But it's the magicians who performed the most spectacularly. After years of recuperation, the magic realm suddenly made a stunning appearance.
The essence of magic remains borrowing and lending; that has not changed. The source of magicians' power, whether it be devils or mysterious entities from beyond, remains the same.
However, what's different is that the human side has united to collectively negotiate with the devils. The devils' greed for human souls and the newly constructed magical defense network are good bargaining chips. At least humans are quite satisfied with the outcome of the negotiations.
DC's contracts are much stricter than Marvel's. The devils demand souls and do not relent on this point. However, most devils agree to take the souls after the magicians' natural death, avoiding torment during their lifetime and granting them more power to use.
Humans, on the other hand, use more scientific methods to choose the most suitable agents for each devil. This is the purpose of the Gotham Magic Academy.
It might seem unfair on the surface, but honestly, for the devils, humans' lifespans are just too short. They finally pick an agent whose power and temperament suit them well, but the agent often doesn't live for even a hundred years. It's like the devils take a nap, and the agent is gone. They don't like that either.
So many devils choose to extend their agents' lives. Although the soul is still held by the devil, it can essentially be called an infinite lifespan.
Take Pamela, for example. All Things Green favors her. Every universe chooses her, so naturally, they won't let her die so easily. Pamela now won't age; even after a hundred years, she'll still be a youthful beauty.
Some worry, "If the soul is in the devil's grasp, wouldn't that mean being forced to serve the devil?"
It depends on what the core interest of the devil is. They want more believers, so they will have the agents preach. These sects often aren't good, mostly some crazy demonisms. But that's not the point; the point is the existence of Earth, which allows them more believers.
If Earth were gone and not a single human remained, where would they find believers? Rely on the demon-type faiths created by Darkseid? That's not possible.
The human race is indeed weak, but it's precisely because they are so fragile that they seek emotional solace and turn to those demonic paths, giving devils an opportunity. Preaching in a fully mechanical civilization doesn't work.
So essentially, in ensuring Earth's existence, the core interests of devils and humans align.
For instance, in this great battle, magicians truly experienced the joy of an infinite budget. Almost all devils unanimously stated: Spend whatever you need, don't save for me, you must teach those bastards who want to destroy Earth a lesson!
So even magic apprentices who just signed contracts were wielding divine artifacts in one hand and casting forbidden curses with the other, their bodies shimmering with light as if magic energy cost nothing and throwing it all at the enemy.
Moreover, both devils and angels seek believers, so naturally, the better they perform, the more humans will believe in them. If you demonstrate miracles at the critical moment of human survival, saving humanity, calling you a "Savior" is indeed fitting.
They not only gave budgets generously but also wracked their brains to come up with tricks to improve their believers' performance. Devils brought forth Hellfire, and angels responded with a Great Chanting Skill; All Things Green summoned plant armies, and All Things Red unleashed rampaging beasts.
They were the main reason Brainiac managed to defeat so many enemies in such a short time. After all, each of them is a Multiverse level big shot, and their agents are formidable even without personal intervention. With fists flying, even Darkseid would be dazed for a couple of days.
However, it's not to say that Brainiac didn't contribute. Bear in mind, he is a machine of pure logic, fundamentally unable to comprehend mysticism, the total opposite of chaotic magic.
That he could harness this power, and even systematically deploy them to the most suitable battlefield, illustrates that the Brainiac in Shiller's universe has already begun breaking free from the innate constraints of artificial intelligence, stepping toward becoming a purely intelligent life form.
And because the magicians performed so well, after the war ended, almost everyone knew about the Gotham Magic Academy. Many magicians who participated in the battle wore the same uniform, and Brainiac didn't hide it either, openly stating they were all students from the same magic academy.
Moreover, Brainiac began selecting students suitable for magic training worldwide, inviting them to study at Gotham Magic Academy. To facilitate exchanges and learning among magicians worldwide, Brainiac specifically established a "Department of Magic" to serve the academy's students and other creatures from the magic world.
Quite a few magical creatures participated in this war, some just seeking something to do, others who have a fondness for the inner world or a close relationship with a certain magician. For instance, the Master of the Dark Night led Maya's troops to assist in the battle, and they currently remain in the inner world, not having retreated.
The inner world is becoming increasingly prosperous. The street where Shiller owns a shop has truly become Diagon Alley. Almost all the shops are open, the street is bustling, and Merkel is overwhelmed just delivering flowers.
All in all, this is the most united time for Earth and all related races and forces on Earth. Considering the scale of this invasion, it can be said that humanity has gained significantly.
Don't be fooled by the seemingly lively scene, with Darkseid and the Emotional Spectrum Corps involved, but in reality, neither was truly serious. Darkseid himself and the Apocalypse Star realm didn't appear, with only Kindly Granny coming as the main battleship, at most with Desaad behind the scenes commanding.
