Bruce Wayne's gaze was like two cold probes, firmly locked between the suddenly appearing man in white and the gothic-style girl.
He didn't look at the pure white portal, nor did he pay attention to the sounds coming from inside; his brain was processing the information in front of him at a speed beyond its limits.
elder sister?
This title is neither a disguise nor a test.
Bruce could discern pure, unadulterated surprise in the voice.
He looked at the girl whose name was "Death." She stopped poking at the stone, which she had been doing idly, and turned her head. For the first time, a complex emotion, a mixture of helplessness and headache, appeared on her pale face, but her eyes held the warmth that only family members have when they are reunited.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye, yet it was more persuasive than any words.
After countless swings and resets, the scales in Bruce's heart finally began to tilt truly.
The suspicions in his heart, like ice and snow exposed to the sun, began to melt slowly but surely.
"Are there many gods in the universe like you... who wield certain powers?" Bruce asked hoarsely, his question hitting the nail on the head.
He needs a coordinate system to locate these entities that are beyond his comprehension.
When Dream God Daniel heard Bruce's question, he looked away from Tetiyu.
He first nodded politely to Bruce, his eyes seemingly holding stars and dreams, gentle and profound.
"Hmm... you could say a lot, or you could say a little." Daniel's tone was like an evening breeze caressing the strings of a harp, carrying a soothing power. "There are seven of us in my family. Each of us symbolizes and governs a fundamental concept of the universe."
As he explained, he glanced naturally at Tetiyu beside him, with a hint of intimacy and familiarity. "And my second sister, Death, she holds the power over the end and reincarnation of all life."
Tetiyu had already stood up, dusted off non-existent dust from his hands, and walked slowly toward Daniel, his gothic attire drawing an elegant arc in the darkness.
"You shouldn't have come here, Daniel." Her voice was still gentle, yet carried an undeniable seriousness.
"The nightmares here are the remnants of creation, constantly eroding your very essence. Your kingdom is too close to here."
Daniel slowly stepped out of the pure white portal, a faint, Stardust -like glow surrounding him, isolating him from the dense dark energy around him.
" Bruce called to me from the depths of his heart," he stated calmly. "Moreover, the Dark Multiverse is rooted in endless nightmares. Barbatos seeks to tear apart the boundary between reality and dreams, to turn all nightmares into reality, and I cannot stand idly by."
Tetiyu turned his head, his gaze sweeping over Thor, who was disguised as Thomas, not far away, and then over Batman and Superman, who were exhausted and bound by invisible shackles. A knowing look flashed in his eyes.
"I see. You came all this way to rescue these two trapped mortals," she said softly. "I'm not surprised you're willing to shelter them, but I didn't expect you to abandon the peace of the Dreaming and choose to come here in your true form."
Daniel nodded slightly. "This disaster will ultimately taint the dreams of all living beings. For me, this is simply my duty."
Instead, I should be asking you, sister, since all life and death are inseparable from you, why would you abandon the souls waiting to be guided in the endless universe and run to this Dark Multiverse?
Tetiyu raised his smooth chin and gestured to Thor beside him. "It's just a chance encounter. Once war breaks out here, countless souls will perish. I came to check out the scene beforehand, which can also be considered as assessing the business."
She paused, then added, "Besides, it's been a long time since I've met such an interesting person. I might as well go along and see some different scenery."
Thor: "..."
He felt like he was being subtly implied, but he had no evidence to support it.
Seeing that the siblings seemed determined to continue their reminiscing, Clark, who had been silent all along, finally couldn't help but speak up.
He struggled to stand up straighter, and despite his weakness, an inextinguishable flame burned in his blue eyes. "Tell me... how can we defeat Barbatos?"
This question made the atmosphere at the scene heavy again.
Daniel's gaze shifted to Clark, as if he could see through the pure and kind heart within this Superman.
Instead of answering directly, he began to tell a story so ancient it transcended time.
"Before everything began, from the boundless Void, a molten Starfire of creation was born."
" The Starfire gave rise to two opposing primordial entities: matter and antimatter. With their birth, two eternal guardians of balance also came into being— the Monitor and the Anti-Monitor."
"But at the same time, a third being was born. He is called the World Forger, and resides in the origin of all things— the World Forge, which is the very bottom of the Dark Multiverse where you are now."
