Lucci's arm pressed slowly but inexorably down on Superman's, with enough force to push the entire Earth.
Superman's body began to bend uncontrollably, knees trembling under the pressure with a resounding "crack."
Under Lucci's overwhelming might, Superman's body was forced down into a completely, undeniably submissive position!
"How… can this be possible…"
From afar, Batman stared blankly, completely at a loss for words.
He knew Lucci was strong, but never dreamed Lucci could completely suppress Superman in a pure test of strength!
To him, Superman was the very definition of ultimate power!
And now, that myth was being ruthlessly shattered before his eyes!
At the military command center, even more gasps rang out.
The images coming in were blurry from the vibrations, but the result of the wrestling match was clear.
Swanwick and the assembled military and officials felt their worldview shattered and reshaped again and again.
"…Data analysis complete,"
the technical officer reported with a trembling voice.
"Based on existing models… The Unknown God just displayed an explosive output… at least… 1.5 times higher than Superman's!"
"Impossible!"
A scientist blurted out, "Superman's power is already Earth's limit! How could anyone explode with such force?"
But the truth was right before their eyes.
The being they called the "Unknown God" was suppressing the "God of the World" who once stood invincible over the globe—
Comprehensively, overwhelmingly, and unreasonably!
Lucci had the absolute upper hand not just in energy beams, but even in the pure strength Superman was most proud of!
This man… where are his limits?
….
On the ruins of the monument plaza, the contest of divine strength had reached its climax.
Superman's burly body was being slowly pressed into the ground by Lucci's seemingly ordinary arm.
That arm contained the power of stars.
His knees were already buried deep in the cracked earth, his upper body forced into a humiliating angle.
No matter how he roared, no matter how he pushed his energy to the limit, he couldn't shake Lucci at all.
The iron fist that was once a symbol of hope and protection was now being crushed—absolutely—by another hand.
At this crucial moment—
"Clark!!"
A desperate woman's cry rang out from the edge of the battlefield.
Lois Lane!
Upon hearing her voice, Superman, who had been struggling fiercely, suddenly stiffened!
In his crimson, chaotic eyes, a glimmer of light appeared.
He turned his head instinctively toward the sound.
When he saw the tearful woman, the mountain-shattering power in his arms unconsciously… relaxed.
Lucci immediately sensed the change. He withdrew his power, letting go of Superman's arm.
"Let her go," Lucci instructed those handling the aftermath.
Jean nodded, and with a wave of her hand, the invisible Phoenix force that had covered the battlefield quietly dissipated.
"Clark! Clark!"
Lois ran over, ignoring the hellish ruins underfoot, her gaze only on the confused man at the center of the field. She finally reached Superman, panting.
She reached out with trembling hands to touch his cheek, but was a little afraid.
Superman gazed quietly at her. He looked at the tearful woman before him, the chaos in his empty eyes ebbing like a receding tide.
Instead, there was something he couldn't understand, but found deeply familiar… tenderness.
He still couldn't remember who she was. His memory was still a blank.
But in the depths of his soul, in his instincts, in the love buried deep in his genes, something screamed—
He must not hurt this woman.
Never. He must protect her, no matter what!
In the next moment, to everyone's astonishment, Superman slowly reached out and embraced Lois.
Then, holding her tight, his entire being transformed into a blue streak of light, soaring into the sky and vanishing in an instant.
The battle ended in an unexpected way.
…
"Prince Lucci…"
Bruce Wayne watched Superman disappear, his expression still worried.
"You're letting him take Lois? What if he loses control again…?"
Lucci replied calmly,
"Don't worry, Bruce. Superman would never hurt Lois. She is the only key to his heart.
And the next time we see him… it might just be the Clark you know—the real Superman."
Hearing this, Bruce couldn't help but recall the unforgettable bond between Clark and Lois. He nodded lightly, letting go of most of his worries.
Indeed, if there was anyone in this world who could awaken the lost Superman, it was Lois.
Diana and the others breathed long sighs of relief, their tense nerves finally relaxing.
This crisis caused by Superman's resurrection had been intense from start to finish, the process and the enemy's strength far exceeding their imagination.
If not for Lucci, they had no doubt—
If Steppenwolf had succeeded, Metropolis would have suffered a catastrophe.
Lucci looked around and asked,
"All right, that's it for now. Where to next? I'll send you there."
Bruce Wayne replied in a low voice,
"Back to the Batcave to regroup and reassess the threat we're facing."
Everything that happened today made Bruce realize just how naive his previous plans had been. Whether it was runaway Superman or Darkseid, Earth was no longer safe. He needed to revise all his plans.
"I… want to go to Iron Heights Prison."
Barry's voice was low, completely different from his usual cheerful, quirky self.
"I want… to see my dad."
After every life-and-death battle, he would visit the man unfairly imprisoned—his only family, and the eternal pain in his heart.
Hearing this, Lucci remembered something.
Barry's mother, Nora Allen, had died when he was a child, struck by a mysterious yellow-red lightning. The only adult present was his father, Henry Allen.
Henry repeatedly insisted he'd seen an "impossible person," but all the evidence pointed to him as the sole murderer.
He was ultimately convicted and sentenced to life for his wife's murder.
The real killer, however, came from the future and bore endless hatred for the Flash—Reverse-Flash, Eobard Thawne.
This case was the greatest knot in Barry's life. Even after becoming the Flash, he wanted to change it, but dared not—knowing that even a small change in the timeline could trigger unpredictable "Flashpoint" consequences.
Looking at Barry's young, slightly weary eyes, Lucci's expression softened.
