With his usual flair, Kaitou Kid stood before the Nekron, rainbow light gathered into one ring, flower petals raining down behind him like a stage set.
The Nekron had no biological reactions—no cold sweat, no hair standing on end, no heart suddenly beating again. "Who exactly are you?"
"How pitiful." Kid slowly opened his eyes, full of mockery. "A living corpse. A pathetic, living corpse."
The Nekron was enraged by both his words and his gaze. He was the end of the universe, the conclusion of all things, the eternal embodiment of death. The word "pitiful" had nothing to do with him.
All around, heroes gathered, yet Kid drew every eye.
"Who is he?" the Guardian asked. He didn't know Kaitou Kid either.
Hal replied awkwardly, "He's Kaitou Kid. I don't know him well myself. Guardian, do you know why his ring absorbed the power of seven colors?"
The Guardian shook his head. But he was certain that Kid's ring was no ordinary thing. "When the seven Lanterns unite, they can form White Light—the natural enemy of the Black Lanterns. If Kid acts now, there's a chance to destroy the Nekron."
"He'll do it." Hal was sure of it. Kid was a hero. He wouldn't hesitate.
"But he doesn't look angry. Why would the Red Ring choose him?" the Red Lantern asked, confused.
The other Lanterns didn't understand either. How could Kid possibly master seven emotions? Even Sinestro, proud as ever, had never done it. He refused to believe anyone could surpass him. "That ring should belong to me."
The truth was simple. Liu A'dou had forged his wedding ring from a shard of the saint's Glass Lamp. That lamp had once been used to hold sacred oil, and by nature it could contain all light. That was why seven rings could merge into one.
Liu A'dou seemed mild-tempered, but when such people grew angry, they were the most terrifying. He was also greedy, obsessed with gems and with changing the world. He brought fear too—he had once nuked Mars, leaving gem owners trembling. His willpower was unquestionable, having endured countless worlds with unshakable resolve. As for hope, he was the heir chosen by the Pandora Gem itself. Compassion? He had saved far more lives than he had taken, showing kindness to the weak. And love? His feelings for Ada Wong were hopelessly deep.
Yes, Liu A'dou carried every emotion in balance. He wasn't purely bright like Superman, or brooding like Batman. He wasn't reckless like Green Lantern, nor wild like Wonder Woman, nor kindhearted to the core like Flash.
In the Justice League, Batman was the mind, Superman the body, Flash the conscience. Kaitou Kid didn't have such a simple label.
But Kaitou Kid was Kaitou Kid. His brilliance outshone everyone. His stage presence was unmatched. Seven Lanterns as one—none but him could do it.
"Nekron, you were wrong from the very beginning," Kid said.
"How could I be wrong?" The Nekron swung his scythe, sending out two wind blades that sliced down the surrounding Black Lantern demons. "Death is never wrong."
"Death itself is not wrong. But you don't understand death." Kid smiled. Above, the Lanterns lit the skies, their light falling on him like a spotlight.
"I am death," the Nekron declared.
"And that's your limit, you ugly fool!" The glow from Liu A'dou's ring finger flared brighter and brighter. "Your failure lies in knowing only death—and never realizing that death is not the end."
"No—!" The Nekron howled in agony. The light of seven Lanterns united was a weapon of pure destruction to him. It burned against his body as if melting him away. "Death cannot lose!"
"Death has never won," Liu A'dou said coldly. "Because the brilliance of life has always been more beautiful than death. We cheer for every shining moment of life, and we honor those who die with meaning."
"But you fear death, you shrink from death. Death is the greatest force in the universe," the Nekron rasped. The White Light drained his strength—just as foretold, it was the ultimate bane of the Black Lanterns. Even he, the mighty herald of death, could do nothing against it.
"That's only because we refuse to give up on life, you fool." Kid raised his hand, the glow surging brighter. "From the very start, you were doomed. As long as death doesn't become reality, everyone alive will keep fighting for survival. Because it's our right."
"Well said!" the Guardian shouted, then turned to the others. "Now let's unite our power and help Kid finish this!" He worried one ring alone might not be enough, so he called everyone to strike together, to hammer the enemy while he was down.
"Oh!" The Lanterns all raised their hands as one.
"No—you can't! You must not reject death. You cannot reject your end!" the Nekron cried, his strength waning. He turned to the great Black Lantern in desperation. "I need more power of death!"
The Black Lantern shot out a wave of black energy, a force that could annihilate everything. It was the final clash—black against white.
Kid poured out all his strength, the glass ring drawing directly from the emotions within his body, transforming it into pure White Light that struck the Black Lantern.
Behind him, every hero raised their hands, adding their own power. "Brothers and sisters, hold fast to victory!" Even the Guardian slipped on a ring, lending his share of strength.
Light erupted from every body, all of it funneled into Kaitou Kid at the front.
The Nekron roared, "The Blackest Night cannot be dispersed! You are only thrashing in your death throes!"
But who was really the one struggling to survive was plain. The Lanterns' morale soared. The Nekron stood alone now. The Black Lantern Corps could no longer help him.
Each Lantern Corps recited their own oath, channeling even more energy into the fight.
"Nekron, today I'll send you to rest." Kid unleashed all the power in his body at once. "Step past death's threshold. We'll meet again in the next life. Brightest day shall shine at last, cleansing the soul of all its wrongs. Darkness falls yet eyes still gleam, the dawn arrives with endless light—"
He chanted the White Lantern oath, but realized it had no amplifying effect. His White Ring wasn't a true White Lantern—it was a special form created by the union of seven. Its power came purely from him.
Still, chanting together with everyone felt amazing. Liu A'dou enjoyed that part.
"No, death will never—"
"Death will." Kid cut him off mercilessly. He could feel the vast power surging from behind him, the will of everyone fighting to live. Together, they smashed the Nekron. Even the Orange Lantern had joined. Seven Lantern powers fused into White Light—enough to obliterate him in an instant.
Boom—!
White Light exploded across the battlefield. The Black Lantern Corps crumbled to ash, returning to dust.
"Link terminated…" The Black Lantern rings vanished along with the corps. The sky cleared. The morning sun broke through at last, smiling down on them.