Chapter 22: War Pt 1

The skies above the kingdom darkened, swirling with ominous clouds that echoed the tension brewing below. A bitter wind cut through the air, carrying with it the scent of impending conflict. 

For weeks, Earth's defenders had been preparing for the onslaught that they all feared but hoped would never come. The full might of Apokolips was about to descend upon them.

The camp was alive with the sounds of preparation as the forces of Earth gathered on the flat ground outside a recently created city. 

Tents stretched as far as the eye could see, a sea of colors amidst the dim glow of torches flickering against the night sky. 

On this day, Aiden moved through the bustling crowd, his senses heightened by the tension that filled the air like a storm about to break. He could feel the collective anxiety and anticipation of the impending battle, a pressure that settled heavily on his shoulders.

Beside him, Finn bounced on his heels, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Look at this, Aiden! They are warriors from all over the world! Did you see that Amazon woman? She could probably crush a boulder with those thighs!"

"Calm down, Finn," Aiden replied, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "They're all here for a reason. The threat from Apokolips is real, you know, and we need to be ready."

"Ready or not, this is going to be epic!" Finn grinned, pointing toward the group of Greek gods in the distance, their presence alone commanded attention. "Those are the Gods! You see that one? That's Ares! The God of War! I've read about him; They say he can handle any weapon."

"I bet he can." Aiden said as he looked over and caught sight of a fully armoured God sitting by himself. 

Jaxon who walked beside them frowned as he adjusted his grip on his sword. "Legends won't save us if we don't pay attention to the enemy. What if they decide to fight without us?"

Jaxon, like Aiden, had trained with the sword in his free time. This was so he could still fight even with an exhausted mana. He couldn't allow his robust physique go to waste just because he was a mage. 

"Hey, lighten up!" Finn said, playfully elbowing Jaxon. "We're the defenders of Earth! We've got this!"

Aiden on the other hand felt a shiver run down his spine at the thought; the forces of Apokolips would descend soon, and they would come with a ferocity unmatched.

Aiden's mind wandered to the forces they would face. Darkseid and his Parademons had a reputation for ruthlessness, each of them stronger than the last and without the fear of death.

The Old Gods, arrogant and dismissive of the human defenders, believed they were there to handle the "fodder" while they focused on the real threats. 

Their disregard for the human efforts fueled Aiden's determination. He didn't see it as a bad thing, on the contrary, he saw it as a means to survive.

"Do you think the Old Gods will actually fight alongside us?" Jaxon asked, casting a wary glance at the divine beings gathered around the fires.

"They have to," Aiden replied as he shot them an observing glance. "This isn't just a battle for earth. Darkseid won't stop until he conquers everything in his path."

Just then, a loud horn echoed across the camp, cutting through the sounds of chatter and clamor. The warriors froze, a deathly silence falling over the crowd as they turned toward the source of the sound.

"Here we go," Aiden muttered, his heart thumping. The moment they had all prepared for had arrived.

The Old Gods stood tall, their expressions shifting from arrogance to serious contemplation as they took stock of the gathered forces. 

Ares stepped forward, his armor gleaming in the torchlight, and raised his sword high. "Warriors of Earth! Today, we unite against a common enemy! Let us show them that our resolve is stronger than their darkness!"

Cheers erupted from the ranks, the sound reverberating through the camp, filling Aiden with a surge of hope. 

'A boost?' he thought to himself as he himself felt his previous anxiety leave him. 'Is this his Authority over War? Impressive.' Aiden couldn't help but nod in acknowledgement. 

Aiden took a deep breath, channeling the energies within him, Aura, psychic energy, mana, and The Force, all intertwined and ready to be unleashed. 

He glanced at Finn and Jaxon, their faces set with determination. "Whatever happens out there, we fight together."

"Together," Finn nodded, his mana bubbling beneath, waiting to be unleashed. His heart raced feeling the familiar hum of energy thrumming through him. 

This battle would change everything.

Life and Death could be decided in an instant. 

At that very moment, a massive armada broke earth's atmosphere. The forces of Apokolips broke through the clouds, a terrifying array of monstrous ships. 

