At that moment, Fenric suddenly blinked forward, appearing directly in front of Steppenwolf.
The abrupt movement not only caused Steppenwolf's strike to fail but also brought the two of them face-to-face.
From this close, Steppenwolf could clearly see the terrifying gleam in Fenric's eyes.
"—!"
With a sharp exhale, Steppenwolf quickly retreated, putting distance between them.
Fenric could have attacked just then, but he didn't. Instead, seeing Steppenwolf's panicked expression, Fenric smirked. With a wave of his trident, he evacuated all the surrounding seawater, forcing everyone down to the ground.
"Steppenwolf," Fenric said with a teasing smile, "you look a little afraid of me."
Mera and Arthur stared in shock, marveling at Fenric's flawless mastery of the ocean.
Steppenwolf, however, regarded him with growing wariness.
"Who are you?" he demanded. Then, as if realizing something, he added, "A Kryptonian? Aren't you supposed to be dead?"
"Who told you I was that guy who loves wearing red briefs on sight?" Fenric replied casually. "Allow me to properly introduce myself—I am the Sea God."
"Poseidon?" Mera's eyes widened, her voice trembling with disbelief. "You mean… you're His Majesty Poseidon?"
But almost immediately, she shook her head. "No, that's impossible! According to the records, the Sea God's appearance is nothing like yours!"
Fenric rolled his eyes. "I'm the new Sea God. That old Poseidon is dead."
What a blatant lie—but lying was second nature to every Samsara player.
In different worlds, concealing the existence of Samsara space was crucial, and sometimes the only option was deception.
And as for cursing Poseidon as "dead"? If Poseidon really came looking for trouble, Fenric would welcome it. He had long wanted to see these so-called gods crushed under his fists.
Mera stiffened in shock.
Poseidon… dead?
That was no small matter. For nearly every race in the ocean, Poseidon was their patron deity.
Steppenwolf snarled. "I don't care what kind of god you claim to be. Hand over the Mother Box, and I'll make you my subordinate!"
Thousands of years ago, he had slain so-called gods on Earth before. This one would be no different.
"Subordinate?"
Fenric's expression darkened. "You really don't know your place. Fine then—let Daddy teach you some manners."
With that, he casually tossed the Mother Box to Arthur, who had been watching the spectacle.
"Hold this for me."
Before Arthur could react, Fenric lunged at Steppenwolf. His right hand clenched into a fist, white vapor swirling around it as destructive power surged.
Seeing the incoming strike, Steppenwolf raised his axe, but before he could swing—
Boom!
Fenric's punch landed squarely on his abdomen.
The air exploded with a deafening crack, space itself trembling under the impact. The castle shuddered violently, stones crumbling as shockwaves rippled outward.
Arthur and Mera froze in disbelief.
They had never witnessed such raw destructive power from a single punch.
In sheer destructive might, Fenric's current strength far surpassed even Superman's.
Steppenwolf's body convulsed violently as if crushed beneath hundreds of thousands of tons. His bones creaked under the force.
Puuhh!
Blood burst from his mouth as his body was hurled backward like a cannonball, smashing through the castle walls and plummeting into the deep sea. The water's resistance eventually slowed him, but not before he had flown back hundreds of meters.
The force of that single punch made Steppenwolf question reality.
Yet, despite the devastating impact, his wounds were not fatal.
This resilience was proof of his status as one of the New Gods. Anyone else would have been reduced to pulp.
But Steppenwolf knew the truth: against Fenric, he stood no chance.
Without hesitation, he activated a Boom Tube. His body slipped into the portal, fleeing without a word.
He would return once he had gathered all three Mother Boxes. When they fused, Earth would be his to destroy!
Fenric watched him disappear and chuckled. "That was fast."
Arthur frowned. "Aren't you going to chase him?"
"There's no need," Fenric replied calmly. "As long as I hold one Mother Box, he'll come back sooner or later."
Then his gaze shifted to Arthur. "Speaking of which, Arthur Curry, I was looking for you."
"Me?" Arthur blinked in confusion. "Do we… know each other?"
"Not yet," Fenric said with a sly grin. "But soon enough, you'll understand."
Arthur's guard immediately went up. "You're strong, I'll give you that. But don't think you can drag me into your business."
Fenric's smile faded. "You don't have a choice. If I say you'll help me, you will."
Arthur's temper flared, his tone sharpening. "I'm not interested in your affairs!"
"Whether you're interested or not doesn't matter." Fenric's voice was unyielding.
Arthur gritted his teeth, ready to argue, when Fenric suddenly waved dismissively. "We'll discuss this later. For now, you should head home."
"Home?" Arthur stiffened, his expression turning grim. Did Fenric do something to his father? His father lived alone—
"What did you do to him?!"
"Relax. I didn't harm him," Fenric replied. "But your father is eager to see you. I merely passed along the message."
Arthur narrowed his eyes, suspicion still etched on his face. "If you've touched him, I'll never forgive you."
"You're in no position to threaten me," Fenric said flatly. With a flick of his trident, a surge of water carried Arthur far from the castle while the Mother Box flew to his hand.
By the time Arthur steadied himself, he was already leagues away.
Fury burned in his chest, but concern for his father outweighed his anger. Without hesitation, he swam off toward home.
Once Arthur was gone, Mera stepped forward, her movements cautious, her voice tentative.
"Are you… truly the Sea God?"
Fenric smirked. "Want me to prove it? How about I summon a wave big enough to wash Atlantis off the map?"
"!!!"
Mera paled, hurriedly shaking her head. "Forgive me. I didn't mean to doubt you—it's just that your identity carries great weight. I had to ask."
"I don't have time for games," Fenric cut her off with a wave of his hand. "Go back and tell Orm this: I'll be coming to see him soon."
Leaving those words behind, Fenric rode the currents and vanished into the sea's depths.
He still had the Mother Box to deal with.