DC: Rise of the Kryptonian Tyrant

Amid the roiling magma, Bardi pushed aside the molten rock with both hands, standing firmly atop the crater as he looked up at Darkseid descending from the sky.

Darkseid was furious, but Bardi having just learned the truth was even angrier.

For no reason, he had become entangled with a being as incomprehensible and unstoppable as the giant beast. He still didn't understand the meaning behind the voice the beast had left within his body. The crushing sense of impending doom was enough to drive him nearly insane.

Standing in the volcano, Bardi raised his fists. Lava splashed beneath his feet, veins bulged across his face, and he let out a thunderous roar into the sky.

Darkseid plummeted like a fighter jet, skin cracked with force, and punched straight toward Bardi on the volcano.

Boom!

The immense force collided with Bardi's raised hand. Their fists clashed with such power that bones shattered and muscles tore, erupting into a mist of blood.

The entire volcano collapsed beneath Bardi's feet. Lava surged like boiling water, cracking the earth for tens of thousands of kilometers as the terrain completely caved in and was swallowed by magma.

Compared to Darkseid, Bardi was the only god of the body. Though Darkseid's level was higher, Bardi was the first to leverage his Destruction Sun base's regenerative and adaptive growth traits. His arm muscles rapidly healed and reshaped.

In a flash, Bardi seized Darkseid's wrist, wrenched him out of the sky, and slammed him to the ground in a powerful over-the-shoulder throw. The impact shook the earth, cracking open a massive crater. Nearby Parademons and New Genesis soldiers immediately retreated, unwilling to be caught in a battle of such devastation.

Of course, despite the incredible destructive scale, enough to annihilate a universe these strikes were insignificant to Bardi and Darkseid.

Even if their bodies were temporarily shattered, they could regenerate instantly and resume fighting.

The power of the One Gods was vast. Ordinary attacks meant nothing to them.

Even universe-destroying blows were mere skirmishes.

Both consumed by fury, they exchanged brutal strikes with fists and feet. Hands, arms, torsos, chests, even tailbones—each were broken and smashed in turn, only to regenerate moments later.

In theory, Bardi's divine body had Doomsday-like traits—he could recover, grow stronger, and evolve resistance. Initially, Darkseid held the clear advantage.

He shattered Bardi's limbs and torso, but once Bardi's body adapted and evolved resistance, the tide turned.

However, Darkseid's Omega Beams were abnormal and terrifying, capable of suppressing even Doomsday-like evolutionary traits.

For a time, the two were evenly matched, and the battle became a contest of endurance. Their brawl raged across the entire surface of Apocalypse, leaving only devastation in their wake. The legions of Parademons and New Genesis soldiers suffered immense collateral damage.

As the conflict dragged on, the armies witnessed Bardi and Darkseid clashing from thousands of kilometers away. As their battle approached, soldiers had to evacuate and relocate just to continue fighting safely.

Their battle tore across the land from sky to earth. Flaming ridges exploded. Magma spurted like fountains. Apocalypse was unrecognizable, its cities utterly destroyed.

It had become a protracted war. Without fighting for decades—or centuries—no victor could be declared. The battle of the One Gods was now a test of stamina.

This was exactly what Highfather had in mind when he sent Bardi. Bardi would occupy Darkseid long enough for Highfather to defeat the other One Gods of Apocalypse. Once that was done, he could intervene and deal with an exhausted Darkseid.

Everything had gone according to Highfather's plan. Just as Bardi anticipated, he and Darkseid were evenly matched. The outcome hinged on the moment Highfather stepped in.

Fifty years passed, and the war on Apocalypse approached its end.

The remaining One Gods of Apocalypse—Steppenwolf, the God of Cruelty, Desaad, Granny Goodness, Glorious Godfrey, Kalibak, and others—faced Highfather, who was two levels above them. Despite resisting for fifty years, they could no longer hold out and were sealed by Highfather one after another.

Apocalypse, already a hellish world, had become tens of thousands of times worse. Its planetary core began spewing geocentric lava.

The entire planet trembled.

Boom!

Bardi struck Darkseid in the chest, shattering it and sending him crashing into the molten core of the planet.

Darkseid's furious gaze shot out Omega Beams, splashing lava and blasting upward at Bardi.

