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357. Chapter 357 Interstellar War
“Brainiac!”
Superman pried open the construct pincers of a Yellow Lantern that was trying to restrain him and accelerated toward the spaceship in mid-air.
“I won’t let you do to this planet what you once did to Krypton! Not as long as I’m here!”
“Kal-El, the star of this galaxy makes you powerful. But even so, you are not much trouble for me,” Brainiac’s cold, metallic voice rang out.
Boom!
An intense light descended from the sky, a beam from one of the spaceships in Brainiac’s fleet. The red-hot, blinding light instantly engulfed Superman’s form, containing within it a hundred times the force of gravity and the radiation of a red sun. As the beam struck the ground, the earth cracked and the terrain itself seemed to sink.
“Superman!”
The Flash was running along the arm of a Yellow Lantern construct to deliver a warning hook to its wielder. He turned his head just in time to witness the scene.
Having been teammates in the Justice League for so long, everyone knew Superman's weaknesses. They knew the big guy was defenseless against Kryptonite and a red sun.
Fortunately, the worst didn't happen. A red-and-blue afterimage shot upwards against the hundred-fold gravity, like a vertically launched rocket, and pierced through the spaceship. It was a skull-shaped spacecraft, resembling a round, floating skull.
As Superman tore through it, the skull exploded on the spot, turning to ashes amidst the fire and debris.
"I see, you've also updated your equipment." Brainiac quickly understood. "The force field of that uniform can block Kryptonite and red sun radiation, and it can enhance and store the absorption of yellow sun energy…"
The battlesuit Kara had given him was a great help. Superman’s momentum didn't wane as he continued to accelerate toward Brainiac’s fleet. However, halfway there, an afterimage nearly as fast as him shot out, wrapped in a golden light.
The newcomer's speed was in the same class as Superman's. With a glance, Superman thought it was just another Yellow Lantern. Having just gauged the combat power of the Yellow Lanterns, he didn't pay it much mind. He turned to throw a punch, intending to maintain his speed and break through.
Unexpectedly, the figure manifested a yellow construct hand that, along with a cold mechanical arm, clamped onto his wrist. Superman was startled by the astonishing strength on his arm. When he turned to look, a blur of fists, accompanied by four Yellow Lantern constructs, struck from different directions. A series of dull impacts slammed into his chest, sending him flying backward uncontrollably. With a boom, he shot diagonally through a small hillside.
Superman climbed out from the smoke, coughed, and recognized his assailant. "Hank Henshaw."
In this timeline, Superman had never directly fought Hank Henshaw after he became the Cyborg Superman, but he had reviewed the data Orin Vale had entered into the Justice League database.
"Long time no see, Superman."
Cyborg Superman hovered in mid-air, his red cape fluttering behind him, arms crossed.
"Do you remember how you ruined my life and killed my wife?"
"It wasn't like that," Superman said as he got up. "I was just trying to help. We don't have to fight..."
"Maybe," Hank retorted, "but you know what?"
He suddenly threw a punch. Incredibly, he wore a Yellow Lantern Ring on each of his ten fingers. The rings' constructs enveloped his fists, dramatically enhancing their power.
"...I don't care anymore!"
“…”
Brainiac's entry made an already grim situation even worse. Countless massive motherships hovered like mountains, while innumerable skull-like spherical spaceships set up formations, brandishing metal tentacles. A massive number of Brainiac's machines were deployed as if they cost nothing, instantly filling the battlefield.
Brainiac’s vast army, the Sinestro Corps, and the Manhunters—such numbers and combat power would be overkill for an invasion of any galaxy.
But even so, no one gave up the fight.
Never give up. This was something each of them had learned in past battles. Hope does not favor those who give up on saving themselves. The Light only ever shines upon those with the determination to seize their own future.
Especially in a world so driven by willpower, this was sometimes more important than powerful abilities or advanced technology.
Let there be Light.
In an abrupt instant, the sky seemed to ignite.
A radiant light blazed, shining all the way to the horizon. An afterimage cloaked in energy dove down from outside the atmosphere at incredible speed, strafing the area with light bullets, energy bolts, and beams of various colors.
The Yellow Lanterns touched by the radiance were instantly vaporized. The Manhunters that tried to absorb its energy were melted into molten iron. Brainiac's spaceships exploded in a continuous chain reaction along their formation, turning into burning fireballs that fell like meteors.
Dozens of meters away, the ground shattered under an invisible impact, with rifts spreading out like a spiderweb. Every fractured ravine seemed to be filled with a scorching brilliance.
Looks of pleasant surprise appeared on the faces of the Justice League members.
