DC: Rise of the Kryptonian Tyrant

Peak in the Sanctuary of Azarath.

Cross Corridor.

A faint red glow permeated the atmosphere, with dust particles swirling in the air. The entire world seemed soaked in blood, reflecting a deep crimson hue.

Trigon sat at the intersection of the Cross Corridor, his massive form resembling a mountain pressing down on the space. Seated on a dark, frigid stone throne, he gazed down at 'Raven' with a smirk, his lips curling to reveal gleaming white fangs.

Bardi's heart turned cold. Raven had once told him that his soul was special, but she could not perceive its depths. She only sensed that his will was beyond ordinary, unyielding and indomitable.

Had Trigon seen through their disguise at a single glance?

"Father, I don't understand."

'Raven' spoke, fully immersing herself in the role. Her trembling figure, hunched beneath the cloak, exuded terror, just as before. Fear of her father. Fear of the countless souls who had perished within the Sanctuary of Azarath because of her.

"Hahaha…"

Trigon's six eyes narrowed, and his laughter echoed like a rolling storm, sending waves of red dust rippling outward.

Towering at a hundred meters, his cruel, tyrannical features twisted into amusement. His voice rumbled like a hurricane, shaking the earth with a deafening roar.

"My daughter, Raven… Are you not going to come out?"

Trigon bared his fangs, lowering his hand from his right cheek. His spine straightened, his massive form rising, his six eyes glinting with laughter as he gazed down at Raven like an insect beneath his gaze.

He knew her far too well.

She was never more than an experiment, a tool designed to test the connection between the multiverse and the divine realm. How could he not recognize the aura of his own bloodline?

Moreover, Bardi's soul was strikingly clear to him. His unwavering will, his strange and resilient soul, like a candle's flame in the vast darkness was unmistakable.

No matter how they tried to conceal themselves, Trigon could see through them at a glance.

The only thing obscuring his complete vision was the way their souls intertwined, their auras tangled together. Yet, attempting to deceive him with such a trick was nothing short of ridiculous.

In an instant, 'Raven' ceased trembling. The cloak draped over her shoulders remained, but her posture changed—head lifting slightly, her bright black-and-white eyes staring directly at Trigon's massive face.

There was no trace of joy.

Trigon had seen through them immediately.

This was a being who had lived through countless eons, who had destroyed an untold number of worlds. For him, unraveling the deception of Bardi and Raven required nothing more than a single glance.

They had meticulously studied Trigon's temperament. They had planned every detail, Raven's mannerisms, the fluctuations in their soul auras, the precise magic circles to mask their presence. They had even calculated how to draw Trigon's consciousness into the spiritual realm.

Yet, all of it—every painstaking effort—had been shattered in mere seconds.

It was hopeless.

And of course, it was.

What arrogance it was to think that two mortals, both under a hundred years old, could outmaneuver a demon lord who had existed since before the stars burned.

Days of planning, ruined in an instant.

Suddenly, 'Raven's' form blurred. An ethereal silhouette emerged from Bardi's body—her true self.

She stepped out of him, still clad in her own garments, her figure shifting from illusory to solid as she materialized.

She stood there, expressionless, her cloak's brim casting a shadow over her cold eyes, sealing away all emotion. She had to face her father with indifference, without fear or sorrow.

Behind her, Bardi's body shuddered violently. His frame expanded, bones cracking as they stretched, restoring him to his original form.

Dark blue veins spread like tendrils across his skin, writhing like living creatures beneath the surface.

"Hrrngh—!"

Bardi clenched his teeth, pain surging through him. Blood vessels in his eyes burst, staining the whites red. His fists tightened, his body coiled like a spring on the verge of snapping.

His skin ruptured at every pore, black blood spraying outward like needles, making him resemble a spiked beast.

The demon's blood was a curse. Every moment it remained inside him was agony.

It severed his body's natural force field, slicing into the depths of his mind. It shredded his cells apart before forcibly binding them back together. Though the magic circles had provided some buffer, it was still akin to having fire poured into his veins—an unbearable torment.

Within seconds, the magic circles inscribed upon Bardi collapsed.

All the demonic blood within him gushed out. His body was drenched in thick, black ichor, mingled with sweat—sickly, greasy, reeking of corruption.

Raven turned toward him. Beneath the shadow of her cloak, her eyes betrayed no emotion. She placed her palm against Bardi's chest.

A gentle force swept over him like a spring breeze, washing away the filth and the last traces of demonic corruption.

A pristine white suit formed around him. A long white trench coat draped over his shoulders.

When all was done, Raven and Bardi locked eyes.

Then she turned away, facing Trigon. Taking a step forward, she lowered her head beneath the hood of her cloak.

"I'm sorry, Father. I was only joking with you."

But in that brief moment before she turned, Bardi had seen it.

The despair.

The sorrow buried deep in her heart.

The kind of hopelessness that hollowed out a person's soul.

A void.

A soul turned to ash.

Bardi knew that look.

He had once worn it himself.

This—was despair.

Bardi fell silent.

He had brought no light. No hope.

Not to himself. Not to Raven.

There was no hope.

Not when facing Trigon.

Only despair.

A deep, seething rage spread through Bardi's chest.

Raven's hollow gaze gnawed at him like a phantom's bite.

How?

How could they fight Trigon?

How could they defeat a demon monarch?

How could they face a being who could traverse the cosmos at will, snuffing out stars as effortlessly as breathing?

There was no chance of victory.

No chance of success.

There was not even a 0.00000000001% chance of victory.

Bardi's face remained indifferent, his gaze ice-cold, but deep inside, fury raged uncontrollably.

He was powerless.

He didn't have enough strength.

He had no way to save Raven.

Against Trigon's overwhelming power, the moment their plan failed, he would be completely useless.

Forget saving Raven, he couldn't even save himself.

The sheer helplessness was suffocating.

The rage nearly tore him apart, pushing him to the edge of insanity.

He had no control over his own fate.

With such feeble strength, he was nothing more than prey awaiting slaughter.

His adrenal glands surged into overdrive, flooding his body with energy. His heart thundered like a war drum, blood pumping at an unprecedented speed. Veins bulged violently beneath his skin, twisting like living creatures.

Suddenly.

Trigon rose.

With a deafening sonic boom, he stood up, breaking the sound barrier in an instant. A shockwave exploded from his massive form, sending a billowing sonic cloud rippling above him.

Within that thick haze, six terrifying eyes gleamed with shock, their piercing gaze locked onto Bardi.

From the swirling clouds, a colossal black demon horn pierced the sky, its sheer presence radiating destruction.

The very heavens seemed to rupture under the force of his movement.

The howling winds grew so fierce, so cold, that they could freeze blood in an instant.

All the red dust was swept away, and the blood flames burning in the hollow depths of the sacred mountain flickered violently, their crimson light casting eerie reflections across the corridor.

On the Cross Corridor.

The violent gusts ripped Raven's black cloak from her, revealing her delicate frame beneath. She lowered her head, her face devoid of emotion, indifferent and unreadable.

Bardi stood his ground. His fists clenched so hard his knuckles blanched. The wind roared, whipping his hair wildly. His trench coat flapped against the storm.

In his hand—

A solar capsule appeared.

The golden capsule gleamed in his palm, his grip tightening around it.

His teeth ground together, his face twisted with fury, veins bulging along his neck. His eyes burned with a cruel, unyielding determination as he tilted his head upward.

And met the gaze of the mountain-like demon lord towering over him.

He looked up.

***

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