Chapter 50

As the silence of victory settled over the battlefield, the Justice League found themselves watching in a mixture of awe and unease.

There was no denying the raw power that had just been displayed. The enemy was crushed, the threat was neutralized—but at what cost?

Because no matter how noble one's intentions were, power had a way of corrupting.

And if corruption didn't come from within, there was always a chance it could come from outside influence.

The League members couldn't see a clear way to win against Naruto's team. Meanwhile, the other side had already analyzed their weaknesses.

Clark and Barry, ever the optimists, remained unshaken.

But the others?

There was an undercurrent of unease in their eyes.

Raven alone was dangerous enough.

Veritas' arrival had already pushed the balance.

But Naruto? He had recreated a method that had almost doomed the future.

The combination of these three was beyond dangerous.

But what could they say?

There was no evidence of wrongdoing. No reason to doubt them—just… fear.

The battlefield's silence made the shift in atmosphere palpable.

And the trio noticed it.

Of course, they did.

They had experienced this before.

Super-powered beings always invoked fear in humans. It was natural. Expected. Inevitable.

But this was different.

This was their own allies fearing them.

Batman, as always, made the practical choice.

He wouldn't allow emotions to cloud his preparations. He would find a way to neutralize them—just in case.

Because history had proven that even heroes could fall.

Hal, however, wasn't thinking of plans.

No.

He was thinking of nightmares.

His heart clenched as he remembered a burning world.

Earth. Destroyed.

Raven was part of that nightmare.

And now, she was standing side by side with another being of immeasurable power.

Was history about to repeat itself?

His hands trembled.

Then—

A voice cut through his fear.

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone, there will be nothing. Only I will remain."

Naruto.

He had separated from Kara and spoken those words aloud—for them.

For Hal.

For Batman.

For anyone who needed to hear it.

Dr. Fate followed immediately, his voice calm and wise.

"Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.

We are all colleagues in this business. Fearing each other will dull our minds and invite calamity.

Isn't it hypocritical to act on this fear when we are the ones who inspire it in others every day?

The people we protect—they fear us. They live their lives knowing that, at any moment, we could decide their fate.

And yet… they trust us.

So we must trust each other.

Let us not indulge in petty paranoia. That is beneath us."

Hal inhaled deeply.

His body relaxed.

His mind cleared.

He had understood the message.

"…Sorry," he muttered. "I've been stressed these days. It just… affected my mind."

Naruto smiled. "No problem. Not everyone can keep their optimism after experiencing tragedy. Some scars take time to heal.

And I won't hold it against you."

Then, his expression brightened.

"So! How about a party at my place?"

It was a bold shift in conversation.

But it worked.

Barry grinned. "Race you there!"

He took off running—only to see the trio teleport away with the others.

"Teleportation is just cheating!" he groaned as he arrived seconds later.

The base had already been decorated for a celebration.

It was meant to be a party for the base's creation.

But now?

It had transformed into something more.

A reminder that, despite everything, they were all allies.

That trust still existed.

That friendship still mattered.

And so, they celebrated.

Meanwhile, in the background—

H'el had been secured.

Bound by an unbreakable seal, he was sent to the Prison Planet, locked away forever.

Yet…

Kara didn't even realize what she had done.

That, in this battle—

She had killed her father.

Her own blood.

And now?

She was laughing. Drinking. Enjoying the moment.

Of course, she felt it.

The strange, lingering emptiness.

The withdrawal of Naruto's presence.

Being his vessel—sharing his very essence—was an addicting experience.

And now, it was gone.

So, to compensate for the withdrawal, she forced Naruto into singing.

Off-key.

Painfully.

It was pure torture for everyone involved.

And she loved every second of it.

Naruto stood in the center of the room, a microphone in hand, grinning like a madman.

The party was in full swing. Drinks flowed, laughter echoed, and spirits were high.

And then—he began to sing.

"Resignation and laziness stopped my hand from moving,

Much like shadow clones, it just kept multiplying."

The moment his off-tune voice hit the air, it was as if a terrible curse had been unleashed.

Some covered their ears, but it was too late.

"Oh you, sleeping in the depths of your psyche,

Open your eyes – the time to open the door has come!"

Beast Boy collapsed to the floor. His eyes rolled back. He shifted into a bird, a dog, and then went completely still.

Superboy's enhanced senses made it ten times worse. He groaned in agony, clutching his head as if it were about to explode.

"I put out that flame wearing you down,

With an extinguishing gust,

Your unending heartbeat,

Will give birth to a spiral!"

A few Leaguers started dropping like flies. Wonder Woman twitched violently, her Amazonian resilience failing her.

Cyborg's systems short-circuited. Sparks flew. Smoke rose.

Kara, the one responsible for this horror, was cackling in amusement.

Flash tried to outrun the sound—but no matter how fast he ran, he couldn't escape it.

Batman?

Batman was gone.

Vanished.

No one even saw when he left, but his chair sat spinning slowly, as if marking his stealthy retreat.

"The epitome of punishment,

So insecure and distressed,

I'm crying, covering my eyes, but I'm still gonna take it on!"

Zatanna attempted a counterspell.

It failed instantly.

Doctor Fate?

Even he was powerless.

And then—

"At my highest point, I'll take aim and let loose;

Giving it my all, I'll get my hands on the prize – so who's the winner?"

By the final note…

Most of them were dead.

The survivors?

They lay motionless, faces frozen in expressions of pure agony.

And Naruto?

He just smiled.

"Wow," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "Guess I should practice more, huh?"

Kara burst out laughing. "No, no—this was perfect! We need to make this your ultimate attack!"

