Multiverse: Deathstroke-Chapter 478: Dressed as American Ginseng

"This sword is for Earth!"

Mera, with Barry's help, swung her weapon and charged at the Flood Demon, which was spewing purple seawater from the battlefield's edge.

The massive monster had already burst through the tomb's ceiling, leaving only part of its body visible below.

The water it spat out was like a purple waterfall from beyond the stars, roaring as it cascaded down, rapidly raising the water level in the tomb.

But when the Hard-Water Sword, laced with the Tears of Extinction, sliced through its body, it was like a paddle stirring up waves.

The monster collapsed with a thunderous crash.

Like ordinary liquid, it could no longer hold its form. The Flood Demon, much like a lizard shedding its tail, kept severing its poisoned parts.

The Tears of Extinction spread too quickly within it. The massive wave writhed before them, tearing itself apart.

This strike didn't kill the Flood Demon, but it could only wail in agony now, unable to spew more seawater. It even shrank its size, seeking more room to dodge.

"It's working!" Barry shouted gleefully.

He didn't know what this black liquid was, but with just a light slash, it had smoothly resolved a problem even Superman couldn't handle before.

The flooding stopped.

But the Queen of the Seabed wouldn't let it go so easily. Instead of chasing the shrunken Flood Demon, she seized the moment while the Speed Force still coursed through her, driving her sword straight into Ocean Master's gut.

Ocean Master's armor had been shattered by Su Ming earlier, and now he'd somehow scrounged up a similar-looking set.

But its defensive value was next to nothing. Underwater races typically went bare-chested or wore light armor—even the alien sea gods' gear was more decorative than functional.

Pain and panic flashed across Ocean Master's face as the concept of annihilation surged through his body with the water currents.

"No!"

He reached out, grabbed the sword, and yanked it from his body, summoning every ounce of divine power. By then, the Speed Force had faded from Mera, and Ocean Master's torrent struck her dead-on, sending her flying.

Barry caught Mera, keeping her from falling into the enemy horde.

Ocean Master didn't press the counterattack. Not only had that strike wounded him gravely, but more importantly, he was terrified of the Tears of Extinction.

"Retreat! We're retreating!"

After blasting Mera away, Ocean Master clutched his injured stomach, staggering back unsteadily. "They've got a weapon that can counter us. We can't face them head-on." ƒreewebɳovel.com

Once the Earthlings had the Tears of Extinction, Ocean Master was out of moves. Add a Kryptonian and a speedster to the mix, and that sinful liquid became the ultimate killer.

"What? In another minute or two, the Flash will turn into a fishman. I've got a way to handle the Kryptonian—we don't need to retreat!" Black Manta stared at Ocean Master in disbelief, eyeing this weathered alien sea god.

He couldn't fathom why the other was so cowardly.

The Flood Demon wasn't dead. Though it couldn't drown Superman and the others with seawater directly, it could still erect barriers to protect Ocean Master and Black Manta.

And Superman was currently under siege—he wouldn't hold out much longer.

Too bad Black Manta didn't call the shots. The fish-tooth collar controlling the Flood Demon still hung around Ocean Master's neck. With a single gesture, the purple-green sea beast opened a portal in its mouth.

"This isn't up for debate, Black Manta. Know your place."

Ocean Master was loyal enough to grab Black Manta as he withdrew, though he threw in a reprimand for good measure.

They were gods, after all. Whatever they said, Black Manta should just listen—no opinions needed.

Even if Black Manta became the new Sea King, he'd still answer to the three gods.

"My place is right here—no! I—"

Black Manta didn't finish before Ocean Master's strength overwhelmed him. Even gravely injured, the alien sea god's divine power was beyond mortal resistance.

In a vortex of purple and green, speckled with star-like glimmers, the two vanished in a flash, and the Flood Demon dissipated like mist.

They'd retreated, leaving a massive horde of Earth's fishified heroes to cover their escape.

As former comrades piled into a frenzied human wall, charging recklessly, neither Barry nor Superman could bring themselves to strike hard and break through. They could only watch as the sea god and Black Manta fled.

Barry pulled Mera back, and the trio huddled within the Hard-Water Barrier, trying to break out of the tomb.

But it was too hard. Fishified Zatanna's power had surged, hurling a barrage of magic their way, all countered by Mera alone.

Mera held her sword in one hand, the Godhorn in the other, and maintained the Hard-Water Barrier—all while utterly exhausted.

The faint traces of the Tears of Extinction lingering in Arian's bones rose like wisps of smoke, defying physics as they poured into the conch.

The conch quickly shifted from blue to yellow, radiating intense light, though what emanated most was a thick black mist.

