DC: Rise of the Kryptonian Tyrant

"Be strong, be stronger. Don't you want to become a first-stage One God? Don't you want to stand at the top of the divine hierarchy, side by side with the Monitors, the sole god of the divine realm?"

"Then come with me and kill Origin!"

Bardi's heart trembled.

Slaughter Origin?

What is Origin?

Origin is a first-stage One God. The Wall of Origin is under its control, used to imprison One Gods from all eras.

Origin stands at the absolute peak, the only god capable of imprisoning all others, binding them to the Wall of Origin.

A god that high above, how could Yuga Khan believe he and Bardi could kill it?

"Hahahaha! Yuga Khan, are you insane? You want to kill Origin?"

"I've never heard a more ridiculous joke in all of eternity."

"You, a weak second-stage god, think you can defy heaven and slaughter the being who controls all of us, who binds us to the Wall of Origin?"

"Stop joking, Yuga Khan. You're lucky you can even move on the Wall."

"There's no way you can kill Origin!"

Hearing Yuga Khan's words, the gods stuck to the Wall of Origin spoke up one after another, doubting his sanity.

The power of Origin went beyond comprehension.

It had imprisoned gods who once ruled the divine realm, bound them to the Wall, and siphoned their power endlessly for its own use. No one knew how long this had gone on, nor how powerful Origin had grown.

And now Yuga Khan claimed he could slaughter Origin?

Absurd.

"Even with our combined strength, this is nothing but a delusion."

Bardi was shocked by Yuga Khan's intent to kill Origin, but he also couldn't believe that Yuga Khan could actually do it.

Even if Bardi could now move freely on the Wall of Origin and absorb its source to strengthen himself, he didn't believe he had surpassed Origin. He hadn't even figured out how to leave the Wall yet.

Slaughter Origin?

That was fantasy.

Looking at the countless One Gods stuck to the Wall of Origin, it was clear their power levels were nowhere near Origin's. The gap between second-stage gods and Origin was immeasurable.

They might not die in a fight against Origin, but they would certainly lose. They'd be defeated, controlled, and stuck to the Wall again.

This wasn't pessimism. It was reality.

"As long as we work together, we can do it!"

In an instant, Yuga Khan's wounds had healed. Seeing Bardi's doubt, his eyes gleamed with excitement.

What had he been seeking on the Wall of Origin all these years?

To rise to the highest position.

Otherwise, why would he willingly let Bardi vent his fury on him?

Maybe Bardi was stronger now, but Yuga Khan, as an old and seasoned second-stage god, had power built up over countless ages, enough to battle any god endlessly.

But he didn't want to fight. If they truly fought, their combined strength could stretch the battle across the entire era. And in the end, Bardi would likely win, because he evolved constantly. He could consume source energy from the Wall of Origin, and his growth potential was terrifying.

But Yuga Khan had waited too long.

Now that he could walk the Wall, devour the source, and strengthen himself, he knew his opportunity had come.

There was no more time to waste.

Letting Bardi unleash his fury had only one purpose—let him burn through his rage quickly so they could move forward.

And it worked. Bardi tired himself out.

Yuga Khan didn't resist. He puffed out his chest and let Bardi pound him. When the anger ran out, Bardi stopped.

Back in the divine realm, he still had to deal with Darkseid and Highfather—the true culprits.

Beating a cooperative punching bag wasn't satisfying.

"Ignore these pathetic fools screaming around us. They've been stuck on the Wall of Origin too long. They've lost their edge, exaggerated Origin's power, and surrendered their will. Their cowardice masks itself as caution. They're no longer worthy of being One Gods."

"You should ask the ancients. The One Gods from the First Era. They're the ones who truly understand Origin."

"Origin isn't as terrifying as you think."

Yuga Khan swept his gaze with contempt across the gods who had praised Origin's power. Every one of them had bowed before Origin. Once mighty and free, now degraded, shackled gods.

One god sighed and closed his eyes.

Another cursed Yuga Khan.

Gods are not infallible, not in the way mortals think.

No matter how powerful—able to shatter galaxies, trample dimensions, create worlds with a thought, and reduce chaos to dust—if they still have desires and emotions, they remain vulnerable.

The greater the power, the deeper the desire. The more divine, the more mortal.

There are no exceptions. Only two entities truly stand beyond this.

The rest, regardless of power, are equal.

Bardi's deep eyes seemed to pierce through time and space. His brows were furrowed slightly as he looked toward a cluster of ancient gods—skeletons worn down by eons, their skin clinging to fossilized bones.

These were the oldest gods.

"Work with him, this new god!" the Creator God said, his ancient eyes gleaming with a faint hope.

"Work with him!"

"Work with him!"

"Work with him!"

"From this moment on, Barmulodi, you will be the pioneer of the One Gods."

"You are the trailblazer who leads us."

"You are the one who opens the way."

"You are the one who lights the road forward."

"You are the one whose legacy will endure."

On the Wall of Origin, at first, a few voices objected. But as more ancient gods joined in, the younger gods found themselves swayed by the call of the ancients, and their voices rose in unison to proclaim Bardi as the Pioneer.

A magnificent voice echoed across the Wall of Origin.

Within that voice, every One God contributed a sliver of faith. In the deepest part of their souls, a glimmer of hope flickered. On the blood-colored Wall of Origin, a spiritual beacon began to rise.

A Pioneer God, forged from the collective faith of the One Gods.

A god created by gods through faith.

Bardi's expression darkened. He stared at the radiant, glowing form of the Pioneer God. His own thoughts, spirit, and body had become entangled with this divine construct.

He had been forced into a role.

A god made by other gods.

A Pioneer.

One who walks ahead, who lights the path, who must keep moving no matter what.

Damn it.

These gods were using the idea of a Pioneer to force their hope onto him!

"How could I, Barmulodi, allow myself to be held hostage as a Pioneer?!"

Bardi's eyes turned cold and merciless. His body morphed back into his fierce, bone-spurred, evolved form.

"Cut!"

He chopped with a hand strike. The void split, time and space warped, and the connection between himself and the Pioneer God was severed.

Bardi's pupils contracted. A sudden wave of tearing pain surged through his body. His cells strained under the disruption, but he held firm with a cold expression.

The Pioneer God still stood radiant and intact—but it was no longer connected to him.

Silence fell across the Wall of Origin. For a moment, it was so quiet a pin drop could be heard.

The Pioneer was complete. But what did it have to do with him?

"Origin is nothing but a puppet."

(To be continued.)