"So, this is what it truly feels like to be devoid of the sun? It seems I'm not without weaknesses after all!" Within the dark expanse of the Holy Grail, Clark's vision was engulfed in darkness, feeling the encroachment of the surrounding gloom and the chill, a thought crossed his mind.
Clark had never felt such discomfort during Earth's rainy days or nights, because even when the sun wasn't directly shining on him, he could still sense its presence.
The sun was always there for Clark, never leaving his side.
But now, Clark was experiencing a sensation he had never felt before. Every cell in his body was signaling to him their need for the sun's power. If he remained in this environment for an extended period, his cells would weaken progressively until he completely lost his strength, becoming an ordinary human.
Even more pressing was the fact that once Clark weakened to a level where Rachel could handle him, Rachel would take his life, leaving no chance for Clark's survival!
Before dealing with Clark, Rachel wouldn't return to Earth, to prevent any interference with the Holy Grail that could liberate Clark. Only after completely resolving the Clark issue would Rachel feel secure to resume his plans on Earth.
Moreover, Rachel couldn't believe that if there was one Kryptonian on Earth, there could be a second. If Earth had that many exceptional beings, in Rachel's view, Earth should have already entered a new era under the rule of these new deities!
"Studying the Solar Fist with Robert was a crucial choice. Not only does it provide me with warmth similar to the sun's when I transform into Superman, but it also offers a way out in desperate situations..." Unknown to Rachel, as he tightly held the Holy Grail, preparing to engulf Clark in endless darkness, a thought flashed through Clark's mind within the Holy Grail.
Clark knew that the longer he delayed, the worse it would be for him. After several unsuccessful attempts, he thought of the Solar Fist.
With a "buzz," the next moment, the Holy Grail released a boundless light, different from the holy sanctity of divine light. This was the sun's warmth, filled with the glow of life!
As this light appeared, a new sun seemed to emerge within the Holy Grail. The light converged around Clark, illuminating the surrounding darkness but focusing on Clark without dispersing, maintaining his greatest combat strength with minimal consumption.
With the emergence of this light, Clark's cells were replenished. While the Solar Fist released by Clark couldn't form a perpetual motion machine nor continuously enhance his cells, Clark now had the power to counterattack and see everything around him!
"Boom!" The next moment, the entire Holy Grail trembled, shaking the body of Rachel, who held it, almost causing him to drop the Holy Grail.
But whether he dropped it or not was irrelevant because the lid of the Holy Grail had been lifted. Even though the Holy Grail itself was intact, Clark had regained his freedom in that instant...
After all, the Holy Grail was a relic of the Shadow Hunter lineage, inherited from angels and heaven. The lid, however, was merely a barrier Rachel had temporarily created to trap Clark.
While Clark was enveloped in weakened consciousness, unable to see his surroundings, Rachel could stop him. But once Clark could return to his peak state and see everything clearly, such methods were doomed to fail in stopping Clark!
"How is this possible? It's impossible for a Kryptonian to break free in such an environment!" Seeing Clark emerge from the Holy Grail and return to normal size, Rachel's pupils shrank in disbelief.
But soon, Rachel noticed the boundless light enveloping Clark, a move he was familiar with because Robert had previously used it against him, even splitting Rachel in half with a Qi Round Slash.
"How do you know this move? What exactly is your relationship?" Rachel furrowed his brows. He had been on Earth for too short a time, only managing to see what an Earth without the cover of faith looked like. He was clueless about the number of powerhouses on Earth and their abilities.
Thus, seeing Clark and Robert possessing similar abilities left Rachel puzzled, even suspecting a connection between Clark and Robert...
With a "hiss," as Rachel's words fell, a beam of heat vision blasted onto him, sending him flying away at such speed that Rachel couldn't react in time.
Rachel's body was pierced by the heat vision, with holy blood spilling into space and his angel wings severely damaged, feathers drifting in space.
When Clark got serious, his strength was not something Rachel could contend with. Clark planned to first incapacitate Rachel before inquiring more about heaven...
However, as Clark charged at Rachel again, a powerful divine light surged around Rachel. Simultaneously, in the Vatican on Earth, the faith accumulated over countless years suddenly erupted.
"Using the power of faith? It seems that the earthly god is gaining the upper hand. I don't care whether you truly wish to become a deity, but at least, you don't seem intent on harvesting human faith as shepherds. I can assist you this once..." The Pope watched as the faith within the massive cross erupted, his gaze slightly flickering. Then, a similarly pure divine light appeared around him, though not as powerful as Rachel's but unexpectedly purer.
As this divine light emerged, the previously turbulent faith suddenly paused, then began surging into the Pope's body. With the influx of faith, the Pope's divine light became less pure but stronger, even reaching a level close to Rachel's, prompting a bitter smile from the Pope.
