Thea Queen felt that the Parallax Demon had completely lost its mind. Just to focus all its power on fighting Superman, it willingly gave up its greatest advantage and chose to engage him with a physical body. That was pure madness.
In terms of raw physical strength, Thea was clearly weaker than the others. Even slim little Supergirl could lift a stone pillar and smash it repeatedly onto the Parallax Demon with loud cracks.
Compared to Thea—whose methods were varied but whose physical damage output wasn't high—Supergirl was powerful but immature, while Superman and Diana displayed overwhelming destructive force.
In less than a minute, an overly-excited Superman had already broken two of the creature's limbs. Diana's rhythm matched his, though her attacks looked more refined. Her great sword flashed with cold light as she sliced the creature's shell and wings into shattered pieces.
Feeling pressured by these monsters of physical strength, Thea leapt back and opened the Book of Parallax. As she drew in streams of yellow energy, the markings on the book sharpened visibly. Superman struck the creature's exposed weak point and sent its entire body flying, while Diana descended from above, driving her sword into its head before springing back into the air.
Four beams of heat vision from Superman and Supergirl shot straight into the Parallax Demon's body. That fallen Guardian who had lived for billions of years didn't even have time to leave a dying word before being blasted into dust.
The battle finally drew to a close. Superman quietly exchanged a few words with Supergirl, then left alone without speaking to the others.
Supergirl awkwardly greeted the group and flew off in another direction.
Thea began gathering the scattered fear energy. The Guardians' life structure was truly unusual—even with the Eye of Horus, she couldn't find a single remnant. That was good news. She had no interest in digging through the ground for scraps of such a giant insect.
By the time Amanda arrived with her unit, all she saw was Thea—having collected the yellow energy—flying away with Diana.
"Where did everyone go?" Amanda muttered darkly as she reached the scene. This place was said to have been the central plaza of Coast City… once filled with shops and traffic, now it looked like a war-torn wasteland. She turned to Batman, who was standing stiffly like a javelin.
Batman was equally speechless. Everyone else had flown off, and the Batwing had already taken Nightwing to the rear. He wanted to leave as well, but the entire area had been flattened—there wasn't even a one-meter tall structure left. His grappling gun was completely useless. Frustrated, he ended up being blocked solidly by Amanda.
"They all flew away," Batman snapped. He silently vowed to develop gear that could fly across level ground. If he ever had to team up with these demolition experts again, he needed a way to escape afterward.
Leaving Amanda to search the battlefield and Batman preparing to walk home on "Route 11" (his legs)...
Thea brought Diana to Star City.
Knowing that Diana disliked being disturbed—or perhaps because a trace of pride remained in her nature—Thea cast an invisibility spell over both of them as they strolled down the street.
"That over there is the amusement park I used to visit as a kid…"
"See that bald guy? When I was young, my brother and I messed around in his backyard, and he chased us for ages…"
"Do you want to try that amusement park over there?"
They wandered through Star City without being noticed. Thea kept sharing pieces of her past, from childhood to adolescence, and Diana burst into laughter whenever she reached a funny part.
"An amusement park? I've never actually been to one…" Diana seemed tempted, though she still held onto a bit of reserve.
"Let's go, but… your outfit won't work." Thea tried pulling her toward the ticket booth but suddenly realized Diana was still wearing full armor, shield, and sword. People would definitely think she was insane. Going invisible while playing games would kill the atmosphere too.
"Idiot. I'm not the same girl who first left Themyscira." Diana gave her a dazzling, flirtatious look. With a twirl, her outfit transformed into a sleek black dress paired with pointed heels. The cinched waist and those shoes made her legs appear impossibly long.
Thea was speechless. This woman claimed to be more mature now, yet she still had zero common sense. This was an amusement park, not a runway. How was she supposed to play dressed like that?
But to match her, Thea put away her casual clothes and changed into a long formal dress. They exchanged glances—a silent rivalry—but also pure admiration in their eyes.
Their beauty immediately drew stares. Even the staff handing them their wristbands silently wondered if the two were crazy for dressing so extravagantly at an amusement park.
They didn't care at all. Diana simply didn't mind, and Thea had a thick enough skin.
Many parents watched blankly as the two glamorous women rode various attractions in long dresses and heels. If they had been ordinary, no one would have cared—but their looks were too striking to ignore.
Diana carried a classical Greek beauty rarely seen in modern America or Europe. As for Thea, even though she suppressed her aura, a faint trace of dangerous, intoxicating charm still leaked from the Eye of Horus.
"Here, try this," Thea said, handing Diana a small cake. Diana was no longer the naïve girl who could be won over with ice cream.
Diana accepted it, took a small lick, and frowned. "Too sweet…"
"Really? Really?" Thea pretended not to understand and intentionally bit the exact spot Diana had tasted.
"Oh? Daring to take advantage of me?" Diana teased. The small playful exchange dissolved the last bit of distance between them—it felt like being back on Themyscira again.
They didn't bother with roller coasters or bumper cars, the typical games for children. Instead, they walked hand-in-hand through the crowded park. A few pickpockets noticed their elegant clothes and tried approaching, but the moment they did, Thea's aura instinctively seeped out, making their bodies stiffen with fear. Only after the two had walked far away did the thieves realize what had happened and quickly hide themselves.
"What have you been doing all these years? Have you… gone back to Themyscira?" They found a long bench and leaned against each other. Thea placed her hand over Diana's, comparing the two. Diana's fingers were long and strong; Thea's were slender and agile.
In terms of pure aesthetics, Diana still held the advantage. Whether appearance or figure, she truly embodied the gods' blessings—the mortal incarnation of strength and beauty. Under her radiance, even Thea—whose appearance had been refined many times—still felt a step behind.