FWOOSH
Heat burst from Clark's eyes in a straight line, cutting through the thin air of the hall with searing intensity. The blazing red beam lit every stone, every crack, as if the sun's fire had been summoned inside the fortress.
Ra's raised his sword instantly. The blade wrapped in darkness absorbed the energy, repelling it in distorted waves. The clash of light and shadow created a blinding flare that split space in two.
CLANG
The impact reverberated in metallic shock, but it wasn't just steel against power. The darkness writhed around the blade, slithering like living creatures swallowing every fragment of heat. The floor shook under the weight of the defense, cracks spreading in circles around Ra's feet.
KRRRAAACK
The side wall gave way first. The beam, deflected by the blade, ricocheted against the stone, exploding into incandescent fragments. The hall filled with smoke and sparks, scattering embers into the air.
BOOOM
The floor quaked under the redirected blast. Heat spread in waves, forcing the disciplined warriors to step back. Diana raised her shield behind her, guarding against the fire wave, her eyes locked on the scene with battle fervor.
Ra's kept his sword aloft, the blade pulsing with living darkness. Every black drop dripping from its edge scorched the floor in perfect circles. The shadows on the walls stretched, dancing in unison with the sword, as if the hall itself breathed through it.
Clark did not retreat. The glow in his eyes intensified, and the heat condensed into narrower beams, as sharp as needles yet dense as a star's core.
FWOOSH
The shadowed blade shuddered under the impact. The darkness expanded, covering entire columns and swallowing the torchlight. The clash of forces became a constant roar, the air shuddering as if ready to tear in two.
WHHHHMMMM
The hall vibrated under the collision. Heat and shadow clashed in unending thunder, cracking pillars and making the ceiling groan. Shadows devoured the torches, and every inch of stone looked ready to crumble.
WHHHHMMMM
Ra's gripped the hilt tighter and pushed the black edge forward. Darkness split the beam in two, diverting it in arcs. The searing line ricocheted across the hall, streaking toward Diana.
FWOOSH
Clark's gaze contracted instantly.
'Damn.'
He cut off his heat vision in a sharp command. The red glow vanished from his eyes, but the beam was already ripping through the air toward Diana. Her Bracelets of Submission rose at the last instant, reflecting the energy like divine mirrors.
CLANG
The collision echoed like thunder in the hall. Embers and stone fragments burst in all directions. Diana's feet dug into the floor, steady, though the weight of the force made her shield vibrate in resonance with the metal of her bracelets.
Clark vanished in a blur.
ZZZMMM
He reappeared at her side, eyes glowing red-hot again. The fire's reflection still burned in the air, and his voice cut low and cold.
"Since you did that, it's only fair I do the same."
Heat fired straight ahead.
FWOOSH
The beam merged with the reflection redirected by the bracelets, creating a dual current of solar fire. The attack crossed the hall like a blazing river and struck Ra's head-on.
BOOOOM
The flare consumed the shadow around him. The dark blade resisted for a moment, but the arm holding it gave way. Flesh and bone dissolved into smoke and ash. His right limb was torn apart in charred fragments, dropping to the floor like brittle coal.
KRRRSHHH
Ra's scream echoed through the hall, but it wasn't normal pain. It was fury mixed with ancient magic, reverberating like a curse in a forgotten tongue. The darkness around his body writhed, trying to seal the wound, but the void of the lost arm was irreversible.
Two shadow assassins broke formation in sync, rushing to protect him. Short blades gleamed in the unstable light, eyes burning red like molten glass.
Clark moved before they got close.
ZZZMMM
The Speed Force took over his body, and time split into silence. In less than a breath, he crossed the distance. His fist hit the first assassin with enough force to turn his torso into dust and blood.
CRACK
The body collapsed shapeless, scattering flesh and shattered armor across the cracked floor. The second was seized by the neck and hurled straight toward Diana.
WHOOOSH
The warrior flew through the air like a human projectile. Diana adjusted her stance, sword already raised. The impact was instant.
