Crushing Victory
The cold the Void of the Kuiper Belt has now become a boiling slaughterhouse.
Saitama's mutter about "losing money" had even faded, the order for a frenzied saturation attack from the Steppenwolf had already been given! All the main ship's turrets frantically turned, and crimson energy beams intertwined into a destructive beam, engulfing the tiny yellow bald head!
The Star Destroyer's main cannon is recharged, and the Destruction Light Spear is ready to fire!
"Tsk." Saitama tilted his head, looking at the sky full of scarlet beams of light, his blank face showing no emotion.
He didn't even bother to dodge—his body sank slightly, and the muscles beneath his yellow bodysuit instantly taut like steel!
"Normal Punch!" Saitama's voice didn't echo in the vacuum, but Steppenwolf clearly heard it.
Saitama clenched his right fist tightly, took a step forward in the Void, and then slammed his right fist out.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
An energy beam powerful enough to pierce an asteroid collided with Saitama's right fist! A blinding explosion instantly engulfed him! Energy ripples spread silently in the vacuum.
A savage gleam of pleasure flashed in the Steppenwolf's lava-like eyes, but the next second, that pleasure froze.
As the light faded, the bald figure remained floating silently in place, without moving an inch.
His bodysuit was charred and tattered, his white cloak was now a ragged rag, and the glove on his right fist was also torn and tattered, but his body was completely unharmed.
He glanced down at his body, his clothes torn from the blast, then looked up towards the main ship's command platform, a hint of... displeasure flickering in his deadpan eyes.
"Hey, my clothes are torn again! Does that make up for the compensation I just paid?" Saitama's voice came clearly through the communicator.
Steppenwolf: "...?!"
At the same time, a burst of golden light flashed! Goku's figure instantly appeared above the turret of a Parademons ship that was unleashing a furious barrage of firepower.
"Get out of the way!" With a shout, Goku withdrew his right palm, and a golden ki blast shot out from his hand!
"BOOM!!!"
The Parademons ship, along with several escort vessels, vaporized instantly in a blinding golden light, leaving not even a trace!
The tacit understanding in battle needs no words.
"Saitama! The group on the right is yours!" Goku laughed loudly, his figure transforming into a golden streak of light as he deliberately crashed into the saturation barrage fired by the Steppenwolf flagship, which was about to bombard Saitama!
"Kamehameha!!!"
A thicker, more condensed blue-white beam of light roared out!
A head-on clash!
The shockwave, like a giant dragon, collided and Oblivion within the dense cluster of scarlet beams!
A safe passage was forcibly torn open! The remaining crimson beams grazed Saitama's body, making his cheap cloak even more tattered.
"Oh," Saitama responded, turning his gaze to the right at the massive cluster of over a thousand Parademons transport ships that loomed like a dark cloud.
He didn't even bother with a fighting stance; he simply threw a flat punch at the "dark cloud"!
"Buzz!"
Another invisible impact path! This time, it was much larger, like an invisible giant roller rolling across the battlefield!
Wherever the path led, the Parademons fleet seemed to be swallowed by an invisible giant maw!
Wherever the path swept, countless ships silently turned to ashes!
A vacuum zone, over thousands of kilometers wide and stretching along the flanks of the fleet, was instantly cleared!
At the end of the path, a Star Destroyer-class Assault Ship, unable to dodge in time, had a thick layer of its side armor scraped off, leaving a shocking, lava-like wound! Visible, minute spatial cracks remained along the edge of the path!
"Hahaha! Well done! I can't fall behind!" Goku's voice was filled with exhilarating fighting spirit. Golden light flashed again, and this time he appeared directly above the bow of the Star Destroyer ship with its side damaged! He pushed the Star Destroyer ship with both hands in succession, and dozens of shock waves were released from his hands.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom--"
The shockwave caused a series of massive explosions on the Star Destroyer.
"Here's another big firework for you!"
