A streak of purple light shot toward Adrian's location.
A mysterious yet strangely familiar aura surged through the air, rushing toward him and causing the surrounding atmosphere to tremble. The moment Adrian sensed it, he frowned.
There was no hostility within that presence.
The Spectre, however, reacted with immediate caution. His form expanded once more into a towering giant dozens of meters tall, positioning himself protectively in front of Adrian.
At the same time, a faint green radiance spread from his body, enveloping the entire area.
The emerald glow stretched across the sky, seeming to swallow the heavens themselves. It carried an overwhelming divine authority.
Before the incoming purple light could collide with the Spectre's barrier, the Spirit of Vengeance extended a hand and pointed forward.
A massive shockwave erupted from his fingertips.
The attack surged toward the approaching figure and intercepted it before it could advance any further.
The purple light condensed into a humanoid silhouette.
The figure managed to evade the direct impact of the Spectre's attack, but the force generated by the collision halted all forward momentum.
Their powers crashed against one another, creating a violent zone of conflicting energy.
"Brother!"
The purple figure called out.
Standing behind the Spectre, Adrian's eyes widened.
The figure looked remarkably similar to Rachel.
Even her voice was exactly the same.
"Stop!"
Adrian shouted immediately.
At that moment, Rachel was struggling against the light released by the Spectre's attack. She covered her eyes and could no longer move forward.
Worse, the divine energy emanating from the Spectre carried a devastating effect on spiritual beings. Rachel's soul felt as though it were being torn apart and dissolved.
She cried out in pain while clutching her face.
The instant Adrian shouted, he activated his Super Speed.
A blur of motion flashed across the battlefield.
In less than a heartbeat, he appeared directly in front of Rachel and shielded her from the Spectre's power.
His body absorbed the full force of the energy.
The attack that had been destroying Rachel's soul now struck Adrian instead.
The pain caused his body to stiffen.
Swaying slightly, Adrian raised an arm and blocked the remaining wave of divine energy.
"Stop, Spectre!"
Seeing Adrian place himself between Rachel and danger, the Spectre immediately withdrew his power.
"She is not an enemy."
After speaking coldly to the confused Spirit of Vengeance, Adrian turned toward Rachel's soul.
He slowly reached out a hand.
"Rachel, is that really you?"
His voice trembled with emotion.
Rachel lowered her hands and looked at him.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
She desperately wanted to throw herself into his arms, but in her current spiritual state, she could not.
"It's me, Brother. I'm Rachel."
She reached toward him.
Their hands passed through each other.
Adrian froze.
"Brother, they've imprisoned me. Please, you have to save me!"
There was no time for lengthy explanations.
Rachel could only convey the most important thing.
She needed help.
Immediately.
"Who imprisoned you, Rachel?"
Adrian's voice was urgent.
"Constantine. Batman."
Rachel suddenly winced and grabbed her forehead.
Something was wrong.
Her soul had become unstable.
"Where are you?"
Seeing her condition deteriorate, Adrian asked the most important question.
Fear gripped him.
If she vanished now, he might lose his only lead.
"Rachel, tell me where you are. Where do I need to go to save you?"
"Ugh..."
Rachel groaned in pain.
Her body was becoming increasingly transparent.
"No! They're closing the spell circle. They're pulling me back! My soul form can't last much longer!"
Panic filled her voice.
Her form flickered violently.
"No! Rachel!"
Adrian's composure shattered.
"Tell me where you are! Don't leave like this!"
An invisible force began dragging Rachel backward.
Using every ounce of strength she had left, she cried out:
"In Gotham! Please... you have to find me!"
Her eyes filled with reluctance and pain.
Then her soul was pulled away at incredible speed.
"Brother Adrian!"
Her final call echoed through the air before she disappeared completely.
Adrian's eyes turned bloodshot.
He lunged forward instinctively, trying to grab her.
His hands closed on empty air.
For a brief moment, he stood frozen.
Then he moved.
The Yellow Lantern Ring materialized on his hand.
A burst of yellow energy exploded outward.
His body transformed into a streak of yellow lightning.
"Wait! Homelander!"
The Spectre called after him.
It was too late.
Adrian had already vanished.
The Spectre stared toward the horizon, his expression darkening.
Something about this situation felt profoundly wrong.
Nearby, Clark had witnessed Rachel's appearance as well.
His own emotions were in turmoil.
Without hesitation, he took to the sky and followed Adrian toward Gotham City.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Adrian accelerated relentlessly through the atmosphere.
The sonic booms generated by his speed echoed across the city.
Citizens looked upward in alarm.
All they could see was a brilliant yellow streak tearing across the sky.
A few moments later, Adrian crossed the Gotham River and raced through the canyons formed by Gotham's towering skyscrapers.
Finally, he stopped.
His eyes settled on an aging residential building.
Rachel's spiritual trail ended there.
The unique scent associated with her soul still lingered in the air.
Thud!
Adrian landed heavily.
The pavement beneath his feet shattered.
Murderous intent filled his eyes.
Without hesitation, he slammed a fist into the wall.
Bang!
The structure shook violently.
A glowing purple magic circle appeared across the surface.
The enchantment absorbed most of the impact.
"Constantine. Batman."
Adrian stared at his fist.
