DC: Rise of the Kryptonian Tyrant

A place distant, unreachable through time or space.

The Wall of Origin. That wall. That prison of despair. A wall that has existed since ancient times, from the dawn of history to the present, binding all the One Gods—those exalted, humble, and struggling to survive.

Withered and mummified corpses stood in endless rows, composing a tableau of despair perceptible to every god in the divine realm.

Among them were peerless figures, One Gods once renowned across all creation.

Kings even more tyrannical than Darkseid, rulers of the Dark Ages, terrifying lords of destruction.

Giants who had witnessed the birth of the realm of the gods, capable of destroying universes with a single hand.

Yet, without exception, all of them, no matter how mighty, once affixed to this wall, were utterly stripped of hope.

This was the final grave for all One Gods.

Boom!

A thunderous crash echoed like a meteor slamming down from the heavens, faster than any temporal displacement.

The Wall of Origin's irresistible suction pulled Bardi's upright body toward it. He slammed into the surface in the shape of a cross, sticking to it with a resounding crash. The mummified One Gods nearby trembled from the shock and slowly stirred from their torpor.

"A familiar sound…"

"A voice from memory…"

"Who is it?"

"Don't know."

"Another poor soul come to the grave?"

On the Wall of Origin, many of the mummified One Gods opened and closed their ancient, dried eyes. Their gazes were weathered, dim, and void of hope, yet deep within them Bardi could see echoes of ancient destruction. These were One Gods who had been affixed to the wall for eons without even the faintest hope of escape.

From times long past, beings who had failed to break free. Their darkened eyes and sighing voices all revealed the same truth—they were being consumed by a decay worse than time itself, trapped in despair for eternity.

Bardi spread his hands, pressing hard against the wall, feeling an immense suction from his back. This pull was so powerful that even as a One God, he couldn't escape it.

"Aaah…"

Blue veins bulged from Bardi's body, divine skin cracked and bled. Strength surged from deep within his bones, yet his body remained motionless, firmly stuck to the Wall of Origin.

No matter how he twisted his face or strained to lift his arms, he couldn't break free. The force binding him was utterly hopeless, even for a god.

Worse still, the suction at his back was slowly draining his divine power, pulling it into the wall.

"Useless."

"Heh, another unwilling one."

"Still fighting?"

"What a foolish struggle."

"Save your strength. Sleep."

"You'll need it later."

"From the beginning of time to now, the Wall of Origin has endured countless cycles and absorbed tens of thousands of One Gods to empower itself. That suction is not something you can overcome."

Watching Bardi struggle, just as they once had, the mummified gods sneered. Their eyes carried ridicule and sorrow.

They too had once resisted, only to be bound here with no way out.

The Wall of Origin wouldn't kill them. It couldn't. It would merely imprison them, drain them of all power, and leave them to slowly wither away.

Some One Gods had chosen to end it themselves. If one wished to die here, the only way was to give up their divine uniqueness and commit suicide.

There were many once-great gods who had chosen death over eternal imprisonment, forsaking everything to end their suffering.

Here, all past glory, fame, and power meant nothing.

Bardi felt a chill rise in his heart. He twisted his stiff neck with great difficulty, glancing at the One God next to him. That was all he could manage.

As far as the eye could see, rows of mummified corpses covered the wall. No celestial wonder could compare to this macabre scene.

The one next to him had skin stretched tightly over bone, hollow sockets where eyes once were, completely drained of moisture.

There was no longer any vitality. Only the sigh of an old soul, ancient and weary beyond words.

"There's no way out. If you want to die, just kill yourself."

The mummified god beside Bardi spoke without emotion. He had been here long enough to know the thoughts of every newcomer. But all resistance was futile.

Bardi's heart sank to the lowest depths, surrounded by sighs and bitter laughter.

"Hold on! Maybe someday the wall will break."

"Hah, how long do you think you can last?"

"Hope? It's a lie we tell ourselves."

"I'll never give up!"

"I'm ready to die."

"Come, die with me."

"The will of the One God can't be imprisoned!"

"Haha…"

Around Bardi, the voices of despair continued. Some mocked, some encouraged, some raged. There were new gods, only hundreds of thousands of eras old, who still held onto ambition. Others, preparing for suicide, had lasted so long they could endure no more.

Bardi's eyes narrowed. A flash of sadness crossed his heart. He looked again at the mummy beside him, who had held on for who knew how many millennia. Though his will hadn't broken, he was no longer free.

Was this how it would end? To keep enduring, to survive forever?

Endless years stuck in this place—Bardi, a newly ascended One God, imprisoned for eternity after only tens of thousands of years of divinity. It was unbearable.

To boil without time, without a goal… the sheer thought of that void sent chills through his bones.

Suddenly.

Boom…

Boom…

Boom…

A low rumbling tremor echoed from a distance. Bardi could see the skin of the nearest mummified corpse trembling slightly from the shock.

Far away, a figure—like a vajra ape—climbed along the wall. His body was burly and scarred, his breath heavy, his chest rising and falling as he crawled past the corpses.

The mummies around him offered silent encouragement. Their eyes flickered with faint warmth.

"This… this is what we've been waiting for."

The mummy next to Bardi spoke quietly, with a trace of hope in his voice.

"Who is that…?"

"Yuga Khan!"

(To be continued.)