Goku clasped his hands together, stretched out his arms, and unleashed a massive shockwave that slammed into the Star Destroyer.
Boom
The blinding light engulfed everything!
The massive Star Destroyer-class Assault Ship, along with hundreds of Parademons ships that couldn't escape in time, was completely destroyed in an energy burst powerful enough to tear stars apart!
The explosion was like the birth of a brief red star in the Kuiper Belt!
Steppenwolf stood on the violently shaking command platform of the main ship, watching helplessly as a third of his fleet's strength vanished with the mere gestures of the two "monsters"!
He looked at the three Star Destroyers he had brought, only the last lone Star Destroyer remained, like a small boat in a storm under the Yellow Flash and invisible fist winds, watching his proud Legion burst like a fragile soap bubble!
Despair! Absurdity! Rage! All sorts of emotions burned in his chest! His lava-like eyes were bloodshot!
"No--!!!" he roared in defiance, his battle axe slamming violently onto the control panel with a devastating "Earthshaker" strike, sparks flying! "Concentrate all energy on the main cannon..."
His orders came to an abrupt halt.
Because that golden figure had appeared at some point directly in front of the third and last intact Star Destroyer-class Assault Ship.
Meanwhile, the bald, yellow-haired man slowly floated to the side of the warship and curiously poked at the thick lava armor with his finger, seemingly studying its hardness.
The two men, one in front and one behind, sandwiched Steppenwolf's last resort in the middle.
Goku grinned, pointed a finger at himself towards the bridge, and said, the meaning couldn't be clearer: Saitama, leave it to me.
Saitama, seemingly having just finished his research, withdrew his finger with a hint of disappointment. Then, pointing towards the direction of the flagship Steppenwolf, he pointed to his wrist (though he wasn't wearing a watch), then to the direction of Blue Planet, and mouthed three words:
"Special offer, hurry!"
The next moment!
Golden light and an invisible force erupted simultaneously!
Goku unleashed his final Kamehameha with both hands! Saitama casually punched the battleship's armor!
"Boom
Before the desperate commander, the third Star Destroyer-class Assault Ship was like a toy thrown into a steel furnace. Under the dual destructive forces of blue and white and the invisible, it had no room to struggle and was instantly torn apart, melted, and evaporated!
A blinding beam of destructive light illuminated Steppenwolf's enormous face, contorted with extreme fear and rage!
The powerful shockwave from the explosion slammed into the main ship's shields, and alarms blared throughout the sky.
As the light of the explosion gradually dimmed, only the battered and lonely giant flagship of the Steppenwolf remained in the cold the Void.
Tens of thousands of Parademons transport ships? Gone.
Three Star Destroyer-class Assault Ship? Gone.
The once overwhelming Apokolips expeditionary fleet is now reduced to just his lone command ship, exposed to the calm (one excited, the other dazed) gazes of the two "monsters".
A vacuum, deathly silent. The only sounds were the groans of the main ship's internal structure, strained under the aftershocks of the violent explosion.
Goku and Saitama hovered in front of the main ship, one surrounded by golden flames, the other with a shiny bald head. Their figures were small, yet they made the Steppenwolf on the command deck feel an unprecedented, almost tangible, immense pressure.
The massive body of the Steppenwolf stood frozen on the command platform, its eyes fixed on the two floating figures outside the porthole.
The fleet... is gone.
Lord Darkseid's command... failed.
A sense of shame gnawed at his heart.
Should we just run back like this? No! Absolutely not!
"Roar--!" He roared like Beast, grabbed the giant axe and unleashed Earthshaker, molten energy flowing along the axe blade!
"All Parademons! Arm yourselves! Prepare for battle!!" The roar echoed wildly inside the main ship.
He wanted to tear those two monsters apart himself!
However--
"Saitama, shall we go or shall we go?" Goku hovered in front of the main ship, his golden hair swaying slowly in the vacuum of space. The burning golden flames illuminated the dark steel hull, and his face was filled with pure, eager fighting spirit.
