DC: Rise of the Kryptonian Tyrant

Apokolips.

The earth was cracked. Fiery red lava spewed from the fissures in the scorched ground. Sulfur and violent volcanic eruptions were everywhere. The environment here was even more hostile than Hell itself. Ordinary lifeforms could not survive at all. The suffocating aura that enveloped the entire planet was that of the dark tyrant, Darkseid. Everything here was under his dominion.

On Apokolips, strength reigns supreme. The victor is king.

Amid the cracked, scorched terrain, across a vast land of cruelty, rage, and darkness, stood the temple of the dark tyrant, towering above this desolate world.

Within the temple, a shrine rose high into the sky. It was soaked with the blood of countless fallen warriors, staining its walls black. The oppressive atmosphere within was suffocating.

On the dark throne, Darkseid sat expressionless. His tight armor could not contain the violent power beneath. His terrifying physique seemed to break through the armor itself. Thick, suffocating muscles bulged through the cracks in the plating.

His face had weathered countless ages. Time itself, though eternal, could not harm him. Instead, it had etched a cold, domineering presence into his features. His cracked skin resembled parched earth, revealing an aura of endless dominance. His eyes glowed red—aloof, cruel, and chilling.

Ordinary gods, upon seeing him, wouldn't even dare to raise their eyes, let alone move a finger.

The fear one felt before Darkseid was the same helplessness and dread a small human feels before the wrath of nature—something that presses deep into the soul.

He was Darkseid, the most feared tyrant in the Realm of Gods.

At this moment, Darkseid's stone-like, cracked face remained cold and unreadable. His red eyes bore down mercilessly at Steppenwolf, who was kneeling before him.

"Steppenwolf, are you saying… you want to stop me?"

Darkseid's voice echoed through the hall—cold, merciless, and heavy like a mountain, casting terrifying pressure across the temple.

Kneeling on the ground, Steppenwolf trembled. Even though he was Darkseid's uncle, and once helped him ascend the throne of Apokolips, Darkseid spared no one—neither kinship nor history softened his heart. There was no tolerance.

On Apokolips, the law was absolute. No one could defy Darkseid.

To defy or displease him was worse than death.

"No, everything I do is for Darkseid. For Apokolips."

Steppenwolf's eyes firmed for a moment. He raised his head and stared into Darkseid's terrifying, crimson eyes. He continued, "Dark Monarch, Barmulodi is just a clown. He's bait used by the Highfather in a scheme. He's not worth our attention."

Darkseid's cracked brow lifted. His eyes flared with a burning red glow. Cold and merciless, he said with dominating force, "Since when did someone dare to challenge my name, and you don't take the initiative to defend it?"

Darkseid's blazing red gaze fixed on Steppenwolf. His displeasure was clear. If Steppenwolf didn't say what he wanted to hear next, the Omega Beams for which Darkseid was infamous would burst forth and reduce him to ashes.

Steppenwolf's expression changed. The pressure from Darkseid's gaze made it feel like he couldn't even breathe. He quickly said, "No, my lord!"

"It's just that now is not the time for conflict with the Highfather."

"Especially now, in the Realm of Gods. Dark Monarch, the only gods sense that something terrifying is coming. The stronger the deity, the more aware they are of the coming change."

"With what we've experienced, my lord, we should preserve our strength for what's to come, not waste it on a premature war with the Highfather."

Steppenwolf gritted his teeth to voice his advice. It meant allowing Barmulodi to continue seizing prestige and uniqueness over the Omega symbol, something Darkseid could not tolerate.

But truly, now was not the time to start a war.

Even if the Highfather initiated war now, Steppenwolf's instincts told him that it was a dangerous moment. This was an extremely delicate time.

After hearing Steppenwolf's words, Darkseid's blood-red eyes glowed even more ominously.

His cracked face contorted, and a cold snort came from his nose.

A terrifying aura of frustration and rage burst from his entire body, like a chained tyrannosaur struggling to break free. Fury surged in his heart. The cracked, gray skin radiated overwhelming strength. His will of wrath flooded the temple like a storm, pressing Steppenwolf to the ground.

How could he tolerate a clown stealing his name?

He was Darkseid.

The most feared tyrant in the Realm of Gods. The dark monarch who walks among countless enemies and is still feared by all.

Still seated on his throne, his arms were thick and powerful. His cracked, gray skin radiated immense power.

Suddenly, Darkseid's eyes flashed with brutality.

Boom!

He clenched his fist and slammed the armrest of the God Throne. It exploded instantly. The gauntlet of the throne shattered into fragments that flew in all directions with the sound of a sonic boom, slamming against Steppenwolf's armor with sharp impacts.

"Prepare for war. I will turn Barmulodi into a demon, just like my poor brother," Darkseid said coldly.

Steppenwolf's heart sank. He looked up at Darkseid, his face tense. He wanted to persuade him again, but seeing Darkseid's ruthless, glowing red eyes, with Omega Beams on the verge of erupting, he closed his mouth and said no more.

"Yes, my lord!"

Steppenwolf gave Darkseid a solemn bow, then turned and walked out of the hall.

Behind him, Darkseid remained seated on the throne, overlooking the entire planet of Apokolips. He was its god, the symbol of its power. No one could defy his will.

Perhaps... they intend to decide everything in a final, all-out war. To determine the meaning of New Genesis and Apokolips' very existence.

After endless years...

This is likely why the Highfather and Darkseid are choosing to fight now.

Steppenwolf thought silently, as he moved farther away from the terrifying figure of Darkseid.

(To be continued.)