Hearing the massive blast echo across the farm, Dio didn’t dare look back.
He finally understood his father’s courage.
It wasn’t a reckless charge, but choosing to stand in front of the ones he loved even while knowing full well the danger.
Gritting his teeth, Dio grabbed Clark by the arm.
“Hang in there, big guy.
Let’s move!”
Nodding weakly, Clark let the unseen entity help support him as they moved toward the tractor.
An unnatural bluish-gray hue crept onto his fingertips; every step he took seemed to drain the last of his strength.
The metallic monster broke out of the ruin, seeming to sense their intentions.
It suddenly let out another harsh, metallic shriek, and the Kryptonite embedded in its chest flared with a vivid green light!
*Hummm!*
A visible wave of green energy rippled outward.
Clark let out a muffled groan as his knees buckled, nearly collapsing onto the ground.
“Clark!” Dio cried out.
Together with The The World, he hauled Clark forward, stumbling recklessly toward the tractor.
Through the curtain of rain, the intense green radiance surged repeatedly, casting an eerie, flickering light across the entire farm.
*Hummm!*
“ORA!”
The monster emitted a sound of screeching, twisting metal that bordered on a scream.
Taking advantage of the opening, Dio finally dragged Clark into the tractor.
With trembling hands, he turned the key, forcing the old engine to life with a raspy roar.
The tractor surged forward, its chugging engine drowning out the monster’s howls.
Dio couldn’t help but look back once.
Star Platinum was leaping high into the air, its fist smashing toward the top of the monster’s head with terrifying force.
Behind it, Rock had blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, yet he was still smiling.
That smile seemed to say: *Don’t worry, son.
Your old man will always be your old man.*
“Hold on…
just hold on…” Watching Rock’s solitary silhouette standing in the rain, Dio gripped the steering wheel tight enough to crush it.
“I’ll be right back, Dad…”
He sped roaring into the downpour.
Behind the tractor—
The metallic monster’s shrieks mixed with Star Platinum’s battle cries as purple shadows of fists collided furiously with green radiation in the pitch-black night!
“Yare yare daze…”
“You really just won’t die, will you?”
Staring at the monster, which had halted and seemed to be in a standoff with him, Rock paused.
A smirk curved his lips.
“Star Platinum!
The The World!”
Time ground to a halt.
Raindrops froze midair, and the flash of lightning hardened into a pale white fracture in the sky.
In this static The World, only Star Platinum transformed into a purple afterimage, charging at the monster with speed beyond all limits!
0.5 seconds!
The purple fist carved a dazzling arc through the suspended rain, striking the Kryptonite on the monster’s chest with a sonic boom!
Rock wasn’t an idiot.
If time was stopped, why wouldn’t he strike the weak point?
“ORA!”
Spiderweb cracks spread rapidly across the monster’s body.
Countless metal fragments shattered and rained onto the ground with a loud clatter.
In an instant, the creature shrank from over three or four meters tall down to around two meters!
*Hummm!*
Letting out a metallic screech of pain, the monster stumbled backward several steps and slammed into the outer wall of the barn, causing the wooden structure to collapse instantly.
Splinters flew through the rain like white streaks, a few grazing Rock’s cheek and leaving faint bloody scratches.
Yet he didn’t flinch.
His eyes remained locked on the struggling, roaring entity.
“ROAR!”
With a deafening bellow, the Kryptonite on WXR9’s chest burst with blinding green light!
The scattered metal fragments snapped back together as if pulled by a magnetic force, instantly forming dozens of razor-sharp metal tentacles in front of it that shot toward Rock like venomous vipers!
“Hmph!”
Rock snorted coldly, disdain flashing in his eyes.
Trying the same trick twice?
“Star Platinum!”
Star Platinum flashed into existence, its dual fists blurring into a whirlwind of shadows—
“ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!!!”
*BOOM!*
*BOOM!*
*BOOM!*
Intermingled with rolling thunder, a series of crisp, metallic detonations exploded in the pouring rain!
