Su Ming watched as Sinestro, enveloped in rich yellow light, ascended into the sky, understanding that he was determined to show off in front of Hal.
At this moment, the fear power of the Yellow Lantern had been greatly amplified; Barbatos's dark ritual was devouring the entire universe. The fear not only strengthened Barbatos but also became the power of the Yellow Lantern.
Su Ming had already planned ahead. Dealing with flying enemies adept at energy emission skills was his shortcoming; he could only strategize by borrowing the strength of others.
Those who wear rings should be left to deal with those who wear rings.
However, if an ordinary Lantern Hero came, even a whole corps would definitely not be a match for the Lights Out program. The Lights Out program is like an exploit; the more reliant one is on the ring, the more it's restrained by it.
But among the Precept Holders, Sinestro is an exception. He is not only the leader of the Yellow Lantern Corps, the strongest Yellow Lantern Demon, but he also harbors the Parallax Monster within him, an incarnation of the Origin of Fear in the cosmos.
Barbatos uses darkness and fear as power, while Parallax is fear itself. This means that when Barbatos buffs himself, he's also giving the same boost to Parallax...
The stronger the Parallax, the stronger the Yellow Lantern Corps.
Seeing Sinestro join the battlefield, Su Ming felt relieved. He simply sat down beside Hal, patted his shoulder, and leisurely started smoking.
"Do you think Sinestro can handle the Deceit Lantern?" Hal looked up at the sky, where the yellow light flickered in the darkness.
"Times have changed. Normally, Sinestro can't. The fact that the version of him in that world died has proven this. But now Barbatos has incited fear throughout the universe, and this power has been added to Xiaohuzi, making him the God of Fear now."
Su Ming lazily replied to him. In fact, Hal could also figure this out. After all, he had once become the vessel of the Parallax Monster. He deeply understood the power of fear, but he just wouldn't admit it out of pride.
Seeing Hal rendered speechless, Su Ming didn't want to hit him any further. He gestured to Barry to be ready to take him over as soon as the Dawn Deceit Lantern was hit to the ground.
Sinestro and Diana both lacked 'metal'; they lacked the ability to deliver a fatal blow.
In the sky, the Dawn Deceit Lantern was tightly entangled by Diana, and Sinestro's yellow fear beams were being wildly unleashed as if they cost nothing.
What originally resembled a Quidditch match in style was turned into something reminiscent of a Seven Dragon Pearls battle after Sinestro joined.
At this moment, the Dawn Deceit Lantern felt troubled. Even if his Lights Out program was fully operational, the yellow light was so brilliant it seemed that the entire universe was against him, filling him with a foreboding sense.
Sinestro sensed his inner turmoil immediately, and joy spread across his red face.
"Ah... I smell it. I smell the scent of fear emanating from you!"
"No! I once killed you, and I can kill you a second time now!"
"Haha, look, another Lantern Hero making bold declarations. I've killed more reckless youngsters like you! Their bodies piled together could form a planet!"
Sinestro raised his ring, and the yellow lantern energy formed a massive light ball. Everything in the city turned as bright as day. Diana seized the opportunity to strike the Deceit Lantern's lower back with her sword, only managing to tear through his uniform, cutting off his Hundred Treasures Belt, but not even scratching his skin.
Before the Dawn Deceit Lantern could revel in his defensive prowess, Sinestro's energy bullet came rushing in, forcing him to counteract with Lights Out energy.
As a veteran powerhouse, Sinestro had been through countless wars. He keenly detected that the enemy seemed to have some special protection.
He began to ponder a strategy.
At this moment, he wanted to see if Hal on the ground had any opinions, but Hal was dejected and confused. Meanwhile, Deathstroke beside him pointed with his Great Sword.
Sinestro understood, letting out a smile. He appreciated smart people, yet dumb fools and madmen comprised most of his Lantern Group members. Deathstroke was an excellent choice.
Terror Yellow Lantern's emblem appeared in his eyes, and in his view, the Dawn Deceit Lantern was as good as dead.
The Dawn Deceit Lantern, of course, saw this smile, and his heart unwittingly skipped a beat as a strong sense of crisis surged through him.
"Ring!"
He shouted, and immediately, a swarm of nightmare creatures poured from the ring. They were indescribable abominations brimming with tentacles and formless organs.
Against ordinary people, this would undoubtedly be an effective move, as merely witnessing these monsters would drive regular individuals insane. However, his current enemy was Sinestro...
The moment these creatures appeared, Sinestro's power surged instantly. He relished fear-inducing things, and these monsters manifested by the Deceitful Lantern Ring were right up his alley.
"Young man, you wore the wrong ring!" the red-faced Sinestro laughed heartily, sweeping away the approaching monsters with fear Yellow Lantern energy: "There's a void in your heart, and now I'll fill it with fear!"
He watched as the Dawn Deceit Lantern tangled with Diana in the sky, constantly changing positions, then brought his hand in front of his eyes, tightened his fist, and the yellow light began to ripple like a tide. He was instantly armored with golden armor and a cape.
