The sight of Ares, the God of War, being torn apart by Trigon left Clark completely stunned.
He had never imagined that one of the twelve Olympian gods, the embodiment of war itself, could be defeated so effortlessly. The overwhelming ease with which Trigon had ripped Ares in half shattered every expectation Clark had held.
Was Trigon simply too powerful, or had Ares been far weaker than legend suggested?
The question echoed through Clark's mind, yet no answer came.
Only one truth remained undeniable. The Trigon standing before them possessed power far beyond the demon Clark had faced before. This was not a weakened projection or an incomplete manifestation. This was Trigon's true strength.
Clark stared at Ares's mutilated body lying on the shattered floor.
The god's torso had been severed at the waist. Blood sprayed through the air before splashing across the stone, creating a gruesome pool beneath him. The metallic scent of blood spread throughout the labyrinth, and Clark's enhanced vision could see the crimson mist still drifting through the air.
After several silent seconds, Clark forced himself to look away.
There was no time to mourn.
Wonder Woman let out a furious cry.
She swung the Lasso of Truth, wrapping it tightly around Trigon's arm. Planting her feet against the fractured ground, Diana pulled with every ounce of strength she possessed. The muscles in her arms tensed, her entire body straining as she attempted to overpower the demon.
Trigon's presence filled the labyrinth.
Hellfire burned through the air. Space itself seemed distorted beneath his overwhelming pressure. The atmosphere trembled violently, and the oppressive aura was enough to render an ordinary person unconscious from sheer terror.
"Haaah!"
The floor beneath Diana's feet exploded.
She pulled harder, her boots digging into the stone as cracks spread outward. Her dark hair whipped violently through the burning winds, and the determination in her eyes made her resemble a warrior goddess standing upon a battlefield.
The floor collapsed beneath her.
Then Trigon suddenly pulled.
Diana was dragged toward him.
Before she could react, his enormous hand wrapped around her throat.
Pain shot through her neck.
The crushing force felt like iron jaws closing around her windpipe. Her breathing stopped, and darkness threatened to overwhelm her.
"My rage is endless!"
Trigon's roar shook the labyrinth.
Clark arrived first.
He lunged forward and drove his fist into the arm holding Diana.
A violent shockwave erupted.
Despite Clark's full strength, Trigon's arm merely trembled.
Adrian arrived beside his brother.
His Heat Vision erupted from his eyes, crashing into Trigon's arm. The air itself roared as the combined assault finally forced the demon to take half a step backward.
His grip loosened.
Diana immediately escaped.
Ignoring the pain in her throat and the terrifying aura surrounding them, she coughed violently before rejoining the battle.
She swung the Lasso of Truth again, binding Trigon's body.
Before he could break free, Diana rushed forward and drove her fist into his jaw.
Fury pushed her beyond her limits.
The Valkyrie unleashed every ounce of her strength.
The two Kryptonians and the Amazon attacked together.
At this point, Clark had abandoned any concern for restraint or honor. Years of fighting alongside Adrian had given the brothers flawless coordination, allowing them to fight as though they shared a single mind.
The results were devastating.
Suddenly, Trigon retaliated.
His fist struck Diana before she could defend herself.
She shot upward like a missile and crashed into the labyrinth ceiling.
Stone shattered.
Debris rained downward.
The impact nearly forced her to vomit.
Yet Diana ignored the agony. She released the damaged Lasso of Truth and drew the Vulcan Sword.
With a battle cry, she descended.
Trigon had already torn free from the lasso and turned his attention toward eliminating the Amazon once and for all.
Then lightning descended.
A beam of energy tore through space itself.
The Cosmic Scepter.
Adrian's summoned weapon pierced through layers of reality. The Star Scepter, which had remained with Simone, shattered the labyrinth ceiling and descended into the Tower of Time.
Brilliant energy crashed downward.
The beam targeted Trigon directly.
This was the ally Adrian had summoned.
At the same moment, Adrian activated the Yellow Lantern Ring.
Fear energy exploded outward.
The ring had consumed countless fears, and under Adrian's control it unleashed tremendous power. His will and ruthless determination allowed him to draw out its full potential.
Even Clark felt the pressure.
The fear radiating from Adrian nearly stole his breath.
Clark stared at his brother, bathed in yellow light.
The sight left him speechless.
Adrian paid no attention.
His focus remained entirely on Trigon.
He finally understood the truth.
The being he had defeated in San Francisco had not been Trigon's true body. The monster before him existed on an entirely different level.
Even after becoming stronger, Adrian still struggled against him.
Even with Clark and Diana fighting beside him, they could not gain the advantage.
Yet this battle also pushed him further.
Every clash forced his powers to evolve.
