"That would never happen."

Anorah ignored Whisker's skeptical look and fixed her hardened gaze on the veil.

"We're not trying to win. We're buying time."

"…"

"If you think this is a lost cause," she continued, "then why are you here?"

"Same reason iron head is standing on the front lines." Whisker gestured toward Ozeroth's radiant figure, then shrugged. "We owe it to him to see this through to the end."

Anorah nodded silently at the words. Ozeroth had been quieter these past month, speaking only in strict orders.

After Atticus went unconscious, he had stepped fully into a leader's role and had been one of the main reasons the territory hadn't dissolved into chaos upon their arrival.

The Eldorians feared him, and trusted him. The people did too.

It had been the two of them, alongside the Eldorians, who had brought their worlds together and gathered this army.

After everything Atticus had done for her, it would be over her dead body before she allowed his world to fall.

Not long after, Oberon found and joined them atop the building. Aside from him, the other Eldorians and resistance leaders were scattered across the land, each leading a battalion of soldiers.

The next few moments were filled with tension. As the massive countdown began in the sky, a grave like silence descended across the landscape, and the billions of soldiers fell still.

Every eye was fixed on the horizon, where a massive veil obscured a vast pathway connecting to their territory, revealing the blurred outline of an unending army waiting beyond.

Time passed, and above them, the veil encompassing the entire territory dispersed into the wind.

The first thing to strike Anorah was the blaring roar of soldiers. She instinctively tightened her grip on her blade, swallowing hard as the previously motionless army began to march forward.

"Damn." Whisker slowly shook his head. "The least they could've done was say hello first…"

Anorah was in the sky before anyone could react, her body unleashing a blinding light that flooded the battlefield.

"Draw your weapons and prepare for battle!"

Lights ignited across the vast land as abilities were activated. The thick air of bloodlust pressed heavily against Anorah's shoulders.

Her attention was soon drawn to a powerful presence approaching in a streak of light. A few moments later, it came to a halt some distance away, revealing a regal man clad in purple attire.

Anorah drew her blade instantly and her will wrapped around her.

'Abyss faction.'

The black haired man gave a malevolent smile.

"Why don't we save ourselves the trouble and you tell me where Atticus Ravenstein is?"

Anorah remained silent, though her thoughts raced. It wasn't surprising that he had come for Atticus. While she had no intention of giving him up, it was no longer a matter of will, but of whether she even had a choice.

They had only just entered the Span. Being at the lowest level didn't matter. Even the weakest god of the Span was an insurmountable mountain to a newly ascending god, especially her, who hadn't yet reached the threshold herself.

"Hm… silence. I assumed beauty came with a modicum of intelligence. It seems that isn't the case." He shrugged lightly. "No matter. I'll just tear this whole place apart."

He sighed, then slowly raised his arms.

"I declare my intent to capture this territory. Attack."

Anorah's gaze dropped as Abyss soldiers poured into their land in an unending tide.

'The others will handle them.'

Her battle was here. She felt a sinister pressure in the air and turned back to the Abyss god, whose body radiated a violent, ominous purple will that made her skin crawl.

She tightened her grip on her blade, unleashing her will to counter his.

'I have to hold him here.'

With Atticus down, she was the strongest god present. This was the Span. There were no gods versus gods, no champions versus champions. Here, anything went. The damage this Abyss god could cause if allowed to roam freely would be catastrophic.

"I'll show you the consequences of wasting my time."

Anorah's eyes widened as the man vanished from sight. She hurled herself aside and thrust her blade with all her strength. The collision erupted into a blinding light that engulfed the battlefield.

…

Atticus felt the stabbing pain in his head before anything else.

'W-where am I?'

He slowly forced his heavy eyes open, squinting against the sudden sharp light.

'Shit… what is this headache…'

Frowning deeply, he kept his eyes half open, using the brief moment as they adjusted to assess his situation.

'I'm lying on my back. There's a light coming from beside me. It's warm… a fire. Why would there be a fire…'

His vision cleared just enough to settle on the uneven stalactites directly above him.

'A cave.'

Atticus' frown deepened. No matter how much he thought about it, the situation made no sense. He blinked away the remaining blur and slowly began to sit up.

The stabbing pain in his head flared, but he forced it aside and focused.

He was deep inside a cave, seated beside a blazing fire that somehow emitted no smoke.

'How did I get here…?'

"Hm. It's about time you're awake. Any longer and I'd have called you a weakling not worthy of any attention."

Atticus froze at the sudden voice. It came from the other side of the cave, just across the fire.

'Who…?'

His arm instinctively reached for his katana, only to stop short when his hand met nothing.

'My weapon…'

He quickly checked the other side, then his immediate surroundings, nothing. Atticus forced himself back as the figure stepped through the fire as if it didn't exist.

His eyes widened at the sight. It was a woman of world ending beauty and radiance. Her hair was snow white, matching her eyes.

She was draped in a pure white robe, and there was a grace to her movements, the kind that came from one who considered herself superior.

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