The darkness was everything. An endless void, cold and inscrutable, where time itself seemed to have vanished. There was no up or down, only a blackness so dense that it devoured even the faintest whisper of existence. And in the midst of that infinite nothingness, "He floated."
His silhouette was only perceptible by contrast, a stain even darker than the darkness surrounding him, an aberration against the very nature of the void. His body, if it could even be called that, was a distortion of impossible shapes: limbs twisting at unnatural angles, a figure that defied logic, as if reality itself refused to comprehend him. The pressure in that place was overwhelming, a cosmic weight designed to contain him, to prevent his mere presence from poisoning everything he touched.
He had once been more.
There was a time when light and darkness danced in balance within him, a being of perfect duality, a guardian of forgotten harmonies. But corruption consumed him, slow and relentless. Something broke inside him, and that sacred balance crumbled, leaving only an insatiable hunger. Not a desire, not a purpose, just a primitive "need" to devour, to destroy, to reduce all existence to echoes of agony.
He became a plague, a "threat" that ravaged entire worlds. Whole civilizations fell before his path, not through conquest, not through vengeance, but simply because they "ceased to be." The bravest, the most powerful, rose against him. Legendary warriors, immortal sages, even beings who called themselves lesser gods… all fell. Their weapons shattered, their spells faded, their bodies disintegrated. Because He "could not die."
He was immortal not by greatness, but by "perversion." The very corruption that had deformed him kept him intact, regenerating, adapting, growing stronger with each battle. Until, at last, the true gods, those who shape realities with a thought, "had to act."
The battle resonated across dimensions, a cataclysm that shook the foundations of creation. Mountains of cosmic corpses floated in the void, and still, "they could not kill him." Only contain him. Only imprison him in this prison of absolute darkness, where not even time could erode his chains.
But the gods underestimated one thing: "his hatred."
Years, centuries, millennia… it didn't matter. He "remembered." Every moment of confinement fed his resentment, his rage, a black fire growing in the depths of his being. And then, in the midst of his eternal torment, "something changed."
A light.
Intense, blinding, exchanging the immeasurable darkness of his prison.
He smiled.
Because if there was one thing more dangerous than a monster…
… it was a monster "with patience."
---
"¡iBruon!"
The thunderous sound of explosions and whistling slashes echoed throughout the place, blending with the deafening roar of the creatures, creating a terrifying and oppressive atmosphere.
The battle against the monsters had turned frantic. Dante and Superman charged against the army of these relentless creatures, fighting with all their might.
Clark, suspended in the air, used his freezing breath to contain the beasts, buying time for the others to find a way to escape the anti-gravity dome that kept them prisoners alongside those horrors.
—This doesn't seem to end! —exclaimed Dante, who had arrived at his side in his human form, his voice laden with frustration—. Tell me, Superman! Don't you think something is off?
Clark shot him an intense look, trying to concentrate amid the chaos.
—What thing? —he asked, his tone tense.
—These creatures… —he smiled arrogantly—. They're not just hard to kill, even for me! Their skin is so thick it seems impenetrable, and their aura protects them from any magical or weapon attack. They multiply faster than rabbits, and to top it off, they get stronger. Have you ever faced something like this?
—Yes… —Clark replied, frowning. A memory of an extremely dangerous monster that even he couldn't defeat without suffering serious repercussions came to mind—. Don't stop; they won't!
Superman continued his assault, calming the creatures that regrouped below.
—Yeeah… whatever you say —Dante replied, nodding as he directed his demonic attacks toward the larger monsters, especially the one that had knocked him down.
A flaming crimson aura enveloped him, as if burning embers covered him and his sword. Multiple demon energy spears manifested around him, ready to be launched.
—Ha! —he exclaimed excitedly, launching his attack against the monsters.
Meanwhile, Goku soared with Rías in his arms, waiting for the perfect moment to execute his escape plan. But a strange sensation suddenly invaded him.
—What the…? —he exclaimed, disbelief reflected on his face as he felt a great energy accumulating among the monsters.
There, in the midst of the fray, one of the giant creatures, the one that had evolved after its first clash with Dante, stood with a metallic screech.
"Gruaaaaaaggg"
The creature roared, and its twisted body began to glow with a purple aura, absorbing the residual energy from the plasma cannons fired by the ship and the demonic attacks received by Dante.
Everyone turned their gaze toward the glowing creature, watching in heightened alertness the new ability it displayed.
—Is it absorbing residual energies?! —Reed inquired, incredulity on his face.
Suddenly, the beast's mouth opened at an unnatural angle, creating a grotesque sound, and a distorted ray of black plasma, imbued with demonic magic, burst toward the group.
—Move!!! —shouted Reed, jumping to the side. The ray crossed where they had been seconds before, creating a massive explosion at the top of the dome.
