Atticus's Odyssey: Reincarnated Into A Playground Chapter 1412 Bait

The great Verge fixed his gaze on the endless expanse; the eternal Span. Ti blurred as he tried to rember when they'd first t. In truth, he couldn't recall a mont in existence without the insufferable, party spoiling Span shadowing him.

Receiving no response, he sighed, then said,

"Still, I think I deserve to know why my fun was interrupted. Don't you?"

The Span's silence stretched. It was rare for him to intervene in the affairs of the Verge, rarer still to pull a favor long forgotten, especially now, when the Verge's favorite god had been monts away from slaughtering the Sentinels.

At last, the Span spoke.

"The knowledge will do you no good. The circles of favor and repaynt are endless. You are not the only one who owes."

"Interesting…" The Verge tilted his head, intrigued. "And tell , who did you repay?"

"That child is not soone whose fate you should entangle yourself with," the Span said simply. "Take this as advice, from an old friend."

The voice faded as the Span vanished.

Monts later, the Arbiter who had presided over the Asterra battle appeared, collapsing to its knees before him.

"M-master!"

The Verge's playfulness evaporated. In its place ca a cold, dreadful calm. The creature trembled as the weight of his gaze fell upon it.

"My fun was interrupted," the Verge said quietly, "there will be retribution."

He rose, his form warping with radiance. "Gather the others. I have a few ideas… for the next Ascension Trials."

"Yes, master!" the Arbiter stamred before vanishing.

The Verge remained still for a long while, the stars bending around his faint smile.

"An addiction, hmm?" he murmured. "Then let it ruin beautifully."

…

Atticus watched silently as Anorah decimated the remnants of the Will Guard army.

As soon as the last one fell, he felt the air around the world change. He turned towards the direction of the Sanctum of Lights.

'The tree.'

He had passed the tree before arriving at this place, the tree the Will Guard had used to hold the world hostage.

'It's breaking.'

Cracks littered its surface, spreading until its form could no longer be maintained. As it shattered into countless shards that dissolved into the air, a wave spread across the whole of Asterra.

'Their wills are now free.'

The battle had officially ended, and the resistance had won!

The surviving mbers of the resistance army burst into an fierce cheer that echoed across the ruined wasteland. Still, Atticus' composed eyes never left the Saint. Her gaze had turned towards another direction.

This wasn't over.

'The council mbers.'

As Atticus thought, Anorah vanished in a burst of light. He blurred, following closely behind. In the next mont, he appeared high above the ruined Sanctum of Light. His eyes swept the area.

'They're trying to escape.'

His eyes landed on the figures of the council mbers. Each one of them stood before the world's portal, desperately trying to activate it.

"Why isn't it working!" one bellowed.

"Let's all use our Will together!" another shouted.

Anorah dropped from the heavens in a beam of light.

The council froze. As they turned, their gazes found the Saint, bathed in a radiance so intense she looked less like a mortal and more like a goddess of light.

"S–Saint!"

The expressions of the council darkened, many instinctively stumbling back.

"W–we were mistaken! Pl—"

"Stop shaking!" Kaino suddenly barked. "There's nothing to fear! We're gods. She can't do anything to us!"

'Hmm. He's right,' Atticus thought, watching them from the sky. As gods, they must accept a challenge before she could attack them.

'What will she do?'

Kaino smirked at the Saint, who watched him without emotion. Kaino's head swelled with pride. "By so luck, you won this ti. But soon you'll be begging for death beneath my feet."

Anorah's gaze slid to Kaino. There was not a single hint of anger as she spoke.

"You're a fool," she said. "You're a spineless old man who's nothing but a coward."

Kaino's face tightened. "What did you—"

"You call yourself bright when you're in fact the dimst in this council. You're stupid, impulsive, and an insufferable fool. I'm surprised you betrayed the Resistance, given your evident lack of spine."

Kaino clenched his fist in anger, but she went on.

"You speak of my incompetence, yet you run like a frightened child when I co for you. People like you sha the Middle Planes."

"Stop—" Kaino flared.

"A millennia old man who runs from a woman," she said coldly. "I've seen nothing more pathetic in my lifeti. You disgust . Your entire generation will avoid your na. When you die, history will burn your existence just to escape your sha. You stain this world."

"Stop, you—!"

"Kaino, wait—" one of the council mbers tried to hold him, but he shrugged off his grip and stepped forward, eyes blazing.

"You think you can run your mouth however you like, you stupid cunt?! I am Kaino! I have the brightest light! I deserve to lead!"

"The only thing you deserve to lead is yourself," she said, "though unsurprisingly, you failed at even that."

That tore it.

Kaino detonated in a pillar of blinding radiance. He growled.

"I challenge you to a death match!"

"I accept." Anorah's reply was imdiate.

'Damn.' A wide smile appeared on Atticus's face. The current situation took even him by surprise. To think Anorah would bait him into issuing a challenge.

'She's insane.' He thought, 'Whisker would be proud.' No Arbiter appeared this ti to arbitrate the battle. As soon as Anorah accepted, a pillar of glow fell from the sky and engulfed them both, taking them to the arena of gods.

What occurred next was what everyone present had very well expected.

As the light ignited once more, Anorah erged unscathed. She landed gently on the earth, eyes fixed on the other council mbers who struggled to keep their panic at bay.

They searched, but Kaino was nowhere to be found.