Atticus watched as the figures of each Marquis stood frozen midair, just before the white haired woman.

'She stopped them…'

The white haired woman glanced back at him, a sudden fierceness burning in her eyes.

"Hesitation. Truly disappointing. A true warrior is ready at all times. You still have much to learn."

Atticus was at a loss for words. He could tell from her gaze that she meant every word. Rather than dealing with the enemies trying to kill them, teaching him a lesson clearly mattered more to her.

"D-die—"

She turned to face the Marquis as they began to squirm and strain, trying to tear free from her hold.

Not long after, the cave trembled as even more enemies burst through the walls, engulfing the space in a choking haze.

Purple eyes shone through the dust, each one locking onto him. There was no mistaking who their sole target was.

Yet despite the overwhelming killing intent directed at him, Atticus found his gaze drawn back to the strange white haired woman.

The air around her had gone completely still. Every dust particle that drifted toward her dissolved into nothingness. And more than that, the moment she stepped forward, he felt his control over elemental particles slip away.

Just who was she?

The Marquis surged forward with terrifying speed, unleashing attacks that swallowed his entire vision.

In response, the strange woman simply raised her arm.

"Explode."

The attacks froze midair, twisted in on themselves, then erupted in a blinding flash of light that consumed the cave.

A firm grip closed around Atticus' arm, yanking him away as the cave collapsed around them. The next moment, he burst through thick dust and hit the ground in a roll across uneven terrain.

Atticus shot to his feet, ignoring the piercing headache as he glanced back. A towering cliff wall loomed behind him, cracks spiderwebbing across its surface as sections broke apart and rained down onto the earth.

"Don't slow down now. They'll swarm this place soon."

Atticus spun back to see the white haired woman already far ahead, streaking into the forest.

Moments later, he was tearing through a seemingly endless stretch of trees, following her and putting as much distance as possible between them and the cave.

During the run, Atticus found his eyes fixed on the woman. She stood straight, both arms clasped behind her back, and neither of her legs appeared to move. Instead, it was as though she glided across the earth.

Though she moved with no visible effort, every attempt to catch up proved futile. He tried everything, light movement, lightning, air, even fire. Yet even as his legs turned into twin blurs, she maintained her position ahead.

Eventually, Atticus had to relent and make use of the silence to think.

This was his mindscape, so it made sense that his katana was gone. What didn't make sense was his will.

His mindscape was where his will should be strongest. He should have been able to summon it and tear this entire world into rubble, yet every attempt only brought a splitting headache, as though his skull might tear apart.

'It's safe to say I can't rely on my will here. No life weapon either… which leaves the elements.'

Back in the cave, the Marquis had used various abilities. None of them had used their wills.

Atticus released a breath. If his enemies had been able to use will while he couldn't, the result would have been disastrous.

'It's not hopeless.'

Eventually, he came to an abrupt stop in a small clearing. The strange woman was already there, silently staring at him.

It didn't take long before the weight of her gaze became uncomfortable.

"…What?"

"You hesitated in the cave. Tell me why."

"…I was caught off guard by my missing weapon."

"You rely on a power that is not yours when you possess the greatest power in existence. Stupid."

Atticus frowned, hesitated, then spoke.

"I can't use will."

She stared at him with open disgust.

'Was she not talking about will?' he wondered.

"Solvath fragment?"

The disgust on her face deepened, but Atticus had had enough.

"Again… you could resolve this by simply telling me."

"Again… clarification will not be provided freely. Be—"

"Wait, wait… let me guess. Because instruction without resistance produces weakness…"

For the first time, the stoic expression on her face cracked into a smile. Atticus stared at her, a small frown forming.

"…You're smiling?"

"Hm." She nodded. "Approval should be given when earned. You're learning. That is good."

Atticus blinked.

Then blinked again.

At that moment, his stare could have burned through steel. He drew in a deep breath. Never in his life had anyone managed to irritate him this much.

'Let's just change the topic.'

"The enemies in the cave… they were people I killed seconds ago. I understand this place was created by the fragment, but what is it exactly?"

"Clarification will not be provid—"

'Why did I even bother…'

Atticus cursed silently and turned away.

The woman released a small sigh, paused, then added.

"Think. The answer is in everything you told me in the cave. How did this happen?"

"…The Solvath fragment interrupted the consolidation process and created this…"

Atticus' eyes widened.

'Of course.'

It all fell into place. The fragment had struck before he could absorb the wills of the Marquis, and had used them to form this space.

A land of the dead.

He caught the small smile on the woman's face as she nodded approvingly, as though he were a puppy that had just performed a trick.

Atticus ignored her.

The realization carried something far worse with it.

If the wills of the Marquis he killed were here, then…

'They're here…'

Two enemies that had nearly cost him everything during the Ascension Games.

Ordan.

Raziel.

If they were here, then the situation was far more dire than he'd thought.

"We have to mo—"

He froze as the woman suddenly lifted her gaze to the sky, eyes narrowing. Atticus went alert at once.

"What is it?"

"Enemies."

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