Su Ming's attack, in the words of a martial arts family, focuses on the lower body, but more vividly and accurately, his current strategy can be called "foot trimming".
Yes, Hawkman's size is now too large. Even if Su Ming jumps, he can't reach his ankle, and his bird-like transformation is severe. Now what used to be feet have turned black, resembling eagle claws.
"Black chicken claws..."
Su Ming made a sarcastic remark in his heart, but he didn't slow down at all. First, his great sword hit Hawkman's toenail, and then he swept horizontally, sending a tabletop-sized piece of toenail spinning away.
It's not just talk when they say ten fingers are connected to the heart. To a certain extent, toes are even more sensitive than fingers.
If a Hawman's fingernail is missing, he can still lift a finger while holding a hammer. But when he wants to walk, he can't lift just one toe; all must bear weight.
This pain is unbearable, even for a darkened Hawkman.
Indeed, he was a competent warrior, and reincarnation allowed him to integrate many past life memories. But being a warrior is a profession heavily reliant on experience and training. He had no experience fighting in a gigantic form, and thus couldn't respond correctly to Su Ming's insidious torture-like offensive methods.
He reacted like an ordinary person would if an insect bit his toe: he instinctively backed away and tried to crush the insect.
After chopping two nails, Su Ming immediately began dodging in advance. Through his understanding of Hawkman, he had anticipated the opponent's reaction.
So when the giant hammer came down, he dodged very smoothly. He was right next to Hawkman's foot, making it a difficult position for the long-handled warhammer to exert force.
After a series of rolls and fish leaps, Su Ming chopped off two more toenails, prompting Hawkman to lower his head and seriously search for Su Ming's whereabouts due to the pain.
But Su Ming was as slippery as an eel, continuously circling and evading around the two bird legs, causing Hawkman to spin around in circles, occasionally snapping off toenails with a quick double slash. Hawkman could only scream in anger, unable to effectively fight back against Su Ming.
After several nail clippings, everything went as Su Ming expected. Although the dark energy disoriented Hawkman's mind, disrupting enemy and ally identification, he hadn't forgotten how to fly with his wings. When he was left with no choice, he decisively took flight, attempting to crush Su Ming, the little ant, from above with his hammer.
But this just played into Su Ming's tactical trap.
As Hawkman flew up and looked down to aim at Su Ming, Diana quietly drifted not far behind him. Su Ming's assignment for her was to cut off Hawkman's wings with the Fire God Sword as soon as he took flight.
Hawkman's wings aren't real and didn't grow from his body but are a kind of alien high-tech bionic equipment. In short, those wings are worn through an X-shaped harness on his body, from the front looking like someone with special preferences.
Wearing a hood, bare-chested, all muscles, with an X-shaped harness...
However, these wings were his weakness. Although the dark energy also enhanced the wings and harness, Diana now had X metal with her.
As he ascended, Diana immediately dived, her sword flashing coldly as it horizontally cut the harness from behind, turning it into two V shapes.
Thus, the wings could no longer stay attached to the body. While the wings were still airborne, the severed harness caused Hawkman to fall directly from the sky, landing face-first, even losing grip of his massive warhammer.
The World Forger's tool, which was quite a stretch for him to wield in the first place, slipped from his grasp during the fall.
At this moment, Barry appeared with electric light, binding Hawkman's hands together with the Lasso of Truth, allowing Diana to take control. Superman also appeared before Hawkman at some point, lifting the warhammer, which was hundreds of times larger than Clark himself, and gently tapped it on Hawkman's forehead.
"Boom!"
As the hammer fell, the ground shook, and lava-like liquid erupted from the cracks, splashing high and illuminating everyone's faces. The three on the ground nearly lost footing, swaying back and forth.
This hammer was made of X metal. Fortunately, Clark merely tapped lightly; otherwise, with one hit, the few of them would have been engulfed by tofu brains.
Su Ming walked over slowly. Hawkman had already passed out. Despite losing all his nails, his chicken-like claw fronts being bare, and suffering a severe concussion, he might need some hospital time afterward, but at least his life was spared.
Using the great sword, Su Ming jabbed his arm again, dissipating the dark energy within him. Hawkman's size quickly decreased like a deflated balloon, soon returning to human form.
Unfortunately, even though the claws reverted to feet, the nail beds were all bloody and mangled...
Batman observed quietly from the side, but his attention was on Su Ming, upgrading Su Ming's threat level in his assessment.
Deathstroke was always a lone mercenary. Who would have thought he'd be adept at commanding team battles, seemingly well-versed in everyone's abilities and personalities in the Justice League...
Does this imply that the Otherworldly Deathstroke has been gathering intelligence, planning to target the Justice League?
Highly likely, a contingency plan to counter the Otherworldly Deathstroke must be prepared...
Batman maintained a poker face, keeping these speculations to himself, silently preparing, while he looked up to the sky, through a gap to the other side, his Gotham.
Su Ming too was looking at the Gotham in the sky but was more focused on Steel Bone. Steel Bone, manufactured by a Mother Box, should've awakened the Mother Box and escaped through the sonic boom passage in the comics by now, but there was no sign, what's going on?
If Steel Bone remained in the hands of the Dark Knight Order, the Justice League would hesitate to attack, considering Sea King and Steel Bone were current hostages.
But the two universes were extremely close, and little time was left. An immediate offensive was necessary, with the cards at hand laid out, yet he had to gamble this hand.
Su Ming had always deliberated the rescue order, first saving Diana, for she was capable of battle and endurance, backed by a formidable Divine System figure. She was a must-rescue.
Then it was a choice between the Green Lantern Hero and Sea King. Given the time constraints, only one could be selected, and Su Ming chose to save Hal.
Whether Hal could still fight was irrelevant, as his backing legion was immense. The Green Lantern Heroes' Bible—the Book of Oa—declared Hal the greatest Green Lantern Hero, and connections exist between him and other Lantern Groups.
Such as Sinestro, once Hal's friend and mentor, though he's now a Yellow Lantern and sometimes wants to kill Hal. But Su Ming knew his true desire was for Hal to approve his philosophy and join him as a Yellow Lantern Demon.
So, even though Su Ming damaged a Lantern Ring, he saved Hal and indirectly gave Sinestro an opportunity to showcase his power before Hal. Sinestro was pleased, refusing to blame Su Ming for the serious crime of damaging the ring and instead kindly inviting him to join the Yellow Lantern again.
Additionally, there's the hopeful Blue Lantern, with those Saint Mother Syndrome Universe affiliates having good ties with Hal since Hal saved their leader, the Holy Walker, before.
The Love Purple Lantern, with Hal's girlfriend Carol in the Star Orchid Legion, comprises these love-mad extremists who battle for love without reason, with rings not as restricted as the Green Lanterns', employing lethal means at will, they're love-fueled cosmic terrorists.
All these forces could be utilized by Su Ming, maybe not now, but potentially useful.
Comparatively, the Sea King's Atlantis troops seem lesser.
"Diana, take us through that passage, back to Gotham for the final battle. The world depends on the Justice League."
Su Ming didn't wait for Bruce to speak, directly asking Diana while using words full of honor and responsibility to influence her.
"Aren't we going to plan?" Diana hesitated, with the Justice League missing two members whose whereabouts were unknown, she instinctively looked at Batman.
Su Ming wouldn't give her the chance, subtly blocking their line of sight, urging again, appearing very earnest.
"Don't hesitate, Diana, the world is in peril, civilians are suffering, you must do what a hero should do."