The fuse ignited, and the Red Sun Grenade shot from the barrel, accurately hitting Zod's back as he moved at high speed.
The red sunlight from the explosion of the grenade spread out in all directions, instantly enveloping the struggling Zod and Clark, stripping away their divine strength.
Both of them instantly lost their ability to fly, crashing down to the ground like meteors and landing inside a library that had not yet been fully evacuated.
Zod immediately dropped to one knee, pressing against Clark's chest, gripping Clark's neck with both hands.
Seeing the destruction of the World Engine drove him to madness, his face twisted in rage: "I will kill you, and then wipe out all the people of Earth, Kal-El!!"
Clark's face turned crimson, veins bulging, his legs braced against the ground as he desperately tried to pry Zod's wrists apart: "I will not allow—"
Due to the lack of oxygen, Clark's eyes were bloodshot, but the negative effects of the red sunlight were rapidly fading from his body.
He adapted to Earth's yellow sunlight better than Zod, allowing him to recover his strength more quickly.
The Kryptonian biological cells etched with the Kryptonian Codex within him surged like a tidal wave under the yellow sun's light, swelling furiously.
Clark roared in fury and forcibly broke Zod's wrist!
He turned the tables, rolling over from behind to lock Zod's neck with his elbow, shouting, "I won't allow you to hurt anyone!"
With his restored strength, Clark confined Zod, who emitted gasping noises from his throat.
His neck twisted, eyes wide, struggling to speak: "...You consider them... as your kind— but they— will never... accept you—"
A spasm-like cold smile appeared on Zod's face: "—Will they do this?"
His eyes flicked, and a scarlet heat vision beam shot straight at the corner where several trembling civilians were huddled!
"No—!!" Clark's voice was hoarse, and he tightened his grip on Zod's throat, but it couldn't stop the heat vision from advancing toward the civilians.
With eyes blazing red, Clark, just before Zod's heat vision could reach the civilians, unleashed his own heat vision into Zod's head!
The sizzling sound of burning flesh filled the air as Zod's face was pierced by the heat vision.
Despite his tough physique, he did not die instantly but convulsed and collapsed to the ground.
His skull had two blackened, red hollows where his eyes and brain had turned to charred ash, with no chance of survival.
Yet, he gave a frightening grin as if victorious.
He was about to use his own life to deliver the most malicious curse to Clark—
"Will humanity do this?"
His voice was barely audible, but to Clark, it sounded like thunder.
Clark trembled all over, his hands convulsing, his blood boiling.
He collapsed to the ground in despair, pressing his fists against the sides of his forehead, overwhelmed by an unprecedented, immense sorrow.
—He suddenly realized that he could never, ever, become human.
...
When Soren arrived at the library, he saw Clark kneeling on the ground with his head down.
The once vivid red cape, like a stream of dark crimson blood, poured down from his neck to the ground.
He flew down through the hole in the library ceiling, and when his toes touched the ground in front of Clark, the gentle light of power enveloped him.
He transformed from the battle form of the Magna Angemon into a Priest Mode with only wings and a white robe.
"...Superman?"
He saw the horrific body of Zod and frowned slightly.
Clark must be feeling very troubled after having killed his own kin.
With a sense of compassion, Soren reached out and placed a comforting hand on Clark's shoulder, "...My condolences."
Clark, however, still kept his head down, silent and unmoving.
"We need your help. The World Engines around the world are still operational," Soren forced himself to remain resolute, refraining himself from giving Clark a hug, and instead said calmly, "I need you to take me to the other World Engines so I can seal them."
Though his flying speed was fast, it was still within the range of sound.
No matter how fast he was, it couldn't compare to Clark's maximum speed of up to the second universe.
Having Clark take him to the remaining World Engines was undoubtedly the best option.
Clark looked up at Soren.
His Kryptonian-blue eyes were as deep as cosmic nebulae.
Soren was slightly startled when he saw those eyes.
—For some reason, he felt that something about Clark seemed different.
But he couldn't pinpoint what exactly had disappeared from Clark.
Clark silently agreed to Soren's request and took him to the remaining World Engines.
The World Engine in Athens had already been destroyed by the combined efforts of S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel.
Tony, carrying a missile fired by the French government, charged at the World Engine, destroying its core.
Hulk and the others then dealt with the remaining parts of the World Engine.
Soren and Clark worked together to destroy the remaining six World Engines.
With Clark around, everything became simpler.
They had clear roles.
The World Engines couldn't harm Clark, so he flew above them and used his heat vision to damage the engine's core, while Soren, from below, opened the Heaven's Gate to seal each engine in turn.
A few hours later, Earth's gravity began to be restored.
The world that has been pierced by a dagger to its heart, slowly revived.
They didn't stop after sealing the World Engines.
People around the world were calling for help.
Clark soared above the blue planet, listening to the hopeful cries of its inhabitants calling his name.
He flew across the Earth's surface, traveling to various regions to rescue ordinary people who were endangered by the changes in gravity.
Soren, in his priest form, used his divine purification to stabilize people's emotions amidst their fear and also to heal their injuries.
The post-disaster rescue work was demanding and arduous.
He worked day and night with S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel, using divine purification on everyone brought to him.