One week later.
Viltrum.
"Conquest, you're back?"
"What the hell happened to your face? You look like you got stomped into the ground."
"Don't tell me you pushed Nolanne too far and she beat the crap out of you?"
"Hahaha!"
After a full week, Conquest finally returned. The warriors stationed on Viltrum jeered when they saw her battered armor and disheveled state.
Clearly, Conquest wasn't well-liked here.
"Enough nonsense. I want to see Thragg."
She ignored their mocking laughter. The moment she set foot on Viltrum, her only thought was to find the Regent. After that came the next part of Eden and Nolanne's plan: lure Thragg into their trap and lead the Viltrumite army to Earth to swear loyalty to their new king.
"Conquest. I hear you asked for me?"
In the council chamber, Thragg sat at the head of the table, eyes still on the star map in his hands. "How did your trip to Earth go? Did Nolanne's child meet expectations?"
"Exceeded them," Conquest answered firmly. She dropped to one knee, bowing her head. "Forgive my bluntness, but his strength rivals that of a pureblood Viltrumite warrior."
Thragg froze.
He had only asked the question out of formality, barely paying attention to Conquest. But at those words—at the claim that Nolanne's half-human son could stand equal to a pureblood—he shot to his feet, eyes wide.
He strode quickly to Conquest. "You're telling me Nolanne's son—child of a human from that backwater planet—has the power of a pureblood?"
"Without question," Conquest said.
Thragg's voice sharpened. "And Earth's people? Do they resemble us? Do they fit Viltrumite standards?"
(For Viltrumites like Lucan, only beings who looked nearly identical to themselves were considered worthy of being called people.)
"From appearances alone, you'd hardly tell the difference between Earthlings and Viltrumites," Conquest admitted.
"Summon them," Thragg barked, excitement flashing in his eyes. "All across the universe. Those guarding planets, enforcing judgment, overseeing prisons—it doesn't matter. Call them home. End every assignment. Bring them all back."
"The rebirth of Viltrum is at hand!"
Earth.
For Eden, it had been one of his rare quiet weeks. Since the invasion of the Coalition and Conquest's arrival, life had actually felt... steady.
He still went to class during the day.
Thanks to the Lizard invasion, William had become the hero of Reginald Vel Johnson High School, soaking up the spotlight. The attention on him gave Eden some breathing room.
But at night, Eden never stopped. He returned to the simulation, again and again.
His opponents were no longer Battle Beast or even Thragg.
Now, he fought Emperor Mark.
Not the version who had just defeated Thragg.
No—this was a Mark who had lived for over five centuries. A perfected emperor who could kill Battle Beast's daughter with ease.
Simulation Universe.
Viltrum.
Boom!
Eden's fist crashed into Emperor Mark's, the shockwave carving a vacuum across hundreds of miles. The sheer force of their clash rattled the planet beneath them.
When two apex Viltrumites went all-out, even the aftershocks were enough to rip apart a world's surface.
"Interesting," Emperor Mark said, grinning. "In five hundred years of conquest, I've never met someone like you."
"A few days ago, the rebellion on Dorne broke out. I killed Thokk's daughter—Battle Beast's spawn." He laughed, cruel and unrestrained. "They said she'd surpassed her father. Pathetic. One punch and she was done."
He hadn't felt this alive in centuries. Not since he'd crushed Battle Beast and Thragg, five hundred years ago, had his blood burned like this. The emptiness that followed had driven him to slaughter whole civilizations just to remind himself he still existed.
Eden's eyes narrowed. "Don't worry. I'll remind you what it felt like back when they called you the loser, Invincible."
Twin beams of heat vision blazed from his eyes, searing into Mark's face. Eden followed with a brutal punch that knocked teeth from his jaw.
"I am Invincible, you damn brat!" Emperor Mark bellowed, halting himself midair after being hurled miles away. "Do you know who you're provoking? I'll kill your entire family. I'll burn your planet to ash!"
He roared forward in a thunderclap of sound.
"Pathetic," Eden spat, charging to meet him.
BOOM!
The planet shook again beneath their fists. Viltrum's mass dwarfed Earth's, yet their battle made it tremble.
Five hours later.
Eden rubbed his bruised stomach, exhaling slowly. Before him lay the shredded corpse of Emperor Mark. "Damn, you were tough," he muttered with a crooked smile. "Guess you lost again, huh, Invincible?"
"System, end simulation."
The world dissolved around him.
When Eden opened his eyes again, he was lying in his own bed.
"Continue," he ordered without hesitation. Until he could one-shot Emperor Mark, he wouldn't allow himself rest.
Outside Eden's room, his body vanished once more into the simulation.
Across the hall, in the master bedroom of the Kent Residence, Clark's eyes opened. He turned toward Eden's room, frowning slightly when he realized his son's presence was gone.
Then his own vision shifted, glowing faintly, stretching beyond walls, beyond space, until he saw Eden locked in combat with Emperor Mark.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Looks like the crisis coming in a month... Eden can handle it himself."
Murmuring softly, Clark pulled Nolanne closer into his arms and drifted back to sleep.
Another week passed.
The simulation world.
"Still takes me an hour to kill Emperor Mark, huh?"
Eden sat beside the mangled corpse, sounding dissatisfied.
"I need more. Stronger opponents."
