Marvel : New Son Rising

Diana nodded and flew to stand before Superman, channeling her divine power into the wristbands on her forearms. In front of her, Arthur was rapidly approaching, leading a horde of infected Atlanteans and grotesque sea monsters.

Just as the dark current was about to engulf Diana, her wristbands clashed together with a resounding impact. The divine power, amplified by the collision, unleashed a colossal force.

In the very next moment, the sea—parted. The horrifying blast pushed back the black ocean current and the infected creatures within it, splitting the ocean itself into two vast walls of water.

To these powerful heroes, the ancient tales of seas parting were merely descriptions of their own epic battles.

However, using this move left Wonder Woman momentarily stiff. Seeing the divided sea begin to close, Superman surged forward. He took a deep breath, and a powerful freeze breath erupted from his mouth.

After Wonder Woman had parted the sea, Superman used his breath to completely freeze most of the ocean before them. Within the dark, icy expanse, the grotesque faces of the infected Atlanteans and sea monsters were clearly visible.

"Where's Arthur?" Wonder Woman, though briefly rigid, recovered in a mere second. She scanned the frozen ocean but couldn't find Arthur.

"He got away," Superman replied. "With his speed in the water, my freeze breath couldn't catch him." This was why Superman could only watch the ocean being polluted but couldn't directly defeat Arthur. While Arthur's swimming speed wasn't as fast as Superman's full-speed flight, it was enough to evade most of his attacks.

"So, there will be another battle between us in the future, won't there?" Wonder Woman sighed as Superman nodded silently.

She believed Superman held back, that he didn't truly use all his strength against Arthur. He was still clinging to the hope of healing everyone and restoring the world to its original state.

Because of this, he instinctively held back, not directly defeating or killing Arthur. This was always Superman's biggest weakness, yet it was also this boundless compassion that defined him.

But Wonder Woman wouldn't stop trying to convince him. She wasn't an idealist. Superman gave people hope, but as a warrior, she needed to show everyone the harsh realities. This balance had always sustained the Justice League.

"Superman, it's time for you to face facts. We need to think more about those who are still alive. Sometimes, death is unavoidable."

Superman merely nodded, silently acknowledging her words. Wonder Woman knew he heard her, but she wondered how much impact her words would have, or if they would truly make him understand. Fortunately, they still had time. As long as she was there, and Superman was there, hope wouldn't be lost. They still had room to plan their next moves.

The infected Arthur had not completely lost his mind. After losing his allies, he didn't continue his assault on Atlantis. So, under the command of Mera and Garth, all remaining Atlanteans gathered near Paradise Island, using their powers to ensure the nearby water sources remained usable.

Later, with Mera's help, Superman and Wonder Woman plunged underground and forcibly lifted Paradise Island, bringing more land above sea level. This expanded the island's area by more than three times, providing much-needed living space for the surviving humans.

Over the next few days, powerful heroes like Wonder Woman, Superman, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, and Black Canary led searches for survivors worldwide.

They transported these survivors to either Gotham Forest or Paradise Island, depending on their individual needs. Because of this, Diana didn't return to Paradise Island for several days, with Mera taking over the task of protecting it in her stead.

However, this had little to do with Lucian, who was still training with the female warriors in the arena. After realizing his Kryptonian identity, he trained with intense focus, his growth so rapid it was as if he had activated a cheat code.

Both his physical fitness and combat skills were developing at a terrifying pace. Three days prior, he had been easily defeated by a female warrior. Now, while he still didn't have the advantage in raw strength or speed, he could skillfully use his shield to block attacks and find opportunities for decent counterattacks.

As for Mera, she knew about Lucian's existence, and that he was an 8-year-old Superman from another world. But with her husband infected and her country almost completely destroyed, she naturally wasn't in the mood to speak with a child like Lucian. And Lucian, in turn, wouldn't seek out an unhappy aunt.

Today, however, Wonder Woman returned. Most of the survivors from around the world had been found, so Superman and his allies suggested Diana return to Paradise Island to protect this last pure land.

Any remaining survivors would be screened and transported in waves. Wonder Woman agreed. Now that even the ocean was controlled by the infected, Paradise Island was no longer as safe as it once was.

While ordinary infected wouldn't easily reach Paradise Island, an isolated land far from the mainland, this was no problem for the infected Arthur and the sea monsters. Mera and Garth's power alone was far from enough to fight Arthur.

However, as Wonder Woman, having just returned to Paradise Island, exchanged a few words with Lucian in the arena, she suddenly heard someone calling her name from the sky.

"Warbird? So you're alive too?"

The newcomer was a dark-skinned boy with blue feather wings. His abilities seemed to include flight using his wings and the ability to communicate with birds. That was all Wonder Woman knew about him.

"Wonder Woman! At Jotunheim Prison, Black Adam from Kahndaq is leading a large number of infected to attack the prison! Please, help us!"

"Black Adam! He's infected too?" Wonder Woman was shocked. She thought Arthur lurking in the ocean was problematic enough, but now even Black Adam was infected. Add to that the troublesome characters with special powers from Kahndaq, and the situation became dire.

"I'm going to rescue them now. You go to the Fortress of Solitude immediately and tell Superman and the others the news!"

As she spoke, Wonder Woman, who had just returned, soared into the sky again and flew towards Jotunheim Prison. Warbird didn't hesitate and turned, flying towards the Fortress of Solitude.

He likely knew that while Wonder Woman could probably handle Black Adam alone, fighting Black Adam and an army of infected while also protecting the survivors in Jotunheim Prison would be beyond her capabilities.