Daniel's voice seemed to transport listeners through time, unfolding magnificent creation scenes in their minds.
"Throughout the endless ages, the forgers have used the most beautiful hopes and the deepest fears in the hearts of all living beings in the universe as raw materials, forging one stable and complete universe after another in the World Forge."
"Those unstable worlds, destined to collapse during the forging process, should have been thrown into the mouths of the dragons he raised, destroyed and returned to pure energy. However, that dragon developed a greed for destruction and darkness."
"It ambushed and killed its master, the World Forger, then seized control of the World Forge, ceasing the destruction of those collapsing worlds. It allowed those universes filled with despair, failure, and pain to remain and expand... ultimately forming the Dark Multiverse your feet. And that dragon proclaimed itself the Evil God of Dark Bats, Barbatos."
Upon hearing this, Bruce and Clark both froze.
"Those Dark Knight, those Nightmare Superman..." Bruce's voice was hoarse, "... all of them... the twisted versions of ourselves from those failed universes?"
"You could say that," Daniel said, a hint of pity in his eyes. "All the Dark Multiverse, in essence, are unfulfilled nightmares. My Dreaming encompasses all the dreams, fantasies, and fears of the world; therefore, the Dark Multiverse is inextricably linked to my domain. I can sense everything that happens here."
"Once Barbatos completely breaks down the barrier between reality and dreams, all the nightmares of the universe will flood into reality. My library will be burned down, and all the stories of people, all the realities that have ever existed, will be Oblivion."
He looked at Bruce and said, word by word, "I cannot personally participate in the battle. Our family rules forbid direct interference in the realities of mortals."
But I can show you the only way to save everything—go to the deepest part of the World Forge, take the primordial metal used to forge the world, the Tenth Metal, and use it to fight that evil dragon god."
"How do we remove the metal?" Bruce immediately pressed.
"You can't mine it, nor can you forge it." Daniel shook his head. "That metal has its own consciousness; it responds to only one thing: the purest wonder in one's heart, and... unfettered hope."
"Anyone who succumbs to despair—like Barbatos and all his Dark Knight —even if they stand in a pool of lava, the Tenth Metal will deliberately avoid them. They will never see them, and they will never touch them."
"There are two barriers before you if you wish to control the power of metal."
"First layer: Barbatos cursed Carter Hall, the owner of Hawkman's Diary. He twisted Carter into a guardian dragon watching over the Forge, binding him to the core magma pool with shackles of dark magic. Unless these dark shackles are torn apart, the metal will never be touched."
"The second stage: You must voluntarily step into that molten sea of creation. As long as you retain uncorrupted hope in your hearts, the Tenth Metal will rise on its own, wrapping around and enveloping your bodies. It can be shaped at will according to your will: an indestructible shield, a blade that cuts through everything, a light that burns away all nightmares... everything can become reality."
Daniel's gaze swept over everyone present, finally settling on Bruce and Clark.
"I cannot step into the furnace with you; the pure corruption within the Barbatos Realm would erode my very essence. All I can do is show you the way and reveal the full truth about seizing this weapon that is the only one capable of saving all universes."
As soon as he finished speaking, he stretched out his hand and gently made a gesture in the empty space in front of him.
"As long as hope remains in your hearts, the World Forge will answer your call. Go forth, for the path to the core of creation is open to you."
A portal, no longer pure white, but shimmering with the light of billions of stars, as dazzling as the birth of the universe, slowly opened before them.
Behind the door lies a scalding ocean, shimmering with golden light, brimming with Infinity possibilities and hope.
Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent exchanged a glance.
There were no grand pronouncements, no momentary hesitation.
Bruce reached out and put his hand on Clark's shoulder.
Clark used his last bit of strength to support Bruce's swaying body.
These two close friends, who have saved the world from countless crises, are now like two ordinary mortals supporting each other, taking firm steps to be the first to step into that golden ocean of hope and the unknown.
Thor watched their retreating figures, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.
He straightened his collar and followed closely behind, stepping into the portal.
In the end, only Tetiyu and Daniel remained.
Tetiyu playfully raised her hand to her younger brother, making a "bye-bye" gesture.
The goddess who governs the end of the universe also turned around and stepped into the golden light without hesitation.