Saitama floated to the side, his dead fish eyes glancing towards the bridge of the main ship, where a dense, heavily armed Parademons were pouring out.
He frowned, as if calculating when the supermarket sale would end.
"Together," Saitama's voice was flat and emotionless. "Get it done quickly."
"Oh? Okay!" Goku grinned, and golden lightning suddenly surged in his eyes!
"Haaaaaah--!!!"
Boom--!
The golden flames surged instantly, soaring into the sky! A violent energy storm swept through the Void, distorting the surrounding space! Golden lightning crackled and swirled around him!
Super Saiyan 2!
At the same time, a sharp, almost tangible light suddenly shot out from Saitama's perpetually dull, lifeless eyes! The surrounding air (vacuum) seemed to freeze and compress!
Serious Mode!
Their gazes instantly locked onto the core of the main ship's bridge—there, the Steppenwolf, its aura ferocious, was about to Charge!
No words are needed.
Goku swiftly brought his hands to his waist!
Saitama pulls his right fist back to gather power!
"Kamehameha!!!"
"Serious Punch."
Two world-destroying torrents erupted!
Goku thrust out with both hands! A blue-white energy beam, over a hundred meters in diameter, pierced through the universe like a spear of judgment! Wherever it passed, space was torn open with dark cracks! Its target was the core of the main ship!
Saitama unleashed his right fist! There was no light, no deafening roar, only an invisible impact path compressed to its extreme, causing space itself to cave in and collapse! Silent! Deadly! Strike first, then strike!
Two Armageddon forces, in the horrified gaze of Steppenwolf, appeared the moment he stepped out of the command room—
Boom!!!! -- (A Kamehameha)
Buzz!!!! -- (A buzzing sound as if space is being crushed)
The two attacks met precisely in front of the Steppenwolf!
The dazzling blue and white orb instantly engulfed Steppenwolf's massive, ferocious figure and his battle axe, a symbol of power, in Earthshaker!
The armor and powerful body that were strong enough to rival even gods couldn't even last a fraction of a second at the point of convergence, melting and evaporating instantly like snow under the scorching sun!
The terrifying impact has not stopped!
The blue-white sphere of light merged and collided with the invisible spatial collapse path, transforming into a chaotic energy torrent with a diameter of tens of thousands of kilometers, capable of destroying everything!
The torrent instantly swept through the entire flagship!
From the bridge command tower!
To the core power furnace!
Then, look at the massive engine array at the stern!
Boom--Crack--Bang--!!!
The colossal, mountain-like dark flagship, starting from the rendezvous point, rose layer upon layer, from the inside out, amidst a sickening metallic groan and the cracking of its structure—
Disintegration! Explosion! Vaporization!
A blinding light illuminated the Kuiper Belt for the second time! On a scale far exceeding any previous one! It was as if a Nova had exploded there!
A surging energy shockwave swept out, engulfing the last of the Parademons' elite Legion that had just emerged from the hatches, along with billions of metal fragments from the explosion of the main ship itself, into a vortex of destruction, utterly crushing them into cosmic dust!
The light lasted for several seconds before slowly dissipating.
In the Void, only countless floating, tiny metal slag and dust remained, along with two silently suspended figures.
The golden aura surrounding Goku slowly subsided, returning him to normal, a hearty smile on his face.
The sharp glint in Saitama's eyes had vanished, replaced by his signature dull, lifeless gaze. He tugged at the several more tears in his cloak and muttered:
"A lot of clothes are ruined this time... The supermarket sale must be over... Oh well, let's go home."
He turned to Goku: "Hey, Goku, remember to teleport with me this time."
"... Huh? Oh! Sorry, Saitama! I'll be right there!" Goku scratched his head and laughed.
Goku assumed a carrying posture in space, and Saitama climbed onto Goku's back using a breaststroke motion.
