Chapter 172: Awakening
A deafening explosion—the roar of Superman's fist landing. Ceaseless shockwaves spread in all directions while brilliant bursts of magic exploded in the air like fireworks.
Dazzling light effects and afterimages filled the sky. Cracks began to appear on the island and its rocks, spreading rapidly with every impact until they covered the mountains and hills. The mountains collapsed, rocks shattered, and the floating island crumbled like a cracked eggshell.
This was, in short, a battle of gods.
When enemies meet, their hatred burns hotter. The heroes and villains quickly fell into a chaotic brawl, shaking the Fallen Realm to its very foundations.
Circe and Euryale immediately sought out their foe, jointly confronting Wonder Woman, with whom they held a grudge. The Gorgon tanked the damage up front while Circe attacked from the rear as a mage and archer. After just a few exchanges, Diana was already on the back foot, struggling to hold her own.
But Superman immediately came to her rescue. His speed far surpassed that of the Olympian Gods. He broke the sound barrier, flashing to Euryale's side and sending the Gorgon flying with a thunderous punch.
Freed by the assist, Wonder Woman let out a cry and charged at Circe with her sword. However, her lunge only pierced an illusion. She turned to see Circe already flying high, casting spells and kiting her from a distance.
After clearing the way with a punch, Superman paused for a moment, only to let out a pained grunt. A green blast had struck him in the back, causing him to stagger and nearly fall.
He turned his head. "Luthor?"
He saw Luthor in his armor, his right hand raised. A translucent green glow flickered in his palm, his lips curled into his signature sinister smirk.
"Last time, Brainiac gave me the data on Kryptonite. I thought he was bluffing, but after I went back and analyzed it repeatedly, I realized he was right."
Luthor narrowed his eyes.
"That wasn't really you last time, was it? You used the ability of that alien ally of yours to deceive me. But no one deceives Luthor!
"Now, using the data Brainiac left me, I have deciphered the secrets of Kryptonian energy. This suit of armor is powered by Kryptonian energy, designed specifically to defeat you!"
Normally, this version of Superman was still at a stage where Kryptonite would cripple him. But thanks to the pocket sun gifted by his number-one fan, Apollo, his power levels were much higher than usual. Though weakened by the Kryptonite beam, the two effects partially canceled each other out, so the injury wasn't debilitating.
"It won't be that easy, Luthor!"
Superman shouted, flying forward to engage Luthor in a fierce melee, braving the Kryptonian energy.
Diana was repelled twice by Circe's counters to her lunges. Seizing an opening, Circe raised her arms high. Instantly, countless vines and plants erupted from the ground at Diana's feet, snaking up her tall boots and around her smooth thighs.
Diana slashed fiercely with her sword, pulling her legs free. She ascended to evade the endless vines, continuing to hack at them as she rose, demanding, "Why are you cooperating with this man, Circe? What did he promise you?"
"He has ambition and potential. I'm a witch, Diana. I see more than others. When I see someone destined for greatness, I can recognize it."
Circe paused, then cackled.
"Besides, can't a girl have a thing for bald men?"
Diana cut through the vines and pulled back, quickly distancing herself from the writhing tentacles.
"Men like him are full of lies. Whatever he promised you is false. If you don't believe me..."
Putting some distance between them, Diana suddenly spun around and threw her Lasso of Truth. Glowing with a golden radiance, the lasso instantly bound Luthor, who was busy unleashing a furious barrage of Kryptonite beams at Superman. Diana gave a sharp tug, and the unprepared Luthor was yanked over.
"Answer me, Lex Luthor! Why do you want the Eye of Argo? What is your plan?" Diana demanded sternly.
The Lasso of Truth activated, and Luthor's mouth opened against his will. "To gather allies with various talents, obtain the divine power of Zeus... rule Olympus, and then unleash the full power of Olympus against Superman... to conquer everything."
A brief silence followed, Luthor's expression contorting as he desperately resisted the rope's power.
But he ultimately failed, his mouth pried open against his will. "And besides... if I obtain the power of Zeus, maybe... I'll get my hair back."
Having said this, Luthor struggled desperately, muttering in rage, "This damned, blasted rope..."
Diana suppressed a laugh. "And Circe? What is your plan for Circe?"
"Her? Of course she's just a tool. No one is qualified to stand on equal footing with me," he said as if it were obvious. "In fact, I've already begun designing a mind-control device that will work on her.
"Once it's complete, she will become my plaything, a puppet that only follows my every command! Mwahahaha—ah, this damned, blasted rope!"
Luthor forced Diana back with an energy beam, and with his armor's thrusters on full blast, he finally managed to struggle free from the Lasso of Truth.
Then he glanced sideways, and his eyes met those of a furious Circe glaring at him.
"Oh, I was just lying to her." Luthor gave Circe a smile as warm as a summer's day. "You didn't actually take that seriously, did you?"
"Screw you!"
Circe slammed a magical warhammer into his face, a blow that made Luthor's bald head ring even through his protective force field.
"I can't believe it. For a moment there, I really thought we could take Olympus together!" Circe yelled. No longer paying any attention to Diana, she began to relentlessly bombard Luthor. "I should have known. You're a born traitor!"
Luthor had no time for Superman anymore. With his thrusters at full power, he fled like a scurrying rat. "I didn't lie to you! We were going to take Olympus together! I just... made some slight modifications to the latter half of the plan..."
"Go to hell!"
And so, the paper-thin alliance shattered. With the pressure on them suddenly gone, Superman and Wonder Woman exchanged a glance. Their gazes then fell in unison upon Euryale, the last of the opposing trio left standing.
The Gorgon, targeted by a cheater and a demigod simultaneously, suddenly felt immense pressure.
To be fair, this affair originally had nothing to do with her or the other Gorgons. Circe was the one who formed the alliance and roped them into helping.
And now the main parties of said alliance were having a messy breakup, complete with domestic violence; one was fleeing while the other gave chase, leaving her, a mere bystander, to tank all the pressure.
*Seriously? Are you two putting on an act just for me?*
However, before they could re-engage, another sudden change occurred on the battlefield.
A bolt of lightning tore through the void.
It was no ordinary lightning, but a deep, rumbling thunder that seemed to traverse the void and pierce through space itself.
The purple mist within the void began to roll back, and the temperature seemed to plummet. The entire Fallen Realm began to tremble, as if shuddering at the arrival of some entity.
Everyone involuntarily stopped what they were doing and looked up at the sky in unison.
It was as if an instinctual voice deep inside was telling them something.
Something had awoken.
An immensely powerful and terrifying existence that had been slumbering in this Fallen Realm.
Countless pairs of eyes seemed to open from beyond the void. The purple mist was torn apart as if the domain itself were being ripped open. An immeasurably vast phantom, its twisted form barely visible within the void, revealed only the terrifying tip of the iceberg.
A dragon-like creature.
It had innumerable heads, each one letting out piercing, draconic roars. Its dark body was covered in metallic scales that reflected an eerie, cold light.
Even the witch, Circe, paled.
"The Fallen Realm... so that's it. That's how it is. The power of Zeus, the secret of the Fallen Realm, the Eye of Argo... it was all to suppress this thing!
"It's actually real... and it's still alive!"
"What is that, Circe?" Diana asked as she flew forward.
Circe's face was deathly pale.
"We've all made a huge mistake, Diana. We should never have come here, and the Eye of Argo should never have been taken," Circe said through clenched teeth. "Now it has awakened, and we'll be the first to face its wrath.
"It is the son of Gaia, the last of the Titans, the monster that once defeated Zeus and was feared by all of Olympus—
"—Typhon."
(end of chapter )