A beam of blue light pierced the night sky.
The air around it began to distort, the gravitational field spiraling out of control. In the distance, windows on nearby buildings let out sharp, strained screeches before shattering all at once, raining down in sheets.
Levi could feel that energy—pure, immense.
This wasn't solar energy.
This was hard liquor—one gulp could burn straight through your throat.
He raised his right hand, fingers spread, aiming at the beam.
An invisible spatial channel stretched across ten kilometers, piercing precisely into the energy core.
The energy surged in.
His law-domain trembled violently. The newly advanced but unstable power within him began to solidify under the wash of that energy, growing denser, heavier.
The fine cracks along the surface of the spatial crystal pillars were filled. The dark-gold core of the power vortex deepened. Even the imprisoned Speed Force calmed slightly.
Levi split off part of his attention to observe the battlefield in the distance.
Superman was struggling.
Over a dozen Kryptonian soldiers worked in perfect coordination, using their armor to wear him down. He was like a lion surrounded by a pack of wolves, already wounded.
Levi could see it clearly—General Zod hadn't made his move yet.
He was waiting.
Waiting for Superman to reach his limit before delivering the final blow.
Levi was waiting too.
Waiting for the World Engine's energy output to reach its peak—and for Zod and Superman to truly ignite.
The messier this became, the better.
The energy flooding into him was crude, inefficient—more than half of it was wasted.
Levi frowned.
He activated the newly integrated power of time within him.
The world slowed.
That violent energy beam became a slowly flowing river of blue light, every current and pathway laid bare before him.
Much easier.
With a thought, the single channel split into tens of thousands of microscopic threads—finer than hair. This invisible web spread out silently, perfectly embedding itself into every crevice of the energy stream, siphoning it clean.
Waste dropped from seventy percent to less than ten.
Within his law-domain, golden light grew brighter and brighter. The foundation of the mid Celestial-tier was being rapidly reinforced.
At that moment—the battlefield shifted.
Superman punched one Kryptonian away, but in order to avoid an energy blast aimed at a residential building, he forcibly twisted his body—exposing a flaw.
Another soldier seized the chance, slamming a heavy punch into his back.
Superman crashed like a cannonball into an office building, disappearing into dust and debris.
High above, aboard the ship, Zod lost his patience.
He saw Superman's struggle—and his weakness.
"For these insects… you restrain yourself," Zod muttered coldly.
He stopped waiting.
He leapt straight down from ten thousand meters above.
Not flying—pure free fall.
Like a black meteor, trailing sonic booms, he slammed precisely into the ground before Superman had even climbed out of the crater. The earth shook violently, shockwaves flipping cars into the air.
Zod straightened, locking onto Superman.
"You disappoint me, Kal-El," he said emotionlessly. "Your father didn't send you here to babysit primitives."
Superman panted, his suit torn. "This is my home."
Zod scoffed—and vanished.
The next instant, he was in front of Superman, chopping toward his neck. Superman raised his arm in time, but Zod's angle was vicious, his strength overwhelming—sending him flying through another wall.
The rhythm of the fight completely changed.
Zod gave him no breathing room.
This wasn't a fight.
It was an execution.
Superman barely climbed out when Zod grabbed an overturned bus and swung it like a bat, smashing it down with a howling roar.
Superman crossed his arms and caught it head-on. The metal warped and screamed under the force.
Zod didn't stop there—his knee drove upward into Superman's abdomen.
Superman grunted, his organs shifting violently as he was launched backward again.
Zod discarded the bus, kicked off the ground—cracking it—and caught up instantly, his fists raining down with surgical precision, targeting joints and ribs.
Pure Kryptonian military combat.
No flair. Only efficiency.
On a distant rooftop, Levi raised an eyebrow slightly.
The energy absorption within him had stabilized, flowing like a vast river into his domain. Every cell rejoiced, nourished and strengthened by the pure energy.
The mid Celestial-tier was no longer just a concept—it was becoming part of him.
Watching Superman being overwhelmed, Levi felt nothing.
This version of Superman had power—but no refinement. Against a veteran like Zod, he was full of openings.
Then—
Zod slammed Superman into the ground and fired twin heat vision beams into the crater.
At that exact moment, a nearby skyscraper—already on the verge of collapse—gave out.
A massive slab of concrete, tangled with rebar, fell at just the right angle, blocking Zod's line of fire.
The beams struck it instead, melting it into glowing magma.
That fraction of a second was enough.
A suppressed roar erupted from the crater.
A far more violent heat vision blasted upward, dispersing the molten debris and striking Zod square in the chest.
Zod staggered half a step back. His black armor was scorched.
For the first time, surprise crossed his face.
On the rooftop, Levi slowly withdrew his index finger, which had just flicked the air.
A blade of grass hung from his lips as he chewed lazily.
"Professional," he muttered.
That strike enraged Zod—and ignited Superman.
Both shot into the sky, becoming blurred streaks. Each collision thundered like a storm, shockwaves tearing through the clouds.
Below, the World Engine reached peak output.
Gravity completely collapsed. Cars, billboards, debris—all began floating upward, forming a suspended graveyard.
To Levi, this overwhelming torrent of energy was an unprecedented feast.
His domain expanded from a lake into an ocean. The six laws fused seamlessly under the energy's nourishment, no longer clashing.
His control over power reached a new height.
He even had the leisure to casually flick his fingers in the air while absorbing energy.
Each flick created a tiny "coincidence" on the battlefield.
When Zod struck, floating debris would just happen to obscure his vision.
When Superman was sent flying toward a gas station, an upward draft would lift him just enough to avoid an explosion.
These interventions were so minor that even Zod would attribute them to battlefield chaos.
He only felt that his luck was… slightly off today.
The battle intensified.
Zod tore off his damaged helmet, revealing his weathered face—he was beginning to enjoy the fight.
Superman, after being knocked down and rising again and again, changed. No more hesitation. No more doubt.
Only pure will to fight.
They collided again high above the city.
This time—no sound.
A sphere of white light erupted, instantly consuming everything nearby. It expanded silently, turning cars, debris—everything—into dust.
When the light faded, Zod and Superman hovered in the air, facing each other.
A trace of blood ran from the corner of Zod's mouth. Looking at the battered yet resolute young man before him, he felt—for the first time—pressure.
And Levi slowly stood.
The energy within him had reached its peak.
His law-domain stood firm as a mountain.
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