Starfire soared through the dark skies of Hell, both hands glowing as she unleashed a continuous barrage of starbolts toward the monstrous creature below. The blasts struck its massive body in rapid succession, forcing several of its heads to recoil as they screeched in frustration.
One of the enormous heads suddenly reared upward, its jaws stretching wide before snapping shut with terrifying force. Starfire twisted sharply in midair, narrowly avoiding the bite as the creature's teeth clamped together where she had been only a moment earlier.
Below her, Beast Boy,still in his massive werewolf form,charged forward before launching himself into the air. He landed on top of one of the creature's heads, claws digging deep into its flesh as he struggled to keep his footing.
The creature shrieked in fury and immediately slammed its head down against the ground, attempting to crush him beneath its own weight. Even then Beast Boy refused to let go, clinging stubbornly to the creature as it dragged its head across the stone floor. The demon smashed into one of the towering pillars surrounding the shrine, the impact cracking the ancient structure as Beast Boy was finally thrown free.
He slumped against the broken pillar, breathing heavily.
The creature's throat suddenly bulged as its mouth opened wide, unleashing a torrent of flame directly toward him.
Robin reacted instantly. Swinging down from above, he grabbed Beast Boy around the torso and fired his grappling hook in the same motion. The cable tightened and pulled them both away just as the flames engulfed the area where Beast Boy had fallen.
Robin landed on a nearby platform and glanced toward the top of the shrine. Raven was already there, locked in combat with a familiar figure wielding a sword.
His eyes narrowed.
Without hesitation, he raised his grappling gun again and fired it toward the upper platform. The hook caught and the line tightened, pulling him upward toward the battle.
Meanwhile, Blue Beetle rolled aside as one of the creature's sharp legs stabbed into the ground where he had been standing. His armor shifted smoothly as his arm transformed into a glowing blade, and he swung it in a wide arc that severed three of the monster's legs in a single strike.
The creature roared as its massive body lurched violently, struggling to maintain its balance.
One of its remaining heads turned toward Blue Beetle, its mouth opening as energy began gathering deep within its throat.
"Oh, shit," he muttered, preparing to take off.
Before the creature could fire, a fierce battle cry echoed across the battlefield, accompanied by the piercing sound of a thousand screeching birds.
The demon looked up just as Thena descended from the sky, her sword extended forward and wrapped in violent arcs of lightning.
She crashed down onto the creature's skull with explosive force, driving the blade deep into its head as the impact forced its neck downward. Lightning surged through its body while Thena twisted the sword buried up to the hilt in its skull.
The head convulsed violently before going still.
She yanked the blade free, but the moment she did her instincts screamed in warning.
One of the remaining heads lunged toward her, its jaws snapping shut with crushing force.
A rock shattered between its teeth.
Thena reappeared beside Terra, who had already spun her staff before slamming it into the ground. Power surged through the earth as a section of stone rose beneath the creature, tipping its massive body sideways.
The demon screeched as it crashed heavily onto the ground.
Before it could recover, Thena quickly formed a series of hand seals before clapping her hands together.
"Wood Release: Wood Binding Jutsu!"
Thick wooden vines erupted from the ground and wrapped tightly around the creature's massive form. The demon roared as it struggled against the bindings, while its four remaining heads snapped and gnawed at the vines in an attempt to tear them apart.
One of the heads finally broke free, its throat swelling as it prepared to unleash another devastating attack.
Starbolts and energy blasts rained down from above as Starfire and Blue Beetle attacked together, but the creature pushed through the barrage and continued charging its attack.
Then Beast Boy returned.
Running on all fours, he launched himself forward and slammed a powerful punch into the creature's face, driving the head into the ground with bone-shaking force.
The monster retaliated instantly.
Its massive tails whipped through the air and struck Beast Boy mid-leap, sending him hurtling across the battlefield.
Terra reacted in an instant,a gigantic stone hand erupted from the ground and clamped tightly around the creature's tails, locking them in place. She clenched her teeth from the strain and turned toward Thena.
"Whatever you're planning," she said through gritted teeth, "do it now."
Thena nodded.
She stabbed her sword into the ground before creating a single shadow clone beside her. Holding out her hand, she began forming a Rasengan while the clone infused it with fire chakra. The sphere of spinning energy shifted from blue to deep red as intense heat radiated from it.
Bending her legs, Thena launched herself high into the air as the Rasengan grew larger and larger above her palm.
"This is my new jutsu!" she shouted.
"Giant Burning Rasengan!"
The massive sphere, now nearly five meters wide, blazed like a miniature sun as she descended toward the bound demon.
The moment the Rasengan touched the wooden bindings they turned to ash instantly.
The attack slammed directly into the creature's body.
A massive shockwave erupted from the impact, blasting the Titans backward as the light from the technique forced Starfire and Blue Beetle to shield their eyes.
The demon roared in agony as all four of its heads shrieked at once, its enormous body pushing back against the spinning sphere of destruction.
Thena gritted her teeth as the heat intensified. Her sleeve burned away instantly and the skin on her hand began to blister from the overwhelming temperature.
With a roar, she twisted the Rasengan.
The sphere spun even faster.
The force suddenly erupted forward, blasting both the Rasengan and the creature high into the sky as the recoil threw Thena backward.
Beast Boy leapt into the air and caught her before she could hit the ground.
Above them, the Rasengan carried the monster higher and higher into the dark skies of Hell.
Then it exploded.
The massive detonation lit up the sky like a sun, and when the flames finally faded, nothing remained of the creature but drifting ash.
---
.
"Wow, what was that?" Beast Boy asked, still catching his breath from the explosion.
"It's currently my strongest offensive move," Thena replied, her voice calm, though her eyes scanned the battlefield. Seeing that Beast Boy wasn't letting go, she added dryly, "You can put me down now."
"Oh, right. Of course," he said sheepishly, carefully lowering her to the ground.
A few minutes earlier, atop the shrine.
Robin landed between Raven and her opponent, crouching as his eyes widened slightly beneath his mask. "Slade?" he asked, uncertainty lacing his voice. "What are you doing here?"
A cold smile spread across Slade's face. "Ahh, Damian, how nice of you to join us. As for your question… I died, killed by the imposter who took what is rightfully ours. But now, with Trigon's power, I am back. And together, we can take it back."
"No… this has to be a trick," Damian said, narrowing his eyes.
"I assure you, this is no trick," Slade continued smoothly. "Lord Trigon is my sustenance, and with his power at our side, we can reclaim what was lost and usher in the new era your grandfather envisioned. But, of course… there is a price."
"And what is that?" Damian asked, suspicion sharpening his tone.
"She must die," Slade said, pointing toward the downed Raven with his sword.
Damian closed his eyes briefly, taking a deep breath. "I've let go of that goal, Slade. There's more to life than the League. Besides, that was my grandfather's goal, not mine. I want to make my own path now. And I know you very well that even if this is true, you'd stab me in the back the first chance you got to take over the League."
Slade chuckled darkly. "Don't give me that bullshit, boy. I know how much you still want revenge, to take back the League by force. But living with your father has made you a rich, spoiled brat more than you ever were. I am more of an Al Ghul than you'll ever be."
Damian's eyes narrowed as he then replied "Then prove it."
"Gladly," Slade said, his tone filled with anticipation as he drew the second sword from his back and charged.
End of Chapter.
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