Under the scorching sun, the light distorted. The desolate Route 6 was silent and oppressive. To the left lay a gaping crack stretching 100,000 kilometers.
Standing in the center of the vast and barren Route 6, Bardi sneered. By accident, his immense magnetic gravitational field twisted outward for several hundred meters, extending all the way to Little Hera's feet.
Clap, clap, clap…
A continuous series of shattering sounds echoed. Distorted by Bardi's gravity, the glasses in Little Hera and the girls' hands burst. Mixed juice spilled over them, causing Little Hera to roll her eyes helplessly.
Bardi quickly suppressed his murderous intent, calming himself. He focused on restraining his body and controlling the magnetic field.
His power had grown too fast to fully control, even now.
The magnetic field twisted the light, then slowly pulled back like a tide toward Bardi's center, compressing within a two-kilometer radius.
"Kanna, go deal with the Parallax Demon."
Bardi ordered.
Kanna, the spirit of existence, was like a higher-tier being than the White Lantern Entity. She was far beyond such constructs.
White light is the first light of creation, formed from all the colors of the emotional spectrum. A White Lantern can access and wield the power of all other Corps.
Kanna's power surpassed even Bardi's in his early days. Against Lantern-based forces, she was overwhelming.
The White Lantern Ring can access the functions of all Lantern Rings and observe their energies.
As such, Kanna's existence naturally suppressed all other emotional spectrum entities, especially Black Lanterns. To her, Parallax was no threat.
Kanna was curled up on Jenny's lap, hugging Jenny's chest while happily eating watermelon. When she heard Bardi's command, her chubby little face showed some reluctance. She awkwardly adjusted her sitting position. The white hair on her head rubbed against Jenny's chest and swayed back and forth.
Jenny adored Bardi's child. Out of love for him, she loved Kanna too. She rested her chin on Kanna's head, sniffing her white hair to feel Bardi's presence. It made her feel comforted.
"I need a helper," Kanna said crisply, hurriedly sweeping up grapes, apples, and unopened durians from the nearby table. She stuffed everything into her mouth, puffing up her cheeks like a hamster.
Before taking action, she needed to eat more. She hadn't had much since arriving, and the fruit and juice were delicious. She was really reluctant to leave.
"There are 100,000 Kryptonian soldiers stationed outside Coastal City. You can use them."
Bardi nodded. No issue. The entire Earth belonged to him, after all.
"No, I'll just bring one person…"
Kanna clapped her hands and smiled.
Suddenly, her face changed. Her eyes widened in shock and discomfort. Her cheeks, bulging with fruit, puffed up as she gagged and spat everything out. She cried out in alarm.
Jenny couldn't help but laugh. She picked up a glass of pear juice and handed it to Kanna with a smile. "You just ate an unopened durian."
Kanna retched again. Her mouth felt dry, and the aftertaste made her squirm. She took the pear juice and gulped down nearly three pounds of apple juice before the taste started to fade.
She glared at the spiky durians piled beside her in disgust. White light flickered from her tiny hands as she conjured a White Lantern Ring and handed it to Jenny. "Jenny, put this on. Let's go."
She really didn't want to see another durian. It felt like she had eaten… that kind of thing. Just thinking about it made her nauseous.
Jenny was stunned as she accepted the glowing ring. She glanced at her own violet ring, then at the White Lantern Ring. A strange sense of familiarity rose within her.
When Jenny didn't respond right away, Kanna's face, still pale from the durian, turned serious. She closed her mouth that had been gasping for air and said solemnly, "Jenny of Earth. Destiny has been waiting."
Kanna finished with a straight face but immediately opened her mouth again to breathe. That taste still lingered when she closed it.
Jenny instinctively slipped on the White Lantern Ring. A sense of clarity rose in her heart, just like when she first put on the Violet Ring.
She raised her hand and declared the oath.
"In brightest day, there will be light,
To cleanse the soul and set wrongs right,
When darkness falls, look to the skies,
A new dawn comes, let there be light!"
As the oath ended, white light engulfed her. Jenny was instantly clad in a white bodysuit laced with radiant light, accentuating her curvaceous figure.
Kanna breathed heavily, then nodded in satisfaction at her chosen companion.
Among everyone, only Jenny had a soul pure enough to resonate with the White Light Ring.
With that, Kanna climbed onto Jenny's back and waved farewell to Bardi and the others. The two of them soared into the sky, cloaked in white light, heading toward Coastal City.
"Withdraw your 100,000 Kryptonian soldiers. Don't get in my way!"
Kanna's confident voice echoed as the white light faded into the horizon.
Kanna and Jenny headed for Coastal City.
Meanwhile, in the Emperor's Building's underground lab, Little Hera created a throne from crystal with ten times the density of diamond. It was designed to stabilize the distortion caused by Bardi's magnetic field.
Bardi sat calmly on the clear throne created by Little Hera, raising his head slightly to look at the sky.
Above the blue atmosphere floated the moon—and a planet-sized Warworld, locked in combat with General Ott's forces on the Diamond Moon.
Should I just blast it apart with heat vision?
Bardi thought about it.
But he eventually gave up the idea. Unleashing that energy would definitely rupture Earth again, leaving another massive crater.
He rubbed his chin, and from the corner of his eye, he noticed Pandora's Box on the ground. A realization struck.
Right. How could I forget? A bunch of Justice League wannabes with the brains of a rock.
Clearly, that speedster earlier was Johnny Quick from Earth-3, who had tried to use Pandora's Box to open a portal to another parallel universe to bring in the Crime Syndicate.
You can't just unleash your full power on that world.
Bardi grinned. Something fun had just come to mind.
Soon, the 100,000 Kryptonian soldiers stationed outside Coastal City were summoned back. They flew through the skies in a dense swarm like a cloud of bees.
One hundred thousand Kryptonian warriors gathered before Bardi.
"Prepare for battle."
Seated on his throne, Bardi waved his hand. Under the command of their leaders, the 100,000 Kryptonians spread through the sky and terrain, filling every corner like a living barrier.
Under the blazing sun, the atmosphere grew cold and tense. It was the calm before a storm. Only Bardi remained seated on the throne, a glint of amusement and cruelty in his eyes.
Then, Bardi gave the order to open Pandora's Box.
Pong!
A vertical crack opened, like a spatial eye.
Within the dark, secluded rift, towering figures emerged. Like giants stepping from the abyss, cloaked forms strode forth, brimming with oppressive might.
"Johnny really did it!!"
"Hahaha…"
At the front, Ultraman roared with laughter, his voice full of arrogance and bravado. He led his team forward, stepping through the dimensional rift.
(To be continued.)