Chapter 58 - Unyielding General Kneels to None - Part 7

As Hera watched everything unfold, she understood the significant threat Nam-Ek posed. She knew that Diana could handle him in her new form, but she could only maintain her transformed state for a limited time. Therefore, she wanted Diana to use that strategically. With this in mind, she turned to Athena and Artemis.

"Athena, Artemis, assist Diana," Hera commanded, her voice ringing clear over the chaos of the battlefield. "If you see an opportunity, create an opening for her to exploit the time she has left in her transformation."

Athena, aware of Diana's new abilities, understood Hera's command and nodded in agreement. Artemis, though unaware of the specifics of Diana's transformation, also nodded, trusting Hera's judgement. Together, they charged towards Nam-Ek, coordinating their attack from both sides.

Athena swung her sword from one side, while Artemis attacked with her hatchet from the other. If viewed from above, it would appear as though their attacks would intersect at Nam-Ek.

Nam-Ek, however, proved to be a challenging opponent. He was slightly nicked by Athena's swing, but managed to dodge Artemis's hatchet by swiftly turning. He then seized Artemis's leg, swung her around, and hurled her towards Athena. The two goddesses collided and were sent flying away from the battlefield.

The battlefield fell silent for a moment, the heroes momentarily stunned by the sheer strength of their enemy.

Just as Nam-Ek had dealt with the goddesses, he was suddenly attacked from behind, causing him to plummet from the sky. Once he had a moment to comprehend what had occurred, he felt a surge of rage. Despite the pain from the ongoing battle, he managed to pick himself up and turned to face the figure who had attacked him.

What surprised him was a strange, unsettling sensation that he hadn't experienced in a long time…fear. His instincts were screaming for him to run away. He found this situation absurd because the figure in front of him was Diana, a foe he had managed to defeat in an earlier clash.

Rewinding a few minutes back - The lush grove Diana was sent hurtling into -

"Well, that... didn't hurt as much as I expected!"Diana remarked, dusting off the debris from her body as she climbed out of the crater her impact had created. She was surprised that she could withstand such a powerful blow without any serious injury.

She took a moment to assess her situation, her fingers gingerly probing her minor bruises.

"But, my body has indeed improved a lot. That Kryptonian is clearly stronger than Clark, yet I only have minor bruises. Most importantly, I still feel full of energy... amazing." she thought aloud, her voice filled with a sense of awe. She flexed her arm, her fist clenching and unclenching as she gauged her remaining strength. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips, she was amazed at the transformations her body was undergoing due to her newfound power, the God Ki that was borne out of her bond with Orach.

Thinking of Orach, she simply looked up towards the sky and murmured softly, "Orach... you fool of a husband. Where are you?"

She allowed herself a moment of respite, closing her eyes to focus on her connection with Orach. She sensed the powerful yet comforting presence of her God Ki, which brought her reassurance. Simultaneously, she felt it flare as if it were saying, "Use me." A warm smile spread across her face as she opened her eyes and looked outside, at the battle.

She gave her cheeks a firm slap, psyching herself up for the confrontation ahead. "I'll deal with Orach later and have him train me. But for now," she said, her voice resolute. Sheathing her sword and shield, she clenched her fists, her eyes reflecting determination. "I'm going to beat this Kryptonian to the ground"

As she finished her sentence, she lowered herself into a semi-crouch, her aura flaring up around her. Small rocks and twigs started to levitate, caught in the invisible energy she was radiating. Pale pink sparks danced through the air, skittering over her body like ethereal snakes. Her hair responded to the surge of power, lifting up as if electrified. As she fully transformed into her Pseudo Super Saiyan Rosé form, she burst forwards with incredible speed, appearing right behind Nam-Ek. Without a moment's hesitation, she launched her attack, sending him crashing downwards, face-first into the ground. The impact created a sizable crater, a testament to her unleashed power.

Present time-Diana POV

As he collapsed onto the ground, I took a moment to survey the scene. My sisters and comrades were scattered across the battlefield, their bodies bearing the scars of the fierce conflict. It was abundantly clear that the battle had been a difficult one on all fronts. Just three Kryptonians had caused immense pain and destruction, and we were Amazon warriors, unquestionably stronger than ordinary humans. A chilling thought crept into my mind. I imagined the havoc these Kryptonians could wreak if they chose to attack a city in Man's world, if there were no strong defenders like my sisters or the Justice League present. I knew I had to put a stop to this atrocity.