SLASH
The body split cleanly in two. Blood and entrails scattered midair before dropping to the floor in two smoldering halves.
THUMP
Diana spun her blade back toward the remaining warriors. Her eyes gleamed with battle-joy, trusting without hesitation that Clark would deal with Ra's. Shield raised, the Amazon charged into the next wave of assassins, her sword ready to carve space.
Ra's clutched the bloody stump where his arm had been. Black rivers of blood ran down, evaporating on the stone. His face twisted in fury as his hoarse, hate-laden voice rang out.
"Even wounded, the power of shadows will always prevail."
Darkness tried to rise again, crawling up the columns, cloaking his body in a dense shroud. But the hall shook in dissonance.
WHHHHMMM
Clark stepped forward. His eyes blazed bright red, sparks glowing like embers. Pressure filled the air, and the shadow around Ra's trembled, wavering like flame in a strong wind.
The black veil retreated first from his feet, then his shoulders. The mutilated arm bled harder as the protection unraveled.
Ra's eyes widened. The dark glow that once enveloped his flesh vanished, consumed by emptiness. The shadowed sword in his left hand dissolved into smoke, leaving only a useless hilt.
SHHHHH
His once-cold face twisted with horror. His lips trembled, breath rasping as he tried to call on something that no longer answered.
"No… master… why…"
The shadows disappeared all at once, as if they had never existed. Heavy silence filled the hall, broken only by the drip of his blood into dark pools.
Clark let his eyes return to normal. The red glow faded, leaving only his cold, calculating stare. A short smile, dripping with mockery, crossed his face.
"Looks like your master abandoned you."
Behind him, Diana swung her sword and advanced against the remaining warriors, shield high. Every move was brutal and precise, tearing open enemy formation without glancing back. Clark knew she trusted him to finish the leader.
Ra's, body broken, slowly rose. Blood poured from his shoulder, but his eyes still burned with rage. He drew a deep breath and spoke with a hoarse voice, full of desperation and cunning.
"Listen, boy… you need me. I can give you information about Bruce, about Barbatos. I can reveal what no one else knows. Help me survive, and in return I'll give you the truth."
Clark's gaze never wavered. He didn't move a muscle. The offer hung in the air for a moment, poison disguised as hope.
His eyes lit up, red-hot.
FWOOSH
The beam fired straight. Ra's raised his remaining arm as if it could block the inevitable.
"Wait! You don't understa—"
BOOOOM
The blast ripped through his body without hesitation. The flare consumed flesh, bone, and blood in seconds, leaving only ashes scattered across the cracked floor. The echo of the explosion rang against the walls like a final verdict.
SHHHHH
Smoke rose slowly, covering the emptiness where the master of the League of Shadows had stood. Nothing remained but the stench of burnt iron and charred stone.
The hall fell silent. Only the metallic screams of Diana's weapons in the background, crushing the last warriors, filled the air.
In Clark's mind, Jor-El's voice rang clear and grave.
"You made the right choice, my son. Never trust those who live in shadows. A truce would have been only another poison."
Clark drew a deep breath, eyes back to normal. His face stayed cold, calculating, with no room for regret.
"I could never trust my enemy."
The words left dry, full of certainty.
At the far end of the hall, Diana raised her bloodstained shield and cut down the last warrior with a clean sword strike. The metallic echo of steel against stone marked the end of resistance.
THUMP
The massacre was complete.
📢 Bonus Chapter Available!
Are you following DXD: The Awakening of Phenex, Reincarnation in Smallville, or DXD: Gasper's Awakening?
Then I've got something special for you!
✨ Reincarnation in Smallville has officially reached Chapter 200 — the final chapter of the story!
Thank you to everyone who followed this journey from start to finish.
A new bonus chapter is now available exclusively on Patreon!
By supporting my work, you unlock early access, extra chapters, and exclusive behind-the-scenes content.
Your support helps me continue writing the stories you love.
💖 Support here: patreon.com/22Mirko22
Thank you so much for reading — see you in the next chapter!