After taking that first heavy blow, Shazam was sent flying uncontrollably into a refugee camp on the banks of the Nile. The impact of his crash smashed the entire camp into ruins.
The devastation caused earlier by Gorilla Grodd had already made life in Africa—where conditions were already harsh—even worse. Even with the protection of the Kryptonians, nothing could be changed overnight.
Most of the refugees gathered in the camp were people who had lost everything. They survived there numbly, relying entirely on outside aid.
Even when these people dumped all kinds of trash into the ocean, Aquaman—who had once been cold and indifferent toward land-dwellers—never came to blame them in the slightest.
But Shazam's accidental crash only brought them further misfortune.
Before he could even stand up, Shazam heard cries, groans, and sobbing all around him. At that moment, all he felt was guilt.
But before he could get up to help, Black Adam came rushing in from the distant sky and smashed him back into the ground with a punch.
Along with the blow came Black Adam's furious roar: "Look at what you've done!"
The lands along the Nile had once been Black Adam's homeland. Though a thousand years had passed and everything had changed, he still held deep feelings for the people of this land.
Seeing the destruction Shazam's fall had caused ignited his fury.
Punch after punch rained down like a storm. Faced with Black Adam's rage, Shazam could only defend passively.
He knew that even a single counterattack could generate enough force to destroy the entire refugee camp.
So he endured the blows, not daring to strike back at all.
As for Black Adam blaming him for the damage, Shazam's Wisdom of Solomon had already come to a simple conclusion:
This guy had completely lost his mind.
But that wasn't surprising—anyone sealed away in darkness for hundreds or thousands of years would hardly remain mentally stable.
Black Adam continued to pin Shazam down, raining blows on him without end. No one knew how long it went on, until a small stone thrown from nearby interrupted him:
"Get away from us you evil villain!"
Black Adam delivered one more punch to Shazam before turning his head. The one who had thrown the stone was just a skinny local child.
"No, I am not evil! I am... was your protector!"
Black Adam refused to accept the accusation—especially coming from his own people. Veins bulged on his forehead as he roared at the child:
"You know nothing! He's just the wizard's puppet! I'm the one who swore to protect you—I am the champion!"
The child staggered slightly, nearly blown over like a reed in the wind by the force of Black Adam's voice.
But the child still bent down, picked up another stone, and—perhaps fearing he lacked the strength—walked a little closer before throwing it again:
"I saw him on the news! He's a hero who stands with Superman! Superman ended the war and saved us!"
The stone struck Black Adam's head again. It did no damage—but the words that came with it cut deeper:
"And you've done nothing! You're just attacking Superman's friend and bringing disaster to us! You're not a hero!"
Black Adam pushed aside the bloodied Shazam and stood up, walking toward the child. He reached out, trying to grab him and explain:
"No—that's not it! I…"
At that moment, the child's mother rushed forward, dragging her injured leg. She stumbled to the ground as she threw herself in front of her child, shielding him. Her already worn clothes became even more tattered and filthy.
"Please, have mercy! Spare my children!"
The rules of survival in Africa were now different from elsewhere.
In some places, resistance might allow a person to live with dignity.
But here, no one had the power to resist oppression. Kneeling and begging for survival might be humiliating—but it was the norm.
Faced with the mother's plea, Black Adam finally calmed down—and noticed the hand he had extended toward them.
It was covered in blood.
His breathing grew heavy as he finally realized why Shazam had fallen into this place.
It was because of his own relentless attack.
When Black Adam first broke free from his seal and returned to the world, all he wanted was revenge against the wizard's new champion—Shazam.
He only wanted to vent the fury of a thousand years of imprisonment.
He never expected things to turn out like this."
"That kid was right—you're one lousy hero."
Shazam wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and climbed out of the crater Black Adam had just smashed him into.
"What happened in this camp is my fault. My mistake was letting my emotions get the better of me—just like you."
Shazam walked toward the nearest injured person, completely exposing his back to Black Adam—the most dangerous enemy present.
"I shouldn't have let it turn into a grudge match. I should've called Superman to join the fight and snapped your neck on the spot."
The stamina of Atlas allowed Shazam's wounds to heal rapidly, though it still took some time.
The balance of victory had already tipped in Black Adam's favor. If he pressed the attack now without hesitation, the outcome would be decided quickly.
But Shazam knew the battle was already over.
He had won. Black Adam had lost.
Under the fearful gazes of everyone in the camp, Black Adam stared at his bloodstained hands, standing there in a daze.
A thousand years ago, he truly had been the protector of all the people who lived on this land.
But now—what exactly had this so-called 'protector' protected?
Shazam carefully began transporting the injured, one by one, to different medical aid points scattered across the surrounding areas.
The refugee camp had already been densely populated; his crash landing had caused massive casualties.
He did this to prevent any single medical center from being overwhelmed, ensuring that everyone could receive timely treatment.
After carrying dozens of people back and forth, Shazam turned to look at Black Adam. This time, it was Billy Batson speaking:
"You're just going to stand there?"
Teth-Adam burned the blood off his hands with divine power. Ignoring the fearful stares of the crowd, he joined Shazam in the rescue effort.
"I'm simply fulfilling my duty as a protector. That doesn't mean my feud with you—and the wizards—is over."
"The Wizard Shazam thinks the same thing."
With the fight over, the energetic Billy Batson now dominated Shazam's consciousness:
"He told me we're going to lock you up later!"
"...I think that was something he meant to keep to himself."
Hearing this, Black Adam immediately realized that this generation's Shazam had not unified the will of the wizard and his own.
That realization softened his hatred for Shazam slightly.
"Now that you've said it out loud, I might just run."
"Huh?"
Billy froze, then nervously glanced at Black Adam.
"Then what? You're not actually going to run, right? Y-You better not use the injured to distract me, and then escape!"
Both of them were flying while carrying injured people. If Black Adam suddenly dropped them midair and fled, Billy didn't even want to imagine how he'd stop him.
"Don't be an fool."
Looking at Shazam's current foolish behavior, Black Adam had initially wanted to laugh.
To mock the Wizard for choosing such an unworthy successor—someone either dim-witted or simply still a child.
But he couldn't laugh.
Because the person in his arms was the same mother who had just shielded her child.
After hearing Billy's words, she clutched tightly at the edge of Black Adam's cloak. He could feel a trace of despair in that grip.
The very people he had once sworn to protect now truly believed he was capable of such despicable acts.
In a low voice, he reassured her:
"I won't do something like that. You can rest easy."
Billy nodded in relief.
"Oh—okay, good!"
What he got in return was a far colder remark:
"I wasn't talking to you."