The semi-final round paired Diana against Artemis, and the crowd's excitement reached fever pitch as two of the competition's most impressive warriors prepared to face each other. Artemis's archery skills had translated into exceptional battlefield awareness and tactical acumen, making her one of the most complete fighters among the Amazons.
Their bout began with mutual respect—both warriors offering the traditional salute before settling into combat stances that spoke of decades of training and battlefield experience. Artemis wielded sword and shield with equal mastery, her technique refined through centuries of combat both in training and during the island's rare military actions.
From the first exchange, it was clear this would be the most challenging fight of the competition. Artemis combined technical perfection with innovative tactics, switching between offensive and defensive modes with seamless transitions that kept Diana constantly adapting her approach. When Diana pressed forward with aggressive combinations, Artemis would shift to a defensive posture that turned Diana's own momentum against her. When Diana attempted to fight patiently, Artemis would explode into sudden attacks that forced immediate responses.
The contest ranged across the entire arena floor as both fighters sought positional advantages. They fought among the scattered target posts from the archery trial, using the obstacles to create new tactical opportunities. Artemis demonstrated her battlefield intelligence by attempting to maneuver Diana into positions where the setting sun would interfere with her vision, while Diana countered by using her superior speed to keep the engagement mobile.
Their weapons rang against each other in patterns that created their own musical rhythms, bronze singing against bronze in combinations that told the story of their duel. When Artemis's shield caught Diana's sword in a bind, Diana flowed around the engagement with movements that seemed to ignore the laws of leverage. When Diana's speed threatened to overwhelm Artemis's defenses, the older warrior would shift to techniques that emphasized timing over raw velocity.
The decisive moment came when Artemis attempted her most sophisticated gambit—a complex disarming technique that had ended dozens of previous bouts in her favor. She trapped Diana's sword with her shield, pivoted to generate tremendous leverage, and applied a twisting motion that should have torn the weapon from Diana's grasp.
But Diana's response was so fluid and natural that it seemed effortless. She didn't fight against Artemis's technique—instead, she flowed with it, turning Artemis's own momentum into a spinning motion that carried Diana completely around her opponent. The maneuver concluded with Diana's sword at Artemis's throat, the point hovering just over the major artery while Artemis found herself weaponless and off-balance.
For a moment, both warriors remained frozen in the final tableau. Then Artemis stepped back and offered the formal salute of acknowledgment, her expression showing respect rather than disappointment.
"She fights like Antiope," Phillipus observed, her voice carrying a note of puzzled recognition. "The same intuitive understanding of distance and timing, the same ability to turn an opponent's strength into weakness."
Hippolyta's hands tightened further on her throne's armrests, but she maintained her composed expression. Steve, however, was beginning to piece together the puzzle of the mysterious competitor's identity. The fighting style, the unconscious grace, the way she seemed to anticipate her opponents' moves—all of it reminded him of someone he had met just days before.
As the combat phase concluded, eight warriors remained standing: Mala, Penthesilea the Elder, three other veteran warriors, two promising younger fighters, and the anonymous competitor who had become the crowd's unexpected favorite. Each had demonstrated exceptional skill, but the final trial would test qualities that went beyond mere combat prowess.
The eliminated competitors gathered to one side of the arena, their respect for the mysterious warrior evident in their expressions. Artemis approached Diana as she removed her helmet briefly to wipe away perspiration, but the angle and dim lighting prevented clear identification.
"You fought with honor," Artemis said simply. "Whoever trained you did exceptional work."
Diana nodded her acknowledgment, her voice slightly muffled by the helmet she had quickly replaced. "As did yours. It was an honor to face such skill."
"The final trial," Menalippe announced as the arena was cleared and torches were lit throughout the amphitheater to compensate for the gathering darkness. "The Trial of Truth—each remaining competitor will answer three questions while bound by the Lasso of Hestia. Their responses will determine not only their honesty, but the purity of their motivations for seeking this honor."
