Chapter 461: A Dying Strike
The Soul's Inferno
Luke always held the Green Flame in awe; he truly didn't know what it represented.
It looked like fire, yet it was fundamentally different. It possessed the same ferocity and speed as flame, but it emitted a chill that penetrated the soul.
It was the natural enemy of the soul. Just a tiny spark was enough to incinerate a soul completely.
It had an extremely powerful corrosive ability. No substance or energy in the world—not even ultimate materials like Amazonian metal or Poseidon's Chill Steel could resist the Green Flame's corrosion.
Often, Luke would consciously try to forget about this ability. Even so, as he aged, the Green Flame strengthened bit by bit. Especially when in Soul Form, it was almost impossible to control.
The two vortices at his heart and head were actually a type of seal. Once opened, something terrible would happen.
Just like now. The Green Flame rushed out like a flood breaching a dam, quickly spreading outward. In just a few seconds, it formed a sea of fire spanning thousands of meters.
Luke controlled the flame and merged into it.
The sea of fire moved in all directions, gradually forming a siege.
Looking up from Earth, one could clearly see the gigantic green star in the night sky.
"What is he doing?"
H'el couldn't help but stand up, unable to conceal his terror.
The Green Flame had already surrounded the starship and was still expanding—growing larger and wider. The ship's force field held for only a few seconds before being breached by the flames.
Before long, the Green Flame covered tens of thousands of meters of space, wrapping the starship like countless layers of spider webs, like a dumpling wrapped in leaves.
The sight was utterly horrifying.
Just sitting there, H'el felt a soul-piercing pain.
"Perhaps, I truly am going to die."
H'el muttered to himself. After a moment of silence, he suddenly stood up.
"No! I will never die! I am H'el, the strongest Kryptonian! How can I die at the hands of an Earthling?"
"Luke Shaw, come! Let's settle this in a fight to the death!"
The Final Sacrifice
After enveloping the starship, the flame began to permeate inward, layer by layer. Whether it was alloy steel plating or energy barriers, nothing could stop the Green Flame's corrosion. It was like an all-pervasive insect, nibbling away at the ship's defenses bit by bit.
The outer areas quickly fell, but H'el was nowhere to be found.
Luke continued to penetrate inward, passing through thick metal walls until he reached a wide hall.
H'el was there, sitting alone on a throne, coldly watching the phantom that emerged from the wall.
"I underestimated you, Earthling."
"The moment I first saw you, I should have killed you without hesitation."
The Floating Armor materialized in the hall. Luke's voice issued from within.
"You can't kill me. No one else can, either."
H'el gripped the armrest and stood up. "Before our final showdown, I have a few questions for you."
"You can ask, but I don't guarantee answers."
"What is your relationship with Kara?"
"She likes me, and I like her."
"Would you die for her?"
"What do you think?"
H'el curled his lip, not pursuing the topic. He changed tack. "If I die, how will you deal with the remaining Kryptonian soldiers?"
"That's Clark's business. It has nothing to do with me."
Kal? Clark?
H'el shook his head self-mockingly. "What kind of person is Kal? Can you tell me?"
"A good man."
"A good man?"
H'el suddenly laughed. "Yes, a good man. Jor had said, 'You should be a good man.' Unfortunately, I disappointed him."
"I gained power, but I became a demon in the eyes of others."
Luke said impatiently, "Any more questions?"
"No more."
H'el sighed. His eyes turned pitch black. Invisible telekinesis fused with an energy storm, forming a domain of near-terrifying destruction.
Luke raised his hand. Eighteen fire dragons instantly took shape.
The fire dragons roared at the heavens and charged forward. As soon as they touched the domain, they were shredded by the energy tide. The next moment, new fire dragons appeared—splitting from one to two, two to four—until there were over a hundred.
The fire dragons were endless, constantly tearing at the domain.
The two energies continuously collided. The resulting shockwaves shredded the entire hall. Crack. A crack appeared in the moon-window, rapidly spreading until it shattered like glass.
A terrifying suction force pulled at the air. H'el remained completely unaffected. He lifted his foot and slowly walked forward.
With every meter he advanced, the domain shrank a little. By the time he reached three meters from Luke, the domain was small enough to cover only his own body.
Luke extended his right hand, penetrating the domain, and grabbed H'el's neck.
H'el managed a slight smile and whispered, so only he could hear,
"Goodbye, Earthling."
The Green Flame transformed into a blade, piercing his body and carrying away a fragmented soul.
At the same instant, a ticking sound echoed in the hall. The ship's self-destruct sequence had been initiated:
Three!
Two!
One!
In the deepest engine room of the starship, a black hole appeared out of thin air. Space expanded outward in a spiral fashion. Everything in its path turned into particles and was swallowed by the black hole.
The starship vanished. The sea of fire also disappeared.
A strange black spot remained in the void.
A few seconds later.
Endless light burst forth. In that moment, the Eastern Hemisphere, which should have been in night, gained a second sun. The light was so dazzling that its heat could be felt even thousands of miles away.
The abnormal celestial event lasted for half a minute before slowly dissipating. No one knew what had happened, including the people in Metropolis.
Aftermath
The war began brutally and ended brutally.
With the final Kryptonian soldier falling to the ground, Linda could no longer bear it and crouched down, gasping for breath.
The area was a mess: collapsed buildings, abandoned vehicles, shattered armor, and the corpses of both Kryptonians and Earthlings.
The Mech Corps suffered heavy losses. Counting their captain, Dregg, only five survivors remained.
The superheroes were also in poor shape. Barry Allen had both arms broken. Diana's internal organs were damaged, and she knelt on the ground, constantly coughing up blood. The Martian Manhunter was missing a large chunk of his head, making his already alien appearance even more grotesque.
Of everyone, Clark was the least injured. He had taken the most hits but suffered the least damage—it was impossible not to be impressed.
A surviving soldier cried, "Captain, did we win?"
Dregg nodded silently.
"Yes, we won."
He could now rightfully say those words. Without the Mech Corps risking their lives to pin down three Kryptonians, the outcome would certainly not have been this victory.
Dregg staggered over to Clark and made his request.
"We need a body."
Clark looked at Linda, who turned her head away. Seeing this, he could only agree.
Dregg said no more. He chose Edwin's corpse, hoisted it onto his shoulder, and left with his surviving comrades.
Barry looked up.
"What happened with Boss?"
Linda opened her communicator and tried to contact Ava, but the line wouldn't connect.
She tried several more times, but still couldn't connect.
The girl stood rigidly in place, her face bloodless and pale.
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