DC: Rise of the Kryptonian Tyrant

Heaven.

It is the domain of lightning and thunder, of love and war, of the ancient gods of death.

Here reside Asgard, Olympus, the throne of Zeus, the Celtic pantheon, the Mayan gods, the Chinese Heaven, Oceania, Mesopotamia, the Egyptian deities, the Kryptonian gods, and the Hebrew God of the Bible—each with their own divine peaks.

Countless unique gods of the third, fourth, and fifth stages gather here. They live side by side and have built a flourishing civilization, not to be underestimated.

At this moment, the sky was covered in clouds.

Above the heavens, all the avatars of the One Gods in the Divine Realm appeared in the clouds. Leaders of various pantheons—Zeus, the Jade Emperor, Ra, the Kryptonian God, and others—gathered solemnly.

Suddenly—

A brilliant flash streaked across the starry sky like a meteor, blinding and powerful.

Michael appeared. Handsome, with blond hair and blue eyes, his hair radiant, his expression firm and resolute. Riding a giant dragon and wielding a red cross-shaped sword, he descended with overwhelming pressure.

He was a first-stage One God, dazzling and formidable, fearless and strong. His immense presence weighed heavily on the gathered gods.

"Hmph, what arrogance."

Thor snorted coldly. Though oppressed by the pressure, his voice carried displeasure.

"The strong are worthy of respect."

The Jade Emperor shook his head and sighed at Michael's power. He acknowledged that Michael was strong and deserved respect.

"He's an angel," Ra, said calmly.

Just that one word—angel—instantly diminished any respect.

An angel, a ruler from above, one who enforced Heaven's laws. There was no reverence in the word.

"He can't kill us anyway," Ra said with disdain. "A One God cannot be killed."

Even if Michael was stronger than all of them combined, he could not kill a fifth-stage One God.

The only beings who could kill One Gods now were the Origin, and the Monitor arriving from outside the Wall of Origin.

As for Michael, a first-stage One God of the heavens?

Ha.

"Gentlemen, the Origin has gone mad. It is irrational and will bring ruin to the Divine Realm. You all live within this realm. Now is the time to act, to protect this sacred domain."

Michael's six wings spread wide. Holding his red cross sword, riding the giant dragon, his proud and righteous voice echoed through the skies as he descended from the starry heavens and stood before the gods.

His expression was solemn. His every word carried purpose. He would protect every inch of the Divine Realm, refusing to allow darkness to consume it.

"Oh? Is that so?"

The Jade Emperor responded calmly, his tone indifferent.

"Back then, when Darkseid—a mere third-stage god—ran rampant and spread fear across the Divine Realm, where was Michael to uphold justice?"

Zeus stared coldly from the clouds, lightning crackling in his hand, a sneer on his lips.

He had clashed with Darkseid before. Their battles had been long and bitter. Darkseid had invaded his territories, destroyed many of Zeus's planets, and spread fear. His forces suffered greatly.

At that time, the Divine Realm trembled at the Dark Monarch's name. Many planetary systems were laid to waste.

Yet Darkseid was only a third-stage One God.

And Michael never showed up.

"How can Darkseid even be compared to the Origin?" Michael frowned.

"He's like an ant—he jumps around a little, causes some darkness and fear. That's nothing but training for you."

"Hahahaha!"

As soon as Michael said this, the gods burst into laughter.

Their laughter shook the heavens.

"Has Heaven truly fallen this far?"

"You want us ants to become pawns against the Origin?"

Ra laughed loudly, mockery in his voice.

Michael's expression darkened. His eyes swept over the gods like blades. Then he looked behind them—and froze.

All the divine thrones in the sky, the seats that upheld the Chinese Heaven, Olympus, the Mayan realms, and others—they were all empty. The pillars and life that once supported them had disappeared.

"You dare betray the Divine Realm?! Have you forgotten the divine wave you once breathed? How dare you!"

Michael was furious. He couldn't understand what had happened.

The divine wave permeating the Divine Realm was like oxygen to mortals—it was everywhere, and essential for power. To grow stronger, one had to breathe it.

The divine wave originated from Heaven.

Heaven believed in bestowing favor, shepherding all beings, and controlling all creation.

"Absurd."

"You crushed the Origin's family, and now you want to command ours? You expect us to fight for Heaven?"

"What do you take us for?"

"We've never absorbed even a trace of the divine wave. We've spent our existence resisting its poison."

"If not for resisting it, we would be even stronger."

The gods rebuked him. Their voices echoed across the Divine Realm.

In an instant, all of creation heard the gods' declarations.

"Origin seeks only to destroy Heaven—not the Divine Realm!"

"Heaven does not represent the Divine Realm!"

A divine voice roared, deafening, spreading across every corner of existence.

At that moment, every One God heard the voice of the heavens.

"You want to push Heaven's sins onto the rest of us? You want the gods to fight your war? Heaven is dreaming."

The thunderous voice rocked the entire realm and stirred a storm of reactions.

Divine murmurs and whispers spread rapidly, exchanging opinions and raising questions.

Michael was furious. Brandishing the red cross sword, he shouted in fury.

"Heaven controls the stars, regulates the weather, spreads radiance, judges darkness, creates life, establishes rules, and brings love, courage, and kindness to the Divine Realm. Our splendor cannot be erased. Our contributions cannot be denied."

"You are selfish gods who ignore your faults. In danger, you abandon Heaven. You deserve to die!"

With those words, Michael raised his sword, unleashing a powerful strike toward the gods of the heavens.

The heavenly gods sneered in unison and responded with divine voice, spreading their message across the Divine Realm.

"The signs of the era's end have begun."

"Tell all gods, Heaven stands high above, herding all beings as ants."

"The gods of the heavens will descend into Hell, save the Origin, and walk alongside him."

And Heaven has no means of doing so.

The gods in the Divine Realm silently added this final truth in their hearts.

(To be continued.)