"So what exactly is it that warrants this level of preparation from us, Your Majesty?"
Beside him, Mantis asked Darkseid with a grin.
Darkseid glanced at Mantis. He deeply disliked the casual way Mantis addressed him.
But in truth, he knew he had to tolerate Mantis's small offenses.
As for the reason—well, Mantis happened to be the strongest warrior under his command...
Before Mantis had appeared, Darkseid had spent every single day agonizing over the attacks from New Genesis.
Only when he acted personally could he hold back those bastards who fought Apokolips to the bitter end.
That burden had plagued him for over twenty thousand years!
Until at last, he had found Mantis in a universe that delighted him.
Once he had conquered Mantis's homeland and forced Mantis to bow before him...
Only then had Darkseid finally been able to divert his attention from New Genesis's assaults.
And this, too, was why Mantis dared to act slightly casual in front of Darkseid.
Just like now. Darkseid gave Mantis a long, deep look.
The other members of the Dark Elite nearby also shot displeased glances at Mantis.
But Mantis couldn't have cared less. He simply looked at Darkseid with eager anticipation.
Seeing this, Darkseid frowned and said coldly:
"An Old God has appeared among the Kryptonians of a certain universe. Glorious Godfrey and Amazing Grace have just died by his hand!"
"Hm?!"
Mantis froze, and his expression instantly turned savage!
As the chief general of Apokolips, whenever Darkseid left, Mantis always had to remain behind to guard Apokolips.
And Godfrey, with that lazy, free-spirited personality of his, was also one of the elites who least liked going out on missions.
As the two members who stayed behind on Apokolips the most, their friendship was far better than anyone else's!
At the very least, Mantis was quite fond of Godfrey as a friend!
Of course, Mantis was even fonder of his friend's sister...
In any case, upon hearing the news of their deaths, Mantis's demeanor changed completely. His face gradually twisted into something ferocious.
"Is this the path to that so-called god?"
He demanded bluntly of Darkseid, but his words drew particular displeasure from DeSaad nearby.
DeSaad cleared his throat lightly, then rebuked Mantis.
"You should address him as 'Your Majesty,' you fool!"
"Shut up, DeSaad. Don't bother me at a time like this.
Otherwise, I doubt you'd want to remember what it feels like to have your head shoved up your own ass!!!"
Mantis spat at DeSaad, then turned his attention back to Darkseid.
But this time, Darkseid was truly angry.
He looked at Mantis deeply, then nodded expressionlessly.
With that motion, the passage before them abruptly took shape!
The passage looked much like the portals of those sorcerers in the Marvel world—a doorway forming between two worlds, allowing both sides to see and pass through to the other.
But Darkseid's portal was clearly superior. After all, the Ancient One's portal didn't come with a carpet laid beneath one's feet or ornate runic doors.
At the same time, in two different universes—the palace of Apokolips and the battlefield of Hui-Core Star—
Darkseid on Apokolips said to Mantis:
"You had better vent your fury in the battle to come. And you had better pray that I pour my own fury onto that bastard instead.
Otherwise, you will be taught a lesson for this, Mantis!"
Having said that, Darkseid smiled cruelly, then turned his head and looked toward the portal with anticipation.
Meanwhile, on Hui-Core Star, Heisenberg was just hoisting up the body of a Brainiac he had destroyed moments ago.
He brought that Brainiac's head up before his face.
"Let me count. Which one are you... Ha...
You're the last one!"
As his words fell, Heisenberg's hands suddenly exerted force, and that Brainiac's head and body were torn cleanly in two!
Casually tossing the body away, Heisenberg clutched the head and grinned savagely.
"You'd better have some other tricks up your sleeve, you piece of trash.
Show me what you're made of. You shouldn't be this weak.
Come on—show me!"
The instant his words fell, a portal from Apokolips suddenly appeared in the distance!
The strange fluctuation of space-time made Heisenberg look directly toward it.