Kara punched a dazed Yellow Lantern and said with a chuckle, "Sorry to inform you, but the game is over."
Billy, transformed into Shazam, was seeing such a spectacle for the first time and was a bit dazed. "My God, what is this? Don't tell me God has arrived..."
"Seriously? You never watch the news?" Power Girl, fighting alongside him, said with a grin.
"Of course, 'he' is back."
Following the unstoppable intense light and storm, the dancing particles of light coalesced into the physical form of a giant. Orin Vale hovered in mid-air, and the spot where he stood naturally seemed to become the center of the battlefield.
"You're back!" Kara flew forward happily.
"Yeah, crossed half the universe in a few minutes," Orin Vale said. "Looks like I made it in time for the party."
At this moment, Brainiac's fleet of warships also began to move, seemingly converging on Orin Vale's position.
"Hold the formation, control the battle situation," Orin Vale said. "I'll take care of Brainiac first."
As he spoke, he looked toward several of the motherships in the sky.
This time, Old Bu hadn't just brought allies; his formation was different from the last two encounters. Orin Vale had a premonition that Old Bu's main body might have come as well, hidden on one of these ships.
Brainiac stated coolly, "Ultraman, I have been waiting for you. But this is an interstellar war. Even you cannot win it alone."
"That's not necessarily true," Orin Vale chuckled. "Besides... I've brought an army, too."
As his voice fell, beams of light shot down from the sky like a rain of light. Green and blue light intertwined, forming an unstoppable two-toned barrage, as a dense swarm of luminous spots dove down from above.
Hal Jordan led a vast army of Green Lanterns, roaring at the top of his lungs, "Green Lantern Corps, show them why we always say: 'Fear our divine light!'"
Beside him was Saint Walker, leading the Blue Lantern Corps from Odym. He also led the charge, shouting, "Blue Lanterns, remember your hope! Remember your faith! Tell them... all will be well!"
Thousands of Lanterns charged into the battle, making the already colorful hodgepodge even more bewildering. But for the Sinestro Corps, what followed the Green and Blue Lantern alliance was the true heavyweight.
When they saw the massive, ferocious bug shrouded in a yellow mist of light, also tucked in behind the Green Lantern Corps, they were all dumbfounded.
Wait a minute...
Is that thing Parallax???
(end of chapter)
“Brainiac!”
Superman pried open the construct pincers of a Yellow Lantern that was trying to restrain him and accelerated toward the spaceship in mid-air.
“I won’t let you do to this planet what you once did to Krypton! Not as long as I’m here!”
“Kal-El, the star of this galaxy makes you powerful. But even so, you are not much trouble for me,” Brainiac’s cold, metallic voice rang out.
Boom!
An intense light descended from the sky, a beam from one of the spaceships in Brainiac’s fleet. The red-hot, blinding light instantly engulfed Superman’s form, containing within it a hundred times the force of gravity and the radiation of a red sun. As the beam struck the ground, the earth cracked and the terrain itself seemed to sink.
“Superman!”
The Flash was running along the arm of a Yellow Lantern construct to deliver a warning hook to its wielder. He turned his head just in time to witness the scene.
Having been teammates in the Justice League for so long, everyone knew Superman's weaknesses. They knew the big guy was defenseless against Kryptonite and a red sun.
Fortunately, the worst didn't happen. A red-and-blue afterimage shot upwards against the hundred-fold gravity, like a vertically launched rocket, and pierced through the spaceship. It was a skull-shaped spacecraft, resembling a round, floating skull.
As Superman tore through it, the skull exploded on the spot, turning to ashes amidst the fire and debris.
"I see, you've also updated your equipment." Brainiac quickly understood. "The force field of that uniform can block Kryptonite and red sun radiation, and it can enhance and store the absorption of yellow sun energy…"
The battlesuit Kara had given him was a great help. Superman’s momentum didn't wane as he continued to accelerate toward Brainiac’s fleet. However, halfway there, an afterimage nearly as fast as him shot out, wrapped in a golden light.
The newcomer's speed was in the same class as Superman's. With a glance, Superman thought it was just another Yellow Lantern. Having just gauged the combat power of the Yellow Lanterns, he didn't pay it much mind. He turned to throw a punch, intending to maintain his speed and break through.
Unexpectedly, the figure manifested a yellow construct hand that, along with a cold mechanical arm, clamped onto his wrist. Superman was startled by the astonishing strength on his arm. When he turned to look, a blur of fists, accompanied by four Yellow Lantern constructs, struck from different directions. A series of dull impacts slammed into his chest, sending him flying backward uncontrollably. With a boom, he shot diagonally through a small hillside.