The sight of their colossal war machines sent a ripple of fear through the ranks of Earth's defenders as they slowly but eventually touched ground while the bigger ones remained suspended in the air. 

From the lead ship, Darkseid emerged, his presence a chilling contrast to the fiery resolve of Earth's defenders. He stood tall, his hands clasped behind his back, exuding a terrifying calm that spoke of absolute power and control. His glowing red eyes scanned the battlefield with disdain similar to a predator sizing up its prey.

As he stepped onto the war-scorched ground, the very air seemed to bow to him, growing heavier with each of his steps. Around him, his elite warriors, the Parademons, descended like a plague, their guttural cries filling the sky. Flanking him were his trusted generals—Granny Goodness, ever-loyal and cruel, and the silent but imposing figure of Kalibak, itching to unleash destruction.

Darkseid's gaze fell upon the assembled forces of Earth, his voice a deep, resonant echo that carried across the battlefield.

"You dare stand against the inevitable?" he intoned, his tone neither raised nor emotional, yet commanding absolute attention. "This world will kneel before me, as countless others have. Your defiance... is pointless."

The defenders of Earth stood their ground, though fear lingered behind their eyes. The Old Gods stepped forward, their divine arrogance unshaken in the presence of that enormous presence. Zeus, with lightning crackling in his grasp, met Darkseid's gaze with defiance.

"Earth is not yours to claim, invader," Zeus declared, his voice booming with authority. "You face the wrath of gods."

But Darkseid merely smiled, one so cold and mirthless. "Gods?" he repeated mockingly. "I have slain gods far greater than you. Shall I demonstrate?"

With a single gesture, an Omega Beam erupted from his eyes, striking the ground before the defenders and reducing it to molten ruin. The battle had begun, and the forces of Apokolips surged forward, their monstrous war cries a deafening roar against the thunderous defiance of Earth's champions.

At that moment, Aiden felt it. This would be no ordinary war. You'd think the movies overplayed it, but in reality, they downplayed it.

The ground trembled beneath Aiden's feet as the god of tyranny stepped forward it was as though his every step shook the foundation of the world itself. His red eyes surveyed the battlefield with a calculated malice. 

He then bent down and grabbed a handful of sand from the ground and raised it to observe 

As if pleased with his discovery, he nodded and raised his weapon, a double headed spear with which he used to slam the ground with so much strength that the very core of the planet shook. 

"My God." Finn said. His expression, no longer one of excitement but horror. "Is that who we are fighting against?" 

"No." Aiden said and placed a hand on his shoulder. There was no way any human would survive a clash with that monster.

"Huh?" Finn turned to Aiden who pointed at a spot behind Darkseid where creatures which were a mix of both biological and technological parts began pouring out.

"Are those…insects?" Finn asked, his brow furrowed in disgust. 

"Parademons." Aiden responded reflexively. It didn't really matter how he knows this and he couldn't really be bothered to explain himself, but just as he was about to expand on that, a blaring horn rang out and the battle quickly commenced. 

The Parademons were already on the attack. 

The air erupted with energy as Earth's warriors charged forward. At their forefront were the fierce Amazon warriors who clashed against the grotesque forces of Apokolips. 

It didn't take long before Aiden too was engrossed in the chaos that ensued. 

"Keep your guard up!" he shouted towards his friends, dodging a massive swing from a parademon. At this point, he couldn't keep count of how many Parademons he had killed. 

The creature snarled, its jagged teeth glinting, but Aiden countered by channeling his mana into a swift wind strike that cut it in two.

"Nice shot!" Finn called out, taking advantage of Aiden's distraction to unleash a flurry of lightning infused punches against another foe. "I've got your back!"

"Thanks! Just watch out for—"

A massive figure loomed behind Finn, a hulking brute, causing Aiden's instincts to kick in, and he dashed forward as [Magic Enhancement] activated, tackling Finn out of the way just as the creature swung a massive fist, smashing the ground where they had just stood.

"What the hell was that?!" Finn exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock, scrambling to his feet. He quickly realised that he would've been incapacitated or at worse, a meat paste if Aiden had not pushed him out. 