Adrian extended his arm.
Fear energy surged outward like a tidal wave.
Massive yellow beams shot toward Trigon while the power of the Star Scepter descended from above.
The two energies converged.
Only then did Trigon finally acknowledge Adrian as a genuine threat.
He moved instantly.
Clark and Diana were thrown aside.
Trigon raised one arm to block the descending energy while Hellfire erupted from his eyes.
The infernal flames collided with Adrian's yellow energy.
The resulting explosion shook the labyrinth.
The ground collapsed.
The air ignited.
Everything trembled.
"I will destroy you and everyone around you!"
Flames poured from Trigon's eyes as he roared.
The violent clash made it nearly impossible for Clark and Diana to remain airborne. Powerful winds battered them from every direction.
Far away, within the House of Mystery, Batman and the others watched the battle through Doctor Fate's magical projection.
Everyone stood frozen.
Black Canary stared at Adrian's display of power in disbelief.
The energy he wielded rivaled the destruction of worlds.
Montoya swallowed.
"I think he held back against us. Otherwise, someone with this kind of power could have killed us instantly."
No one answered.
Silence filled the room.
Each person already knew the truth.
Batman remembered his own encounter with Adrian inside the labyrinth.
He remembered the pain.
The humiliation.
He remembered Adrian standing above him.
"It's over."
Adrian had looked down at him coldly.
"I know your teammates believe you could defeat me if neither of us held back."
His eyes had been merciless.
"I only need to look at you to tear you apart. A breath could freeze your heart. The slightest touch could shatter every bone in your body. Tell me, Bruce, what can intelligence and determination accomplish against that?"
Adrian had placed his foot against Bruce's chest.
"Do you know how weak you are in my eyes? If I wished, I could kill you effortlessly. You are alive not because of your strength or your luck, but because other people died for you."
Batman returned to the present.
His fists slowly tightened.
Perhaps Adrian had held back.
But there was another reason Bruce remained alive.
Others had paid the price.
Beppo.
Wizard Boy.
They had died while he survived.
The weight of that truth settled heavily upon him.
Meanwhile, the battle grew even more violent.
The colliding energies finally collapsed the labyrinth.
Adrian was thrown backward.
Trigon also suffered from the backlash. His head snapped upward, and his massive body slid across the ground.
Before the demon could recover, Adrian appeared before him.
Their fists collided.
The impact sent violent vibrations through the air.
Trigon stepped backward twice.
Adrian was launched across the battlefield.
Before he could recover, Trigon charged.
Thunder echoed throughout the labyrinth.
Adrian gripped the Star Scepter and unleashed its full power.
He moved like lightning.
No one watching could track him.
Buildings collapsed.
Walls exploded.
Staircases shattered.
The winds transformed into hurricanes, fleeing from the battlefield itself.
The ground had been torn apart.
Stone fragments covered everything.
"Stop boasting! If I can kill you once, I can kill you again!"
Adrian had begun burning his own life force.
The prolonged battle ignited his fury.
He moved faster than his words.
His kick slammed into Trigon's body.
The demon staggered.
Yet Adrian was also thrown backward.
Every obstacle behind him split apart. Walls, pillars, and staircases were reduced to rubble.
The entire labyrinth shook.
"There is no daughter of yours here, only my sister!"
Adrian appeared before Trigon again.
The Star Scepter unleashed another blast.
His fist followed immediately.
The punch landed squarely against Trigon's head.
For the first time, the demon truly suffered.
Trigon grunted.
His enormous body crashed into the labyrinth wall and shattered it.
Inside the House of Mystery, everyone stared at the projection.
Could Adrian actually win?
Had he become this powerful?
Adrian entered a berserk state.
He attacked relentlessly.
Clark and Diana briefly stood frozen, unable to keep pace.
Only after Adrian forced Trigon backward did they return to the fight.
But Trigon had finally become enraged.
His numerous eyes glowed with pale light.
He thrust both hands forward.
Hellfire erupted.
This was not ordinary fire.
Even Adrian dared not face it directly.
Clark and Diana attempted to dodge.
They could not move.
The flames had locked them in place.
Just before the inferno consumed them, Adrian appeared.
His Yellow Lantern Ring formed a defensive barrier.
The barrier shattered instantly.
The explosion sent Adrian, Clark, and Diana crashing to the ground.
Clark lost consciousness.
Diana collapsed beside him.
Adrian remained awake, but blood covered his body. His injuries prevented him from rising.
The situation had become dire.
Inside the House of Mystery, silence filled the room.
Moments earlier, victory had seemed possible.
Now everything had changed.
The terrifying realization settled over everyone.
Were they about to witness the end?