Multiverse: Deathstroke

Chapter 96: Ch.95 The Merciless

"I missed you, Diana, but throwing down your weapons isn't your style," The Merciless watched with interest as Diana discarded her weapons, scrutinizing her intently.

"No, let's fight barehanded," Diana said with a stern expression. Against the God Killer, all other weapons were at a disadvantage. Only fighting barehanded would make things somewhat fair.

Diana was fighting for the honor of the Amazons, and the Merciless, having donned the Helm of Ares, had the lust for battle ingrained in his very soul.

A battle for honor—he couldn't refuse such a challenge.

Laughter hissed from beneath the Merciless' helmet, and he casually tossed the razor-sharp God Killer back onto the weapons rack.

"My Diana fought by my side in countless wars. She was a warrior beyond compare, one you could never hope to match. You stand no chance."

With that, he lunged at her with astonishing speed, his massive fist cutting through the air with a whoosh, his speed defying his bulky frame.

Diana calmly grabbed his arm, using his momentum to throw him aside. The heavy armor clanged loudly as he hit the ground, but he quickly rose, unscathed.

"You're not the Bruce Wayne I knew, but no matter where you're from, you're still just a Bruce Wayne—a mortal pretending to be a god."

The Merciless charged again, their fingers interlocking as they wrestled. Despite her disdain for her opponent, Diana had to admit that this Bruce, empowered by the War God, was physically superior to her in every way.

"I am a mere mortal who has slain countless gods." He leisurely increased his strength, pushing the shorter Diana down bit by bit.

"Heh, but your technique is crude. Who taught you? An assassin? A monk? Or was it your butler?" Diana gritted her teeth, pouring all her strength into holding her ground, her voice dripping with mockery.

Her words had an effect, but not the one she expected. The Merciless' hands suddenly surged with power, lifting Diana into the air and hurling her like a sack, sending her crashing to the ground.

The Merciless stood tall, not even breathing hard, his blood-red eyes staring down at Diana, who was glaring at him from the ground. His voice was a low rumble: "It was you."

Diana's back burned with pain, and she spat on the ground. "Impossible. I'd rather die than teach you."

"It's the truth. You'd recognize it."

He turned and grabbed a massive war hammer from the wall.

Diana rolled on the ground, picking up her Sword of Ares and her shield, and charged at him.

"Tell me the truth!"

The Merciless swung his war hammer horizontally, meeting her strike. The two clashed fiercely, their weapons ringing against each other. He had mastered all the Amazonian combat techniques, and her attacks felt to him like nothing more than a lover's quarrel.

As he deflected her strikes from every angle, he calmly continued, "I'm telling you the truth. After I destroyed the gods, I found your sisters. The battle of Themyscira lasted three days. I made sure they died with honor."

"What—" Even though it was Themyscira of another universe, Diana's heart faltered for a moment. She couldn't help but think of her friends and loved ones, whose counterparts existed on that other Earth.

In that brief moment of distraction, the Merciless seized the opportunity. A powerful swing of his hammer struck the side of her face, spinning her like a top in mid-air, sending her flying far away.

She spat blood. Thankfully, her divine protection prevented her head from being blown apart by that strike. Even so, her ears rang, and she couldn't stand up for a moment.

The Merciless let out a deep noise, whether laughter or the sound of him savoring a breath. He hoisted the war hammer onto his shoulder and turned his gaze to a giant gong hanging nearby.

Diana's gaze followed his, but she quickly realized it wasn't a gong at all. It was a giant coin hanging in the air, emblazoned with the Merciless' likeness.

He noticed her stare and explained further: "Your Bruce has his giant coin. I have this—fashioned from the underworld's ferry coins of every Amazon who has ever died. Their souls reside within it, and I reforged them into this massive Drachma."

The Merciless walked step by step toward the enormous coin, raising his war hammer and preparing to strike.

"They will never have a chance at Elysium again. They will fight for me forever! Come forth, Amazonian army, and greet your queen!"

With that, he swung the mighty war hammer towards the coin. The power of the War God surged forth, and as soon as the hammer made contact, the enormous coin exploded with a deafening boom. Instead of summoning an army of ghosts, the coin shattered into dust. The spirits within, like semi-transparent smoke, swirled up into the air and dissipated into the stone ceiling above.

The Merciless was also thrown back nearly a hundred meters by the blast, his blue War God armor scorched and embedded with fragments of gold.

But he was unscathed. These non-metal fragments could perhaps break the War God's armor, but his body was still protected by dark energy.

Diana knelt on one knee, covering her head with her silver bracelets. Though she had been blasted back, she had avoided the shrapnel and shockwave, only suffering increased ringing in her ears.

"How is this possible!" The Merciless picked up his war hammer, his eyes scanning the dark corners of the underground chamber.

But what greeted him was a hail of bullets. The bullets flew in a tight line, accurately striking the lenses of his helmet, with several hitting the exact same spot.

These were no ordinary bullets. The Merciless was well-acquainted with human firearms, knowing they couldn't penetrate the War God's armor. Yet now, the divine artifact was visibly denting under the relentless onslaught.

Unable to withstand it, he immediately raised his war hammer to shield himself, but it was no use. The hammer, a decent weapon in its own right, couldn't block the bullets. It was like trying to pierce butter with a toothpick—the bullets passed through it and struck his head.

But he had achieved his goal. As long as his eyes weren't hit, he could see clearly and look for an opportunity. His mind raced, and he rolled away from the gunfire, taking cover behind a row of display cases.

Diana's eyes widened. Had the War God really been repelled by gunfire? Was she dreaming on the dark tower?

At that moment, a tall figure suddenly appeared beside her, a hand clad in black and yellow armor extending towards her.

"Wonder Pole, I'm here to save you."