Diana was knocked down again and again by Ares, yet she kept getting back up. Her body was covered in bruises and shallow cuts, her breath ragged but unbroken. Antiope's death was the fire that drove her forward.
Under Malrick's illusionary guidance, Diana no longer remembered the companion who had once fought by her side. All that filled her heart now was grief—and an unyielding resolve to protect humanity.
"Ah!" She swung her sword once more, only for Ares to dodge it effortlessly. Each failed strike chipped away at her confidence. A sense of helplessness began to creep into her heart. Could she truly defeat a god?
Before doubt could consume her, the ground trembled violently. A thunderous rhythm of hooves echoed across the plains—Queen Hippolyta and the Amazon army had arrived.
"Prepare!" From atop her horse, the Queen raised her blade high, her command ringing out with divine authority.
"Fire!!" Hundreds of arrows launched skyward, forming a dark wave that arced toward Ares.
"Mother!" Diana gasped. Relief and sorrow flickered across her face. But her brief joy turned to panic in an instant. "No! Everyone, retreat! Stay away from him!"
Her desperate warning came too late. Ares clenched his right fist, and time itself seemed to halt. The arrows froze midair—then, with a single casual gesture, he sent them spinning back.
The volley of death rained down upon the Amazons. Warriors cried out as arrows pierced armor and flesh. Horses collapsed, and the once-mighty army faltered under the merciless storm.
Hippolyta cut through the air with her sword, deflecting arrows as best she could. When she caught sight of Ares, her heart sank.
"Ares... it truly is you," she breathed, gripping her reins tighter. Her shock lasted only a heartbeat. Duty overcame fear.
"Diana, fall back!" she ordered. Then, with defiance blazing in her eyes, she raised her sword. "Amazons, with me!"
"Mother, no!" Diana threw her sword aside, running toward her. But Ares's fury boiled over.
"Hippolyta," he sneered, appearing before her in an instant. "After all these centuries, we meet again!"
Before she could react, his hand clamped around her throat. He lifted her effortlessly from her horse, his grip like iron.
"You didn't expect this, did you? That I would return... and walk upon this island again." He turned toward Diana, a cruel smile spreading across his face.
"Diana, if you join me now, I'll spare your mother."
"I... I can't…" she stammered, torn apart by fear and grief. Join him, and betray everything she stood for—or watch her mother die. Her trembling lips parted, but before she could speak, Hippolyta's faint, hoarse voice broke the silence.
"Go... Diana... leave... become who you were meant to be... then... avenge us."
"Mother…" Diana whispered, her heart breaking.
Ares's expression hardened. "Still the same foolish faith," he growled. "If you refuse to see the truth, then go and join Zeus!"
There was a sharp crack. Ares twisted her neck, ending the Queen's life in an instant. He flung her body aside as if discarding something worthless, then raised his hand again. Divine power erupted like a storm, tearing the earth apart. The ground rolled forward in massive waves, swallowing the Amazon warriors one by one.
"Mother!" Diana screamed, dashing forward. Ares struck out with another blast of godly energy, slamming her into the ground. Even so, she rose again—bleeding, trembling, but defiant. Yet she was too late.
The battlefield fell silent. Every Amazon had been buried beneath the broken earth. Not one survived.
Diana collapsed, her sword falling from her hand. Moments ago, she had been a daughter dreaming of the world beyond this island. Now, she was utterly alone. She stared at her palms, dirt and blood smeared across them, her reflection trembling in the tears that fell.
Her sorrow burned. It ignited into something uncontrollable. Rage. Ares had taken everything.
She rose slowly, her divine power flaring outward in violent waves. The sky darkened. Thunder rumbled. The very air trembled under the surge of her fury. The wind howled. Stones lifted from the ground, suspended in the air as if gravity itself bent to her will.
Ares's expression shifted. He sensed the change—the awakening.
"Diana," he said darkly, "this is what defying me brings. Now, you will die as your mother did!"
Lightning split the heavens. Ares raised his hands, drawing bolts of thunder that forged into his armor. Pieces of steel rose from the shattered seabed, molding into a suit of war forged by the storm itself.
"You will die!" He hurled the lightning toward her with divine wrath.
But Diana raised her arm. The lightning struck—and vanished. The immense energy flowed harmlessly into her.
Ares froze. "That's impossible!" Fear crept into his voice. He unleashed everything—earth, steel, wind, fire. The sky itself seemed to break apart as he struck again and again. But nothing reached her.
Every attack dissolved against an invisible force surrounding her. Step by step, Diana advanced. Her face was blank, her eyes lifeless, her rage absolute. She crossed her arms in front of her, and divine energy surged outward like an explosion. Light consumed everything. The world vanished in white.
When the light faded, Ares was gone. So was Paradise Island. The once-beautiful paradise had been reduced to fragments. Only the cliff beneath Diana remained. She stood there silently, the waves crashing below. Ares was dead. Humanity was safe. But she had lost everything.
Tears slid down her cheeks, soundless and endless. Then—
A hand rested gently on her shoulder. She turned. Malrick stood before her, calm as ever, a faint smile on his face.
"Well done, Diana," he said softly. "You've done it. You defeated Ares."
"Malrick?" she whispered, barely believing it. Her memories stirred. He was alive. Relief washed over her, overwhelming the numbness in her chest.
Malrick smiled and patted her head. "Actually, I saved them all. Your family, your friends—even the island itself."
"What?" she gasped.
He gestured toward the cliff. Diana turned, her eyes widening. Paradise Island—whole, shining, alive—stood once more before her.
Behind her, voices called out. Hippolyta, Antiope, the Amazons… all alive, all watching her with warmth and sorrow.
"Mother... Antiope... everyone..." Her lips trembled as tears streamed down her face. "You're all alive... thank the gods…"
She ran to them, weeping with joy. The battle was over. The god was gone. And the warrior Diana had finally awakened.
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