Shadow Monarch in DC

Chapter 511: The Lieutenant of Antares

Arthur walked at the front, his shadow armor rippling with violet light, Raven moved beside him, her magic at the ready and Ethan followed a few paces behind, ready to respond to the slightest threat.Arthur’s stride faltered, his eyes didn’t change.

Raven noticed and her head tilted. "Arthur?"

He raised a hand, a gesture to reassure her.

The voice came from inside his mind, H’El’s voice, calm and controlled.

"My King."

"Speak."

"I am currently in combat against three dragons. They are not as strong as me, but they are formidable foes." A pause."I ask your permission to kill them once again, they must join us."

Arthur’s lips curved.

"Oh," he said softly. "Don’t worry about that." His smile widened. "Of course they will, you have all the freedom to do what you do best, so teach them a lesson."

"Very well, my King."

The connection faded at the sound of a terrifying punch one they could feal even here inside the volcano.

Raven watched Arthur’s expression, the way his smile lingered, the way his eyes gleamed with satisfaction.

"You’ve been quiet," she said, "the moment we left that chamber after you killed that dragon."

Arthur glanced at her. "Well, maybe I’m excited."

"Excited?"

"As much as my soldier right now, who wants to kill the dragons outside on his own." He paused, his voice carrying a note of genuine pleasure. "I have only one dragon in my army. Two, with the one I just added, they are a formidable force, every one I add to my shadow army is a significant firepower in my favor."

Raven’s eyebrows rose. "Wow. You really can’t feel fulfillment when it comes to adding more shadow soldiers." She gestured vaguely. "I mean, you have Nyx and all the Shadow Lanterns, both the living and the shadow soldiers. Your Marshals, the demons... and so on." She shook her head. "When will it stop?"

Arthur’s expression shifted, grew more serious.

"It will stop once there are no more enemies."

Raven opened her mouth to respond,

Arthur raised his hand and said "And speaking of my soldiers, I want someone to say hi to you." shadows coiled around his legs, responding to his will. They pulled from the darkness, from the his shadow coalescing into a form that was both familiar and unnerving.

Steppenwolf materialized before them.

The shadow of the New God knelt on one knee, his eyes burning with the same violet fire as his master. His voice was a low, respectful murmur.

"My Queen." He bowed his head. "You grace us with your presence. I hope I am not disturbing you."

Raven stared at him.

Her mouth opened and closed.

"Steppenwolf..." She looked at Arthur. "I almost forgot that you killed him." She shook her head slowly. "Of course he is a shadow now.."

Arthur’s smile returned. "I thought you’d like to meet him properly."

Raven’s eyes narrowed, not at Arthur, but at the kneeling shadow. "Would it be even weirder seeing Darkseid as a shadow soldier?"

Arthur shook his head. "That might not be possible." His voice was flat, "I am unable to make higher beings as shadow soldiers."

"But Steppenwolf is a New God." Raven said.

"Still just a mere new god. The real Darkseid is a cosmic, non-corporeal deity, he lives outside the physical universe, that’s an actual higher being, much like Lucifer, the endless and so on." Arthur paused. "For now, he is outside of my reach, I questioned Steppenwolf, and of course.." He glanced at the kneeling shadow. "He knows nothing about his master, the avatar I mean. Let alone the real one."

Steppenwolf’s head bowed lower. "I am sorry, my King. I failed you in life, I am of limited use in death."

Arthur waved a dismissive hand. "You’re useful enough. Disappear."

Steppenwolf dissolved into shadow, returning to the darkness from which he had come.

Raven was silent for a moment.

"Well," she finally said, "seems a bit like my late father in terms of power, I wonder who is stronger."

Arthur didn’t even consider the question. "True Darkseid." His voice was flat and certain. "Not really a competition there."

"Really? I mean hewas an interdimensional Demon God.." Raven’s eyebrow rose.

"I’ve managed to erase your father inside your consciousness. Even though he was chained and weakened, he wouldn’t really do anything to me even if he was free." Arthur added.