His voice was cold.
His eyes burned with fury.
"Very good."
"You've successfully angered me."
The rage within him had reached a level he could barely contain.
Boom!
The ground exploded beneath his feet.
Adrian shot into the sky.
Hovering above the building, he unleashed Heat Vision from his eyes.
Twin crimson beams swept across the structure from every angle.
At the same time, empowered by the Yellow Lantern Ring, every punch he threw generated devastating shockwaves.
The building endured an assault from both overwhelming force and searing energy.
The magic circle resisted fiercely.
But not completely.
Eventually, Adrian discovered a weakness.
A section of the wall shattered.
Without hesitation, he entered through the opening.
His eyes immediately found Rachel.
She was lying inside the room.
Seeing her alive and apparently unharmed, Adrian finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He hurried toward her.
"Rachel, I'm here. I found you."
Crouching beside the magic circle imprisoning her, he tried to keep his emotions under control.
Rachel slowly opened her eyes.
The moment she heard Adrian's voice, relief washed over her face.
A weak smile appeared.
"I knew Brother would come save me."
"Tell me how to destroy this magic circle."
Adrian carefully examined the spell.
He knew that acting recklessly could endanger her.
"Break the restraints," Rachel said weakly. "Disrupt the symbols and extinguish the flames."
She glanced toward the burning candles and the runes inscribed on the floor.
"I understand."
Adrian immediately destroyed the candles and erased the magical symbols.
Once the circle was dismantled, he helped Rachel to her feet.
Supporting her carefully, he spoke softly.
"It's over now."
"Yes."
Tears glistened in her eyes.
"I trusted you would come. That's why I used magic to let my soul escape and find you."
She clung tightly to his arm.
Then her expression changed.
"Brother, they may still be here. Be careful."
Adrian nodded.
His gaze swept across the room.
"I don't see anyone."
Rachel removed her hood and studied the darkness around them.
"That doesn't mean they're gone. For mages, what you see isn't always reality."
She looked toward Adrian.
His eyes glowed faintly blue as Super Vision searched for hidden clues.
Then Rachel smiled.
A strange smile.
One Adrian couldn't see.
The side of her face slowly unraveled into strips of bandages.
"Oh, Brother."
"Let me tell you a truth."
"Even feelings can be deceived."
The instant the words left her mouth, countless green bandages burst from her body.
They wrapped around Adrian with terrifying speed.
The enchanted cloth moved like living creatures.
Within seconds, he was completely restrained.
The magical bindings were incredibly powerful.
Adrian reacted instantly and attempted to break free.
He failed.
"I can feel your soul."
"You tyrannical bastard."
After releasing the final bandages, Rachel's appearance vanished entirely.
Standing before Adrian was a figure completely wrapped in mystical cloth.
At the same moment, Adrian's old acquaintance emerged from the shadows.
John Constantine.
Adrian struggled against the restraints.
The bandaged figure immediately reminded him of Ragman.
Rory Regan.
A native of Gotham City.
After his father's death, Rory inherited a mystical garment that transformed him into the supernatural vigilante known as Ragman.
The enchanted suit housed countless trapped souls, granting immense strength, resilience, and powerful magical abilities.
Could this really be Ragman?
Countless thoughts flashed through Adrian's mind.
Constantine stepped forward and casually dusted off his coat.
A cigarette rested between his fingers.
"Quite dramatic, isn't it, Adrian?"
He lit the cigarette and took a slow drag.
"You're a clever man. Black Canary was absolutely right about one thing."
"You're not invincible."
"Because you possess the greatest weakness possible."
"Humanity."
Smoke drifted from his lips.
"The irony is that the human soul has become your vulnerability."
He shook his head.
"Sometimes I honestly can't decide whether humanity is a blessing or a curse."
"You can see through lies. You can uncover hidden truths."
"But when your family is involved, all that intelligence disappears."
Constantine gestured toward Ragman.
"This is Ragman. Most people call him Rory."
His gaze returned to Adrian.
"I've heard all about your encounter with the ancient goddesses. Ordinary magic doesn't work well against you."
"But not all magic comes from the same source."
He pointed toward the enchanted cloth wrapped around Adrian.
"These bandages aren't ordinary fabric."
"There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of souls trapped inside them."
Constantine's eyes narrowed.
"Do you know why they're drawn to you?"
"Do you know why your soul is being pulled away from your body?"
Without waiting for an answer, he continued.
"Because no matter how much you justify your actions, you're still a complete bastard."
"No matter how many followers praise you."
"No matter how many people smile, flatter you, and tell you what you want to hear."
"You're an unforgivable bastard."
His voice grew harsher.
"Whatever happened in your life, it doesn't give you the right to abuse your power."
"Your father spoke with me once."
"He believed in you."
"He believed that you and Clark would change the world."
"The entire world."
Constantine shook his head.
"But this isn't the future he envisioned."
"He wanted you and Superman to make the world better."
"Not conquer it."
"Not reshape it according to your own desires."
His expression hardened.
"I regret having any faith in you."
"From the day we first met, I knew there was something wrong."
"You were a bastard then."
"And somehow you've become an even bigger bastard now."
"I shouldn't have believed you would change."
"And I certainly shouldn't have believed your father's judgment."