Steve leaned over to Hippolyta as the sacred lasso was brought forth, its golden strands seeming to glow with their own inner light. "The magic lasso again?"
"Truth is the foundation of all Amazon virtue," the queen replied, her voice steady despite the tension Steve could sense beneath her composed exterior. "A champion who would represent us in the world beyond must be absolutely honest about their intentions and capabilities."
The remaining eight competitors formed a line before the judges' platform, each awaiting their turn to face the ultimate test. Diana stood among them, her disguise still intact but her heart pounding with the knowledge that the next few minutes would determine whether her desperate gamble had succeeded or failed catastrophically.
The trial proceeded with systematic precision. The first competitor, a young Amazon named Philippa, stepped forward with nervous energy. As the golden lasso settled around her shoulders, its glow intensified, compelling truth from every fiber of her being.
"Why do you seek to become champion?" Menalippe asked.
"To prove that youth can triumph over experience," Philippa replied, the words tumbling out before she could stop them. "I have grown tired of being dismissed by my elders. This mission would establish my reputation among the greatest Amazons." The lasso's glow remained steady, confirming her honesty even as her face flushed with embarrassment at the vanity her words revealed.
"What do you hope to accomplish in Man's World?"
"To return with tales of glory that will be sung for generations. To be remembered as the Amazon who changed the course of history." Again, the lasso glowed steadily, though several elder Amazons exchanged disapproving glances at the self-serving nature of her motivations.
"What do you fear most about this mission?"
"That I might fail and return in disgrace, forgotten and dismissed once again." The honesty of her fear was absolute, but the judges' expressions suggested that her motivations fell short of what was required for such a sacred duty.
The second competitor, Penthesilea the Elder, showed more noble intentions. Her desire was to honor the memory of fallen sisters, her hope to end the conflict swiftly to prevent further loss of Amazon life, and her fear was that she might compromise Amazon principles in pursuit of victory. The lasso confirmed her sincerity, but her advanced age raised concerns about the physical demands of the mission.
Niobe, the third competitor, revealed motivations that were practically minded but lacking in inspiration. She sought the championship primarily for the honor it would bring her family line, hoped to establish trade relationships that would benefit Themyscira, and feared the unknown dangers of a world she had never seen. While honest, her responses lacked the passion and dedication the mission demanded.
When Artemis stepped forward, her bearing confident and proud, Steve noticed Hippolyta paying particular attention. The renowned archer had been considered a favorite throughout the competition, and her responses would carry significant weight.
"Why do you seek to become champion?" Menalippe asked as the lasso settled around Artemis's shoulders.
"Because I am the finest archer among the Amazons, trained by Antiope herself," Artemis replied, her voice carrying absolute conviction. "I have proven my superiority in every trial tonight. It is only natural that I should represent our people in this mission." The lasso's steady glow confirmed her belief in her own supremacy, though several Amazons shifted uncomfortably at the arrogance in her tone.
"What do you hope to accomplish in Man's World?"
"To demonstrate Amazon superiority over mortal warriors. To show the world that our training and techniques surpass anything they have developed. When I return victorious, all will know that the Amazons are the greatest warriors who have ever lived." Her pride was genuine, but Steve noticed several older Amazons frowning at the boastful nature of her response.
"What do you fear most about this mission?"
The question seemed to catch Artemis off-guard. The lasso's glow intensified as it compelled honesty she might have preferred to conceal. "I fear that if I fail, it will tarnish my reputation as the greatest archer of our age. I fear that others might accomplish what I could not, proving that I am not as superior as I believe myself to be." The admission of vanity was clear, and several Amazons shook their heads in disappointment.
Mala's turn came next, and her responses reflected the wisdom and humility that had earned her respect across generations. Her desire was to serve as a bridge between worlds, her hope to understand the forces threatening both realms, and her fear was that prolonged exposure to Man's World might corrupt her values. The lasso confirmed her sincerity, and approving murmurs rippled through the crowd.