Naruto blinked. Then grinned.

"...You might be onto something."

The meeting room of the Watchtower was silent, save for the soft hum of the station's systems. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Zatanna sat around a circular table, each lost in their own thoughts.

The battle had ended, the party had wrapped up, but the lingering weight of what they had witnessed still hung in the air.

That fusion—Naruto and Kara becoming one—was beyond anything they had ever seen.

Not just raw strength, but limitless power.

"Infinite…" Superman finally broke the silence, his voice carrying a rare sense of unease. "That's what it felt like."

Wonder Woman nodded, arms crossed. "I have faced immortals, but even they have limits. This?" She shook her head. "It was as if the universe itself was bending to their will."

Batman remained quiet, his gloved fingers tapping rhythmically on the table. His mind was already running a thousand calculations.

Zatanna exhaled, leaning back in her chair. "It's powerful, yes. Terrifying, even." She looked at each of them before continuing. "But it's also… temporary."

Superman turned to her. "You're sure?"

She nodded. "The connection isn't permanent. Think of it as a tether—strong, but not unbreakable. If necessary, I could sever it."

That brought a wave of relief over the table.

Batman, however, wasn't fully convinced. "How difficult would it be?"

Zatanna pursed her lips. "If I prepare the right spell? Not too hard." She paused. "But… that's assuming Naruto doesn't surpass our understanding of magic."

A heavy silence fell over the room again.

Superman frowned. "You're saying he could?"

Zatanna nodded slowly. "Naruto's not just a powerhouse. He's… unpredictable. His methods don't follow our logic." She sighed. "If he finds a way to reinforce the connection with magic, then yes—it could become unsealable."

Batman stopped tapping his fingers. That was the real concern.

If Naruto's magical knowledge grew beyond theirs, then not even Zatanna could break the fusion.

Wonder Woman, however, let out a small chuckle. "Then we make sure that doesn't happen."

Superman raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

She smiled. "We don't let fear control us. Naruto isn't our enemy. We guide him, we teach him—just as we do with Kara."

Batman finally leaned back, exhaling quietly. "Agreed."

Superman, too, let the tension ease from his shoulders. "That means we don't have to fear the fusion—just be aware of it."

Zatanna grinned. "Exactly."

With that, their concerns weren't entirely gone, but they had a solution—a counter if things ever got out of control.

For now, at least…

They could breathe easier.

The night was thick with mist as Centurion, a towering figure of pure muscle and calculated malice, stood at the edge of the decayed town known as Silent Hill. His red cape billowed behind him, barely visible in the eerie fog. His piercing gaze took in the sight before him—a place where nightmares thrived, where reality twisted, and where he would find his next powerful servant.

For centuries, Centurion had sought dominion over Earth. His plans had been grand, his ambitions limitless, but failure had always met him at the finish line. Even Darkseid's gift, a device of immense power that could erase anything from existence, had failed him. It had wiped out many foes, yet those strong enough—those with wills unbreakable—had found ways to return.

His latest resurrection had left him furious. He craved destruction, but his logic restrained him. Instead of rampaging blindly, he sought to strengthen his army, to ensure his next war would be his last—and victorious.

Centurion's power over souls was vast, but before, he had squandered it—fusing countless weak spirits to create grotesque abominations. This time, he would be smarter. He needed powerhouses.

With this resolve, he scoured the world for legends that had fallen—heroes and villains whose strength had once shaken the very foundations of reality.

Among the corpses he unearthed:

Abin Sur– A Green Lantern, one of the greatest to ever wield the ring before his untimely death.Giovanni Zatara– A master magician, father to Zatanna, whose spells had rivaled the immortalAce Masterson & Angelica Smith– Warriors who had perished long ago, but their spirits still held incredible potential.Angon– A brutal alien conqueror, slain in battle but now given a second chance in death.

But even these weren't enough. Centurion needed more than just warriors—he needed terrors, beings who instilled pure horror into those they faced.

His eyes turned toward the supernatural.

Kayako Saeki– The Grudge—a cursed entity born from rage and pain, now lurking in the ruins of a ghost town.Sadako Yamamura– The vengeful specter from The Ring, whose very image spelled doom.Alessa Gillespie– The dark heart of Silent Hill, a being whose psychic powers could bend reality itself.Ai Enma– The Hell Girl, a spirit who dragged souls into the abyss for their sins.

With these specters, his army was no longer just powerful—it was terrifying. They would break minds before breaking bodies.

And he would lead them to kill Batman and Aquaman.

Centurion had always worked alone, but times had changed.

For the first time in his existence, he had swallowed his pride and reached out to The Light, a secret organization that had spent decades manipulating world events from the shadows. They had agreed to let him join their ranks, but not without a test of loyalty.

His mission:

Kill Batman.Without him, the Justice League would be without its strategist, their best chance at countering overwhelming threats.Kill Aquaman.His death would ignite a war between Atlantis and the surface, creating chaos on a global scale.

Centurion hated being given orders, but he saw the wisdom in their plan. He would play their game—for now.

With his new army of horrors, Centurion soared through the sky, invisible to the world below. He had learned from his previous battle with the Justice League—recklessness had cost him dearly. He would not make the same mistake.

As he descended into the cursed town, Centurion clenched his fist, feeling the sheer weight of power at his command.

Moon Maiden had been his greatest rival, the constant thorn in his side, and soon, she would experience true suffering.

"Just you wait, Moon Maiden," he muttered, his voice carrying through the fog. "Your life will be a living hell. That is a promise I intend to keep—with all seriousness."