Chapter 460: The Pursuit
The Final Numbers Game
With Zod and Edvin dead, there were only six Kryptonians left on the ground, plus one scientist.
On the heroic side, they had Diana, Superman, Martian Manhunter, Linda, and Barry Allen. Everyone had injuries of varying degrees, with Diana being the worst off, though her fighting capacity remained intact.
The addition of the Mech Corps had a tangible effect on the battle, as the Kryptonians were forced to divert attention to deal with these 'bugs.'
The five-on-six fight quickly became five-on-five.
The situation rapidly changed. Diana restrained a Kryptonian soldier with her Lasso of Truth. Linda lunged forward, hitting her opponent with a devastating body blow that made him vomit blood. She then changed her punch to an open-handed strike, forcefully chopping him on the back of the neck, knocking him unconscious.
Martian Manhunter used his telepathy, relentlessly tormenting his opponent. The continuous barrage of psychic shocks severely damaged the Kryptonian soldier's mind until he collapsed and passed out.
Clark grabbed the soldier who was chasing Barry, tore off his armor, and allowed him to feel the Earth's atmospheric conditions up close. Unable to process the billions of information streams, the soldier clutched his head and roared in pain before Clark finished him with a punch to the ground.
In the blink of an eye, three Kryptonian soldiers were defeated.
Faora witnessed all of this but did not retreat, instead attacking Clark with insane ferocity.
Her sole target was Clark.
She had to avenge Zod.
Linda's eyes glowed fiercely; she desperately wanted to kill. The situation with Luke was still unclear. If he won, fine, but if he lost...
"Kal, stop holding back! We need to support Luke! He can't last much longer!"
Everyone immediately realized their mistake. They had been so focused on fighting the soldiers that they had forgotten about H'el. Based on the previous engagement, Luke Shaw was not H'el's match, and if the fight dragged on, he could very well be killed.
Diana took a deep breath, clenched her fists, and slammed her Bracelets of Submission together.
The collision released a powerful energy blast.
Three Kryptonian soldiers were immediately sent flying. Diana whipped out the Lasso of Truth, pulling one soldier in front of her. The Sword of Hephaestus sliced through his chest, bringing out a splash of dark blood.
Diana pulled the sword out, kicked the corpse to the ground, and stated flatly,
"Enemies should be killed, not merely knocked out."
Clark was speechless, and Linda remained silent. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that the two of them had been pulling their punches throughout the fight, and their hesitation had made it difficult for Martian Manhunter and Diana to deliver a killing blow.
After all, these were Kryptonians—Clark and Linda's own people.
Diana's voice was icy. "My past experience tells me that mercy to an enemy is cruelty to a comrade. If you don't want to see Luke Shaw's corpse, you had better abandon your pity."
Before she could finish, a dark speck appeared on the horizon. The speck rapidly grew larger—it was the shuttle from the Indian Ocean. After Zod's death, they had abandoned their mission and were rushing back to Metropolis to avenge their General.
The shuttle doors opened, and eight Kryptonian soldiers leaped out, landing on the devastated ground.
Diana took a deep breath, gripping her sword hilt tightly.
"Pray to the gods that this won't end badly."
The heroes' expressions were grim. The two remaining soldiers, plus the eight newly arrived, totaled ten Kryptonian warriors. This meant that each hero would have to defeat at least two opponents simultaneously.
The Hunt Beyond Earth
Far above Earth, near low orbit.
A red flash appeared. The greatsword tore through layers of space, suddenly materializing in front of H'el.
The blade surged, its green electrical arc slamming down.
H'el gritted his teeth, erecting one telekinetic barrier after another in front of himself.
Crack!
The barriers shattered, but the figure beneath them had vanished.
H'el's exhausted form appeared a few thousand meters away. He was in terrible shape. His left arm was gone, the wound continuously bleeding. Excessive blood loss caused his vision to blur.
The most difficult thing to deal with was the Green Flame. Every time he saw it, he felt a soul-searing pain.
His mind and will were being corroded by the Green Flame, leaving him utterly exhausted. His proud telekinetic power also showed signs of depletion. If this continued, he truly might die here.
Just as he was thinking this, a red light appeared in his vision.
H'el instinctively swung his fist.
Clang!
Fist collided with the greatsword. The Green Flame surged out and transformed into a monstrous green dragon.
Aah!!!!
H'el screamed hysterically. Energy boiled around him, turning into a swirling vortex flashing with black lightning.
Boom!
The fire dragon collided with the vortex, releasing a massive shockwave. The green flames merged with the black electrical arcs, creating a spectacularly vibrant display.
"Die!"
Luke roared, and the flames expanded again, covering several hundred meters around them like a sea of fire. Eight dragon heads emerged from the flames, gnashing their teeth with savage intent, tearing in from all directions.
Even before they got close, agonizing pain spread through H'el's soul.
Shocked and enraged, H'el mustered all his remaining telekinetic power, forming a singularity around his body.
BOOM!
The singularity exploded. The invisible telekinetic energy acted on the molecular level, forming a repulsive field.
The dragon heads shattered one after another, and a clear zone appeared in the heart of the sea of fire.
H'el coughed up blood. Forcing himself to endure the intense pain in his mind, he burst out of the flames and flew toward a nearby starship.
I can't continue like this! If I keep fighting, I will truly die!
He had lived for half a lifetime, and this was the first time he had felt the certainty of death.
"Ava, how much energy is left?"
"8.1%."
"Energy is critically low. Please return to Earth immediately for replenishment."
"There's no time! I have to kill him!"
H'el's strength was beyond expectation. Luke never thought he could last this long under the Green Flame's corrosion. He knew that even a fundamental entity like the Parallax could not withstand the Green Flame's attack.
A single human possessing a soul comparable to a Lantern entity.
What a terrifying individual.
A wounded snake will bite back. I must kill him. I cannot leave this threat alive.
With this thought, Luke transformed back into the greatsword, chasing after the fleeing H'el.
The two, one pursuing and one fleeing, passed through low orbit and into outer space. The starship was positioned in the orbit between the Earth and the Moon. Upon reaching the ship, H'el immediately activated the defenses.
A force field appeared on the ship's surface. Dozens of cannons turned, aiming at the rapidly approaching greatsword.
The next moment, the target vanished. Red light flashed across the void. It passed through the force field and materialized inside the starship.
"Ava, locate H'el's position."
"There is powerful magnetic field interference everywhere. Cannot detect an effective location."
"Initiate invasion protocol."
"Security level is too high. Current equipment cannot complete the invasion protocol."
Luke left the Floating Armor, appearing in his soul form. The starship was massive, over three kilometers long and wide. Finding one person in such a huge structure was difficult, especially when it was the enemy's home turf.
"I won't let you escape."
"H'el, you will die! No matter where you hide, I will find you!"
Luke moved to the outside of the starship. He spread his hands. The flame vortices at his heart and head expanded outward. The Green Flame surged out, seemingly endless.
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