American comics: Praising the sun, starting from Gotham!

Injustice Universe, Washington, D.C.

The Washington Monument stands silently.

High above, two figures floated silently.

Their figures were shrouded in a faint golden light, blocking all detection from the world below.

"Wow, the scenery here is really nice."

Hugh sat cross-legged in the air, his elbows resting on his knees, like a tourist on a picnic, looking down at the entire National Mall with great interest.

His gaze passed over the reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial and finally landed on Capitol Hill.

"Look, Clark, that's our target."

Shuen pointed to the red figure wearing a white cloak on the top of Capitol Hill.

"That guy who's giving that impassioned speech is my second sacrifice today."

Clark Kent hovered beside Shuen, his eyes, which should have been as clear as the blue sky, now filled with sorrow.

His super vision penetrated through layers of buildings, and his super hearing captured countless tiny corners of the city.

"I saw a bakery three blocks away where two former neighbors were fighting over the ownership of the last loaf of bread."

Clark's voice was strained.

"I heard a mother singing a lullaby to her child in the underground shelter, but her own heart was pounding with fear of whether there would be any food tomorrow."

"I can even smell the scent that permeates the air of this city—despair."

This god from another, brighter universe closed his eyes, as if he could not bear to look any longer.

"What on earth happened here, Shuen?"

He asked softly, as if he were asking a friend beside him, or perhaps asking himself.

Why did he become like this? Why did a symbol that should have brought hope end up creating such a hell on earth?

"Oh, that one."

Shum listened attentively to Clark's emotional remarks.

His focus was entirely on something else.

"It's very simple."

Shuen spoke in the tone of a food critic evaluating ingredients.

"Just like you said, a loaf of bread can start a fight, and a lullaby can't bring peace, which means the world is sick."

"And that guy."

"It is one of the complications spawned by this diseased world. It is the embodiment of the disease of hypocrisy."

"Look at him."

"Every word he uttered was a hymn to peace, order, and holiness, yet his power was built upon the fear and despair of the people. This paradox makes the source of his energy very interesting."

"Try it."

Xiu En smacked his lips.

"It's probably like bitter melon coated in honey; it's extremely sweet at first taste, but leaves an endless bitter aftertaste. The texture is very rich, making it a decent dessert."

The sunflower complained on his shoulder.

"That stuff smells like over-fertilized, rotten roots—pungent and greasy. Are you sure you want to eat it?"

"Just kidding, these are offerings. I said I wouldn't eat them before they were offered."

Clark listened to the chilling conversation between Hugh and Ivy.

"Xiu En..."

Clark attempted a final effort.

"They are lives, not food. Billy was just a kid, and I can sense that he was once a good person; he was just misled by Injustice Superman."

"I know, I know."

Xiu En waved his hand, indicating that he understood.

"It's like a good apple being placed among a pile of rotten apples; eventually, it rots too, right?"

"But he's rotten, Clark. A rotten apple can't be eaten; it's only good for fertilizer."

Shuen stood up and patted Clark on the shoulder, as if comforting a little boy who was saddened by a crooked tree.

"And you've got the point wrong."

Xiu En pointed to his chest, his expression turning serious.

"My target is not him. My target is the corrupted divine power within him, the source of the sheep's hypocrisy. That is what the Azure Emperor Sacrifice needs, and it is very important to me."

For Xiu En, this is related to Ivy's growth and the purification of the Crimson Dimension, which is Xiu En's top priority at present.

"As for this world, it's too troublesome."

Xiu En shook his head.

"There are too many people, too many mouths, everyone has their own ideas, and everyone thinks they are right. How long will it take to clean up this mess? In that time, Afu could bake a hundred new flavors of cookies."

Just as they were exchanging words, the speech on Capitol Hill reached its climax.

Shazam's voice, amplified by amplification magic, echoed throughout the entire Washington, D.C.

"Therefore, I, in the name of Solomon, the god of wisdom; Heracles, the god of strength; Atlas, the god of endurance; Zeus, the god of power; Achilles, the god of courage; and Mercury, the god of speed, hereby declare!"

His voice, accompanied by the magical lightning flashing around him, was full of majesty.

Beside him, Diana, the Unjust Wonder Woman, stood tall and proud, holding Godslayer Sword, like the most loyal guardian, coldly watching the numb crowd in the square below.

"What Superman has established is the order of God! It is eternal peace! All those who question it will be considered heretics! All those who rebel will be punished and cleansed by God!"

