Chapter 1007: Who Can Break Schiller's Defense (Part 1)

In DC World With Marvel Chat Group : Table of Content/Chapter List

XXX-----XXX-----XXX-----XXX

From Batman's perspective, his interactions with Clark couldn't be classified as pleasant. After all, back in the Market Mansion, each had their own agenda. There was an inherent similarity between them, yet their auras clashed in a way that made Batman uncomfortable when they didn't quite understand each other.

However, from Clark's viewpoint, his collaboration with Batman was quite enjoyable. They were friends, despite occasional disagreements. Both were inherently inclined towards justice. With deeper understanding, they could become good friends and partners on the road of justice.

So, when Clark discovered that Batman had turned into a monster and had captured his Professor Schiller, he felt doubly enraged, feeling betrayed.

At the mayor's mansion in Metropolis, Clark could clearly sense a better rapport between Schiller and Batman.

To Clark, Schiller must have been a dedicated and responsible mentor, guiding Batman. Seeing Batman kidnapping his own teacher, subjecting him to such torment, instantly ignited Clark's rage.

Although Superman at this time appeared somewhat innocent, his judgment wasn't entirely flawed. Anyone encountering such a terrifying monster holding a severely injured ordinary human would come to no other reasonable conclusion.

"Batman! You inhumane monster! How could you harm your own teacher?!" Clark's anger was palpable as he shouted and threw punches at Batman, knocking his wings askew with a forceful blow. He continued angrily, "How could you do such a thing?! It goes against all ethical norms, you'll end up killing your teacher!"

"I didn't harm him," Batman replied, still engaging in combat with Clark. However, even if his condition had slightly improved, he wasn't adept at explaining himself, nor did he wish to explain to Clark.

From Batman's perspective, he and Clark were complete strangers. Moreover, he believed Clark wouldn't be familiar with Schiller either. So, what was Clark so worked up about?

In Batman's eyes, Clark was like a greenhorn, unaware of the full picture, only resorting to physical confrontation, which seemed utterly inexplicable.

Batman and Superman had a delicate relationship akin to that of scientific researchers and security personnel.

Batman was driven by logic, believing everything should be thoroughly understood, logically sequenced, and meticulously planned to ensure flawless execution.

Superman, on the other hand, was more emotionally driven. If something didn't sit right with him emotionally, regardless of the circumstances, he couldn't accept it.

When these two clashed, Batman couldn't be bothered to explain, finding Superman's reactions baffling, while Superman was furious, considering Batman lacking in empathy. Misunderstandings between them arose and were dispelled in such a manner, and this was their first major clash.

The immense bat monster realized that its large size offered no advantage against a foe like Superman. Thus, Batman reverted to human form.

However, Batman's soul intensity was at its peak, resulting in a breathtaking scene in the skies above hell. Batman, matching Superman in physical strength, engaged in an intense aerial duel.

Oliver and Zatanna attempted to intervene. Though Oliver borrowed Zatanna's abilities to fly, being an ordinary person, his soul intensity couldn't match that of the two monsters, rendering him unable to participate effectively in the fight.

Zatanna tried to separate them using her magic, but her earlier portal setup had drained her energy considerably, causing her concentration to falter. Her magic's effectiveness was diminished, and after briefly pulling them apart, they quickly resumed their brawl.

At this moment, the towering high tower transformed into a rolling cylinder, and its door suddenly swung open. Arrogant Schiller crawled out, standing at the threshold, gazing up at the sky.

It must be said, watching these two non-human monsters fight was rather amusing. However, Superman's vision was incredibly sharp, and in the moment he spotted Schiller, he immediately ceased his actions, flying towards him.

"My goodness! Professor, are you alright?!" Clark flew over, shouting anxiously. Soon, he halted in front of Schiller, circling him to assess his injuries, then exclaimed in shock and anger, "What's going on?! How did you sustain so many wounds?! Are these knife wounds? And here on your collarbone... Dear God! Is it pierced through?! What's with all this blood?!"

Clark took a sharp intake of breath. "Heavens! How can there be such deep wounds on your back? You've lost too much blood; you need urgent medical attention!"

"Clark, I'm fine. You've been reunited with Batman for a while. You should spar with him properly. After all, opponents of equal strength are rare for you. This could hone your combat skills."

Schiller calmly shook his head. Before he could speak further, Clark rushed to his side, anxiously saying, "How is that possible? This is serious! Professor, you can't ignore these injuries! Anyone with basic first aid knowledge would know that you've lost a dangerous amount of blood. You must go to the hospital immediately!"

"Oh, wait, does hell have a hospital? But we need to stop the bleeding first!" Clark was becoming increasingly frantic, his actions halted, fearing he might aggravate Schiller's wounds.

Then, standing still, he covered his face, saying, "I just don't understand. I hate seeing people hurt, especially you, Professor."

Clark lowered his hand, staring at Schiller with his deep blue eyes. Schiller noticed Clark's eyes were red, like a rising red sun over the vast ocean. Clark choked up a bit as he said,

"You were tortured for information, weren't you? How dare they hurt you like this?! How could they be so cruel to a kind professor who has always cared for the poor?!"

Clark covered his eyes again, saying, "...Sorry, I'm getting worked up. But I'm really devastated. If I were sitting next to Martha right now, I'm sure I'd be in tears."

Schiller parted his lips, ready to explain his plan, but couldn't find a good moment to interject because Clark seemed on the verge of tears.

