DC: Rise of the Kryptonian Tyrant

Realm of the Gods.

In the void, divine waves emanated from an unknown source, transcending dimensions, energy, matter, space, and time. From the foundation of the Realm of the Gods, they formed the structure of its reality.

Bardi, dressed in white with a prominent golden Ω symbol on his back, stood in the boundless void, gazing into the distance. His eyes were as deep as black holes, flickering with the light of wisdom.

In the interstellar void of the galactic river system, the stars behind him illuminated his magnificently vast form. He resembled a mountain rooted in the stars, towering enough to cause even many One and Only Gods to look up in awe.

"Divine waves… such a mysterious phenomenon,"

Bardi murmured as he gazed at the starry sky.

His body silently absorbed the fluctuations of these divine waves, as if a gentle breeze passed over his skin, his pores receiving their energy.

They originated from the deepest recesses of the Realm of the Gods—places even he could not reach—and spread throughout every corner of the divine realm.

Just as humans need to breathe and require oxygen, the divine wave is the oxygen of One Gods. It is the very fluctuation that sustains the Realm of the Gods.

These divine waves are so powerful that they allow the One God to exist in stable form.

Bardi had roamed the Realm of the Gods for hundreds of years. Everywhere he walked, divine waves resonated. Even sinister domains like Hell and the Dreaming could not block them.

He had studied divine waves and met ancient One Gods such as Morpheus, Santa Claus, and Krypton's god Aura. He sought knowledge about divine waves because he possessed many of them and could use them to accelerate his power as a One God.

Yet some ancient One Gods never pursued divine waves. They never sought to seize this power that could make them stronger. Instead, they warned him not to rely on divine waves to grow stronger—otherwise, sooner or later, he would perish.

Truly perish.

A real death.

The kind that even gods could not escape.

This was spoken by beings who could not lie about such matters, and it shook Bardi to the core.

Because he could not imagine anyone capable of truly killing him.

Bardi could feel his own immortality, his power.

Without hesitation, even an entity a hundred, ten thousand, or a billion times stronger than him could not kill a One God like himself. The so-called unique immortality was no joke. One Gods were truly immortal.

And yet, this alliance with the Highfather, and his journey through the Realm of the Gods, left Bardi full of doubt.

The divine realm was too vast, too profound, too deeply hidden. Even now, Bardi had no way of fully understanding it. He had not even scratched the surface.

"What are you thinking about?"

The voice of the Highfather suddenly emerged from the void.

He was currently in hiding, along with the entire New Genesis army, within the crystal space carried by Bardi, waiting for Darkseid to emerge.

"Ω."

Bardi suppressed his doubts and thoughts. He stood quietly in the boundless starry sky, his eyes deep and calm as he answered softly.

Every One God who had spoken with him believed Bardi should not trust the Highfather. There was a larger conspiracy behind him. Even Bardi knew the Highfather had a vast plan—one far more complex than simply opposing Apokolips or Darkseid.

"Don't think too much. The Omega must be yours. I know Darkseid."

"He won't endure this. Now, we wait."

The Highfather's voice was deep and steady.

He understood Darkseid. He also understood what it meant to be a One God. No One God could tolerate having their name challenged.

Not even himself.

If another One God were to also call himself "Father" and use the same symbol, even someone as composed as the Highfather would have to choose, either eliminate the rival or abandon the symbol.

Otherwise, there would always be conflict, always hostility, without exception. This was the power and uniqueness involved with being a One God. A confrontation was inevitable.

"Alright."

Bardi replied calmly.

He did not know what the Highfather's true intentions were or what his ultimate goal was regarding Darkseid and Apokolips. These matters did not concern him.

What Bardi needed was a place in the Realm of the Gods. He needed a symbol of identity.

The core terminal technology of the Mother Box that the Highfather had traded to him allowed Bardi to hide the Star of Barmulodi. With that planet protected, and his power concealed, Bardi had no worries. He could now operate freely and without restraint in the Realm of the Gods.

Decades passed. The starry sky of the Realm of the Gods was so vast that even the vision of a One God could not perceive its end. Distant stars stretched infinitely.

Bardi continued his walk, feeling the waves of the divine realm. He observed its customs, passed through countless races and civilizations, and walked through places so remote that even One Gods rarely touched them. Entire civilizations could be destroyed with a single sneeze.

Some civilizations were strong enough to match a single one of Bardi's fingers. They might be considered powerful within their galaxies, yet in the eyes of Bardi and the Highfather, they were still like dust. Too weak even for Darkseid to desire.

Another fifty years passed.

Bardi's towering figure came to a halt beneath the starry sky. The surrounding space distorted under his presence, causing a meteorite stream to spiral. Countless meteorites crossed galaxies and surged forward.

He raised his eyebrows. His chiseled face turned cold. His deep eyes sharpened.

Boom!!

The starry sky began to vibrate violently. A massive vortex twisted the space like an abyss.

The Boom Tube of Apokolips, distorting the sky, appeared before Bardi.

"Enter, Barmulodi."

"You'll regret your actions."

At the end of the Boom Tube, Steppenwolf appeared in pitch-black armor that exuded a cruel and savage aura, steeped in the brutal energy of Apokolips.

He held a massive axe. His cold gaze pierced through the Boom Tube, seething with hostility toward Barmulodi.

Behind Steppenwolf stood an endless horde of monsters—twisted, grotesque beings, lined up on Apokolips' cracked and burning lava plains. Their ragged breathing, torn mouths, and thick black saliva all revealed their insatiable hunger. They regarded Bardi as nothing more than food, ready to tear apart anything that entered.

Their blackened bodies covered the lava terrain. Bardi looked out, but there was no end to the darkness.

The sky above was a dark crimson, warped and filled with overwhelming pressure.

Apokolips was waiting for their arrival.

"Go in."

The Highfather's voice echoed in Bardi's heart. There was even a trace of urgency in his tone. His breath quickened.

Bardi especially felt the Highfather's attention focus sharply when he looked at Steppenwolf. His restlessness and rage rose uncontrollably.

Bardi understood the reason for the Highfather's agitation. It wasn't a secret in the Realm of the Gods.

Long ago, during a confrontation, Steppenwolf had used a scheme to kill the Highfather's wife while Darkseid held him back. The Highfather's wife was not a One God and perished completely.

Because of this, the Highfather's hatred for Steppenwolf surpassed even that for Darkseid.

Bardi said nothing. He stepped toward the Boom Tube.

Instantly, hot, turbulent, angry, and polluted air surged toward him like an electric drill, trying to invade his body through every pore. It was the unique atmosphere of Apokolips, one that stirred unease and depression in all who entered.

As Bardi stepped onto the surface of Apokolips and raised his gaze to the horde of monsters, a towering phantom of Darkseid rose from the distant horizon. Like a mountain, it loomed high in the sky, pressing down on Apokolips.

With his hands behind his back, Darkseid's cracked, stone-colored skin radiated the aura of a tyrannical monarch. His dark armor clung tightly to his massive frame, failing to conceal the brutality and savagery of the dark ruler beneath.

He was the terrifying Dark Lord of the entire Realm of the Gods.

Darkseid.

His massive form filled the sky, and his glowing crimson Omega eyes stared down at Bardi.

(To be continued.)