The film's narration rolled on with a deep, grainy voice, resonating powerfully through the space.
A twisted grin curled at the corner of Bardi's mouth as he watched, thoroughly entertained.
If you don't surrender, then die. Be destroyed. Become history.
Hera clung to his side. Her delicate body pressed tightly against his, her clothes slightly disheveled. The gaps between her buttons revealed fair, smooth skin. A flush colored her beautiful face as she seductively lifted a peeled grape and fed it to Bardi.
Bardi opened his mouth. The juicy grape burst in his mouth, its sweetness blooming across his tongue. As he chewed, his gaze grew more dangerous, lofty, looking down upon everything with an indifferent smile.
Seated on the sofa, he leisurely ate fruit that Hera had meticulously prepared, casually enjoying himself. Life, death, destruction—these were mere thoughts to him.
Antiope's expression turned ashen.
She knew what human technology was capable of.
She had witnessed Bardi overseeing particle accelerators and colliders. She had studied human history and come to understand the horrifying power of nuclear weapons.
The two atomic bombs dropped on Japan in the past were only minor by comparison—utterly insignificant when compared to the dozen or so nuclear warheads Bardi had endured in space.
Even so, the devastation those two bombs wrought had shocked her. She had imagined what would happen if a single weapon of that scale were dropped on Paradise Island. How many could they withstand?
Now consider a dozen of Earth's most powerful modern nuclear warheads—far stronger than anything from the past.
It would be a catastrophe. Ten Paradise Islands would not survive it.
Even Diana, armed with the Lasso of Truth, silver bracelets, the God Killer sword, divine shield, Starlight Crown, and Champion's Helm—was blasted unconscious in that nuclear explosion and captured.
In truth, Diana had survived only because the first blast flung her away from ground zero. Protected by her divine gear, she barely survived.
Had she been at the center, even with her artifacts, survival would have been unlikely.
Antiope did not know this. But the mere fact that Diana had fallen was enough.
The average Amazon warrior wasn't even close to Diana's level. They had no divine artifacts.
If a nuclear bomb truly breached Paradise Island's magical force field, 99% of their warriors would be annihilated. It would be genocide.
Antiope's heart turned cold. Sweat dampened her back and soaked her brow. A chill ran up her spine, creeping toward the base of her skull.
Disaster.
The honor of battle, the skill of warriors, the spilling of blood on the battlefield—none of it mattered. They would die in a blinding flash of heat and light.
It would mean nothing.
Antiope wanted to stop Bardi's attack, but it was too late. On the screen, a 100,000-ton nuclear warhead launched from the Barmulodi branch in Africa ascended into the sky. The camera followed it as it spewed orange-white flames, cutting across the blue atmosphere and racing toward Paradise Island.
From the moment Paradise Island revealed itself to the world, Bardi had monitored it. He studied its strength. Though the data was limited, he determined that human technology was enough to destroy the island of ignorance.
"King Zeus guards us. You can't harm Paradise Island."
Artemis sneered. She was far more shocked to learn Diana was the daughter of Zeus than she was at the nuclear weapon.
The revelation of Queen Hippolyta's history with Zeus and the birth of Paradise Island now made sense.
As for nuclear bombs? Human tech? Firearms that couldn't even pierce her skin?
Even if the warhead was over ten meters long, how could it possibly break Zeus's magical protection? Ridiculous.
"A pointless attack. Barmulodi, call your troops. Let us fight to the death!"
General Phillipus spoke sternly, officially declaring the beginning of war between Paradise Island and the Barmulodi Empire.
Her thoughts aligned with Artemis. Though humanity had advanced, in their eyes, they were still stuck in the age of spears and swords. Except for a few powerful magic users and enhanced individuals, the rest of humanity was nothing. They could be slain with a flick of the wrist.
It was Amazon warriors who protected the world. Humanity was weak.
They knew of the explosion in space during Bardi and Diana's battle, and that humans had been involved. But surely such an explosion couldn't have come from humans?
They dismissed it as the result of the artifact clash. Those humans holding tiny pistols were laughable.
Humans were weak. That was fact. Not slander.
But what they didn't understand was that these "weaklings" had created unity and technology beyond the reach of magic.
On-screen, the warhead closed in on Paradise Island.
Antiope's heart seized.
Artemis sneered, confident in Zeus's magical shield. That was the protection of a god—not something mortals could breach.
Phillipus remained calm, her gaze fixed on the screen.
The 100,000-ton nuclear bomb hit its mark.
A brilliant blue barrier flared over Paradise Island. The magical protective field blocked the missile completely.
The warhead detonated outside the shield, unleashing a black mushroom cloud and rolling flames.
But Paradise Island remained untouched.
Not a ripple crossed the island. The divine barrier held perfectly.
The bomb had no effect.
Antiope exhaled deeply. Relief swept over her.
Artemis mocked, "Your Majesty Barmulodi, is this how you entertain the Amazons? With little mortal fireworks? Are you too afraid to fight us yourself?"
Phillipus remained composed. Though the shield held, the sheer power of the blast made her wary.
Bardi's lips curled. The fearless ignorance of Artemis was laughable.
This was only the beginning.
Artemis roared and stepped forward. With a thunderous crack, the floor beneath her shattered into webbed cracks. Her strength was immense, easily comparable to a high-level Kryptonian.
The Emperor Building was reinforced with Hera's advanced materials. Stronger than steel. But Artemis still cracked the floor.
Antiop and Phillipus quickly blocked her, holding her back.
If she really charged, Bardi would kill her instantly.
Diana had been beaten unconscious despite her divine artifacts. Artemis didn't stand a chance.
Artemis could only glare, seething, eyes locked on Bardi.
Bardi glanced back with cold amusement. Not a fool, just irrational. Still, he wouldn't mind putting her down.
By his side, Hera smiled seductively and reported, "Master, the external energy response analysis is complete."
"With a simultaneous detonation of a 700,000-ton and a 3-million-ton nuclear warhead on the east and west ends, the energy flow within the magical shield will destabilize. It will collapse."
Antiope's face fell. Her heart pounded.
She understood enough about nuclear yields. That last bomb was merely a hundred thousand tons.
The next would be seven times stronger. The one after that—thirty times.
Could Zeus's shield survive that?
Phillipus was grave. The previous explosion hadn't shaken the island, but the destructive force was terrifying. She was no longer confident.
"Ignorant fools. You know nothing of the gods' greatness!"
Artemis scoffed, still believing in the indestructibility of Olympus's magic.
To her, this was all absurd.
Mortal science overthrowing the divine? Gods had existed for hundreds of thousands of years. How could mere humans destroy them?
To defy them was to invite wrath.
She could already envision the future—Zeus descending in fury, executing divine judgment on Barmulodi.
Bardi took another grape from Hera's slender fingers—juice and fingers both slipped into his mouth, then slowly pulled free, a trail of glistening moisture in their wake.
He glanced at Artemis, then at the two anxious Amazons, and chuckled.
"So, what are we waiting for?"
(To be continued.)
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