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Chapter 397: Superman Has Fled
Is this Superman?
Is this the invincible figure, the symbol of destruction, that lived in all their hearts?
The scene before them was unbelievable. No, it was impossible to believe. Since the dark Superman's appearance, he had yet to taste defeat. To be more precise, no one had even managed to faze him.
The World Army had tried. They had tried everything—all their most advanced weapons, all their methods. Their strongest metahumans had all failed, returning in defeat without exception.
So far in this war, Superman had already withstood a nuclear explosion without a scratch and torn apart several warships with his bare hands. Atom Smasher and Green Lantern had once teamed up to fight him, but he broke one of Atom Smasher's arms and beat the Green Lantern covering their retreat so badly he suffered shattered bones all over his body—if not for The Green keeping him from the brink, he would have long since gone to see King Yama.
Doctor Fate, hailed as the strongest sorcerer, had once tried to find a breakthrough from the side of magic, something Superman was not adept at. However, he was beaten unconscious on the spot, and his indestructible divine helm was cracked by a single punch from Superman.
The Flash, Jay Garrick, attracted Superman's attention with a race to cover Doctor Fate's retreat. But even The Flash, known as "the fastest man in the world," ultimately couldn't escape his demonic clutches. Although The Flash was faster than Superman, he couldn't dodge the Omega Beams Superman fired. He only kept his life because Superman intentionally held back, wanting to capture him alive to study his speed.
Afterward, The Flash was captured and taken to a stronghold on Apokolips for research. He was only rescued by Green Lantern after an entire month of torment.
Based on his combat record to date, this resurrected Superman could be summed up simply: he was invincible.
An absolutely invincible record; every one of his stats seemed to be infinite. No one could measure his limits, and nothing could harm him. All attempts to challenge him ended in failure, without exception.
Until today.
So it wasn't hard to imagine what everyone was thinking when they saw this invincible existence getting thrashed like a father beating his son.
But Superman was, after all, Superman. After taking a flurry of punches, he seized an opportunity to tank a heavy blow, using the force of the impact to burst away at full speed. With a *bang*, he shot into the sky and fled at top speed.
His speed was still astonishing. The moment he took off, he vanished from everyone's sight as if teleporting, disappearing from the battlefield completely.
Orin Vale wasn't in a hurry. He just clapped his hands and casually glanced around.
Even the Parademons swarming around him didn't dare to move. They felt an inexplicable chill run down their spines as the strange figure's gaze swept over them.
Then, Orin Vale slowly raised his arm.
An azure radiance blossomed at his fingertips, coalescing into a physical manifestation of light.
A sword of light.
Orin Vale raised his hand, turned, and swept his arm gently.
At that moment, light energy poured out, and the sword of light suddenly grew, as if breaking through the sky in an instant!
9999-meter Saber!
Action choreography, Max.
One sweep of the sword, and it was as if the sky had been split in two. The Parademons instantly evaporated upon contact with the scorching radiance, their very ashes annihilated. The brilliant beam of light pierced through the clouds and shot into outer space, as if skewering the very stars!
Everyone's mouths fell open in an "O" shape.
What kind of insane power was this!?
A single strike that pierced the stars, killing countless Parademons in an instant. The heavens and earth seemed to dim before this single sword strike.
Moreover, his movements seemed effortless and casual, not like a finishing move. His calm demeanor truly made it seem as if it were a casual wave, as if he'd done nothing more than lift a finger.
Amidst the shocked and doubtful gazes, Orin Vale's figure slowly rose into the air. "I'm just passing by. You all can continue."
With a *bang*, he vanished from the spot, leaving only a long trail of electricity extending in the direction Black Superman had fled.
The World Army and the forces of Apokolips were left staring at each other. For a moment, the atmosphere of the battlefield seemed to vanish, replaced by an awkward silence.
An afterimage crossed the Atlantic Ocean, kicking up waves beneath its red boots.
"This is The Flash. I've just finished assisting at the third shelter," The Flash said as he ran.
"This is the Command Center, copy that. What's your distance from the Chicago battlefield?"
The Flash smiled confidently. "Are you kidding me? I'm the fastest man alive. I'm never far from anywhere..."
