Kara sat with the other girls in the garden, the sun casting a warm glow over the greenery as they enjoyed small talk.
But their calm atmosphere was interrupted when Naruto returned within ten minutes.
That was fast.
"How did it go?" Kara asked, tilting her head.
Naruto smiled. "It was successful. I met with Hestia, and she was a very warm person."
Kara smirked. "Sounds about right."
"But," Naruto continued, his expression shifting to something serious, "Gaea wants to test me. I have to beat Hercules."
Kara blinked. Then she laughed.
"That shouldn't be hard."
But then—she saw his face.
He wasn't happy. He wasn't even worried. He was just… calm.
That made her pause.
"...What's the catch?"
"No jutsu allowed."
Kara's eyes widened.
"...What? I think I heard that wrong."
"You didn't," Naruto said, sighing. "She wants me to win in a purely physical fight against Hercules."
Kara's anger surged.
"Tell me she gave you some way to pass the test."
Hercules was a monster in physical combat. He wasn't just strong—he was the very concept of strength in their world.
Even Clark would need time to charge up before fighting him.
And unlike Clark, Hercules was a fighter.
A warrior with over 10,000 years of experience.
When he first reappeared in the modern world after his banishment, it had taken the entire Justice League to stop him.
And worse than his strength—
He was a disgusting bastard.
A dishonorable monster just like his father.
A predator who treated women as toys.
He had attacked Diana the first time he appeared, trying to rape her in the middle of the city. If not for the League, he would have succeeded.
There were good qualities to him, sure. But at his core, he was still a beast that only cared about his own desires.
And Gaea wanted Naruto to fight him fairly?
"There's no limit on tech," Naruto assured her. "And I can bring someone to help me. No magicians or Kryptonians, though."
Kara scowled. "Still ridiculous."
"Don't worry, love," Naruto smiled, stepping close to her and kissing her forehead. His arms wrapped around her in a warm, comforting hold. "Hestia gave me a boost, so I have a much better chance now. Trust me, I'll win. And you can watch from the side, just in case."
Kara bit her lip. "...I will rip him to pieces if anything goes wrong."
Naruto grinned.
"You have my permission to rip him to pieces."
With that, he sat down, pulling Kara onto his lap without hesitation.
It wasn't an unusual display of affection for him anymore, though it had taken time for him to get used to being so open about it.
Meanwhile, Raven sat nearby, watching silently.
She wanted to sit closer to Naruto too.
But… not publicly.
So instead, she spoke up.
"You can bring one fighter with you. Have you decided already?"
Naruto glanced at Donna, Diana, and Hippolyta.
Before he could speak, Hippolyta answered for him.
"Naruto is undecided between the three of us," she explained. "So, he wants us to fight—the winner will go with him."
A battle for the right to fight Hercules.
Donna, Diana, and Hippolyta all exchanged glances.
Diana crossed her arms.
"Is there a need for a fight?" she asked. "I do not wish to sound arrogant, but I am the strongest of my kind, and my skills are second to none on this island."
She looked at her mother.
"You know this."
Hippolyta met her gaze without flinching.
Yes, Diana was the strongest Amazon. Physically.
But this wasn't about just power.
She was the Amazon Queen—not a human queen.
She had been training since her new life began.
And unlike Diana, she was a regular sparring partner for Naruto.
Donna, on the other hand, was equal to Diana in raw power but lacked the same experience.
Hippolyta's lips curled into a small smile.
"There is no harm in having a battle," she said. "And we are not in a hurry."
She placed a hand on her hip, meeting Diana's gaze.
"This matter is important to me. I cannot simply step aside."
Diana frowned.
But deep inside—
She understood.
She had been reminded of why her mother cared so much.
Of what Hercules had done to her people.
And of the debt that still needed to be paid.
Hercules' legacy was a tragic paradox—a hero who saved mankind, yet a man who brought ruin to those closest to him.
Born of Zeus' lust and a mortal woman's suffering, his destiny was shaped by both immortals and monsters.
He loved deeply—his wife Megara, his children—but fate was cruel.
During his Labors, when he ventured into the Underworld to retrieve Cerberus, a usurper named Lycus sentenced his family to death.
Hercules returned just in time to save them.
But Hera, ever his tormentor, struck him with madness.
Blinded by divine wrath, he slaughtered his own wife and children, only to awaken in a house filled with their blood.
That guilt—the weight of his hands stained red—stayed with him forever.
In his countless adventures, Hercules reached the land of the Amazons.
But the hero who had once fought for the weak… became the oppressor.
Through deception, he tricked Queen Hippolyta, enslaving the Amazons.
They suffered under his chains, until the Queen finally freed her people.
From that day forth, the Amazons vowed never to forget—never to trust men again.
They forged their Bracelets of Submission, a symbol of their suffering and a reminder of their mistake.
For Queen Hippolyta, the pain was even deeper.
Her bracelets were shattered by Hercules himself.
She kept the smithereens, holding them as a permanent reminder of what happened when she believed in a man.
