As attack after attack was effortlessly neutralized by Galantha, Kalibak, Darkseid's eldest son, began to sense that she was toying with him. Frustration and anger consumed him, mixed with a hint of regret.
If he had known how difficult Galantha would be to deal with, he might have chosen a different opponent.
Kalibak had targeted Galantha for a simple reason: among the three strong individuals identified by Darkseid, Galantha seemed to be the one he took the most seriously. Kalibak, assuming this meant she was the strongest enemy, decided to challenge her.
It turned out Kalibak had guessed correctly—he had indeed chosen the strongest opponent. Unfortunately, this meant that now he found himself utterly outmatched and powerless against her.
In a twisted sense, Kalibak was lucky—just as Mantis, another of Darkseid's elite warriors who chose to fight Silver Surfer, was. Neither Galantha nor Silver Surfer were taking their fights seriously, both seemingly more interested in observing the battlefield. This indifference saved Kalibak and Mantis from certain death.
The same could not be said for the unfortunate warrior who had chosen Sentry as his opponent. Believing Sentry to be the weakest of the three, this fighter had ended up as nothing more than cosmic dust, completely annihilated by Sentry's overwhelming power.
To be fair, this wasn't an unreasonable choice. Among the three, Sentry did appear the weakest, especially given Darkseid's initial disregard for him. Had it not been for Silver Surfer's earlier intervention, Sentry might indeed have fallen to Darkseid in the opening moments of the battle.
However, while Sentry might not have stood a chance against Darkseid himself, he was far more than a match for any of Darkseid's subordinates. In fact, with Galantha and Silver Surfer barely engaging, Sentry had become the most dangerous force on the battlefield. One by one, Darkseid's elites fell to his relentless assault.
Kalibak and Mantis, however, were no ordinary opponents. Kalibak possessed a unique energy that inflicted both physical and psychological pain upon his enemies with each strike. Unfortunately for him, his opponent was Galantha—a being who barely felt anything other than hunger. Kalibak's energy attacks were unable to cause her any significant harm.
Despite being a so-called "New God" and Darkseid's eldest son, Kalibak was no match for Galantha. As the daughter of Galactus and his potential successor, Galantha's potential and essence far outstripped anything Kalibak could bring to bear. This fundamental disparity left Kalibak hopelessly outclassed, allowing Galantha to toy with him effortlessly.
As for Mantis, Darkseid's strongest subordinate after himself, he was reputed to have unparalleled defensive capabilities. Mantis was said to be immune to all physical attacks and capable of absorbing any energy or magical assault directed at him, making him seem nearly invincible.
However, against Silver Surfer, who wasn't even trying to attack, Mantis's formidable defenses became meaningless.
To make matters worse, Silver Surfer's board had similar absorption properties, capable of nullifying physical, magical, and energy-based attacks. In a sense, Mantis and the Silver Surfer's board shared identical traits, leaving Mantis completely powerless to exploit his abilities.
Of course, no ability is truly invincible. As seen earlier when Darkseid nearly broke through Silver Surfer's board with a single punch, Mantis's defenses also had their limits. If Mantis were transported to the battlefield where Darkseid and Robert were clashing, the sheer shockwaves from their fight would likely shatter his defenses. Unable to evade in time, Mantis could very well perish from the residual energy alone.
Kalibak's frustration was fueled by his growing awareness of how poorly the battle was going for Apokolips. Everywhere he looked, Darkseid's forces were being pushed back. Desperate, he turned to Desaad, shouting at him in anger.
"Desaad! Where are Lord Darkseid's other trump cards? If you don't use them now, what are you waiting for?!"
Desaad, the chief scientist of Apokolips and the creator of the Parademon army, was facing his own struggles. Earlier, distracted by the worsening situation on the battlefield, Desaad had failed to notice Diana targeting him.
From the beginning of the battle, Diana had locked her sights on Desaad, sensing the malevolent and chaotic energy emanating from him. However, she had been occupied with other enemies at the time. It wasn't until Sentry stepped in to handle her previous opponent that Diana found the opportunity to confront Desaad directly.
Boom!
