American comics: Praising the sun, starting from Gotham!

Chapter 353 The Sweeper of the Dawnwood Realm and the Promised Land of Gotham

The command center began pre-battle preparations.

The first batch of armored vehicles rose from the underground hangar.

These armors were customized to each hero's abilities and fighting style.

The armor prepared for Superman retains the red and blue tones, with the hopeful "S" logo on the chest blending with the energy patterns of the armor, shimmering with a warm golden light.

Captain America's armor is designed for coordinated combat with his shield. The armor on his shoulders and arms can transform and magnetically attach to the shield, achieving a seamless integration between the man and the shield.

The Flash's armor was designed with a unique linear shape in order to minimize energy loss during high-speed running.

"Wow! Look at this!"

Barry Allen donned his new suit, leaving a red afterimage in his wake before appearing in front of Tony.

"Tony! I feel like I'm faster!"

"Energy feedback normal, target coordinates locked. Barry, you're now the fastest man in the universe who won't get a 404 error."

Tony looked at his masterpiece with satisfaction and clapped his hands.

The heroes familiarized themselves with their new equipment and quickly formed groups based on the information left by the benevolent Kang and their own abilities. Diana and Thor chose to confront Kang, the gladiator who worshipped muscle and glory. Superman and Steve, on the other hand, prepared to travel to a utopian world ruled by a highly centralized Kang.

The other heroes also formed their own teams and headed to their respective objectives.

However, in one corner of the square, three figures stood in the dappled shadows cast by the World Tree in the Ximu Realm.

One of them is the Ancient One disguised as an old man, drinking cola.

The other was Lucifer Morningstar, who held a glass of red wine that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, a playful smile on his lips, like an outsider.

The third person standing among them is the one who is most easily overlooked.

A man dressed in the standard TVA cleaner's uniform. He was of medium build, with an average appearance and even some thinning hair. He was holding a broom and diligently sweeping the dust off the ground.

He minimized his presence to the minimum, and it seemed that no one noticed him except for the Ancient One and Lucifer.

"Everything is going according to your script, isn't it?"

Gu Yi shook the Coke in his hand and said to the cleaner.

"The heroes have received their new toys and are ready to rush onto the stage to give your grand drama the most magnificent opening."

"The direction of the drama depends on the actors' improvisation, Venerable Master."

The cleaner answered.

"I only set up the stage and provided the props. As for whether they will put on a comedy, a tragedy, or a farce, I'll wait and see."

Lucifer chuckled, swirling the wine in his glass. "You're quite carefree. You dump a mess on a bunch of mortals and a young sun, and then hide here sweeping. This isn't like the you I know, the one who tried to control everything."

"I'm retired, Lucifer. I'm just a gardener, responsible for pruning the flowers and plants."

Just then, a voice suddenly came from behind them.

"Hey, sweeper."

Xiu En had somehow slipped away from the group of excited heroes and wandered into this corner.

"You smell of the end of time."

He looked at the cleaner and spoke in a statement of fact.

"It looks exactly like the Kang in the castle I saw last time."

Kang, one of the survivors, looked puzzled, as if time itself had a smell.

His supposedly perfect disguise, his causal-level invisibility that blended seamlessly into the environment and was so obvious that even Lucifer didn't bother to expose it, was actually seen through at a glance by someone who could recognize people by their scent.

The Ancient One and Lucifer exchanged a glance, revealing smiles of anticipation.

"I don't understand what you're talking about."

Kang made a final attempt to make a struggle; his voice remained calm, but the hands gripping the broom betrayed the turmoil within him.

"Alright, stop pretending."

Xiu En waved his hand impatiently and glanced at the Ancient One.

"You people who play with time, your hearts are all dirty. Faking death, retiring, acting, directing—aren't you tired?"

He walked up to Kang and stared into his eyes, his pupils filled with an unwavering will as clear as the sun.

"I don't care what you're planning, and I don't care what you're trying to do."

"I'll only tell you one thing."

"You Kangs, there are indeed many rotten people, but there are also some who aren't so bad. For example, you, and those unarmed Kangs you imprisoned at the end of time."

"I promised you before, I wouldn't let you die."

Xiu En pointed a finger at Kang's chest.

"So don't worry. I'll have a backup plan for you."

"Bruce's virus won't delete those relatively benevolent variants that still have some conscience."

"This is my promise to you."

