Seven colored Lanterns, plus the Black and White Lanterns—altogether nine rings. They represented half the power of the universe, the emotions of all living beings. No matter the existence—plant, animal, bacteria, or even a planet—as long as it had emotions, it could wield the power of the colored rings.
But the Black and White Lanterns were different. One represented death—only the dead could use it. The other represented life—any living being could wield it, but only those who respected the natural order were truly worthy.
With the White Lantern missing, the seven-colored Lanterns clashed against the Black Lantern Corps. The war raged for one whole day and night, the heavens dimmed, the sun and moon lost their light, and the entire Star City became an isolated island adrift in the universe.
Hulk, cloaked in a red glow, grew even more furious. His power only grew stronger. With Superman trapped, Hulk took the lead, charging at the front. "HULK!!"
With the help of the rings, the superheroes finally broke through to the Nekron, standing face to face.
"Combine the rings' power," Hal shouted.
The heroes rose into the air, stretching out their hands. Each ring shone its own color, beams of light shooting together toward the Nekron.
"Naïve!" The Nekron sneered. From his arm, a black beam of death burst forth. "Is this your so-called light of life? Pathetic."
When his black light collided with the combined beams, he absorbed their power completely. "Hahaha!" He laughed wildly, mocking the heroes' foolishness.
Boom!
The superheroes were blasted away. The Nekron's power was far beyond the sum of theirs.
"Could it really be that only the legendary White Lantern can defeat him?" Hal muttered in disbelief. In that clash, the Nekron's strength had been utterly overwhelming. In truth, they were missing the Orange Lantern. Without that final color, their combined force was incomplete.
"Your deaths will come today." The Nekron suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of black water. Inside weren't just droplets but Black Lantern rings, like half-digested fruit vomited out whole.
"Go!"
This was bad. Just like the colored rings, the Nekron was choosing new warriors. The rings flew past the superheroes, racing toward the fallen Einherjar—those who had already died once.
"Asgard's Moras, Asgard's warriors… Did you think you could escape death?"
The rings slipped directly onto the hands of the Einherjar. Thor's face twisted in horror as his golden-armored comrades were covered in black, their wills seized by the Nekron. "You cannot escape my grasp. Now… kill them."
Those resurrected and controlled were called the Saint Walkers of death, part of the Black Lantern Corps. The battle shifted again. The heroes could not bring themselves to strike their comrades, leaving them instantly on the back foot.
"Heh…" The Nekron sneered coldly. Victory might be slow, but it would still be his. Victory belonged to death.
"Aaaahhhh—!"
More and more warriors were slain, and the undead of the Black Corps struck back fiercely.
Viewers watching on television had tears in their eyes. To protect Earth, whether human or alien, all who sacrificed themselves were heroes. The battle was brutal, terrifying, and chilling to the bone. A war beyond what humanity could ever intervene in. Despair itself was nothing more than this.
The enemy's horrifying appearance alone made people too afraid to come near. Yet the heroes fought them head-on. Even if the spectators were afraid, as long as those warriors fought and struggled to the very end, hope in their hearts would never be extinguished. And preserving that hope—that was what superheroes had always stood for.
But how could they win now? The Guardian gasped for breath. Had the battle truly reached a point where there was no hope of victory? Was unleashing the Spirit of Life and calling forth the White Lantern's power the only way? Yet if it came to that, the greedy eyes of the universe would all turn toward Earth. The Spirit of Life was too important. The Guardian wasn't afraid of death, but he feared for the innocent people of Earth.
'What should I do? Will of the universe, give me guidance.'
Lanterns were falling. Rings without masters slipped down, painting streaks of color across the sky, beautiful like an aurora. But suddenly, those auroras rippled.
"Hm?" All three Guardians noticed it. The Lanterns guarding them also sensed something unusual.
The falling rings seemed to be plucked by the fingers of a goddess. The light bent like strings of a harp, and the rings turned on their own, shooting toward the Black Lantern Corps. In no time, they were gone, just like the Orange Lantern ring before.
New points of light dotted the sky, like stars returning to life.
The Guardian reached out and caught one. Looking closer, he saw it wasn't a star at all but a flower petal. Soft, gentle, with a faint fragrance. "This is… this is Lantern energy?" Exaggerated as it seemed, there was no mistake. Having studied Green Lantern energy deeply, he could not be wrong.
But this petal existed apart from any ring. Too powerful.
A rain of petals!
On the cruelest battlefield, a breathtaking scene appeared. No background music now, but it could be added later.
The glowing petals fell, not as decoration but as weapons. Landing on Black Lantern demons, they stripped them to bare bones, breaking their rings instantly.
The link was severed again and again…
"What's happening?" Hal shouted. No one else understood either.
Then, from within the Black Lantern Corps, light began to shine. Everyone turned to look. The glow grew stronger, until it exploded like a balloon. The fallen Einherjar bathed in that light instantly regained themselves. The Black Rings on their hands vanished without a trace.
"This… is this the Spirit of Existence?" The Guardian was stunned. But the seal hadn't been broken!
Even the Nekron showed surprise.
When the light dimmed, the crowd saw the figure clearly. It wasn't the Spirit of Life at all—it was Kaitou Kid. The radiance came from his wedding ring.
"Rage?" the Red Lantern leader roared.
"Greed?" The lone Orange Lantern glared, as if Kid had stolen his wife.
"Fear?" The Yellow Lantern frowned.
"Willpower?" The Guardians looked confused.
"Hope?" The Blue Lantern preacher shook his head in disbelief.
"Compassion?" The Indigo tribe member gave a quiet nod.
"Love?" The Violet Lantern girls smiled. To them, once a ring acknowledged someone, no matter what else, it meant unshakable love—that made him their comrade.
But everyone shared the same question: Why were the seven colors shining from Kaitou Kid's ring?!
Liu A'dou stood in the sky, eyes closed, surrounded by the rain of petals. Each petal fell like a bullet, granting release to the Black Lantern demons.
Kid felt incredible. He had seen through life and death, joy and sorrow, love and loss. His small universe neared perfection. He didn't know why the seven colors had gathered in his wedding ring, but it didn't matter. He could use this power now. Whether the Nekron lived or died depended on him.
"Impossible…" For the first time, the Nekron showed shock. He commanded his army to attack, but they found no target. It was as if Kid himself was part of the Black Lantern Corps.
Kid moved, stepping onto a road paved with petals, walking straight toward the Nekron. Along the way, the terrifying enemies parted, revealing Superman still trapped within the encirclement. He had already slain tens of millions of Black Lantern demons. His body had grown thin, his eyes exhausted.
"Who… exactly are you?" The Nekron stared at Kaitou Kid, asking the one question burning in his heart.