Max opened his eyes and slowly stood up, picking up his gunbai and scythe as he heard a distant sonic boom.

"And here she comes," he muttered.

The sound grew louder and closer,until a furious shout echoed through the forest.

"MAX!"

Max leaped backward just as Wonder Woman crashed down where he had been standing. The ground split and quaked beneath her impact. Max flipped midair and landed lightly, only for another sonic boom to follow—Superman streaking past them like a missile.

He cast a glance toward Max but didn't stop, flying straight toward the glowing violet barrier in the distance, leaving Max and Diana facing off.

"About time you arrived," Max said, his tone almost bored. "I've been waiting for you."

"Where are her remains?" Wonder Woman asked coldly.

"Why do you want to know?" Max replied, expression unreadable.

"So I can give her a proper burial,after I put you to the sword."

Max's eyes narrowed faintly. "I've forgotten even where I buried her. But I'm sure wherever she lies, her bones must be turning white by now."

"RAAARGH!" Wonder Woman roared, unstrapping her sword and shield from her back. She launched forward like a cannon shell, the ground fracturing beneath her heels.

In an instant, her blade came down in a vertical arc. Max brought up his gunbai, catching the strike,the force driving him skidding sideways through the dirt. With a twist, he deflected her sword and countered with his scythe.

CLANG!

Her shield caught the blow, sending a tremor up his arm. Wonder Woman spun, lashing out with a sweeping kick, but Max flipped back, narrowly evading it. He retaliated with a kick of his own, slamming against her shield, using it as a springboard to vault into the air.

His cheeks puffed up—

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

A blazing inferno roared from his mouth, engulfing the clearing. Wonder Woman burst through the flames, unharmed but seething, ramming her shield into Max midair and sending him crashing into the ground. The impact exploded in a cloud of dust.

Max sprang to his feet, raising his scythe just in time to meet another swing. The collision knocked the weapon clean from his hand. Gritting his teeth, he blocked the next blow with his gunbai, sparks bursting between them.

Before Diana could strike again, Max raised his palm.

"Almighty Push."

The ground detonated. Wonder Woman was hurled backward, losing her grip on her sword as trees were ripped from their roots and sent flying. Max exhaled sharply,he'd poured a great deal of Chakra into that one.

But to his surprise, Wonder Woman kept walking forward, boots sinking into the torn earth, shield raised and eyes blazing.

"Well, that's a first," Max muttered, sliding his gunbai onto his back. He conjured a black receiver in one hand but hesitated as he dropped it. Instead, his cheeks swelled again

"Fire Style: majestic demolisher!"

A torrent of fire erupted from his mouth, enhanced by his almighty push. Diana's eyes widened; she let the gravitational force hurl her backward into the air, narrowly evading the flames. She twisted in midair and shot forwards Max like a bullet.

Third stage Susanoo burst to life around Maxa towering armored specter. It swung it's massive fist, but Diana dodged and landed on it's arm then started sprinting up it , golden lasso flashing. She looped it around the construct's neck, leaping down and yanking with all her might.

The Susanoo lurched backward. Max poured chakra into it, and it grew two more arms, massive legs forming beneath it. It gripped the lasso, pulling her in before slamming her into the ground with a thunderous crash.

The earth caved beneath them, dust erupting skyward. But from the crater, Wonder Woman burst upward like a rocket and punched Susanoo in the chin, cracking its jaw and forcing it back.

She seized the moment, wrapping the lasso around its legs and flying toward its stomach,towards Max. as she punched straight through the Susanoo's chest, shattering it like glass.

Max tore his gunbai from his back, blocking the blow just in time. The impact sent them both bursting out of the sussanos back and into the ground below in a roaring explosion.

Wonder Woman was the first to recover, about to strike again,but a lightning spear shot from the dust, forcing her to twist aside. A few strands of her hair drifted down, cut cleanly.

The dust parted, revealing Max standing calmly, gunbai in hand, eyes sharp.

Wonder Woman's breathing was heavier now, her stance still fierce. "Why are you holding back?" she demanded.

Max tilted his head, unimpressed. "Well, I've no reason to go all out. This is hardly exciting. I'm wondering why I'm even fighting you instead of just ending it with one move… but of course, I have to give you some face aside from another personal reason I cannot share."

