Ch.121 From Earth-23

Purple lightning continually streaked across the sky, the energy released as the Bleed was torn open. The rift leading directly to the black void above had descended to the horizon, signaling that Gotham, as an anchor point, had now fully entered this dark universe.

Su Ming was previously concerned about Wonder Woman. With her power, she should have easily dealt with The Batman Who Laughs. But as time passed, Su Ming had already taken down three Nightmare Batmen, and there was still no word from her.

Originally, he planned to have Barry take him to Diana so they could finish off The Batman Who Laughs, ensuring safety. But now there was no time. Gotham had already sunk into the Dark Multiverse, and the entire Earth was gradually slipping into darkness. This process had to be stopped or even reversed immediately.

This meant they had to face Barbatos first and either destroy or reverse the Cosmic Tuning Fork.

"Gah!!! This world will ultimately be mine!"

As Su Ming was thinking about this while supporting Barry, Barbatos finally made his move from atop the Cosmic Tuning Fork. He manifested a horde of creatures through dark magic—monsters with Joker-like heads and worm-like bodies.

These creatures were massive, like subway trains, slithering out of pitch-black portals, flying through the sky, and launching attacks on the heroes who had come to assist.

Some spat green slime as a ranged attack, while others pounced, entangling and biting. The battlefield quickly descended back into chaos.

The reinforcements from other worlds were powerful, but they didn't have any of the "Metals" needed to effectively harm these dark creatures. 

They were forced to either take hits or continuously dodge. Their counterattacks were almost entirely ineffective. The stronger heroes could throw the monsters aside, but most found themselves helpless, and the scene became a chaotic mess.

Meanwhile, Barbatos turned his gaze toward the Sky Carrier in the sky. He stretched out his hand, and the space within his palm seemed to shatter. A massive black energy beam shot into the sky.

The sky was already a pitch-black canvas of the universe, but Barbatos's energy was even darker than the depths of space. It wasn't just a difference in color—it was filled with tangible negative emotions and intent.

The beam was too fast for the Sky Carrier to dodge, striking it instantly and creating a massive hole through its structure.

A series of explosions rocked the giant ship, its engines catching fire as it began to plummet toward the ground.

The fiery explosions lit up the sky, but Su Ming's focus was on the gaping wound in the ship.

The Sky Carrier, though not made of "Metal," was constructed from some of the toughest materials in the Multiverse as it was originally the Watcher's vessel.

Yet Barbatos had easily pierced it. Did this mean that the armor Su Ming was wearing might not be so secure either? Barbatos stood over 40 meters tall, and in the face of the enormous energy beams he unleashed, Su Ming was like a LEGO figure.

The initial plan was for Superman to engage Barbatos, with Diana delivering the fatal blow. But now it seemed Su Ming would have to step in himself.

"Barry, are you ready yet? We're running out of time."

"Ugh…" 

Barry held up a finger, signaling for a bit more time. He had almost finished throwing up, but now he was dry heaving. In this condition, connecting with the Speed Force would be a gamble with his life.

Fortunately, the other versions of Wonder Woman had cleared some space around them, putting Su Ming and Barry behind their own battle lines for now.

However, Superman from Prime Earth was struggling to keep up with the swarms of Joker-headed monsters flying through the sky.

But Su Ming had another option. He couldn't fly, but he could just find someone who could and hitch a ride.

"Hey, ladies!"

Several of the Dianas nearby turned their heads when he called out, including a chibi, two-headed version from a mini-universe and a zombie Diana from the undead universe.

By human standards, they weren't exactly "beauties," but it would have to do.

"Uh, who's free to help me out here?"

"I'll do it. Sisters, hold the line!"

From among the Dianas, a version of Wonder Woman from Earth-23 stepped forward, clad in hip-hop-inspired gear, her hair styled in a fluffy afro.

"Earth-23?" Su Ming extended his hand to shake hers, appreciating her eagerness to help despite the unusual style.

"Yo, that's right! Earth-23's Justice League of America, Princess Diana of Themyscira, right here, baby!"

The black girl grinned as she took Su Ming's hand, then launched into an elaborate handshake, complete with fist bumps, finger hooks, high fives, and wrist twists. Su Ming felt like he was greeting a hip-hop artist rather than a superhero.

Earth-23 was a parallel universe where everyone was black. In that world, Black Superman was the President of the United States, Green Arrow was Black Arrow, The Flash was Black Lightning, and Batman practically became invisible in the dark unless he spoke and showed his teeth.

"Mind flying me around so we can clear out those flying eels?"

Su Ming pushed aside the random trivia in his head and asked the black Wonder Woman.

"No problem. Grab onto the Lasso of Truth. I've had enough of those freaks anyway."

The black Wonder Woman agreed readily, unfastening her Lasso of Truth from her waist and motioning for Su Ming to wrap it around his arm.

"Uh… what's with the gold plating and diamond studs on this Lasso of Truth?" Su Ming asked as he took the end of the lasso, wrapping it around his arm for a secure hold.

"Don't mind that. I've just got style. Now hang on tight."

The black Wonder Woman gave him a look as if he were some country bumpkin, then shot into the air, heading straight for one of the nearby Joker dragons.

Su Ming sighed inwardly. Some of the multiverse's settings were truly bizarre. But now wasn't the time to dwell on that. Drawing his large sword, he used the momentum of their flight to slice through the Joker dragons as if they were nothing more than eels.

They flew quickly, and the sword was sharp. In an instant, the creature was split in half, falling from the sky in two pieces.

"Yahaha! That's how we do it! Let these green freaks see what us black sisters are all about!"

The black Wonder Woman glanced at Su Ming's black sword, giving him an approving nod, appreciating his choice in color, before diving towards another dragon-like monster.

Chunks of the creatures rained down from the sky as the battlefield began to tilt in their favor.

After clearing a large section of the sky, Su Ming signaled for her to drop him off. Before parting, the black Wonder Woman invited him to visit Earth-23 sometime, promising that their Justice League would treat him well at the Black House.

Su Ming smiled and agreed, though he had no intention of actually going. Earth-23 was too peaceful for a mercenary like him. He wasn't a good person, and he didn't think he'd fit in with the black Justice League.

With the airspace now mostly clear, Su Ming planned to launch a surprise attack on Barbatos before he noticed the empty area.

He was about a kilometer from the Cosmic Tuning Fork now, but Barry was still retching. The other Speedsters from different worlds were nowhere to be seen. Su Ming needed a quick way to close the distance to Barbatos.