Although his abdomen had been pierced, Kaius stood tall under the blazing sunlight.
Like a solar battery, his body absorbed the energy, rapidly recharging him and healing his wounds.
But no matter how fast his regeneration worked, it still couldn't match the horrifying speed at which Jor-Lar the Destroyer evolved.
Jor-Lar's cells were splitting at an alarming rate, and his body had grown another thirty centimeters taller. Towering over Kaius, he now looked down at him with cold, menacing eyes.
"You're nothing but a bug in my path!" Jor-Lar snarled, his voice resonating like a growl of thunder.
Kaius forced himself to stay focused, adjusting his stance. The monster was already charging at him again.
Boom!
On the barren outskirts, the two clashed with an earth-shattering force. The shockwave rippled outward, flattening trees and grass while leaving craters in the ground.
Their battle was like two freight trains colliding at full speed, sending tremors across the land and creating noise that echoed for miles.
Soon, Diana arrived, joining the fight without hesitation.
But even with her help, the relentless physical advantage of Jor-Lar the Destroyer was evident. Both Kaius and Diana sustained injuries—none fatal, but enough to slow them down.
Jor-Lar, meanwhile, seemed unstoppable. His power grew with every passing moment, his stamina endless.
Once again, their fists and bodies collided, the impact like thunder striking the earth. Kaius's body had reached its limits, and alongside Diana, he was forced to retreat.
"I'm not strong enough," Kaius thought grimly.
He only possessed 55% of Superman's strength. Fortunately, he had unlocked Diana's mission card earlier, giving him a temporary power boost. Together, they could barely keep up with Jor-Lar.
But Jor-Lar's energy seemed boundless, his monstrous form growing stronger by the second. The longer the fight dragged on, the worse their chances became.
"If only I had a large chunk of kryptonite," Kaius lamented.
For a fleeting moment, he considered having Diana stall Jor-Lar while he retrieved kryptonite from Smallville. But he immediately dismissed the thought—Diana couldn't possibly hold Jor-Lar off alone.
Rumble...
A sound from above caught Kaius's attention. At first, he assumed it was another armed fighter coming to add to the chaos. But when he looked up, he noticed a black speck in the sky, growing larger as it rapidly approached.
What is that?
A bird? A plane?
No... it was Superman.
The figure soared closer, arms extended above his head. He was clad in a blue suit with a red cape billowing behind him.
Whoosh!
With a thunderous burst, the man descended in a perfect arc, landing with an impact that sent cracks radiating through the ground like a spiderweb.
Slowly, he rose to his full height, his powerful chest stretching the iconic 'S' on his suit into an imposing curve.
Superman turned to Kaius, a familiar smile on his face. "Hi, brother. Long time no see!"
Kaius allowed himself a brief moment of relief. "Clark, seeing you here now is... wait! Watch out!"
Jor-Lar the Destroyer had reappeared, moving with terrifying speed. From behind Superman, he raised his spiked claw, aiming directly for Clark's back.
But Clark only smiled faintly. Just as the bone spur was about to strike, he shifted slightly to the side, raised his hand, and caught Jor-Lar the Destroyer's arm mid-strike. With a sharp twist of his waist, Clark yanked Jor-Lar off balance and hurled him toward Kaius.
Kaius, whose stance was staggered slightly by the force, immediately retaliated. His right fist, like a drawn bowstring, shot forward to meet the incoming Jor-Lar.
Bang!!
A resounding crash echoed through the battlefield, like a hammer striking a massive bronze bell. The impact sent Jor-Lar spiraling uncontrollably through the air, his body smashing into the ground with such force that a deep crater formed beneath him.
Diana seized the opening. Leaping forward with the Vulcan Sword in hand, she raised the gleaming blade high and aimed it at Jor-Lar's heart.
"Roar!!"
Jor-Lar, however, twisted his body and rolled away, narrowly evading the strike. With a powerful sweep of his arm, he sent Diana flying, then launched himself after her with astonishing speed, bone spurs poised to strike.
"Diana!" Kaius's heart raced as he dove forward, desperate to intercept Jor-Lar before he could reach her.
But Jor-Lar was fast—too fast.
Diana, seeing the monster closing in, clasped her hands together and softly uttered a command. With a resonant clang, she struck her silver guardian bracelets together.
"Hyaaaah!"
Buzz!!!
A divine shockwave erupted from the impact, radiating outward in a powerful wave. Jor-Lar, caught in its blast, was thrown back uncontrollably, crashing into the ground with a thunderous boom.
"Die!" Kaius roared, leaping forward and landing a devastating punch on Jor-Lar.
Meanwhile, Clark floated in the air, his eyes glowing with fiery intensity. He unleashed twin beams of heat vision, combining with Kaius and Diana to pummel Jor-Lar as though they were playing an intense game of aerial volleyball.
"Diana, are you okay?" Kaius asked, catching her mid-air before she could hit the ground.
Diana wrapped her arms around his neck, her breathing a bit ragged. "Just a few scratches. Nothing serious... By the way, who's that?"
Kaius grinned. "That's the friend I mentioned—Clark Kent. You can call him Superman."
Clark landed nearby, giving Kaius an unimpressed look. "You really have no sense of discretion, do you? Aren't introductions supposed to be more formal?"
Kaius smirked. "Alright, alright. Diana, this is Clark Kent, Superman. And Clark, meet Diana, Princess of the Amazons. Or, as the world will know her, Wonder Woman. She's the third member of our Justice League."
Clark raised an eyebrow in recognition. "An Amazonian? I recall stories from my ancestors about their visit to Earth. Amazonians were said to be a race created by gods."
Diana nodded proudly. "That's correct. My mother told me we were sculpted from clay by Zeus himself."
Clark blinked. "So Zeus... molded a woman from clay, gave her life, and later had a child with her? The gods certainly had... unique methods."
Kaius stifled a laugh, but the moment of levity was short-lived.
"Roar! Roar!!"
Jor-Lar's guttural snarls filled the air as he clawed his way out of the crater. His body convulsed, growing larger and more grotesque with every passing second.
Clark narrowed his eyes. "What is this thing? I can feel it—it's stronger now than it was just a moment ago."
Kaius nodded grimly. "He claimed to be one of General Zod's men. I managed to kill him with kryptonite before, but somehow he came back... like this."
At the mention of Zod, Clark's expression darkened. "General Zod? Zod is here on Earth?"