"It hurts... it hurts so much..."
Although Harley Quinn was also trembling violently from the pain,
when she struggled to lift her head and saw that red and blue figure hovering in the sky,
a burst of fanatical excitement erupted in her bloodshot eyes.
"Can... Mr. Milk Candy..."
Harley bit her lip, enduring the excruciating pain of her soul being torn apart, and screamed at the sky with all her might.
"You're back!! I knew it!!"
"Kill him!! Beat that ugly monster to a pulp!!"
Dago looked at Homelander, who had chased him out, and let out a manic laugh.
"Listen to this beautiful sound! This is the end for humanity!"
Homelander hovered in the air, looking down at the wailing crowd and the struggling Harley.
His eyes quickly filled with tears of anger and grief.
"No..."
Homelander clenched his fists, his voice trembling slightly.
"You despicable bastard!"
He pointed at Darkseid, perfectly displaying the ultimate rage a hero should have when seeing innocents suffer.
"Come at me!! If you have a grudge, take it out on me!!"
"Let them go!!!"
"Come at you? Hahahaha!" Darkseid laughed wildly. "I don't want to fight you right now. I want you to watch them die in agony right before your eyes!"
"I'm going to kill you!!"
Homelander roared, his body breaking the sound barrier as he slammed a fist into Darkseid's chin.
"Bang—!"
Darkseid was sent flying by the punch, crashing heavily dozens of meters away.
Homelander didn't pause for a second, following up immediately to mount Darkseid, his fists raining down like a frantic storm.
"Stop! Turn that damn thing off!!" Homelander roared while pummeling him.
But despairingly, every punch Homelander landed on Darkseid was met with even more shrill screams from Metropolis and the rest of the world.
"Ah!!!"
The civilians lying on the ground twitched even more violently; some even began slamming their heads against the ground, unable to bear it.
"Hahaha... Hit me! Keep hitting me!"
Even though Darkseid was beaten beyond recognition, with blood constantly spurting from his mouth, he continued to laugh maniacally.
"You think you're punishing me? You're wrong, Homelander!"
He grabbed Homelander's fist, staring at him with a sinister gaze.
"The Pain Matrix is bonded to me! Every bit of pain you inflict on me will be transmitted to the brain of every human on this Planet!"
"Your anger will only turn into their pain!!"
As if to confirm Darkseid's words, the screams of humanity worldwide suddenly rose a pitch!
"Aaaah—!! Kill me! Please, just kill me!!"
A Resistance soldier slammed his head frantically against the ground, trying to end the torture through physical death.
Homelander's raised fist stopped abruptly.
His body was trembling slightly, his face filled with struggle and self-reproach.
"As for the father box that can deactivate the Pain Matrix..." Darkseid's smile widened.
"I just tossed it into deep space! No one will ever find it!"
"Now, you can only watch as all of humanity dies in endless torment! Hahahaha!"
Homelander let go of Darkseid and stumbled back two steps.
It looked as if his psychological defenses had been shattered.
"Can... Mr. Milk Candy..."
A weak voice came from nearby.
Homelander snapped his head around and saw Harley Quinn collapsed at the edge of the red carpet.
She was curled up on the ground, her face pale, her forehead covered in fine beads of cold sweat, and her fingers dug deep into the soil.
Seeing this, Homelander rushed toward Harley like a madman.
Kneeling on the ground, he pulled the sweat-drenched Harley tightly into his arms.
"Harley... look at me, Harley."
Homelander's voice carried unmistakable trembling and panic. He reached out, trying to smooth her furrowed brow.
"It's okay, it's okay... I'm here."
Darkseid slowly stood up from the ruins, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and watched the pair from a distance.
"It's useless, Homelander."
"Accept your fate. Now you can only watch as everyone on this Planet, including the woman you love, wails and dies in ultimate agony!"
"Hahahaha—! This is the consequence of provoking Darkseid!!"
"No! It won't happen!"
Homelander held Harley tightly, his eyes red and brimming with tears.
"There's a way! There must be a way!" He looked up, glancing around in a panic. "There must be a way to stop this damn thing!"
"Victor! Bruce! Tell me, you must have a way! I'm begging you!"
Bruce looked at the ill-fated lovers, but he was powerless; the heartache he felt momentarily eclipsed his physical pain.
Harley gasped for breath in Homelander's arms, her life force seemingly draining away rapidly along with the intense pain.
She struggled to lift a hand, tremblingly touching Homelander's grief-stricken face.
"Can... Mr. Milk Candy..."
Harley forced a difficult smile.
"Don't... don't cry..."
"Harley, don't talk. Save your strength; you'll be okay." Homelander gripped her hand tightly and whispered softly. "I will save you! I promise!"
"Listen to me... darling." Harley's breathing grew weaker and weaker.
"In my life... I've done too many shitty things..."
"I thought... I would never know what love is..."
She gazed into Homelander's eyes, her own filled with reluctance to part.
"But... meeting you..."
"I'm really happy... so this is what it feels like to be loved..."
Harley's fingers gently brushed across Homelander's lips.
"It's enough... it's already enough..."
"Even if I die now... I'm still the First Lady of the Federation... right?"
"Don't talk nonsense! You won't die!" Homelander said loudly, his tears finally falling.
"Go... go kill him..." Harley's voice became fainter.
"Don't worry about me... go twist that ugly monster's head off... do it to avenge me..."
What a good girl, what a touching love.
With the atmosphere built up to this point, Homelander felt the timing was just about right.
If he dragged it out any longer, someone might actually die.
He was prepared to "accidentally" pull out the mother box according to the original plan and then "think" of a solution.
But just as he was about to speak, someone beat him to it.
"There is another way!!" The voice came from Cyborg Victor, who walked to Homelander's side with a heavy expression.
Homelander was stunned. This kid is trying to steal my thunder?
"Victor?" Homelander looked up at him in "surprise." "You have a way? Tell me, quick!