In the center of the battlefield stood Captain America, dressed in his dark blue battle suit, and Wonder Woman, adorned in her golden armor.
The two heroes stared each other down from a distance, a tense standoff.
Soren's gaze froze in shock.
…Diana and Steve?
Why were they facing off like this?
Silas, too, saw them and gasped quietly with excitement, "Wonder Woman! It's the Ruling Army! They've come to save us!"
He spoke with such conviction and quickly tried to scramble out of the makeshift cover.
Soren immediately grabbed him, "Don't go! Stray bullets could hit you!"
Silas, trapped in Soren's arms, started to struggle violently.
"Let me go!!" he shouted, panic rising in his voice.
Soren was worried that Silas's yelling would attract the soldiers attention, so he quickly covered his mouth.
But Silas, in desperation, bit down hard on Soren's hand.
Soren reflexively pulled his hand back, giving Silas just enough time to wriggle free from his grasp.
He scrambled out of the cover, stumbling as he ran toward the battlefield.
The commotion had already drawn the attention of the nearby troops.
Several Hydra soldiers, thinking reinforcements for the enemy had arrived, panicked and turned their guns on Silas.
As he stumbled clumsily toward the fight, they squeezed the triggers.
"Silas!"
Soren had no choice but to evolve into Magna Angemon in an instant.
He soared forward, catching up to Silas.
His eight silver wings curved inward, forming an impenetrable, solid defense shield that enveloped Silas completely.
Captain America who is locked in battle with Wonder Woman, suddenly froze.
Diana, too, stopped almost at the same moment, both of them recognizing the familiar figure that was hovering in the air.
They both stared in shock.
Before anyone on the battlefield could react—
A loud sonic boom echoed from above.
A white figure descended swiftly from the clouds.
At the sight of this white figure, every soldier on the ground froze, lowering their weapons in terror.
... No one dared to fire in front of this man.
Soren held Silas in his arms, he was about to ask if he was alright, when a shadow fell over him.
The first thing he saw was a pair of black boots.
Then, a white cape, gently billowing, draped down in front of him.
And there, emblazoned on the chest, was the unmistakable red-and-white "S" symbol.
As Soren slowly lifted his gaze, he came face to face with the most familiar visage—the handsome, sun-god face of Superman.
"...Angemon?"
The god-like man in the white cape, his temples streaked with gray, spoke in a hoarse voice, his eyes red-rimmed with emotion.
He stared at Angemon, wanting to reach out, yet hesitant.
His right hand lifted slightly, but then curled into a fist and fell back to his side.
"Clark…"
"Superman!"
Both Soren and Silas spoke at the same time.
Silas with his wide eyes, gazed up at Superman with awe.
His blue eyes sparkled with admiration, his lips parted as if in disbelief.
There was an intense fervor in his face as he reached out and grabbed hold of Superman's cape.
"Superman! I-I've always worshiped you…"
Superman moved ever so slightly, and his cape slipped from Silas's grasp.
He turned his gaze to Silas.
"Who gave you permission to wear his face?"
Superman's voice was dark, his tone terrifying.
A faint red glow flickered in his eyes.
Soren immediately sensed an overwhelming danger.
Every hair on his body stood on end in instinctive fear.
He quickly stepped back and used one of his wings to shield Silas, his gaze filled with concern as he looked at Clark, noticing the gray streaks in his hair, "What happened to your hair... Clark?"
The red glow in Clark's eyes vanished instantly.
He seemed unsettled, his gaze nervously darting over Angemon as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing.
Without saying a word, he floated closer, as though afraid that what he was seeing might disappear like a mirage.
Seeing Soren's retreat, Clark's expression flickered with a hint of vulnerability.
The overwhelming aura that had surrounded Clark moments ago faded away, like smoke dissipating in the wind.
A wave of sorrow washed over Soren.
Clark's expression felt like a knife twisting in his heart.
The pain was so deep he had to take a sharp breath, inhaling the cold air deep into his lungs.
He had a thousand things he wanted to say to Clark.
He had an endless amount of love he wanted to express.
But when he opened his mouth, only a trembling whisper came out, "Are you alright, Clark?"
Clark, as if snapped from a dream, reached out and grabbed Soren's wrist.
"...Let him go. Diana will take care of him," he said.
Silas who are still in Soren's arms, began to sob softly.
His voice quivered as he whispered, "Superman… I really…"
Before Silas could finish his words, Clark lifted him out of Soren's arms with ease.
Soren instinctively reached out to stop him, but Clark held his wrist firmly, rendering him unable to move.
"Diana will make sure he's safe," Clark reassured him, tossing Silas to Wonder Woman.
Diana, with her golden lasso, caught Silas by the waist, securing him gently.
"Clark?!"
Soren stared at Clark in disbelief.
But Clark's entire focus was on Soren.
His deep blue eyes that was filled with an overwhelming tenderness, like the vastness of an ocean.
"…Come with me."
Before Soren could respond, Clark had already grabbed him, shooting into the sky with immense speed.
"Clark!"
Soren was stunned by Clark's sudden move.
Clark looked so different... everything about him—the way he dressed, the expression on his face, even his actions—felt unfamiliar.
He wasn't the Clark Soren remembered.
Soren canceled his evolution, returning to his human form.
The fierce winds whipped through his black hair, forcing him to wrap his arms around Clark's neck, "Where are you taking me?"
Clark was holding him so tightly that their chests were almost pressed together.
Soren's heart pounded in his chest as he looked up at Clark, only able to see Clark's tense jawline from this angle.
The sonic booms echoed once more.