On the side of the Emotional Spectrum Corps, most corps operate autonomously. For example, not even the Little Blue People can command the Red Lantern Corps and Orange Lantern Corps. The main force consists of some members of the Green Lantern Corps opposed to Hal, alongside the Yellow Lantern Corps who naturally don't get along with the Green Lantern Corps.
The Little Blue People had no intention of clashing with Earth. After full-scale warfare broke out, they did not send additional reinforcements and remained absent from the scene, not even employing the technologies they command.
For the surface civilization of humans, these enemies are indeed quite strong, but if we compare them to the disasters in other universes, it can be said it's just a drop in the ocean.
The Prime Universe, after all, faced off directly against Darkseid himself and even took a trip to Apocalypse Star; in other universes, every disaster is met with joint attacks from multiple sides, often resulting in a pyrrhic victory.
In the universe where Shiller resides, the greatest loss from the battles was Brainiac, whose system was nearly scrapped; next were some superpower users and alien races; most of the deceased magicians were resurrected by the devils, so the actual losses were minimal.
Ordinary humans suffered even less, as most of them were engaged in screwing, not participating in front-line battles. The number of deaths was even smaller than a day of invasion war in other universes' Metropolises.
However, the benefits gained by the human race are evident. Although some time was indeed lost, Earth has basically achieved unification, and this political system is one that the vast majority of ordinary people can accept. Under Brainiac's rule, global industrialization is just a matter of time.
Since the Second Industrial Revolution, there have been no breakthrough reforms in human technology levels or social systems. This time can be described as the largest-scale reform in human history. Even considering the reset time, it only took three short years. Compared to human history, it can be said to be highly efficient, almost perfect.
Put it this way: as long as Brainiac's feelings are not taken into account, it can be described as the greatest victory in the history of Earth and all related forces and organizations.
Of course, if the Justice League is included, this record is likely to be broken soon. Even if the Justice League brings some monsters, Brainiac would not be surprised anymore.
Once the public office was mostly arranged, Shiller still needed to arrange his personal office. Although he had no interest in decorating it, Brainiac emphasized the possibility of students coming to give him gifts, so it still needed some decoration.
Shiller placed the giant Christmas tree by the window, right near his desk, ensuring that every student who came in could see it. Then he placed a pile of decorative gift boxes under the tree and hung colored balls and bells on it.
After finishing, he took a look and nodded with satisfaction. The festive lights outside the window, combined with the Christmas tree inside, indeed created a bit of a Christmas atmosphere.
Soon it was time to get off work, and Shiller took another shuttle bus, the one heading toward the East District where Billy's school was located, arriving at the school gates.
Children with backpacks poured out en masse. Even though there had been fierce battles above Earth for several months, it had nothing to do with the elementary school kids. Apart from their commute changing to school buses, their lives remained largely unchanged.
Shiller waved to Billy, who ran over. He wasn't surprised, clearly having been informed by Brainiac.
"Good evening, Professor Shearer," Billy said, sniffling. "Victor just called me, saying he's already back on Earth, but he's a bit busy today, so he'll see me tomorrow."
"Yes, there was a minor accident in his lab..."
"An accident? Was it serious? Did he get hurt?!"
"Of course not, only one of his students was slightly injured." Shiller ushered Billy onto another school bus and said, "You'll see him at home tomorrow."
Billy nodded, wiped away the condensation on the glass with his hand, then gazed out the window. Shiller asked him, "How have your studies been? Are you keeping up with your classes?"
"Not bad." Billy scratched his head, saying, "I moved up two places in the exams, from last to third last. Brainiac even complimented me on my improvement."
"That's pretty good." Shiller patted his head and asked, "How about your relationship with your classmates? Do they still make fun of you?"
"No, Brainiac doesn't allow that. Once, someone made a face at me, and Brainiac reported it to the teacher. Haha, and then he got scolded," Billy laughed.
"So you're not angry with him anymore."
Billy felt a bit embarrassed and said, "Victor told me going to war isn't a game. Even though I turn into Shazam as an adult, I'm still a kid. Kids shouldn't go to such dangerous places."
Shiller thought Victor was quite good at taking care of kids, being able to persuade Billy. Previously, when he applied for a visa, Billy heard about the battles in space and insisted on turning into Shazam to fight those invaders, but Brainiac firmly stopped him, not letting him go, causing Billy to be angry for quite some time.
Shiller suspected that Old Shazam might have instigated him, but unfortunately, he ran into a brick wall. Brainiac's convincing aspect is that once he sets the rules, they must be meticulously executed. The restrictions apply not only to humans but also include himself.
Saying that the mentally ill and minors are not allowed on the battlefield means they are not allowed, even if you have the ability to pierce the sky, you won't get a visa. So even if Brainiac had just learned Shiller actually had superpowers, once Shiller mentioned the mental health report, there was nothing more to say.
Even if it were to happen again, knowing Shiller had superpowers, as long as the assessment didn't pass, he still wouldn't be allowed to go.