—Damn— Clark muttered, eyes wide with urgency, seeing that the ray was headed for the ship.
He moved quickly and crossed his arms to block the shot, stopping the attack. But the corrupted plasma pushed him back, even burning his invulnerable skin.
—Ghahg! —he let out a choked cry from the pain he felt.
The creature continued attacking throughout the place without stopping, creating a chaotic parade of dark energies.
—Damn it! —Dante roared, dodging a shot that ricocheted off his sword. The vibration numbed his arms—. If they keep this up, they'll fry us with our own powers!
Elizabeth, still in the air being sheltered by a barrier, watched in horror as the monster charged another attack, this time mimicking the pattern of her sacred energy. A perverse golden halo began to form between its claws.
—It can't be…! —she whispered, terror freezing her blood.
In that scene, Elizabeth felt something she couldn't comprehend, an aberration that provoked a terrible sensation, as if she abhorred its very existence. It was an unfamiliar feeling she had never experienced in her life.
—Damn! —Goku gritted his teeth as he dodged and repelled the monster's attacks with precise movements.
It was costing him too much to have Rías in his arms. Goku felt a similar sensation to Elizabeth's; those unpleasant creatures emitted a dark and ominous energy that grew with each moment. It felt unnatural.
Everyone was dodging the incessant attacks. They opened their eyes in surprise when the hundreds of creatures flooding the rocky ground began to glow in a purple hue just like the most powerful monster.
—This has to be a joke! —Dante muttered incredulously.
Goku observed the scene seriously. He could feel how their energy was increasing. Feeling that time was running out, he turned to Dr. Richards.
—Reed! —he called, adjusting his grip on Rías—. Give the order now, or they'll blow us to pieces!
Goku's words resonated like a premonition of something inevitable. If it wasn't the monsters, it would be the gravity. They had to get out of that place, or they wouldn't leave alive.
Reed needed no more. With a decisive gesture, he signaled the ship's computer, which took position in the air like a meteor, its engines screeching from the effort as the ramp opened with a metallic sound.
—Everyone, get ready! —he shouted, his voice resonating with urgency as he reached for the platform.
Goku was the first to react. With a strong push, he flew toward the ship, protecting Rías' unconscious body against his chest. Elizabeth descended inside the green sphere that protected her, which had been placed by Goku moments before, with the intention of keeping her safe.
Behind them, Superman and Dante, in their demonic forms, covered the retreat, blocking a new wave of energy rays that exploded like purple meteors.
—Damn it! —Dante swung his sword, deflecting a projectile that would have split the ship in two. The impact made him stumble back, falling onto the rocky ground, his legs scratching the earth. —These bastards don't tire!
He exclaimed defiantly, rising into the air again to cover the new energy blasts.
Clark did the best he could to deflect the attacks that could injure him. Things didn't seem to end, and they needed time.
Superman wasn't at a hundred percent; Elizabeth had healed his wounds, but the sun's energy within him was low due to the gravity preventing sunlight from penetrating.
His eyes, usually filled with calm, shone with fierce determination.
—Dante, go with them! You are key to the escape plan. I'll buy time! —he spoke resolutely.
—What!? —Dante looked at him as if he were crazy.— I can't handle so many... WAIT!
Dante shouted, trying to make him desist. But Superman was already in motion. Dante had no choice but to resign himself to his reckless action.
A sonic boom marked his departure. He launched like a blue and red lightning bolt against the horde, his fists generating shockwaves that pushed the beasts back.
He moved at an overwhelming speed, striking and deflecting the creatures' attacks, creating a parade of dark flashes in his wake. For a moment, it seemed like the tide would change.
Until "the largest" of the monsters, the one that had absorbed the plasma and magic, stood before him, stopping him dead in his tracks.
Superman stood before the monster, prepared for anything it might throw at him. The creature's mouth opened at an impossible angle, and from its throat erupted a "black vortex," a whirlwind of dense and ominous energy that distorted the air, as if it wanted to devour reality itself.
Superman crossed his arms, but this time, the attack dragged him to the ground. His feet sank into the rock as he tried to resist, but the force was overwhelming, like an abyss pulling him toward his doom.
—Kal! —Goku shouted from the ship's ramp, about to launch himself into battle. But something stopped him.
The remaining creatures, taking advantage of the chaos, began to twist and merge into a grotesque mass of pulsing flesh and iridescent scales. Tendons stretched, bones cracked, and from that cauldron of horrors emerged something new: a colossus three times larger, with eyes burning like extinguished coals.
Elizabeth, inside the ship, felt the presence of the monster. Her heterochromatic eyes dilated, trapped in the sight of that aberration.
—No… —she whispered, feeling her heart race in her chest—. What is this?
