Superman couldn't understand why the enemy fought to the death without retreating. His worldview and knowledge couldn't grasp Steppenwolf's predicament. If it were the experienced Martian Manhunter, he'd definitely spot the problem. Unfortunately, farm-raised Clark lacked that life experience.
He could only assume the opponent was bloodthirsty by nature and completely incapable of communication. Sighing internally—for humanity's sake, I must take you down!
In the Injustice timeline, Superman could fight Darkseid's true form to a standstill. He hadn't reached that level yet, but his potential was boundless.
Having made his decision, Superman stopped holding back. His already fierce offensive accelerated another notch.
Hey now! You won't let me live, I'll make sure you suffer too! Steppenwolf was petty and vindictive—a complete villain. Cornered at the cliff's edge, his vicious nature erupted. The battle-axe whirled like a windmill, every strike aimed at Superman's vitals.
Both abandoned defense, entering a desperate melee. Superman's attacks carried tremendous force; Steppenwolf relied on rich experience and cunning techniques. The battle's intensity skyrocketed.
Blocking an enemy arm, Superman grabbed Steppenwolf's shoulder and drove a knee into his jaw. As his head snapped back, twin heat vision beams blasted directly at Steppenwolf's face.
Being scorched by stellar energy felt far from pleasant. Though Steppenwolf tried desperately to dodge, one eye was blinded, the other reduced to a bloody mess. He was ruthless too—an elbow strike sent Superman flying. After channeling divine power to repair his eyes, he wiped blood from his face and swung the battle-axe with every ounce of strength toward Superman.
BOOM! An explosive impact. With Superman as the epicenter, the ground within a thousand meters (about 0.62 miles) completely shattered. The central area formed a hundred-meter-wide (330-foot), ten-meter-deep (33-foot) crater.
"Huff... huff..." Steppenwolf gasped heavily. Squandering divine power like this was a once-in-a-century occurrence for him.
Having taken a massive hit, Superman coughed up blood in mouthfuls, half-kneeling on the ground. But his recovery was godlike—within two breaths he stood back up, as if that kneeling man had been someone else entirely.
Seriously?! Steppenwolf wanted to curse out loud! Neither could kill the other—was there any point continuing?!
If he knew Superman only burned through stellar energy that could be replenished by casual sunbathing, while his divine power required a century or two to accumulate, he'd be even more despairing...
As overall divine power decreased, its enhancement of his body gradually lowered. In combat, this meant Steppenwolf's total stats were declining—he was starting to lose against Superman.
While Steppenwolf fought with diminishing confidence, his buddy Desaad was actually trading blows quite impressively with Martian Manhunter.
Pyrophobia still tormented Martian Manhunter. Though no longer at the "fainting at the sight of fire" stage, it still affected him. This mental condition built up over centuries couldn't heal easily.
"Martian! Obediently become my experimental material! I'll transform you into the greatest weapon!" Recognizing his opponent's weakness, Desaad abandoned dark magic and frost spells entirely. His fire magic couldn't match Thea's artistry, but still reached a pinnacle ordinary mages couldn't approach.
Direct fire spell damage wasn't significant—most magical harm was resisted by mental powers. He began using persistent spells instead. Can't burn you to death? I'll disgust you to death!
Now Martian Manhunter resembled a human torch. Orange-red flames, pale green demon fire, murky yellow sulfur fire—all blazing across his body.
He could only continuously use mental power to extinguish them. You cast one, I extinguish one. Through constant fighting, that sliver of mental vulnerability began widening.
The Grand Sorcerer refused close combat entirely, just hurling spells from afar. He wanted to capture Martian Manhunter alive.
Originally everything proceeded as expected. Given time, he could take down Martian Manhunter with no injuries or only minor ones.
But then Thea and Diana rolled up Darkseid in that gray-white ocean sweeping across the sky—that scene made him lose focus instantly. He couldn't understand how his supposedly invincible lord could look so... disheveled?
Finally seeing the enemy's opening, the battle-hardened Martian Manhunter stopped worrying about the various fires still burning on his body and charged straight at the Grand Sorcerer. In the opponent's shocked gaze, a blade forged from the purest mental power plunged into his chest.
Foul-smelling blood sprayed through the air. He quickly ignited several fires on Martian Manhunter's body, using the explosion's impact to create distance again.
While using divine power to repair his body, he sensed mental power's troublesome nature. I think you're injured, therefore you must be injured! This idealistic power couldn't be quickly eliminated by divine power alone.
The universe was vast; the Grand Sorcerer had long researched mental power. In his studies, it was an extremely passive ability. But he'd never seen mental power reach Martian Manhunter's level—this level capable of affecting New Gods. This was his first encounter.
If army-commanding Steppenwolf was a general, Desaad handling all administrative affairs was equivalent to Apokolips' prime minister. His perspective was far broader.
Seeing Darkseid swept away, he forcibly drove back Martian Manhunter and anxiously looked over.
The situation hadn't reached the point of no return—Darkseid was still attacking! Though the Dark Lord showed some anger, he was far from defeated. This let Desaad's anxious heart settle halfway.
If the master really died, this old dog wouldn't fare well either! Unlike the loose-lipped Steppenwolf, one glance told him he couldn't beat Thea—whether divine power, magic, or realm, Thea crushed him across the board.
Glancing at his old partner Steppenwolf, he couldn't help grimacing. This guy's getting beaten too badly!
The Grand Sorcerer clicked his tongue privately. Even Darkseid's avatar had deployed—originally imagined as an overwhelming victory, a battle they could win with ease. How had it become this? This universe's resistance was way too strong!
If conquering this universe were the goal, they should continue deploying troops and generals right now. Not many—just ten million more soldiers and one New God, and Earth couldn't hold.
But he didn't dare say that... Highfather still eyed them hungrily from the other side. If they lost Apokolips to conquer Earth, Desaad felt Darkseid might eat him alive.
No choice—a messy battle was still a battle. Keep fighting!
Seeing Steppenwolf's performance of loyally risking his life for his master, he couldn't leisurely play torch-lighting games with Martian Manhunter anymore.
Shadow Searing, Flame Roar—shadow energy accompanied by fire. He began concentrating magic power in a furious bombardment of Martian Manhunter. Win or not, at least make a show of fighting desperately—that's never wrong...
Without the chaotic array of fire spells, Martian Manhunter finally caught his breath. Mental power pushed to its limits, he attacked fearlessly.
As Desaad wildly cast spells, he felt somewhat relieved. Compared to the concentration of shadow energy where Thea was, his own feeble attempts were embarrassing! Good thing they'd gone off to play elsewhere! Otherwise showing off minor skills before a master would be too awkward.