Faced with Darkseid's strict orders, Steppenwolf weighed his options but ultimately didn't dare disobey. He might as well bring his entire army for an all-out assault.
The momentum was overwhelming. Leading his endless army stretching beyond the horizon, he charged forward with his massive battle-axe, leading from the front. That axe had a rather fantastical name—the "Heaven-Splitting Earth-Shattering Axe"...
"Protect the Legion Commander!!" Deputy Commander Bekka shouted at the top of her lungs. The tactical situation was crystal clear: Thea was straining to hold back Darkseid. With her help absorbing some of the pressure, Highfather's chances of victory had skyrocketed.
For the people of New Genesis, as long as Highfather could kill Darkseid, they would gladly sacrifice themselves to the last!
"Orion, intercept Steppenwolf!" The golden-haired deputy commander ordered her boyfriend around like a trained dog, commanding him to fight his own great-uncle.
Mister Miracle knew Darkseid's target was him. With Thea bearing the brunt, he couldn't stand idle. He pulled Big Barda along to face their old nemesis DeSaad.
The remaining superheroes each found their opponents. Notably, Val-Zod turned out to be an adopted son of the House of El. Today he wore a blue bodysuit with the S-symbol and red cape, bravely standing before Evil Superman. Without a word, the two Kryptonians began their fight.
"Your Majesty, I can't hold on much longer..." Thea wasn't being modest—she genuinely couldn't last.
"Good child, just a little longer!" Highfather could only offer encouragement. Darkseid was proving stronger than expected. Now, with Thea tying up over ten percent of his power, Highfather was confident he could defeat his old rival.
The normally refined and dignified Highfather had his beard flying wild, fighting like a man possessed. His staff swung left and right in relentless assault against Darkseid.
Thea couldn't see the battle in the Outer Sphere, but through the intertwined beams, she could sense the violent energy fluctuations and the grandeur of the conflict.
Still... Highfather was a bit weak. This wasn't just "slightly inferior to Darkseid"—he was at least a full tier below!
Did she have the courage to draw her blade against Darkseid? Perhaps not before, but after holding on for nearly thirty seconds, she was certain: Darkseid was undoubtedly powerful—he possessed at least five high-tier domains like Soul that touched the deepest rules of reality—but he wasn't invincible.
Sweeping away the shadows in her heart, she drew her holy sword. The blade's edge flickered with light, eager and excited for what was to come.
Through the holy sword, Thea began to connect with the entire world.
"Through the connection of souls, all intelligent beings, hear my words! The world needs your help. Whether living or dead, whether brave or timid—for your families, your loved ones, and future generations—lend me your strength to defeat the Lord of Evil!"
The holy sword's radiance began to pulse. Wielding the emotion of hope, gathering the power of souls—Thea was confident her next strike would shake the heavens.
Birds in flight paused on branches. Countless fish surfaced from the depths. Many humans felt an unfamiliar peace wash over their hearts.
Spirits who had passed long ago returned to the mortal realm. They gazed briefly at the living world, smiled softly, then flew toward the distant battlefield.
Temple bells rang endlessly. Chanting echoed without pause. Despite Steppenwolf's destruction, the great religious holy sites gathered faith from their ruins and sent it soaring toward the horizon.
Ancestral spirits of Africa and South America emerged from their altars. Animal spirits worshipped by humanity leapt forth from their totem poles.
Countless points of light converged upon the holy sword. Not just Earth—nearly half the universe's beings responded to her call. The language of souls transcended all barriers. Without exception, they chose to lend their support.
"Stop her!!" Darkseid saw this from the Outer Sphere and trembled with rage. What the hell was Steppenwolf doing?! The enemy was about to unleash a devastating attack—could he move any slower?!
Steppenwolf wasn't stupid. With Thea shaking the world, how could he not notice?
But Orion—his own great-nephew—clung to him like a madman, fighting to the death, practically trying to bite him. The Mage Legion members kept hurling magical gems to slow him down. Those without gems poured out their magic without concern for their own lives, all to buy Thea time. He was a close-combat god—he simply couldn't break through!
Sensing Darkseid's growing displeasure, Steppenwolf's heart pounded with fear. He could only shout slogans to boost morale: "For Darkseid!"
The battle cry rang out with tremendous force, echoing for miles.
As if a switch had been flipped, every Apokoliptian soldier and commander revealed expressions of fanaticism and bloodlust.
"For Darkseid!"
"For Darkseid!"
Like zealots in a trance, they surged against the Mage Legion's defensive line.
Steppenwolf swung his axe like a windmill, ignoring Orion entirely, single-mindedly trying to break through.
DeSaad was the God of Torture and a highly accomplished sorcerer. He watched the river of souls flowing toward Thea and directly tapped into his source power. Blood-red mist poured endlessly from his body, entangling the souls rushing in from all directions.
He thought that since Thea could withstand Darkseid's assault, he could likewise intercept her methods. Unfortunately, with souls from across the universe flooding toward this location, he couldn't hold out for even three seconds. But for Darkseid's sake, even as his body trembled uncontrollably and his source power drained catastrophically, he forced himself to intercept those souls.
Mister Miracle and Big Barda attacked DeSaad fiercely. The sorcerer ignored them, relying solely on defensive magic to resist. The result was predictable—he was beaten until blood sprayed everywhere.
The remaining Apokoliptian drones flooded forward in overwhelming numbers. The Mage Legion desperately unleashed their power to slaughter the enemy, but the defensive line kept shrinking.
"For Darkseid!" Among the drones, Evil Superman's eyes were bloodshot. Using a feint, he shook off the inexperienced Val-Zod, arced around, and rocketed toward Thea.
"Stop him!" Golden-haired Deputy Commander Bekka had already joined the battle herself. Now drenched in blood from fighting, she faced the high-speed incoming Evil Superman by rallying ten high-level mages to cast a massive illusion together.
"No good—he has mental shields!" Bekka's heart sank. She watched as Evil Superman ignored the mages entirely, passing over their heads and heading straight for Thea.
"You won't get through!" When he was less than a hundred meters (about 330 feet) from Thea, a sky-blue energy shield blocked his path. Old Robert, wearing power armor, gripped the hilts with both hands and drew twin blades crackling with lightning, then lunged viciously at Superman.
The power armor was Thea's original underwater combat suit. Considering that Soul-Thea needed to look after her father personally, she'd given this suit to Old Robert, who was now bankrupt, penniless, and left with nothing but a single bow.
Whether it suited him or not, it would at least boost his survival rate by eighty percent.
Evil Superman sized up Old Robert like he was examining an animal about to be slaughtered. A cruel smile curved his lips. He was about to say something when a dark green spear pierced through his body.
Another figure in pitch-black armor emerged from stealth. Two armored forms now stood side by side before Thea, blocking Evil Superman.