Adrian had no idea that nuclear missiles had already been launched toward him. At that moment, his full attention remained fixed on the brutal battle unfolding against the Guardians.
In the cold darkness of space, shattered satellite fragments and twisted mechanical debris drifted through orbit, remnants of the devastating clash between Adrian and the Green Lantern Corps.
Ganthet raised his hand, and the Green Lantern Ring released an endless mass of green energy constructs. The power twisted and expanded into gigantic whip-like serpents that coiled through space like living creatures.
The enormous energy snakes lifted their heads as though they had gained consciousness. Every single construct locked onto Adrian before erupting forward in a violent frenzy.
Countless green serpents shot across space like a storm of arrows. Green lightning surged through the void, piercing and pulverizing debris in their path as they accelerated toward Adrian at terrifying speed.
Adrian's eyes glowed crimson.
Heat Vision exploded outward.
A scorching red beam tore across the darkness of space and collided directly with the incoming barrage of Green Lantern constructs.
The moment the two forces crashed together, violent explosions spread through the battlefield.
There was no sound in space, yet the continuous detonations created a breathtaking scene. It looked as if an entire fleet of warships had been swallowed by concentrated beams of light, erupting into endless flashes of green and red.
From Earth, the explosions resembled countless meteors bursting apart in the night sky.
People around the world stared upward in shock and disbelief.
No one realized that an even more terrifying spectacle was about to unfold above them.
Fear spread silently across the planet. Humanity could only watch the unknown chaos unfolding in orbit.
Adrian's Heat Vision slammed into Ganthet's energy waves, releasing another violent shockwave that scattered nearby debris in every direction.
Satellite wreckage closest to the collision point disintegrated into dust instantly.
Then Ganthet burst out from the center of the explosion.
Wrapped in green light, the Guardian moved like lightning through space. In less than a second, he crossed the battlefield and appeared only a few feet in front of Adrian.
Adrian narrowed his eyes.
The crimson glow faded.
In the next instant, freezing breath erupted from his mouth.
A massive stream of icy white energy surged forward like a frozen tidal wave, carrying enough cold to freeze everything in its path.
Yet Ganthet did not retreat.
Instead, he accelerated directly into the freezing storm.
The Guardian became a streak of green light slicing through the icy current like a serpent moving upstream. Divine green energy gathered around him as he forced his way through Adrian's attack.
Stretching out one hand, Ganthet split apart the freezing breath.
Boom!
A powerful burst of energy exploded from the Guardian's body.
Green light rippled outward violently.
But Adrian's freezing breath never stopped.
The cold intensified.
By the time Ganthet pushed within half a meter of Adrian, thick layers of ice had already spread across his body and constructs.
The Guardian's Green Lantern energy began freezing over under Adrian's overwhelming cold.
The countless giant serpents created by Ganthet slowed dramatically, their bodies covered in ice as they lost momentum in space.
Even the Guardian's arm started freezing.
"Damn it!"
Sinestro charged into battle from the side.
He still looked furious after being suppressed by Ganthet earlier. Losing face in front of an ally had clearly irritated him.
At the same time, he could not hide his shock at Adrian's strength.
Sinestro had already believed Adrian was powerful beyond reason, yet the man was actually matching a Guardian head-on.
How much stamina did this monster possess?
And why was Adrian adapting to Ganthet's fighting rhythm so quickly?
Questions flooded Sinestro's mind.
For the first time since the battle began, Ganthet's expression shifted slightly.
The Guardian frowned.
With a wave of his hand, the frozen green serpents burst apart, shattering the thick ice covering them.
Green energy surged violently outward.
Then Ganthet thrust his hand forward again.
The constructs completely broke free from formation and charged Adrian from every direction.
Each serpent moved with overwhelming force, carrying enough energy to tear apart entire warships.
Unfortunately for Ganthet, attacks like this no longer posed much threat to Adrian.
Adrian had already started adapting to Green Lantern energy.
At the same time, he never stopped observing the battlefield.
He had already noticed Sinestro moving into position.
The moment the attacks closed in, Adrian instantly pulled backward, slipping out of the encirclement with frightening speed before curving sharply through space toward Ganthet's blind spot.
Sinestro attacked at the same moment.
Yellow energy blasts rained toward the Guardian in rapid succession.
Faced with attacks from both sides, Ganthet had no choice but to shift his focus away from Adrian.
Bang!
Adrian's fist slammed forward.
Ganthet blocked the strike with a green barrier, but cracks spread across it immediately.
Adrian had used nearly seventy percent of his strength in that punch.
Even so, Ganthet still managed to hold the attack back.
"Don't you understand, Homelander?" Ganthet said coldly. "There is still a gap between us."
"You've caused enough destruction. This ends now. I won't allow you to continue acting without restraint."
Bang!
Before Ganthet could finish speaking, Adrian threw another punch.
This time, the barrier shattered completely.
His fist smashed directly into Ganthet's chest and sent the Guardian flying through space.
"If that's the gap you're talking about," Adrian said coldly, "then you clearly overestimate yourself."
His black trench coat shifted behind him despite the vacuum of space.
Adrian floated motionlessly in orbit, his expression distant and ruthless, his towering figure radiating overwhelming pressure like a black hole swallowing everything around it.
"Raaaah!"
Guy Gardner returned to the battlefield covered in injuries.
Even knowing he stood no chance against Adrian, Guy rushed forward with desperation burning in his eyes.
He had already seen the nuclear missiles approaching from Earth.
Several of them.
If he could hold Adrian in place long enough, the explosions might finally cripple him.
Guy still knew nothing about Captain Atom's death.
If he had known Captain Atom sacrificed himself in a nuclear detonation only for Adrian to survive nearly unharmed, Guy never would have attempted something this insane.
But now, only one thought remained in his mind.
Destroy Adrian.
Guy accelerated violently.
In an instant, he reached Adrian from behind and locked both arms around his waist with every ounce of strength he had left.
Green Lantern energy exploded from his ring as he forced Adrian toward the incoming missiles.
Adrian frowned slightly.
He looked toward the rapidly approaching nuclear warheads in the distance.
He had not expected Earth to target him at this moment.
Were the remaining government factions responsible?
Or ambitious world leaders trying to eliminate him while they still had the chance?
Thoughts flashed through Adrian's mind rapidly.
Still, he felt no real concern.
After obtaining the Doomsday abilities, nuclear weapons no longer posed a fatal threat to him.
Especially after surviving Captain Atom's previous nuclear explosion, his body had already developed resistance to that level of destruction.
Guy tightened his grip harder.
Green energy mixed with blood across his arms as he desperately held Adrian in place.
Even Adrian could feel the pressure from Guy's final suicidal effort.
The Green Lantern ring poured every remaining ounce of power into Guy's body, forcing his arms tighter around Adrian's waist.
Yet Adrian did not panic.
He did not even struggle immediately.
His expression remained cold as he allowed Guy to drag him directly toward the missiles.
The nuclear warheads roared through space with blazing trails of fire behind them.
Then they struck Adrian head-on.
At that exact moment, deep beneath the Earth's surface, the President of the United States and countless officials stared at the screens in complete silence.
Their fists tightened.
Their breathing stopped.
Around the world, leaders watched with identical expressions.
Every nation.
Every government.
Every pair of eyes focused on one thing.
The death of Adrian.
"You have to die, Homelander!"
===
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