rmy, attack!” Dragon King roared so loud the ground shook. He stayed on the pedestal as his army raced into battle.

Katana flashed a look at Wonder Woman.

“Supers, ready…go!” Wonder Woman yelled as she flew above them, leading the first wave of Supers.

There was no time for Katana to be scared. She had fought in battles before, including the one against Granny Goodness’s army of Female Furies. Katana looked over at Big Barda, who had once helped rule the Furies and had fought the Supers. Now she was on their side, and Katana couldn’t help but smile at the way Barda shone in battle.

Big Barda held her Mega Rod in one hand and one of the Japanese swords sheathed on her side, ready to use it when the time was right. As a mutant reptilian soldier raced toward her, Barda lifted her Mega Rod high and swung it—boom!—sending the reptile flying across the school grounds.

“One down, dozens to go!” Barda said, looking pleased. “But who’s counting?”

“Behind you!” shouted Bumblebee, who was flying after a winged warrior headed straight toward Barda.

Big Barda twirled around, unsheathing the sword, and swung it, striking the armored enemy with such force that his shield cracked and he flew backward. The human-reptile hybrid didn’t stop until he hit the administration building.

Barda looked at the sword, now bent out of shape. Using her incredible strength, she straightened it until it was as good as new.

“Well, that’s not the Muteki Sword,” Dragon King said, yawning as he gazed out over the battle.

Katana realized his strategy. He was going to let his mutants fight his war, and if and when he saw a Super whose sword was indestructible or gave some sign of bestowing great power to its wielder, then he would attack. As she looked at him, Katana felt a connection, albeit an unsettling one. However, there was no time to ruminate.

“I need backup!” someone called.

In an instant, Katana was fighting alongside Cheetah, who was battling a trio of reptilians. “Three to one? Not fair,” Cheetah purred. “But three to two? That’s just about right!”

Katana and Cheetah easily defeated their opponents with a series of high kicks and low punches executed in tandem.

Near the vehicle building, Batgirl was up against a hulking mutant reptile who had uprooted a tree trunk and was now swinging it at her, causing dirt from the roots to fly everywhere.

“Seriously?” Batgirl said. “Poison Ivy is not going to be happy about that.”

Batgirl pulled a small canister from her Utility Belt and unleashed its gaseous contents in the snarling mutant’s face. After taking a deep breath of the gas, the lizard warrior dropped the tree and fell to its knees. Batgirl bonked it over the head with the handle of her sword, knocking it out. “Well, that was easy,” she said. “I knew I should have made more reptile repellent after it worked so well on Croc.”

As the Supers continued to fight, Katana joined in battles and had a few of her own. No one was a match for the granddaughter of a Samurai super hero, and several of Dragon King’s warriors fled at the sight of her.

Fighting at Katana’s side, Supergirl said, “He’s a mutterer.”

“Who?” Katana asked. She backflipped over a pair of reptiles who were about to attack Thunder and Lightning.

“Dragon King,” Supergirl said as she tossed a couple of surly mutants into the air and watched Frost freeze them before they fell. “I’m using my super-hearing.”

“What’s he saying?” Katana asked. She looked around, proud of what she saw. Beast Boy had turned into a reptile himself, confusing the enemy. Arrowette was hurling arrows, some flaming, faster than the enemy could take in what was happening. Wonder Woman had several tied up in her Lasso of Truth, and all were crying and saying that Dragon King had tricked them.

“He’s not impressed with any of the swords he sees,” Supergirl reported, “though Dragon King is impressed with us.”

“As he should be,” Katana noted. She motioned to Hawkgirl and Bumblebee.

Both were flying circles around the enemy, and while Hawkgirl rounded them up, Bumblebee was blasting electric stings and bringing them to their misshapen hands and knees.

Over in her student project garden, the usually sweet Poison Ivy was yelling at the reptile warriors. “Do. NOT. Trample. My. PLANTS!!!” she warned. When they didn’t listen, Poison Ivy reached into her bag for the flower bombs she had created in Mr. Fox’s class. She lobbed the weapons at them and watched with glee as they exploded, creating a net of thorny rose vines that captured several enemies at once.

Supergirl and Katana high-fived each other. Before they could say anything, they were suddenly surrounded by a dozen angry mutants. The girls smiled at one another.

“This is going to be fun!” Supergirl said.

“Going to be? I thought it already was!” Katana replied. “Three, two, one…let’s go!”

As Supergirl charged the warriors, Katana rolled into a trio of them, sending them flying into the air. Then, using her martial arts skills, she disarmed them while doing multiple kicks to bring them down. Taking out her sword, she fought six more with ease. Calling on the moves Onna had taught her, Katana displayed expert skill and grace. Though it was a battle, it looked more like a ballet—except, of course, when her enemies fell one by one, yelling “Oompf!” and “Ugh!” and “I give up!”

With the dozen captured, it took less than a second for them to be tied up by The Flash, who ran around them with handcuffs and steel ropes in hand. Katana smiled at Supergirl, who, instead of smiling back, looked stricken.

“What’s the matter?” Katana asked.

“He’s what’s the matter.”

Katana was surprised to find Miss Martian standing next to Supergirl.

“You tell her,” Supergirl said. “I could only hear his muttering, but you may know more.”

Miss Martian gulped and her voice trembled. “Katana, Dragon King wasn’t impressed with any of the Supers using their swords…until he saw you!”

“Army!” Dragon King roared. “Keep fighting, but give me space. There is one battle I want to fight for myself. One that is long overdue!”

Katana turned to see Dragon King, a sinister smile on his face, rising off the pedestal and flying toward her. Miss Martian disappeared. Supergirl balled up her fists and rose into the air to greet him.

“No,” Katana said sharply. “No,” she said again, softer this time. “I will fight him myself.”

“You sure?” Supergirl asked, looking uncertain.

“Assist the others,” she said. “I got this.”

As Supergirl flew away, Dragon King landed in front of Katana, casting a shadow over her.

“Why, hello, little lady. You must be the granddaughter of Onna-bugeisha Yamashiro,” he said. His voice was smooth and untrustworthy. “I have heard of you.”

“That’s funny,” Katana said as they slowly circled each other. “I’d never heard of you before today.”

“No?” Dragon King hissed, looking insulted. “Your grandmother never ssspoke of me? She told me all about you and how even though you were young, you already were showing signs of one day being a Samurai super hero.”

Katana was surprised. Onna had spoken to him about her? Wait!

Suddenly, it made sense. Dragon. Dragon King. Dragon Prince. They were one and the same. Katana flashed back to the teak chest in her room. There were photos—photos of Onna with Dragon Prince. She had even talked about him in her diary. But he was scrawny back then. So, he had changed himself, Katana noted, and given himself a promotion!

“You were friends?” Katana asked, surprised.

“She was my friend,” he said, laughing. “In the end, I was not hersss.”