Shane's words echoed over the ruined temple plaza.
The lightning patterns on Zeus's gold-gilded robe suddenly lit up, and the divine might around his body surged accordingly, the originally heavy air instantly becoming oppressive and stifling.
Zeus, who had been calm all along, finally had an emotional reaction, as if Shane's request had disrupted some of his arrangements.
"No."
Zeus's gaze swept over Diana by the stone pillar.
"Diana is your teacher, and there are bonds and the desire to protect between you two. The core of the ritual is supposed to be the ultimate trial and a candid duel. Concessions mixed with teacher-student affection will only cause the entire process to become invalid."
Shane raised an eye; if Zeus had remained that calm all along, he might have had to cooperate with the ring in his palm to initiate the second plan.
But now, it seemed that Batman's Plan B alone was enough.
Just as Shane was about to open his mouth to say something more, Diana's voice suddenly rang out, clear yet incomparably resolute.
"I swear in the name of Zeus, the King of Olympian Gods, this battle will be fought with all my might, without holding back even a fraction. If I break this oath, I willingly strip away my divine essence and fall forever into the abyss of the Underworld."
A pale golden divine light rose from around Diana's body, turning into fine patterns that wrapped around her wrists and neck.
That was the mark of the divine oath taking effect. Although it was in Zeus's name, not even the King of Gods himself could interfere with a fully established oath magic.
The lightning around Zeus abruptly stalled, and his divine might instantly retracted by more than half.
He looked at the unquestionable resoluteness in Diana's eyes, the deep pupils fading of a bit of the King of Gods' majesty and taking on a hint of helplessness.
He slowly shook his head, his voice carrying a trace of exhaustion.
"In your heart, are you still resenting me?"
Diana's hands, hanging by her sides, clenched slightly, yet she avoided Zeus's gaze.
"The oath has already been established; you have no reason to stop me from becoming the fourth challenger."
Seeing her remain silent, Zeus understood and gently waved his hand.
The Oracle divine restriction wrapped around Diana was lifted accordingly.
"Fine. You've always been like this—never something I could forcibly control."
His voice grew much lower as he looked at his daughter, who was loosening her muscles while walking slowly toward Shane.
He suddenly spoke, his voice no longer majestic, instead carrying a hint of melancholy.
"My action is not merely out of greed for his physique. The Olympian gods have long since not been what they used to be, and the old order is collapsing. I am leading all the Olympian gods to seek a glimmer of change."
At this, Diana's footsteps had to halt.
Although the relationship between the Divine Realm and the mortal world could not compare to the past, they were still closely linked in a sense. If the Divine Realm encountered a crisis, Earth would likely share the same fate.
She slowly turned around, her eyes full of doubt.
"Do you already know the crisis that may descend upon the Divine Realm in the future?"
Zeus raised his head to look at the clouds and mist outside the temple dome, his expression returning to calm detachment.
"I only know that the old gods will eventually be eliminated by the times. This is originally an irreversible destiny."
Yet when Eris of Death brought back Shane's information, Zeus unexpectedly discovered that this was a singular person who existed neither in the established past nor in the confused future.
His gaze turned to Diana, his tone actually carrying a hint of pleading.
"I implore you in the name of the gods, my daughter, continue to complete this heroic ritual. Allowing your student to possess divine essence and Divine Power will not necessarily be a bad thing for him."
It seemed to be the first time Diana had seen Zeus take the initiative to plead downward, and her shocked complexion turned slightly pale.
Her gaze fell on Shane not far away, who was covered in blood yet still composed, and her eyes held some helplessness.
During the time Shane flew carrying the stone pillar, he had only told her a rough plan.
Diana had never expected Zeus to lower his attitude to such a degree. Compared to the majesty the King of Gods had held for countless years in the past, this was undoubtedly a huge and difficult concession.
On one side was a father bound by blood, as well as the Divine Realm heritage she had guarded for many years;
on the other side was the student she had taught with all her heart and soul, the core of this absurd ritual.
Wonder Woman fell into a rare dilemma of choice.
Shane suddenly raised his hand and waved at Diana.
"Teacher Prince, just follow your heart. You are only the fourth stage of the heroic ritual; we still have backup plans."
His voice carried full confidence.
Diana looked at the composure and trust in Shane's eyes, and the struggle in her heart gradually dissipated.
She abruptly gritted her teeth, looked up at Zeus, and her voice turned firm.
"I demand in the name of the divine oath of the King of Gods that you immediately return my Vulcan Sword and Divine Power Shield. Only when fully armed can it be considered a true all-out effort."
At the same time, inside the Batwing parked on the grassland, the Vulcan Sword that had been quietly resting on the alloy bracket suddenly vibrated violently. The blade burst out with dazzling golden light in the dim cabin, and the ringing of the sword resounded through the entire aircraft.
Batman's gaze narrowed, his fingertips tapping quickly on the control panel. The aircraft cabin door opened instantly, and the biting cold wind carrying divine aura poured into the cabin.
"Let it go."
He said in a deep voice to Cyborg beside him.
The Vulcan Sword seemed to have independent consciousness, breaking free from the shackles of the bracket. It turned into a golden lightning bolt, flying rapidly out of the aircraft and charging straight toward the peak of Mount Olympus in northern Greece.
The blade's might surged continuously during the flight, the air along the way being torn apart and leaving a faint golden trajectory.
At this moment, in the high altitude above the peak of Mount Olympus, Shazam was rubbing his sore arms, suspended side by side with Superman in place, having long been prepared to reopen the spatial gate.
There were only a mere few seconds left until the first five-minute deadline set by Batman.
"What is that?"
Shazam suddenly widened his eyes, pointing at the golden light flying rapidly from afar with a face full of astonishment.
Superman's blue pupils contracted slightly, instantly locking onto the true form of that light.
It was precisely Diana's Vulcan Sword.
In the blink of an eye, the Vulcan Sword had arrived above the mountain peak. The blade erupted with ultimate golden light, forcibly tearing open the spatial barrier set up by Zeus, and a narrow yet stable spatial rift slowly unfolded.
"Now!"
Superman shouted in a low voice, his figure instantly turning into a blue afterimage as his hands reached unhesitatingly into the spatial rift that should have flashed and vanished.
The majestic power belonging to the King of Earth erupted from within his body, engaging in a fierce battle of strength with the divine might of Zeus on the other side of the rift.
Under the tug of the two great forces, the spatial rift not only failed to close, but was gradually expanding.
Shazam stared dumbfoundedly at this scene, his brain temporarily unable to digest the sight before him.
Superman actually dared to directly clash head-on with Zeus's Divine Power?
This was simply a scene he had never imagined.
"Wait, if you put it that way, how far am I still from Superman?"
Shazam only felt a sense of absurdity. Zeus's blessing constituted one-sixth of his power, and merely possessing the blessing was certainly no match for the true King of Gods.
At that moment, Batman's voice came through the earpiece, low and precise, the intense sense of pressure instantly waking up the dazed Shazam.
"Five seconds remaining until the first five-minute deadline."
Shazam clenched his fists, and the Divine Power within his body began to surge crazily.
Batman's commands were never wrong.
"SHAZAM!!!"
Before you continue