"Hahaha, Saitama, you really look like a giant Toad."
"You bastard! I'll beat you up!"
"Ha ha ha ha!!"
Goku pointed two fingers at his forehead, and he and Saitama vanished from their spot in an instant.
Only residual energy waves and countless tiny dust particles remained.
Meanwhile, on the top floor of the Arbitrator Tower on Blue Planet.
The piercing intrusion alarm, which had lasted for several minutes, finally stopped, and the red light went out instantly.
The tense atmosphere in the command center suddenly relaxed, leaving only the cold words "Threat Eliminated" flashing silently on the large holographic star map.
Tony leaned against the edge of the central control console, his face bearing a complex expression that screamed, "I knew this would happen." He clutched a tablet with energy readings soaring to the heavens, the last remaining peak curve of the explosion on its screen a chilling sight.
Chen Tian, with a relaxed expression, casually shrugged at Tony.
"See, Tony? That solves it, doesn't it?"
Upon hearing this, Tony's lips twitched, as if he wanted to swallow his criticism, but in the end he couldn't help it. He rolled his Byakugan, pursed his lips, and dragged out his words in an extremely perfunctory tone:
"Yes-yes-yes-yes-two monsters out of the ordinary can take down three Star Destroyers and ten thousand miscellaneous transport ships with ease, just like buying a can of beer at the convenience store downstairs, right?"
He spread his hands dramatically, his tone filled with helplessness at being thoroughly humiliated by his lack of basic knowledge of physics and space military affairs.
But the next second, the playfulness on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a sharp and serious expression.
He straightened up, slammed the tablet he was holding onto the control panel with a "snap," and his voice deepened:
"But Chen Tian, what we just destroyed was only the advance fleet, merely a fingertip of the vast Darkseid Empire!"
Tony's gaze was fixed on Chen Tian as he spoke, word by word:
"Darkseid ... that dark tyrant of the universe, he won't give up his covetousness for this planet just because he lost a few 'fingers'! This is just the beginning!"
Chen Tian's relaxed expression didn't disappear; instead, a cold smile crept onto his face.
He met Tony's serious and sharp gaze, slowly walked to the control panel, and lightly tapped the tablet that Tony had just closed.
On the screen, the name "Darkseid" was branded into the database like a cold curse.
"Give up?" Chen Tian's deep voice carried a steely edge. "I never expected him to give up."
He raised his head, looking directly at Tony, as if piercing through space to lock onto the figure in that distant, dark star field:
"Since he's still eyeing Blue Planet..."
Chen Tian paused, then each word, like a drawn weapon, was powerful and resonant:
"Then let's march on his hometown!"
This seemingly simple sentence contained a killing intent even more ruthless than the one that had just Oblivion the fleet!
Tony's pupils contracted sharply as he looked at Chen Tian, whose aura had suddenly become like a drawn sword.
He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end it only turned into a long, complex sigh, muttering, "Okay... this cosmic neighborhood dispute is about to escalate into interstellar demolition..."
At this moment, the atmosphere was both solemn and somewhat absurd—
Swish!
Two figures appeared without warning in the center of the command hall!
Goku landed steadily while still carrying the person on his back, a triumphant smile on his face after the battle.
On his back, Saitama clung tightly to Goku like a koala.
"Hahahaha! Saitama, safe landing!! By the way, how did your posture change from a giant Toad to a koala? Hahahaha!" Goku laughed heartily without any mercy, and his laughter echoed throughout the entire hall.
Saitama slid off Goku's back in an instant and landed steadily.
Veins bulged on his bald head as he brandished his fist and yelled at Goku, "You bastard! I told you not to mention it! If you do, I'll beat you up!"
His already tattered yellow bodysuit and cloak, practically a rag, combined with his angry yet adorable expression, looked particularly comical against the solemn, technological backdrop of the hall.
"Hahahaha!!" Goku laughed even louder, completely disregarding the threat.