"Black day is vast, white night is bright."
"Evil followers and treacherous party, fear my divine light."
"The terrifying fire burns, those who oppose me perish."
"Fear as the source, Sinestro's dominance!"
Sinestro swiftly approached the two, gripping the Dawn Deceit Lantern's hands forcefully, facing him at close range, and coldly said, "Witness fear."
As soon as he finished speaking, an immensely huge monster emitting endless yellow light burst out from Sinestro's chest, spanning the sky. It looked like a centipede, yet like a beast, embodying every monster form imaginable in nightmares. It was the manifestation of cosmic fear emotions.
The lamp beast of the Yellow Lantern Corps, the Parallax Monster.
The Nightmare creature manifested by Dawn Deceit Lantern was not even the size of one of its tentacles. Now, with the Cosmos engulfed in fear, the Parallax Monster's power was more formidable than ever.
Unlike the worried expression of Hal beside him, Slade was not concerned about Sinestro destroying the world. The Yellow Lantern Corps also represented a force of emotion. If the Cosmos were destroyed, there would be no one left to provide him with fear.
Thus, no matter how powerful the Yellow Lantern is, it's naturally opposed to Barbatos.
The mighty lamp beast immediately slammed into Dawn Deceit Lantern, whose sharp fangs and claws should have pierced through his armor and torn him to pieces. However, protected by Dark Energy, this earth-shattering blow merely sent him flying towards the ground.
Seeing the sudden appearance of a sonic boom cloud in mid-air, Su Ming immediately seized the opportunity.
"Barry, now's the time!"
Barry looked up at the sky, hoisting Deathstroke as the two entered Divine Speed. In Bullet Time, Su Ming raised the Nightfall Giant Sword with both hands, striking a pose aimed at the sky.
The two reappeared directly below Dawn Deceit Lantern, and if the calculations were correct, Dawn Deceit Lantern would be impaled on the Great Sword. Su Ming meticulously calculated the position, aiming to pierce his heart, rather than his intestines and other organs.
Yet, while being struck down, Dawn Deceit Lantern was not brainless but not powerless. Just before Su Ming impaled him, he called out loudly.
"Teleportation!"
Barbatos mastered Dark Magic, and when Nightmare Batman prayed in his heart, he could sense it and instantly teleport the Dark Knight away. But the Red Death Demon and Merciless Iron Fists had no such chance before; they were instantly killed.
A small wormhole dense with dark clouds and lightning appeared beside Dawn Deceit Lantern, starting to pull him in with a strange suction force. His entire body appeared to soften like clay, stretching long like noodles.
Of course, Su Ming knew this ability. If he hadn't worried about their escape, he wouldn't have used self-destructive tactics twice before.
As Dawn Deceit Lantern shouted teleportation, he simultaneously said to Barry beside him, "Divine Speed."
Barry, accustomed to working with him, immediately patted his shoulder, enveloping them both in golden lightning.
At the moment Dawn Deceit Lantern was sucked into the teleportation channel, Slade suddenly accelerated and leaped high, looking at the twisted Dawn Deceit Lantern, delivering a jump slash with the Nightfall Greatsword.
"Whoosh!"
The dark channel vanished, and Su Ming, who leaped into the air, landed with a roll to absorb the impact. The first thing he did was look down at his Great Sword, blood rolling down it, with the black metal veined in red.
"Thud."
The second landing sound came only now; it was the lower half of Dawn Deceit Lantern. He had almost entered the teleport channel, but the Divine Speed-clad Deathstroke was much faster, intercepting halfway and cutting him in half.
"Crack."
The legs, complete with the pelvic bone, continued to twitch under nerve action. To prevent Barbatos from somehow reattaching the body, Slade flipped his sword to pin it to the ground, thoroughly destroying the spine, pelvis, and nerves, stopping it for good.
Diana and Barry, who fell from the sky beside him, winced at the sight. Dawn Deceit Lantern was too pitiful, with his companions split in half.
Sinestro, however, was indifferent, raising an eyebrow and casting an approving look at Slade. Deathstroke had real potential; a simple move instilled a hint of fear even in the nearby Flash.
Su Ming pulled out the Great Sword, shook off the mess, and re-sheathed it. "We should leave quickly; the Dark Knight Order will seek revenge."
"Oh? I'd like to see what they're capable of," Sinestro said arrogantly, brimming with confidence from his mighty fear powers.
"Of course, you don't mind; now you can escape even if you lose, but Hal is already severely injured. Are you sure you can protect him?" Slade gestured for Diana to approach Barry as they prepared to retreat.
Sinestro retracted the Parallax Monster, the gigantic beast merging into his chest as he touched his mustache. "Ha, you make a point. Hal dragging me down isn't new."
Barry whisked away Slade and Diana in an instant, while Sinestro also took off, his ring manifesting a giant hand to grab Hal, trailing behind them.
Mere seconds after their departure, a larger passage appeared at the previous battleground, and a few silhouettes emerged.