"I''m glad to see another woman strong enough to stand against these arrogant Greek kings," the warrior declared, her voice laced with both amusement and challenge.

    Penthesilea, Queen of the Amazons, grinned as she leveled her sword at Khillea. The blade glinted in the sunlight, its edge razor-sharp and eager for blood.

    For a moment, silence blanketed the battlefield as two of the strongest women faced each other, their gazes locked in a contest of wills. The tension was palpable, the air heavy with anticipation. Then, without warning—

    BADOOOM!

    An earth-shaking explosion of sound erupted as their swords collided. Sparks flew, and a fiery aura ignited around the clashing blades. Penthesilea, her muscles taut and strained, poured every ounce of her strength into her swing. Khillea, in contrast, held her flaming sword firm, her expression unyielding, as if she were merely holding back a storm with effortless grace.@@@@

    Suddenly, Khillea''s sword roared to life with an intense burst of fire. Flames danced along the blade, forcing Penthesilea to leap back to avoid being consumed. The Amazon queen barely managed to dodge, but Khillea pursued her without hesitation, her weapon blazing like a meteor streaking across the battlefield.

    "You are quite fast!" Penthesilea grunted, gritting her teeth as she snatched another sword from the ground to intercept the fiery strike.

    BADOOOM!

    The impact released an inferno, fire spilling outward like a tidal wave. The sheer heat melted both of Penthesilea''s blades within moments, reducing them to slag. The flames licked at her arms, burning her flesh. Though she extinguished the fire quickly, the pain seared into her body, sharper than she had anticipated.

    She winced, her breath ragged, but her resolve did not falter. Penthesilea grabbed two more swords, bracing herself for another round. This time, she called upon her Amazonian magic, a unique spell designed to push her physical limits. Her body began to glow faintly, an aura of pure energy enveloping her. Her movements became faster, sharper, and more precise.

    Her aura erupted as she charged, closing the gap between her and Khillea in the blink of an eye. With a roar, Penthesilea swung both swords with incredible speed and force, aiming to overwhelm her opponent.

    Khillea barely had time to raise her golden shield, but when the weapons met it, the resulting shockwave was catastrophic. Soldiers and debris were hurled in all directions as the force of their collision rippled across the battlefield.

    Penthesilea''s arms screamed in agony, her muscles numb from the sheer power reverberating through her body. She grimaced, staring at the impenetrable golden shield. "What kind of shield is that?" she groaned, her voice laced with disbelief.

    Khillea didn''t respond. Instead, she swung her flaming sword again, aiming for a decisive blow. Penthesilea evaded the strike with a deft leap, twisting midair to land behind Khillea. She thrust both swords toward her opponent''s unguarded back with pinpoint precision.

    CRACK!

    The sound of breaking steel filled the air as both blades shattered on contact with Khillea''s enchanted armor. Penthesilea''s eyes widened in disbelief as fragments of her weapons clattered to the ground.

    "This is... unfair..." she murmured, her voice tinged with frustration.

    BADAAAM!

    Khillea responded with a brutal kick, her armored foot slamming into Penthesilea''s chest. The force of the blow sent the Amazon queen hurtling backward, crashing into the ground with bone-jarring impact.

    Penthesilea groaned, coughing up blood as pain radiated through her ribs. She felt several of them were fractured, the sharp sting with each breath confirming her suspicion. Lying on the battlefield, her vision blurred, she couldn''t help but admit the truth: Khillea was unlike any opponent she had ever faced.

    Her armor was impenetrable. Her sword was forged by gods. And even without these divine gifts, Khillea herself was an indomitable force.

    And then—it stopped.

    The battlefield seemed to freeze in place. Khillea''s blade halted mere inches from Penthesilea''s neck, the flames licking at her skin but not burning her. Confusion flickered in the Amazon queen''s eyes as she dared to look up. Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire

    Khillea''s gaze was no longer on her. The warrior''s golden eyes, filled with intensity and purpose moments ago, had shifted elsewhere.

    Penthesilea followed her line of sight, her breath catching as her eyes landed on a lone figure standing amidst the chaos.

    The man had blond hair that shimmered like the sun, though it was matted with sweat and dirt. In his hand, he held a sword that glowed with an eerie, black radiance. There was something magnetic about him, an aura that seemed to demand attention even from a force like Khillea.

    Khillea''s grip on her weapon tightened as her lips pressed into a thin line.

    "Paris of Troy," she muttered with icy cold voice that sent shivers to everyone around.

    Of course, she knew him—everyone knew him. The prince of Troy, the man who had caused this entire war. And the man who had slain Patroclus, Achilles'' closest companion.

    Paris stood there, watching them, his expression unreadable. Yet, beneath his composed facade, there was a clear unease in his eyes.

    The ever-confident grin that usually graced Paris''s face was conspicuously absent. His usual air of self-assurance, the smirk that taunted both allies and enemies alike, had been wiped clean.

    He could feel it—Khillea''s anger, raw and suffocating. Her presence radiated an inhuman power, a force so overwhelming it made his heart race in sheer terror.

    And then there was her gaze.

    Khillea''s golden eyes locked onto him, burning with a murderous intensity that pierced straight through his carefully constructed facade.

    Paris''s breath hitched as a shiver ran down his spine. He thought he knew fear—he had faced death countless times during this cursed war. Yet this was different. This was a fear that gripped him by the throat and refused to let go.

    Until now, there had been only two people in all his life who had ever truly frightened him. The first was Heiron.

    And now, there was Khillea.

    Paris swallowed hard, instinctively taking a step back. Then another. His movements were slow and cautious, as if any sudden motion might provoke the wrath of the furious warrior before him.

    Khillea noticed his retreat.

    Without a word, Khillea released her grip on Penthesilea, letting the Amazon queen crumple to the ground. Penthesilea gasped for breath, her body trembling from the aftershock of narrowly escaping death. But Khillea''s attention was no longer on her.

    It was on Paris.

    In a blur of motion, Khillea surged forward, her flaming sword leaving trails of light in its wake.