Tony looked at the two "monsters" in front of him, who had just returned from a space battle and were already bickering, dressed in rags but exuding a terrifying aura.
He glanced at Chen Tian beside him, who looked completely unconcerned, and finally covered his forehead in exasperation.
He decided to temporarily set aside the specific difficulties of implementing the Darkseid home relocation plan and first address the more practical issues at hand—such as whether to customize a few Battle Suit for these two Invincible powerful and lovable heroes that could withstand planet-destroying cannon fire.
The thought had barely crossed Tony's mind when his gaze involuntarily fell upon Saitama's tattered clothes, which could only be described as performance art—charred, torn, and with his cape turned into a rag... This outfit was less a hero's suit and more a relic salvaged from a disaster site.
"Wait!" Tony seemed to suddenly grasp a crucial point of contention. Pointing at Saitama's tattered bodysuit, he blurted out to Chen Tian (mainly to Saitama), his tone filled with confusion and incomprehension. "I'm saying, Saitama! Why do you insist on wearing this... this cheap stuff you found in the supermarket discount section?!"
He waved his arms exaggeratedly, "You could have made any request! Any request! Vibranium coating? Adaptive nano-repair? Flight system? Air circulation system? Or a cape with adaptive flight system? Just name it! I, Tony Stark, can make you ten sets in a minute! I can't guarantee they'll withstand the destructive power of hundreds of planet-destroying cannons, but at least they won't look like you do now... This outfit of yours is so cheap!"
Chen Tian was about to explain Saitama's personality when Saitama himself had already heard him.
He was feeling a little disappointed that the supermarket sale was over when he heard Tony's words. He turned around, and several large question marks clearly appeared in his signature dead fish eyes. His expression was one of pure, unadulterated confusion.
"Hmm?" Saitama tilted his head and asked, "Shouldn't heroes prepare their own battle suits? That's how it is in the manga."
The air fell silent for a second.
"Pfft-- Hahaha!!!" The next second, as if he had been hit on a strange funny bone, Tony suddenly burst into an extremely exaggerated laugh, almost bending over with laughter!
He slapped his thigh hard, pointed at Saitama's bewildered and adorable face, and laughed until tears almost streamed down his face.
"OMG! Prepare it yourself?! Hahaha! Just because it's like that in the comic?!!"
Tony laughed and shook his head, as if he had heard the funniest joke of the century.
He managed to suppress a laugh, strode Earth Flow Saitama, and unceremoniously put his arm around the shoulder of the bald man who could punch a Star Destroyer to pieces.
"Dude! Are you mocking the world's richest man and the pinnacle of human technology?! Huh?"
Tony's face beamed with a smug and confident smile. He patted Saitama's shoulder forcefully, his voice booming with Stark's signature exaggerated tone. "Listen! Here, there's no such thing as 'you prepare it yourself'! You! Make your demands! There's nothing the great genius Tony Stark can't provide!!"
With a grand and imposing gesture, he made it seem as if the entire treasure trove of Stark Industries had been opened to Saitama.
Then, Tony's gaze shifted to Goku, who was scratching his head and grinning foolishly beside him, and he immediately added, "And you! Goku! Stop grinning like an idiot! You too! Just tell me what kind of Battle Suit you want!"
Upon hearing this, Goku's golden eyes instantly erupted with a light comparable to Super Saiyan transformation!
He almost impatiently raised one hand high, like a student eagerly answering a question in class, his voice loud and clear, full of pure anticipation:
"I want a garment that weighs a million tons!"
"Pfft--cough cough cough!" Chen Tian, who was drinking water next to him, was suddenly choked and coughed violently, his face turning red.
Tony's confident, arrogant smile froze instantly, as if it had been paused. He blinked, wondering if he was hallucinating after the intense cosmic battle. "... What?"
