The words Bane tried twice to say but failed to finish were:
– "It is not the strongest or smartest who survive this war called life, but those who adapt most to change." –
Allen agreed with this mentality. Adaptability is the pillar of survival, which is why Allen could strike with such force.
He had only five tools to use in this world, and they weren't chosen randomly.
Homelander's Super Strength:
Homelander's strength, though lesser than Hulk's, Superman's, Diana's, or Thor's, cost only thirty points. And let's not forget that Allen, even in his baseline state, rivals a superhuman. By combining both strengths, he entered the category of the hundred-ton class.
His telekinesis:
Unlike other abilities like Pyrokinesis or Electrokinesis, it holds offensive power, defensive strength, support, and general utility, making it a very suitable option.
Alive Magic:
This magic is forbidden in Fairy Tail, not because creating life was considered an abomination, but because the creations were uncontrollable and often killed the wizards who tried to use it. However, Allen saw potential in this magic and came up with the idea of using his own blood so the creatures created were extensions of his will. They didn't share senses, so rather than an extra limb, they were more like his hair—but that was enough to create an army of beasts that followed his orders. Of course, the amount of blood needed to create large creatures was enormous, so it wasn't a technique he could use suddenly in battle.
The Apparition Spell:
It might seem inefficient, but it consumes little magic, and Allen devised a more ingenious way to use it.
By using his connection with the beasts he created, Allen could use Apparition on them, allowing him to move them from his cell to the Isley Biome in seconds.
All of that was the key to the crisis for the ArkM.
Bane and Dr. Arkham's fatal error was underestimating Allen.
Now it was Allen's turn to go on the offensive!
....
Flames spread through the entire scarlet forest, making the "trees" scream in pain. A creature that shouldn't exist emerged—fast as lightning, crashing down from the sky, violent, devastating everything in its path. Lethal.
A legendary predator of heroes.
A dragon!
Its body was red, its scales harder than steel, shining with a crimson glow. Its bestial eyes locked on its prey. Bane could feel it—this creature did not fear him. To the dragon, Bane wasn't superior, wasn't a monster—just a large piece of prey.
Its jaws gaped, bristling with teeth capable of rending a tank. Those jaws lunged at Bane with the clear intention of tearing him apart.
"Ahhhhhhh!"
The dragon dragged Bane, shredding the forest around them. His strength was tested, his endurance too—if he let his guard down for even a moment, he would be torn apart.
The chat was shocked, especially the Fairy Tail girls.
Erza – A dragon?!
Lucy – So that's what they look like, but how?!
Juvia – This is definitely Allen-sama's work ❤️~
Mirajane – Ara Ara~ I'm sure Natsu, Gajeel-kun, and Wendy-chan will be surprised to hear this~
Allen – No, I thought it was possible, but only recently managed it.
Allen eyed Bane, struggling to avoid being devoured.
"Should we leave?" Allen knew that the dragon wasn't as strong or as large as a real one. He didn't think it alone could defeat Bane—but that didn't matter, because his main objective was never to defeat Bane, but to get Batman out of this hell.
That should be enough to prevent Batman's destined death and repay Lucifer for the fragment.
[Host, how do you know that simply taking Batman out of this place will prevent the future where he is killed?]
'I just came to that conclusion...'
After thinking and analyzing the memory Lucifer showed him over these two weeks, Allen realized two important things: first, Batman fought Bane after undergoing many surgeries in this place; second, Batman overestimated his abilities.
He should not have fought Bane head-on and alone. But looking at Bruce now, watching Bane struggle against the dragon with a calm, analytical gaze—more like the Batman Allen knew—it was clear that he wouldn't act recklessly if he were to face Bane in the future.
That being said, Allen was still dissatisfied with Lucifer interrupting his vacation. He wouldn't mind starting another bet, but he needed time for himself and his family.
Barbara (Batgirl) – I see, once Batman is out of here, he'll have the chance to use his most powerful weapon—his brain and preparation.
Superman – I understand. Maybe this Bane is intelligent, but unless he's a fortune teller, it's impossible to anticipate all of Batman's actions.
Because of this, Allen had confidence that once they got out of here, he would have completed Lucifer's mission and could leave this world.
"IT'S NOT THAT EASY TO KILL ME!"
Bane repelled the dragon but couldn't pierce its scales. He was breathing heavily—how long had it been since he felt tired? Since he felt pain from an enemy? Since he wasn't standing above something weaker than him?
Bane knew every martial art in the world, but what good were they? None were created to fight a damn dragon. He couldn't think of a single strategy that could give him victory—the dragon didn't even let him breathe.
