Mori stood face to face with Darkseid, the weight of the fallen Steppenwolf's body still present on the battlefield. The eerie silence that followed Steppenwolf's death was suffocating. The dust from the collapsed portal still lingered in the air, giving the scene an ominous, heavy quality. Superman and Wonder Woman, immobilized by Mori's energy, could only watch in tense anticipation as two titanic forces prepared to clash.
Darkseid's glowing red eyes flickered with disdain as he observed the insect before him. Despite the death of his trusted general, Darkseid did not show anger. Instead, there was an almost eerie calmness to him. His massive form towered over Mori, radiating the immense power of a being who had conquered countless worlds. He finally spoke, his voice low and filled with a cold, detached malice.
"You believe yourself strong," Darkseid said, his gaze fixed on Mori. "But strength is irrelevant before me. I am inevitable. I am power incarnate. The universe will kneel before Darkseid."
Mori remained unfazed, his expression neutral. He wiped his hands together as though brushing off dust. "Is that supposed to scare me?" he asked, his voice steady. "You talk a lot for someone who just lost one of their strongest soldiers. I don't care about your universe or your throne. But I'll tell you this—this planet, this dimension, it's mine now. And you? You're in my way."
Superman and Wonder Woman exchanged looks of growing concern. They had never heard someone speak so dismissively of Darkseid, let alone someone with the power to back up such claims. Darkseid's presence alone was enough to send entire worlds into chaos, but Mori didn't flinch. He was treating Darkseid like just another opponent.
Darkseid stepped forward, and the ground seemed to tremble beneath his feet. His massive shadow loomed over Mori. "You, insect, dare challenge the god of Apokolips?" Darkseid's voice rumbled, each word heavy with unshakable authority. "I will show you true power."
With a swift, imperious motion, Darkseid's Omega Beams ignited in his eyes, twin streaks of burning red energy. The beams shot out toward Mori, seeking to disintegrate him where he stood. The power behind them was enough to vaporize any being caught in their path.
But Mori was faster. As the beams neared him, he vanished, teleporting out of the way in the blink of an eye. The beams curved, following him with perfect accuracy, tracking his every movement. Mori grinned as he effortlessly dodged, teleporting again and again, always one step ahead of the Omega Beams.
"These beams are supposed to be impressive?" Mori scoffed. "Let me show you what real speed looks like."
In an instant, Mori appeared directly in front of Darkseid, his fist cocked back. The air rippled with the force of his punch as he slammed his fist into Darkseid's chest. The impact created a shockwave that echoed across the battlefield, sending cracks through the ground beneath them. Darkseid barely flinched, though the force of the blow pushed him back several feet.
Mori hovered in the air, watching Darkseid with interest. "Huh. That usually works," he mused aloud. "You're tougher than I thought."
Darkseid's eyes flared with renewed intensity as the Omega Beams returned, striking Mori in midair. The beams hit him square in the chest, enveloping him in an inferno of destructive energy. Superman and Wonder Woman gasped, both of them helpless in their energy prison, as they watched Mori disappear into the swirling red light.
For a moment, there was silence. Then, the red energy began to fade, revealing Mori still floating in place, completely unharmed. He brushed off his chest as though Darkseid's attack had merely ruffled his clothes.
"That was it?" Mori said, almost laughing. "I expected more from someone who calls himself a god."
Darkseid's eyes narrowed, his patience wearing thin. He raised his hand, summoning his full might. The sky above darkened as massive beams of Omega energy rained down from the heavens, creating an apocalyptic storm. The ground around them cracked and split, magma erupting from the earth as the battlefield became a hellscape of destruction.
But Mori was in his element. As Darkseid unleashed his cosmic fury, Mori powered up, his aura flaring around him like a blazing inferno. The sheer intensity of his energy began to warp the air itself. He met Darkseid's attack head-on, flying through the chaos with relentless speed, deflecting beams of energy with precise strikes.
Superman and Wonder Woman, watching in awe, could hardly believe their eyes. They had faced Darkseid before—knew all too well the limits of their own power against him. But Mori was different. He wasn't just holding his own; he was dominating the battlefield, matching Darkseid blow for blow.
Mori surged forward, closing the distance between him and Darkseid once again. This time, he wasn't holding back. With a roar, Mori unleashed a barrage of punches, each one faster and stronger than the last. His fists struck Darkseid like thunderbolts, cracking the air with each blow. Darkseid tried to retaliate, but Mori was too fast. Every punch landed before Darkseid could react, his invulnerable form being tested like never before.
"You're not invincible, Darkseid," Mori shouted, driving his knee into Darkseid's chest. "You bleed like anyone else. You fall like anyone else."
Darkseid let out a bellow of rage, swinging his massive arm to backhand Mori, but Mori teleported behind him, delivering a powerful kick to the back of Darkseid's head. The force sent the god of Apokolips stumbling forward, momentarily disoriented.
Mori landed in front of him, crossing his arms with a cocky grin. "Is this all you've got? I thought I was fighting the great Darkseid."
Darkseid growled, the ground beneath him quaking as he rose to his full height. His eyes glowed with the intense energy of the Omega Force. "You are an annoyance. Nothing more," Darkseid growled. "But I will not be humiliated by an insect like you."
He unleashed a wave of pure Omega energy, not in the form of beams, but as a massive, all-encompassing explosion. The sheer force of it threatened to tear the battlefield apart. Superman and Wonder Woman, still trapped by Mori's Ki, could feel the heat and power of the blast from where they stood.
Mori didn't flinch. He met the wave of energy with a blast of his own—his Ki flaring to match Darkseid's Omega energy. The two forces collided, creating a blinding explosion that lit up the sky like a second sun. The earth trembled as the shockwave from their clash rippled across the land.
When the light faded, the two stood facing each other, neither willing to back down. Darkseid's expression remained stoic, but there was a flicker of surprise in his eyes. He had never encountered a foe like this before.
"You may have faced gods before," Mori said, his voice low but filled with confidence. "But you've never fought someone like me."
The tension in the air was palpable as the two prepared to clash once more. Darkseid raised his hand, ready to summon the full might of Apokolips, while Mori's aura burned brighter than ever, his power continuing to grow.
The next battle would decide the fate of the planet.