"No, do not worry about it, Amy."
Clark leaned forward slightly, interest clear in his expression after hearing her earlier words.
"I am more curious about how I might die in the future."
"Huh?"
Amy blinked in surprise. "Most people get upset when I talk about things like that."
"Everyone dies," Clark replied calmly. "Human life has limits. In the end, everyone reaches that final moment. If someone cannot even talk about it without fear or anger, then they are not very open-minded. At the very least, not very admirable."
Having spent time reading Nietzsche, Clark spoke with quiet conviction.
"Really?"
Amy nodded, though her understanding was uncertain. "So that means Brother Clark is open-minded and admirable?"
As she spoke, she gently touched his arm, closing her eyes as she focused.
Clark remained still, watching her with curiosity. He wanted to see if she could truly perceive his death.
Amy's awareness sank into darkness.
Then, a faint light appeared.
Within that endless black space, the small glimmer grew rapidly, expanding from a point into a line, then into a vast surface. A world slowly revealed itself.
It was a ruined world.
A wasteland swallowed by sandstorms. The remains of a once-great city stood broken, its skyscrapers reduced to crumbling stone and drifting dust. Everything carried a sense of destruction and finality.
From the sky, a figure fell.
Clark, wearing the Superman suit, crashed heavily onto the ground.
A green spear pierced through his chest.
Blood flowed steadily from the wound. The sight was brutal and unmistakable.
Nearby stood two women. One wore an outfit resembling a magician, complete with fishnet stockings. The other wore red and gold armor, crowned with a star-studded tiara.
Alongside Clark's fall, a grotesque floating head lingered in the air, its appearance disturbing and unnatural.
Far above, a distant silhouette hovered in the sky, watching.
"Ah!"
Amy gasped and snapped back to reality.
Sweat covered her forehead as she stared at Clark, her heart still racing.
Even though she now understood who he truly was, there was no excitement in her expression. The image she had seen weighed heavily on her.
She did not want to see him like that again.
"How was it?" Clark asked, his voice carrying a hint of anticipation. "What did you see?"
Amy hesitated.
She had almost spoken the truth, but in the end, she shook her head.
"Sorry, Brother Clark. I did not see anything. Maybe today is not the right time. Sometimes I need inspiration."
She forced a slightly embarrassed smile.
Clark studied her briefly, then nodded.
"That is fine. These things cannot be rushed. Another time, maybe."
He stood up, noticing how late it had become, and prepared to leave.
As he reached the door, Amy hurried after him.
"Brother Clark!"
He stopped and turned.
"In the future… be careful of spears. Green ones. If you ever see them, stay away."
"Green spears?"
Clark paused, thinking for a moment before offering her a small smile.
"I will keep that in mind."
Meanwhile, in Metropolis, Adrian's battle with Shazam had escalated.
Shazam, who had just been slammed into the ground, forced himself back up, his body aching. He tried to summon lightning, preparing to strike.
Before he could speak the word, Adrian moved.
A hand clamped over Shazam's mouth.
His eyes widened in shock and anger as Adrian tightened his grip, even pinching his cheeks to stop him from speaking. Shazam tried to counter with a punch, but Adrian caught it effortlessly.
An elbow drove into his chest.
A painful grunt escaped him.
Before he could recover, Adrian exhaled.
A freezing breath burst forward, instantly forming solid ice over Shazam's mouth. The ice sealed it completely, spreading cold through his body and making it difficult to breathe.
Adrian did not stop.
Grabbing Shazam by the head, he slammed him into the ground.
The impact shook the area, cracks spreading outward as dust rose into the air.
Shazam's back hit hard, pain surging through him. He tried to take flight again, but Adrian's kick sent him flying across the ground.
Nearby, Simone and the others lay groaning, their earlier confidence shattered. They had been impressed by Shazam's strength moments ago, but now they could only stare in stunned silence.
Shazam tore the ice from his mouth, breathing heavily as he looked at Adrian.
He realized something.
Adrian had held back.
If Adrian had wanted him dead, he would not have survived being restrained.
Steadying himself, Shazam rose into the air and charged again.
If Adrian wanted to see his abilities, then he would show them.
He rushed forward, but Adrian's Heat Vision struck him first, slamming into his body.
At the same time, Shazam hurled lightning in retaliation.
He hit the ground, rolled, and looked up quickly.
Adrian stood unharmed.
The lightning had not touched him.
Shazam focused, shouting as he attacked again. His punch was intercepted instantly. Adrian's eyes glowed, and another burst of Heat Vision blasted him backward.
"No… this is not working," Shazam muttered.
He understood now. In his current state, he could not win.
He considered calling down a stronger bolt, but his gaze shifted to the surroundings. Buildings, people, the injured nearby.
If he used that power here, the destruction would be immense.
He could not risk it.
A strange sense of relief passed through him. If Adrian had not stopped him earlier, things could have been far worse.
Shazam landed again, breathing heavily.
If he could not fight here, then he would take the battle into the sky.
His suit was damaged, the lightning emblem dimmer than before. His hair was disheveled, his body bruised.
With a roar, he surged forward.
Lightning erupted around him, expanding outward like a growing storm. The air itself seemed to tear under the pressure.
With explosive force, he launched at Adrian like a projectile.
Adrian reacted instantly, using super speed to evade at the last possible moment.
He was not trying to end the fight yet.
Adrian wanted to refine his abilities, using Shazam's experience as a tool to push himself further.
Shazam missed.
For a brief moment, he lost sight of his opponent.
That was enough.
Adrian appeared behind him.
His fist drove forward, the air around it cracking under the force.
Shazam sensed the attack and turned just in time, barely managing to block it.
Adrian adjusted immediately.
His other fist came at an unexpected angle, striking Shazam's chin and sending him reeling backward in midair.
Each blow carried overwhelming power.
The air shattered with every impact before Shazam's body absorbed it.
He was completely on the defensive.
With a sharp impact to his chest, Shazam gritted his teeth, grabbed Adrian's arm, and pulled him forward.
Then he locked him in a tight hold.
Adrian stiffened.
Being restrained like that irritated him more than anything else.
Before he could break free, Shazam shot upward at incredible speed.
In seconds, they reached high altitude.
"Shazam!"
The word echoed.
A bolt of magical lightning descended from above, drawn by the call.
Adrian had already anticipated this.
As the lightning fell, carrying immense destructive force, it engulfed him completely.