Every incoming tentacle burst into pieces the moment it made contact with the purple barrage of punches, sending silver metal shreds spraying across the rain like fireworks!
Yet the shattered metallic debris wriggled on the ground like living creatures, attempting to merge once more.
“It’s useless,” Rock said, taking a step forward.
He pointed one finger ahead as Star Platinum dropped into a combat stance.
“If I could blow you to scrap a month ago…
I can blow you up again today!”
*Hummm!*
Right as Rock finished speaking, the monster made a bone-chilling move.
It slowly raised its ‘arm’, drawing the scattered metal fragments back into midair to reassemble into a giant, jagged scythe!
Rain dripped down its razor-sharp edge.
Illuminated by the sickly green glow of the Kryptonite, the entire weapon exuded a heavy aura of death.
Rock narrowed his eyes.
*Snap!*
Flipping his wrist, he pulled a military detonator from his waist.
*The The World!*
Catching the detonator with absolute precision, Star Platinum hurled it forward.
The fuse sizzled violently against the pouring rain!
*Swish!*
Slicing through suspended droplets of water, the detonator flew straight toward the Kryptonite on the monster’s chest!
Time resumed.
WXR9 frantically raised its metal scythe to block, but Star Platinum shifted tactics instantly—
“ORA!”
A heavy purple punch struck the joint of the scythe, forcing open a clear path for the detonator!
*BOOM!*
Amid the fiery blast, countless new cracks spiderwebbed across the Kryptonite’s surface!
The monster emitted a shrill metallic wail and stumbled backward.
As for Rock…
“For a farmer to carry a few explosives…”
“That’s perfectly reasonable, right?”
Star Platinum struck with both fists simultaneously—
The left fist smashed the reassembling metal tentacles to pieces!
The right fist shoved the detonators deep into the gaps of the monster’s joints!
“This is art…
and art is…”
Spitting out the last burning fuse, a cold light flashed in Rock’s eyes.
“AN EXPLOSION!”
*BOOM!*
A sequence of blinding white flashes lit up the ruined barn like midday.
Countless metal fragments rained down like molten iron within the blaze!
At some point, the rain had stopped.
Moonlight broke through the cracks in the clouds, casting a silver ribbon of light across the ground.
Rock lay on his back in the mud, his brown curly hair caked with sludge and metal splinters, his chest heaving violently.
“Haha…”
Panting heavily, he turned his head to look beside him—
A tiny pool of silver liquid—less than thirty milliliters—was still writhing, shrinking slowly like a dying organism.
The Kryptonite shard was completely dimmed, its green luminescence entirely gone.
“All that big commotion…” Rock rasped with a light chuckle, “only to be made of such a tiny scrap…”
“It really is…”
He raised an arm to cover his eyes, his lips curving into a tired arc.
“…amazing.”
Come to think of it, those two kids were probably crying up a storm right now; Jonathan and Martha were bound to have a major headache.
Amused, he let out a quiet laugh.
Thinking of everyone who might be worrying about him, Rock commanded Star Platinum to lift him up.
Just as he stood up, though—
*Pitter-patter.*
A droplet fell from the damaged eaves of the barn, splashing into the mud puddle before him.
Then came a second drop, then a third…
Except Rock could tell…
Those weren’t raindrops at all.
They were the light taps of boot heels against wooden planks.
*Those guys found their way here already?!*
Every muscle in his body tensed instantly.
Enduring a splitting headache, Rock commanded Star Platinum to assume a battle stance.
“Easy there, kid.
Relax.”
A raspy voice drifted down from above.
Under the moonlight, a tall silhouette squatted on the barn’s snapped crossbeam, the hem of a leather trench coat swaying gently in the night wind.
“Not a bad tactical display.”
The man had a cigarette dangling from his mouth, his graying hair pulled back into a short ponytail.
“By the way…”
He stood up slowly, a faint, ominous pressure wafting from him.
“That power you used just now to push away the monster’s scythe…”
“Was that telekinesis?”