Cloud didn't dodge, nor did he use his divine powers.
Because he had said this was a duel between warriors!
He took a deep breath. His feet sank into the sand like ancient tree roots!
He channeled all the martial essence he had comprehended—from Kyokugenryu, from the Yagami style, from Fatal Fury—into his dantian!
A golden aura, radiating imperial dominance, erupted skyward from his body!
He drew his hands back to his waist, a highly compressed golden energy sphere forming in his palms!
"This is my martial path!"
He watched the golden shockwave rushing toward him and let out a mighty battle cry!
"Ha—oh—Sho—ko—KEN!"
ROAR—!
A sound like dragon's cry and tiger's roar!
A massive golden energy fist, brimming with supreme dominance, launched from his palms!
Two completely different yet equally powerful golden energies collided violently on Themyscira's beach!
KA-BOOM—!
An epic explosion that could deafen the entire world!
All of Themyscira trembled in the shockwave of this terrifying energy clash!
The sand beneath their feet was instantly vaporized!
The ocean behind them was whipped into waves hundreds of meters high!
When the energy finally dissipated—
A massive glass-like crater, over a hundred meters in diameter, had formed in the beach.
Diana still stood in place, but golden divine blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
Her breathing had become ragged.
Clearly, that full-powered strike had taken a significant toll on her as well.
On the other side—
Cloud wore a smile of exhilarating satisfaction!
He raised his head, looking at the peerless war goddess catching her breath in the distance.
Their eyes met, and they smiled at each other.
In that moment, all hostility evaporated.
Only the purest respect and admiration between warriors remained.
Diana knew she had lost.
Because her opponent had taken her demigod's full-powered strike with nothing but a "mortal's" body!
This martial spirit, this indomitable will, had been deeply branded into her heart.
This man called Cloud truly had the right to stand on this land belonging to the gods.
And perhaps... the right to stand even higher.
...
After that "beach beam clash" that would go down in Themyscira's history, a post-battle tranquility settled over the shore.
Diana set aside all hostility and slowly walked toward Cloud, extending her hand.
"You... are very strong." Her voice was no longer cold and authoritative, but carried genuine admiration. "I, Diana Prince, acknowledge your strength."
Cloud looked at that perfect, jade-like hand she extended, and smiled.
He didn't shake it.
Instead, he grabbed her wrist and pulled.
"Hey! What are you doing!"
Diana hadn't expected this move. Her body stumbled, instinctively falling toward him.
Cloud smoothly caught her shapely, powerful body in a full embrace.
A scent mixing sea breeze with something uniquely goddess-like filled his nostrils.
"What am I doing?" Cloud lowered his head, whispering in her ear in a voice only they could hear:
"Just enjoying the victor's spoils, of course."
"After all, that last move nearly made me use everything I had. I should collect some interest, right?"
"You... you scoundrel!"
Diana's face turned crimson in an instant.
She could clearly feel his hot breath against her sensitive ear, sending tingling shivers through her.
She could also feel how scorching and... restless that large hand around her waist was...
She pushed hard, escaping his arms like a startled leopardess, her heart pounding like a drum.
She swore—this man was the strongest and... most shameless man she had met in centuries! Bar none!
Meanwhile—
The Amazon warriors, who had been ready for battle, collectively turned to stone upon seeing their goddess-like, inviolable princess being hugged, teased, and blushing because of this outsider man.
Their worldviews seemed to have suffered the same level of impact as Nick Fury's.
Only Natasha and Wanda were already used to such scenes.
Natasha just rubbed her forehead helplessly, mentally cursing: "This philandering bastard!"
And Wanda, watching Diana's mix of shame and fury, felt a flash of sympathetic understanding in her eyes.
...
In the end, this conflict sparked by "illegal entry" concluded in a dramatic fashion filled with "befriending through battle" and "flirtatious bickering."
After confirming that Cloud's group (mainly Cloud) meant no harm—
Diana, as princess of Themyscira, fulfilled her duties as host and formally invited them to tour this isolated divine realm.
"This is Themyscira, also known as Paradise Island."
Diana had changed into a pure white robe reminiscent of ancient Greece, walking at the front as their guide.
Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting dappled shadows.
The air was filled with the fragrance of unknown flowers.
In the distance, magnificent temples built of white marble and gold could be seen—structures filled with classical aesthetic beauty.
Groups of valiant Amazon warriors trained on practice fields, their every shout filled with primal, healthy power and grace.
This place was like an "Island of Women" removed from the mundane world.
A utopia belonging to warriors and goddesses.
...
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