Chapter 248: The Accelerating Wave of Antimatter Energy

"Do you know what's happening?"

The Anti-Monitor looked at Batman in surprise. He found it strange that Batman seemed to know exactly what was going on.

"It's because of that chair, which grants him endless knowledge..."

Zombie Superman, who seemed to have expected this, calmly explained.

"Chair?"

The Anti-Monitor shifted his gaze to the black chair under Batman, which had a surface faintly glowing with blue light.

"Ah yes, when that chair was formed, it seems my antimatter energy was also fused into it..."

He quickly recalled that when Zombie Superman had created that chair, some of his own antimatter energy had been infused into it.

"Perfect. Once I've consumed all the realities of the multiverse, I'll need a throne to represent my supreme power."

The Anti-Monitor stared deeply at Batman's chair, a new idea taking root in his mind.

In his eyes, anything created with his antimatter energy could never fully escape his control. But for now, it wasn't the right moment to confront them. Otherwise, he would have already seized the chair.

"Never mind, I'll deal with this later. Everything remains within my grasp."

"For now, let's find out what just happened."

The Anti-Monitor knew it wasn't yet time to betray his temporary allies, especially given the looming threat they were facing. This was not the moment to start infighting.

"You said that energy—what does it mean?"

Since they seemed to know what had just occurred, the Anti-Monitor didn't hesitate to ask them directly.

Sitting in the black chair, Batman didn't immediately respond. His demeanor was cold, as if he hadn't even heard the Anti-Monitor's question. Instead, he slowly turned his gaze toward Zombie Superman, seemingly awaiting his command.

"What? How dare you ignore me?"

Being disregarded by someone who should have already been consumed by his antimatter enraged the Anti-Monitor. Fury overwhelmed him, and he raised his hand toward the seated Batman.

Boom!

In an instant, the already vast antimatter universe erupted with thunderous force.

The endless waves of antimatter energy surged like a devastating tidal wave, crashing toward them.

The terrifying force was far more powerful and destructive than the energy that had previously obliterated entire universes.

It seemed that with a single disagreement, the Anti-Monitor was prepared to obliterate Batman and the chair in an unrelenting storm of antimatter energy.

However, even as the overwhelming force pressed in from all directions, Batman remained unfazed. His expression didn't change at all. It was as though he had lost his soul and consciousness, showing no fear in the face of death.

"Mr. Mobius, is there really a need to get so angry over him?"

Just as the antimatter energy was about to annihilate Batman and his chair, a calm voice echoed.

At the same time, dark energy suddenly appeared around them, enveloping everyone present and halting the advance of the antimatter energy.

"Besides, we're still allies, and we face an unknown enemy. It would be unwise to let something small cause internal conflict."

The one who intervened was Zombie Superman. He wielded a dark power, blocking the antimatter energy from advancing any further. His voice was sincere as he addressed the Anti-Monitor.

"Hmph, fine. I'll spare this insolent fool for now!"

The Anti-Monitor snorted coldly, and with a wave of his hand, the once chaotic antimatter energy dissipated in an instant.

The antimatter universe returned to its normal state.

The Anti-Monitor didn't truly intend to start a battle with them yet. His earlier display of anger was merely posturing.

Still, it served as a warning, reminding them that in his domain, everything was under his control, and they had to respect his authority.

…

"Alright, now let's hear what that strange energy was all about."

Zombie Superman, showing no concern for the minor altercation, maintained his stiff, eerie smile as he gestured for Batman to continue.

"I sensed a unique power within that energy—a trace of the Speed Force..."

"And beyond that, there was something even older, something that transcends time and space, predating the birth of the universe itself, the origin of everything…"

Sitting in the chair, Batman, who had shown no reaction even in the face of death, now spoke without hesitation under Zombie Superman's command, revealing everything he had sensed.

Of course, Batman himself didn't possess such omnipotent knowledge.

But once he sat in this special chair, it was as if he had been granted infinite knowledge and wisdom.

It felt as though the secrets of the universe and beyond were now at his fingertips.

Even the destruction of the universe seemed within his grasp.

"The Speed Force? And a force older than the universe's origin?"

Repeating Batman's words in a low voice, the Anti-Monitor fell into deep thought.

"Wait… Could it be that bastard is finally about to act?"

Suddenly, the Anti-Monitor remembered his true nemesis—the Monitor, the one who had long controlled the infinite multiverses and had banished him beyond the boundaries of reality.

"Yes, it must be him."

"I knew it. He would never stand by and watch as I consumed the realities of the infinite universes and obliterated them all."

"Some oath about never interfering with reality? Absolute nonsense!"

Although beings as powerful as them no longer needed to expel air like normal creatures, the Anti-Monitor's words clearly reflected his immense anger.