Bardi's eyes bulged with rage. Dark rays erupted from his gaze and clashed against Darkseid's Omega Beams.

But just as the beams were about to collide, Darkseid's Omega Beams twisted mid-air, avoiding Bardi's attack.

In that instant, Bardi's dark ray struck Darkseid square in the chest, blasting a chunk into chocolate-like corruption once more.

Meanwhile, Darkseid's Omega Beams transformed into two red ropes of light, wrapping around Bardi and pulling him down.

The ropes, infused with Omega power, tightened around Bardi. Though he struggled with all his might, he could not break free immediately. It wasn't until he was dragged deep into the molten planetary core that he finally tore them apart.

There, Bardi's divine body landed in front of a mysterious portal.

Now, both Darkseid and Bardi stood deep within the core of Apocalypse, before a vast and enigmatic gateway.

As Bardi approached, the portal slowly opened, emitting a mysterious glow. A massive suction force surged from within, trying to pull everything—including Bardi—into it.

"What is this portal?!"

Bardi's eyes widened in horror.

This portal… it was vast, mysterious, filled with supreme allure, a divine pull. And yet it radiated unimaginable danger.

Not even during his decades-long war with Darkseid had he felt such a force pulling at the core of his soul. It tempted and terrified him at the same time, threatening to shatter his will.

Darkseid's face twisted with fury. He gathered his strength and leapt toward Bardi, sending lava flying, aiming to push Bardi into the portal.

Bardi spread his arms, planted his feet deep into the lava, and slammed his palms against Darkseid's, trying to resist being shoved into the gateway.

Darkseid pushed with godlike might. Behind Bardi, the enormous suction from the portal pulled relentlessly. Bardi used every ounce of strength just to resist being hurled inside.

"Barmulodi, behind this gate lies the Source Wall! The tomb of all the One Gods! You're finished!"

Darkseid's terrifying expression loomed closer, distorted from effort and rage.

With the pressure from behind and Darkseid's strength pressing forward, Bardi couldn't spare a word. His veins bulged, and he poured all his power into resisting.

The Source Wall was not a place to be taken lightly. Known as the graveyard of One Gods, no one knew how many had been consumed by it.

"My father is there too. Die with him, Barmulodi!"

Darkseid bared his teeth, roaring as he pushed with full force.

Bardi gritted his teeth. His arms trembled, veins protruding. His eyes locked furiously on Darkseid as he was pushed inch by inch toward the portal.

No One God wanted to enter the Source Wall. At least, Bardi knew he lacked the power to escape it.

Once inside, it was uncertain whether even fragments of him would remain.

At that moment—

Pong!

A thunderous sound rang out.

Highfather descended from above and landed behind Darkseid.

Highfather had dealt with all the remaining One Gods of Apocalypse and was now free to intervene.

Bardi grinned. "You're finished, Darkseid!"

A trace of relief appeared in his eyes. With Highfather here, Darkseid was no longer a threat.

But Darkseid remained unfazed. Instead, a wide grin spread across his face.

"No, you're the one who's finished, Barmulodi!"

He knew Highfather better than anyone. After countless years of conflict, he understood—Highfather would never allow a dark tyrant like Darkseid to be sealed again… and would never allow another to rise in his place.

Bardi's eyes narrowed, sensing danger. He turned—just in time to see Highfather thrust his scepter into Bardi's chest with full force.

Bardi's chest caved in. His feet left the ground. He was sucked into the air, drawn toward the portal.

Mid-flight, Bardi stared wide-eyed and realized the truth.

Highfather…

Had pushed him into the Source Wall!

Darkseid had already exhausted most of his power. He could be sealed again.

And now, Highfather could use this chance to eliminate Bardi too.

It was the perfect solution.

Whether Darkseid or Bardi prevailed, Highfather would be the one to emerge victorious.

With Highfather's full-strength strike, Bardi could no longer hold himself together. His body lifted off completely, dragged toward the mysterious portal and absorbed into the Source Wall.

Bardi's heart boiled with fury. His eyes, dark as black holes, locked on Highfather's cold expression.

After all the battles, his divine body—scarred and burned—was pulled into the Wall of Origin.

"Father!!!"

"If I come out, I want New Genesis wiped from existence!"

(To be continued.)