"It seems faith is not something a mere mortal like me can wield. The limit of what I can accept is this much; the rest is beyond my control!" As the Pope's divine light grew stronger, he helplessly shook his head. The faith no longer flowed into him but headed towards the heavens.
"Angels, haha, as long as humans are kind-hearted and true to their conscience, why the need for faith in you? And if everything truly embodies goodness, why concern yourselves with faith?" Watching the turbulent faith disappear into the heavens, the Pope sighed lightly, slowly closing his eyes, beginning to suppress the turbulent faith within.
"However, this consumption is good. Accumulated faith over countless years, if not spent, would eventually become a curse, potentially becoming a contingency plan they left behind..."
As divine light surged around Rachel, Clark had already approached him. However, at that moment, the turbulent faith merged into Rachel.
Compared to the Pope, Rachel found it much easier to absorb the faith, fully embracing it without resistance or pressure, his divine light becoming brighter and stronger, even excluding Clark from it!
"What is this?" Clark furrowed his brows, looking at Rachel, who had become entirely different. Previously, after Clark's attacks, Rachel appeared quite disheveled, with his body and wings pierced, losing the holy majesty of an angel.
But now, with the support of faith, Rachel evolved into a new form, his back unfurling six wings, his previous injuries completely healed, his aura becoming incredibly powerful. This power filled Rachel's heart with infinite satisfaction and ignited his desire for faith.
Back on Earth, heaven's faith was abundant, allowing Rachel to transform into a six-winged seraph, comparable to the later gods' Heavenly Father!
The reason he's compared to the later gods' Heavenly Father is
that at that time, other godly fathers were stronger under the support of faith, except for the Panther God Bast...
At that time, Rachel could maintain the six-winged seraph form at all times. However, after being expelled from Earth, he forever lost this form. His own strength wasn't enough to reach this level, and heaven's faith couldn't support him, explaining why heaven is so desolate and many angels are in slumber.
But now, everything was different. With the support of faith, Rachel regained confidence. He aimed to slay Clark, the Kryptonian, and reclaim Earth's faith for heaven, forever maintaining his six-winged seraph form!
With a "hiss," as Rachel basked in his return to the six-winged seraph form, Clark, blocked by divine light, unleashed another heat vision towards Rachel.
"Buzz!" At this moment, Rachel's wings fluttered lightly, a divine light energy meeting Clark's heat vision. The two forces collided in space, continuously consuming each other.
"Swish!" The next moment, Rachel's wings fluttered again, feathers flying at various speeds in space, all targeting Clark.
Even Valentin, who had half an angel's power, possessed this ability. Naturally, Rachel, a true angel, had it too!
And as a six-winged seraph with two extra pairs of wings, Rachel's flying feathers were far more powerful than Valentin's, turning the entire space into a dimension of white feathers, obscuring the original appearance of space.
"Swish!"
"Swish!"
"Swish!"
Feathers swept across Clark, tearing his clothes but leaving only white marks on his skin without piercing it.
The durability of the Man of Steel was assured. Even with Rachel, bolstered by faith, transforming into a six-winged seraph with godly father-level strength, Clark had previously fought the weakest godly father, the Panther God Bast, and was also at this level.
Facing attacks from the same level, the Man of Steel's skin wasn't easily breached. While deadly to slightly weaker beings, the flying feathers' sharpness wasn't comparable to a Qi Round Slash at the same strength level...
"Whew!" In the near-vacuum environment, Clark exhaled a cold breath, instantly turning into a terrifying ice storm, freezing everything around him. Feathers were vividly frozen in the ice, then Clark shattered the ice with a punch.
"Whoosh!" As Clark shattered the ice, Rachel unleashed another powerful divine light, hitting Clark before he could react, sending him flying. This was the first time Clark was sent flying by Rachel in battle.
But Clark quickly returned, his clothes tattered but not affecting his combat readiness. As he charged at Rachel again, Rachel released divine light energy again, which Clark blocked with heat vision. The two powers met in space, neutralizing each other without exploding.
The next moment, Clark thought of Robert's maneuver to dodge the dark beam, accelerating instantly, skirting the divine light energy and charging at Rachel. Rachel swung his fist at Clark, blocking Clark's punch, then slashed at Clark with his six wings!
"Boom!"
"Clang!"
The sounds of battle, not divine music, didn't spread in space, but Clark and Rachel could still hear them. Their fists collided constantly, Rachel's wings slashing at Clark without causing real harm.
Clark's durability exceeded Rachel's expectations. As the battle progressed, Rachel was somewhat shocked. Although his attack methods were more varied and faster, in terms of sheer strength, he was somewhat behind Clark...
___________________
(Support with power stones, comments or reviews)
If you guys enjoy this story, In support me on Patreon and get access to +200 advance Chapters
Read Ahead
Patreon.com/INNIT