For Barry, it was an unsolvable puzzle across time and causality.
But for Lucci, it was a trivial matter.
So he said lightly,
"Barry. When you get back, find the best lawyer and file an appeal with new evidence. On the day of the trial, I'll appear in court myself, and prove your father's innocence."
Lucci's words struck Barry like thunder!
He jerked his head up, staring at Lucci in disbelief, his voice shaking with excitement.
"Prince Lucci! You… do you… do you really have evidence?"
Barry had tried every department, every connection, but failed every time because the evidence was a "perfect closed loop."
His father's case was already considered ironclad!
But now, Prince Lucci said he could prove his father's innocence?
"You can take it that way."
Lucci spoke calmly, his deep eyes seeming to see through past and future.
"I'll show everyone the truth of that day. Just do as I say."
In his words was a confidence worthy of a god!
"Yes! Yes! Understood! Thank you! Thank you, Prince Lucci!"
Barry couldn't hold back his emotions, tears welling in his eyes. He babbled, bowing over and over to Lucci.
It was not just hope for his father, but also the possibility that the burden that had crushed his heart for over a decade could finally be lifted!
This meant more to him than saving his life a million times over!
Lucci nodded lightly and said no more.
His mind shifted, and the power of space activated again.
Light and shadow distorted, and the two of them vanished to their destination.
After finishing this, Lucci again used his spatial power.
In an instant, Jean, Diana, and the others disappeared from the scene.
….
Military Command Center.
After the astonishing figures on the screen vanished, the entire command room remained deathly silent.
Swanwick was so exhausted, he could barely sit, as if he'd fought a war lasting decades, both physically and mentally drained.
The Unknown God… had truly bested Superman.
What's more, it was a near-total, overwhelming victory.
This result stunned them, but also brought an inexplicable sense of relief.
"General… what do we do next?" a staff officer asked cautiously.
Swanwick was silent for a long time before exhaling slowly, his eyes regaining their resolve.
"All footage from today's events is to be classified as top secret!
Also…" he glanced at the map of Stryker's Island on the screen, "instruct the Hawkeye One to change course and continue their mission to Stryker's Island base. I want to know what's happening there!"
"Yes! General!"
Orders were quickly relayed.
The advanced fighter jets circling over the metropolis drew graceful arcs, turning toward the isolated island with a roar.
…
Asgard, at the heart of the majestic Rainbow Bridge.
Guardian god Heimdall stood quietly atop the observatory, his gaze spanning the Nine Realms, fixed unblinking on Midgard.
From Steppenwolf's resurrection of Superman, to Lucci's arrival on the battlefield, to the thrilling clash of the gods and its dramatic conclusion—he had witnessed the entire process.
Watching Lucci suppress the powerful Kryptonian with overwhelming might—energy waves and brute strength—
Even Heimdall, long used to cosmic storms and with a heart as calm as still water, was stirred by a storm of emotion.
"Prince Lucci's power…"
"It seems… he's grown even stronger!"
He clearly remembered the last time Prince Lucci was on Earth, he'd easily destroyed the Chitauri army, but those were just rabble.
This time, he showed overwhelming superiority in both energy and pure strength!
That Kryptonian, Heimdall felt, harbored star-like energy in his body!
But Prince Lucci defeated him with ease!
"Truly… I hope the god father fares well in Asgard!"
Heimdall took a deep breath, calming his excitement.
He focused his senses, mobilizing the power of his all-seeing eye, sending his awareness into the throne room of the God-King.
"All-Father!"
Odin, sitting on the throne with closed eyes, recovering, slowly opened his one eye at Heimdall's call.
"Heimdall, what is it?"
"It's about Prince Lucci!" Heimdall's voice trembled with excitement.
"There's been a great battle on Midgard…"
He relayed every detail to Odin.
When Odin heard that Lucci had single-handedly defeated Steppenwolf and suppressed the Kryptonian, his previously weary, dignified face suddenly lit up!
His one eye shone with unprecedented brilliance!
"Haha… Haha!"
Odin's hearty, satisfied laughter echoed throughout the palace!
"Good! Well done! As expected of Asgard's Crown Prince! Worthy successor to Odin!"
The joy on Odin's face was beyond words. Lucci's growth far exceeded expectations!
"Heimdall!" Odin commanded happily. "Keep your eye on Midgard! Pay attention to anything concerning Lucci! The future of the Nine Realms is in his hands!"
"Yes, All-Father!" Heimdall replied respectfully, turning his gaze back to the blue planet, meticulously observing every corner.
But soon, Heimdall's gaze paused somewhere in London, England.
He saw someone familiar—and something very strange.
"Hm?" Heimdall was slightly surprised.
In a ruined industrial area, Jane Foster—who had previously encountered Prince Lucci—was conducting an investigation with two assistants in a strange location.
Something very odd was happening there—
A gravitational anomaly!
Heimdall's all-seeing eyes clearly detected a faint but real spatial chaos in that region.
A can Jane threw suddenly disappeared in midair, only to fall from more than ten meters above her head seconds later.
A rock her assistant threw also vanished after being thrown into the area, never reappearing.
It was as if space there had become invisible, with random doors opening and closing.
Heimdall frowned slightly.
He was familiar with this phenomenon.
It meant that the spatial barriers between the Nine Realms were extremely thin at that spot, even forming temporary "doors" for shuttling between realms.
Recalling that this woman was acquainted with Prince Lucci, Heimdall, following the principle that "anything involving Prince Lucci is never a small matter," watched the site closely.