(General P.O.V)

(Earth 16)

'On the left, coming in with an energy lance.'

Batman dodged by stepping back. Then emerald light glowed from his back.

Hundreds of green, thorn-tipped tentacles jumped out, tearing apart the Para-demon attacking him.

The world was in crisis.

Owing to the sudden invasion of Apokaliptian forces.

The Justice League had gathered for a final stand in Metropolis.

And the destruction wrought had already surpassed the usual weekly superhero vs supervillain battles.

There was no end to the enemies in sight. No matter how many they put down, more just kept pouring out of the Boom-tubes in the air.

The Emerald Knight's ring glowed, causing the tentacles at his back to extend out into a wide area, grabbing every Para-demon around.

The number was more than several dozen.

Then with a squelching sound, the tentacles ripped the Para-demons to shreds.

Green blood and gore rained down around Batman, his environmental shield keeping his costume from getting stained.

Superman narrowed his eyes after seeing Batman's bloodthirsty dispatch of their opponents.

"Bruce, are you okay? You seem more agitated than usual."

The Man of Steel asked, flying closer to the Emerald Knight.

"I'm fine Clark."

Batman answered, willpower surging around his body.

"This invasion."

He stated, gazing up at the hundreds of Boom-tubes in the air.

"I know how we can end it. I need to close the portals."

Superman jerked his head in a nod.

"You're right. But first we need to evacuate the civi..."

"There is no time. The enemies we face are familiar. At least to the ring."

Batman cut in, using his will to connect with all the Justice League's comm devices.

"They're called Para-demons. And their leader...is Darkseid."

"I know that name..."

Wonder-Woman said, narrowing her eyes.

"The Amazons have protected the World for many eons. In a distant past, my sisters answered the call to defend against him and his horde."

She said, using her Lasso to grab a Para-demon.

"I never thought he would be back. Maybe if we interrogate one of them we can find out where Darkse-."

Wonder Woman was cut off in the middle of her statement, as Batman suddenly and without warning, took off toward the sky.

"Aaand he's gone. Sorry D."

Flash patted Wonder Woman on her shoulder.

"Was it just me or is he... different?"

Green Arrow enquired.

"With everything that's happened...can you blame him?"

Canary pitched in.

Now everyone was watching the sky, staring at the fading trail of green light that was the Emerald Knight.

"We've lost so much. J'onn, Hal... I'm afraid we might lose him too."

Black Canary added in a solemn tone.

"And it's all that damn ring's fault."

(Elsewhere)

In the ethereal realm known as the Threshold, where the boundaries of desire blur and twist like a mirage, a monologue of twisted introspection echoed through the air.

It was a discourse on the concept of Loving God, one that delved far deeper than the mere yearning for physical desires or the need for companionship that mortals across creation so ardently sought.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

"A love that goes deeper than familial bonds," the voice mused, its tone both haunting and contemplative.

"Such love is not selfless like a mother's, it's selfish like a rejected lover's. Needy like a neglected child. Possessive. Greedy."

As these words danced through the chamber, a slow and haunting orchestral melody filled the air.

A misty veil of desire shrouded the surroundings.

The chamber's walls, crafted from clear glass, offered a view into a surreal, pinkish cloudy expanse beyond.

In the center of this chamber lay a pool, its waters shimmering with a golden hue.

Within, an androgynous figure with jet-black hair as dark as midnight and eyes as sharp as a cat's gaze, swam with languid strokes.

This was Desire, a being with an allure so captivating it bordered on the unnatural.

Beside the pool, seated upon a rickety chair that groaned under her weight, was Desire's twin, Despair.

She observed her sibling's monologue with a detached and melancholic expression. Occasionally she would jot down something in the coloring book she held in her hands.

"A craving that cannot be denied," Desire continued, their lips curling into a smug smirk that enhanced their already otherworldly beauty. "It's wrong. So dreadfully wrong yet burns with a passion hotter than the flames of hell."

Desire rose from the liquid, splashing the golden pool around, and droplets trickled down their perfectly sculpted form.

Their voice rose, gradually shifting from seductive to deranged and manic.

"I will love you more than a mother can love a child. I will love you more than a man can love a woman. I will love you more than anything can! I WILL MAKE YOU MINE GOD! I WILL SHOW TRUE DESIRE! THE LIMIT OF WANT! AN EXPLOSION OF PLEASURE! A TASTE OF TRUE DEPRAVITY. I WILL LOVE YOU MORE THAN YOU LOVE THEM!!!"

Their voice quivered with madness.

As they spoke these words, their appearance began to deteriorate.

Desire's once-flawless features contorted into a grotesque visage, with pus, boils, and blisters emerging across his skin.

He grew emaciated, with bones protruding beneath the rash-afflicted surface.