The sixth competitor, Hippolyta's own guard captain Philippus, surprised many with her motivations. While her dedication to duty was unquestionable, she revealed that her primary desire was to remain close to her queen by ensuring no other Amazon would undertake this dangerous mission. Her protectiveness was admirable but ultimately self-serving, as the lasso revealed her willingness to prioritize Hippolyta's peace of mind over the mission's success.
Alkyone, the seventh competitor, had harbored secret doubts about Amazon isolation for decades. The lasso compelled her to admit that she hoped to find evidence in Man's World that their exile had been unnecessary, that they could safely rejoin the broader world. While her curiosity was understandable, her motivations suggested divided loyalties that could compromise her judgment.
Then came the disguised Diana's turn. As the golden lasso settled around her shoulders, Steve noticed Hippolyta leaning forward slightly, her attention focused with an intensity that seemed almost painful to observe. The lasso's touch seemed to react differently to Diana, its glow more brilliant, more urgent, as if responding to something unique within her.
"Why do you seek to become champion?" Menalippe asked, her voice carrying clearly in the hushed amphitheater.
The moment the lasso's power took hold, Diana felt a compulsion unlike anything she had ever experienced. Truth flowed from her lips before conscious thought could shape the words, and with that truth came an undeniable revelation of her identity.
"Because it is my destiny," she said, her voice changing as the helmet's distortion fell away, becoming unmistakably the princess's own tones. "I have trained my entire life for a purpose I never fully understood, but yesterday's battle revealed truths that can no longer be ignored. I am Diana of Themyscira, daughter of Hippolyta, and I believe I was created for this moment."
The arena erupted in gasps and shocked exclamations as her true identity was revealed not through removal of her disguise, but through the irresistible compulsion of the sacred lasso. The bronze helmet still concealed her features, but her voice, her bearing, and most importantly her words, made her identity unmistakable.
"What do you hope to accomplish in Man's World?"
"To find and destroy the source of corruption that enables mortal men to wield cosmic power. To face Ares if he has indeed returned to influence this conflict. To prove that the barriers between Amazon and mortal can be bridged without sacrificing the virtues that define us." The lasso's brilliant glow confirmed not just her honesty, but the pure nobility of her intentions.
"What do you fear most about this mission?"
The final question seemed to draw from Diana's deepest uncertainties. "I fear that I am not what my mother believes me to be. I fear that the truth of my origins will prove insufficient to the destiny others have laid upon me. Most of all, I fear failing those who depend on me—both the sisters I leave behind and the innocents I hope to protect."
The lasso's glow remained steady and brilliant, but the revelation of Diana's identity had transformed the competition into something far more significant. This was no longer just about choosing a champion—this was about the princess of Themyscira claiming her birthright despite her mother's explicit prohibition.
Queen Hippolyta rose from her throne, her face pale with shock and anger. "Diana!" she called, her royal composure cracking for the first time in the competition. "Remove that helmet immediately!"
Diana reached up and pulled away the bronze helmet, then the concealing wig, revealing her distinctive features to the crowd. The gasps and murmurs that had begun with her voice became a roar of amazement and concern as the full scope of her deception became clear.
"You defied my direct command," Hippolyta said, her voice carrying clearly across the now-silent amphitheater. "I ordered you to remain in the palace. I forbade you from participating in this competition."
"And I chose to honor a higher calling," Diana replied, standing tall despite the weight of her mother's disapproval. "Antiope's dying words spoke of my destiny. How could I ignore them?"
"Guards!" Hippolyta commanded. "Remove my daughter from the arena. She is disqualified from this competition."
But before the guards could move, Menalippe stepped forward, her ancient authority carrying weight even with the queen. "Your Majesty, with respect, the trial has been completed according to our laws. Princess Diana answered the questions while bound by the Lasso of Truth. Her motivations have been judged pure, her honesty confirmed. To disqualify her now would violate sacred traditions that predate even your reign."
Hippolyta's eyes flashed with anger and frustration. "She obtained her position through deception!"