"It seems your promise is more effective than my broom."

Kang, one of the survivors, finally spoke, his voice tinged with self-mockery.

His feigned humble demeanor as a cleaner faded away.

"That's good."

He nodded, as if speaking to himself.

"Chaos always gives rise to the most unexpected hope."

After saying that, he ignored Xiu En and turned back to his seemingly endless sweeping of the floor. It was as if the person whose identity had just been exposed and who had received a promise from the sun wasn't him at all.

Xiu En curled his lip, completely losing interest in this eccentric fellow. His gaze shifted to the two old foxes beside him who had been watching the show from beginning to end.

"Hey, you two."

He gestured with his chin at the Ancient One and Lucifer without any politeness.

"Have you had enough of this show? Don't think I didn't see you two huddled together whispering just now."

"Everyone's busy preparing for war, and you two are just sitting here drinking cola and sipping red wine. Isn't that a bit too leisurely? Speaking of which, I remember you always drinking tea, so why are you drinking cola now?"

Xiu En walked over.

"Hey, you two big shots, don't just sit around. Go check in with the tech team and have them take your measurements and make you a new set of clothes."

"Oh?"

Gu Yi put down the cola, a kind smile on her face, and avoided the question about the cola.

"I would be delighted. It is an honor for a retired old man like me to wear the costumes designed by Mr. Stark and Mr. Richards. However, I have one small request."

"explain."

"I will not team up with Dr. Strange."

Gu Yi said with a smile.

"Young people need space to grow independently. They won't grow up if they're always being watched over by their seniors. So, put me in the team furthest away from him."

"no problem."

Xiu En readily agreed.

He turned and shouted at Tony, who was adjusting equipment not far away.

"Hey Tony! Order another set! Give this guy, umm, the old tourist, a top-of-the-line outfit too!"

"Received! Send him his data!"

After dealing with one, Xiu En turned his gaze to the remaining one.

Lucifer Morningstar, the King of Hell, maintained his elegant demeanor. He swirled the wine glass in his hand and gave Shuen a smile that was both apologetic and somewhat distant.

"Thank you so much for your kindness, my dear Sun God."

"However, I think I'm afraid I'll have to miss this event."

"Oh?"

"You know, Hell is a very boring place, there are always some official duties that can't be finished."

Lucifer shrugged, looking helpless.

"Countless souls awaiting judgment, punitive clauses to be signed, and those disobedient demon lords—to be honest, my schedule is fuller than your alliance's meeting minutes."

He downed the red wine in his glass in one gulp, then casually placed the empty glass in the air, whereupon the glass turned into specks of red light and vanished.

"So, unfortunately, I have to go back to work overtime."

He bowed slightly.

"Have fun. If you win, don't forget to send me a postcard with Kang's lament on it."

After saying that, he turned around and prepared to leave like a guest politely leaving a party.

However, he had only taken two steps when the golden figure teleported in front of him, blocking his way.

Xiu En stood with his arms crossed, a half-smile on his face, watching him.

"Are you really that busy?"

"You're so busy, yet you still managed to train a little black dot, and you've been watching the show for so long?"

"Times have changed, my friend. Now even hell has heavy KPIs."

He tried to keep laughing it off.

"Yeah?"

Shuen took a step forward, his golden divine armor radiating an increasingly intense heat that caused Lucifer's suit to curl slightly at the edges.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're scared?"

Xiu En was almost right in front of him.

"Afraid?"

Lucifer raised an eyebrow, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world. He was the King of Hell, God's most beloved Son of Light; what did he have to fear?

"Yeah. I'm afraid of the hassle."

"You just don't want to get involved in this thankless mess. You just want to sit comfortably on the sidelines and watch us actors fight it out, providing you with entertainment, right?"

Lucifer remained silent.

Because everything Xiu En said was correct.

"So I've made up my mind. You shouldn't leave either."

"otherwise----"

"I guess I'll just have Ivy tie you up and send you to the tech team to be studied as an advanced bio-battery for their new armor. I bet a Hell King's power bank should have pretty good battery life."

Lucifer looked at those eyes, which were getting closer and closer, like molten gold, and at the undisguised threat in the other person's words.

He could tell that the other person was serious.

This unreasonable sun god would actually pack up this king of hell and send him to be a power bank for such an absurd reason as "not wanting to be idle".

"Okay, okay, stop!"