His golden eyes transformed into a pale, milky white with flecks of gray, while his mouth decayed into a grotesque array of rotten teeth.

With a maniacal laugh, he declared, "You will not scorn me anymore! I will have you! You will be mine!"

Silence reigned as the Orchestral melody finally reached its end.

All that could be heard was the gentle laps of the golden liquid against the pool's edge.

And...an incessant scribbling.

"Stop that annoying sound Despair. You almost ruined my monologue."

Desire admonished her.

Despair, chastised by her brother's outburst, dropped her coloring book and retreated into herself.

She stammered apologies, unable to articulate her thoughts.

Desire sighed.

"Save it. I know you're sorry. But you can't help what you are."

Desire, still gazing at the heavens through the Threshold, muttered to himself, "Just like I can't help what I am."

A self-derisive giggle escaped his lips as he covered his face with his hand.

He turned to look at his reflection in the pool.

"To think... my tainted desire... would turn me into such a loathsome and hideous form."

The ugliest thing he'd ever seen stared back at him. It made his cold heart burn with the flames of hatred.

Breathing out, Desire closed his eyes, falling back into the pool.

"Nothing another dip into the Ichor won't fix."

The liquid churned as he submerged himself, ichor passing over skin and rejuvenating.

Within no time, Desire had returned to their perfect form.

Yet, despite the flawless exterior, there was no joy in his expression. "Even the blood of a God-King is losing its effect. I can feel myself changing into that... thing once more,"

he muttered with the first hints of frustration in his tone.

But then, a slow and wicked smile crept onto his face.

"Despair, oh dear sister," Desire called out as he emerged from the pool, golden Ichor cascading from his divine form.

"I believe it's time we brought this show to a curtain fall. Our little pet project has finally left the nest! The egg has hatched!"

Despair eyes wide with surprise asked,

"You mean, Dav- Davi- Da--"

"Yes."

Desire impatiently interrupted.

"Our little nephew has spread his wings. He's ready for his Destiny."

"What about Death and Dream? They will figure out you're behi- be- behi- hi-"

Despair started stuttering again.

"So what if they do? I have you."

Desire replied, smiling down at her wolfishly, in all his naked glory.

Despair looked away shyly.

"I- I- I..."

"You will finally get to use your coloring book. Our siblings will be in awe of what you can create, little sister."

He said, kneeling before her and caressing the cover of the coloring book in her hands.

Despair blinked, naked desire apparent on her face.

"Just imagine...your greatest wish... your secret desire. to be acknowledged. To be seen. To be...admired and loved...and all you have to do, is show them the beauty of your creations, Despair. Show them the art and thought you pour into it..."

Despair's hand tightened on the coloring book.

"Do you- do you think they will really like it?"

"But of course...why wouldn't they?"

Desire responded in a sickeningly sweet tone, golden eyes glinting with a secret only he knew.

Behind him, steam rose out of the golden pool.

On the farthest side of the wall, lying on the steps to enter the pool, were bodies.

Corpses that belonged to...Dead Gods.

Female and male, beast and humanoid.

From different cultures and various pantheons.

These Divine Beings had their throats cut, with the blood flowing into the Ichor pool.

Out of all these corpses, one stood out in particular.

With silver hair and a full beard stained with Ichor, Zeus' body was speared to the wall, his own lightning bolt stabbed through his chest.

(Davian's P.O.V)

Bleach.

I still can't believe I'm here.

I mean, Bleach was my favorite Anime show out of all the ones Nick had tried to get me to watch.

"Itadakimasu."

I said with a smile at the waiter, receiving the steaming hot bowl of Ramen.

You couldn't come to Japan, no matter which version it was, and not try out the food. Especially Ramen.

The waiter smiled before excusing himself.

I grabbed the chopsticks and got to work eating.

The first taste was glorious, filling my mouth with various flavors that meshed so well! And the broth was just... heavenly.

"You're sure you don't want anything?"

I asked my silent companion.

"I have no need for-"

"Sustenance yeah yeah, you said that already."

I rolled my eyes.

"But neither do I and you can clearly see me stuffing my face."

Manhattan said nothing.

He'd been gloomier than usual ever since I told him I didn't give two flying Fucks about creating existence or whatever it was he meant.

The both of us were inside a Ramen shop in the market district of Karakura town.

Of course the sight of a huge blue man and a tall African-American with silver hair and a sword on his hip walking into a restaurant, was bound to grab attention.

So I applied Reishi around the both of us to disguise our true appearance.

To everyone inside, we were just two normal looking office guys.

Urahara's shop wasn't far from the Ramen Shop (which is the reason I initially picked this particular Ramen shop) and from here, that's where we were headed to.

I couldn't pass on the chance to meet the guy and maybe get some more information on Kido.