"She obtained her position through skill," Menalippe corrected respectfully but firmly. "Her identity was concealed, yes, but her victories in archery and combat were achieved through her own abilities. The laws of the competition make no provision for excluding competitors based on their bloodline or station."
The crowd began to murmur as Amazons debated this unprecedented situation. Some supported their queen's authority to protect her daughter. Others argued that Diana had earned her place through legitimate victory. Steve watched the scene unfold with growing fascination, recognizing that he was witnessing a constitutional crisis in the making.
"The competition is not finished," called out Artemis, stepping forward with her characteristic confidence. "Eight competitors began the Trial of Truth. Only five have proven worthy to continue. But the champion has not yet been determined."
"Artemis speaks correctly," agreed Mala, though her tone was more diplomatic. "The trials must be completed before any champion can be declared."
Hippolyta looked around the arena, her maternal instincts warring with her duties as queen and her respect for Amazon law. Finally, she spoke with barely controlled emotion. "Very well. But I invoke the ancient right of Royal Challenge. As queen, I name a champion to represent my interests in this matter."
Steve leaned forward in surprise. "She can do that?"
"It is an old law," Phillipus explained quietly. "When royal succession or matters of dynastic importance are at stake, the monarch may name a champion to fight in single combat to determine the outcome."
Hippolyta's gaze swept the remaining competitors before settling on the most skilled warrior among them. "Mala, will you serve as my champion? Will you face my daughter in single combat to determine whether she has truly earned the right to this mission?"
Mala looked stricken by the request. To refuse would be to disobey her queen, but to accept meant fighting against the princess she had just acknowledged as superior in skill. "Your Majesty, I am honored by your confidence, but I have already been defeated by the princess in fair combat. How can I serve as your champion when she has proven herself my better?"
"Because this is not about skill alone," Hippolyta replied, her voice thick with emotion she could no longer entirely suppress. "This is about whether a mother should be forced to send her only child into mortal danger against her will. This is about whether love and wisdom should bow to destiny and duty."
Diana stepped forward, her expression showing both determination and pain at causing her mother such distress. "I accept your challenge, Mother. If single combat is required to prove my worthiness, then let it be decided here and now."
"Diana, no," Mala protested. "You have already proven yourself. There is no need for this."
"There is every need," Diana replied firmly. "My mother must know that I go to Man's World not as a reckless child seeking adventure, but as a warrior who has earned her place through victory. If she needs that proof delivered through combat with her chosen champion, then so be it."
Hippolyta's face showed the agony of a mother trapped between love and duty. "Mala, please. I know it is much to ask, but you are the only one whose skill might protect my daughter from her own determination. Perhaps if she is defeated here, she will accept that this mission is not meant for her."
Mala bowed deeply to her queen, understanding the impossible position she had been placed in. "I will serve as your champion, Your Majesty. But know that I do so with the heaviest of hearts."
The arena was quickly reconfigured for single combat as the crowd buzzed with excitement and concern. Never in Amazon history had a royal challenge been invoked under such circumstances. This was no longer about selecting a champion for a mission—this had become a battle for the very soul of Themyscira's future.
As Diana and Mala took their positions in the center of the arena, Steve could see the emotional weight both warriors carried. They had fought before and earned each other's respect, but now they faced each other with the highest possible stakes.
"I have watched you fight tonight," Mala said as they saluted each other with the traditional Amazon gesture, her voice heavy with regret. "You have proven yourself the finest warrior among us. I take no pleasure in this battle."
"Nor do I," Diana replied, genuine affection for the older warrior evident in her voice. "But we both serve higher purposes than our personal feelings. Fight with all your skill, Mala. My mother deserves to see her champion at her best."
The bout that followed was unlike anything the competition had yet seen. Where their previous encounter had been a display of technique and tactical wisdom, this fight carried the weight of Amazon destiny and divine intervention. Mala fought not just for victory, but to fulfill her queen's desperate hope that her daughter might be spared the dangers of Man's World.
