The teleportation beam was right in front of him; its white light represented the hope of life, the only possibility of survival.
Behind Steppenwolf, several loyal Parademons desperately tried to get closer to the teleportation beam.
But in front of the beam, that golden figure blocked all escape routes.
Tel-Rol gazed down at Steppenwolf, his green eyes as calm as still water, devoid of any emotion.
Yet, the palpable killing intent had already caused the once arrogant Steppenwolf's composure to crumble.
"Kryptonian!"
Steppenwolf looked at the figure blocking his path, hissing through gritted teeth.
"Let me leave! I swear, I will never set foot on this planet again!"
His tone was still strong, but a subtle desire for survival could be felt.
"But if you kill me, my Lord Darkseid's endless army will eventually flatten this dirty planet! At that time, everything here will turn to ashes!"
He was gambling... using the fate of an entire planet to bet on a chance to live.
He had won countless times.
Those heroes who claimed to be righteous would always compromise for the sake of the 'greater good,' only to be crushed by their own despair and fall.
Unfortunately, this time, he bet on the wrong person.
Tel-Rol floated in the air, his golden aura burning steadily, his emerald green eyes without a ripple.
He didn't even twitch an eyebrow.
"What does that have to do with me?"
His voice was flat, devoid of any emotion.
"At worst, I'll just move to another planet."
"..."
Steppenwolf's mind crashed.
Move... move to another planet?
What kind of answer was that?
Shouldn't he be conflicted, in pain, and eventually forced to let him go for the sake of protecting this planet?
Tel-Rol had no interest in admiring his bewildered face.
He raised one hand, his palm aimed at Steppenwolf, who was surrounded by several Parademons.
Dazzling golden light converged in his palm.
Steppenwolf snapped out of his shock; he saw the compressing energy ball and felt the destructive power contained within it.
"No—!"
A torrent of immense energy burst from Tel-Rol's palm, instantly engulfing that small area.
The few Parademons who desperately protected their master were vaporized by the energy without even a sound, leaving not a speck of dust.
As for Steppenwolf, who bore the brunt of the attack, the armor and flesh on his chest were stripped away again, and he was sent flying backward by the immense impact, plummeting from the sky.
Just then, the massive warship in the sky detected its commander's crisis.
The white teleportation beam, which was originally preparing to retract, suddenly changed direction and precisely enveloped the falling Steppenwolf!
The teleportation beam was extremely fast, and it was about to snatch Steppenwolf's body away.
But a figure was even faster than it; a golden streak of light flashed across the sky.
Tel-Rol appeared in Steppenwolf's path.
He didn't even look at the greatsword that had pierced Steppenwolf's chest, directly extending his right hand and tightly gripping the hilt of the red greatsword embedded in Steppenwolf's body.
Then, he pulled hard!
"Pfft—!"
The greatsword, carrying large amounts of dark green blood and shattered organs, was forcibly pulled out of Steppenwolf's body.
Steppenwolf's body convulsed violently in the air.
Tel-Rol did not pause.
He reversed his grip on the sword and, facing the massive body that had lost its ability to resist, swung it casually.
The golden figure and the red sword light intertwined.
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
Several sword lights flashed.
Steppenwolf's vision began to spin.
He first saw his legs detach from his body, then his torso, and finally, he saw a bodiless Minotaur head, its eyes wide with horror, meeting his own.
His last conscious thought was a single idea.
He came here fine, as one person.
How did he become a pile of pieces on the way back?
The next second, consciousness completely plunged into darkness.
His body, dismembered into several pieces, was caught by the teleportation beam due to gravity and flew rapidly towards the warship in the sky.
The teleportation beam was about to close.
Tel-Rol casually flicked his wrist, and a basketball-sized compressed air bomb, trailing a golden tail flame, followed the pile of minced meat into the teleportation beam.
Apokolips warship, inside the teleportation bay.
Several Parademon guards were anxiously awaiting their commander's return.
A flash of white light.
A pile of fragments, still dripping dark green liquid, clattered onto the teleportation platform.
A Parademon guard tilted its head, extended a claw, and poked one of the larger pieces, which seemed to have half an eye on it.
This thing... looks a bit familiar?
Before they could identify whose parts these were.
A golden, rapidly spinning energy sphere also dropped down.
"?"
The Parademons were collectively bewildered.
What was this? A souvenir brought back by the commander?
The next second.
That 'souvenir' suddenly expanded.
"Boom—!!!"
Blinding golden light engulfed the entire teleportation bay.
On the ground.
Hal, Barry, and the others clearly saw a violent burst of fire erupt from the belly of the massive warship hovering in the clouds.
The warship's hull visibly shook and billowed thick smoke.
At the edge of the battlefield, the Parademon army, still entangled with Diana and the others, suddenly froze in unison.
Their ugly heads all turned towards the sky, their crimson compound eyes flickering with unease.
"Buzz buzz buzz—"
The piercing sound of flapping wings rang out again.
This time, they changed direction and frantically fled towards the damaged warship in the sky.
Suddenly, only the members of the Justice League remained on the battlefield, surrounded by devastation.
"Did... did we win?"
Barry leaned on his knees, panting heavily, looking at the fleeing Parademons, still somewhat in disbelief.
"Did that guy... dismember the Minotaur, package him up, and send a bomb-delivery back?"
"My ring's energy is almost depleted too."
Hal Jordan dropped his energy shield, a look of lingering fear on his face.
On the other side, the blue electrical light on Victor Stone's body had also dimmed considerably; he looked at the golden figure floating in the air, silent, one hand still gripping the mother box tightly.
Tel-Rol let go of his hand.
The red greatsword, which had once gravely wounded Kara and was then used by him to finish off Steppenwolf, plunged into the ground, its blade vibrating.
He landed next to the figure lying quietly on the ground.
Diana looked at him, opened her mouth, wanting to say something.
"Tel..."
But Tel-Rol didn't look at her, nor at anyone else.
He merely bent down and carefully picked up Kara's body.
The man who had just been capable of destroying the world now gently held the girl in his arms.
He held her, turned, and prepared to leave.
"Where are you going?"
Diana couldn't help but ask.
Tel-Rol's footsteps paused, but he didn't turn back.
He said nothing, simply holding Kara, his body slowly ascended, turning into a streak of light, and disappeared into the horizon.
Leaving only the members of the Justice League, looking at each other.
And the giant sword, quietly plunged into the ground, still emitting a red glow.