Before he could even finish his sentence, he suddenly heard a surge of water behind him. The Flash turned back, stunned, to see a red and silver figure, wreathed in crackling electricity, chasing him from behind. As the figure passed him, he seemed to nod in his direction before continuing to fly forward like a bolt of lightning, disappearing from his view in a moment.
The Flash: "???"
The scene suddenly reminded him of his gaming days, back when the world was at peace.
You're in a car, desperately trying to outrun the closing zone, when suddenly a guy on foot catches up from behind, running alongside your window and eagerly asking, "Hey buddy, wanna buy a hack?"
Jay's mouth gradually fell open, until the repeated calls from the Command Center in his ear pulled him back to reality.
"The Flash? The Flash, are you still there? What happened?"
"I'm here, it's nothing." Jay hesitated for a moment. "It's just... I suddenly realized, I don't think I'm the fastest man alive anymore..."
Washington.
"This is a reporter from the World Times, reporting from the Washington war zone!"
A dedicated war correspondent shouted into the camera. In the background, flames shot into the sky as the Washington garrison of the World Army fiercely battled the Apokolips forces behind them.
"We can see that the front line is being pushed further and further back. Fortunately, the surrounding civilians have been evacuated, but it's really hard to tell which side has the upper hand—Aargh!"
The camera suddenly began to shake violently. A blur falling from the sky shot through the Washington Monument, snapping it in half. The broken monument crashed to the ground in several pieces, sending debris flying everywhere.
A black hand reached out from the massive crater created by the impact, gripping the edge of it.
"It's Superman!" the cameraman screamed in terror.
"Superman has come to this war zone! We have to get out of here, let's run—"
"No, wait!"
The dedicated reporter pulled him back.
"I have a hunch, this is big news! Don't stop, keep filming!"
The camera readjusted, faithfully capturing the scene that was about to rewrite history. They saw Superman struggle to his feet, saw him covered in blood, and saw fear... actual fear... appear on the face of that demon god of death and destruction.
Then they saw it—a brilliant radiance chasing him from outer space.
Like a long-awaited sun for this planet, a luminous figure descended from above, illuminating the entire sky.
(end of chapter)
Is this Superman?
Is this the invincible figure, the symbol of destruction, that lived in all their hearts?
The scene before them was unbelievable. No, it was impossible to believe. Since the dark Superman's appearance, he had yet to taste defeat. To be more precise, no one had even managed to faze him.
The World Army had tried. They had tried everything—all their most advanced weapons, all their methods. Their strongest metahumans had all failed, returning in defeat without exception.
So far in this war, Superman had already withstood a nuclear explosion without a scratch and torn apart several warships with his bare hands. Atom Smasher and Green Lantern had once teamed up to fight him, but he broke one of Atom Smasher's arms and beat the Green Lantern covering their retreat so badly he suffered shattered bones all over his body—if not for The Green keeping him from the brink, he would have long since gone to see King Yama.
Doctor Fate, hailed as the strongest sorcerer, had once tried to find a breakthrough from the side of magic, something Superman was not adept at. However, he was beaten unconscious on the spot, and his indestructible divine helm was cracked by a single punch from Superman.
The Flash, Jay Garrick, attracted Superman's attention with a race to cover Doctor Fate's retreat. But even The Flash, known as "the fastest man in the world," ultimately couldn't escape his demonic clutches. Although The Flash was faster than Superman, he couldn't dodge the Omega Beams Superman fired. He only kept his life because Superman intentionally held back, wanting to capture him alive to study his speed.
Afterward, The Flash was captured and taken to a stronghold on Apokolips for research. He was only rescued by Green Lantern after an entire month of torment.
Based on his combat record to date, this resurrected Superman could be summed up simply: he was invincible.
An absolutely invincible record; every one of his stats seemed to be infinite. No one could measure his limits, and nothing could harm him. All attempts to challenge him ended in failure, without exception.
Until today.
So it wasn't hard to imagine what everyone was thinking when they saw this invincible existence getting thrashed like a father beating his son.
But Superman was, after all, Superman. After taking a flurry of punches, he seized an opportunity to tank a heavy blow, using the force of the impact to burst away at full speed. With a *bang*, he shot into the sky and fled at top speed.
