Back with the others, Thena's shadow clones finally finished creating their Rasenshurikens. The supporting clones assigned to each one disappeared in puffs of smoke after running out of chakra, leaving behind only four clones, each holding a giant Rasenshuriken of a different color. The four clones suddenly vanished. A moment later, they appeared behind the Anti-Monitor.
"Sage Art: Scorch Release: Giant Rasenshuriken!"
"Sage Art: Lava Release: Giant Rasenshuriken!"
"Sage Art: Boil Release: Giant Rasenshuriken!"
"Sage Art: Dust Release: Giant Rasenshuriken!"
The clones shouted one after another before hurling the massive Rasenshurikens toward the Anti-Monitor's back. Without even turning around, the Anti-Monitor raised his unoccupied left hand toward the incoming attacks and created a sphere of antimatter. He launched it forward to intercept them. Then, in a surprising move, the Rasenshurikens curved around the antimatter sphere.
The antimatter sphere continued forward and obliterated Thena's clones before they could get out of the way. Meanwhile, the four giant Rasenshurikens screamed through space and slammed directly into the Anti-Monitor's body. A brilliant flash erupted, and the resulting explosion engulfed him completely. Everyone struggling against his attack was forced to squint from the blinding light.
BOOOOOOM!
The attack appeared to distract him for a moment. The resistance from the antimatter sphere eased slightly, and the heroes immediately began pushing it back. Sensing the opportunity, Superman shouted, "This is our opening, everyone! Give it your all!" The heroes roared and poured even more power into their attacks.
Meanwhile, aboard Warworld, Mr. Terrific's voice came through the comms. "Tell me it's ready."
"It's at one hundred percent. Firing now," Martian Manhunter replied.
The entire surface of Warworld lit up with glowing white veins of energy that spread across the planet before converging toward a massive circular structure at its front. The Star Cannon began glowing brighter and brighter as unimaginable amounts of energy gathered within it. The very planet seemed to tremble under the strain as the weapon reached maximum output.
Back at the battle, the smoke surrounding the Anti-Monitor rapidly dispersed. Everyone's hearts sank as he emerged completely unharmed. Not a single mark could be seen on his body. The antimatter sphere, which had begun moving back toward him, suddenly slowed before coming to a halt.
Then it began moving forward again.
The Anti-Monitor increased his output even further, forcing the sphere toward the heroes at a faster rate than before. "Damn it, he's pushing back again!" Saturn Girl cursed.
"We must push back harder as well!" Cyborg said through gritted teeth.
The heroes strained against the advancing sphere, desperately pouring every ounce of power they had left into their attacks. Despite their efforts, the glowing orb of antimatter continued its relentless advance toward them.
Thena sensed it first, along with her clones, who quickly moved to the side while maintaining their attacks as a gigantic beam of energy came tearing through space at blinding speeds. It slammed into the antimatter sphere in a brilliant flash of light, causing the surrounding space to tremble violently.
"Everyone, one final push!" Thena shouted.
The heroes roared as they poured everything they had into their attacks. The antimatter sphere trembled before it was finally punched straight through, the combined attacks merging into one blinding white beam that surged toward the Anti-Monitor.
The Anti-Monitor raised his left arm to block.
BOOOOM!
The beam collided with his arm and scattered around his body for a second before his arm started cracking. Glowing white fractures spread across it as his eyes widened slightly.
Then his entire arm shattered into pieces.
The beam continued forward and struck his shoulder, punching a clean hole through it and emerging out the other side. Pieces of his shoulder drifted through the void as his body was pushed backward, momentarily unresponsive from the sheer force of the attack.
The others finally canceled their attacks, all breathing heavily from the effort.
Superman turned toward Thena.
"Whatever you're planning to do, I don't think there's any better time to do it than now," he said between breaths.
Thena nodded and finally pulled her hands apart, revealing a dense cube of light. It shone so brightly that even Superman had to squint.
"Alright, let's end this," she said.
She vanished and appeared directly in front of the recovering Anti-Monitor.
"It's over."
She released the small cube of light.
The Anti-Monitor immediately tried to swat it away with his remaining hand, having clearly sensed the danger emanating from it.
But the cube punched a hole straight through his hand without any resistance, leaving behind a perfectly square opening before emerging from the other side.