In that instant, the gazes of Heisenberg and Darkseid collided violently!
When Heisenberg saw Darkseid's head, which looked like a rotten potato, a delighted smile immediately lit up his face.
He just stood there, holding Brainiac's head, and gave Darkseid a light wave!
"I thought I wouldn't get any joy out of this fight today.
Good thing you're here!"
"I hope your abilities are as sharp as your tongue,
Heisenberg!"
Darkseid said to Heisenberg from afar, then leaped—passing directly through the portal and into the skies above Hui-Core Star.
At the same time, DeSaad pressed his hand against the spatial rift beside him.
He took over control of the portal.
"Though Heisenberg is bound to lose, I must admit—his strength is genuinely formidable.
Therefore, we should avoid participating in the war between His Majesty and Heisenberg as much as possible.
Shortly, the Parademon channels will fully open onto Hui-Core Star.
Virman Vundabar, as the strategist of Apokolips, you will operate the Parademon core to systematically dismantle Brainiac's forces and Heisenberg's warriors on Hui-Core Star.
Granny Goodness, take your proudest Female Furies and wipe out those Kryptonians who are exploring and destroying across the planet!
Kalibak, though His Majesty does not acknowledge your status, you are his eldest son. Do not shame your father!
Kanto, as the universe's greatest assassin, keep your eyes on the battlefield at all times and be ready to support any of the elite.
And as for the last..."
At this point, DeSaad stared at Mantis and let out a soft sigh.
"Lastly, Mantis..."
He hesitated for a moment, then pointed toward the distant battlefield and sneered.
"Go. Go to that planet. Slaughter. Butcher. Kill every living thing your eyes fall upon!"
Hearing DeSaad's command, Mantis shook his head with disdain.
"All this fuss over such trivial shit—did you really need to run your mouth, you piece of garbage?"
As his words fell, he too leaped through, landing in the midst of the Amazon warriors in an instant.
Before the Amazon warriors could even react, Mantis had already swung the metal blades extending from his arms, cutting more than five of them cleanly in half!
"Careful—a powerful enemy has arrived!"
A nearby warrior shouted, and Wonder Woman immediately looked in that direction.
There was always a kind of resonance between the strong and the strong. Diana saw at a glance that the bastard with blades sprouting from his hands was an absolute master!
So she immediately swung her long legs into motion, charging at Mantis with everything she had.
But in the time it took her to reach him, more than fifty Amazon warriors had already died at Mantis's hands.
The sight of her people being torn to pieces one after another made Diana's eyes turn bloodshot!
"You goddamn bastard!!!"
Roaring, Diana leaped high, her sword thrust straight at Mantis's head.
Watching the incoming blade and the alluring woman behind it, Mantis licked his lips and laughed coldly.
"Trash."
He murmured, and at the same time delivered a sweeping kick that snapped Diana's sword-wielding wrist clean in two.
Then, before Barry could even come to her rescue, the twin blades in Mantis's hands had already plunged into Diana's stomach!
"Ugh... AAAGH!!!"
With a scream, Diana howled in agony, struggling to raise her left arm to shield her forehead.
The next instant, the blade Mantis drove toward her skull collided violently with Diana's gauntlet.
*BOOM!!!*
The massive shockwave sent Diana flying back several kilometers, but she hadn't even landed before Mantis was already upon her again.
Mantis's blade chopped down toward Diana's neck with brutal force—and in the blink of an eye, her head was severed!
Demigod blood sprayed across the battlefield, and the grisly sight silenced everyone who witnessed it. Mantis was about to lick the blood from his sword, but as he raised the blade to his tongue, it...
It slowly slid back to its original position.
Nearby, Barry's eyes went wide. He simply couldn't comprehend how a situation that had been fine just a second ago could change so completely in an instant!
But nothing could stop his determination to set everything right. Diana's death sent the blood racing through his entire body.
He was running. He had to run faster—until...
Until even time itself turned back before him!!!
/-\
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