I can only maintain this form for a mere 15 minutes, but strangely, I feel it should suffice. I think I am beginning to understand Orach's perspective even more now. This power…its all-consuming, and terrifyingly…NO! I can't loose myself in this power. I need to focus, and channel my Ki towards the task at hand.

Shaking my head, I descended towards the Kryptonian who was beginning to rise. As I landed on the ground, the earth beneath me quaking slightly, he stared directly at me, his eyes reflecting a mixture of surprise and fear.

I narrowed my eyes and said to him, "You have caused my sisters enough pain. I am putting an end to this." My voice echoed across the battlefield.

As soon as the words left my lips, I launched myself towards him. I appeared directly in front of him within mere seconds, my speed not allowing him a moment to react. My punch connected with his stomach, sending him sprawling backwards. But I didn't stop there. Swiftly, I appeared behind him, my left foot firmly planted on the ground for leverage. I grabbed the back of his head using my right hand and, going against the momentum of his body, slammed his face into the ground.

His body crashed into the ground once again, the impact creating a shockwave that rippled across the battlefield. I didn't give him a moment's respite. I raised my right leg high into the air and, after a pause, brought it crashing down on his back, pushing him even deeper into the ground. The sound of his armor shattering and his muffled screams filled the air. Hearing his screams I realized that my kick may have caused significant damage to even his spine.

"Looks like I still can't control my strength in this form," I mused, witnessing the destructive power of my relatively simple movements.

"I can think about controlling my power later, but for now, I am ending this." I unsheathed my sword and raised it high, imbuing it with my God Ki. "You'll be the first to fall to my new move. Farewell, Kryptonian." With those final words, I swung my sword downwards and his head was severed from his body.

The battlefield fell silent, the only sounds were the wind rustling through the trees and the distant cries of my injured sisters. I knew this wasn't over since other two sites were getting attacked as well. But for now, in this fleeting moment, we had won. My sisters and comrades were safe, and that was all that truly mattered. Hence, I ended my transformation allowed my body to relax as I looked up to the stars.

End of POV

Rewinding time - From Nam-Ek's perspective

As I gradually lifted myself, an intense wave of pain swept through me. It felt like every inch of my body was on fire, each nerve ending ablaze with unbearable pain. But it wasn't just the physical discomfort that overpowered me; a raging anger swelled within my chest. An overwhelming desire for revenge consumed me. I yearned to locate the one who dared to assault me, to overpower them, to force them to kneel before me, and finally, to end their life.

Slowly, I turned my gaze towards my assailant. The initial shock of seeing her quickly morphed into confusion. The strength of the attack that knocked me down was unexpected, especially given our previous encounter where I had easily overpowered her. But as I continued to watch her descend, a sense of dread began to creep over me. It was a feeling I hadn't experienced in a long time. It was as if I had suddenly become the prey, and a deadly predator had set its sights on me.

An involuntary shudder ran through me. My hair stood on end, my skin prickled with apprehension. Every fiber of my being was screaming at me to run. But why? Why was I experiencing such fear against someone I had previously defeated so easily?

As I stared at her, I noticed a strange aura surrounding her. What was happening to her? I could feel the ground tremble slightly as her feet touched the ground. A shiver of fear ran down my spine. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, my heart pounded in my chest. It was only then that I realized that I had instinctively taken a step back.

Before I could even process what was happening, she vanished from my sight, only to reappear right in front of me in the blink of an eye. Everything happened so fast, it was only when I found myself hurtling backwards that I realized I had been punched. But the moment this realization dawned upon me, my vision was filled with nothing but dirt, and after a moment an excruciating pain shot through my spine.

Why was this happening? Weren't we supposed to be gods to these people? Why was someone like her here? WHY?

The world seemed to spin around me, and the last thing I saw was the woman standing over a... headless body, a sword in her hand. A terrifying thought struck me, had I... died? Then all I saw was darkness…

End of POV

Elsewhere, the remaining members of the Justice League, along with the two goddesses Athena and Artemis, watched the scene in surprise. They had just witnessed the true power of Diana.

As they observed her standing there, they understood that the balance of power had shifted. They were witnessing the emergence of a new force, a power to be reckoned with. They knew that Diana had just become the most powerful among them.