Repugnance flooded her, a terrible sensation that screamed danger and horror. Something in its divine nature evoked an inexplicable terror, as if the very essence of the colossus were designed to unleash panic in her. But she was not the only one.
The air thickened with the suffocating presence of the colossus. Even Superman held his breath before the emanation of pure corruption that now raised a deformed claw, covered in that dark and ominous energy.
"I cannot… let myself be defeated!" he screamed in his thoughts, trying to fight against that suffocating pressure.
The colossus extended its gigantic claw toward him, ready to crush him, as he lay motionless in the air, trapped before the horror looming over him.
—KA… ME… HA… ME…
But then the air vibrated, and a blue glow illuminated the battlefield.
Goku appeared beside Superman, his hands forming a sphere of divine energy, so bright that it pushed back the dark shadows across the terrain.
Despite the prison that oppressed his entire being, he launched to rescue Clark. In a swift motion, he extended his hands toward the monster.
—HA!!!! —he shouted fervently.
The azure ray shot directly at the fused monster, intending to push it back. But his calculations failed.
An explosion of light and fire mixed with intense darkness shook everything. The creature had attacked with its corrupt energy at the last moment, causing terrible damage.
The impact was catastrophic, covering everything inside the dome. Those nearby were violently thrown back by the colossal wave.
For a moment, everything was silent within what was now a field of dust, waiting for the survivors to show signs of life.
Until a gust of wind cleared the dust, revealing a pile of debris that was moving.
There, the abomination, its body charred and torn apart by the Kamehameha and its own devastating energy, began to regenerate at a steady pace.
Above, inside the still intact ship, Reed was still recovering from the jolt the ship received, watching from the monitors as the monster recovered at an accelerated rate.
—It can't be… —Reed murmured with concern, the data on his visor flashing red. —Its regeneration rate is too high!
Dante spat blood while standing before the ship. He had protected it at the last moment, taking the full impact.
—Of course not. More than high, I'd call it unreal! —he exclaimed, forcing a smile.
He also possessed a healing factor. But that monster seemed to put him to shame.
Elizabeth fell to her knees inside the ship, her hands pressed against her ears, a whisper invading her soul.
—It's here! —she screamed, her voice broken by an unnatural terror.
Something about that creature made her pale. She could feel a thirst for blood and a desire to consume everything. To consume her.
Superman got up, his gaze fixed on the aberration that seemed invincible, Goku arrived beside him. His breath was ragged. He had channeled much of his energy to finish it.
—Kal. Tell me something… You're not at a hundred percent either, are you? —he asked, looking directly at the creature.
—So you noticed. I'm not surprised.
Clark replied with a confident smile, even though the reality was clear.
"Groaaahhhg"
The monster roared, with a portent of something inevitable.
Its body began to divide again, making it clear to everyone that it would only evolve endlessly until it killed them.
Goku and Superman had serious faces watching it.
Superman was a hero who did not give up in the face of adversity. He had faced many dangers and powerful beings that had left him on the brink of death, and even so, he was willing to protect others by giving his all. But this was different.
On the other hand, Goku was a warrior by nature. He enjoyed facing challenges that surpassed him. But even he knew this was not normal. His desire to face the monsters was almost nonexistent; no matter how hard he tried to think of a way to win, he found none that wouldn't endanger everyone.
—Hey Reed! —he raised his voice, addressing Dr. Richards—. Whenever you want, okay?!
Reed heard him, working as fast as possible to make preparations. The plan was for Goku and Dante to create a breach through the unmeasurable gravity to escape the planet. The moment they did, the ship would make a jump into outer space.
—Yes, everything is ready! —Reed responded urgently.
Goku grabbed Superman's shoulder, and in an instant, they appeared inside the ship's cabin, using his teleportation to move. There was no time to lose.
Goku nodded to Dr. Richards and teleported outside the ship, appearing right where Dante was on the ground.
Goku and Dante looked at each other, a silent understanding passing between them. There was no need to speak. They both knew they only had "one shot."
—Ready… Dante? —Goku asked in a challenging tone, as his hands glowed with bluish energy.
—I was born ready, darling —Dante replied, swinging his sword in a crimson arc.
Time stood still for them; Goku shone in a silver and white aura as his hair turned silver, entering the state of mastered Ultra Instinct. Dante enveloped himself in a crimson demonic aura, channeling it all to activate his "Royal Guard." In sync, they unleashed their powers.
Goku raised his hands, and a blue and green energy swirled, shooting upward into the sky. He had channeled a vast amount of energy into his barrier technique that "distorted" space, pushing against gravity like a cosmic drill.
Dante followed, plunging his sword into the ground, unleashing a demonic whirlwind that intertwined with Goku's technique, creating a tunnel of opposing forces.