Forced to retreat, the dragon only grew angrier, glaring at Bane with disdain and contempt.
Bane understood...
This mythical creature was not like the others. It wasn't here to be slain by Bane. It wasn't another step toward his greatness, not a sacrifice, not prey. This was an opponent—one with the power to kill him.
The dragon's massive jaws opened, and a glow lit up inside its mouth. Anyone with the slightest knowledge of dragons would know what that meant.
"...!" Bane felt the danger and reacted quickly, plunging his hands into the ground, lifting it to create a wall of rock and metal.
The dragon unleashed fiery breath hot enough to liquefy steel. That torrent of death crashed against Bane's wall, melting it away.
'What a monster!' Bane gritted his teeth—his will, his strength, his philosophy of life were all being tested.
Maybe a dragon wasn't part of the natural evolution of the world, but that didn't change the fact that Bane couldn't afford to run away. He, who was known as The Supreme, had to rise victorious.
He had to pierce the dragon's heart!
He had to tear off its head!
He had to bathe in its blood!
"I AM ABSOLUTE BANE!"
Once the fire ceased, Bane roared and, in a fit of rage, shattered the wall, ready to tear into the dragon.
"...!"
However, the sight before him left him paralyzed.
In front of Bane stood three other creatures just as majestic as the dragon.
A half-eagle, half-lion creature beat its wings, landing to Bane's right—a griffin the size of a mammoth, proud rider of the skies.
To his left, a bird wrapped in flames, as tall as a three-story building, descended. A mythical creature known to be immortal. A phoenix.
In front, of course, the dragon glared at him. But behind them, towering above the scarlet forest, was a colossus. It wasn't a mythological creature, but it carried the same oppressive presence. It was the colossus Allen had once used in Fairy Tail, with him standing at its shoulder.
It was smaller than his prior Colossus, as Allen lacked Earth Magic here, relying solely on his blood to create it.
....
"Impossible," Dr. Arkham muttered, as Subject 28's power continued to exceed expectations. "Log update: Subject 28 is far too powerful. Many mistakes were made in his treatment and containment, resulting in disastrous consequences for ArkM... end of report..."
She slumped into her chair, expression grim, gaze vacant. Still, her blackened heart was searching for a solution. She even considered releasing all the experiments and letting them face Allen.
"No, too many of them are uncontrollable. That's not an option."
The woman who had brought cruelty into this hell was burning her mind trying to find a way to deal with Allen, unaware that a snake had silently slithered into her office.
....
Bane's dark gaze pierced through the air. This was beyond anything…
"Who are you?"
Bane seemed to truly look at Allen for the first time. He didn't even realize that this was the first time he didn't call him Subject 28.
Allen, standing tall on the giant's shoulder, observed the man trying to become something different. Clown Crown, now a billowing trench coat despite the still air, lent Allen an air of elegance.
"I do not despise those who seek strength and power, for I have done the same myself. But sacrificing innocent people… that is something I will never tolerate!" Allen pointed at Bane with his telekinesis. Bane felt his body freeze. "I will not give you my name. You are not worthy of being shown the respect of a warrior. You are not worthy of a chance to defend your so-called 'justice.' You have already ended yourself..."
"NOOOOOOOOOO!"
Bane screamed as the blood-forged mythological creatures lunged at him. Batman, who had been a witness to this, clenched his fists but then loosened them. He wasn't naïve; he wouldn't impose his ideals on others. Even though he himself never killed, he didn't consider Allen evil for ending the life of scum like Bane.
Bane fought back, striking the griffin as the dragon sank its fangs into his neck. He kicked the phoenix as the griffin's claw carved a deep, bleeding mark across his back.
Allen frowned, a drop of sweat rolling down his cheek. He was holding Bane down with telekinesis, and yet the man could still move. This wasn't because Allen's telekinesis was weak—but normally, he never fought with just a single ability.
For example, when using his Cursed Technique, all of his other abilities gained a massive boost. The same applied to his body—when unrestricted, his thought speed could accelerate to the speed of light. That was just one example. Allen could use magic, ki, chi, haki, cursed energy, and even reiatsu to enhance his other skills. But right now, none of that was an option, making his telekinesis seem far less overwhelming.
Still, he should've been able to lift a truck effortlessly, and yet he was struggling to restrain Bane.
"Definitely, he is Absolute Bane..."
Those words became the greatest recognition Bane could ever hope for—spoken by his enemy, no less—as his body was torn apart by the creatures made of blood.
