DC: Rise of the Kryptonian Tyrant

At the center of the planet Barmulodi, it was warm and dry.

A massive arcane chain, mottled with ancient rust, bound a cube at the core. The enormous links extended in all four directions, restraining and extracting energy from the cube's center.

Trigon was sealed within the cube, used by Bardi as an eternal energy source, drawing from him endlessly.

Wearing a dark cloak, Raven stepped into the planet's core where her father was imprisoned.

She felt no attachment to this so-called father. No emotion stirred from their blood connection. In truth, Raven was deeply disgusted by it.

If she hadn't met Bardi, she would have been lost forever, suffering eternal torment alone. All that pain was brought on by the demon Trigon, the one who claimed to be her father.

He had murdered her mother, devoured her masters, and acted with unrelenting cruelty.

If possible, Raven never wanted to see that vile demon again.

"Father."

Raven pulled down her hood, revealing a pale face. Her black and white eyes flickered with internal struggle as she stared coldly at the sealed cube.

Inside, a ferocious and twisted phantom rose.

"Raven! Have you come to rescue your father?"

Trigon's face grinned malevolently, his gaze molten with evil as he stared at her.

"Don't be ridiculous, father. Everything you did to my mother and my masters makes me want to kill you."

Raven replied coldly.

Trigon's phantom sneered, devoid of even a hint of familial affection.

"Do you want me to help Barmulodi?" Trigon bared his sharp, cracked teeth and narrowed his eyes maliciously. "You care for him enough to face me again? Hah..."

Raven stayed silent. Her eyes remained cold, but a flicker of warmth appeared when Bardi's name was mentioned. That warmth quickly vanished as she returned her gaze to Trigon, full of disdain and disgust.

"He has no one to help him in the realm of gods. No one dares to."

"This deal with the Heavenly Father—whether it's you, me, or anyone—we all know he has ulterior motives."

"But still, Bardi has no choice but to go through with it."

"All of this... why?"

Trigon grinned, baring his fangs as a cold gleam flickered in his eyes.

Raven's expression darkened, her pale face growing even more ashen.

Why?

Because Bardi was her protector, her husband. Because the Star of Barmulodi was too weak—so weak that even a quasi-Only God could destroy it. Bardi bore the responsibility of guarding Barmulodi and her, alone.

In the eyes of the Only Gods, the current Star of Barmulodi was nothing more than a morsel, ripe for the taking.

Even with the core technology of the Mother Box now in their hands, allowing the planet to be hidden like Apokolips, it was only a means of escape. It didn't allow them to stand openly in the realm of gods.

"I want you to help Bardi, Father."

Raven's voice trembled. Her face remained pale, her jaw clenched.

"Become Bardi's ally. Stand with him."

"Alright."

Without hesitation, Trigon agreed. His demonic face wore a twisted smirk.

"Let me out first."

Raven fell silent.

She looked into Trigon's seemingly sincere expression but said nothing.

Trigon... was not to be trusted.

"Hahahahaha..."

Suddenly, Trigon burst into wild laughter. "My lovely daughter! You understand nothing! Hahaha..."

"Barmulodi is already part of the same formation as me!"

"Sooner or later, he will let me out willingly! We'll fight side by side! Hahaha..."

"You know nothing!"

"Barmulodi knows nothing!"

"That's why he's worried and afraid! Why he went to such lengths to get the core technology of the Mother Box—to protect you!"

"You're afraid too. Afraid of losing him!"

"None of you understand what's about to happen in the realm of gods!"

"Soon, the ancient ones will awaken. Darkness will rise and struggle. The great beast of nothingness that guides us will once again battle the light!"

Trigon's face grew wild with fury. His expression twisted as if blood and tears streamed from his eyes. His rage erupted like a volcano.

"I would rather he kept me sealed here for millions of years!"

"I'd rather Barmulodi keep me locked up forever!"

In a flash, Trigon clawed at his own demonic face and screamed in anguish.

"Do you think Heavenly Father and Lucifer could seal me so easily?!"

"Do you think so?!"

"Do you really think I'm that weak?!"

"Do you think...?"

"The light is coming... ah... ah... ah...!"

Trigon shrieked in madness.

"Barmulodi will be the first to face it! He'll fight on the front lines! He'll be consumed first!"

"Ahh!!"

"The hour of light is coming! The void that devours the dark! No god can stand against it!"

"This has happened three times already!"

"All darkness will be swallowed whole!"

"We've fought for tens of billions of epochs. Countless aeons of struggle!"

Raven's expression changed. Seeing Trigon fall into a crazed frenzy, she called out to him repeatedly, trying to calm him. But it only drove him to scream louder.

He wasn't truly mad—he was trying to go mad.

Raven was pale and trembling.

What kind of war could terrify a cross-dimensional demon who had lived for countless eras into trying to feign madness and avoid facing it?

"Barmulodi, Darkseid, myself, Yuga Khan, the Endless Family, Fate, Death, Dream, Destruction, Desire, Despair, Delirium, the Watcher, the Inner Dragon, the Godslayer... all of us—we are in the same formation! None of us can escape!"

"Not even Barmulodi!"

Trigon tore at his phantom form, roaring in madness, his insanity drawn out by Raven's presence.

Raven's pale complexion became ghostly white. She couldn't understand what Trigon was saying.

She had only come to ask Trigon to help Bardi, to fight alongside him in exchange for his freedom.

But now, it seemed Trigon had no desire to escape. He wanted to remain sealed, willingly. Even in madness, he sought refuge.

Raven's expression twisted with unease as Trigon's phantom gradually faded, retreating into the cube once more.

"Go back. Barmulodi will release me sooner or later."

"I just want to enjoy the last moments of peace."

Trigon now seemed utterly spent, like an old man facing his final days. He only wanted silence and solitude.

Raven stood before the cube, panic flashing in her eyes.

Everything was beyond her comprehension. She was far too weak.

She couldn't help Bardi. She couldn't understand the scale of the realm of the gods.

She couldn't do anything.

Raven's face was pale. Slowly, she turned around. Her trembling, pale hands reached up and pulled the hood over her dark hair.

Her face was tight with anguish. Biting her lower lip, she stepped out of the sealed chamber, filled with dread and powerlessness.

(To be continued.)