"But it can't be too stiff!" Goku, seemingly oblivious to Tony's frozen expression, continued to add, his tone extremely serious, "If it's too stiff, it'll restrict my movements! Ideally, it should be as soft as ordinary clothing!"
He thought for a moment, then nodded vigorously, emphasizing, "Yes! It should be as soft as Saitama's yellow uniform or mine, or as breathable as this orange one! It's not comfortable to feel sticky and uncomfortable when you sweat during a fight!"
Tony Stark, the smartest, richest, and most technologically advanced genius on Earth, had an expression that was absolutely priceless at that moment.
His facial muscles seemed to have lost control; the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, and his eyes quickly transitioned from blankness upon first hearing "one million tons" to disbelief upon hearing "cannot be too hard," and then to complete utter paralysis upon hearing "soft as ordinary clothing." He subconsciously raised his hand and pressed his temples hard with his fingertips, as if checking if his CPU had overheated and burned out.
"One million tons... soft... ordinary clothes... breathable..."
Tony slowly repeated Goku's request, word by word. He understood each word; they were all basic physics and materials science concepts. But when these words were put together, it was like someone telling him to build a skyscraper that could withstand a nuclear explosion using jelly—the logic completely collapsed, and it completely violated the laws of physics as he understood them!
This isn't just a technical hurdle; this is downright utterly absurd and ridiculous!
"Wait... wait a minute! Impossible!!" Tony finally found his voice, almost screaming as he waved his arms, trying to correct this absurd demand with the rigor of a scientist.
"Mass! Density! Material strength! Do you know what a million tons means? That would require almost infinite density to compress into the volume of a single garment! And to remain soft?! Even neutron star materials couldn't be worn while remaining 'soft'! This completely violates fundamental physics! You..."
Tony's vehement rebuttal came to an abrupt halt. He noticed Chen Tian standing next to Goku, covering his mouth, his shoulders twitching suspiciously, his eyes gleaming with undisguised schadenfreude, even... a hint of disdain?
His eyes seemed to say, "Oh, the great genius Stark, stumped already? Who was it that just boasted like that? Really? You can't possibly not figure it out?"
Chen Tian's silent, provocative gaze was like a match, instantly igniting Tony Stark's indomitable pride and competitive spirit!
"Ha! You want to see me make a fool of myself? I'm telling you, no way!!" Tony suddenly pointed at Chen Tian, his voice rising abruptly, filled with anger and determination at being underestimated.
He suddenly turned to Goku, his eyes gleaming with a fierce desire to challenge him!
"A million tons, right? Soft as usual, right? And it needs to be breathable?!"
Tony took a deep breath, puffed out his chest, raised his chin in an extremely arrogant arc, and extended three fingers of his right hand, pointing at Goku and also at Chen Tian, who was "watching the show," and announced loudly and decisively, "Fine! Give me three days! No!"
He seemed to feel that three days had insulted his genius as a conductor, and immediately changed his tune, his voice becoming loud and powerful:
"Two days! Just two days! The great Tony Stark will deliver the 'one million-ton soft and breathable Battle Suit's you've been asking for right in front of you!"
He practically roared it out, and his confident (or rather, aroused competitive spirit) declaration echoed throughout the command hall.
Chen Tian, who was standing next to him, finally couldn't help but burst out laughing. He quickly turned his head away and pretended to look at the holographic screen.
Goku, who had made the outrageous request, was completely unaware of the trouble he had caused. Upon hearing Tony's agreement, he immediately cheered happily, "Oh! That's great! Thank you, Tony! You're amazing!"
The adoring gaze greatly satisfied Tony's vanity, and he straightened his back even more.
Saitama, who had remained in the background the whole time, looked at Tony, who was excitedly strutting like a rooster, then at Goku, who had a blank expression on his face, and finally glanced at Chen Tian, who was smirking. He silently tugged at the corner of his tattered cape and muttered something under his breath:
"By the way, I haven't even stated my request yet..."