Silence. As Superman and Kaitou Kid moved toward the Black Lantern, they entered the core of the Black Lantern Corps, and it was eerily quiet—so quiet it was unsettling.
Kid couldn't even hear his own breathing. It felt like all his senses had been stripped away. The number of Black Lanterns was overwhelming. Warriors from across Earth's history had been resurrected—not just 10 billion, but far more. And yet, there were fewer than 20 superheroes left.
Once they reached the heart of the army, Superman and Kid finally understood the true horror of the undead legion. The Black Lanterns who hadn't engaged in battle were utterly still. They followed orders perfectly, silent and obedient, surging like a flood that erased everything in its path.
Then, Superman and Kid were separated. Though they had been close, wave after wave of undead quietly passed between them, splitting them apart. Liu A'dou couldn't even tell which way was forward anymore. "Superman!"
No answer.
Layers upon layers, like an onion, closed in and sealed Kid inside. No light could penetrate the circle surrounding him. Even his vision was gone.
Enemies pressed in from every direction. Endless darkness. Liu A'dou's five senses were useless now. The feeling was unbearable. For someone like Kid—always decisive—to hesitate now, even for a second, was dangerous. But the doubt crept in. Should he fight forward, or retreat?
The Black Lantern Corps relied on their numbers and immortality to grind him down. Constantly defending, Kid began to lose his patience. No matter how much power he unleashed, he couldn't even eliminate one-tenth of them. And this was just the start—Black Lanterns from across the universe were still gathering. The scale of the battle made him hesitate again.
Superman had probably charged ahead already. But at this moment, Kid was slammed by a tidal wave of negative emotions. It was like a sudden illness, dragging him down. He was trapped within the Black Lantern Corps.
Back on the front line, the superheroes still holding ground hadn't seen any sign of Superman's return. He was like a stone tossed into a flood—gone, vanished. Most likely, he hadn't made it.
Then came worse news.
Hal received intel from the Guardians of Oa. "Hal, the entire Black Lantern Corps from across the universe is converging on Earth."
"You've gotta be kidding me," Tony muttered. He immediately activated the satellites. In orbit, countless portals opened. The Black Lanterns, thicker than the stars, came pouring toward Earth.
Batman checked his own satellites and saw it too. The Black Lantern rings were summoning all available forces. But this was only part of the plan. The true goal of Nekron was to lure the Guardians to Earth—because only their seven-colored hearts were the final key to his plan.
The Guardians of Oa—founders of the Green Lantern Corps, the oldest sentient beings in the galaxy, the first to master the power of will. They created the Green Lantern rings. Though each of the Seven Lantern Corps had a different energy source, all their tech evolved from Green Lantern foundations.
The Guardians were revered throughout the universe. They almost never left Oa. Meeting one was nearly impossible. But now, Nekron was heading straight for Earth to seize the White Lantern entity—Entity of Life. The Guardians couldn't stay idle. The Entity was the embodiment of all living things. If it were destroyed, life across the universe would wither away.
They absolutely couldn't let Nekron succeed. The Guardians issued a summons to all Seven Lantern Corps and personally dispatched troops to Earth.
But the Seven Lantern Corps were not allies.
The Red Lanterns had a blood feud with the Guardians.
The Yellow Lanterns were traitors of Oa.
The Orange Lantern Corps was ruled by greed and refused to share power—there had always been only one.
The Blue Lanterns lived like monks, clinging to hope so devoutly they resembled a cult. Believe in hope, and you gain power. Doubt it, and you lose it.
The Indigo Tribe, compassionate and merciful, stayed isolated and rarely dealt with outsiders.
The Star Sapphires—Violet Lantern Corps—believed in love above all else. As long as one believed in love, whether it was good, jealous, hateful, or envious, one could join them. They inherited both the greatness and selfishness of love. The Violet Lanterns were a complicated, unpredictable force—both righteous and twisted.
Uniting the Seven Lantern Corps was harder than reaching the heavens. Fortunately, the Indigo Tribe had long predicted that Nekron would bring destruction. They had already persuaded the Blue, Violet, and Green Lantern Corps.
With four of the major color corps united, the Red, Yellow, and Orange Lanterns had no choice but to set aside their grudges and work with the Greens—or else they'd be the first to fall to Nekron. The four major corps definitely wouldn't spare them.
So after Hal received the bad news, good news followed right behind. "The alliance of the Seven Colored Lantern Corps is heading to Earth," he said. And there was even better news: "If we combine the power of all seven rings into white light, we can wipe out the Black Lantern Corps."
"Guys, reinforcements are almost here. Just hang on a little longer."
Before the Green Lantern's good news even finished, Thor raised his hammer high and shouted, "Heimdall! Is the army ready?! Open the Bifrost!" Turns out Asgard had mobilized an army too.
Hearing the arrival of two massive reinforcements sent morale soaring. "Hold on, guys—victory is ours!"
Boom. Boom. Boom—
...
Nekron merely observed from the shadows. He had his eye on these superheroes. Such powerful beings—if they became his soldiers, they'd form the strongest Black Lantern Corps ever.
He needed a breakthrough point. Then he spotted Batman, dressed in black, just like his corps.
Batman carried the scent of the Black Lanterns—the scent of death.
With just a thought, the flood surged toward Batman. In an instant, he vanished from the battlefield.
"Batman?!" Flash shouted in shock. But everyone was already struggling to stay alive. Flash barely took a few steps before he was forced back.
Batman hadn't even reacted before the darkness swallowed him whole. In the blink of an eye, he stood before Nekron.
Around him, five or six Black Lanterns restrained his limbs, forcing him to stretch out, unable to move.
"Bruce Wayne of Earth," Nekron rasped. His pointed nails tapped against Batman's power armor.
So close, Batman could see the Emperor's disgusting, ruined body—heart exposed, skin like ice. This was the embodiment of death, the walker of the end.
"Such a fine warrior. You'll serve me well. Go forth and spread death across the stars," Nekron said slowly, like he was trying to crush Batman's will. "Do you even understand what death is?"
"…"
"Death isn't pain. It's sweetness in your throat. The most exquisite flavor." His voice became smoother, like a preacher delivering salvation. "Open your heart. Embrace it. Find eternity in death. Then fight for me."
One dried, skeletal finger scraped loudly along Batman's armor, then moved toward his chest. Nekron was about to dig out Batman's heart and put a ring on him.
"Nothing is sweeter than death."
Batman felt the crushing pressure on his chest. He finally spoke. "You don't understand death at all."
"Hmm?" Nekron raised a brow. 'He doesn't understand death?' That was laughable. "I am death."
"You're nothing but a coward." Batman growled, holding back the pressure. "You're too scared to face life. So how can you claim to understand death?"
"I understand death more than you ever will, Nekron. I fear death. I run from it. And in that fear, I found strength. That's why I understand it better than you ever could."
Batman let the words fly out in a single breath. Then, with all his strength, his power armor surged and broke free. With his right hand, he reached behind his waist and pulled out a small jet booster—barely the size of a cookie. He slapped it onto Nekron's body.
Whoosh—sparks flared across the Emperor's shoulder. The burst of thrust launched him backward, spinning as he slammed into the giant Black Lantern.