"Victory."
Diana whispered, a relieved smile spreading across her face, before collapsing with a heavy thud.
As she fainted, the essence of the god of war floating around her seemed to be drawn into her body. She could feel it seeping into her, causing her to slowly rise into the air. From a distance, it appeared as though the sun itself was beginning to rise.
When Eris, the goddess of strife, died, Artemis had actively absorbed her essence. But now, the essence of Ares, the god of war, sought out Diana on its own. Unlike Artemis, Diana's transformation didn't take long; after just a few minutes, the radiant light faded, and she gently descended back to the ground.
"Is that even possible? Tsk tsk, is this destiny at work?" Su Sheng mused as he stood up, retrieving the Lasso of Truth. Donna Troy, who had regained her divine power, struggled to stand and looked at Diana in shock. "I've seen Artemis. She became the new goddess of strife after absorbing Eris' essence. So, does that mean Diana is now the new… god of war?"
"Take her with us."
Hearing the commotion in the distance, Su Sheng chuckled as he gave his instruction.
"Where to?" Donna Troy asked instinctively.
Su Sheng didn't reply. He simply turned and started walking away.
Donna Troy quickly picked up her shield, scooped Diana into her arms, and hurried after Su Sheng. The two of them swiftly made their way back to the rooftop hotel. The window was left open, allowing Su Sheng to easily jump inside, with Donna Troy following close behind, though struggling slightly with Diana in her arms.
Click!
The light flicked on.
The once dim room was suddenly bathed in brightness, revealing a stunningly beautiful woman with an enviable figure standing by the light switch.
This woman was Riley.
"What happened to Diana?" Riley asked, surprised by the presence of a stranger, but her attention quickly shifted to the unconscious Diana.
"Put her on the bed," Su Sheng instructed Donna Troy.
Donna Troy hesitated before laying Diana gently on the bed.
"Take her clothes off."
"What?" Donna Troy froze in shock.
"Never mind, I'll do it myself," Su Sheng said, walking over to undress Diana. As he looked at the sleeping woman, he couldn't help but pout. "As expected, beauty is common, but a truly interesting soul is one in a million. Looking at her now, I don't feel the same pull as before. Was I just drawn to her moment of glory?"
"Are you going to stay here and sleep with us, or do you want to leave?" Su Sheng asked, turning to Donna Troy.
Donna Troy was taken aback once more.
How long had she known Su Sheng? She'd lost count of how many times he'd left her stunned.
"I…"
"I'll sleep on the floor," Donna Troy said hesitantly.
"Do as you please," Su Sheng waved his hand dismissively before turning off the light.
The sudden darkness made Donna Troy uncomfortable. She heard the faint sound of clothes rustling, and in the moonlight, she could just make out Su Sheng lying down, pulling Riley into his arms.
Oh my god!
Diana is going to lose it when she wakes up, right? But what did he mean earlier? Did it sound like… he doesn't want to kill Diana anymore?
"Anyway, Ares is dead!"
In the silence of the room, Donna Troy slowly sat down against the wall and drifted off to sleep.
The night passed quietly.
The area where Ares had battled Diana and Donna Troy the night before had been placed under martial law. In an age without surveillance cameras, finding out the truth wasn't easy. Moreover, even though this was a non-war zone, anything could happen. As such, neither the authorities nor the general public were overly affected. Ares' identity in the world was relatively special, so the incident was ultimately classified as a large-scale assassination attempt.
The warm sunlight streaming through the window made Diana sigh contentedly. She stretched her arms lazily and slowly opened her eyes.
Diana was immediately taken aback by what she saw.
She was lying in Su Sheng's arms, along with Riley, and they were all naked!
Diana froze for a moment as memories flashed through her mind.
I defeated Ares, the god of war, and then… I fainted!
"So he brought me back? Did he do that to me again? Wait, where's Donna Troy?" Diana murmured, looking around.
"I'm here, and I'm fine! He… he just took off your clothes, but he didn't do anything to you!" Donna Troy's voice came from the corner of the room, and Diana lifted her head slightly to see Donna Troy sitting on the floor.
Awkward!
Diana had no idea what to say.
Slap!
The sudden sound of a slap broke the silence, and Diana gasped as she grabbed Su Sheng's hand and pushed it aside, glaring at him.
"Get up if you're awake. Don't disturb my sleep!" Su Sheng grumbled, turning over to cuddle Riley. "I knew sleeping with you as a pillow would be uncomfortable."
"You…"
Diana was speechless. He took off my clothes and slept with me, and now he's complaining? Looking at Su Sheng, who continued to sleep with Riley in his arms, Diana quickly got up, found her clothes, and dressed. She exchanged a glance with Donna Troy, and the two of them quietly left the room.
In the hallway.
Diana asked Donna Troy about her identity and the situation on Paradise Island, and she was genuinely shocked to learn she had been away for half a year. Time had little meaning on Paradise Island, and she hadn't paid much attention to it when she first entered human society. Diana hadn't realized so much time had passed. She felt a wave of relief when she learned that her mother, Artemis, and the others were safe.
"What's your plan now? Are you going back to Paradise Island?" Diana asked Donna Troy.
"Yes, what about you?" Donna Troy asked in return.
Diana was about to answer when she suddenly felt a sharp pain. Athena's voice echoed in her mind once more.
"What? That's impossible!"
"No… not Ares?"
Diana's face paled, her expression shifting to one of shock. Donna Troy, holding onto her, was unsure what was happening.
After a moment, Diana gently pushed Donna Troy away and spoke solemnly.
"We were wrong."
"The disaster that will destroy the gods wasn't caused by Ares, but…"
Boom!
Diana's words were cut off by a roaring noise outside the hallway window. She turned to see a spaceship hovering just outside.
"The Wave-rider!"