Chapter 115: The Strongest Moment of Transcendence
High above Metropolis, a kilometer in the sky, a sleek Bat-themed aircraft streaked across the clouds, afterburners blazing as it raced at full speed toward Pozharnov, Russia.
Inside the Batplane.
Wonder Woman, Batman, Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg checked their gear, each making final preparations for the battle they knew awaited them.
Batman had removed the helmet of his Batsuit for the moment, revealing a weathered yet handsome face. Looking around at the others in the cabin, he spoke in a low, steady voice.
"The most important problem now isn't Steppenwolf. We have to consider: if the Mother Boxes have already united into the Trinity, how do we respond?"
"It's not that I don't trust Superman. Or even that powerful ally who appeared earlier."
Cyborg drew in a heavy breath, his cybernetic eye flashing crimson as he explained solemnly.
"The Mother Boxes are strategic weapons forged with Apokoliptian technology at its peak. Darkseid has used them to conquer countless worlds. If they're only at the initial stage of merging, overwhelming external force might still tear them apart. But once the Trinity is fully completed, no outside force or explosion will separate them—such attacks only strengthen their bond."
"And when the three boxes truly become one, they'll open a Boom Tube… and unleash enough power to shatter the world."
Cyborg's body itself was proof—rebuilt with Apokoliptian technology, he knew better than anyone how devastating the unified Mother Boxes could be.
"Hold on." Flash, looking like an eager student, raised his hand curiously.
"Shattering-the-world power I can kind of understand. But, uh… what exactly is a Boom Tube?"
Cyborg answered quickly.
"A Boom Tube enables long-distance teleportation. Earth and Apokolips are so far apart that even interstellar warships might not make the journey. But a Boom Tube connects the two instantly, even if just for a short while. That's how Steppenwolf came to Earth in the first place."
"That's… actually kind of awesome," Flash muttered in awe.
"So you're saying the key to this entire war lies with those three boxes?" Aquaman shrugged.
"Correct." Batman's tone deepened. "Which means we need a plan. If the Trinity has already formed… how do we deal with it?"
Hearing this, Cyborg's remaining human eye flashed with determination. Deep down, he felt it—his existence in this mechanized form was for this very moment.
"Diana," Batman suddenly turned, glancing at the silent figure by the window. "You've been quiet. Any thoughts?"
Wonder Woman turned from the clouds outside and said softly,
"I was only thinking… that by the time we arrive, he may have already taken care of everything."
The Batplane jolted slightly through turbulence. Batman, holding the jar containing the Starfish, frowned.
This wasn't the Diana he knew—the composed, independent warrior. Right now, the centuries-old goddess almost resembled a young woman in love, speaking with unshakable faith in that new ally who had joined them.
Batman didn't like this feeling. To him, it undermined the very foundation of the Justice League.
After all, even Superman's overwhelming strength had only led to the creation of the League—because no single hero should bear all burdens alone.
But now, one man's presence seemed more reliable than the League itself. If that was true… what purpose did the Justice League still serve?
…
Russia. Pozharnov.
The once-deserted industrial zone had been rebuilt into a sprawling alien fortress. Parademons patrolled the skies and ground with laser rifles, while a massive crimson energy dome shielded the entire perimeter.
At the heart of the base, inside the abandoned factory.
Steppenwolf's aged, scarred face trembled with ecstasy. His towering body, clad in steel-scaled armor, heaved with each breath as he lifted the final Mother Box reverently in both hands.
In the air before him, the other two awakened Mother Boxes already floated, humming with power.
Sparks crackled—
The three Boxes drew toward one another, aligning in midair, arcs of energy weaving across their surfaces as they began to merge into one.
The Trinity was forming. Soon, the unification would be complete.
And then… he could go home.
Back to the side of the ultimate Dark Lord.
Steppenwolf's clouded eyes gleamed wet, his body trembling in uncontrollable devotion.
But then—
A sharp, echoing boom split the air. Steppenwolf's head snapped up, just in time to see the massive energy shield dissolve like receding tidewater.
He froze.
No warning. No struggle. The shield was simply… gone.
…
Outside the factory, at the edge of the alien base.
A blazing humanoid figure, bright as daylight, had smashed straight through the dome and descended like a meteor.
Instantly, alarms blared.
Thousands of Parademons opened fire, unleashing torrents of crimson laser beams from both turrets and rifles.
In an instant, the sky itself seemed to rain destruction, no room to dodge, every beam converging on the glowing intruder.
Hovering in midair, Xi Nian, in his transcendent form, spread his arms wide. His Kryptonian body burst forth with a golden aura, a radiant shield of condensed divinity and biofield combined.
He became a blazing humanoid sun, banishing the darkness across the ruined city below.
The beams struck his barrier, sparking harmlessly like rain against tempered steel.
They could not pierce him.
And how could they? The radiant shield he released was the union of godly power and Kryptonian life force—the sacred energy of Earth's Old Gods fused with the might of Krypton itself.
"No one else here. Perfect," Xi Nian murmured, his eyes flashing with twin arcs of white lightning.
At this moment, without allies at his side, he was at his strongest.
With a sudden motion, he thrust both hands outward. His black Kryptonian suit crackled as countless white bolts erupted from him, surging skyward and downward alike. A wave of destructive energy pulsed outward in every direction.
The storm rolled across the alien base, tearing through buildings, erasing fleeing Parademons. For kilometers around, everything was flattened in the tide of devastation.
The abandoned factory was gone.
Only the three merging Mother Boxes remained suspended in the air, their connection unbroken.
On the ground below, the lone survivor, Steppenwolf, clung desperately to his axe buried in the soil, anchoring himself against the tide so he would not be swept away.
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