of faith!" The Pope sighed, hoping that the angels who do not descend to Earth are the good ones. "There should be no demons or angels on Earth..."
Meanwhile, the transforming demon that Tony Stark was observing was displayed in agony in front of everyone, suffering from holy water poured over it. The water wasn't ordinary but rare and powerful against demons, with just a drop capable of killing many lesser demons.
The transforming demon, despite being in the formation with holy water, did not die immediately but struggled and even showed signs of recovery, indicating its strength.
However, Constantine's preparation wasn't limited to holy water. A flame, the Holy Fire created from angel's blood, was added to the formation. This force was even stronger than the holy water because it came from a real angel.
"What's happening? Why is there acid and fire? Who is dealing with this demon? Why can't I see anything?"
"Is there someone else here? This doesn't seem like Iron Man's style..."
The audience discussed anew, while the senators, witnessing another uncontrollable power, were unwilling to just sit by.
"What do we do now? I mean, we should just take action. We can't see what's happening inside, but the trembling ground indicates they are still fighting. This is our chance!" one senator said, suggesting they seize the opportunity to attack during the battle.
"Right, those two monsters are at their most intense. A surprise attack would surely be successful. Let's vote!"
Soon, the decision was made, with the majority approving the launch of nuclear-level weapons. SHIELD and other forces quickly prepared, and messages were sent to Tony Stark and others.
However, no one tried to stop this, as even if the outside world found out, at worst they would face criticism. With so many witnesses, Tony Stark and others couldn't possibly take them all down.
As long as Robert and the hell demon were dealt with, a few harsh words wouldn't matter. Some even regretted Superman wasn't there to be eliminated as well.
What the senators didn't know was that upon their decision, Clark, floating above Earth, opened his eyes, locking onto those preparing nuclear weapons and targeting their locations.
"Damn! What are these guys trying to do? Do they really dare to launch? Aren't they afraid of sinking this place?" Tony Stark, upon receiving the message, changed his expression and spoke gravely.
"It seems, the problem isn't just Hydra. Although I've felt that many departments act no differently from Hydra, I've retired. It's not my era anymore, and these matters shouldn't be mine to worry about," Steve said, shaking his head with a hint of powerlessness.
"I was wrong. If I had intervened, maybe this wouldn't have happened."
"It wouldn't have made a difference. How could those in high positions tolerate such threats?" Bucky sighed, comforting Steve. "Even if you had taken a stand and succeeded, how long could you have changed things? It's better now. If you called to action, many would support you. Don't underestimate Superman's popularity, but you still hold a special place in America's heart."
"Maybe, I should utilize this influence more," Steve muttered, contemplating.
Meanwhile, in space, two devices synchronized with Earth's orbit were slowly activating: the Damocles Sword and a powerful blue-energy railgun, both aimed at Robert and the hell demon.
Moreover, various other bizarre weapons in American bases were ready, targeting Robert and the hell demon, waiting for the final launch command. These odd weapons possessed destruction power comparable to nuclear weapons but were more concentrated and precise.
"Fire!" The command was issued, and nuclear-level weapons were launched. However, at that moment, Clark appeared in front of the Damocles Sword, facing humanity's ultimate weapon with a punch.
"Boom!" With Clark's punch, the Damocles Sword deformed, its components and energy collapsing, becoming space junk ejected from Earth.
"Whoosh!" Clark vanished, reappearing before the blue-energy railgun.
"Zap!" His heat vision blasted the railgun, a safe action high above Earth.
After dealing with the railgun, Clark didn't stop. He appeared before the bizarre weapons, diverting their trajectories. The missiles were sent flying towards Venus, exploding there.
Venus: You're amazing! So high and mighty! You dare to bomb me, why not the sun?
Clark: The sun gives me strength; I couldn't bear to harm it.
Clark had intended to throw the missiles out of the solar system, considering the asteroid belt as a suitable target, but didn't want to upset the Martian Manhunter. Instead, he chose another direction.
"Disabled!"
"Failed!"
"The weapons are destroyed!"
In America's high-level meetings, voices like Nick Fury's announced the destruction of their ultimate weapons, their expressions grim.