Pressing his finger against his lips, Schiller trembled slightly. He turned his head away, avoiding Clark's gaze, took a deep breath, redirecting his attention elsewhere, but his face grew even paler.

"I may be inherently sentimental, but I feel sad for everyone who suffers, especially my friends and mentors. Professor, back when you were in Metropolis, you comforted me when I was sad and anxious."

"Later, when I was confused about many things, your letters helped me a lot..." Clark bowed his head, muscles twitching at the corners of his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbing as if he were swallowing hard.

But then he took a deep breath, turned to Batman, and shouted, "Batman!!!!"

"Wait, Clark, there's a misunderstanding here. Actually, this is part of our plan, because I need to integrate..."

"Is this the so-called power of Superman that you're proud of?" Batman flew in front of Clark, looking into his eyes. "Without your inherent strength, you're nothing. Your fighting skills are rotten to the core."

"You emotionless monster!" Clark gritted his teeth. "You've used all those advanced techniques you've learned to persecute others, you damn zealot!"

"But your so-called advanced techniques haven't truly protected anyone either," Batman retorted.

Schiller reached out, touching his own forehead. Feeling the twitching of his fingertips, he turned around, intending to return to the high tower.

But at that moment, he suddenly heard a soft "click," as if someone had snapped their fingers.

Instantly, dark clouds covered the sky over hell. A pair of huge golden eyes blinked, and all the surviving demons bowed down, calling out "Satan."

Giant gray wings stirred up a whirlwind, and Lucifer Morningstar appeared above the high tower. Schiller narrowed his eyes, flashing a triumphant smile.

Lucifer Morningstar floated in mid-air, surveying the surroundings. He clicked his tongue, showing no particular emotion. Then, he turned his head, his gaze landing on Schiller.

Seeing Schiller's current state, Lucifer Morningstar's pupils contracted, but quickly returned to normal. He slowly descended and approached Schiller. Just as Schiller was about to speak, Lucifer Morningstar smiled and said to him, "I've got something interesting to show you."

Lucifer Morningstar extended his hand, and a golden light sphere appeared in his palm. Inside the sphere, light rippled, revealing a familiar face to Schiller: Constantine.

But what surprised Schiller was that it was only half of Constantine's face, the left half, yet he could still speak.

"Schiller, I know you jumped into hell to settle my debt for all those broccoli schemes I pulled. This was all your plan to make me feel guilty."

Schiller stared at Constantine's face, showing a sinister smile. "Correct. But even if I told you about this plan beforehand, you would still feel guilty because you're a good person, and I'm a psychologist."

"...Let me guess how you're feeling right now." Schiller began to pace on the narrow steps, as if dancing on the edge of a cliff, speaking in a light and cheerful tone of a harvest season. "Pain, guilt, confusion... You're reminded of all those friends who sacrificed their lives for you. Without physical pain, your guilt towards them, like a knife, keeps cutting into your heart."

"At the same time, you can't numb yourself with physical pain anymore because your healthy and youthful body is a result of my soul."

Suddenly, Schiller stopped moving. He looked at Constantine and said, "You must feel angry seeing me standing here just fine, right?"

"It's all a deception. I pretended to help you settle your debt and fall into hell, but in reality, I tricked all the demons."

"I promised them that I would repay all your debts, but now, they've all been lured away by a certain helicopter engine I arranged. My intention to repay the debts is strong, but they no longer have the opportunity to collect."

Schiller looked into the distance where a few surviving large demons were gathered, peering towards them. Sensing Schiller's gaze, they all stepped back, and Schiller smiled, saying, "And those who remain with the chance to collect probably no longer have the will to do so."

"I didn't sacrifice anything, yet I made you suffer for so long. Constantine, was the prank fun? Do you want to do it again?"

Schiller spread his hands. "It's just a joke between friends. I'm sorry, I didn't realize it would affect you so much..."

Schiller stared at Constantine's half face, but he didn't see any anger on Constantine's face. On the contrary, Constantine closed his eyes, showing an extremely painful expression, and then said,

"I'm sorry for my inappropriate prank and the harm it caused you. Maybe you won't believe this, but I never intended to harm any of my friends."

"You haven't paid the price for it because you have the ability to control these demons, but not all my friends have such abilities..." Constantine's voice trembled slightly. He said, "If this happened to someone else, perhaps I would never see them again."

"And all of this, it doesn't have any noble meaning, it's just because of my childish and ridiculous prank." Constantine took a deep breath, trembling as he exhaled. He paused for a moment and said, "Thank you for having such great power that I didn't have to pay a higher price."

"But please believe me, I have already suffered enough punishment, not only the torment in my heart, which is far from enough to wake me up and prevent me from making such foolish mistakes again."

Constantine opened his eyes, looking at Schiller with his only eye, and said, "I tore my soul in half and erased the memories of one half, turning it into my elder brother Thomas, and then I gave my body to him."

"From then on, the healthy, young, and energetic Constantine you created is no longer me, a hopeless rotten man, but an outstanding, cheerful, and unclouded past... Thomas Constantine."

Schiller stood still in shock.

"...What did you say?!!!!!"

[Read at www.patreon.com/shanefreak, and thanks for the invaluable support!]

XXX-----XXX-----XXX-----XXX

Next Chapter>>Chapter 1008: Who Can Break Schiller's Defense (Part 2)