At night, the fireworks display caused by the nuclear explosion continued to stir unrest.
Bardi carried Diana from space, pierced through the atmosphere, and flew back to Earth.
Under the moonlight, the glass exterior of the Emperor Building shimmered like breathing fish scales. The reflection of the bright moon gave the building a faint glow in the darkness.
At the top floor, the composite light-absorbing glass roof opened directly. Bardi, like a meteor, descended through the friction-heated air, shooting into the top level.
His figure came to a sudden stop, hovering mid-air. The heat from his high-speed descent dissipated quickly. His black hair fluttered, the hem of his trench coat swayed violently, and a wave of air rippled outward before gradually calming.
Landing on the ground, Bardi glanced around the top-floor residence. Noticing that Raven and Pamela were not present, he left.
Stripping Diana completely, he handed her over to one of the research Heras. She was imprisoned, and a file was established to begin studying the divine energy and structure within her body.
Following this, Bardi descended to the 390th floor, his personal office.
He summoned the supreme commander of the Kryptonian Legion, Ultra.
When Bardi obtained the Kryptonian spacecraft, two infants—a boy and a girl—were in the process of being genetically engineered. Otto, the male child, had been implanted with high-level genes, comparable to those of General Zod. Over the past decade, he had become the commander of the Kryptonian Legion and was considered the highest-potential genetic warrior among all those catalyzed.
The female child, on the other hand, had been given a body through the injection of data from the Hera artificial intelligence.
"Your Majesty, their actions are unforgivable!"
Otto's face was stern. His tall, powerful frame knelt on one knee atop the soft carpet, his expression filled with anger. Bardi had designed him for absolute loyalty, incapable of tolerating any offense against His Majesty.
The veins on Otto's square jawline bulged faintly with fury. His fists pressed firmly against the carpet as he knelt, looking up at Bardi, unable to suppress the rage burning in his chest. His desire to unleash his heat vision and burn the offenders to ashes was barely contained.
"Yes. The war has begun."
Bardi spoke lightly, smiling as he did.
"Otto, select fifty thousand Kryptonian warriors. Carrier fleet permissions are open. You will lead the attack on Atlantis. I want all of Atlantis under my control."
Otto's body trembled with excitement. His eyes lit up fiercely as he shouted, "Yes, Your Majesty!"
His genetic makeup included aggressive traits, giving him an intense passion for conquest and war.
"Go. I will have the Magic Academy allocate thirty thousand sets of anti-magic armor to your forces," Bardi added calmly.
"Your Majesty will not be disappointed!"
Otto pounded his chest with his right fist in the Kryptonian gesture of military oath, his face solemn with resolve.
Without another word, he turned and strode away to assemble his troops, receive the mothership, and prepare for the invasion of Atlantis.
After Otto departed, a ten-year-old girl with soft, round features, wearing a sheep-patterned nightdress, sleepily pushed open the door to Bardi's office. She leaned her head lazily against the sofa.
This was Hera.
Unlike Otto's accelerated genetic growth, Hera had chosen natural development, experiencing the full process of life from infancy to adulthood to better understand what it meant to be human.
"What are you doing? The teacher said to go to bed early. Tomorrow we're supposed to go to Metropolis Park for a field trip."
Little Hera squinted her sleepy eyes, her legs kicking lightly. Her bare calves pushed up the hem of her nightgown as she curled up sideways on the sofa, yawning lazily.
At ten years old, Hera was still attending school.
Bardi found amusement in this. Hera's experience of life had been designed with extraordinary thoroughness.
"Summon two hundred thousand Kryptonian warriors and super-powered gene soldiers. I will have the Ravens support you. Surround Paradise Island and observe their reaction before making the next move."
As Bardi spoke, he approached Hera and gently adjusted her disheveled nightdress, smoothing out the wrinkles. She looked neat, adorable, and well-groomed. Bardi nodded in satisfaction.
But Hera suddenly bounced up, energized. Her skirt, freshly arranged by Bardi, wrinkled again. The baby fat on her cheeks made her look especially innocent, but her words were mature.
"What about the Olympian gods behind Paradise Island?"
"It doesn't matter," Bardi replied calmly. "I have tested Diana's strength. I am confident I can unify the Earth."
He sat down beside Hera, pressing her head gently onto his thigh, letting her lie back on the sofa. His fingers combed through her messy hair, smoothing it carefully.
Diana was a reliable benchmark for gauging the strength of the Olympian gods. Even the stronger ones would not significantly surpass her. Those weaker than Diana were of no concern at all.
Moreover, Bardi possessed the Green Lantern ring. Combined with his Kryptonian physique, he had no weaknesses.
"Fine. I will try to persuade them to surrender. After all, the Amazons are a valuable resource. They could become an important force for future battles across the universe."
Little Hera leaned against Bardi's thigh, nodding with a mature air.
"In addition, execute the upper echelons of the dozens of countries that launched the nuclear strikes. Have our agents take control of their governments. Do not fear civil unrest."
Bardi's voice remained soft, his fingers never stopping as he gently combed Hera's hair.
"In war, there will always be sacrifices."
Little Hera nodded again, her reply quiet but certain. This could have been done long ago. They had only delayed to ensure a smooth transition, placing agents deep within each government to minimize resistance.
But now, the timing was perfect. The unification of the world had entered its decisive phase.
After witnessing Diana's strength firsthand, Bardi had no more doubts.
Little Hera, processing millions of calculations through her direct connection to the central Hera AI system, began to feel tired. Though she was artificial, her living body required rest.
As Bardi gave the order, she had already linked to the central system, beginning the deployment of personnel to execute the commands.
Bardi's gaze softened as he gently stroked Hera's hair.
Soon.
Bardi carried the sleeping Hera back to the top-floor residence, tucked her into bed, and covered her with a blanket before quietly leaving.
Afterward, Bardi headed to Pamela's Plant Kingdom on the 392nd floor, then brought her to Raven's Magic Academy.
The so-called Magic Academy was, in truth, a fusion of various magical weapons and technologies from Azarath, adapted for Bardi's use.
Over the past decade, Raven had become a key logistics officer, supplying magical equipment and crafting anti-magic gear for the Kryptonian Legion.
Bardi ordered them to prepare for battle, spending a moment with both Pamela and Raven before moving on.
He then descended to the fourteenth sublevel below ground, where he extracted Jenny's bionic body—a near-perfect replica, 95 percent identical to the original. It was enough to serve as a replacement, allowing him to restore Jenny.
Bardi placed Jenny's bionic body into his personal storage space, preserving it carefully.
With all preparations complete, Bardi turned and made his way toward The Flash.
(To be continued.)
***
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