They had planned to eliminate Robert, considering him a greater threat than their ultimate weapons. Now, their discussions seemed like a joke.
"Supercomputer recovered a photo of the moment the energy railgun was destroyed. It was Superman," Nick Fury said, his face grave. He had doubts about Clark and Robert, powers they couldn't control. Now, he viewed Superman with suspicion, believing he had ulterior motives.
"We can't let him continue acting freely. His prestige might soon surpass Captain America, becoming an uncontrollable force," Fury declared, scanning the room.
"Can we restrict him now?" Despite being bald like Fury, Chief Wiggum didn't side with him. He shrugged and joked, "Or does Director Fury have a way to restrain Superman? Share it with us, so we don't have to fear this god among men."
As Wiggum finished, silence fell, including Fury, who felt powerless against Clark and Robert's uncontrollable nature.
"Why would Superman interfere with our ultimate weapons? Is he allied with the Saiyans?" someone speculated.
"Maybe it's empathy? He fears what we did to the Saiyan could happen to him?"
"Or, he thinks these ultimate weapons are too destructive for Earth and humanity, so he wants to stop them?"
"But if that's the case, why didn't he stop the fight between the Saiyan and the hell demon, or help fight the demon?"
"Is it because he never appears alongside other superheroes? Remember, whenever Iron Man showed up, he didn't?"
"No matter the reason, we can't let Superman's reputation keep rising. Not only is his power a huge threat, but if this continues, he won't just replace Captain America; he might replace God!"
As the last voice echoed, everyone grew serious. They might not match Clark in power, but public opinion was a different battlefield.
"Wow, that's low. I heard those senators plan to destroy everything with ultimate weapons, and it's not just one weapon. If they proceed, not just the wilderness but nearby cities and their unevacuated residents are in danger!" Tony Stark received the news of Clark stopping the ultimate weapons, his voice tinged with exaggeration.
"Fortunately, Superman didn't want Earth and its people to suffer such damage, so he stopped those ultimate weapons. I may not like the guy, but I have to admit, he's a bit better than me."
"Sadly, he's bound to be smeared by the authorities now. His reputation was too good, making them jealous. Now he's crossed them, and without a company or capital like mine, he probably can't withstand the pressure of public opinion..."
As Tony's words spread, the public outrage sparked early. Why could the authorities launch ultimate weapons on their own soil without notification? Where was the public's right to know? Why should such a god among men as Superman be slandered by those despicable senators?
Thus, not only was the battlefield between Robert and the hell demon intense, but a battle was also raging online and in the media.
"Is it because he never teams up with other superheroes? Iron Man has appeared without him before, hasn't he?"
"Regardless of the reason, we can't allow Superman's fame to continue to rise unchecked. His power alone is a significant threat, and if this trend continues, he won't just replace Captain America—he might well replace God himself!"
As the conversation concluded, everyone present grew more solemn. They might not be able to match Clark in terms of power, but the battle for public opinion was another matter entirely.
"Wow, that's low. I just heard that those senator guys are planning to wipe everything out with ultimate weapons, and not just one of them. At this rate, it's not just the wilderness that's in danger but the nearby cities and all the people who haven't evacuated," Tony Stark announced, having received the news of Clark's intervention against the ultimate weapons. His tone carried a hint of exaggeration.
"Thankfully, Superman doesn't want Earth and its people to suffer such damage, so he's blocked those ultimate weapons. I might not like the guy, but I have to admit, he's somewhat better than me at this."
"But, unfortunately, he's definitely going to get smeared by the authorities now. His reputation was too good, and they were already jealous. Now that he's crossed them, and without the backing of a company or capital like mine, he probably won't be able to withstand the public opinion pressure..."
With Tony Stark's comments, public discourse was preemptively ignited. Why were the authorities able to deploy ultimate weapons on their own soil without any public notification? What about the right of the people to be informed? Why should a god among men like Superman be maligned by those despicable senators?
Thus, the Earth wasn't just witnessing a fierce battle between Robert and the hell demon; the online and media realms were engaged in their own conflict.
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