Emperor Mark wasn't enough anymore. He needed tougher battles, fiercer enemies.
That morning, Eden woke up earlier than usual. Today was his high school graduation.
After today, he wouldn't be a student anymore.
"Son, hurry up. You're gonna be late."
"You'll miss your graduation if you keep dragging your feet."
Freshly washed and dressed, Eden came downstairs to find Nolanne fixing her hair in the mirror. Even rarer—Clark was in a suit.
"Mom, the ceremony doesn't start until nine. It's only seven-thirty."
"And come on, with our family's speed, even if we left at eight fifty-nine, we'd still make it."
He sighed.
It was his graduation, but clearly his parents were more excited than he was. Eden could only shake his head—his mom and dad were a real pair of clowns.
"Eden, isn't it about time you introduced that girlfriend you've been hiding from us?"
Clark stepped over, lowering his voice.
"Yeah, about that." Eden shrugged. "I don't actually have a girlfriend."
"I know," Clark said smoothly. "I meant you should go get one."
Eden blinked, thrown. He shot a glance toward Nolanne, still fussing with her hair in the mirror, then hunched his shoulders and whispered back: "Wait. Are you saying… you're gonna share how you chased Mom?"
"Listen, son." Clark cleared his throat like he was about to deliver a lecture. "I'm going to pass down the greatest secret I've learned in my entire life."
Eden leaned closer, curious. "And that is?"
"If you like a girl, just ask her out. Works every time." Clark grinned.
"Right…" Eden thought dryly. "Old man thinks he's a real master."
"What are you two whispering about?" Nolanne suddenly appeared beside them.
"Nothing!"
Both father and son instantly tilted their heads back at the exact same angle, staring at the ceiling as if the answer lay up there.
"You're definitely hiding something," Nolanne muttered, narrowing her eyes. But she let it go—today was her son's big day. No time to waste on nonsense.
"Forget it. Come on, let's head to the school. And don't forget, the principal invited me to give the 'Outstanding Parent' speech."
She lifted her chin proudly. Out of the corner of her eye, she shot Clark a smug little glance, the kind that said, See that? The school invited me, not you.
Clark only chuckled. He was genuinely happy seeing her so pleased. What she didn't know was that the principal had invited him first. Clark had politely declined and recommended Nolanne instead.
"Yes, Mom. Got it."
Eden kept his mouth shut, nodding quickly. When his parents were like this, it was best not to breathe too loudly.
–––
Reginald Vel Johnson High School.
Eight-thirty.
Eden arrived with his family—four in total, if you counted the cat.
"Eden, you're here!"
The moment they entered the lobby, William and Atom Eve spotted him. They bolted over at cartoon speed, waving like maniacs.
But Eden noticed immediately—neither of them was really looking at him.
"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Kent!" William blurted nervously. He fumbled out a neatly folded poster of Omni-Woman, hands trembling. "I—I'm Eden's best friend William. And… and I'm a huge fan of yours, ma'am. Could I maybe… get your autograph?"
"Of course."
Nolanne signed with a flourish: Nolanne Kent. Then, beneath it, she added the words Omni-Woman.
"I finally got it!" William's face lit up. "I swear, the second I get home, I'm framing this and hanging it in the best spot in the house."
"Kid, I think you might want my signature too," Clark said cheerfully, scribbling his name across the same poster—with Superman tagged at the end.
William's hands twitched. His smile froze. Internally, he groaned: Great. Poster's ruined.
"Mr. and Mrs. Kent, can I have yours too?" Atom Eve chirped, summoning a fresh poster out of thin air with her powers—this one featuring Omni-Woman and Superman standing side by side. She flashed them a sweet smile.
"Of course."
Both parents signed happily.
"I want one!"
"Me too!"
It spread fast. Other students had noticed Clark and Nolanne. Since neither of them had bothered with disguises or mental cloaking, the entire student body now realized Earth's two greatest heroes had shown up—together—for graduation.
"Everyone will get one," Nolanne said.
"Yes, every single person," Clark echoed.
The two of them exchanged a helpless look. Fame was a curse sometimes—wherever they went, they instantly became the center of attention.
"Quiet down, kids, quiet down!"
The principal and teachers finally stepped in, calming the chaos and ushering the Kents to the stage.
While the teachers restored order, the principal slyly pulled a rolled-up poster from his jacket—clearly one of his personal treasures—and whispered, "Before you leave, could you sign this too? I've actually been a fan for years."
On a world protected for so long by Omni-Woman and Superman, there were really only two types of people: their fans, and… their very warped fans.
As for Eden's "respected" principal, it was obvious now—this wasn't a graduation ceremony at all. It was a cleverly disguised fan meet-and-greet.
The man was probably thinking: I've given my all for this school. I nearly died protecting students once! If I want to sneak in one last fanboy indulgence before retirement, what's the harm? Everyone's happy anyway—board, teachers, even the kids.
Eden just stared in disbelief as his graduation spiraled completely out of control.
And right at that moment—
A massive starship, emblazoned with the Viltrumite insignia, silently descended over Reginald Vel Johnson High School.
At the same time, Nolanne—standing at the podium—felt her communicator buzz. A message from Conquest.
She glanced at it, smiled faintly, and murmured, "The Viltrumites have finally come to kneel before their queen."
---
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