"I can feel it—a power of annihilation flowing through my hands. It's dark, dangerous, but right now, it's useful."

She advanced under the protection of the two men, speaking to Barry with a hint of panic.

This liquid seemed to affect the mind, filling a person with a thirst for destruction. The unfamiliar sensation unsettled even Mera.

She hoped Barry, a scientist, could offer some rational explanation.

But matters of rules, gods, and magic were far beyond Barry's expertise.

Plus, after constantly using the Speed Force, Barry's fishification had spread to half his body. His left hand was now a teal lobster claw, his mind filled with the sound of ocean tides.

So Barry could only dash within the Hard-Water Barrier's small radius, shoving back encroaching fishmen, unable to answer Mera's questions.

"Useful is good enough."

That's all Barry could muster before pushing away a fishified Firestorm and knocking back a shark-man on the other side.

Superman was nearly pinned down by a barrage of magic, his only counter being heat vision. "Our friends have all turned into fish, Barry. We need a plan."

"If only I had one." The Flash rolled his eyes, his lobster arm tearing his costume. "I'm fighting the transformation with everything I've got, but I can feel my mind slipping—they're about to control me."

"There is a way: find those alien sea gods and kill them!"

Mera gritted her teeth. The attacks around them were too dense, with endless purple seawater closing in. Forget advancing—holding their ground outside the main tomb chamber was a struggle.

The enemies multiplied, and the situation worsened. The fishmen pressed against the Hard-Water Barrier as if intent on bursting it.

Suddenly, a figure in a yellow-and-black uniform leaped onto the barrier, stepping over the surrounding fishmen. Before Barry could cheer, he saw it was a fish-headed monster—not a friend.

It was the main universe's Deathstroke, somehow turned into a fishman, now stabbing at the barrier's interior with his promethium greatsword.

The specially forged, magic-resistant weapon was razor-sharp, piercing the Hard-Water Barrier. Superman had to catch the blade barehanded to stop it.

But that left even less strength to fend off enemies from other directions. The trio were like bugs in a blue bubble—one pop, and the water would drown them.

"For the first time, I wish I had fewer friends," Barry said, eyeing Deathstroke with a shiver.

Thankfully, this wasn't an alternate-world Deathstroke—his abilities were still limited.

But tragically, even so, a master fighter with a good weapon posed a massive threat in this situation.

Mera couldn't speak anymore. She was pouring everything into holding the barrier, unsure how long she could last. She was exhausted—collapse loomed at any moment.

But as the trio fell silent, grimly holding on, Barry saw another figure leap onto the Hard-Water Barrier.

This guy... looked unfamiliar.

The newcomer wore a red, blue, and white uniform, holding a pentastar shield—just short of draping the American flag over himself.

He, too, had a fishman head, clearly a corrupted hero.

But Barry was certain he'd never seen this character in the main universe. Someone this flashy, wearing the flag, would've been famous.

As Barry scrambled, the "flag-wearer" fishman patted the "Deathstroke-fish" cutting the barrier, like a buddy tapping a shoulder.

It seemed to say, "Step aside, I've got this."

But the moment the native Deathstroke turned, the stranger smashed him with a shield strike. The Deathstroke-fish flew back instantly.

Even underwater, he soared nearly a hundred meters, crashing into the tomb passage's wall, leaving a human-shaped crater before being buried under falling rubble.

The new fishman's shoulders shook a few times, as if laughing, before launching a ferocious assault on the surroundings.

Yes, Barry could only describe it as ferocious. Not just the punches and kicks sending foes flying hundreds of meters, but even the way he bashed people with his shield while tanking magic was downright brutal.

If anyone could charge through nearly a hundred fishified heroes, Barry couldn't think of who else it might be.

A Kryptonian, maybe? Or Darkseid debuting as a do-gooder?

The guy's hand-to-hand skills looked plain, his entire style revolving around the shield. For some reason, just watching this fighting method felt like stepping onto a World War II battlefield.

Fishification this obvious, yet he seemed to be helping the trio—could his will be that strong?

But as the fight wore on, his armor inevitably took damage.

Barry, expecting blood or wounds and feeling a bit worried, instead saw a layer of unscathed yellow-black metal beneath the armor.

Barry: "..."

Sure enough, it was another isekai Deathstroke, always up to bizarre antics. This fishification was probably a disguise too.

Su Ming caught Barry's deadpan look and knew he'd been found out. He had Stranglehold drop the Captain America-style disguise, reverting to his true form to keep fighting the heroes.

He'd wanted to save them in a shining, heroic image—see if wearing stars and stripes earned extra goodwill points.

But with Barry seeing through him, the game was up. These fishified foes could actually land hits on him—they had some skill.