Chapter 459: Deathmatch
Luke's Ultimate Form
Luke had designed three combat modes for the Floating Armor:
Normal Mode: Operated by the physical body, capable of handling most enemies or superheroes.
Psychic Mode: Guided by Zamaron psychic technology, discarding visual senses and using the mind to perceive all surroundings. This mode offered extremely fast reactions and adaptability, granting the user the ability to fight even a Kryptonian.
Soul Mode: The final mode. The physical body is abandoned, and the soul fuses with the armor. Unrestricted by flesh and blood, it can freely change form—into a sword, hammer, knife, spear, and so on. Empowered by the Green Flame, it possesses unparalleled destructive power.
The greatsword pierced H'el's abdomen. The flames surged out, relentlessly eroding his body from within. Luke's face materialized in the flames, his eyes burning with fire, radiating a suffocating killing intent.
Aah!!!!!!!!!!
H'el screamed hysterically, spitting blood. He grabbed the blade and pushed it out of his body inch by inch.
Blood dripped down, immediately shredded by the sword's wind.
The man and the sword stood locked in the sky. Suddenly, H'el's eyes turned pitch black. Invisible telekinesis surged out, slamming heavily into the blade.
"Open!"
H'el roared, pushing the greatsword completely out of his body with all his might. He flashed to a position above,
"Die!"
His iron fist, wrapped in an energy storm, struck the upper side of the greatsword. Crack! The blade bent inward, and cracks appeared on the surface.
A red light plummeted from the sky. After punching through a building, it exploded into a crater dozens of meters wide.
H'el waved his hands. The surrounding buildings seemed to come alive, turning into torrents of soil and debris. The earth trembled. Countless stone pillars rose from the ground, manipulated by telekinetic force. They stacked and twisted, converging from all directions, focusing on the greatsword.
The Battle of Attrition
Nearby residents ran away frantically. As they ran, some of their bodies were lifted into the air and merged into the torrent of debris.
Looking down from the sky, the small town seemed to be clenched in a giant's hand. House after house collapsed. The shattered stones converged on the town center. After only a few dozen seconds, the town had vanished. The bare ground looked like it had been freshly plowed, and a massive stone sphere, over a hundred meters in diameter, sat in the center.
H'el covered his mouth, coughing painfully. Blood seeped out, staining his hands red. Creating the stone sphere consumed a vast amount of his telekinetic power, but compared to the result, it was all worth it.
"I'll see how long your armor can hold up."
Before he finished speaking, the stone sphere shook.
The tremor quickly intensified, rocking side to side, as if something was about to burst out.
Crack!
Cracks erupted on the surface. The greatsword broke through the seams, appearing in front of H'el. Compared to before, the blade was much dimmer, giving it a gray, lackluster appearance.
H'el hissed, "Your armor is failing."
"What about you?"
Luke retorted. "After blocking so many attacks, how much telekinetic power do you have left?"
H'el lifted his head. "Endless."
"So do I."
The greatsword tore through the air. H'el quickly evaded, reaching out to grab the hilt and swing it down toward his knee. Suddenly, the greatsword disappeared. Red particles flowed rapidly, transforming into an iron arm enveloped in the Green Flame.
The iron fist tore the air, slamming heavily into H'el's chest.
Bang!
A green shockwave burst from the impact, followed by the sound of breaking bones. H'el vomited blood, plummeting from the sky to the ground. After smashing through the stone sphere, he continued, sliding for hundreds of meters before finally stopping.
Luke was about to pursue when Ava's voice rang in his mind:
"Energy is almost depleted. Current capacity is 12.4%. Initiating backup power."
Without hesitation, Luke transformed back into the red greatsword. The blade sliced through space, appearing like a meteor falling from the heavens. Mid-air, it flashed and suddenly materialized in front of H'el.
Puch!
The blade tore through flesh. H'el's left arm was severed at the shoulder.
Aah!!!!
H'el screamed like a madman, punching the greatsword away. He drove his legs against the ground and leaped into the air, constantly flickering as he flew toward outer space.
Luke pursued relentlessly. The greatsword turned into a streak of light, rocketing toward the heavens.
Long after they departed, people hiding in corners cautiously poked their heads out. Seeing their homes reduced to ruins, they collapsed to the ground, sobbing mournfully.
The Final Stand
Back in Metropolis.
Clark, having killed Zod, returned to the location of the shuttle. Seeing him, Faora couldn't help but ask,
"The General? Where is he?"
"He is dead."
"You're lying!"
Clark shook his head slightly and placed the white-shrouded body on the ground. A breeze lifted the cloth, revealing the bloodless face of Dru-Zod, the Kryptonian Military Commander.
Faora froze rigid, as if struck by lightning. The other Kryptonian soldiers also looked dazed, their will to fight completely gone.
They had followed Zod since their teens. Zod was not only their general but also played the roles of father, comrade, mentor, and guide.
They respected Zod and never doubted him for a moment, following him without hesitation even when he launched a military coup.
Now, their General was dead.
What meaning did their lives still hold?
"Avenge the General."
Faora spoke the words calmly. The soldiers behind her looked up, their eyes filled with the grim acceptance of death.
Concurrently, the other shuttle, located in the South Indian Ocean, lifted off the sea and flew toward Metropolis.
The battle resumed with ferocity. Unlike before, Faora and the others abandoned all defense, attacking with full force, their eyes burning with the flame of vengeance—like a pack of maniacs.
A mad battle waged by mad Kryptonians.
In a building not far from the shuttle's former location, Colonel Dregg finally regrouped with his Mech Corps. Watching the non-human battle in the distance, they were all silent.
When they first donned their power armor, they thought they were invincible. Only now did they realize, the joke's on me.
The gap between Kryptonians and Earthlings could not be bridged by one set of equipment, unless it was a superweapon like the Floating Armor.
Dregg had arrived with great ambition, swearing to demonstrate their strength, but reality had delivered a harsh slap.
The subaltern held up a communicator.
"Command has sent a dispatch telling us to maintain concealment and not engage in the battle under the shuttle."
"What else did they say besides concealment?"
The subaltern dismissed the soldiers and whispered into Dregg's ear,
"Command wants us to find a way to secure the Kryptonian corpses."
Dregg shook his head bitterly, unsure whether to accept or refuse.
The subaltern sighed. "I know this is difficult for you, but it is General Lane's order. It must be carried out, regardless."
"You're right."
Dregg slowly stood up. "But I will not steal the spoils of others like a thief. Tell the General I will execute the order, in my own way."
With that, he kicked open the door and walked toward the battlefield.
The soldiers behind him exchanged glances and followed.
They passed through the abandoned streets and reached the edge of the battle, participating in the fight as Earthlings.
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