Chapter 24: The God of War Revealed
The cold air hung heavily in the stillness of the night. The remnants of the battle were scattered all around the base, blood and broken bodies lying as a testament to the violence that had just unfolded. Diana stood, staring at the carnage around her, still reeling from the realization that killing Ludendorff hadn't stopped the war.
Beside her, Alex was quiet, his eyes scanning the area, his mind on alert for any unseen danger. He knew what was coming, even if Diana didn't. He had felt it for some time now, the lingering presence of something far more powerful and sinister than any mortal general.
Out of the darkness, a figure appeared.
Sir Patrick Morgan stepped forward, his face calm and composed, a strange and unsettling smile playing on his lips. He moved with a deliberate grace, his presence suddenly commanding in a way that had been absent before.
Diana's eyes widened as she saw him approach, confusion, with vigilance turning to anger. "Sir Patrick? What are you doing here?"
Alex said nothing, his gaze locked on Patrick. His body tensed, ready for the confrontation he had long anticipated.
Sir Patrick's smile widened as he stopped a few paces from them. "I've been here all along, Diana," he said smoothly. "Watching. Waiting."
The realization dawned on her like a hammer blow. She turned to Alex, her voice barely above a whisper. "This… this is what you were warning me about. He's… Ares."
Alex nodded solemnly. "I told you something didn't add up. Now you see."
Patrick's smile turned predatory as he straightened, his form shifting. His once human face morphed into something far more divine, far more dangerous. The air around him seemed to pulse with power as he revealed his true self: Ares, the God of War.
"Yes, Diana," Ares said, his voice now resonating with a godly echo. "I am Ares, the one who has watched over humanity's downfall. I have given them the tools, the ideas, the inspirations to destroy one another—but it was they who chose violence. It was they who embraced war. Humanity is inherently corrupt."
Diana's heart raced as she took a step forward, her voice filled with defiance. "You poisoned their minds! You caused this!"
Ares chuckled darkly. "Oh, I did no such thing. I merely whispered to them, showed them possibilities. They embraced war and hatred all on their own. It is in their nature, Diana. Your precious mortals are not so noble as you believe."
"You're wrong," Diana spat, her eyes narrowing with fury. "I will not let you justify this horror. The world can be better than this. Humanity can be better."
Ares' eyes gleamed with malevolent amusement. "Naive little child. You still believe in the goodness of mankind, even after all you've seen?"
Diana unsheathed her sword, her determination unwavering. "I believe in love, and I will fight to protect it."
Ares' expression hardened. "Then you will die for it."
---
The Battle Begins
In a flash, Ares summoned a blast of fire and debris, hurling it at Diana. She barely had time to block it with her shield as the sheer force of the attack sent her flying backward.
Alex was already moving, Stormbreaker in hand. With a mighty swing, he unleashed a torrent of lightning at Ares, the sky above them splitting open as thunder roared in response.
Ares sneered, deflecting the lightning with ease as he conjured an army of monstrous hounds from the earth. The beasts, twisted creatures of war, lunged at Alex with ferocious speed, their eyes glowing with the hunger for destruction.
"Take care of his pets," Alex said to Diana, his voice calm despite the chaos around them. "I'll handle him."
Diana nodded, her grip tightening on her sword. She charged forward, slashing through the hounds with precision and strength. Her movements were fluid, every strike a perfect combination of grace and power. But Ares' taunts echoed in her mind, making her question her resolve.
"Do you think you can stop war, Diana?" Ares called out as he and Alex clashed. "War is eternal. As long as there is mankind, there will be conflict. It is their true nature."
Diana gritted her teeth, trying to block out his words as she continued to fight. But doubt gnawed at her. Was Ares right? Was humanity truly doomed to destroy itself?
---
Alex vs. Ares: The Clash of Gods
Meanwhile, Alex and Ares were locked in a brutal fight. Ares swung his massive sword with godly strength, but Alex met him blow for blow, Stormbreaker crackling with divine energy as it clashed against Ares' weapon. Every strike sent shockwaves through the ground, the sheer force of their battle shaking the very earth beneath them.
"You think you can stand against me, mortal?" Ares snarled, his eyes burning with hatred. "I am the God of War! I have existed since the dawn of mankind, feeding on their hatred and violence. You are nothing compared to me!"
Alex's eyes gleamed with determination. "You talk too much."
With a mighty swing, Alex slammed Stormbreaker into the ground, unleashing a surge of lightning that tore through Ares' hounds, reducing them to ashes. Then, in a blur of motion, he charged at Ares, their weapons clashing in a blinding display of power.
Ares' sneer faltered as he realized just how strong Alex was. Every strike from Stormbreaker seemed to sap his strength, and for the first time in millennia, Ares felt something he hadn't experienced in ages: fear.
"You… you shouldn't be this strong!" Ares growled, panic creeping into his voice.
Alex grinned, his voice calm and steady. "You're not the only god on this battlefield, Ares."
Furious, Ares unleashed a massive wave of divine energy, hurling it directly at Alex. But Alex stood his ground, catching the energy in his hand. The lightning crackled and sparked around him as he absorbed the raw power of Zeus' divine lightning, his eyes glowing with intensity.
And then, with a roar, Alex channeled the energy toward Diana.
---
The Awakening of the God-Killer
Diana, still locked in battle with the last of Ares' forces, felt the surge of power course through her as Alex's lightning enveloped her. The energy flowed into her, awakening something deep within her—a power she hadn't known she possessed.
She turned to Alex, her eyes wide with realization.
"Diana," Alex said, his voice filled with the weight of truth, "you are the god-killer. Not that sword."
In that moment, everything clicked. The truth her mother had kept from her, the divine power that had always been within her. She was not just a warrior; she was a demigod, the daughter of Zeus himself. She was the weapon destined to defeat Ares.
Diana's eyes blazed with newfound strength as she stood tall, her resolve stronger than ever. Ares, realizing the danger he was in, attempted to strike her down with one final blast of divine energy.
But it was too late.
With a fierce battle cry, Diana surged forward, her body glowing with the power of the gods. She deflected Ares' attack effortlessly, her movements now faster and more powerful than ever before.
Ares, desperate and panicked, tried to fight back, but Diana was unstoppable. She landed blow after blow, her divine strength overwhelming him. With one final, decisive strike, she sent Ares crashing to the ground, killed and utterly defeated.
---
The End of War
As Ares lay there, broken and powerless, the sky above began to clear. The chaos of war seemed to quiet for a moment as the weight of his defeat settled over the battlefield.
Diana stood over him, her chest heaving as she caught her breath. The war wasn't over, not yet—but the tide had turned. The god of war had been defeated, and now it was up to humanity to decide the rest.
Alex stepped beside her, his gaze steady as he looked down at Ares' fallen form. "It's over."
Diana turned to him, her eyes filled with a mixture of relief and sorrow. "For now."
Alex nodded. "But you've proven something today, Diana. You've shown that humanity is worth fighting for."
Diana looked out at the battlefield, her heart heavy. "I just hope they believe it too."