Within the mirror dimension, everything suddenly quieted down. Three figures hovered in the sky: Clark, Robert, and Kelley. Clark and Robert were staring intently at Kelley, neither making a move just yet.
Kelley quickly realized that trying to find and target the Kamar-Taj members to escape from the mirror dimension was futile. His only option now was to defeat both Robert and Clark, overpower the dimension, and break free from this confinement. However, this presented a significant problem—Robert alone had proven to be a formidable adversary, and now with Clark added to the equation, Kelley wasn't confident he could handle both of them together.
As Kelley analyzed the situation, it became clear that Clark and Robert were working together. He didn't need to question whether they knew each other—their coordinated effort to trap him in the mirror dimension made it obvious. Being the Lord of Hell, Kelley understood that the forces of Earth and Hell were natural enemies. Two strong Earth defenders teaming up against him was to be expected.
"Who are you? I didn't expect to find such powerful beings on Earth!" Kelley looked deeply at Clark, feeling a greater threat from him than from Robert. Kelley was more cautious of Clark and probed, "So, you plan to fight me together?"
Kelley had already fought Robert for a long time and had gauged much of Robert's combat style and abilities. However, Clark remained an unknown and formidable variable, making Kelley wary of his next moves.
Although Kelley's attention was fixated on Clark, Robert didn't attack. Since entering the mirror dimension and breaking Kelley's focus to save the Kamar-Taj members, their battle had paused for a brief moment.
"I won't interfere, at least not until you've beaten him," Clark replied calmly. "I'm here to ensure Earth isn't destroyed in your fight." Clark understood that in the real world, without the mirror dimension, he would have had to intervene to prevent the planet's destruction. But now that they were in a separate dimension, Clark chose not to take away Robert's fight.
"So, you're planning to take turns fighting me?" Kelley probed further, trying to extract more information from Clark.
"No time for more talking!" Robert interrupted. He had recovered from the mental strain of their earlier clash and was ready to renew his assault. He knew that giving Kelley time to recover would undo any advantage he had gained.
With a swift motion, Robert launched a ki blast toward Kelley. Kelley, well aware of Robert's ki blast power, quickly retaliated with a freezing energy from his body. The two forces collided, resulting in an explosion larger than their previous clashes, but without the usual debris—Robert hadn't used explosive fire this time, and the energies neutralized each other without strange reactions.
In rapid succession, Robert and Kelley clashed once more. Clark, observing from a distance, watched their intense combat. The environment around them shattered with each impact but instantly repaired itself, thanks to the stabilizing efforts of Baron Mordo and the other Kamar-Taj disciples. This was their only chance to prove their worth.
Clark's eyes narrowed slightly as he assessed the situation. He understood that Robert's raw power wasn't quite a match for Kelley's. Despite having comparable destructive capabilities, defeating or killing Kelley, whose life force was extraordinarily resilient, was a tall order. Moreover, this Kelley was only a manifestation of his true self from the Hell dimension.
Fortunately, unlike Naxie, Kelley couldn't summon more power from his true form in Hell to bolster his earthly manifestation. If Kelley had such an ability, Robert would be outmatched. This difference in their summoning powers gave Robert a fighting chance.
"I should leave here. This battle won't conclude quickly. If I stay, I can't keep an eye on Earth for other threats. Neither Robert, the Ancient One, nor I are available right now..." Clark concluded after watching the fight for a while. Realizing Robert wouldn't win or lose soon, he decided it was time to return to the real world to handle potential dangers there.
"Can you send me out? If the situation here changes, notify me. I've memorized your voice," Clark addressed Baron Mordo. Although Clark could exit the mirror dimension by force, doing so would likely shatter it and aid Kelley's escape.
"Understood. If the Hell Lord starts winning, I'll find a way to inform you," Baron Mordo replied without hesitation. They had no desire to see Kelley victorious, as it would spell doom for them all in the mirror dimension. Robert's defeat would mean their own deaths as well.