"Hmph, if you want to oppose me, I'll make sure you fail. I'll make you watch as the infinite realities of the multiverse are swallowed bit by bit by my antimatter energy, turning into the power I'll use to dominate the entire universe!"

Fueled by his growing rage, the Anti-Monitor seemed to lose patience.

He turned and stretched his hands toward the surviving universes that had not yet been consumed by the antimatter wave.

Buzz!

In that instant, his actions caused a massive tremor to ripple through the entire antimatter universe.

The terrifying and vast antimatter energy became wildly violent.

The antimatter wave, which had been slowly advancing through the universes, suddenly surged forward at an accelerated pace, rushing toward the remaining realities of the multiverse.

It seemed as though it could no longer wait to swallow everything, to consume every universe and erase them in its path.

…

At the same time, the sudden acceleration of the antimatter energy wave was quickly detected by the Monitor, who was located at the center of the universe, the place where time and everything originated.

His previously calm expression finally changed as his brows furrowed. While their previous plan had been progressing smoothly, it was now clear that they couldn't alter the vibrational frequency of all the surviving universes before the accelerated wave of antimatter energy reached them.

They had intended to synchronize the vibrations of the surviving universes with the frequency of the antimatter energy wave.

"Wait! Everyone, look! The speed at which the antimatter energy wave is spreading to other universes seems… abnormal!"

The holographic projection of the universe, which the Monitor had displayed to demonstrate the impending cosmic crisis, had not disappeared. It was originally meant to create a sense of urgency, so everyone would work to complete the plan before the antimatter energy wave hit. But now, the accelerated movement of the wave had caught someone's attention, instantly causing panic and confusion among the group.

"Monitor, what's going on? Is the antimatter energy wave really accelerating, just like we're seeing in the projection?"

This sudden and dire development naturally made everyone present anxious, and Batman wasted no time, asking the Monitor in a deep voice.

"Yes, it's exactly as you see. The antimatter energy wave has indeed sped up in consuming the realities of the universes," the Monitor confirmed, choosing not to hide the truth. Although he maintained a calm demeanor while delivering the news, the moment he confirmed it, chaos erupted.

"Oh my god! It's true! Will we still be able to finish our plan before the crisis arrives?"

"Maybe… we're almost at the last step. Perhaps we only need a little more time, and the resonance devices we've set up in the surviving universes will begin to work."

Some held onto hope, while others fell into despair.

"No, even if our plan works, the speed of the antimatter wave has increased by several times! Doesn't that mean…"

Some sharp-minded individuals quickly realized that the situation was far from optimistic. Even if their plan could proceed and the surviving universes could match the antimatter wave's resonance frequency, there were still deviations from the original expectations.

And even a slight deviation could result in the once-survivable universes being inevitably consumed by the wave, doomed to destruction by this small change.

What made things worse was that among the heroes present were those from universes closest to the advancing antimatter wave.

"No! I refuse to accept that my universe will be completely consumed by that damned energy!"

"Right! My family, my friends—they're all in my universe. I'm going back now to face this crisis with them!"

"Damn it! Why are you guys so lucky, having the chance to survive with your universe, while I'm stuck facing this grim reality? Our hopes have turned into despair!"

In just an instant, those who had clung to hope found themselves overwhelmed by despair. They couldn't accept such a tragic fate.

Some heroes, still level-headed and rational, shouted at the Monitor, demanding to be sent back to their own universes so they could face the looming destruction alongside their loved ones and friends. Others, filled with frustration, were ready to use their last bit of power to return to their universes and resist the impending disaster, even if it meant sacrificing their lives.

Yet, there were also those who, driven mad by the sudden hopelessness, turned their hatred toward the others, angrily questioning why they were so lucky to be far from the antimatter wave and thus had more time to survive, even if the plan ultimately failed.

"Enough! This is not the time for us to argue or fall apart!"

Seeing the chaos unfold, Superman's face darkened. His body began to float, and he shouted in a voice that everyone could hear.

Superman's voice had an immediate effect. The scene quieted down at once. Even those heroes who had been overwhelmed with despair slowly regained their composure, though their expressions remained grim. After all, their universes were still in danger of destruction.

"Monitor, isn't there anything you can do to fix this? Aren't you all-powerful?"

With the chaos calmed, Superman flew directly in front of the Monitor and asked him.

"I'm sorry, but I never claimed to be omnipotent. Perhaps only The God is truly all-powerful," the Monitor replied humbly.

However, his humility didn't have the desired effect. In that moment, everyone wanted him to be omnipotent.

"Besides, the key to this situation isn't me, or any of you. It lies with him…"

The Monitor's gaze swept across the group before settling once again on the Flash, who was running with all his might on the cosmic treadmill!

(End of Chapter)

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