At the critical moment, someone made the decision for her. The Martian Manhunter emerged from the void, grief and hatred written across his face as he stared into a particular spot in the darkness. Thea suspected that was where H'ronmeer hid.
Releasing this dark death barrier was an absolutely terrible move. By abandoning his torch-like form, H'ronmeer had accidentally set J'onn free to fight at full strength.
J'onn's psychic abilities had extreme range and area coverage—he could establish mental links from Earth to the Moon. Thea and H'ronmeer's earlier conversation had been less than eight hundred meters away in a straight line. He'd heard every word about the genocide's truth, crystal clear.
Learning what had destroyed his wife, child, and entire race, he was consumed by hatred, rage, and murderous intent.
But the raging flames had previously blocked his path. He could only "watch" helplessly as Thea avenged his people while he couldn't move an inch.
His heart filled with frustration and powerlessness. Just as anxiety peaked and he didn't know what to do, the scorching heat in the air suddenly vanished. Without thinking, he flew straight in.
"I am J'onn J'onzz. I am the son of M'yrnn and Sha'sheen. Today I claim justice for all Martians!" The Martian Manhunter's shout seemed to resonate with the entire planet.
The massive cavern vibrated in harmony with his voice, tremors extending all the way to the surface. Fifty million kilometers away on Earth, several observation satellites detected violent fluctuations in Mars' magnetic field.
Compared to Thea, J'onn was a legitimate Martian. He simply lacked a weapon to channel psychic force. Many Martians who'd retained self-awareness could only manifest as phantoms, offering him encouragement—spiritual support in the truest sense.
"Father, Mother, M'yri'ah, K'hym..." Numerous spectral images appeared around him. The Martian Manhunter, whose power already relied heavily on psychic force, received his people's "encouragement"—and his mental power surged dramatically beyond its normal levels.
He had no divine power and understood nothing of death domains, but with psychic abilities among the best in the universe, he carved out a small territory within the darkness by sheer force.
The light of his mind—brilliant and mysterious—intertwined with Excalibur's radiance, each illuminating the other.
"J'onn J'onzz. I remember you. Your name means 'Light to the Light' in Ma'aleca'andran. When you were born, your mental light blanketed the entire planet." H'ronmeer's sinister voice echoed from the shadows.
"Your race was too powerful. The world needs gods, not mighty mortals. Your extinction was inevitable. I don't know how you escaped annihilation, but today you will definitely die here, contributing your unique mental light to my death authority." Having shed his flame body, H'ronmeer had apparently freed himself from the lava's constraints. He could now move freely within the space.
Under his command, countless shadow beasts launched a frenzied assault on the two.
Thea needed to maintain Excalibur's charge, so she stayed defensive. The Martian Manhunter handled the offense.
Honestly, this was her first time seeing J'onn fight at full power. H'ronmeer's concern that Martians threatened his divine position and his genocidal decision actually had some merit.
The Martian Manhunter was terrifying! He had no divine power, no godhood or divine position, but his psychic abilities combined with a Superman-level body created energy on par with a New God.
Shadow beasts, theoretically immune to all abilities except magic and divine power, got absolutely pummeled by him. That's how psychic power worked—if I believe you can be hurt, you will be. If I believe this punch kills you, you die.
Psychic power was all about belief. What Thea mastered was barely scratching the surface compared to J'onn's combat-ready application.
As the Martian Manhunter violently cleared the field, the previously uncountable shadow beasts gradually became quantifiable.
Fighting these minions couldn't quench his fury. The weight of an entire race's vengeance pressed on his shoulders. After briefly warning Thea, he charged straight at H'ronmeer.
H'ronmeer didn't know about J'onn's fire phobia. If H'ronmeer switched forms, this Martian who could rival a Super Saiyan would immediately crumble.
Facing the aggressive Martian Manhunter, H'ronmeer had no choice but to engage. The two quickly exchanged blows.
Unable to use his flame whip or Living Flames, H'ronmeer was beaten into retreat by the Martian Manhunter's psychic-enhanced punches. Even when he tried hiding, the planetary consciousness—manifested as Martian spirits—would point out his location. He was trapped.
J'onn pressed his advantage mercilessly. The hundred-meter H'ronmeer was driven back step by step. One arm was severed by J'onn's psychic blade. Though it quickly regenerated, the deity still felt humiliated.
"Uncle J'onn, move!" The energy Thea had accumulated was three times what she'd used against Doomsday. The quantity seemed modest, but that was because each additional portion of power increased Excalibur's weight exponentially.
Power didn't add—it multiplied. Thea didn't know exactly how many Martians' hopes she'd gathered. She only knew one thing with absolute certainty: with this strike, her opponent couldn't block or dodge. The concentrated force seemed to carry a hint of causality. H'ronmeer had treated mortals like insects. Past cause determined present effect!
Gods might be mighty, but mortals couldn't be ignored.
"For all Martians!" Thea gripped the sword in reverse and shot forward. As they rapidly closed distance, Excalibur's radiance illuminated H'ronmeer's despairing face. He had no time to block. Some mysterious rule locked down his ability to dodge, forcing him to watch helplessly as the sacred light-infused blade pierced his left eye.
Brilliant radiance flooded the world. The cavern previously choked with ink-black darkness was engulfed in light. The hundred-meter H'ronmeer crashed to the ground. Excalibur, carrying the concentrated mental light of all Martians, not only dispelled the cavern's darkness but directly shattered H'ronmeer's death domain.
H'ronmeer had originally been just a god of art. He'd been possessed by madness when pursuing the death domain. Ironically, he couldn't even properly wield such power, only managing to suppress the death domain with his flame authority in a toxic cycle.
Now with his death domain shattered, the balance within him collapsed. He ignited like a torch, burning furiously. Divine power and authority turned against him. His life was reaching its end.
Whether self-immolating or in normal form, H'ronmeer, as a giant candle, severely disrupted the Martian Manhunter. Unfortunately, H'ronmeer would never see this.
J'onn, who'd been dominating moments ago, wilted the instant he saw the torch. But he still remembered countless kinsmen's blood debt, forcing himself to continue.
"My son, you must be strong."
"J'onn, my husband, we're forever with you."
"Daddy, K'hym wants you to promise to live well, okay?"
Thea saw three adults and one child—four Martians surrounding J'onn. Their voices drifted past like a gentle breeze, and the Martian Manhunter's expression shifted from agony to sorrow.
Excalibur's radiance continued working. The entire underground cavern was saturated with Martian mental light, allowing more and more Martian phantoms to emerge.