Goku's ki distorted space while Dante's Royal Guard inverted gravity, repelling it. The two men created a whirlwind of different colors that sped beyond the anti-gravity dome. The gravity was intense, but still, the whirlwind advanced without stopping, creating an intense gust of wind.
The creatures "howled" in unison, as if a collective mind guided them. The corrupt colossus raised its claws, and the rest imitated it. From their mouths and claws, a "vortex of purple energy" began to form, mixing: plasma stolen from the ship, distorted demonic magic, and remnants of Goku's Kamehameha into a strident and deadly attack.
It was an annihilation attack threatening to erase everything inside the dome.
—DAMN IT! —Dante roared, feeling the power even from a distance.
—Damn…! —Goku cursed, feeling that overwhelming energy.
The energy they were accumulating was so great that if it weren't for the planet's unmeasurable gravity, it was certain that this energy would be enough to erase an entire galaxy.
Elizabeth screamed something, but her words were lost in the roar.
Reed did not hesitate. His fingers flew over the ship's controls as the whirlwind reached the oxidizing space.
—NOW! —he ordered with a loud shout.
At Dr. Richards' command, Goku grabbed Dante's arm, and they appeared alongside the others.
The ship trembled, its engines overloading. With a roar that split the air, it launched toward the breach just as the monsters' attack was fired.
The flashing energy grazed them, burning the hull and leaving black scars on the metal. For a second, everything was light and chaos…
...until they emerged from the planet, into the void of space.
At the moment the ship departed, the dome disappeared, and the brutal weight of the collapse fell upon the monsters, crushing them in an instant, smothering the detonation of energy before it could explode.
The very environment twisted, an unnatural distortion that tore at reality seized everything, creating a distorted and desolate landscape.
And, amid that chaos, something took shape, or rather appeared walking.
It was not one of those defeated spawn. It was not even comparable.
It was worse.
A dark figure, pure solidified darkness, rose among the corpses of the giant monsters. Its silhouette blurred the air, as if existence itself refused to contain it. And its eyes, if they could be called that, lifted toward the sky, following the trail of the escaping ship.
A smile ripped across its face, too wide, too sharp.
—Gods…
Its voice was not a sound, but a wound in the stillness, a strident whisper that resonated in the bones. Those creatures, those beasts that had attacked… were merely extensions of its will. Disposable fragments of its being, sent to hunt.
To specifically hunt those who smelled of divinity.
Now, it found itself here. And in its gaze, there was no anger, no haste, not even hatred. Just hunger. An infinite void that desired to devour everything in its path.
Its eyes said something; they said they would meet again. No matter how long it took to escape from there. It would find them.
After all, it was free from its prison.
---
In space.
The ship creaked as it stabilized in hyperspace, the engines resonating with a sharp buzz that reminded one of an injured animal. The flickering red lights of the alarms tinted the interior, interspersed with the blue glow of the damaged shields.
Goku slumped against the wall, sliding down to the floor. His silver hair flashed one last time before returning to black; the Ultra Instinct finally faded. He gasped, his trembling hands resting on his knees.
—Phew… that was close —he murmured, but looked up with a tired smile—. But we made it, right?!
Superman, leaning against the console, nodded with squinted eyes. The pain from the burns on his arms was persistent, but his voice did not waver:
—For now. Those… things are unlike anything I've faced before.
Elizabeth remained crouched in a corner, hugging herself. Her heterochromatic eyes still shone with recent fear.
—It wasn't just a monster… —she whispered to herself—. It was as if… it recognized me.
Rías, now conscious but pale, extended a shaky hand toward her from his stretcher.
—Elizabeth… —he said, with unusual gentleness in his voice—. Don't be afraid, you're not alone in this.
Dante, meanwhile, observed the chaos with a defiant smile. He wiped a smear of blood from his lip and tossed a pizza crust —"where did he get that?"— into a trash can.
—Well, this tops my weirdest day. And that's saying a lot —he joked, but his gaze landed on Elizabeth—. Hey, Santa. Those creatures seemed to have you in their sights; maybe you should tell us why.
Reed slammed a control panel in frustration, causing sparks to fly.
—It doesn't matter the "why." Those things are trapped on the planet… —he spoke firmly—. What's clear is that we can't let our guard down from now on, or we won't make it out alive.
At Reed's statements, everyone, except Dante, understood the situation. Superman, raising a bandaged fist, declared:
—Then we prepare. We learn. And when the time comes… —his voice was not heroic, but grave, like the sound of a funeral bell— we will not fall before the unknown.
Dante spun his sword and drove it into the ground, smiling without humor.
—Well, I don't know how things are going. But as long as I get paid in pizza, count me in —he declared, joining the group.
To be continued.