The portable magic network's downside was its inability to handle large-scale spells. However, legion combat didn't require such advanced magic. When fireball, ice spike, and lightning spells accumulated in sufficient numbers, their lethality became devastating.
"Southeast, eight thousand meters. First division, follow my targeting—Fireball."
"Due west, twelve thousand one hundred meters. Second division, cast Ice Spike."
"Third division, help Uggha's legion clear ground targets."
Each division numbered one hundred thousand. Watching a hundred thousand fireballs rain down on enemy heads created a spectacular sight. The minions hit by the barrage didn't even leave ash—they burned up mid-air. The remaining fireballs struck the ground, and the magic legion literally plowed the earth for ten thousand miles in every direction. Such concentrated magical energy accumulating in a small area caused catastrophic environmental damage to the local terrain.
Parademons were manufactured from prisoners of various worlds combined with Apokolips biotechnology. In Thea's assessment, they had zero magic resistance. One fireball could kill three. If a battlefield damage tracker existed, it would show her forces dealing far more damage than Uggha's cavalry legion.
None of the four deities engaged. They wouldn't waste their combat power on minions. They waited for true opponents.
The magic legion's clearing speed was unmatched. The seemingly endless Parademon swarm had their attack formation shattered under various magical bombardments. Some monsters charged too far forward, only to discover their support forces had been wiped out when they reached enemy lines.
Thea's strategy was to cut off their mercury-like offensive. Once their formation broke, what remained were just scattered minions fighting individually. Highfather's army could handle such enemies with virtually no losses.
"Orion, my dear brother! You've come all this way—ready to die?" A rough voice echoed from the distance. Before the words finished, a three-meter-tall, massively built warrior entered view. The newcomer's brown-black hair and beard merged into a single mass like a lion's mane. He wore black leather armor, exposing dark yellow muscles that seemed cast from iron. Thick murderous intent radiated from his entire body.
"Kalibak, today's the day you die!" Like an enraged warrior, Orion charged directly at him. Despite their size difference, their strength was nearly equal.
As they clashed, soldiers from both sides tactfully chose to retreat. Thea watched with interest—this was her first time observing New God combat up close. Moreover, this was Darkseid's evil eldest son battling his righteous second son, making it entertaining from a dramatic standpoint.
The other deities looked unsurprised, making it clear these two had fought many times before.
After watching briefly, Thea noticed something odd. Orion was considerably stronger than she'd initially sensed. If she swapped places with Kalibak, while she wouldn't lose, she couldn't take Orion down quickly either. Had he used some secret technique to temporarily boost his combat power?
"Is Orion really this strong?" she asked Lightray beside her.
The peaceable Lightray didn't hide it. "Orion's divine position—Violence—provides him tremendous divine power, but he doesn't like using it."
Thea nodded in understanding. This was divine position enhancement. But Violence as a divine position—the name alone made it clear it had nothing to do with justice. That's why Orion normally suppressed it deliberately.
Thinking about it, Thea felt Darkseid had really screwed himself. Such an excellent son handed over to Highfather, now turned into an enemy. Even the Dark Lord must have felt some regret.
She turned her attention to Kalibak, Darkseid's brutal enforcer who supposedly could go head-to-head with Superman.
Honestly? Disappointing. Equal to Superman? Complete exaggeration! This guy wasn't Superman's match at all. Fighting a hesitant Superman who held back was nothing to brag about. In the Injustice timeline, an unleashed Superman could fight Darkseid one-on-one without falling behind. What was Kalibak compared to that?
This lion-headed guy talked big, but after less than thirty exchanges, empowered Orion had him suppressed. His defeat wasn't hard to predict.
Seeing the other deities all watching intensely without suggesting a gang-up, Thea realized they'd likely developed an unspoken rule through eons of warfare: duels were mandatory. No ganging up allowed.
The outcome didn't matter in terms of wins or losses. Except for Highfather and Darkseid, none of the remaining deities—including Thea currently—possessed overwhelming superiority against any other deity. If they allowed gang-ups, the Council of Nine on this side and Darkseid's Elite on the other wouldn't last eons—a century or two would see them all dead, leaving only the two bosses facing off alone.
That image was too desolate. The deities, whether good or evil, consciously avoided such scenarios. Even with Orion gaining the upper hand now, he didn't call his best friend Lightray for assistance.
Thea naturally welcomed this combat atmosphere. She had zero desire to throw herself into a meat-grinder battlefield for life-or-death struggles. She'd worked so hard ascending to divinity to reach this level—everyone valued their lives. Being able to live well, who wanted to lie barely alive off to the side?
You could see this from how Darkseid always sent avatars to fight and never committed his true body. The Dark Lord might be evil, but when it came to valuing his life, he deserved an extra "more" compared to Thea.
Understanding the logical connections, Thea felt much more at ease. Highfather wouldn't strike Darkseid's Elite, and the opposing boss wouldn't kill the Council of Nine. They'd seemingly fought for eons, but in reality, they'd been consciously limiting battle scope.
Just as she was thinking she might coast through this battle, another opponent jumped out.
"So this is New Genesis's new deity? It's been ages since I've seen such a young god. Tsk tsk."
A 1.8-meter-tall, somewhat plump old woman in golden scale armor and a crimson cape, with white hair and vicious eyes, stared at their group.
"It's Granny Goodness. She's the Deception God—her close combat and mental control magic are both formidable. Be careful," Lightray quietly warned her, giving her an encouraging look.
Huh? What did this mean? Thea felt confused. She hadn't said she'd accept the challenge, had she? Was there some unspoken rule here that challenges must be accepted?
She looked at the opponent—this scam artist granny. No, Granny Goodness. The woman's face perfectly embodied the phrase "hateful appearance." She resembled Thea's TV memories of a vicious period-drama villainess—cruel, malicious, and mean-spirited with a touch of cunning.
This one had a face born for taunting. It wasn't hard for Apokolips to learn about Thea—New Genesis had spies on Apokolips, and the reverse was surely true. They could investigate trivial details, so something major like gaining a new combat asset couldn't possibly escape notice.