His speed was still astonishing. The moment he took off, he vanished from everyone's sight as if teleporting, disappearing from the battlefield completely.
Orin Vale wasn't in a hurry. He just clapped his hands and casually glanced around.
Even the Parademons swarming around him didn't dare to move. They felt an inexplicable chill run down their spines as the strange figure's gaze swept over them.
Then, Orin Vale slowly raised his arm.
An azure radiance blossomed at his fingertips, coalescing into a physical manifestation of light.
A sword of light.
Orin Vale raised his hand, turned, and swept his arm gently.
At that moment, light energy poured out, and the sword of light suddenly grew, as if breaking through the sky in an instant!
9999-meter Saber!
Action choreography, Max.
One sweep of the sword, and it was as if the sky had been split in two. The Parademons instantly evaporated upon contact with the scorching radiance, their very ashes annihilated. The brilliant beam of light pierced through the clouds and shot into outer space, as if skewering the very stars!
Everyone's mouths fell open in an "O" shape.
What kind of insane power was this!?
A single strike that pierced the stars, killing countless Parademons in an instant. The heavens and earth seemed to dim before this single sword strike.
Moreover, his movements seemed effortless and casual, not like a finishing move. His calm demeanor truly made it seem as if it were a casual wave, as if he'd done nothing more than lift a finger.
Amidst the shocked and doubtful gazes, Orin Vale's figure slowly rose into the air. "I'm just passing by. You all can continue."
With a *bang*, he vanished from the spot, leaving only a long trail of electricity extending in the direction Black Superman had fled.
The World Army and the forces of Apokolips were left staring at each other. For a moment, the atmosphere of the battlefield seemed to vanish, replaced by an awkward silence.
An afterimage crossed the Atlantic Ocean, kicking up waves beneath its red boots.
"This is The Flash. I've just finished assisting at the third shelter," The Flash said as he ran.
"This is the Command Center, copy that. What's your distance from the Chicago battlefield?"
The Flash smiled confidently. "Are you kidding me? I'm the fastest man alive. I'm never far from anywhere..."
Before he could even finish his sentence, he suddenly heard a surge of water behind him. The Flash turned back, stunned, to see a red and silver figure, wreathed in crackling electricity, chasing him from behind. As the figure passed him, he seemed to nod in his direction before continuing to fly forward like a bolt of lightning, disappearing from his view in a moment.
The Flash: "???"
The scene suddenly reminded him of his gaming days, back when the world was at peace.
You're in a car, desperately trying to outrun the closing zone, when suddenly a guy on foot catches up from behind, running alongside your window and eagerly asking, "Hey buddy, wanna buy a hack?"
Jay's mouth gradually fell open, until the repeated calls from the Command Center in his ear pulled him back to reality.
"The Flash? The Flash, are you still there? What happened?"
"I'm here, it's nothing." Jay hesitated for a moment. "It's just... I suddenly realized, I don't think I'm the fastest man alive anymore..."
Washington.
"This is a reporter from the World Times, reporting from the Washington war zone!"
A dedicated war correspondent shouted into the camera. In the background, flames shot into the sky as the Washington garrison of the World Army fiercely battled the Apokolips forces behind them.
"We can see that the front line is being pushed further and further back. Fortunately, the surrounding civilians have been evacuated, but it's really hard to tell which side has the upper hand—Aargh!"
The camera suddenly began to shake violently. A blur falling from the sky shot through the Washington Monument, snapping it in half. The broken monument crashed to the ground in several pieces, sending debris flying everywhere.
A black hand reached out from the massive crater created by the impact, gripping the edge of it.
"It's Superman!" the cameraman screamed in terror.
"Superman has come to this war zone! We have to get out of here, let's run—"
"No, wait!"
The dedicated reporter pulled him back.
"I have a hunch, this is big news! Don't stop, keep filming!"
The camera readjusted, faithfully capturing the scene that was about to rewrite history. They saw Superman struggle to his feet, saw him covered in blood, and saw fear... actual fear... appear on the face of that demon god of death and destruction.
Then they saw it—a brilliant radiance chasing him from outer space.
Like a long-awaited sun for this planet, a luminous figure descended from above, illuminating the entire sky.
(end of chapter)
