Chapter 458: Turning Non-Human
The Kryptonian Defeat
The shuttle was gone.
The plan to terraform Earth had failed!
In the command room, Sam Lane, who had witnessed everything, cheered wildly. The others were also waving their arms, overcome with irrepressible excitement.
Norman Gant shouted,
"Who is that guy covered in lightning? I want to thank him! Give him the five-star medal!"
"Reporting, General, that is The Flash from Central City."
"Excellent! The Flash, The Flash who saved the world!"
Yes, Barry Allen had saved the world once again.
Diana, Martian Manhunter, and Linda all turned to look, their eyes filled with surprise. No one expected that the inconspicuous minor player would be the one to foil the Kryptonians' plot.
Barry rubbed his head, looking embarrassed.
"The bomb was Boss's idea. I just followed the plan. It has nothing to do with me."
Out of awe for Luke, he had unconsciously started calling him "Boss".
Linda grimaced and turned back to Faora.
"Stop this. You have lost."
Faora gritted her teeth. "As long as one Kryptonian lives, we will never lose. Even if we lose, we will not lose to a traitor!"
Linda was enraged. She clenched her fists and charged forward again.
She was determined to teach these bastards a lesson.
A Tragedy of Kin
The sound of the explosion echoed across the sky and earth. Clark immediately noticed it, pumping his fist in relief. His voice grew animated.
"It's over, Zod. There's no need to continue. You are one of the few Kryptonian survivors. I don't want to hurt you."
"Hurt me?"
Zod grimaced, roaring. "I was bred to be a General from birth, and I've fought countless battles! Where did you train, Kal? On a farm?"
Bang!
A sonic boom ripped through the air. Zod appeared in front of Clark, punching him hundreds of meters away, then pressing the attack—punch after punch, each one creating an air explosion.
The two chased each other between buildings. The resulting impacts shattered countless windows and demolished numerous homes. Two skyscrapers were sliced in half by the red beams of heat vision, slowly tilting downward.
Cries for help and screams rang out one after another. Countless innocent citizens died as a result.
Clark couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed Zod and plummeted downward. They tore through the roof of a museum and crashed into the ground floor lobby.
"Stop! Don't push me any further!"
Zod violently flung him away, his heat vision blazing forth. Clark raised his hands to block, enduring the searing pain as he said, word by word,
"Rebuilding a civilization doesn't mean destroying everything! Linda and I proved that Kryptonians can also survive on Earth! Why, why do you insist on destroying it?"
"Kal, your mind has been corrupted by these Earthlings. You don't know what the Kryptonian will means."
"Only destruction can lead to rebirth!"
"Die!"
Zod roared, intensifying his heat vision.
The flicker of hope vanished from Clark's face, replaced by a terrible calmness.
You forced me to do this.
Clark took a deep breath, suddenly ducked to avoid the heat vision, and moved at lightning speed behind Zod. He wrapped his hands around Zod's neck and twisted with all his strength.
Crack!
Zod's head folded back at one hundred eighty degrees. With a look of confusion and unwillingness, Zod, who had given everything for Krypton, slowly slumped to the floor.
Aah!
Clark threw his head back and screamed—a cry that was desolate and helpless.
Luke's True Power
The moment Zod died, H'el paused, turning to look toward the museum.
"Kal, you finally struck down a fellow compatriot."
Luke, panting heavily, seized the opportunity.
"The shuttle is destroyed. You've lost."
H'el withdrew his gaze. "With me here, we cannot lose."
"What if you die?"
H'el chuckled dismissively.
"I don't know how you fused the spatial energy of the Golden Key with your armor, but I can feel that power weakening. Soon, you will lose your teleportation ability. That is your first weakness."
"Your armor is strong; it can absorb energy and release it accordingly. A remarkable, refreshing concept. Unfortunately, your body is too weak. Even with the armor's protection, you cannot avoid taking damage. The accumulating injuries will be your undoing. That is your second weakness."
"The only thing you have that can harm me is the green flame. As long as I use my telekinesis to shield myself, it is ineffective."
"Earthling, you have no chance of winning. None at all."
H'el's tone was calm, neither boastful nor condescending, simply stating the facts. In a way, he was right. Luke really couldn't keep going.
The Floating Armor had powerful defensive capabilities that blocked most damage, but H'el's strength was so immense that even a small shock was enough to cause Luke pain.
After hundreds of exchanges, the accumulated injuries had reached an extremely dangerous point.
If he continued, his body would give out, even if the armor held up.
"You make a good point."
Luke landed on a rooftop and removed the Floating Armor, revealing his true self.
H'el raised an eyebrow. "What, are you surrendering?"
"No."
Luke wiped the blood from his mouth. "I'm changing my approach."
A phantom emerged from his body—his materialized soul. A vortex of fire was situated where his heart and head should be. Looking closely, one could see the world of death enveloped by the Green Flame.
The Green Flame roared, shooting toward the sky.
The moment it appeared, all humans within a hundred-meter radius closed their eyes. Their souls detached from their bodies, were ignited by the green light, and dissolved into imperceptible particles.
H'el froze. Sweat unknowingly beaded on his forehead. His eyes were taken over by the green light, radiating an eerie color.
Luke glanced at him with indifference. He merged with the Floating Armor and ascended into the sky.
"Let's go again."
H'el swallowed, forcing himself to calm down. He glanced at the corpses on the rooftop, then back at the Floating Armor.
"So this is your true form."
Luke didn't reply. The armor retracted, transforming into a red greatsword. The sword light flashed, appearing abruptly in front of H'el. The single-molecule blade was unstoppable, slicing through his flesh and leaving an incision over a dozen centimeters long.
H'el's eyes widened. He quickly flashed away into the sky.
The greatsword sped after him. Its blade was enveloped in the Green Flame, emitting a soul-penetrating chill.
H'el was stunned. The searing pain in his chest made him feel death. Seeing the danger, he turned and ran.
Luke pursued relentlessly. The two—one pursuing, one fleeing—flickered in the air between the buildings, quickly moving out of Metropolis and into the suburbs.
The sword light pulsed. Suddenly, it swept sideways.
A crescent-shaped light blade tore through the air and slammed into H'el's back. He gritted his teeth, spread his fingers, and generated energy storms that formed into vortices.
The greatsword suddenly accelerated, burst through the vortices, and collided with H'el's fist.
Clang!
The sound of clashing metal echoed in the air. Energy shocks scattered outwards, instantly pulverizing nearby buildings into dust. The greatsword recoiled, tumbling onto the ground. H'el also spat blood, flying straight backward.
He was immune to most physical attacks, but the soul damage caused by the Green Flame was intolerable.
Suddenly, the ground churned, and a red light burst forth.
Puch!
The greatsword emerged from the soil, piercing H'el's abdomen, and carried him flying toward the sky.
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