Superman climbed out from the smoke, coughed, and recognized his assailant. "Hank Henshaw."
In this timeline, Superman had never directly fought Hank Henshaw after he became the Cyborg Superman, but he had reviewed the data Orin Vale had entered into the Justice League database.
"Long time no see, Superman."
Cyborg Superman hovered in mid-air, his red cape fluttering behind him, arms crossed.
"Do you remember how you ruined my life and killed my wife?"
"It wasn't like that," Superman said as he got up. "I was just trying to help. We don't have to fight..."
"Maybe," Hank retorted, "but you know what?"
He suddenly threw a punch. Incredibly, he wore a Yellow Lantern Ring on each of his ten fingers. The rings' constructs enveloped his fists, dramatically enhancing their power.
"...I don't care anymore!"
“…”
Brainiac's entry made an already grim situation even worse. Countless massive motherships hovered like mountains, while innumerable skull-like spherical spaceships set up formations, brandishing metal tentacles. A massive number of Brainiac's machines were deployed as if they cost nothing, instantly filling the battlefield.
Brainiac’s vast army, the Sinestro Corps, and the Manhunters—such numbers and combat power would be overkill for an invasion of any galaxy.
But even so, no one gave up the fight.
Never give up. This was something each of them had learned in past battles. Hope does not favor those who give up on saving themselves. The Light only ever shines upon those with the determination to seize their own future.
Especially in a world so driven by willpower, this was sometimes more important than powerful abilities or advanced technology.
Let there be Light.
In an abrupt instant, the sky seemed to ignite.
A radiant light blazed, shining all the way to the horizon. An afterimage cloaked in energy dove down from outside the atmosphere at incredible speed, strafing the area with light bullets, energy bolts, and beams of various colors.
The Yellow Lanterns touched by the radiance were instantly vaporized. The Manhunters that tried to absorb its energy were melted into molten iron. Brainiac's spaceships exploded in a continuous chain reaction along their formation, turning into burning fireballs that fell like meteors.
Dozens of meters away, the ground shattered under an invisible impact, with rifts spreading out like a spiderweb. Every fractured ravine seemed to be filled with a scorching brilliance.
Looks of pleasant surprise appeared on the faces of the Justice League members.
Kara punched a dazed Yellow Lantern and said with a chuckle, "Sorry to inform you, but the game is over."
Billy, transformed into Shazam, was seeing such a spectacle for the first time and was a bit dazed. "My God, what is this? Don't tell me God has arrived..."
"Seriously? You never watch the news?" Power Girl, fighting alongside him, said with a grin.
"Of course, 'he' is back."
Following the unstoppable intense light and storm, the dancing particles of light coalesced into the physical form of a giant. Orin Vale hovered in mid-air, and the spot where he stood naturally seemed to become the center of the battlefield.
"You're back!" Kara flew forward happily.
"Yeah, crossed half the universe in a few minutes," Orin Vale said. "Looks like I made it in time for the party."
At this moment, Brainiac's fleet of warships also began to move, seemingly converging on Orin Vale's position.
"Hold the formation, control the battle situation," Orin Vale said. "I'll take care of Brainiac first."
As he spoke, he looked toward several of the motherships in the sky.
This time, Old Bu hadn't just brought allies; his formation was different from the last two encounters. Orin Vale had a premonition that Old Bu's main body might have come as well, hidden on one of these ships.
Brainiac stated coolly, "Ultraman, I have been waiting for you. But this is an interstellar war. Even you cannot win it alone."
"That's not necessarily true," Orin Vale chuckled. "Besides... I've brought an army, too."
As his voice fell, beams of light shot down from the sky like a rain of light. Green and blue light intertwined, forming an unstoppable two-toned barrage, as a dense swarm of luminous spots dove down from above.
Hal Jordan led a vast army of Green Lanterns, roaring at the top of his lungs, "Green Lantern Corps, show them why we always say: 'Fear our divine light!'"
Beside him was Saint Walker, leading the Blue Lantern Corps from Odym. He also led the charge, shouting, "Blue Lanterns, remember your hope! Remember your faith! Tell them... all will be well!"
Thousands of Lanterns charged into the battle, making the already colorful hodgepodge even more bewildering. But for the Sinestro Corps, what followed the Green and Blue Lantern alliance was the true heavyweight.
When they saw the massive, ferocious bug shrouded in a yellow mist of light, also tucked in behind the Green Lantern Corps, they were all dumbfounded.
Wait a minute...
Is that thing Parallax???
(end of chapter)
