Multiverse: Deathstroke

Chapter 376: Ch.375 Battle

"You've grasped quite a lot of power—the Speed Force truly surprises me," the Upside-Down Man nodded repeatedly, as though commenting on the surrounding storm. "I've mostly seen the Stasis Force, but the Speed Force is... prettier."

"Heh, well, in that case, can you head back on your own? Save me the trouble," Su Ming smiled, brandishing his greatsword near the creature.

The Upside-Down Man let out a bizarre laugh. "Quite the contrary. She isolated me beyond the world's veil, keeping me away from all things beautiful! You can't imagine how endless and excruciating that time was! You must pay for this!"

So, there's no peaceful way out, huh?

Settling debts was a universal law, and Su Ming wasn't planning to evade payment; after all, he wasn't the one in debt.

He had hoped to negotiate a favorable term for the wizards—maybe something like paying in installments—so that at least there could still be some magic left to use in the aftermath of the Source Wall's collapse.

The Multiverse was dying, with only six months left.

But if the Upside-Down Man intended to take all the magic away now, thus weakening the world's capacity to face unknown threats, that couldn't be allowed.

Su Ming was asking Batman for compensation, partly to buy things and enjoy life and partly to keep Batman's suspicions at bay, masking Su Ming's true intentions.

He planned to pocket some valuable items during this massive crisis, just as he had casually taken the Nth Metal before.

Now that the Upside-Down Man was in his way, he needed to be dealt with.

He raised the Twilight Greatsword, its Nth Metal gleaming with silver light. Unlike before, he concentrated the light on one side of the blade, making the massive sword black on one side and white on the other.

Then, instead of slashing, he swung the sword down to smack the Upside-Down Man's head.

No matter how fast its regeneration, since it had chosen to give itself a body, it had to abide by the laws of physics.

Newton had long said that force acts reciprocally. Now, with the Primordial Metal guaranteeing his weapon could make contact, Su Ming intended to use it to bash the creature back through the door.

The Cloak of Levitation lifted him, and he swung his weapon like a golf club, striking the head of the Upside-Down Man.

It worked. Instead of cutting its body, blunt force was the right choice. With the added strength from Stranglehold, Su Ming exerted all his power, even causing the entire structure beneath his feet, as well as the distorted space around them, to tremble.

The Upside-Down Man stumbled backward significantly.

"You have much knowledge, and your bones are filled with information about creation—so have you forgotten just how insignificant you are?!"

That blow clearly infuriated the creature. It raised its legs—perhaps struggling with the new body—and cast a spell from its feet. The comical pose looked like an upside-down split in midair.

But the magic was real: a powerful, previously unseen dark spell shot out from its feet, forming glowing purple tentacles that flew at Su Ming.

"I've seen too much purple recently—it's become tiresome. So I reject your offer!"

Su Ming swung his greatsword horizontally to block the purple energy. Yet outside the parts made of Nth Metal, the blade let out a faint sizzling sound.

The Nth Metal began to corrode. The metal, renowned for its incredibly high magic resistance, struggled against the power of primal sorcery.

Su Ming noted this fact: if even the pure Nth Metal sword couldn't withstand it, then his armor made from a Nth Metal alloy certainly wouldn't fare better.

The weapon had become pockmarked, and Su Ming silently controlled the X-Metal to patch the gaps. He didn't have much X-Metal, and at this rate, his Twilight Greatsword would soon be reduced to a dagger.

Time was of the essence; he needed to keep striking the Upside-Down Man until he could force it through the door.

"Diana, Swan Formation!" Su Ming shouted to Diana as he rolled aside, using the force of the magical attack.

The Amazon knew what he meant—while he focused on attacking the enemy, she would use her shield to withstand any incoming counterattacks.

In Amazonian hunting tactics, this formation was known as the "Swan"—a coordination involving two shield bearers and one spear wielder. They had used this formation against countless enemies and beasts in the past.

But how did Deathstroke know about it?

There wasn't time to dwell on the question in the middle of a battle. Diana decided to do as Deathstroke instructed. Though they were missing a person, she believed her skills were enough to defend against attacks from all directions.

"Come on! I believe in Hephaestus's craftsmanship!" She raised her shield and moved beside Su Ming.

Su Ming's mouth twitched slightly—her trust wasn't entirely reliable.

Sure, Hephaestus's craftsmanship was unmatched, but since the Godly Metal was Sixth Metal, the real question was whether it could withstand the attack.

Still, it was worth a shot. If all else failed, he'd take the hit himself—his healing ability wasn't just for show.

"Watch your steps. Let's go!"

With a roar, Su Ming and Diana charged at the Upside-Down Man.

The shield bearer naturally took the lead to open the way, allowing the spear-wielder to seize openings for attacks. Diana had performed this tactic countless times—the only difference now was having a man at her back.

Honestly, in the Justice League, she rarely had the chance to use formations—her teammates were always flying around everywhere, and Flash and Batman, the two who couldn't fly, were the most unpredictable of all.

Aquaman? He was their primary tank, charging even farther ahead than Superman.

The Upside-Down Man's magic was certainly powerful, but Hephaestus did not disappoint. Aside from the surface of the shield emitting a charred smell and the design warping slightly, it remained intact. Diana knew she could hold on for much longer.

And by then, Deathstroke's tactical goals would surely be accomplished.

The Upside-Down Man was still learning; it hadn't realized Su Ming's tactical objective, nor noticed how close it had gotten to the door behind it.

In fact, its anger had subsided considerably.

Its attention was increasingly drawn to Diana, as it observed her and sensed an unfamiliar power surging wildly within her.

This power was born from her protective spirit—extremely potent and strange.

"Interesting, living being. Tell me, what are you?" Despite being bashed back repeatedly by Su Ming, and its foot magic proving ineffective, curiosity prompted the Upside-Down Man to question Diana.

"I am Diana, Wonder Woman, vice-chair of the Justice League! I will not allow you to harm this world!"

Diana blocked yet another magical attack with her shield, her feet digging deeply into the stone ground, preventing herself from stepping back even an inch.

Her eyes were filled with determination—she would surely emerge victorious.