Chapter 574: Diana is Pierced
The Power to Alter Reality
In the frigid vacuum of space, the yellow stream of light that was Sinestro shone brilliantly. The light flashed and was instantly in front of Luke.
The forked lightning bolt turned into a foamy bubble. The yellow light wave Luke fired automatically changed direction, becoming as soft as a cooked noodle.
Diana was about to step forward, but Luke yanked her back.
"Run."
The two shot forward, fleeing at full speed. Sinestro pursued relentlessly, manifesting a dense array of energy cannons around himself. Columns of destructive energy poured out, attacking Luke from all directions.
Diana raised her shield to protect both their bodies.
Boom!
The energy barrier on the shield's surface was instantly shattered. The sight that followed, however, caused Sinestro's brow to furrow. The shield, made of unknown materials, either absorbed some of the light beams or ricocheted others away.
Hundreds of light beams failed to inflict any substantial damage.
Sinestro gave a cold sneer, transformed into a yellow streak of light, and swiftly reached the two. His clenched fist carried unimaginable power. Before it even made contact, the shield began to bend and warp, becoming a soft, pliable substance.
"Die!"
Boom!
A violent explosion erupted between the three figures. In the nick of time, Luke manifested a bomb, using the shockwave to propel both of them away.
Diana was drenched in cold sweat. That punch had made her feel the breath of death. If not for Luke's quick reaction, she might have been killed. She looked at the shield in her hand—a piece of super-equipment made of Amazonian metal, Poseidon's cold steel, and charged steel, capable of resisting a nuclear blast—now reduced to a puddle of mud.
"Reality warping," Luke said, his expression solemn and grave.
This power, which only existed in legend, was close to a miracle. In the face of this ability, defense was meaningless; a single hit was death.
Diana said heavily, "I've never heard of this ability."
"It's my first time seeing it, too."
"Does it have a weakness?"
Luke shook his head. "It's unclear right now. My initial guess is that there should be a range limitation."
Sinestro curled his lip, raised his hand, and launched a faint, almost invisible energy line from his fingertip, aimed straight at Diana's head. Luke sensed it instantly and shoved her aside. The energy line grazed her shoulder and vanished into deep space.
Diana gave a muffled groan, her face turning pale.
Her shoulder began to froth with white foam. The shoulder plate disappeared, and the flesh separated from the bone, stopping only at the scapula. Blood sprayed outward due to the pressure difference, turning into suspended droplets of blood.
Luke quickly manifested medical sealant to seal the wound. The Valkyrie Armor also began its automated repair process.
"How are you?"
Diana shook her head, cold sweat beading on her forehead.
Retreat and Confrontation
At that moment, Clark and the others arrived. When they saw the gaping wound in Diana's shoulder, their expressions changed instantly. Diana's strength was well known, yet the opponent had pierced her with a single touch.
What kind of power could achieve this?
"Parallax is the physical embodiment of the emotion of Fear," Hal quickly explained. "Once it merges with a host, it can apply that emotional power to reality."
"Simply put, he can ignore the laws of physics and force anything he influences—organic, inorganic, energy, elements, and more—to transform into something else."
Barry's eyes widened. "What kind of demonic power is that?"
Linda said tensely, "I just tested it. Energy attacks are useless."
"What about physical attacks?"
Hal quickly shook his head. "Do not engage him at close range. The closer you are, the stronger his influence."
Clark, refusing to give up, shot his heat vision. Before it reached Sinestro, it turned into bubbles. J'onn attempted to use his telepathy to invade Sinestro's mind but suffered a backlash. His mind was flooded with Fear and he began to tremble uncontrollably. In the critical moment, the jade stone released a wave of coolness, helping him break free from the Fear's influence.
Two attacks, zero effect.
Sinestro floated in the air, his hands clasped behind his back. Simply standing there exerted immense pressure.
He raised his right hand and pointed, launching several faint energy lines toward the seven people present. The energy lines were too fast to be perceived by the naked eye.
Luke sensed them and quickly manifested a shield in front of everyone.
Pfft!
The shields were hit by the fine lines and immediately turned soft.
The team, completely unaware of what had happened, felt a surge of overwhelming fear as they watched the shields decompose into foam. The next moment, a wave of coolness came from the jade stones, instantly calming their emotions.
Sinestro raised an eyebrow, unable to help but ask,
"You can perceive my attacks?"
Luke remained silent, handing Diana over to Barry. "Take her back to the Conquest. She needs treatment." He then looked at the others, finally stopping at Linda.
"You stay. Everyone else leave."
"Luke, you..."
"Don't have any other ideas. Only I can perceive this guy's attacks. I will find a way to contain his power. That will be your time to strike."
Everyone was silent. Even though they were unwilling, there was nothing they could do. Reality warping was too bugged. It offered immunity to all attacks while effortlessly turning an enemy's body into foam.
Ranged attacks were useless, and close combat was impossible. How could they fight him?
"Be careful. If things get too bad, abandon the fight. We'll still have a chance."
After leaving that warning, J'onn turned and left. Clark, his face full of complexity, followed suit. Sinestro did not try to intercept them, watching Luke with keen interest.
"You remind me of a friend."
"Oh?"
Luke gave a faint smile. "If you don't mind telling me, who was that friend?"
"Abin Sur, my mentor. The first time we went on a mission, we encountered a mysterious spirit on the planet Calderan. It was a savage and fierce elemental creature, full of aggression. We were surrounded, and Abin Sur told me, 'You go first. Leave this to me.'"
Luke chuckled. "It sounds like the outcome was quite positive."
"Yes. He survived that, but he died on Earth, where so-called Earth scientists cut him into dozens of pieces."
"That's how scientists are. In the pursuit of the unknown, they occasionally make extreme moves. I imagine similar events have happened in your home world of Korugar."
"No. Korugarans do not value science. They respect strength and admire combat."
"You sound very confident."
Sinestro replied as if it were obvious. "I have only lost once in my life, and it was to the Kryptonian girl standing next to you. However, that was the old me. Now, things are different. I can turn her into a corpse with one hand."
Linda grew furious, barely restraining herself from attacking, remembering Luke's command.
Luke shook his head.
"For a warrior, being overly arrogant is never a good thing. You'll end up paying for it."
A ghostly image stepped out of Luke's body, transforming from ethereal to solid, rapidly climbing upward until it towered like a giant.
Sinestro sneered.
"I knew it. You've been hiding yourself all along."
"Come, cunning Earthling. Let me see just how strong you really are."
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