"Is it my turn?"
Carter's expression was fierce.
It was clear he had long been resentful of Superman. More importantly, he was not the same Super Skrull that Superman had previously killed.
Carter was not only the leader of the Skrulls but also the undisputed strongest warrior among them. Even without considering the power he wielded beyond that of Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers, he remained the mightiest Skrull fighter.
However, the power Superman displayed at that moment surpassed everyone's expectations—including Carter's.
He was shocked, but surrendering never crossed his mind.
If he couldn't win, he could always try to escape, right?
"Don't think that killing them will make me afraid," Carter growled.
Clenching his fists, his ferocious aura erupted, sending waves of terrifying energy outward. A fierce air current, mixed with golden light, surged through the battlefield like a storm.
"Superman, I admit it—you're strong. I can't stop you. Kill them one by one if you want!" His voice was defiant, yet laced with tension.
"But if you think taking me down is a sure thing—" Carter's eyes flashed dangerously.
"—you're wrong."
"Big mistake."
His voice was low, but it reached Superman's ears with a chilling intensity.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Thunderous vibrations echoed through the air.
In the vast azure sky, violent currents rolled back, twisting like a hurricane.
The wind howled with piercing force, reminiscent of a thunderstorm where countless bolts of lightning roared in the clouds. The entire city trembled, teetering on the edge of catastrophe.
On a rooftop nearby, the Justice League members watched the brief confrontation unfold.
Expressions darkened. A trace of solemnity flickered across their faces.
Clearly, Carter's power was greater than they had anticipated.
The Skrull leader seemed capable of matching Superman.
And it wasn't just the League.
Civilians watching from the streets—and those glued to their screens—felt the same way.
Could this Super Skrull leader actually stand against Superman?
But then—
They realized they were wrong.
Just as Carter had said.
Dead wrong.
As Carter finished his roar and prepared to attack—
His vision blurred.
Whoosh!
A shockwave exploded behind Superman.
His speed instantly shattered the sound barrier. Like a bolt of lightning, he struck.
A massive, unyielding fist—
Slamming straight into Carter's left cheek.
Superman had moved.
But he didn't use heat vision. He didn't unleash any devastating energy attack.
He relied solely on his body.
Pure, overwhelming physical might—
To make Carter understand just how vast the gap between them was.
Boom!
Carter's thoughts struggled to catch up.
One second—he saw Superman's blurred figure.
The next—he realized Superman was already upon him.
But his body couldn't keep up.
His mind screamed to react.
His limbs refused to obey.
He was too slow.
Boom!
Unprecedented force crashed into Carter's face.
A split second later, his head snapped downward—
And he plummeted.
Like a meteor, he was sent hurtling toward the ground.
CRASH!
The impact was catastrophic.
The earth trembled as though struck by a natural disaster. A crater the size of a small meteorite formed, leaving those watching in stunned silence.
The sheer force sent deep fractures spiderwebbing across the pavement.
Streets split apart.
Buildings trembled.
Cracks spread like veins of destruction, threatening to swallow the city whole.
But in that moment—
No one cared about the destruction.
Their eyes were locked on one thing.
Superman.
Whoosh!
Superman descended from the sky, landing at the center of the massive crater—deep within its depths, where Carter lay.
At that moment, Carter was struggling to stand, his body swaying unsteadily. His once-blond hair was now streaked with red, soaked in his own blood.
He had endured Superman's devastating blows, but the result was clear—he was battered, broken, and barely holding on.
Superman gazed at him, his expression unreadable.
"You had confidence in Carol Danvers," Superman said, his voice calm yet unwavering.
"You believed she was one of the rare powerhouses in this universe. That with her strength, you could use her power to dominate Earth…"
"But you were wrong."
"I am stronger than her."
Superman spoke slowly, each word sinking in like a weight.
Then, without warning—
Boom!
A brutal kick.
Upward.
Carter's body was sent rocketing through the sky.
Whoosh!
Superman shot after him, rising like a missile.
In mere moments, he was alongside Carter—who was still being forced upward by the sheer momentum of the kick.
Superman stayed level with him for just a second.
Then—
Another punch.
"Pfft!"
Carter's body whiplashed.
He plummeted—slamming back into the very same crater he had just crawled out of seconds ago.
Blood gushed from his mouth. His vision blurred.
His mind—dazed.
His body—shattered.
And in that brief moment, as he lay gasping in the dirt, Carter finally understood the truth.
Not only was he no match for Superman—
He couldn't even escape.
"Cough… cough…!"
Violent spasms racked his body. He could feel it—his internal organs had been pulverized beyond repair under Superman's relentless assault.
His strength was fading.
His life was fading.
Even the energy he once wielded was slipping away, his spirit draining with each second.
"I… lost?"
Carter forced his eyes open, staring weakly at the sky.
Superman hovered above him, looking down like an unshakable force of nature.
A bitter smile crossed Carter's lips.
He had spent years lurking in the shadows of Earth, carefully planning his rise to power. He had believed he was in control. That he had accounted for every variable.
And yet—
He had been brought down by someone he had never even considered a threat.
"Batman… Superman…"
The two names echoed in his mind. The two figures who had dismantled everything he had worked for.
His arms fell limply to his sides as he lay on his back in the ruined earth. His pupils lost their focus, his gaze empty.
No hatred.
No anger.
Only resignation.
This was how it was meant to be.
Just as his Super Skrull soldiers had once surrendered and fled, now he understood their despair.
Only by facing Superman could one truly comprehend—
The mountain that could never be climbed.
Superman.
That such a man could exist—on a small, remote planet like Earth—was beyond belief.
Just as Carter had never imagined that Earth would give birth to a warrior like Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers, who once pushed back the Kree army…
…He had never imagined Superman.
And now, it was over.
Superman listened as Carter's heartbeat stuttered—then ceased.
In an instant, his form shifted back, his disguise dropping.
All that remained was the lifeless, green-skinned Skrull.
Superman knew—Carter was dead.
At that moment—
A roar of celebration erupted across the city.
"Superman!"
"The God of the World!"
Despite the battle's intensity, the damage had been miraculously contained.
Two streets were destroyed. Cracks had spread to the bases of several tall buildings.
But beyond that—
Not a single civilian life had been lost.
A miracle.
"Superman!"
Yet, amidst the cheers, Superman paid no mind to Carter's lifeless body.
Instead, he ascended, landing atop a certain rooftop.
There, the stunned members of the Justice League stood, still processing what they had just witnessed.
Superman greeted them with a casual smile.
"Hello."
His voice was warm, relaxed.
"I think that bat has already introduced me to you."
…
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