AM I SUPERMAN?

With a resounding bang, the muzzle of the gun flared, and a bullet tore through the air, aimed directly at Lois Lane's heart.

The sudden gunshot stunned everyone. The room fell into a collective silence of disbelief and fear.

Clark Kent's carefree expression vanished in an instant. His enhanced senses had already tracked the bullet's path. The realization struck him like a blow: the bullet was heading for Lois.

"No!"

His roar was filled with desperation, his voice shaking the very air. In a flash, he activated his super speed, his figure blurring as he raced to intercept the deadly shot.

But even Superman's unmatched speed wasn't enough. The bullet was mere milliseconds from its target. Clark's outstretched hand closed in, yet it was still a fraction too late. The projectile grazed his palm, continuing its lethal trajectory toward Lois.

Suddenly, time froze.

A commanding voice cut through the chaos: "Speed Force!"

It was Kaius, a mysterious ally with abilities beyond human comprehension. As the world slowed to a near standstill, only Clark and Kaius moved freely within the frozen scene.

Kaius stepped forward with deliberate precision, intercepting the bullet mere millimeters from Lois's chest. His hand clasped around the projectile, halting it mid-flight. For a moment, his fingers brushed close to Lois's chest, and he coughed awkwardly, stepping back quickly to avoid any misunderstanding.

Clark's eyes widened, his panic giving way to relief as he took in the scene. He saw the deformed bullet clenched in Kaius's hand and felt a wave of gratitude. Around them, the temporal field faded, and the world resumed its pace. The crowd was still reeling from the sound of the gunshot.

Nearby, Fiora's sharp gaze focused on Kaius. "It's as though he teleported," she muttered, her tone suspicious. Diana Prince, however, remained calm, her expression betraying no surprise. She had already spotted the shooter in the chaos. Without hesitation, she launched herself toward the man, disarming him with swift precision and pinning him to the ground.

"Who are you?" Diana's voice was steel. "Who sent you?"

General Swanwick and several officers rushed forward. One of them paled as he recognized the man. "Colonel Evan? Is this some kind of betrayal? Are you a spy?"

Colonel Lane, Lois's father, was livid. His hand trembled as he drew his sidearm and pointed it at Evan. "You tried to kill my daughter, you traitorous bastard!"

"I'm sorry! I swear, I didn't mean to!" Evan stammered, his voice cracking. His eyes darted toward Superman, who hovered nearby, his normally gentle gaze replaced by a storm of barely contained fury.

"Didn't mean to?" Clark growled, stepping forward. His voice was sharp and unyielding. "You shot at Lois! Why? Who ordered this?"

"I—I don't know! I swear I didn't want to! Something… something made me do it!" Evan's face twisted with panic. "Please, you have to believe me!"

Lois, ever the compassionate and perceptive reporter, stepped forward, her tone softer than Clark's. "Clark, wait. Look at him. What if he's telling the truth? There might be more to this."

Diana nodded and reached for the golden lasso at her hip. "The Lasso of Truth will settle this." Her voice was steady, calm. She looped the shimmering cord around Evan, ensuring it was secure. "This will compel you to speak only the truth. Now," she said firmly, "tell us everything."

"Who are you taking orders from?" Diana's voice was sharp and commanding as the golden glow of her Lasso of Truth bound Corporal Evan.

"I… I take orders from General Swanwick!" Evan blurted out, unable to resist the lasso's compulsion to speak the truth.

For a tense moment, all eyes turned to General Swanwick, suspicion thick in the air.

"It wasn't me!" Swanwick's voice rose defensively as he felt Superman's piercing gaze on him. "I didn't order anyone to shoot Lois! What reason would I have? What would I gain from it?"

Diana tilted her head slightly, her warrior instincts cutting through Swanwick's words. She tightened her grip on the lasso and asked, "Did General Swanwick directly order you to shoot Lois?"

"No," Evan said, his voice trembling. "I heard a whisper… in my ear. It said, 'Kill Lois. Shoot her.' I don't know whose voice it was. It wasn't mine. I swear, it wasn't my intention!" Tears welled in his eyes as he struggled with the truth. The lasso's glow ensured his words were genuine.

The explanation baffled the American soldiers present. A whisper compelling someone to act? Could there be a superhuman presence with the ability to control others' minds?

Diana's expression darkened. Her voice was low and grave as she said, "It's Ares. He has the power to deceive and manipulate. He must have compelled the soldier to kill Lois. But… why Lois?"

Clark, hovering nearby, was skeptical. "That's impossible. If there was a whisper, I would've heard it."

Diana's gaze didn't waver. "The lasso compels the truth. If Evan says he heard a whisper, then he did. It may not have been audible—it could have been spiritual or magical."

Kaius, standing beside her, frowned. "Magic, then. Maybe it's Ares, maybe it's someone else. But why target Lois?"

He fell silent, deep in thought. In his previous life's memories, Lois's death was a catalyst that drove Superman into darkness. But here, Lois and Clark had only recently met. Their connection, while profound, hadn't reached the point where her death could cause Superman to break.

Kaius shook his head. Perhaps whoever orchestrated this didn't know the depth of Lois's importance to Superman yet. Killing her could have been an attempt to spark chaos, not understanding the full consequences.

"Ares thrives on conflict," Kaius said aloud. "If Lois were killed by a soldier under General Swanwick's command—someone from the U.S. military—it would ignite disputes. Colonel Lane would blame the military. Superman would likely be caught in the middle."

Diana nodded. "Ares doesn't always need to show his face to sow discord. He manipulates events to bring about war and destruction."

Clark, still unconvinced, flew into the air, his thermal vision scanning the area for any traces of magic or hidden threats. He found nothing but the lingering destruction of the city below.

"It's settled, then," Diana said. "Corporal Evan acted under manipulation. He'll be held as a key suspect while we investigate further."

The tension in the room eased slightly, but the damage was done. Colonel Lane, furious and protective of his daughter, escorted Lois back to the Seventh Military District, where she would remain under heavy guard.

Meanwhile, the Metropolis incident became the focus of global attention. The massive alien spacecraft and the ensuing battles were impossible to hide. Videos of the destruction—and the heroes who fought to save the city—spread rapidly online, drawing reporters from around the world.

The U.S. government scrambled to contain the narrative, but the devastation was undeniable. The ruins of Metropolis stood as a stark reminder of what had occurred, visible to anyone brave enough to approach.

Corporate leaders from Wayne Enterprises, LexCorp, and Queen Industries publicly pledged to fund Metropolis's reconstruction, earning widespread praise. At the same time, President Abraham issued a statement crediting the "heroic and valiant American military" for defending Earth, but the public wasn't buying it.

Everyone knew the truth. The real saviors of Metropolis weren't soldiers—they were the heroes who had risked everything to stand against the alien threat. And their names were now known to the world.

Visit patreon.com/shirokendama to read up to chapter 234