Diana's punch sent Desaad flying through space. Despite being primarily a scientist, Desaad was still a New God, with physical resilience far beyond that of most beings. While Diana's strike didn't kill him, it left him disoriented and struggling to focus.
Swish!
Floating in the void, Desaad seemed dazed and defenseless. Diana wasted no time. Her blade, the Godkiller, radiated divine energy as she slashed at Desaad with deadly precision.
A glowing arc of divine power cut through Desaad's body, splitting him in two. Blood spilled into the void as his bisected form floated lifelessly.
Yet Diana didn't lower her guard. Her expression remained tense as her Lasso of Truth glowed faintly at her side.
Swish!
Suddenly, a massive monster materialized beside her, its enormous foot crashing down toward her with earth-shaking force. Even in the vacuum of space, the impact generated a powerful shockwave.
To the surprise of those watching, Diana didn't even flinch. It was as if the looming monster didn't exist.
"Watch out, Diana!"
"Diana, behind you!"
Voices called out urgently from nearby. Strangely, despite the vacuum of space, the warnings reached Diana's ears. Her brow furrowed as she finally turned to face the giant creature.
Her sword began to glow brighter as she infused it with killing intent.
Slash!
Diana swung her blade with lethal precision, striking not the monster's foot but an empty spot just behind her. To the casual observer, it seemed as though her attack had missed.
However, a sudden spray of blood revealed the truth. The massive monster vanished without a trace, and Desaad's true form flickered into view, grievously wounded.
From the start, everything had been an illusion. The Desaad that Diana had bisected earlier was nothing more than a decoy, a cleverly crafted projection. The towering monster had also been a distraction, meant to divert her attention while the real Desaad moved in for a surprise attack.
Unfortunately for Desaad, Diana had seen through his deception. The moment her blade cut through his illusion, she had sensed something was amiss. From that point onward, her Lasso of Truth had been active, keeping her mind clear and her perceptions sharp.
Desaad's illusions were rendered useless, and his attempt to ambush Diana ended with him grievously wounded instead. While his New God physiology allowed him to survive the blow, his condition was dire.
His fate was now sealed unless someone could intervene to save him from Diana's relentless assault.
However, the battlefield offered no such opportunity. The other members of Darkseid's forces were too occupied with their own struggles to spare any attention for Desaad. Even those who noticed his plight could do nothing to help, as they were all fighting for their own survival.
"Damn it! Where did all these strong fighters come from?" growled Kanto, one of Darkseid's top assassins, as he faced off against Sentry.
Known as the "greatest hand-to-hand combatant in the universe," Kanto had mastered countless forms of martial arts from across a billion worlds. He was also considered the universe's most skilled assassin and tracker, capable of hunting down any target, no matter where they tried to hide.
Of course, such titles were exaggerated. Claims of mastering a billion martial arts styles were clearly hyperbolic, as combat techniques across different civilizations often shared common principles. True mastery of even a few could provide sufficient insight to understand many others.
Against most opponents, Kanto's skills would have been overwhelming. But against Sentry, his expertise only delayed the inevitable.
Despite his best efforts, the gap in raw power was insurmountable. As Sentry adapted to Kanto's techniques and grew more proficient in hand-to-hand combat, the assassin's fate became increasingly clear.
In the end, Kanto's death was inevitable. Yet his sacrifice wasn't entirely in vain—he had managed to occupy Sentry's attention longer than any other opponent, sparing his allies from Sentry's wrath, if only temporarily.
"Desaad, you useless fool!" snarled Virman Vundabar, one of Darkseid's generals. Dodging a blast of green energy, he glared in the direction of Desaad's battle with Diana, muttering curses under his breath.
As Darkseid's military strategist, Vundabar had once been instrumental in Apokolips' early conquests. His ability to devise strategies and traps tailored to specific enemies had been invaluable.
However, as Apokolips grew more powerful and the Parademon army became the primary tool of conquest, Vundabar's role diminished. Against weaker civilizations, strategy was unnecessary. The sheer numbers and firepower of the Parademon swarm were sufficient to overwhelm any opposition.
Unfortunately for Vundabar, the current battle required more than brute force. Faced with the overwhelming might of the Avengers and their allies, Apokolips' forces were crumbling, and there was little he could do to turn the tide.
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