"What does that mean? Could he be... from Asgard's divine realm?"
"Is he real or fake?"
"Could he... really be a god?"
To the descendants of the Olympian gods, the name "Asgard" was filled with immense meaning!
Just as the entire scene was thrown into shock and confusion, a voice full of majesty and composure echoed from afar.
"Stop! Lower your weapons!"
Everyone turned and saw the Amazon Queen, Hippolyta, clad in resplendent golden battle armor, leading her royal guard swiftly toward them.
Her arrival immediately quelled all hostility.
And to the disbelief of Diana and all the Amazons, the noble and dignified queen—who had never bowed her head to any outsider—actually gave a slight bow to the mysterious black-haired man before her, saluting him respectfully.
"Amazon Queen Hippolyta of Themyscira greets... Prince Lucci."
Prince... Lucci?
At the mention of this name, Diana and the Amazons behind her were stunned again! Their minds went blank, all reasoning lost!
The Queen... really knew him? What... what on earth was going on?
Lucci gazed at the Amazon Queen before him. She was still captivating, with features somewhat similar to Diana's. He, too, was a little surprised.
"You know me?"
Straightening her back, Hippolyta answered with sincere respect and emotion. "Prince Lucci, though our Themyscira is isolated from the world, that doesn't mean we know nothing of it.
"We have our own ways of observing the world. Just days ago, we saw the sky of Earth torn apart, an alien army surging in like a tidal wave. I... I saw it all.
"And I also saw you, single-handedly defeating countless enemies, destroying massive alien warships, protecting Earth with a single sword. Such heroic bearing, such great power—truly admirable!"
Lucci nodded lightly, understanding in his heart. So, his battle had had even broader effects than he thought—even this hidden paradise had witnessed it.
Hippolyta's attitude was very sincere. Especially towards those who had saved the world, the Amazons would never withhold respect.
She gestured politely, inviting him with a heartfelt offer. "Prince Lucci, you've come from afar. If it's not too much trouble, please move to the Palace of Themyscira and allow us to show our hospitality."
Having received the queen's invitation, Lucci had no reason to refuse. He nodded indifferently. "Alright."
Upon receiving his affirmative answer, Hippolyta led the way herself, personally guiding Lucci toward the interior of Themyscira's grand palace.
…
The Palace of Themyscira
The great hall of Themyscira was grand and magnificent. Perfect white marble pillars, leading to the domed ceiling, were engraved with ancient epic scenes of the gods and giants of Olympus. Sunlight streamed through tall arched windows, illuminating the floor and casting a holy glow.
Queen Hippolyta sat on her throne, raising a golden goblet in salute from afar, her voice filled with sincerity.
"Prince Lucci. On behalf of the entire Amazon family, I thank you once again for protecting this world. This cup, I drink to you."
Lucci raised his glass indifferently and drank it down in one go.
After three rounds of wine, the polite words were nearly done.
Hippolyta set down her cup, a solemn look flickering in her beautiful eyes. Finally, she posed the question that she and all the Amazons present cared about most.
"May I ask why you have come to our Themyscira... what is your purpose?"
The hall instantly fell silent. Diana and the Amazons standing on both sides held their breath, all eyes fixed on Lucci. Their hearts were full of curiosity.
Lucci did not beat around the bush. He set down his cup and got straight to the point.
"I've come for the Mother Box."
Just those few words struck everyone present like an invisible hammer!
The atmosphere instantly froze! Everyone's faces grew wary.
"Mother Box?" Hippolyta's smile vanished in an instant, her brows furrowing.
"The Mother Box is a war trophy of the Amazons, stained with the blood and lives of countless ancestors. It is the most important thing we must guard with our lives for generations! What do you mean by taking it?"
Diana could no longer hold back and stepped forward, her right hand unconsciously gripping the hilt of her God Killer sword at her waist!
Lucci sensed the sudden tension but remained as calm as still water. He explained lightly, "To my knowledge, there are three Mother Boxes in total. One on your Themyscira, another in Atlantis, and the last under human protection."
He paused, glancing around at everyone. "And just recently, the one entrusted to the humans was... stolen."
"What?" Hippolyta and Diana were shocked!
"So," Lucci continued, "to ensure the safety of the Mother Boxes and prevent Darkseid's schemes from succeeding, it's best if I safeguard the remaining two."
His words were understated, but to Diana's ears, they sounded nakedly contemptuous... even provocative!
"What do you mean?" Diana blurted out. "Do you think our Amazons and Themyscira can't protect our sacred relics?"
"I know you are the Prince of Asgard, and you truly saved the world—we respect and thank you! But that doesn't mean you can look down on the glory and power of the Amazons!"
Lucci looked at the furious demigoddess before him, a faint, indifferent smile on his lips.
"I've never looked down on you. The strength of Themyscira is beyond doubt. But your enemy comes from Apokolips. They possess 'Boom Tube' technology, allowing them to enter and exit freely, ignoring physical space and almost all magical barriers. Before this level of cosmic teleportation, how much can your near-invincible barrier really do?"
"Boom Tube? What's that?"
Diana and the Amazons behind her looked confused—they clearly didn't know.
Lucci patiently explained the principles of the Boom Tube: ignoring spatial distance, directly slicing through reality and transmitting point-to-point.
Hearing this, Diana and the others were shocked again.
"Is... is something so unreasonable really possible?"
But Queen Hippolyta, after Lucci's explanation, let out a long sigh, her face becoming extremely solemn.
"Apokolips... truly does possess such abilities."