From the opening exchange, it was clear this would be a battle of wills as much as skill. Mala launched into her assault with an intensity Diana had never seen from her before. The seasoned warrior's sword work was flawless, each strike flowing seamlessly into the next as she pressed her advantage with centuries of accumulated expertise. Her blade sang through the air in patterns that seemed to create their own wind, forcing Diana to give ground under the relentless barrage.
"Yield now, Princess," Mala said as their swords locked in a bind, her voice strained with effort but determined. "Save us both this pain."
"I cannot," Diana replied, breaking the bind with a fluid motion that spoke of Antiope's training. "You know I cannot."
Mala's expression showed both pride and sorrow at Diana's response. She disengaged and immediately launched into a combination that had never been successfully defended in her centuries of combat. Her sword traced intricate patterns through the torchlight, each cut designed to flow into the next regardless of how her opponent responded. The technique was known as the "Tide of Sorrows," for it was said to wash away all resistance like waves against stone.
Diana found herself driven backward under the assault, her own considerable skills stretched to their limits. Mala's blade seemed to be everywhere at once, cutting off angles of escape and forcing Diana into increasingly desperate defensive positions. The older warrior's footwork was perfect, carrying her around Diana in a deadly dance that made her impossible to pin down while maintaining constant pressure.
Steve watched in amazement as the two Amazons pushed each other beyond what should have been physically possible. Their movements were so fast they became blurs in the torchlight, their weapons creating sparks as bronze rang against bronze in combinations that defied counting. The crowd had fallen completely silent, understanding that they were witnessing something extraordinary even by Amazon standards.
The fight ranged across the entire arena floor as both warriors gave everything they possessed. Mala's experience showed in every movement—she wasted no energy on unnecessary flourishes, positioned herself to maximize her advantages, and pressed her attacks with the patience of a warrior who had fought for centuries. But more than that, she fought with the desperation of someone trying to save a beloved younger sister from her own heroic impulses.
"You fight with honor," Mala called as she executed a spinning attack that forced Diana to leap backward, "but honor will not protect you from the darkness beyond our shores!"
"Then I will face that darkness as an Amazon should," Diana replied, her breathing heavy but her resolve unshaken. "With courage, not fear."
Mala attacked with renewed fury, her sword cutting through the air in patterns Diana had never seen before. The older warrior's shield moved like it was part of her body, blocking Diana's strikes while setting up counterattacks that forced the princess to give ground. Mala fought with the experience of eight centuries, anticipating Diana's moves before she made them.
Diana found herself being driven backward across the arena floor. Every time she tried to press forward, Mala was already there, her blade cutting off the angle. The princess's sword rang against bronze as Mala's shield turned aside strike after strike, the older warrior's defense seeming impenetrable.
"You fight well," Mala called out as she launched a spinning attack that forced Diana to duck and roll to avoid the blade. "But you are not ready for this burden."
Diana came up from her roll with her sword already moving, trying to catch Mala off guard. But the veteran warrior was ready, her shield slamming into Diana's blade with enough force to send vibrations up the princess's arm.
The combat became a deadly dance. Mala would feint left, then strike right, her sword seeking the gaps in Diana's armor. Diana responded with the fluid movements Antiope had drilled into her, her blade weaving defensive patterns while she looked for an opening.
Then Mala did something unexpected. She hooked Diana's sword with the edge of her shield, twisting to trap the blade while her own weapon descended toward Diana's shoulder. It was a move born of centuries of experience, perfectly timed and executed.
Diana should have been helpless. The trap was flawless, Mala's blade already moving in the finishing strike. But something inside Diana refused to accept defeat.
Power erupted through her body like lightning in her veins. Her bracers began to glow with golden light, and suddenly she could see everything with perfect clarity. Mala's sword moving toward her, the exact angle and speed, the way the older warrior's weight was distributed.
Diana twisted away from the trap, moving faster than she'd ever moved before. Mala's sword cut through empty air as Diana spun behind her, bringing her own blade up in a strike that glowed with golden light.
