Bardi's right thumb gently rubbed the surface of the ring. The Green Lantern ring had a metallic and plastic texture, incredibly light, almost as if he were not wearing it at all. The ring's ever-bright green glow had already faded on his hand.
Bardi had not spoken the oath and therefore could not wield the power of the ring, but to him, this was an unexpected gain.
It was something he had not anticipated.
He had come here simply to eliminate the Justice League members who were causing him trouble, and then travel through time to save the person who had chosen to self-destruct in despair.
Unexpectedly, he had acquired one of the universe's most famous rings.
Amused, he smiled faintly.
At that moment.
A sharp screech tore through the sky as a cold flash of light cut across the darkness, drawing a blazing streak through the night.
The Trident of Neptune pierced the sky like a javelin hurled from the depths of space, flying directly toward Bardi.
Aquaman stood atop surging waves, his strong body shining under the starlight, the golden scales of his armor glittering as he hovered above the sea. His angry face loomed from above, glaring down with fury.
"You dare to kill Orm!!"
Aquaman's furious eyes burned like those of a hunting orca, cold and raging.
Bardi had destroyed everything he had worked for—the dream of peaceful coexistence between Atlantis and the surface world. His half-brother Orm was dead, murdered by Bardi's hands. It was a wound that fueled his wrath.
With a gaze as scorching as a branding iron, Bardi's eyes narrowed, twin beams of heat vision gathering at his pupils. The intense red glow condensed before erupting, twin rays piercing through the night, distorting the air as they blasted toward the oncoming Trident.
Boom!
The heat vision collided with the divine weapon midair, releasing an explosive impact. A hurricane-force blast swept out in all directions, illuminating the dark sky with bursts of flame.
The Trident spun wildly from the force, flung higher into the night sky like a kite torn loose, whistling as it cut through the air.
Beneath the surging waves, Aquaman soared upward, catching the spinning Trident in his hand. The weapon trembled violently from the impact, and Aquaman's furious gaze shifted back to Bardi below, a flicker of shock in his eyes.
In the night sky, Aquaman stood as though upon the head of a great sea dragon, high above, wielding his Trident like a mythic hero.
At that moment.
Diana, standing firm, raised her divine shield before her. Her powerful, toned thighs, wrapped in her Amazonian armor, crushed the round stones beneath her steel boots.
From her radiated the heroic spirit of a fearless warrior, one woman charging like an unstoppable army.
Alone, she advanced toward Bardi like a stampede of thousands. The air tore in white streaks around her, highlighting her resolute face and unmatched heroic beauty.
Bardi's eyes sharpened, his feet planted firmly like roots in the earth. His fists rose from his sides, breaking the sound barrier, emitting sharp red streaks as he prepared to meet the charging Amazon.
Boom…
In an instant, fist and shield collided. The deafening crash echoed through the night.
A massive wave of air pressure burst outward, blowing fiercely in all directions. The ground sank in a radius of nearly 500 meters. Shattered stones rose weightlessly, suspended by the force of the impact.
The blast rolled across the land, hurricane winds howling away into the distance.
Bardi's trench coat whipped violently in the wind. His expression remained cold, his grin sharp beneath the darkness of the night.
The earth itself held still, vacuumed silent at the center of the clash. Both combatants remained locked in place, adding force against one another, locked in a power struggle.
Diana's determined, heroic face peeked out from behind her shield as she slowly raised her gaze. Her beautiful eyes burned with fury.
"Was it you who trampled fifty million lives beneath your feet?!"
Bardi's cold eyes met hers as their strength continued to press against one another, neither side retreating. The shattered ground beneath their feet cracked and caved, their legs sinking deeper as the immense pressure condensed the very air around them.
"It was me," Bardi replied coldly, his icy gaze staring directly into Diana's enraged eyes.
The answer ignited Diana's fury further, her eyes almost blazing with rage.
"Ahhh!"
A roar burst from deep within her chest. Behind her shield, her silver bracers clashed together, releasing a massive surge of divine energy with the force of the impact.
Hum!
The divine power within her body erupted.
The collision of the bracers unleashed a force even greater than their initial clash, generating massive shockwaves that rippled through the air, rolling outward in powerful waves.
The devastating energy surged through Bardi's body, traveling through his hands, up his arms, and into his bones. The Kryptonian cells within him felt the devastating force. For the first time in more than a decade, Bardi felt injury. Microfractures formed along the bones of his hands.
It was clear. Zeus's daughter possessed the strength to challenge even him.
Forced back by the divine surge, Bardi's body floated into the sky. His gaze swept past Aquaman, still hovering above the waves, before settling once more on Diana.
Divine power, a force more mysterious than magic itself, held the ability to damage even Kryptonian cells. Bardi felt the destructive force clearly. This was not the same as magic. It carried a different nature, but its ability to harm Kryptonians was undeniable.
Bardi, experiencing it for the first time, could not yet fully analyze its composition. But he recognized its power.
Diana's arms trembled as the silver bracers fell away from her wrists. A golden light ignited deep within her eyes, spreading outward until her eyes glowed entirely gold.
The air around her stood still, her aura erupting with unmatched momentum. Stones floated weightlessly around her, shattering as they rose, her dark curls whipping wildly in the silent wind.
Her skin shone with a radiant golden light, reflecting like a Valkyrie bathed in divine brilliance beneath the night sky.
"I am Diana of Themyscira, daughter of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons! I will hold you accountable for the lives of fifty million humans!"
With a powerful stomp of her steel boots, the ground beneath her shattered further, the pit deepening as another shockwave erupted.
Her golden eyes blazed with righteous fury. The elegant curve of her neck, her head held high, gleamed like the graceful beauty of a swan in the dark.
In the next instant, she vanished from where she stood, leaping into the sky. Sword raised high, she slashed down toward Bardi.
At the same time.
The waves beneath Aquaman roared like a furious dragon, surging forward. He stepped atop the rolling tide, raising his Trident high, thrusting it directly toward Bardi.
(To be continued.)
***
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