In her field of vision, the thunder axe carrying a violent aura kept growing larger.
Helena could even see her own reflection on the cold blade.
A voice echoed in her mind, 'Is this the end?'
'Still, dying in battle like this isn't so bad.'
But at that moment, a figure suddenly appeared between her and the battle axe.
Alex!
Alex pulled Helena down from her horse and turned his back toward Steppenwolf. He covered the female warrior with his bio-force field, preventing her from suffering any harm.
BANG!
Steppenwolf's battle axe struck Alex's back. Sparks flew everywhere, but whether it was the impact or the thunder damage, all of it was blocked by the bio-force field.
Helena stared at Alex in disbelief.
She knew the Conqueror was powerful, but she never imagined he could withstand a blow from Steppenwolf's axe without moving an inch.
"Why are you charging in like that?"
"Did you forget our agreement for tonight?"
Alex smiled, then landed on the ground. He set Helena down and said, "Go help your queen."
He turned around, still smiling, and looked up at Steppenwolf, who stood a head taller than him.
"I'll handle this watchdog."
Helena nodded and quickly ran toward Hippolyta.
Steppenwolf took two steps back and watched Alex cautiously. As Alex slowly rose into the air, Steppenwolf's gaze followed him upward.
"Who are you, stranger?"
"This has nothing to do with you."
"You cannot stop the arrival of the Great Darkness."
Alex stopped only after rising to a height one head above Steppenwolf. Smiling, he said, "Want some advice?"
Steppenwolf narrowed his eyes slightly, "Let's hear it."
"My advice is—"
Alex spat out two words.
"Get lost!"
Steppenwolf immediately roared. Raising his battle axe high, he brought it down toward Alex with crackling lightning wrapped around it.
Alex swiftly shifted aside and watched the axe pass in front of his nose. He saw his reflection on the smooth surface of the blade.
BOOM!
The axe slammed into the ground. The earth split apart with a thunderous crash, breaking into a web of cracks.
Lightning danced wildly.
Broken stones flew everywhere.
Alex remained completely unharmed.
He smiled.
"That's it?"
"Take this back!"
Light flared in Alex's eyes.
Then blazing golden beams burst forth, and two dazzling rays shot toward Steppenwolf.
Steppenwolf hurriedly raised his axe in front of himself. But the moment it touched Alex's heat vision, the immense force pushed his massive body backward.
He slid right past the Mother Box.
In an instant, he was shoved over a thousand meters away.
Then the beams expanded. Golden flames burst outward one after another, and before long, all Steppenwolf could see was endless white.
BOOM!
The violent explosion shook the entire Paradise Island.
Hippolyta only saw Steppenwolf in the distance swallowed by flames. Then, like a volcanic eruption, golden fire shot into the sky.
Inside that enormous pillar of fire, flashing points of light kept appearing.
Every flash was a secondary explosion.
In the blink of an eye, hundreds of secondary explosions occurred. The blast waves and shockwaves forced Hippolyta and Helena to lie flat on the ground, unable to raise their heads for a long time.
Heat vision! Chain explosions!
After the continuous explosions finally ended, Hippolyta raised her head and looked into the distance.
The scene there had become distorted from the heat.
Thick smoke rolled through the air. Black-and-red clouds flashed with lightning while sparks drifted across the sky.
Amid this apocalyptic scene, the figure standing with his back to her had a red cape fluttering among the sparks.
The silhouette against the light looked so tall that it seemed even the world itself could not contain him.
"The Conqueror... is so strong."
Helena's mouth hung open as she stared at the figure against the light, as if witnessing a miracle.
Alex landed beside the Mother Box and picked up the constantly shifting cube.
Then he looked ahead.
Inside the flames, Steppenwolf staggered out.
Blood covered his head and face as he stared at the Mother Box in Alex's hand.
His gaze moved to Alex.
Then he let out a loud shout.
Immediately, a glowing cylindrical passage descended above him.
A Boom Tube!
In an instant, Steppenwolf's figure flashed into the passage and disappeared into the distance.
He had retreated.
The corner of Alex's mouth lifted, "At least you have a working head on that body."
At this moment, the Amazon army finally arrived.
The arriving Amazon warriors had no idea what had happened, but when they saw Alex holding the Mother Box, they surrounded him.
Then Hippolyta walked over with Helena supporting her.
"Stop!"
"The Conqueror protected the Mother Box."
"He is not our enemy."
"He is our benefactor."
"Everyone, dismount!"
"Salute the Conqueror!"
Rustle!
All the Amazon warriors jumped off their horses.
Then, row after row, they knelt on one knee before Alex.
Helena looked at the figure receiving everyone's salute. A strange light flashed through her eyes, and she also knelt on one knee.
Except for Queen Hippolyta, every Amazon warrior lowered her head and knelt on one knee before Alex, offering the highest honor.
———
On a barren land stood many buildings.
But they had long since been abandoned.
The merry-go-round had rusted away. The horses were gone, leaving only a corroded base behind.
It was as if the world had forgotten this place.
A desolate scene, like the edge of the world.
Suddenly, the weeds swayed slightly.
Then a pillar of light descended from the sky.
The injured Steppenwolf crashed out of the Boom Tube like a meteor and landed in the abandoned wasteland covered in weeds.
He set down his battle axe and looked around.
"The air here is filled with poison. Humans probably won't pay attention to this place."
"I'll use it as a base."
He looked at his injured shoulder.
"Conqueror?"
"That's what the Amazon queen called him."
"There is actually such a powerful lifeform on this planet?"
"He doesn't seem to be one of the Old Gods either. Just who is he?"
Steppenwolf suddenly grabbed a Parademon and threw it into the sky.
"Go! All of you, go find the other two Mother Boxes!"
"We'll leave the one on Paradise Island alone for now."
"After we find the other two Mother Boxes, we'll figure out a way to take the last one from the Conqueror."
"Damn it!"
"The Mother Box summoned me. I thought this world no longer had protectors!"
———
[Paradise Island]
A celebration was being held at the warriors' camp beneath the royal palace.
Many Amazon warriors had died in battle today.
But to them, dying on the battlefield was an honor.
After holding funerals for their people and offering prayers in silence, they did not continue dwelling in grief.
They used strong wine and fine food.
Music and dance.
To celebrate driving back a powerful enemy and protecting the sacred relic.
As the person who had contributed the most, Alex naturally received the highest level of hospitality.