"What is this?" Mala gasped, stumbling back as she tried to process what she'd just seen.
Diana didn't answer. She couldn't. The power flowing through her was like nothing she'd ever experienced. Her sword felt weightless in her hands, and every movement seemed perfectly timed. She pressed forward, her attacks coming faster and faster.
Mala raised her shield to block, but Diana's blade struck with force that sent cracks spreading across the bronze. The older warrior staggered, her eyes wide with shock. No Amazon should have been able to damage their bronze like that.
"Princess, stop," Mala called out, backing away as Diana advanced. "This power... where does it come from?"
"I don't know," Diana replied, and her voice carried an echo that hadn't been there before. "But I won't be denied."
She attacked again, her sword moving so fast it seemed to be in three places at once. Mala tried to counter, but Diana was no longer fighting like any warrior she'd ever faced. Her blade found openings that shouldn't have existed, striking from angles that made no sense.
The older warrior's centuries of experience meant nothing against power that came from beyond the mortal realm. Mala's shield shattered under another blow, bronze fragments scattering across the arena floor. Her sword was knocked from her grip, spinning through the air to embed itself in the stone wall.
Diana's blade came to rest at Mala's throat, golden light still dancing along its edge. The arena had gone completely silent.
"I yield," Mala said quietly, looking up at Diana with something approaching awe. "I yield to whatever you have become."
As Diana lowered her sword, the divine energy gradually subsided, leaving her looking drained but triumphant. The golden light faded from her blade and bracers, but the memory of what the crowd had witnessed would linger forever. She had not merely won the bout. She had proven herself to be something beyond ordinary Amazon capabilities.
The crowd erupted in cheers, but they were cheers mixed with wonder and perhaps a touch of fear. Many of the assembled Amazons had lived for centuries, but none had ever witnessed such a display of power from one of their own. Some fell to their knees, while others simply stared in amazement at their transformed princess.
Steve felt his understanding of Diana shift as he watched her help Mala to her feet. The woman who had pulled him from the wreckage of his aircraft was not just an extraordinary warrior. She was something approaching divinity itself. The implications were staggering, both for his mission and for the war raging beyond Themyscira's shores.
All eyes turned to Queen Hippolyta, whose expression showed the complex emotions of a mother whose greatest fears and deepest pride had been realized at the same time. Her daughter had won the right to her destiny, but in doing so had revealed powers that would inevitably draw the attention of forces beyond mortal comprehension.
Diana looked up at her mother, divine energy still flickering faintly around her form like dying embers. "Mother, I know this pains you. But please understand. This is not rebellion against your authority. This is acceptance of the destiny you and Antiope prepared me for, even if you did not realize it at the time."
Hippolyta was silent for a long moment, her gaze moving between her daughter and the sacred lasso that still glowed with residual power from the trials. When she spoke, her voice carried the weight of prophecy fulfilled and maternal love finally surrendering to divine will.
"Very well, Diana. You have proven yourself according to our laws and according to powers far greater than mortal understanding." Her voice trembled with emotion. "You have shown skill in combat, purity of purpose, and the divine strength that runs in your veins. But if you are to be our champion, you will not go alone into Man's World."
Before Diana could protest, Mala stepped forward, still shaken by what she had experienced. "Princess, if you will permit it, I request the honor of accompanying you as protector and advisor. Two Amazons will have a better chance of success than one alone. And after what I have witnessed tonight, I believe the world will have great need of your gifts."
Diana turned to face her former opponent with surprise and gratitude. "Mala, I am touched by your offer, but this is my burden to bear. I cannot ask you to share the risks of a mission that may well prove fatal."
"You are not asking," Mala replied with a determined smile, though her eyes still held the wonder of what she had witnessed. "I am volunteering. Besides, if your mother must send her daughter into danger, and if that daughter carries the power of the gods themselves, the least I can do is ensure she has proper guidance."