The Hercules that the world glorified…
The Hercules that stood beside Olympus…
Was a monster in Amazonian history.
"Sorry mother, it slipped my mind." Diana apologized as she had wanted to go beat him for what he had tried to do to her and help Naruto successfully.
Diana, ever the warrior, had no doubt in her mind that she was the best choice. She had fought immortals and monsters, stood against the might of Olympus, and nearly bested Superman in combat. To her, it was obvious—she was the one who should accompany Naruto.
So when Naruto suggested a battle to decide, she didn't object. A fight was never something she turned down.
But what truly shocked her was when Donna stepped forward.
"I also wish to try, sister," Donna said, her voice steady.
Diana turned, her blue eyes widening slightly.
Donna had always looked up to her, treated her as the elder sister, unquestionable in strength and leadership. In the past, she would have never openly challenged her like this.
Yet here she was—standing her ground.
"Maybe you are not the ideal choice," Donna added, her tone not defiant, but firm.
For so long, she had been protected. Cared for. Treated as fragile.
But that was no longer enough.
Naruto had helped her, guided her, and stood by her. Now, she wanted to stand beside him.
Diana stared at her younger sister, and realization dawned.
Love makes people braver…
This wasn't just about fighting Hercules.
It was about proving herself.
It was about Donna's own journey—to stop being the broken girl and become the warrior she always wanted to be.
Diana couldn't help but feel a sense of respect.
Yet, at the same time, something else stirred within her—a feeling she wasn't used to.
Was it… jealousy?
Before she could process it further, Naruto spoke.
"Since everyone has agreed, let's start in an hour," he said, his tone even, yet commanding.
He turned his gaze toward Donna, his next words sending another shockwave through Diana's heart.
"Donna is my teammate, so she will be the main girl."
Diana felt an unexpected sting at his words.
He had chosen Donna first.
The first match would be Donna versus Diana.
The winner would then face Hippolyta.
Diana clenched her fists.
He really is charming me more than I realized, she thought, frustrated at her own emotions.
Meanwhile, Donna's eyes burned with determination.
Naruto had chosen her.
Even if she still had to prove herself, this moment meant something.
She would not let him down.
Two warriors fought for love.
Two warriors fought for vengeance.
And in one hour, the coliseum would bear witness to a battle of Amazons—one that would decide who stood beside Naruto against one of the greatest warriors in history.
Hippolyta nodded, her expression unreadable.
"Agreed," she said, her voice carrying the weight of an Amazonian Queen.
"Let us meet in the coliseum within the hour."
And with that, she turned and walked away—already preparing her armor and weapons for the battle to come.
Naruto stood up, gently setting Kara down on her feet before dusting off his coat.
"Okay, I'll let you guys prepare," he said, glancing at the three Amazons. "I'll be visiting Hephaestus—see if I can get anything useful from him."
Diana, who had been deep in thought about the upcoming fight, immediately nodded in understanding.
"I will inform him of your presence," she assured.
Hephaestus was the greatest smith in existence, the forger of Zeus's Thunderbolt, Poseidon's Trident, and even Hades's Helm of Invisibility.
Diana herself owed much of her strength to his craftsmanship.
Her gauntlets allowed her to increase her strength tenfold.
Her sandals amplified her speed to the same level.
Her Bracelets of Submission were utterly indestructible.
If anyone could give Naruto an edge in his upcoming battle, it was Hephaestus.
Naruto had already built himself into a terrifying powerhouse—a fusion of ancient mysticism and futuristic technology.
His anti-gravity device let him fight without limitations.
His lasers could halt regeneration, eating away at the very cells of his enemies.
His armor, constructed from an alloy developed by Kara, Raven, and Veritas, was denser than a neutron star—insanely heavy, yet perfectly manipulated through gravity control.
His nano-tech suit constantly evolved, layered to disperse force, sealed with mystic runes, and powered by natural energy.
With it, he could fly through a sun unscathed.
His spear, chosen not out of strategy but instinct, was an extension of his will. Combined with his space manipulation, it locked onto targets without fail—undodgeable unless the opponent had equal mastery over space.
His mental and soul defenses were fortified beyond normal comprehension, resisting both magical and psychic intrusions.
Yet even with all of that, Hercules was a different kind of monster.
The son of Zeus wasn't just strong—he was the embodiment of physical might.
Even Naruto's absurdly heavy armor wouldn't slow him down.
Even Naruto's lasers, powerful enough to annihilate most beings, wouldn't work—the Nemean Lion's Pelt nullified all conventional attacks.
Even atomic degradation, one of the deadliest weapons in Naruto's arsenal, was useless—Hercules had already proven immune to such forces.
If Naruto had access to his jutsu, the fight would be effortless.
With auto-teleportation, Hercules would never touch him.
But that was off the table.
This was a contest of raw physical strength.
Naruto needed a blade that could cut an immortal.
His current spearhead wasn't enough.
He needed something stronger—an Immortal Slayer.
Hephaestus was his best chance at getting it.
And he wouldn't waste it.