AM I SUPERMAN?

While Fiorah laid waste to Bane's army in a brutal onslaught, Kaius pressed his assault against Ares, the God of War, with unrelenting fury.

Ares narrowly evaded Kaius's scorching heat vision by teleporting away, reappearing a short distance away in a flash of divine energy. However, before he could gather his bearings, a deafening boom erupted behind him.

Faster than sound, Kaius's fist struck like a thunderclap.

Howl!

His punch descended from the heavens, shaking the skies and splitting the air like a storm's fury. The force was akin to a high-speed train colliding with a car stuck on the tracks. Ares was thrown backward as if caught in a raging hurricane. His divine aura flickered, desperately trying to counter the overwhelming power, but it was futile. His body was hurled across the battlefield, carving a massive trench into the ground as debris flew in all directions.

But Kaius wasn't finished. Moving faster than the eye could follow, he broke the sound barrier and appeared behind Ares in an instant. He spun sharply, his right leg snapping out like an iron whip.

Huh!

The impact sent Ares hurtling into the sky, only for gravity to pull him back down. He crashed into the sports stadium, obliterating steel beams and concrete supports in a thunderous explosion.

Amidst the rubble, Ares slowly rose. His once-pristine armor was torn to shreds, revealing his skin crackling with arcs of divine blue energy. The battlefield seemed to respond to his power. Large chunks of steel debris floated into the air as if gravity itself had been undone.

Ares extended his arms, and the surrounding materials rushed toward him, disassembling and reassembling into a new form.

Clang!

The sound of metal echoed as an iron helmet, adorned with sharp, curved horns, formed over his head. Ares adjusted the visor with two fingers, finalizing the fearsome design of his blood-soaked war armor.

"Mortal, you cannot kill a god! Only another god can kill a god!" Ares roared, his voice reverberating like a storm. His bloodshot eyes gleamed with fury as veins pulsed with divine energy along his arms. He crouched low, muscles coiled like a predator ready to strike, and unleashed a deafening blast of divine power.

Howl!

The night sky above Gotham was split by a brilliant lightning bolt that surged like a divine spear, illuminating the entire city. The electrified spear, radiating Ares' might, pierced through the darkness and hurtled toward Kaius at blinding speed.

"Who says mortals can't kill gods?" Kaius countered coldly, his voice steady and filled with resolve. "I have divine power too!"

Silver lightning danced around his clenched fist, crackling with intensity. These weren't ordinary bolts—they were manifestations of Kaius's own divine magic. His power, rooted in his connection with Diana, came from the Wonder Woman card still equipped in the system's secondary slot.

Thanks to their bond, Diana's divine magic had doubled its potency within Kaius, imbuing him with unparalleled strength. Although he lacked Ares' mastery over magic, his ability to weaponize it was more than enough to turn the tide of battle.

The divine spear of lightning closed in, but Kaius didn't flinch. He stepped into the air with absolute precision and swung his fist down in a devastating arc. The punch collided with the spear midair, resulting in a blinding explosion.

Boom!

The sky ignited with light as their energies clashed, creating shockwaves that illuminated Gotham like a second sunrise. The impact point became a radiant epicenter of power, visible to every citizen below. Many gazed upward, awestruck, believing this cosmic spectacle heralded the arrival of a savior.

Diana, still guarding the nuclear reactor below, watched the battle unfold above. Her divine senses felt the magnitude of the clash. From Kaius's fist, light radiated outward, dispelling the darkness over the battlefield. For a moment, time seemed to pause.

But Kaius wasn't finished. He surged forward, breaking the sound barrier as he accelerated toward Ares. Every second closed the distance between them, his power growing with each stride.

Ares, watching this unfold, felt a pang of dread. He had underestimated Kaius's strength.

The ancient god's face twisted in disbelief. "Impossible," he muttered. His vast experience as the God of War had exposed him to countless battles, yet Kaius defied every expectation. He was not only powerful—he was overwhelming.

But Ares noticed a potential weakness: magic resistance.

"Physical invulnerability," Ares thought, his mind racing. "But no defense against magic… That is their Achilles' heel!"

He had studied Superman, lurking in Clark's shadow and attempting to manipulate him with spiritual inducement. Yet Clark's will was as unyielding as steel, impervious to Ares' mental assaults. Batman, on the other hand, had been more susceptible due to his inherent distrust of Superman, allowing Ares to sow discord. But even then, Superman's unwavering positivity negated most of Ares' influence.

"A mortal who resists even divine persuasion," Ares thought bitterly. "But magic… that is where they fall."

However, when Kaius unleashed his divine power—power that rivaled Ares himself—the God of War felt a chill of doubt.

And now, as Kaius shattered Ares' Spear of Lightning with a single, devastating punch, the god's disbelief turned into panic.

"This… this is impossible," Ares thought, his heart sinking. The divine power radiating from Kaius wasn't just overwhelming—it was familiar.

Ares' voice trembled with anger and confusion as he bellowed, "Mortal, how do you possess divine power? And… Zeus' thunder magic?!"

The implication hit him like a hammer: Zeus' power coursed through Kaius's veins.

Ares' thoughts raced in chaotic disbelief. "Lying down!" he raged internally. "How many illegitimate children does my father have?!"

His emotions flashed across his face—anger, frustration, doubt, and the raw humiliation of being overpowered. But his pride as a god refused to let him falter. With a guttural roar, Ares poured even more divine power into his next attack, determined to remind Kaius why gods ruled over mortals.

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