DC: Rise of the Kryptonian Tyrant

Bardi's form resembled a troll. His tall, straight frame was covered with massive white bone spurs piercing through his skin. His face was rugged and defined, and with the white skeletal jawbone exposed, he looked like an ancient demon god. Cold, piercing, hopeless bone spurs jutted outward. The naked god stood majestically in the void.

He stood in the Blood Domain, having destroyed countless universes, invincible across the cosmos.

The high-latitude flowing medium—the heavenly blood that could corrode even universes—washed over his divine body like a hot spring, warming every cell of his being.

"Oh…"

Bardi let out a faint, indifferent sound. The surrounding blood exploded like boiling water and fled from him in terror as if it were alive. His merciless eyes looked down upon Mandrakk, his abyss-like gaze piercing through, instantly jolting Mandrakk out of his greedy thoughts.

Mandrakk shivered. At this moment, the information intensity radiating from Bardi's divine form was enough to crush the powerful clone he had carefully crafted using Monitor technology—a clone capable of destroying an entire galactic river. It could not withstand even a glance from Bardi.

The metallic sound of "Jah…" echoed, like steel grinding in defiance, as if Mandrakk's avatar were being squeezed into pieces.

He fought against the crushing pressure generated by Bardi's overwhelming information density, took a deep internal breath, and his red electronic eyes narrowed into sharp points of light.

Bardi, having destroyed the multiverse and devoured 52 Origin Universes, had grown even stronger. A single glance nearly shattered Mandrakk's clone, which was once capable of ending a universe.

The terrifying pressure left Mandrakk in awe. He dared not act recklessly.

"Your Majesty, I am aware that beyond the Speed Force Wall, there are many quasi-One-and-Only Gods preparing to recruit you."

"There are also many One-and-Only Gods who intend to join forces to eliminate you."

"New Genesis, the world of order, seeks to seal you as well."

"But I, who know all this, possess highly advanced technology. I can help Your Majesty safely move your universe into the God Realm and establish a domain like Apokolips."

"Then, Your Majesty Barmulodi, you would become an unshakable overlord within the realm of the gods, and no one would be able to interfere with you or the family you protect."

Mandrakk lowered his metallic head. The metallic screech in his ears and mind grew louder as Bardi's crushing aura and divine information intensity threatened to collapse his entire clone.

Even Mandrakk had no choice but to bow his head. The last being who had destroyed the entire multiverse, consumed the Origin Universes, and brought Apokolips into the God Realm to establish dominance—was Yuga Khan, Darkseid's father.

That figure was terrifying. Even Darkseid, known as a tyrant in the God Realm, was far less brutal in comparison. In the face of Yuga Khan, Darkseid could only flee.

For countless ages, no one had achieved what Yuga Khan had.

And now, Bardi had done it—more thoroughly than Yuga Khan. He was, without question, the next Yuga Khan, an overlord in the God Realm. At this realization, a cold chill crept into Mandrakk's heart.

To deal with such a being left him feeling deeply unsettled. He was not afraid—but he did not wish to provoke a conflict. Yet, he had no choice.

Because he needed God Superman.

"Your Majesty Barmulodi, fortunately, I rescued your wife from the Spectre."

As Mandrakk finished speaking, an aura even more terrifying than before erupted. It surged like a blood tide, ebbing and flowing like madness itself. It expanded outward, creating a space greater than any universe. Under this pressure, entire universes would undergo heat death, collapse, and be reborn, only to collapse again.

"I only need the corpse of God Superman!"

Mandrakk clung to consciousness with all his might. His red electronic eyes narrowed to pinpoints. The smooth blue-and-white mechanical clone body was already cracking under Bardi's aura. Internal components had begun to break apart. Mechanical overload sounds echoed—"kaka"—as black smoke spilled from his metallic frame.

"Oh…"

Bardi glanced at him indifferently. Beside him, the body of God Superman lay motionless, dragged along like a dead dog.

At first, Bardi had assumed Mandrakk appeared to protect the Origin Universe. After all, as long as the Origin Universe existed, Bardi's sight could not pierce Mandrakk's hiding place.

The Origin Universe served as a screen, shielding Mandrakk.

Bardi had not expected that what Mandrakk truly wanted—was God Superman's corpse.

Why?

A cold glint flashed through Bardi's eyes. With the mind of a One-and-Only God, his computational power far exceeded that of a single universe. He could calculate futures, power levels, and causal connections of any being below his level.

In an instant, he deduced the truth: this Superman, assembled from many universes, was not complete. At the very least, there existed a Thinking Machine Superman in Mandrakk's possession.

By combining the corpse with that Thinking Machine Superman, Mandrakk could complete the fusion—resulting in a being with power equivalent to a One-and-Only God.

It all made sense. Mandrakk wanted to create the strongest Superman, and once that body was ready, he would possess it. That would allow him to become a quasi-One-and-Only God with the power of a true god.

"You threaten me... with my wife?"

Suddenly—

Bardi's eternally indifferent face twisted into a grin. Sharp teeth gleamed, chilling Mandrakk to the bone. A suppressed fear surged from the depths of his soul.

As Bardi spoke, his eyes turned pitch black. Two beams of dark energy shot out—one at God Superman's corpse, and the other at the Origin Universe.

The blood-stained corpse of God Superman was hit first. Starting from the golden skin, a black layer spread rapidly. In seconds, he had turned into a massive God Superman-shaped chocolate statue.

At the same time, the Origin Universe began to crumble. Its cosmic fetal membrane transformed into chocolate, and a froststorm-like effect swept across galaxies, star systems, and neutron stars—everything dyed in brown. Even Earth at the center, its humans unaware, had silently become chocolate.

The Origin Universe was utterly dead.

Bardi opened his grinning mouth. He bit into both the chocolate version of God Superman and the Origin Universe.

Click.

Cracks echoed as shards flew. The aroma of chocolate spread.

The death of the Origin Universe and the consumption of God Superman ended the last veil hiding Mandrakk. With that screen gone, Bardi could see every corner within the Blood Domain, all the way to the Speed Force Wall.

He bared his fangs, his dark grin aimed straight at Mandrakk.

A terrifying chill surged through Mandrakk's will. He even saw small flecks of chocolate stuck between Bardi's teeth, and the sight made his body tremble.

All of it had taken place in an instant. Mandrakk had watched Bardi eat God Superman and the Origin Universe in just two bites.

Mandrakk broke into a cold sweat. His consciousness flashed with icy numbness. Then he regained his senses—only to flee, exploding backward within the Blood Domain.

A massive divine hand, adorned with long, deep bone spurs, tore through the Blood Ocean of Heavenly Blood. It sliced through with a terrifying bloody path, chasing Mandrakk's fleeing body into the depths of the Monitor's corridor.

"Want to run?"

(To be continued.)