His gunbai vanished into his system space as he crossed his arms.

The ground trembled violently. In the distance, the violet barrier that had caged the others flickered—then shattered. From the crater beyond, a colossal white Perfect Susanoo rose, its eyes burning crimson.

Max's lips curved slightly. "Well, would you look at that. Things seem exciting over there. Too bad they aren't for me."

Max turned his gaze back to Wonder Woman, his expression unreadable.

"Tell me, Diana," he said quietly. "Are you angry because I killed her… or because you didn't have a say in the matter?"

"I admit," she said, her voice heavy, "I don't like how she came to be. But still,she had my blood pulsing through her veins. That made her my responsibility. My daughter in essence. And you just chose to kill her because she wasn't born naturally?" Her voice cracked, her eyes burning with fury. "She was your child too, damn it!"

Max's tone sharpened, the calm mask slipping slightly. "Then tell me,would you have been willing to accept that responsibility? To take your role as her mother, knowing you could never fully be one? Could you give her unconditional love, or would you have let her live only to dump her in some orphanage to rot?"

His voice deepened, words cutting like knives. "You think raising a child is simple? It's not. It takes time. Patience and Care. Qualities and requirements you don't meet. The way I see it… I spared her from that fate."

Diana's fists trembled. "Maybe you're right," she said quietly. "Maybe I lack all those qualities. But I would have tried for her sake. Because she would have deserved that much from me."

She took a step forward, her eyes wet but defiant. "You should have been the one to guide her,protect her. Instead, you chose to be her executioner for a weak reason. I know my strength might not be enough to take you down… but I'd rather die trying than let you get away with what you did."

Her voice rose like thunder. "You can only bully those weaker than you for so long, Max before you meet your match."

Then she charged.

Her punch came fast, driven by everything she felt,but Max didn't move.

The blow stopped mere inches from his face. A small gust of wind brushed his hair aside. Diana's eyes widened as her body locked in place as Max's limbo clones held her.

Her body trembled, struggling against the unseen force. Then, thick vines erupted from the ground, coiling around her limbs and halting her completely.

Max chuckled softly. "Touching words. I don't know if they're genuine or not," he said, stepping closer. "But only time will tell."

He formed a single hand seal. A shadow clone appeared beside him—then vanished almost instantly.

Not even a second later, another shadow clone materialized beside him, this time holding the hand of a young girl.

"Hello… Mother," Thena said shyly.

Wonder Woman's eyes widened in shock, her breath catching in her throat.

The vines receded back into the earth, curling away as the limbo clones that had been restraining Wonder Woman vanished into shadow. Diana took a hesitant step forward, her shield slipping from her arm and clattering to the ground.

Her trembling hands rose until they cupped Thena's cheek, her lips parting , but no words came out. She simply stood there, studying every line of the girl's face as if afraid that blinking would make her disappear.

Thena blushed softly under the attention, her golden eyes flickering between Diana and Max.

"Are you okay?" Diana finally managed to ask. "What did he do to you? What's your name? Are you hurt—"

"You're overwhelming her," Max cut in.

Diana shot him a glare before turning her attention back to Thena, her expression softening once more. "What's your name?"

"My name is Thena," Thena replied, voice barely above a whisper.

Diana smiled "That's a beautiful name. A name worthy of a young Amazonian." She took a breath, straightening slightly as her tone grew solemn. "My name is Diana of Themyscira, daughter of Hippolyta. And from this day forward, you shall be Thena of Themyscira. But because of my role as a hero among man…" she smiled faintly, "…you will be known to the world as Thena Prince."

Thena giggled, delighted by the formal way Diana had spoken.

. "Her name is Thena. Her surname is Schiller. And that won't be changing anytime soon," max said flatly.

Diana ignored him completely, still smiling at Thena as Max took a few steps back, clearly distancing himself from what he deemed a painfully sentimental moment.

Then, just as he was about to turn away, he heard a question that made him freeze mid-step ,and turn so sharply that his neck cracked.

"Would you like to come and stay with me?" Diana asked gently, hope glimmering in her eyes.

Max blinked. "I beg your finest pardon?"

End of Chapter.