"What's the plan?" He asked as he lightning crackled on his body. 

"Try to stick together!" Aiden replied, glancing around and spotted Jaxon. His earth magic was on full display as the terrain was used to his advantage, summoning rocks to defend against incoming attacks while attacking with them too. "We need to push forward and hold a line!"

Finn nodded and immediately charged into the battle ground towards Jaxon with Aiden watching his back. 

The hulking mess of a parademon already shackled with various earth chains with massive spikes piercing its entire body. Finn didn't even consider the giant parademon to be a threat whatsoever and without worrying, was going on a slaughterfest amides the raging tide of Parademons.

As the battle raged on, Aiden couldn't shake the feeling of dread settling in his stomach. The air of the battlefield was suffocating and there was no end to their enemies. 

For every parademon they faced, there seemed to be two more, and the death count was climbing at an unforgiving pace. Aiden tightened his grip on his sword. 

They were fighting not just for their lives, but for the future of their world, however, it's a pity they couldn't affect the main battle, and the only ones who could were the old gods.

Amidst the chaos of the battlefield, Aiden's gaze fell upon the Old Gods. Their power was unmistakable but their arrogance glaring in the way they fought. 

They fought with ferocity, their strikes obliterating the larger Parademons, but they paid little heed to the countless foot soldiers swarming the battlefield.

Apollo stood atop a crag, his golden bow drawn and glowing with the brilliance of the sun itself and as he released each arrow, it streaked through the air like a ray of light, incinerating Parademons mid-flight and causing explosions among Apokoliptian ranks. 

His sun arrows moved so fast that they seemed to be shot in multitudes, decimating the enemy in waves before they even realized what hit them. 

Ares waded into the thick of battle, a living storm destruction. With every swing of his blood-red war ax, shockwaves of pure bloodlust rippled outward, driving allies and enemies alike into a maddened frenzy. 

Parademons were torn apart by their own claws, while Apokoliptan soldiers turned on each other, consumed by the overwhelming drive to destroy. 

His presence radiated fear, and the harder he fought, the stronger he became, feeding off the endless violence around him.

Aiden couldn't begin to imagine how such a concept could work. 

Turning his gaze, it lasted on another old God. 

Athena moved with a calculated precision and every step she took was precisely done. Aiden could feel there was more to this calculated movement but he couldn't fully fathom it.

Her shield shone with an otherworldly light that deflected energy blasts shot by parademons with energy guns, while her spear pierced through them with uncanny accuracy. 

Her voice periodically rang out like a bell, rallying Earth's defenders, bolstering their courage. 

Where Athena fought, the humans held their ground, forming perfect formations that repelled wave after wave of the enemy. Her mere presence seemed to bend the battle to her will in a similar way to Ares but hers was more pleasant.

In another area, Poseidon commanded the battlefield with the sheer force of earth-shaking waves. Though far from the ocean, his power over seismic waves and pressure reverberated through the ground, causing devastating tremors that toppled the enemies swarming towards him on ground while blasting away those that came from the air. 

With every strike of his trident, shockwaves rippled outward, splitting the earth and sending enemies flying. 

When a general of Darkseid charged him, Poseidon channeled his divinity into the ground, summoning a crushing wall of seismic energy that collapsed upon the enemy like the unyielding tide.

He was the perfect example of a one man army. His expression remaining unchanged despite his feats. (A/N: Reference from ROR)

Hades too was a force of unstoppable might, wielding his bident with terrifying precision. Each swing carved through Apokoliptian forces, leaving a trail of death in his path. 

His strikes carried a sinister weight, as though the shadows themselves lent him strength. The very ground darkened where he walked, and enemies felt an oppressive chill as he approached, their movements sluggish under the sheer aura of dread he exuded.

When confronted by a towering Apokoliptian general, Hades moved with methodical precision, deflecting each blow with his bident before countering with a devastating thrust that tore through even the thickest armor. 

His power over the underworld manifested not as life-draining magic, but as the sheer inevitability of death.

No soldier, mortal or otherwise, could match his overwhelming presence.

