The next day,
Leon and his group continued forward.
The closer they drew to the front,
the more wounded and displaced civilians Diana saw.
She wanted to help every single one of them.
But a profound sense of helplessness welled up inside her.
Because every time she chose to save one person,
her steps toward confronting Ares would slow.
Leon did not interfere.
He simply stayed by her side and signaled Steve Trevor and the others not to rush her.
By the time half a day had passed,
they had advanced less than five kilometers.
Looking back, the refugees Diana had helped were already sinking once more into the mire of war.
There was no end to it.
There was simply no end.
"Leon…"
Faced with a predicament she could not resolve on her own, Diana instinctively sought his guidance.
Leon shook his head.
"Diana, don't you see?"
"We cannot save everyone. Even Zeus couldn't protect all mankind. The best he could do was shield the Amazons on Themyscira."
"We are not humanity's caretakers."
"And they are not as fragile as you think."
Diana lowered her head.
When she looked up again, her expression was firmer than ever.
"Thank you, Leon."
"Growth always comes with pain," he said, gently ruffling her hair. "Let's go."
The entire time, Leon felt less like he was courting someone and more like a father guiding his daughter through her first harsh lesson about the world.
For someone accustomed to swift victories and overwhelming dominance, this slow, steady process felt strangely refreshing.
…
Boom!
An artillery shell exploded not far from them.
The nearer they came to the center of conflict, the more the landscape resembled a living hell—shattered buildings, scorched earth, smoke and ash.
The destructive capability of modern warfare continued to challenge Diana's understanding of humanity.
To avoid the bombardment, they moved through trenches already dug by "kind souls."
The leader of those "kind souls" was the Chief.
With too many people to evacuate, the Chief had gathered them into a makeshift guerrilla force to harass German troops and buy time.
They had saved some civilians, but could offer only temporary shelter.
They themselves were starving.
Moving through the trenches,
Diana learned from a mother clutching her child that beyond the No Man's Land near Veld, her village had been stripped of food by German soldiers. Those who failed to escape were taken as slaves.
In the past,
Diana would have gone immediately to rescue them.
But the root of it all lay with Ludendorff—who refused to surrender and sought to prolong the war.
If he truly was Ares' avatar, then ending him would end this suffering.
Diana made her choice.
She would eliminate Ludendorff first.
Then she would save those she could.
Otherwise, even if she rescued them now, once she left, everything would simply return to ruin.
"I'm sorry," she told the woman.
"But I will come back."
She gently freed her hand from the woman's desperate grip and walked forward without looking back.
Behind her, she heard the hollow whisper:
"Liar… you won't return…"
Diana's heart tightened.
For a moment, doubt pierced her conscience.
"Easy," Leon said quietly.
"Their salvation isn't their decision to demand."
"Don't let guilt chain you."
"Humans are like this."
"When trapped, they beg for rescue. Once saved, many will ask for more."
"There are plenty like that. You don't need to let their words weigh on you."
He looked ahead toward the smoke-darkened horizon.
"Save those you can."
"And when it's necessary—strike down those who must be struck."
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Sagamaster789