Eron did not seek mere beauty or blind devotion; he sought utility. In the new world he was shaping, the value of a subordinate was measured by the blood of their enemies. The exhibition tournament in the arena was interrupted by the crack of blue lightning that silenced the Amazons' cries.
— SILENCE! — Eron's voice fell like a hammer upon the citadel. — The womb that will carry my next heir will not be won through dances or battles among sisters.
He walked to the edge of the balcony, his eyes glowing with the coldness of outer space.
— There are rats still hiding in the shadows of Earth. They call themselves "heroes" and whisper about resistance. They believe that because I am here, at the top of the world, I have forgotten their faces.
Eron extended his hand and, through magnetism and Atlantean technology, projected massive holograms over the arena. The faces of Barry Allen (Flash), Arthur Curry (Aquaman)—who had somehow survived the collapse—and Cyborg lit up the sky.
— The tournament has changed — Eron declared, a cruel smile forming. — Whoever brings me the head of one of these remnants of the Justice League, or the hero himself chained at my feet, will earn the right to ascend to my chambers. You have three days. The world is your hunting ground.
The frenzy that followed was absolute. The Amazons did not just take up their weapons; they coated them in poison and magnetic enchantments provided by Eron. Within minutes, hundreds of invisible jets and winged mounts departed from Atlantis in all directions, spreading across the globe like a plague of steel.
As the army departed, Diana approached Eron, embracing him from behind and feeling the divine heat radiating from his skin.
— You are brilliant, my King — she whispered. — Not only will you secure your lineage, you will purge the planet of the last remnants of hope these humans still cling to.
— Hope is a disease, Diana. And I am the ultimate cure — he replied, watching one of the Amazons, a captain named Artemis, depart toward the ruins of Detroit, where rumors claimed Cyborg was attempting to rebuild a communication network.
The arena of New Olympus stood in tense silence, broken only by the wind passing through coral columns. The great captains and veteran warriors were still out, tracking radio signals and clues across ruined cities. No one expected results so soon.
The sound of beating wings echoed from the horizon. A single winged mount descended in a swift dive, landing heavily at the center of the marble floor. From it leapt a young warrior with short hair and a wild gaze, fresh scars on her face still bleeding. In her right hand, she carried something wrapped in sharkskin; in her left, she held the Trident of Atlantis, still pulsing with a fading blue energy.
With a sharp motion, she drove Arthur Curry's weapon into the arena floor. The impact cracked the marble. She then unwrapped the bundle, revealing the head of the former King of the Seas, whose lifeless eyes still seemed to express the shock of being defeated in his own domain.
— I AM KALA! — the young warrior roared, her voice reaching the royal balcony. — The sea now belongs only to King Eron! The traitor is dead, and his scepter is here! I claim my reward by right of blood and conquest!
From the balcony, Eron tilted his head slightly. The Trident's magnetism tried to resist, but the ring on his finger instantly subdued it, forcing the weapon to bow toward its new master. He glanced at Diana and Hippolyta, who watched the scene with a mix of surprise and cruel approval.
— A newcomer — Diana remarked, licking her lips. — She has the fire of survival. The kind of fiber that breeds ruthless heirs.
Eron extended his hand, and a bridge of solid lightning stretched from the balcony to the center of the arena.
— Ascend, Kala — Eron commanded, his voice vibrating in the young warrior's chest. — You have proven that strength is not defined by titles, but by results. Today, you cease to be a hunter and become part of the foundation of my world.
Kala walked across the bridge of light, leaving the Trident embedded in the ground behind her as a message to all the others: the age of heroes had ended, and the era of Eron's heirs had begun.