Zeus dominated the battlefield with booming thunder and blinding lightning. His strikes were indiscriminate, bolts of raw power raining from the heavens and obliterating entire squadrons of Parademons in a single instant. 

This was Infinitely more frightening than that of those who practiced the same forbidden technique as Finn and a few other daring mages Aiden didn't know that practised the technique. 

However in comparison to theirs Zeus' was in a whole other realm. The sky above the battlefield was darkened, storm clouds swirling ominously, reflecting his fury. 

Each swing of his hand unleashed a cascade of electrical energy, leaving nothing but scorched earth and shattered enemies in his wake.

Aiden sensed that the threat level of these lightning bolts were in a similar level to the omega beams. However, he wouldn't want to be on the receiving side of any of them in order to confirm.

Artemis moved through the battlefield with her silver bow picking off enemies with uncanny accuracy second only to Apollo's. A group of women followed her and picked off Parademons as they went.

Aiden however didn't even feel assured of this. The reason was simple. The amount of Parademons that fell from the sky as her arrows found their marks with eerie precision were still seemingly infinite.

Her divine beasts; lions, wolves, and stags joined the fray, tearing through Apokoliptan forces. Still, she remained untouchable, disappearing into the chaos with her huntresses and striking as they went like unrelenting predators.

…

While they fought valiantly, they were more focused on the Apokoliptian generals than on the myriad of Parademons which were overwhelming the defenders.

Fury bubbled within Aiden as he watched the gods treat the battle like a stage for their strength. "Focus on the troops, damn it!" he bellowed, but his voice was swallowed by the clamor of clashing steel and roaring beasts.

He didn't even know if anyone heard him. Even if they heard him, would they be able to logically make decisions while under this level of mental and physical pressure? 

Not to mention that the people around him were all from different classes. There were Amazons, normal soldiers, mages, aura users and even mercenaries. 

There was no way all these people could act like a cohesive unit under this mounting pressure. 

The battle hadn't even gone on for an hour and the stench of death in the air was thick, the cries of the wounded, and the unearthly screeches of the Parademons. 

Aiden's muscles were already burning with exhaustion, but he pushed forward. With a soft whisper, he said, [Heal] and a soft crimson hue shone around him and he was restored. 

Glancing around, he couldn't help but curse at how chaotic the entire battlefield was. He had no idea how much time had passed since they began, but he knew he couldn't stop. 

Not yet. 

He wasn't in a rush to use his mana carelessly or his psychic reserves which were also dwindling, albeit slowly. 

As for the Force, that was a no-no. He had to save up for when it got dire. 

He wasn't here to be a hero but he surely wasn't here to die. 

As long as he survived long enough with those around him, those Gods would finally have wounded Darkseid into retreating.

A Parademon swooped low, its grotesque metallic wings cutting through the wind as it bore down on Aiden. 

Aiden raised his hand and thrust his palm forward, and a roaring pillar of crimson flame shot forth, engulfing the Parademon mid-flight. 

It screeched in agony as its body disintegrated into ash, falling to the ground in a smoking heap.

Suddenly, a roar shattered the chaos of battle; a guttural, bone-chilling sound that silenced even the clamor of clashing weapons. 

From the Apokoliptian ranks emerged a towering beast, its body a grotesque amalgamation of flesh and metal, with glowing crimson eyes which were fixed on Aiden. 

Its claws were long and jagged like twisted shards of steel and it gleamed as it lunged forward, aiming to tear him apart.

"You think you're some hot stuff?" Aiden snickered and cast a [Float] on himself and levitated off the ground. 

[Flame Magic: Crimson Flame Pillar.]

Raising his hand towards the approaching creature, a pillar of rise shot out with force and intensity but as it touched the beast, it merely tanked it as it continued approaching. 

Aiden's eyes widened in incredulity at the sight. This was one of his strongest and most controlled destructive techniques yet this beast was able to tank it and even still move. 

'Since burning it to ash doesn't work, how about crushing it.?' Aiden thought and quickly dropped to the ground. He raised his hands up and brought them together. 

At the same time, the earth beside the monster was gouged out of the group and slammed towards each other with it in their centre. 