Lucifer raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, and had to lean back in an exaggerated arc to avoid the rising temperature emanating from Shuen.

"You win, my dear Sun God. You're right, watching a play is indeed not as fun as going on stage yourself."

"Well, since I'm going to be acting, I naturally need a decent costume, right?"

He continued, following Xiu En's lead.

"I can't wear this custom-made outfit to fight a bunch of tin cans, that would be too undignified."

"Of course." Xiu loosened his tie and nodded in satisfaction.

"Since you're going to participate in the war, you'll naturally be provided with the best equipment."

He patted Lucifer on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'll have them make you the coolest, most extravagant suit of armor in the entire universe!"

"Oh? Is that really true?"

Lucifer immediately became interested, as if he wasn't the one who had just been threatened with becoming a power bank.

"Are you sure your engineers can understand what real coolness is? I'm not talking about the vulgar aesthetic of simply piling up gold and jewels like you mortals."

"You don't need to worry about that."

Xiu En pointed in the direction of the technical team.

"We have the world's best tailor here. Hey, Tony!"

Tony Stark, who was designing a suit of armor imbued with Eastern mysticism for the Ancient One on a holographic screen, turned around impatiently: "What now? My design inspiration is limited! You can't exploit me like this!"

Shuen pointed at Lucifer.

"Add another order! For this new entertainment consultant, hmm, he's Lucifer, from Hell. Have a suit of armor custom-made for him too. There's only one requirement!"

"He has to be handsome! He has to be uniquely handsome in the entire universe! He has to be so handsome that his mere appearance alone can dazzle the enemy!"

Tony looked Lucifer up and down, his gaze sliding from the man's perfect face to his well-tailored suit.

The eyes of the two narcissistic and flamboyant people met in mid-air.

At that moment, they seemed to see themselves reflected in each other's eyes.

"I understand."

Tony Stark instantly understood Hugh's needs, and a smile of excitement, as if he had found a kindred spirit, spread across his face.

He flew over directly, circled Lucifer once, and made sounds of admiration.

"Perfect model figure, golden ratio. A natural clothes hanger. Your own charisma is your best weapon."

Tony, like a top fashion designer, gave a professional evaluation.

"You have good taste."

Lucifer responded and extended a finger, gently tapping the reactor on Tony's chest.

"Although your glowing tie clip is a bit outdated."

"Listen, you bastard from hell."

A brand new holographic design unfolds between Tony and Lucifer.

"The armor I give you must be black, but not the dull, matte black. It should be a color with a hint of deep purple or dark red iridescence, like the color of the deep universe."

"I agree."

Lucifer nodded immediately and added.

"The lines of the armor shouldn't be too sharp; they should have a flowing quality, like the feathers on my wings. For the shoulder armor, I suggest designing it as folded black wings that symbolize corruption and bondage."

"A brilliant idea!"

Tony gave a thumbs-up and continued.

"Then, golden energy patterns will be etched onto the chest and joints of the armor using magic circles. This will both transmit energy and signify your identity! The beauty of contrasting elements—darkness and light, decadence and holiness—is simply perfect!"

"The mask must be a half-coverage type."

Lucifer emphasized.

"My face must be shown; it's God's most outstanding creation, and it would be a waste to cover it up."

The two guys huddled together, oblivious to everyone else, pointing and gesturing at the holographic screen, spouting outrageously arrogant and ridiculously vulgar language.

"Add an energy cloak made of hellfire to its back that can unfold! It'll come with its own background music and dry ice effects!"

"The helmet must feature ram's horns, but not too rugged; it should resemble a crown!"

"Weapons? Weapons are too crude. But we can design a device on the gloves that allows you to play the piano while simultaneously casting soul-burning spells."

Steve Rogers couldn't understand what they were saying at all; he just thought the design drawings looked a bit too fancy.

Diana watched the two people getting more and more excited as they talked, silently rubbing her forehead, feeling worried about the universe's aesthetic sense.

A large group of Bruce watched all this expressionlessly, and on their tactical terminals, they silently added another level to the threat level of Tony and Lucifer: [Mental Pollution (Visual)].

Only the Ancient One remained calm, sipping her cola with a smile that suggested she was enjoying the spectacle.

Just as Tony and Lucifer were about to fight over whether the armor's cape should be made of physical wings or energy wings, a small portal made of emerald green vines and golden light spots opened at the edge of the preparation plaza.