"This is the beginning of a new era! A perfect world guided by the gods!"

He spread his arms, enjoying the false worship offered by the crowd below, who were being forced to cheer by the soldiers.

"hehe.

'

A disdainful laugh came from the top of the monument.

"That sounds nice."

"I wonder what kind of expression he'll have when he discovers that the god he worships can't even beat me."

"Clark".

Shuen turned his head and smiled at Superman, who had a serious expression.

"Watch closely. Don't blink."

"The performance shall begin now."

Shazam's speech continued, his voice, amplified by magic, carrying like a divine decree clearly to every corner of Washington.

Therefore, submitting to God's will is not a disgrace, but an honor! It is the only way to eternal peace!

He opened his arms as if he were the embodiment of truth.

In the square, soldiers in white uniforms pounded the ground with the butts of their rifles, creating a loud, synchronized sound that forced the crowd to cheer and applaud.

Everything seemed so sacred.

However, just as the sacred atmosphere reached its peak, the first suppressed gasp of surprise erupted from the crowd, and then the gasp spread.

The soldiers' shouts and the clanging of rifle butts failed to quell the riot for the first time.

Because everyone looked up, staring incredulously at the sky.

The originally gloomy clouds, with their gray moisture forcibly gathered, then in a crooked way, spelled out a line of clearly legible white text in the sky above Capitol Hill.

This speech is so boring, let's start fighting already!

The words just hung there in the sky, and the font even had a bit of a childlike doodle style.

Top of the monument.

Clark Kent reached out and covered his face.

"Xiu En".

He didn't even want to look at the innocent-looking instigator.

"Can't we just take action directly?"

"That's interesting."

Xiu En shrugged and answered confidently.

"Look, I'm just trying to liven things up. They all look like they're about to fall asleep, so I'm trying to wake them up."

"I think you could practice your handwriting a bit more, Xiu En."

Ivy rested her chin on his shoulder with a leaf.

"The spacing between the strokes is too large, and the handwriting is a bit crooked, which affects the overall aesthetics."

"Really? I'll be more careful next time."

Xiu En humbly accepted the criticism.

Clark felt a throbbing sensation in his temples.

Shazam's speech abruptly ended atop Capitol Hill.

His face turned bright red.

His eyes, imbued with divine power, stared at the white cloud characters in the sky that seemed to mock everything about him, his body trembling slightly with rage.

What is this?

A clumsy prank?

who is it?

Who dares to commit such a blasphemous act during the most sacred propaganda ceremony of the Superman regime?!

"presumptuous!"

Before Shazam could react, Wonder Woman Diana was standing next to him.

The Amazonian princess, Injustice Superman's staunchest supporter, wore an icy expression.

She believed it was some kind of weather weapon, a despicable provocation launched by rats lurking in the shadows.

She suddenly drew the God-Slaying Sword from her waist, its blade pointing straight to the sky.

"No matter who you are or where you're hiding!"

Her voice was filled with murderous intent.

"You have successfully angered the gods. Now, come out and face your judgment!"

Her threats backfired.

The words in the sky seemed to be responding to her; behind the crooked handwriting, an even more hastily written exclamation mark made of clouds slowly drifted over.

【! 】

This caused even the civilians in the square who were originally afraid of the soldiers to burst into suppressed laughter.

"Ha, she told me to leave."

Xiu En looked at the woman below who had drawn her sword and found it somewhat amusing.

"Clark, what pose do you think I should strike for a cool entrance? Arms crossed, or hands behind my back?"

He seriously sought opinions from his friends.

"I suggest you just kneel down and beg for mercy. Maybe they'll take pity on your sincerity and put you in a better cell."

Clark stopped pondering why the superheroes of this world would do such a thing and started joking with Shum.

"No, that's not cool."

Xiu En decisively rejected the proposal.

He no longer concealed his presence, and the golden light enveloping the two slowly dissipated.

He stood there, looking down at the two angry gods below, his gaze like that of someone looking at two children throwing a tantrum.

"Alright, warm-up over."

He looked down at Clark and said.

"Next, I'm going up. Are you planning to continue enjoying the scenery here?"

Clark took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.

"I'll keep an eye on them."

"You focus on dealing with that Shazam guy, I'll handle Diana. Shum, try not to tear this place down too badly."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Xiu En gave a bright smile.

"I'm just going to get a little bit of the offerings needed for the ritual."

Before he finished speaking, he appeared in the sky above Capitol Hill as if by teleportation, facing the two angry gods below.