Closing The Deal!

The next morning, as the first rays of golden sunlight streamed through the window, Ryuji woke up.

He lay there silently, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.

The room was empty now, but the lingering warmth beside him told him everything he needed to know.

His mind was a tangled mess. How had things escalated to this point? How had he ended up spending the night with Zeus's daughter?

Well, to be precise, it was more accurate to say she had taken the lead.

Thinking back to last night, Ryuji felt his face heat up. He had been completely outmatched—no contest.

It wasn't just the physical part, though that was embarrassing enough. The overwhelming strength gap between them was a brutal reminder that he was no warrior.

He sighed. Warriors had an advantage in close combat, and Diana? She wasn't just a warrior—she was the warrior. The greatest Amazon from Themyscira.

The fact that he was still alive—and in one piece—was a miracle.

"Guess I need to hit the gym," he muttered to himself.

Unfortunately, his magic shop didn't seem to offer many physical enhancement spells. He'd have to scour the outside world for something useful.

Just then, the door creaked open. Ryuji immediately froze and quickly shut his eyes, pretending to still be asleep.

As the door clicked shut, the scent of something fresh and clean—like ocean air—wafted into the room. It was unmistakably Diana's scent.

His nose twitched involuntarily.

"Stop pretending. I know you're awake," Diana's amused voice called out.

Caught red-handed, Ryuji awkwardly sat up. He didn't bother covering himself with the blanket. They had already crossed that bridge last night, and there was no point in pretending otherwise.

Diana, meanwhile, was calmly drying her hair, her movements as graceful as ever.

"So," Ryuji began nervously, scratching the back of his neck, "how, uh… how was it?"

Diana tilted her head, her lips curving into a playful smirk. "A complete disaster."

Ryuji coughed awkwardly, his face turning red. "It… it wasn't that bad, was it?"

Diana laughed softly but didn't respond, instead turning to retrieve her sword. With a few swift, casual swipes, she cut a small square out of the bedsheet.

Ryuji gulped nervously. "Why… why do you need that?"

She shrugged. "Souvenir," she said, smirking again. "Now, hurry up and get ready. We're leaving after breakfast."

Ryuji muttered something under his breath, quickly got dressed, and followed her downstairs.

---

As he entered the dining area, Ryuji immediately noticed Logan and Victor giving him knowing grins.

Victor, in particular, kept nodding at him like an approving older brother.

Doutzen Carlos, meanwhile, merely raised an eyebrow, her face showing a mix of amusement and warning.

Ryuji raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, what's with the looks? Do I have something on my face?"

Victor smirked. "Oh, you've got something, alright."

"Yeah," Logan chimed in. "You reek of Diana."

At another table, Steve froze mid-sip of his carrot soup, his face falling. The sweet soup suddenly tasted unbearably bitter.

"Take care of Diana," Doutzen warned, unsheathing her sword slightly. "Or you'll regret it."

Ryuji sighed and shook his head. "Sure thing," he replied before heading to grab some food.

Breakfast was simple: potato cakes, radish soup, and leftover roast lamb from the previous night. It wasn't much, but it would do.

Diana soon joined Ryuji, sitting down right beside him. Her proximity made Steve visibly sink further into his chair.

The chief, Charlie, and Samir exchanged glances, each of them marveling silently at the fact that Diana, an Amazon warrior, had chosen to sit with Ryuji so casually.

After finishing their meal, the group prepared to leave.

"The townspeople gave us horses to thank us," Samir explained as he mounted one. "Heroes and all that."

Steve, still glum, turned to the others. "Listen, this mission is going to get more dangerous. Maybe it's best if you all turn back now."

The chief shook his head firmly. "You know we're not leaving, Steve."

"Yeah, you'll need us," Charlie added. "Especially you. Let's face it, you're not exactly the best at staying out of trouble."

Steve sighed but smiled faintly. "If you're staying, I won't stop you. Just… be careful."

As Ryuji approached, he raised an eyebrow at Steve. "You sure about that? The fights ahead aren't going to be something you can handle."

Logan and Victor nodded in agreement.

"Yeah," Victor said. "This isn't a job for amateurs."

Logan added, "We're up against gods. If we're not careful, even we might not make it out alive."

Ryuji smirked. "Better to leave now, Steve. No shame in knowing your limits."

Steve clenched his fists but remained silent. Deep down, he knew Ryuji was right.

"Alright, let's move," Ryuji said, leading the group forward.

The path ahead was treacherous, but they all knew there was no turning back now.

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