It then rose to the center of his chest and stopped.
Thena clapped her hands together.
"Sage Art: Dust Release: Ultimate Detachment of the Primitive World!"
To everyone's shock, the cube suddenly began expanding.
Within moments, it had grown to a kilometer by a kilometer in size, completely engulfing the Anti-Monitor within it.
The construct glowed so brightly that it resembled a star shining within the void. The blinding light persisted for an entire minute before finally dissipating.
When the light faded, nothing remained where the Anti-Monitor had been.
Thena hovered silently before the empty space, her shoulders rising and falling as she drew ragged breaths.
Superman flew up beside her and gently tapped her shoulder.
"You alright?" he asked.
"Yes. I'm just catching my breath. We still have to stay vigilant, just in case another one shows up," Thena replied.
Then suddenly, everyone felt it.
An overwhelming amount of energy surged through the Bleed, accompanied by low tremors that spread in every direction.
Space itself was trembling from a massive increase in power.
Thena instantly had an idea who was causing it.
Either her father or the Anti-Monitor.
But she had a strong hunch about who it really was.
"Dad..." Thena muttered.
Far away from the battlefield, beyond their sight, Max and the Anti-Monitor continued their clash.
The two vanished and reappeared across the Bleed in flashes of rose and white light, each collision producing explosions powerful enough to crack reality itself. Multiple fissures in space had already been torn open by Max's scythe, allowing clones to pour out at his command, but they had proven nearly useless since the Anti-Monitor could produce his own. As a result, Max had chosen to simply meet him head-on.
Max's scythe collided with the Anti-Monitor's sword, sending a shockwave tearing through the void.
The Anti-Monitor twisted his blade and forced Max back before thrusting forward. Max narrowly tilted his head aside as the sword passed by his cheek, cutting a glowing scar through space behind him.
Max retaliated immediately, sweeping his scythe upward in a vicious arc and forcing the Anti-Monitor to block.
The collision created another explosion as sparks of rose ki and antimatter scattered around them. For a brief moment, neither gave ground as their arms trembled from the strain while they attempted to overpower one another.
Then Max's muscles bulged slightly.
"RAAH!"
The Anti-Monitor was pushed back as Max overpowered him and swung again.
The Anti-Monitor narrowly evaded once more, only for Max to teleport directly above him and land a devastating axe kick.
BOOOM!
The kick connected with the Anti-Monitor's shoulder and sent him crashing downward at incredible speed.
Before he could react, Max teleported beside him and landed a brutal spinning kick across his face.
BOOOM!
Blood sprayed from the Anti-Monitor's mouth as he was sent flying once again.
Before he could recover, two clones that had emerged from the rifts opened by Max grabbed hold of his limbs.
When he regained his bearings, the first thing he saw was a rapidly advancing wall of energy hurtling toward him.
Before he could free himself, it struck him head-on.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
The blast carried him through the Bleed before detonating.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Max watched from a distance, relaxing from his previous stance after launching the Kamehameha. He reached out and grabbed his scythe, which had been hovering beside him.
The smoke rapidly dispersed.
A heavily injured Anti-Monitor emerged from within.
Energy poured from his body with such intensity that it threatened to shatter the surrounding space. He stared at Max, his eyes burning with pure hatred.
"I will not be brought down like this by an insignificant lifeform. I will destroy you once and for all."
He formed an antimatter sphere in each hand.
The spheres were so dense that they warped the space around them.
Then he fused them together.
The resulting sphere immediately began growing larger and larger.
The Anti-Monitor leveled it toward Max as it continued expanding, eventually becoming so massive that it completely obscured him from view.
Yet it kept growing.
Soon it was the size of a planet.
Still, it continued expanding.
Max could no longer see the Anti-Monitor, but he could clearly hear his voice echoing from behind the colossal sphere.
"With this, you will be gone!"
As Max stared at the attack, only one thought ran through his mind.
There's only one way I can counter this and hopefully end it.
If it fails... I'm finished.
End of Chapter
Chapter 51:Final explosion?
Chapter 52:Saddening news
Chapter 53:Is this how the story of max Schiller ends?
You can read advanced chapters at patreon.com/darker knight.