"That should do it." Aiden muttered to himself only for him to reel in shock as the beast ran through the now small mound created by the raised earth. "This bastard is tough."

Since Fire and Earth couldn't kill the beast, Aiden wasn't delusional enough to think that air or water could. And with no stronger elemental technique at his disposal, he switched to pure magical attack. 

Elemental techniques and Pure magical techniques varied in that the former is augmented by nature's energy while the latter is drawn entirely from the mages own reserves. 

While Elemental attacks becomes more powerful with more energy input, they rarely reach the level of destruction that can be produced by an attack fueled by pure mana. 

And utilising the improved version of the mana ball he used on the Grand Magus, [Magic Canon]. 

Feeling the massive drain of energy this one technique caused him, he let out a roar of his own and unleashed a crimson blast of energy which crackled like lightning as it slammed into the creature with the force of a speeding torpedo, shattering it to pieces and sending it away with a thunderous crash.

Dust and debris filled the air as Finn scrambled to Aiden's side, his face a mixture of shock and relief. "That was insane! Are you okay?"

"That was incredible!" Jaxon chimed in as he too rushed to Aiden's side, his usually calm demeanor nowhere to be seen as he stared at the smoldering remains of the creature. 

Aiden, breathing heavily, clenched his fists, feeling his power fade. Compared to just molding a ball of mana with rampaging energy inside to create a bomb of sorts, the Magic Canon necessitated a continuous output of mana. 

"I'm drained." He said casually in discontent. With this massive loss of energy, he was now sure that after he used up the stored Force energy, replenishment would take a while. 

Still, "We need to keep pushing!" he added. "We can't let them take our momentum." He knew that this massive creature wouldn't be the only one but with it being easily dispatched, the momentum was on his side. 

However, Aiden failed to account that this were not an emotionally driven race. They only knew to bring about destruction. 

And so, despite Aiden's action, there was no time for respite.

From above, the sky darkened as another squadron of Parademons descended, their jagged wings slicing through the air like razors, their yellow eyes glowed with malevolence and a promise of death to all they encountered, their guttural screeches heralding chaos as they dived toward Aiden and his comrades.

To his right, Finn was already in motion as Lightning danced along his limbs, amplifying his speed and power. 

He darted and jumped towards the creatures with supernatural agility, his strikes precise and devastating. Each blow sent sparks that crackled through the air, leaving Parademons charred as they crumpled to the ground.

Aiden inhaled deeply, willing himself to stand firm. 

After that recent attack, his mana reserves were dangerously low, and the weight of exhaustion pressed on him like a vice. Yet there was no room for hesitation. 

Clenching his fists, he steadied himself. The fight wasn't over and neither was he.

[Wind Hurricane]. 

Aiden muttered as he summoned a swirling gale that tore across the battlefield, kicking up clouds of debris and disorienting the advancing Parademons. 

With another gesture, he controlled the winds into a ferocious vortex, pulling a flanking squadron into its relentless spiral. The creatures scratched and clawed at the air, but the violent winds pinned them helplessly.

Aiden's focus sharpened, his fist clenching as he compressed the vortex into a single, crushing point. The force collapsed inward with a deafening roar, and the trapped Parademons were obliterated by the imploding magic, their fragmented remains scattering across the battlefield.

"Aiden, on your left!" Jaxon's warning cut through the noise of battle, snapping Aiden's attention. 

Without hesitating, Aiden turned just in time to see a massive Parademon charging toward him with its claws extended, its roar vibrating in the air. 

Reacting instantly, Aiden stumped the ground as his mana shifted the Earth which quaked as jagged spires erupted from the ground impaling the creature before it could reach him, lifting it off its feet.

The Parademon convulsed violently, letting out a strangled howl before its body went limp, skewered against the unforgiving stone.

Sweat dripped down Aiden's brow, but there was no time to wipe it away. The battlefield was not a place of rest, his mind raced as he constantly shifted between magical elements, adapting to the flow of the battlefield when and where it was required.

Fire, Wind and Earth. Despite his draining reserves, he conjured and manipulated them all with precision, all with one thought in mind.