"THIS IS NOT THE END! THIS WILL NOT BE MY FINAL MOMENT! THIS IS NOT ALL I AM!" Bane roared at Allen, but in that moment of distraction, the dragon tore his arm clean off.
....
In her office, Dr. Arkham dropped a blood-stained knife with a snake's corpse at her feet. However, her body began to feel heavy.
"Log update: We underestimated both the abilities and the intelligence of Subject 28. As a result, we paid a heavy price. ArkM is finished... the supreme one has been surpassed... Subject 27 is free... we have failed..."
....
(Ten minutes later)
Allen mounted the dragon, while Bruce climbed onto the griffin's back. Both creatures ascended into the air.
With Bane and Dr. Arkham neutralized, escaping remained their primary goal. As for the many staff members involved in this facility, Allen left several beasts behind to ensure no one escaped before the police arrived.
Neither Bruce nor Allen had much hope that the victims, who had been forcibly mutated, could be saved. But perhaps, with time and thorough research, some of the procedures could be reversed.
From above, the view of ArkM was staggering. It was like an underground city built inside a massive cavern, except instead of buildings, it was made up of experimental complexes.
"This place is huge... where the hell are we? And how the fuck did they build something like this without anyone noticing?" Allen growled. This might have been his worst arrival in a world yet—even in Record of Ragnarok, he had only been imprisoned.
Gwen – I'm not surprised we only saw signs for level 246. That means there are at least 245 more below us...
Rias – I always thought the ancient demons were cruel, but after seeing what they've done here, I see that evil doesn't come from race—it comes from the heart.
Unohana – Ara, such pretty words, Rias-chan.
Akeno – Ufufu, she's very cute, though she hides it so others will underestimate her~
Rias – Akeno!
Even now, Allen found it hard to believe that he and Bruce had only been running through level 247. Just how vast was this hell?
"We're under an island near Gotham," Batman finally spoke, seemingly noticing the doubts in Allen's expression and taking the initiative.
"An island?"
"Yes. Back in the 1800s, this island had a hospital, but it burned down in the 1930s. Later, it was bought by JK Industries, and that's likely when the construction of this place began."
"No wonder it reeks of death..." Allen muttered, looking over the site in silence. "So, is this the end?"
Batman turned to him briefly before answering, "Yes and no. This is the only Ark in Gotham, but there are twelve more around the world. I don't know if they're dedicated to the same thing, but I doubt it."
As Bane had said, this Ark was dedicated to mutation. So, it was safe to assume the others were focused on different objectives.
Bruce had infiltrated the Ark M via underground rivers from the sea. Allen, however, didn't bother with that. Instead, they flew toward the staff elevators. Resistance met them, but it wasn't a problem. Batman, venting his anger, charged into the facility's security forces.
Bullets flew at him, but his cape absorbed the impacts while his fists shattered the bones of his enemies.
Allen wasn't far behind, cutting down everything in his path. Dozens of guards refused to surrender, but it was useless. Neither Batman nor Allen was a foe they could defeat.
...
The sun rose, illuminating the blue sky—a clear sign that they had finally escaped hell.
Batman immediately contacted someone through a device in his cowl.
Allen chuckled, amused that Bruce remained Batman despite enduring hell.
"I don't know about you, but I don't want to stick around until the cops show up."
Batman stared at Allen silently before tossing him something, then turned and walked away.
Allen looked at it—it was a disposable phone.
'This must be his way of saying see you around', Allen thought, baffled by Bruce's behavior.
Bruce, for his part, was very interested in the man who had helped him escape. Despite his mental state throughout the ordeal, Bruce had maintained a sharp and clear mind. He also noticed that Allen seemed to know him beforehand and had helped him fully aware of that.
Allen didn't bother hiding it. Once he completed Lucifer's task, he would leave this world. This one was different from the others—Allen didn't believe he'd form any bonds here. And that was for the best, considering Lucifer had a particular interest in this world, and no one knew what the devil planned to do with it.
Thinking about it, Allen wondered if his mission was already complete...
The world froze.
Lucifer appeared beside Allen.
"Speak of the devil..." Allen said with disdain.
"Oh, you don't look too happy to see me," laughed the man with golden hair and a relaxed gaze.
"So, mission complete?" Allen asked with a frown. "Can I leave now?"
"..."
Lucifer remained silent for a moment before smiling.
====
A/N: Perhaps the Absolute Universe wasn't the best option, but luckily it wasn't something that went on for too long.
If you want to read more, there are up to ten chapters ahead on Patreon.
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