With a hum, a fiery portal opened on the opposite side of the battlefield from Robert and Kelley. Clark stepped through, returning to the Earthly dimension, and was greeted by the sight of the devastation left from Robert and Kelley's previous clashes.
Such battle scars were beyond Clark's ability to repair unless time could be reversed or eons passed, allowing nature to heal the land.
"Hmm?" As Clark observed the destruction, he noticed a fleet of small drones and reconnaissance devices approaching.
The reason was simple: while Earth's technology couldn't see through the dust and smoke to the battle itself, it could detect the absence of combat. Now that the clashes had ceased, these devices were on their way to investigate the aftermath.
With a flash of his eyes, Clark released a heat vision beam, sweeping across the battlefield and obliterating any traces of the combat. His primary goal was to erase any bloodstains from Robert and Kelley that could be exploited by malicious entities.
Such precautions were necessary. Even if there hadn't been cases like the Androids in the Dragon Ball world, Earth still had its share of research organizations eager to exploit any residual power from his battles. Clark wasn't afraid of what these entities might create, but avoiding unnecessary complications was prudent. This cautious approach was something Clark had learned from Robert, and it proved very effective.
With a swift movement, Clark vanished from the scene just as the drones arrived. They found the area still ravaged but devoid of any useful evidence.
The agencies operating these drones were left in the dark about the identity of the combatants and the outcome of their battle. They also couldn't determine whether the fight had concluded or if further threats to Earth loomed.
Elsewhere, on another battlefield, Clark noticed that Seldar had lost the ability to turn the tide. Under the combined assault of the Avengers, Hellboy, and Constantine, Seldar's fierce counterattacks couldn't break through. He was repeatedly wounded!
Constantine and Mobius' unique abilities were particularly effective against Seldar. Each injury inflicted by them significantly weakened Seldar's combat capabilities and almost nullified his regenerative powers. Their coordinated attacks were devastating against an opponent with high resilience.
"Damn it!" Seldar cursed, finding himself increasingly desperate. The sudden cessation of activity on the other battlefield heightened his panic.
Just as Seldar could sense the distant battle between Robert and Kelley, he assumed Kelley could also sense his struggle. If Kelley had won, he should have come to Seldar's aid or at least sought him out for information or retribution for the ambush. But there was no sign of Kelley.
Kelley's absence left Seldar with two grim possibilities: Kelley either barely won and was now hiding while gravely injured, or he had lost, and his manifestation on Earth was destroyed, severely wounding his true form in Hell.
Either way, Seldar realized no help was coming. His situation was hopeless, leading to growing despair.
Seldar began to suspect that his and Kelley's presence on Earth was part of a grander scheme. How else could Kelley be targeted before fully arriving and immediately thrust into a major battle?
As Seldar's focus wavered, the Avengers capitalized on his distraction. Tony Stark's attacks proved most effective, combining long-range energy blasts with a full-on assault from his Iron Legion, which unleashed their firepower without restraint to ensure Seldar's complete destruction.
Amid the intense battle, Kara and others, including Pietro and Barry Allen, arrived at the scene. They had responded to JARVIS's alerts and rushed to join the fray.
Their arrival brought a surge of hope to the Avengers. Though they were winning, they struggled to deliver a final blow to Seldar. Kara and her team's reinforcement would significantly increase the damage dealt to Seldar, making his defeat feasible.
In stark contrast, Seldar's heart sank deeper into despair. The overwhelming negative emotions even disrupted his ability to maintain his demonic form, reverting to his previous state when fighting Hellboy.
Inevitably, Seldar's previous grotesque form couldn't withstand the Avengers' combined might. Severely wounded and unable to muster further resistance, he could only rely on his stubborn vitality to cling to life.
While Seldar had considered a mutual destruction plan, the sheer number of opponents thwarted any such attempt. With no chance to amass the power needed for such a gambit, Seldar could only watch helplessly as his injuries deepened, and his life force dwindled away.
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