-Just one more-

…

Time flew by and the battlefield was now a chaotic mess of clashing energies. It painted a scene of death and destruction.

Parademons kept swarming in like locusts, their shrill screeches blending with the clang of steel, explosions of magic, and the desperate cries of Earth's defenders.

With his senses heightened and his thoughts racing, Aiden stood in the midst of it all, trying to process the overwhelming flood of information.

'There are just too many,' he thought, his mind rapidly churning as he watched a new wave of Parademons charging.

Despite the chaos, he was able to remain calm, his ability to accelerate his thoughts was his greatest advantage right now.

[Thought Acceleration], a psychic technique that lets him accelerate his thoughts. At the speed his thoughts were moving, there was no room for emotions to interfere in his thought process.

Time slowed for him, the screeching beasts appearing to move at a sluggish pace while he planned his next move.

'No point in wasting energy on anything flashy,' he reasoned. He had long abandoned showy, mana-draining elemental spells. Instead, efficiency was his guiding principle. Quick, decisive and lethal…each kill had to count.

With his mana already drained, he decided to switch his approach. Aiden turned to using the Ambient mana in the air and focused on the principle of Ice Magic and the temperature plummeted around him, a sharp chill that cut through a few meters around him.

Heat and Cold or in this case, Ice

These were two opposing Elements that existed in the absence of the other. It wasn't a naturally occurring element in a mage but one to be discovered as one understood the principles of elements.

Building on the principle of the absence of heat, Aiden visualized the heat energy bleeding out of the air around him as a chilling mist spiraled outward, frost creeping over the area, slowing the advance of the nearest Parademons.

They faltered mid-flight, their wings stiffening, joints freezing in place.

"The absence of heat is more than just cold," Aiden mused, his thoughts racing. "It's stagnation, stillness… even death."

With a gesture, the frost around him condensed into crystalline shards and with a flick of his wrist, they launched forward, cutting through the frozen Parademons with ease.

Each shard found its mark leaving the creatures to fall lifelessly to the ground.

For a fleeting moment, Aiden felt a sense of control. But the illusion was shattered as the swarm kept coming, relentless and unyielding. A low growl escaped his throat. "Even this isn't enough."

He took a step back, the fatigue in his legs a warning sign. The principles of Ice Magic were efficient, but the mental strain of maintaining such precision was catching up to him. 'I can't keep this up for much longer. Not unless—'

Just as he was in his thoughts, a shadow passed overhead. Aiden glanced upward to see a massive Parademon, twice the size of the others, bearing down on him with razor-sharp talons.

Its eyes glowed with malice, and its guttural roar shook the battlefield.

With a click of his teeth, Aiden conjured a dome of ice, jagged and towering, between himself and the beast into which the creature smashed into with a resounding boom, the impact reverberating through the ground.

Cracks spiderwebbed across the frozen dome barrier, but it held long enough for Aiden to act.

Drawing upon the last dregs of his mana, he redirected his focus. 'Since the absence of heat creates Ice…' He clenched his fists, forcing every ounce of his remaining power into his next spell. ...then I can take this a step further.

The temperature plummeted further, frost forming even on Aiden's clothes and hair.

Just then, the Parademon smashed through the ice dome just as Aiden thrust his hands forward.

"[Cryo Lcok]" Aiden muttered the name of his newly created ability, and in an instant, the air around the creature crystallized entirely, freezing it in a suspended state of stasis.

The [Cryo Lcok] technique is one that traps a target in ice so cold that movement ceases entirely.

Aiden had just created it on a fly and couldn't help but marvel at Its capabilities. "I've just created a forbidden level technique haven't I?" He muttered to himself as he exhaled sharply, watching as the giant Parademon hung mid-air, encased in a coffin of unyielding frost.

He staggered, his vision swimming. The spell had drained him more than he anticipated. His psychic pool was already bottomed out which was beginning to affect his focus.

From the corner of his eye, he spotted another wave of attackers approaching. 'Damn it… this is endless.'

Aiden was really at the end of his ropes, of his three energy pools two were already depleted and the other one couldn't effectively affect the battle.