Raven’s lips curved a teasing smile. "Who is stronger, then? Me or True Darkseid?"

Arthur blinked. "Did you really put me on the spot like that?"

"C’mon," she said, her voice light, playful. "Answer."

Arthur opened his mouth, then he closed it immediately.

"I am not answering that."

"That’s an answer in itself." Raven said, crossing her arms.

"It’s an avoidance of an answer."

"That’s the same thing."

"It’s really not."

Ethan walked behind them, his eyes wide, his mind racing.

He had heard seen all about Arthur Blackwynd the Shadow Monarch even before he fought him, whether on the screen during the Gotham gate or during different incidents, the man who commanded death itself, the man who had killed three monarch on screen and monsters with the casual ease of someone swatting flies. The stories had painted a picture of a cold, distant figure, someone who had traded his very humanity for power, who had become something beyond mortal understanding.

But the man walking in front of him was... human.

He was joking with his partner, he was bantering about power levels, he was smiling.

’This is the real Arthur Blackwynd?’ Ethan thought. ’The Shadow Monarch everyone is afraid of? He didn’t show this side of him when he fought us in the Sanctuary of the justice league...’

He shook his head slowly.

’Many think he is non-human. No emotions, simply holds a terrifying power of death.’ He remembered the battle the way Arthur had destroyed him and two other Ruler vessels with casual ease, the way he had walked through their attacks like they were nothing. ’The one who destroyed me, alongside two more Ruler vessels, in battle..’

And now he was here, walking through a volcano. Discussing his girlfriend’s power level.

’Here he is.. Normal like everyone else.’ Ethan’s lips curved. ’They are discussing something I don’t understand, in a place like this, while walking toward a dragon that might be a calamity-level monster... so casually talking.’

He watched Arthur and Raven the way they moved together, the way they seemed to anticipate each other’s thoughts, the way their banter was as natural as breathing.

’To achieve this level of power and confidence...’

Arthur stopped walking.

He turned, his eyes finding Ethan.

"Oh, Ethan, can you sense this?"

Ethan blinked. "Sense what?"

Arthur pointed with a single finger toward the darkness ahead, toward the passage that descended deeper into the volcano.

"There."

Ethan focused his senses.

It was faint so faint that he almost missed it. A pulse of mana, so controlled, so contained, that it was almost imperceptible. It was the kind of power that didn’t want to be found.

Ethan’s eyes widened and glowed brighter.

"Such magical power..." he breathed. "Why is it so imperceptible like this?"

Arthur clapped his hands together.

"This means that the monster ahead is something that confirms my suspicions." His voice was flat. "This is a lieutenant of Antares, this is a monster that can rival one of my Marshals, your teammates would have died to it."

Ethan’s breath caught.

"Prepare for a big battle," Arthur continued, "because you’ll be the one to kill it."

Ethan stared at him. "What?!"

Raven sighed. "Arthur.."

Arthur raised a hand, silencing them both.

"You heard me." His voice was calm, patient. "You are strong enough, you are capable enough and you need to learn what it means to face something that terrifies you, you showed great potential when you fought me."

Ethan’s throat worked. "But I.."

"I have seen what you are capable of." Arthur’s violet eyes met his.

Ethan was silent.

"This dragon," Arthur continued, "is a lieutenant of the Dragon Monarch, it is ancient, powerful and angry because it is a prisoner. So it will try to kill you." He paused. "But you will not let it."

Ethan’s jaw tightened. "How do you know?"

Arthur smiled.

"Because I’ll be watching."

Ethan looked at the darkness ahead. He felt the pulse of power, the weight of the dragon’s presence.

He nodded.

"I will do it," he said.

Arthur’s smile widened.

"Good."

He turned and walked toward the darkness.

Raven fell into step beside him, speaking directly inside Arthur’s head. "You really think he can do this? I think this is a bad idea.."

Arthur’s eyes gleamed. "I know he can."

Raven was silent for a moment.

"And if he can’t?"

Arthur’s expression didn’t change.

"Then I will step in." His voice was soft, almost gentle. "But he will not fail."

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