Ivy immediately noticed the familiar energy fluctuation and looked over with great interest.

The first person to emerge from the portal was a muscular young man who had grown even taller, namely Joestar.

Joestar was sent back with Shuen when the ordinary people left the banquet, but I didn't expect him to come back this time, and with so many people.

As soon as he stepped out of the portal, he opened his arms and took a deep breath.

"Oh, sun! I, Joestar, have returned!"

Immediately afterwards, one after another, people dressed in all sorts of different clothes but all wearing the same sun badge on their chests filed out of the portal. Most of them looked like thugs or laborers from the streets of Gotham, but the group of big guys leading them had muscles just like Joestar's. They were the ones who had been given the golden aura by Shu En, and it was clear that the golden aura on their bodies was well-trained.

The group of people wore expressions of fierceness or confusion, but the moment they stepped into the Ximu Realm, their emotions were cleansed by the sight before them. They looked around with awe and curiosity, not daring to make a sound.

"Mr. Joestar, please maintain order!"

Alvin followed closely behind, his brow furrowed as he tried to keep the undisciplined Templar Knights in check.

This scene drew everyone's attention to this group of Gotham reinforcements with their peculiar style.

Shuen looked at Joestar, at the group of believers who were bowing down to an ordinary sunflower, and felt the familiar yet troubling power of faith emanating from them. He covered his forehead with his hand.

He knew it.

He knew that the children's-only portal left by Ivy was bound to cause trouble sooner or later.

"My God! We sense Your great light battling against unprecedented darkness! The people of Gotham are willing to give everything for You!"

"stop!"

Shuen interrupted Joestar's spellcasting, successfully causing Joestar to brake suddenly and stop ten meters away.

Xiu En took a deep breath, trying to make his tone sound less like he was trying to get rid of someone.

"Why are you here, and with so many people? Didn't I tell you to go back?"

"It's Miss Serafina!"

A little girl's head peeked out from behind a big black dog and waved happily at Xiu En.

"This young lady said you needed help here, and kindly opened the path to God's kingdom for us!"

Xiu En sighed inwardly.

He glanced helplessly at the so-called guard team and accepted their offer of help. Although these men were somewhat capable of fighting, Xiu En didn't want them to risk their lives, but since they were already here, he couldn't very well just kick them back.

"I appreciate your kindness. But the battle that follows is not one you can participate in. It's too dangerous."

Just then, his gaze stopped on an acquaintance.

In the third row of the guard, a tall, thin man wearing a brand-new, even ironed, Sun Church robe shuddered the moment he met Xiu En's gaze.

Then, he made a reaction that surprised everyone.

He fell to his knees with a thud, prostrating himself in a gesture of utter devotion, and exclaimed loudly, "Oh! Great sun! Your all-seeing gaze pierces through the fog of evil and illuminates my humble soul!"

You are the terminator of fear, the purifier of despair! Please allow me, your humblest servant Jonathan Klein, to offer my respects!

That shout overshadowed even the truly devout Joestar beside him.

The believers beside him stared at him in astonishment.

When did this guy become so devout?

Wasn't he a recent convert?

I heard that Joestar picked him up from the waiting list at Arkham Asylum! Because of his extraordinary understanding of fear, he was even promoted to head of Group C, which is in charge of psychological counseling!

Xiu En:

He looked at the scarecrow with its face buried in the grass, still chanting hymns.

How did this guy sneak in?

And they seem to be doing quite well? Has our organization's talent selection mechanism become so abstract?

"Alright, alright, get up, everyone!"

Xiu En waved his hand dismissively, giving up on trying to understand the matter.

"It's good that you've come."

He pointed to the distant planet where refugees were being resettled.

"Do you see that planet over there? There are many people there whom I just rescued from another world, and they need help."

"Your task is to go there, maintain order, distribute food, and help them rebuild their homes. Can you do it?"

"Yes, my God!"

Joestar immediately accepted the order; to share God's burdens was his greatest honor. He immediately began to organize the troops.

"Team Leader C, Klein!" he roared at the scarecrow.

"Here! High Priest!" The scarecrow leaped up from the ground at lightning speed and stood upright.

"You are responsible for the psychological counseling and emotional support of all newcomers! No mistakes are allowed!"

"I guarantee I'll complete the mission!" the scarecrow shouted back, his voice brimming with enthusiasm.