Chapter 121

In the alley.

Suddenly, the air tightened, and with a "boom," Zatara appeared in the darkness. He wore a black tuxedo, his figure lean, and his expression stern.

Moments ago, he had sensed the presence of a demon, an extraordinarily powerful one. The sheer pressure of its aura was overwhelming, standing at the pinnacle of this world. It was stronger than any demon that had ever appeared on Earth, terrifyingly so.

For a brief moment, the presence alone felt capable of obliterating New York, killing tens of millions in an instant.

Yet, that aura vanished within seconds.

This disappearance unsettled him even more.

The demon… was hiding.

His face remained grim as a sharp, icy glint appeared in his eyes.

"Is this... the calamity of my death?"

Zatara narrowed his eyes. In the darkness, a faint mystical glow shrouded his gaze as he began to trace the residual energy left behind in the area.

...

Fifth Avenue, New York.

A steady stream of vehicles moved like shadows across the avenue.

Inside a spacious black SUV with leather seats, Bardi and Raven sat side by side in the back. Mike, sitting in the driver's seat, glanced at them occasionally through the rearview mirror.

The entire situation felt surreal to him. Ever since his boss had granted him superpowers, the world had taken on new, bewildering dimensions. And now, there was a girl claiming to be the daughter of a demon, one who intended to use her to bind and destroy this world.

Even dreams didn't get this strange.

But what really left Mike speechless was that his boss believed her.

The car remained silent as the city lights flashed past the windows.

Raven sat pale and silent. She had said a lot already.

Bardi's gaze was thoughtful. After a moment, he spoke in a low voice, "I believe you."

Raven had just finished recounting her past, a tale with subtle differences from the one Bardi remembered from the comics.

Her mother had been deceived by a cult into summoning a demon from the far reaches of the universe. This demon had formed a connection with her mother, resulting in Raven's birth.

Only after giving birth did her mother realize the true nature of the being she had summoned. Horrified, she fled with Raven to the Azarath Sanctuary, a haven dedicated to peace and purity, hoping to suppress Raven's inherited demonic powers.

But the demon, Trigon, tracked them down.

He destroyed the entire sanctuary. In a final act of desperation, Raven's mother and the sanctuary's elders combined their strength to send her to Earth, sacrificing their lives in the process.

For two weeks now, Raven had been on Earth, searching for individuals capable of helping her seal Trigon's projection. If she failed, the demon would use her as a conduit to invade Earth, just as he'd done with countless other worlds.

Then she met Bardi and sensed the anomaly within his soul. His will seemed disconnected from his genetic destiny, a peculiarity she couldn't explain but instinctively trusted.

Raven sat with her pale hands clasped, wrapped in a dark cloak. Her body language radiated exhaustion and caution; she couldn't even allow herself to feel fear or sorrow. Strong emotions would crack the seal on her powers, exposing Earth to Trigon's tracking.

"But… I don't think I have the power to fight such a powerful demon." Bardi's eyes remained fixed on Raven's face. Despite her youth—just sixteen or seventeen—her skin was bloodless, her expression drained from years of self-repression.

He understood his own strength. It wasn't nearly enough to contend with a being capable of annihilating an entire planet.

"He's only sending a projection, not his true body." Raven's voice was low, almost devoid of emotion. Her petite figure seemed to shrink further beneath her cloak. "As long as we can sever and seal the projection, Trigon won't be able to use me to invade Earth. But when my powers leaked just now, I shortened our time. Within a week, he'll lock onto my location."

She hesitated and added, "And when that happens, Earth will become his next target."

Mike's grip tightened on the steering wheel. Through the rearview mirror, he cast another glance at the girl cloaked in mystery. Demons invading Earth in a week? It sounded like something from a bad movie, but Bardi's serious expression kept his skepticism in check.

Bardi remained silent. From what he knew about Trigon, Raven's fear wasn't exaggerated. In the comics, the Teen Titans defeated Trigon but that scenario seemed far too idealistic to apply here.

"What are the odds of success?" Bardi asked, his brow furrowed.

"Fifty percent," Raven answered mechanically. Her pale face revealed no confidence. "Your soul is… unique. It transcends the genetic potential of your body. I don't know why. But if you can endure Trigon's spiritual onslaught long enough, I can use the red crystal to seal his projection."

Her lips tightened. "If we fail, we'll die like my mother and the sanctuary elders did."

Bardi leaned back into the seat, his thoughts heavy.

He had always avoided confrontations with overwhelming forces. His style was to manipulate events from the shadows, laying traps and gathering resources until he became strong enough to act with certainty.

But now, fate had forced his hand.

And the opponent was Trigon, a near-omnipotent demon lord whose power dwarfed anything Bardi had ever faced.

This moment was far too dangerous. To face Trigon's projection, to resist the soul-crushing power of that demonic force, Bardi knew it might consume him entirely.

But if he succeeded, Raven would help him confront Jor-El and secure the Codex of Life. With that, his path to conquering the multiverse would become far smoother.

As long as he could integrate the Codex of Life, he wouldn't need to spend years to transform into a Golden Superman. That kind of power—transcendent, nearly invincible was worth risking everything for.

"Maybe... you can help me with something first. It'll still be part of dealing with your father, so it works for both of us."

Bardi's eyes flickered with calculation. He hoped Raven would assist him first, helping to patch the genetic defects limiting his potential. If he could secure the Codex of Life beforehand, his strength would grow significantly, making the battle against Trigon's projection more manageable.

Right now, getting involved in Raven's battle against Trigon was like walking into a death trap without sufficient preparation.

"I don't have time," Raven said flatly. Her voice was calm, almost devoid of emotion. "I'll need several days to open a passage to the Azarath Sanctuary and catch Trigon's projection off guard. There's no time for detours."

She had no idea what Bardi was planning, but she understood one thing: time was running out.

The urgency left no room for distractions. Extracting the Codex of Life, if possible would take far longer than a week. Even if they defeated Jor-El immediately, there wouldn't be enough time to harness the Codex before Trigon's projection arrived.

Bardi fell silent, turning his head to gaze out the car window. He knew she was right. There was no room to delay.

Outside, pedestrians moved along the sidewalks, unaware of the cosmic threat looming over them. Cars passed in streaks of color, headlights flashing across the night.

This was an opportunity and a potential death sentence.

Bardi had spent years meticulously preparing, laying traps and contingency plans across Earth. Now, despite all his careful maneuvering, he was forced into a direct confrontation with overwhelming power. His life hung in the balance, yet he had no choice but to gamble everything.

He rolled down the window, letting the night wind whip through his hair.

A simmering anger stirred within him. This world was suffused with gods, demons, and monsters, beings that wielded power beyond imagination. And despite all his schemes, despite his relentless pursuit of strength, he was still so weak that Jor-El alone could crush him like an insect.

That weakness gnawed at him. The helplessness he felt in the face of these cosmic forces burned through his veins like acid.

He craved power, power vast enough to shatter gods, demons, anyone who stood in his path.

His expression hardened. The cold glint in his eyes reflected his determination. "If I survive this, one day, I'll make your father my servant."

Raven's eyes widened slightly. Her body trembled for a moment as she processed his words.

She stared at Bardi in disbelief. The mere projection of Trigon was enough to destroy a planet, and this man was talking about turning him into a servant. It sounded like the delusional bravado of a man too proud to accept his own limitations.

Still, something about his tone unsettled her.

She dismissed the thought, attributing his defiance to wounded pride.

***

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