With Mana and Aura already bottomed out, Aiden could only rely on his Psychic energy to influence the ambient energy in the air around him to attack, an example being the [Cryo Lock] but now, even that was now emptied.

Aiden exhaled, his heartbeat pounding in his ears. His muscles were heavy with fatigue, but his mind remained razor-sharp. 'I can't stop now.'

He glanced around, searching for his friends amidst the chaos. Finn and Jaxon were somewhere nearby, fighting their own battles, but he couldn't spare the focus to check on them any longer.

To his right, a group of Amazon warriors was struggling. Their spears were deadly, but the relentless waves of Parademons were pushing them back.

Aiden's mind raced. 'They won't last much longer.' With a deep breath, he extended his hand and spoke a quick incantation.

A dome of shimmering light enveloped the Amazons, a barrier of pure energy that blocked the Parademons from closing in on them.

As he did this, Aiden immediately felt the weight of the drain as his focus faltered, his psychic reserves dwindling with every spell he cast. But there was no time to rest

'Keep moving. Don't stop. Not now.'

Psychic energy could only do so much when manifested in reality, so he could only hope the Amazons would find their own salvation.

(A/N: Just thought of adding this here. Psychic energy refers to a type of mental or spiritual power that allows individuals to perform feats beyond the physical realm, often associated with extrasensory perception (ESP), , telekinesis, telepathy, and mental control. Aiden can use it to affect ambient energy/mana in the air to perform magic.)

His thoughts returned to the battle as he summoned fire next, his hand crackling with heat as flames erupted from his palm, engulfing a nearby squadron of Parademons in a blaze of searing heat.

The beasts screeched in agony, their bodies disintegrating under the inferno, but the victory felt hollow.

No matter how many they killed, the numbers didn't seem to decrease. Parademons kept pouring in, a never-ending tide of destruction. His jaw clenched in frustration. 'It's like fighting the ocean…'

He clenched his fists, his body trembling from the strain, but he refused to let exhaustion take hold. He couldn't afford it.

Behind him, an explosion rocked the ground, sending a shockwave through the air.

Aiden turned, his eyes locking onto a massive figure; one of Darkseid's elite warriors, towering over the battlefield, cutting down defenders with a monstrous axe.

His stomach tightened. 'We're not just fighting Parademons anymore.'

The real threats had arrived. The heavy hitters. The ones that could decimate entire armies and the one currently in front of him was Steppenwolf.

This was a warrior so strong that even Aquaman and Wonder woman couldn't do anything to until Super man arrived in the movies, and although Aiden was confident in his strength to tackle him, he was already on the end of his ropes.

He raised his hand, prepared to conjure more magic, but a sharp pain shot through his head. His psychic reserves was running dangerously low. 'I can't take on someone like that; not with what I have left.'

For a brief moment, the crushing reality of the situation pressed down on him, the sheer magnitude of Darkseid's forces and the hopelessness of the fight threatening to suffocate him.

But then he remembered Finn, Jaxon, and the others still fighting alongside him. And he remembered the humans behind them, depending on their strength.

Aiden gritted his teeth and pressed forward, his resolve hardening. 'We don't need to win. We just need to hold the line. Just long enough for those Gods, for something… anything.'

His thoughts snapped back to reality as another wave of Parademons swooped down from the sky.

This time, bearing the pain shooting through his head, he stomped the ground which rumbled and cracked as jagged spikes of stone erupted upward, impaling the oncoming Parademons in one swift motion.

Their bodies writhed and twitched on the spikes before falling still.

Aiden's chest heaved with exertion, sweat dripping down his brow. His legs wobbled slightly, his head aching from the strain he was placing on it, but he pushed the fatigue to the back of his mind.

The battlefield was now a sea of chaos and death.

His mana reserves were nearly depleted, and even the most hardened warriors were beginning to falter.

But as long as he still stood, as long as he still had breath in his lungs, he would keep fighting. Because if he didn't… then who would?

However, as soon as he thought that, a sudden pain wracked through his body as his mana and psychic reserves bottomed out causing him to fall to his ass on the battlefield. 'Shit. Where are those gods when you need them!?'

...

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