As a survivor of the ancient god wars, she clearly knew more than Diana. Even so, the sacred relic that the whole tribe had guarded for millennia could not be given to an outsider so easily.
"Prince Lucci," Hippolyta's face turned even more solemn, "the Mother Box is vitally important—not just a weapon, but also a symbol of our Amazonian mission and glory. So... forgive me, but I can't hand it over so easily."
"Oh?" Lucci raised his brows, as if he had expected this answer long ago. He leaned back and gazed at the queen.
"Not so easily, meaning if certain conditions are met, you would give it to me?" He gestured, "Tell me."
Hippolyta took a deep breath. She knew this was the only way to preserve Amazonian dignity and test the strength of their guest—a win-win for both sides.
Her gaze landed on her proudest daughter, Diana.
"It's simple." Her voice rang out loud and strong throughout the hall. "Diana is my daughter and the strongest warrior of the Amazons! Her strength represents all of Themyscira! Prince Lucci, if you can defeat her in battle, it means you have the qualifications and ability to protect the Mother Box better than we can! At that time, I, Hippolyta, will personally hand the Mother Box to you!"
The hall went silent.
In Diana's eyes, a fierce fighting spirit instantly ignited! Not only was she not afraid, she was even excited! She had long wanted to test the might of the legendary Prince of Asgard!
Lucci nodded and stood up. "That's fair." He looked at the battle-ready Diana and smiled naturally. "If you want to take something from another, you must prove your strength. Let's fight, then!"
…
Themyscira Arena
Shortly after, the battle was set at the Themyscira Arena—an expanse of hard white granite, big enough to hold tens of thousands.
Its history was even older than the Amazons' settlement—legend said it was once where the gods of Olympus fought and tested their strength.
At this moment, Lucci and Diana stood facing each other at the center. The stands were already packed with Amazons, their faces alight with excitement, curiosity, and anticipation.
Queen Hippolyta sat on the highest throne, her expression grave.
Seeing the two fighters ready, she stood and announced in a clear voice:
"For the glory of the Amazons! For the vow of guardianship!"
"Let the battle... begin!"
At her command, divine power erupted from Diana's body! Her blue eyes turned eagle-sharp, her God Killer sword and shield shining dazzlingly!
But when she looked across at Lucci, she couldn't help but frown. Her opponent remained calm, as if he'd come not to fight for the relic, but for a stroll on the beach.
"Where's your weapon?" Diana asked in a low voice.
"It's just a contest," Lucci replied lightly. "I don't need a weapon."
That single sentence completely ignited Diana's anger! A wave of intense humiliation surged in her heart!
"Fine, fine!" she laughed coldly, "Since you're so arrogant, don't blame me for not holding back!"
She hadn't finished her words!
Boom—
The ground beneath Diana's feet shattered instantly! Her figure became a golden lightning bolt, covering dozens of meters in a blink, appearing right in front of Lucci! So fast it was nearly extreme!
Her God Killer sword, sharp enough to cut molecules, slashed toward Lucci's neck with thunderous momentum!
The Amazons in the stands couldn't help but cry out!
But facing this earth-shaking attack, Lucci didn't even lift his eyelid. The moment the blade was about to touch him, he raised his right hand within a thousandth of a second. Then, extending his index and middle fingers—
Clang—
It was as if time stood still for a moment. Everyone stared in disbelief—Diana's invincible God Killer sword, able to slay gods, was pinched effortlessly between Lucci's two fingers. It couldn't advance any further!
"How... how is this possible?"
Diana's mind went blank! It was as if her sword had been caught in an unshakable ancient mountain!
Refusing to give up, she unleashed her full divine power, gripping the hilt with both hands, using all her strength to pull the blade back!
But no matter how hard she tried, her face flushed red—her sword wouldn't budge!
"Ah—!"
The stands erupted instantly!
"Oh my god! He... he caught Diana's sword with his fingers?"
"This can't be a dream, right?"
Queen Hippolyta suddenly stood from the throne, her face showing unprecedented shock! She knew Lucci was strong, but never imagined Diana could be rendered so powerless before him!
On the field, Diana made a snap decision. She realized that in terms of pure strength, she was in a completely different league from her opponent!
She decisively let go of the God Killer sword! Her body spun, wrist trembling!
Whoosh—
The Lasso of Truth, crafted by Hephaestus himself, glowed gold and shot out like a living serpent, wrapping precisely around Lucci's arm!
"Success!" Diana and the Amazons in the stands cheered!
As long as the Lasso of Truth bound the opponent, no matter how strong they were, their heart would be judged, their power greatly suppressed!
There was still hope for this battle!
But the joy didn't last long. Lucci looked down, gazing at the golden rope coiled around his arm, sensing the strange divine power emanating from it—with a hint of playful curiosity.
He clearly felt the strange energy, full of spiritual force, trying to invade his mind—subtly hinting him to "tell the truth," "become depressed," and "hold back his power."
"So that's it," Lucci smiled slightly, seeing through the relic's nature at once. "This is just a superficial application of mind power."
Should it really make the opponent tell the truth? That's the lowest level of mind control. Suppress an opponent's power through spiritual suggestion? That's the simplest form of psychic restraint.
Such little tricks might work on ordinary gods, but...
Standing before them was the true master of the Law of Mind—these were nothing but child's play!
Of course, Diana had no way of knowing her Lasso of Truth would be so futile before Lucci!
"Submit!" she shouted, gripping the other end and trying to pull Lucci toward her!
But in the next moment, all joy on her face froze completely.
...