For a brief moment, Diana felt her heart tremble.
But it was just for a moment.
She quickly recalled the treachery of Eris, the goddess of strife, and the cruelty of Ares, the god of war, who had just been beaten down by Su Sheng. Even if she were to join forces with Ares, there was no guarantee they could defeat Su Sheng. Moreover, despite her deep resentment toward Su Sheng for forcing himself on her, for humiliating women, and for his general disregard for anyone but himself, she couldn't forget that he had saved Paradise Island. He had made Artemis the new goddess of strife, and above all, it was her mother who had asked her to stay by Su Sheng's side. Even though she had left him in anger before, she had never truly considered killing him.
Her feelings toward Su Sheng were complex.
In contrast, Ares represented a different kind of evil. Since childhood, Diana had been told countless stories by her mother of Ares' malevolence, not to mention the reminders from Athena in her mind. Her desire to kill Ares was far stronger than her desire to kill Su Sheng. Even if she were able to defeat Su Sheng by joining forces with Ares, who would be left to stop Ares afterward?
Su Sheng's evil stemmed from his chaotic freedom and extreme selfishness.
But Ares' evil was about the destruction of humanity and the murder of gods.
"I refuse!" Diana said firmly as she looked into Ares' expectant eyes.
"Why? Didn't you hear what he plans to do?" Ares asked, bewildered and then furious.
"I heard, and I believe he'll actually do it when the time is up. So I must defeat you in these ten minutes! If I fail, I'll either die at your hands or his, forever!"
Diana's tone was resolute. She no longer thought of Donna Troy or Su Sheng; her mind was focused on one thing alone.
Even if it means death, I must defeat Ares!
Diana transformed, becoming more focused and determined, which drove Ares—who was already growing impatient—into a more desperate state. Though he landed every blow on Diana, her resolve only seemed to strengthen. Ares began to feel a creeping sense of panic.
She was relentless! Fearless!
Diana was getting stronger with every moment!
"Did you see that?" Su Sheng suddenly asked Donna Troy.
"See... what?"
"Glory!" Su Sheng replied, staring intently at Diana. "She is like a goddess radiating glory now. Though she's deeply focused on the battle, she's unintentionally exuding a stronger charm, shining like a beacon in the dark, so mesmerizing!"
Donna Troy was stunned. She couldn't understand why Su Sheng, who had just threatened Diana, now seemed to be admiring her.
Su Sheng looked down at Donna Troy and suddenly chuckled. "I kind of want to kill Diana now!"
"Why?" Donna Troy asked in shock.
Just a moment ago, he seemed to be in awe of her, and now he wants to kill her? What kind of logic is this?
"Do you know? I've slept with her twice! The first time, I was under the control of the Lasso of Truth, just as you are now. The second time, I forced her. I wanted to conquer her, to take what I desired from her until she no longer entertained me. But now, I find myself attracted to her current beauty, and if this continues, I fear I might fall in love with her."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Donna Troy asked, still in a daze.
"Not at all!"
"It's bad for me," Su Sheng explained earnestly. "As long as I don't love anyone, I can remain arrogant and untethered. But if I fall in love with her, I won't be myself anymore. There will be many things I can't do, and I'll miss out on a lot of fun. That's why I really want to kill her now before it's too late."
"You're too cold. Love is beautiful; why are you resisting it?" Donna Troy tried to reason with him.
"You don't understand!" Su Sheng shook his head. "Right now, I can sleep with whomever I want, chase after her, seduce her, deceive her, or force her. I can have any woman's body and heart, and if I lose interest, I can just move on to the next one. For example, I could decide to fall in love with you right now! But once I fall in love with her, many things will no longer be under my control. I don't like that feeling of being tied down—it's not freedom!"
"I came to this world to be a free man!"
Su Sheng's gaze fixed on Diana. Ares was already using the power of thunder, but Diana only grew more courageous with each of his repeated attacks. The radiant light surrounding her made her all the more enchanting, and with each passing moment, Su Sheng's desire to kill her grew stronger.
"This is getting ridiculous! I didn't find her this attractive even when I slept with her. This feeling of having my heart stirred is the most annoying—completely out of control!" Su Sheng muttered angrily as he slowly got to his feet.
"Don't be stubborn, sister!"
Ares shouted as he knocked Diana into the air once again.
Gods have keen senses, and Ares could feel the growing murderous intent emanating from Su Sheng in the distance.
Diana took a deep breath and advanced once more.
"You forced me!"
Ares roared, unleashing a brilliant thunderbolt that raced toward Diana.
The once-dim sky turned a blinding blue, so bright it was almost unbearable.
Boom!
Diana crossed her arms to block the attack, but even so, she couldn't stop herself from being pushed back.
Long tracks were carved into the ground where her feet dragged.
"What?"
When the attack finally ceased, Diana looked down at her arms, stunned to see the thunder still crackling around them. Then, an unconsciously charming smile played on her lips.
"Boom!"
Diana leaped into the air toward Ares, her eyes locked on him as she slammed her arms together with all her might.
The thunder roared, piercing straight through Ares' chest, followed by a sudden explosion behind him, with flames so intense they seemed to set the sky ablaze.
Snap!
Diana landed on the ground with a thud, while Ares looked down at his chest in disbelief. He watched as tiny sparks of light floated out of him before he exploded into a fiery inferno.
As the slow-burning fire flickered with brilliant light, Diana turned to look at Su Sheng, who simply smiled.
"Victory is mine!"