DC: Rise of the Kryptonian Tyrant

Bardi glanced at the blood-colored crystal that sealed Raven. He didn't lift the seal immediately but instead stored the crystal away. Lifting his head, his dark eyes turned toward the void where the demon-like army had gathered.

"Apocalypse."

His gaze landed on Steppenwolf's massive, iconic axe and the various types of demons occupying a large portion of the void.

In the multiverse, there were countless avatars of Steppenwolf and Darkseid. Bardi had encountered them multiple times. He had even taken over an avatar of Zeus and understood their traits and appearances well. So he immediately recognized Steppenwolf from Apocalypse.

Steppenwolf stood with his axe resting on his shoulder. His eyes flickered with cruelty and bloodlust. Raising his head, he looked at Bardi, the corners of his mouth curling into a cold sneer as he said, "Barmulodi, you've violated the Dark Monarch's taboo."

The so-called taboo of the Dark Monarch referred to Darkseid's Ω symbol. That symbol was generated by his omega rays, carrying unique power and authority. It belonged solely to Darkseid and was not to be used by others.

This symbol represented Darkseid's essence. Others feared associating with it because it would strengthen Darkseid's influence. If the symbol appeared in anyone else's usage, it would dilute its symbolic impact and, in some ways, diminish Darkseid's power. This was something Darkseid absolutely would not tolerate.

Darkseid's avatars across the multiverse had already seen Bardi's army of gods and kings using the Ω symbol. This touched the core of Darkseid's power and enraged him.

Bardi knew this well. He wanted to challenge and replace Darkseid. That was why he unhesitatingly used the Ω symbol as his own God-King emblem. This inevitably put him at odds with Darkseid.

"Go back to Apocalypse and tell Darkseid... I will come for Apocalypse and plunder it."

Bardi's tone was cold. His dark eyes became abyssal as he stared at Steppenwolf. He could tell that Steppenwolf wasn't his match.

Only Darkseid and Bardi himself could be considered equals. Steppenwolf wasn't qualified to even speak to him.

At the same time, Bardi planned to pull the Barmulodi Universe into the Realm of Gods and form the Barmulodi Planet, concealing his own world. He currently had no time to deal with an unkillable One God.

Darkseid had hidden Apocalypse in the void of the Realm of Gods, making it impossible for others to locate. That allowed him to continue ruling unchecked as the feared Dark Monarch in the Realm of Gods.

If Apocalypse could be found, it would have been destroyed long ago. Its crueler-than-hell nature had offended far too many Unique Gods. If they could locate it, many would have joined forces to annihilate it.

Bardi, on the other hand, had not hidden the Barmulodi star's technology. Even with the tech retrieved from the Monitor battleship, it wasn't enough to hide his planet within the Realm of Gods like Apocalypse.

So now, he needed to enter the Realm of Gods and conceal his universe as much as possible to gain a foothold. Only then could he survive, seek alliances, and gather support to confront the siege of many One Gods.

Of course, that would come after demonstrating sufficient strength and intellect. No one would ally with the weak.

These were Bardi's thoughts.

He knew his strength was greater than Steppenwolf's and only slightly inferior to Darkseid's. But in battle, his ability to evolve and adapt gave him a chance to match Darkseid. As long as he wasn't killed in one blow, he could evolve infinitely.

He and Darkseid were essentially evenly matched.

Perhaps, by devouring Apocalypse, he could even surpass Darkseid.

The only real threat was the power of omega rays.

However, when first entering the Realm of Gods, divine shockwaves would enhance power significantly. This realm was fundamentally different from the multiverse. It offered greater benefits and adaptability for gods. So it wasn't a pressing concern.

Hearing Bardi's bold words, Steppenwolf's expression shifted, and rage flashed in his eyes.

"You're not qualified to challenge Darkseid!"

Steppenwolf's voice shook the void. His axe ripped through the galaxy and instantly slashed toward Bardi.

The massive axe grew with the wind, tearing the void open. It turned into a cold blade, radiating a sharp aura as it came at Bardi head-on.

Bardi's dark eyes condensed into two black beams, piercing through the sky, intercepting the world-cleaving axe.

The frost-cold axe blade collided with the dark rays. Upon contact, it was as if ink had splattered across it. The axe began to disintegrate from the edge, its particles reversing and turning into black chocolate, rapidly spreading.

Steppenwolf was shocked. As he saw the blade melt in the dark rays, his axe lost its connection to him and became inert—reduced to chocolate with a rich aroma.

As the black chocolate spread like sewage across the axe, Steppenwolf felt a chill in his soul and a powerful sense of danger. He quickly let go of the weapon and retreated in shock.

With a light gesture, Bardi caught the fully transformed chocolate axe in his hand.

Not only was Steppenwolf stunned, but Bardi himself was also surprised. His innate power—those dark rays—were this strong? Even a One God's weapon could be reduced to chocolate so quickly?

This far exceeded Bardi's expectations. In the multiverse, he had known the dark rays to be unmatched, capable of turning anything into chocolate. Consuming it could even enhance strength. Raven had long used the chocolate created by this power as a magical energy source. Bardi had often used it to make her snacks.

But he hadn't expected it to be this potent. That it could so easily turn Steppenwolf's weapon into chocolate was astonishing.

This power rivaled the omega rays and even exceeded Bardi's own imagination.

"I've underestimated my own talent."

Bardi's eyes gleamed coldly as he held the shattered-earth chocolate axe and looked at Steppenwolf with amusement.

Steppenwolf felt a chill down his spine. Without hesitation, his seasoned instincts kicked in. He immediately activated a Boom Tube. With a boom, the portal opened around him. In a panic, he turned and fled.

In the next moment, dark rays shot from Bardi's eyes, turning half the Boom Tube into chocolate before it disappeared. The rays swept through the demon army, transforming swathes of demons into chocolate.

The corners of Bardi's mouth curled into a sneer.

(To be continued.)