After the clamor, came silence.
A deathly silence.
The usually bustling crime-ridden city of Gotham had never known such an atmosphere. The cries of children, car alarms, and endless television broadcasts—all were utterly hushed.
Within the brown light pillar, the colossal figure enthroned simply sat there, yet it exuded an immense, unparalleled sense of oppression over the world.
"Darkseid!"
Steppenwolf, tightly bound, was filled with reverence and fanaticism!
"Darkseid..."
"He... he is Darkseid..."
Barry Allen's body trembled uncontrollably, seeing such a terrifying sight for the first time. Fear, a primal dread growing from deep within, continuously gnawed at every cell in his body.
"No! Diana!"
The vigilant Bruce Wayne was still contemplating how to react when Diana, a step ahead, launched a probing attack at the Darkseid phantom. However, the phantom, named Darkseid, merely extended a finger, and an invisible energy field exploded before Diana.
Bang!
The demigoddess from Themyscira instantly turned into a bloody mist, falling to the ground. She struggled to keep her eyes open but ultimately closed them powerlessly.
"Diana!"
Bruce Wayne quickly landed beside Diana, immediately checking her vital signs. Fortunately, she was still breathing.
"Humanity, is destined for ruin."
A deep, resonant hum echoed in every corner of the Earth.
The Darkseid phantom sat on its throne, flicking a finger. A magnificent gate appeared out of thin air above the ruins of Gotham City. A bronze gate inscribed with countless mysterious symbols!
The Mother Box, previously heavily secured within the Batcave, instantly broke free from its restraints and flew to a groove on the bronze gate, drawn by an inexplicable force field.
Click...
The Mother Box that Steppenwolf had seized from the Atlantean sacred ground also flew out of the brown light pillar, embedding itself with the other Mother Box.
After all this was done, the brown light pillar slowly vanished. In the clear, cloudless sky, only the silently standing bronze gate remained, telling people that what had just happened was no illusion.
"No one can stop Darkseid's arrival."
"No one."
Steppenwolf, now free after being cleansed by the light pillar's energy, stretched his arms. He looked up at the bronze gate above Gotham, a cruel grin spreading across his face. He then turned and vanished into a boom tube.
Leaving behind the ruins of Gotham and the panic of the entire world. Oh, and also a squad of Parademons that fed on fear.
"Urgent news from Gotham media."
"Around 10:30 this morning, a mysterious entity appeared over Gotham City, proclaiming that humanity is destined for extinction."
"We cannot ascertain the truth of this statement, but from the scene, it appears our superheroes were no match for this mysterious entity."
"Gotham's protector, Batman, was helpless, and the recently active Wonder Woman was severely wounded by the mysterious entity..."
In a bar in Kansas.
Arthur Curry, having just recovered from his injuries in the hospital, sat at the bar, frowning as he watched the news report on the television. When the screen cut to images of Parademons with outstretched wings devouring humans, the entire bar erupted in an uproar.
"How could this be?!"
"Those monsters are completely immune to firearms!"
"Even the police are useless."
"Is it really the end of the world?"
The people in the bar discussed animatedly, their fear and unease expressed in hushed whispers.
'How could this be...'
Arthur Curry frowned, paid for his drink, and left the bar...
...
In Metropolis, at the Daily Planet.
Superman Clark's girlfriend, Lois Lane, stared blankly at the bronze gate on the screen from her workstation. An unsettling feeling from deep within made her close her eyes.
C'lark...'
Over the next three days, humanity's panic intensified as the number of Parademons increased.
What began as a mere hundred Parademons had now swelled to the size of several divisions, rampaging across the globe.
They fed on fear and possessed a terrifying reproductive ability, transforming the humans they devoured into more of their kind.
If not for Bruce Wayne launching the Demon Hunter Gun through Wayne Enterprises and distributing it for free, the order of the entire world might have already collapsed.
But even so, the government's credibility was eroding day by day.
When ordinary people, who initially paid little attention, realized they truly faced the constant threat of being attacked and killed by Parademons, the entire society became steeped in a suffocating fear.
Some began to indulge in excess, and the crime rate surged.
The end of the world proclaimed by Darkseid hadn't even arrived, yet humanity seemed on the verge of being pushed to the brink by this atmosphere of panic.
...
Gotham, Wayne Manor.
"Alfred, what's the situation outside?"
Diana, lying in a sickbed, her face pale, looked at the butler who entered to change her IV drip.
"The situation is not very optimistic."
"Although Master Bruce launched the Demon Hunter Gun for those winged monsters, and distributed them for free..."
"The fact is, the fear Darkseid brought has already caused a small portion of people to break down first."
"Most people are currently on the verge of collapse."
Alfred swiftly changed the special medication, speaking unhurriedly.
"What about Lothar? Mera? Have you been unable to contact them?"
"Regrettably, no."
Lothar and Mera, being in the undersea world, could not be reached unless they carried special communication devices.
"However, in the past few days, Master Bruce has almost finished finding everyone on his list."
"Oh, and the location of the last Mother Box."
Alfred briefly summarized Bruce Wayne's achievements over the past few days.
"He's found a way to deal with... deal with Darkseid?" Even now, Diana felt a pang of fear recalling the terrifying power she had faced.
"In fact, Master Bruce intends to..."
"Resurrect Superman."
...
Undersea world, Xebelian Kingdom.
The Queen's coronation ceremony, prepared for several days, officially began today. All steps proceeded in an orderly manner.
Mera, clad in golden armor and wearing a crown, ascended to the pinnacle of power in the undersea world, step by step.
"From today onward, I am the King of the Ocean!"
Before the solemn Mera, the leaders of the undersea kingdoms knelt, including her father, Nereus, the King of the Xebelian Kingdom, with whom she had previously fractured ties.
Clang!
The Golden Trident, as if responding to Mera's words, emitted a clear ring.
The first unified Queen of the Seven Seas in history was officially enthroned today!
Lothar, lying on the roof of the Xebelian royal palace, eating, watched Mera's majestic appearance from afar.
For some reason, he found himself thinking of Hela. If Hela hadn't turned against Odin, would her presence when ascending the throne have been the same as Mera's now?
"Your Highness Lothar, it seems something has happened on the surface."
Woz, who finally wasn't writing "A Comprehensive History of Romance" today, had nothing better to do than browse the internet, and its eyes widened in disbelief.
"Hm?"
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