At this moment, Kathoom, who had been dead-set on escaping, finally changed his stance.
With a sigh, he said, “I’ll give you ten times the power at most. Anything more, and your body won’t withstand it.”
“That’s enough!”
Bruce nodded firmly, rain no longer able to wash away his resolve.
Just like that day in the Hogwarts basement, Kathoom’s wings wrapped around him.
Man and owl became one.
That immense power surged into Bruce once again.
Bruce stomped on the brakes, bringing the car to a halt in the middle of the road.
“I’m no longer that kid who only cries in alleyways.”
Unbuckling his seatbelt, Bruce climbed up onto the roof of the car. With a flick of his wrist, a vial containing the Dionesus Factor appeared in his hand.
He uncorked it, letting a single drop fly into the body of the hawk’s eye.
In his mind’s eye, Kathoom closed his eyes. Despite the heartache, he pretended to see nothing.
The battered body of the hawk began to mend, and its faint breath grew strong once more.
The cloak enveloping him billowed, coming to rest on Bruce’s shoulders, rustling fiercely in the rain.
Bruce raised his head, his gaze piercing through this world on the brink of ruin.
“Now, I speak to the will of the world!”
Boom——
A furious peal of thunder echoed, as if the world’s will was asserting its presence.
“I am the heir of the Wayne family, the future Batman!
“And I am also a student of Hogwarts, possessing the courage of Gryffindor, the wisdom of Ravenclaw, the kindness of Hufflepuff, and the conviction of Slytherin!”
Kathoom nodded. “And my optimism.”
Bruce roared to the heavens, “I present my qualities to you. You can place your full trust in me! If you have even a hint of will to save yourself, answer my call!”
Since the beginning of this multiversal journey, Kathoom had told Bruce the purpose of this quest.
To acquire the power to negate this world from beyond.
Now, with this world on the verge of destruction, they said that nothing could change its fate.
Then let Bruce be the one to test that!
Let this visitor from beyond try to alter the predetermined destiny!
Bruce raised his hand and spoke softly—
“Come to me, Mjolnir.”
—
Thousands of kilometers away, in the town of Broxton.
The effects of the Devourer’s weapon hadn’t yet spread to this place, and everything seemed calm and serene.
In the center of town, the silent-for-half-a-century Mjolnir trembled.
Its shaking grew more intense, as if it had finally broken free from fifty years of restraints. Mjolnir rose into the air, arcs of lightning swirling around it.
Boom——
A thunderous crash roused the townspeople from their slumber. They scrambled to their windows, looking out in alarm.
They saw a bolt of lightning shoot straight from the ground, carrying the fury of a thousand storms as it pierced the sky.
—
In New Utopia, the sky churned with dark clouds as lightning gathered.
The moment Bruce uttered the call, thunder descended upon him.
Bruce clenched his fists as the lightning dispersed, and a warhammer appeared in his hands.
Mjolnir, responding to the call.
Bruce looked down at the hammer, covered in cracks, almost on the verge of shattering.
Perhaps it had one last fight left in it.
But the same cracks were now discharging bolts of lightning, and Bruce could feel a faint sense of joy and yearning emanating from Mjolnir.
It rejoiced in being wielded again, hungering for a battle without restraint!
Bruce lowered his head, speaking to the hammer in a calm tone. “In this fight, if we lose, the world ends. It may be your last fight, and perhaps the world’s last as well.”
Thunder rumbled from the hammer’s head, blue lightning almost liquefying, wrapping Bruce in a suit of thunder.
Taking on the visage of Batman.
“If you’re ready, then let’s fight!”
Bruce raised his head, eyes blazing with endless lightning. “Fight for Logan’s safety! Fight for my conviction! Fight for the world’s survival!”
Fight! Fight! Fight!
Bruce swung Mjolnir, his entire form becoming a bolt of lightning, surging toward the direction from which he had fled in disgrace.
Today, Bruce Wayne would fight this final battle for the world!
—
After a series of metallic clashes, two figures split apart.
Deathstroke wiped the blood from the corner of his eye, sneering. “Seems like you can’t kill me!”
By now, his promethium alloy armor had several noticeable cracks.
The once unbreakable defense had finally shown weaknesses.
On the other side, Wolverine was panting heavily.
Though his conviction allowed him to heal all his wounds, the intense battle had left him feeling the limits of his stamina.
Too bad he had only just regained his powers.
With even a little more time to adjust, he could have held out longer.
“It’s about time.”
Deathstroke had no interest in dealing with Wolverine any longer.
His opponent had fulfilled his vow; Deathstroke hadn’t been able to leave even a single step from this spot.
But now, with the world on the verge of collapse, it all felt meaningless.
Was Bruce still not here?
Deathstroke couldn’t help but wonder if he’d really fled.
If so, that would be laughable.
The future Batman might never show up again.
But just as he thought that, he saw a figure flying toward him from the horizon.
So, he came!
Deathstroke felt a strange sense of relief.
Finally, he wouldn’t have to keep this pointless fight with Wolverine going any longer. Neither of them could truly defeat the other, so they were just wasting energy.
With Bruce’s return, everything was different.
Forget about Wolverine; as long as Bruce was here, they could leave together!
Deathstroke tightened his grip on the sword embedded in stone. Strangely, he felt an odd sensation coming from the sword itself.
Almost as if it was warning him of danger.
“What the hell?”
Deathstroke didn’t have time to ponder this change because the figure was already upon him.
And he saw that behind the figure, there was a raging storm of lightning.
The figure suddenly vanished from the sky.
Boom——
A bolt of lightning struck down in front of Deathstroke. He instinctively dodged, only to find the lightning had materialized into a human form.
It was Batman, seemingly made of lightning itself!
“Who are you!”
For the first time, Deathstroke felt a hint of panic.
He had never seen Batman in this form. Was this really the same Bruce who’d fled in fear?
“Who am I?”
From the figure made of lightning, Bruce’s voice emerged.
“I am vengeance! I am the night!”
Boom——
Bruce gripped Mjolnir tightly with both hands, swinging it down and slamming it onto Deathstroke.
The promethium armor absorbed most of the damage, but several lightning bolts inevitably seeped through the cracks.
Deathstroke coughed up blood, his whole body sent flying by the tremendous impact.
The thunder rippled through Bruce, shaping his body into that of a full-grown man.
He flexed his grip on Mjolnir, spinning it in his hand as he spoke coldly, “I am Batman!”
—
T/N: The hawk is Hawkeye btw!
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