"I heard... you come, you conquer?"
Bardi sat with a diamond throne on his back, arms resting casually on the armrests. Even seated, he exuded an overwhelming and playful superiority.
The power emanating from his body was enough to destroy galaxies. Magnetic field distortions burst forth, warping the space around him. The radiance around Bardi twisted the light, showcasing terrifying power.
Ultraman trembled. His neck stiffened, and his body felt as though it had been assaulted by Bardi's words. Frozen in fear, he was unable to move. Under the rays of the sun, his complexion turned pale, and cold sweat beaded across his forehead.
His heart pounded furiously, the blood in his veins surging wildly, causing his body to seize up.
Sunlight was his Achilles' heel, weakening his body. Coupled with the immense pressure Bardi brought, the mental and physical strain drove him to madness.
He was on the verge of dropping to his knees, begging for mercy.
Though his willpower was feeble, Ultraman had long ruled Earth-3. His arrogance as a sovereign was deeply ingrained. He couldn't throw away his dignity so easily. Though terrified, he refused to show weakness.
"You heard wrong!"
Facing the sun, Ultraman struggled to force out a sentence. Sweat poured down his pale, weakened face.
The atmosphere turned eerily silent.
Time seemed to halt at that moment.
On the other side, Little Hera reclined on a lounge chair, her long white legs stretched out. She sipped a mix of fruit juices, preparing to watch a show. Suddenly, she sprang up, juice spraying into the air and forming a gray-black mist.
"What did you say?!"
Little Hera's eyes widened in disbelief.
Just moments ago, Ultraman and his group had strutted out with confidence, like towering demons." Did she just hear wrong?
She began to question her own ears.
She had expected a massive battle, even retreating thousands of meters to get a better view.
And now?
The girls beside her giggled, covering their mouths. Bardi really knew how to scare these off-world visitors.
"Oh..."
Bardi's deep, majestic voice echoed as if drawn from the depths of space. It struck Ultraman's heart with heavy force, making him feel even more oppressed.
On the diamond throne, bathed in radiant light, Bardi gently rubbed the balance ornament on his gauntlet. His gaze pierced through the blinding light like it came from the abyss, staring straight at Ultraman's increasingly ashen face.
The atmosphere thickened with the tension of imminent slaughter. Like boats in a violent storm, their lives could be snuffed out at any moment, leaving them breathless.
Owlman stepped forward, head lowered, and knelt on one knee on the scorching asphalt road.
"We mean no offense."
"We have endured countless hardships, traveling across galaxies, all to find traces of your existence, to pledge ourselves to you, and offer our humble service."
After he finished, he lowered his head. His face was calm, showing no hint of shame.
His eyes glanced toward the 100,000-kilometer-long crack beside Route 6. It stretched beyond the horizon. Based on Johnny Quick's intel, Bardi had already established an ideal utopia.
Without hesitation, he knelt down, eager to compare Bardi's utopia with Earth-3's power-dominated Gotham.
"Yes, yes... We've come to pledge ourselves to you."
The Green Lantern of Earth-3 lacked resolve and immediately followed Owlman's lead, lying completely prostrate on the ground.
Ultraman felt a wave of embarrassment. Owlman had knelt faster than him, leaving him stuck in place, burdened by his identity as a ruler. His pale face twitched as his knees shook. He wanted to kneel… but doing so would make him look utterly useless. After all, he had ruled Earth-3.
By rank, he was technically on the same level as Barmulodi. They should be exchanging experiences in ruling planets.
As Ultraman hesitated, torn between pride and survival…
The Superwoman behind him didn't hesitate at all. With seductive grace, she knelt beside Owlman, her sultry figure fully on display, her skirt fluttering to reveal toned, enticing thighs.
"That's right. Your magnificent form is the one I will serve and pursue for the rest of my life."
Her voice was sweet and seductive, like dripping honey.
That bitch!!
Ultraman's heart twisted in rage. This wasn't what she'd said before! He was supposed to be the strongest, the most powerful, the most thrilling!
Just as Ultraman was about to kneel…
"Coward!"
Aquaman burst forward with his trident, eyes blazing with defiance.
"I am the Overlord of the Seven Seas, King of the Oceans!"
"How dare you fight me?!"
He roared with fury, unyielding, his trident aimed in Bardi's direction.
He was one of the few with a spine among the group. Even now, he maintained the domineering presence of the Seven Seas' ruler.
Deathstorm emerged behind him, eyes narrowing coldly as he glanced at those already kneeling.
Emotionless and utterly arrogant, Deathstorm showed no fear. He didn't believe these Kryptonian warriors could stop him.
Ultraman stood awkwardly between them, paralyzed. After those two made a stand, he couldn't kneel anymore. But standing made him look like he was resisting, which would get him killed. His face contorted in conflict.
To kneel or not to kneel?
"Insolent! How dare you be disrespectful to His Majesty!"
A Kryptonian legion commander roared. Seeing that His Majesty remained seated, he knew what needed to be done.
His Majesty's dignity must be upheld.
Two soldiers stepped forward, charging toward Aquaman and Deathstorm to take them down.
"Well done! The Overlord of the Seven Seas will not be insulted!"
Aquaman raised his trident to fight. The battle exploded into the sky. His magic did counter Kryptonian physiology to a degree, but the soldiers' genetic enhancements allowed them to overpower him.
The commander noticed it was taking too long, which insulted Bardi's honor. He sent another soldier, who slammed Aquaman like a ping-pong ball, sending him bloodied onto the highway.
Deathstorm summoned a beam of green Kryptonite energy, his hands glowing with a sinister green light.
"I know! Kryptonians in your world are afraid of green Kryptonite radiation! Hahahaha..."
He laughed maniacally as the green beams surged from his hands.
Then a soldier struck him down, smashing him hard onto the pavement.
Kryptonian soldiers now wore wartime armor designed to resist Kryptonite radiation. They were no longer vulnerable.
Deathstorm was shocked. His eyes widened.
How could this not work?!
The commander dispatched four more soldiers. They tore Deathstorm's body apart, flinging the pieces into space, exploding in flame.
Ultraman was chilled to the bone.
Only seven soldiers had been needed to take down Aquaman and Deathstorm.
Too fast.
There were still 99,991 Kryptonian soldiers left. How could they fight that?
He had to kneel.
Just as he was about to…
"Still won't kneel? Kill him!"
Bardi was surprised Ultraman still refused to kneel. He was trembling, but holding out. Admirable.
But unnecessary.
With a single sentence, Bardi gave the order. The man was useless. The corpse would do fine for research.
"No!!"
"I surrender!!"
"Don't kill me!!!"
"I surrender! I surrender! I surrender!"
(To be continued.)