'He didn't say he was going to come.'
Atticus's gaze didn't shift as he stared at him. They had spoken for a long time that night, and yet, Whisker hadn't said a word about joining the battle.
But here he was.
'He's not smiling.'
The Whisker Atticus and everyone knew always smiled. He always carried that light-hearted, jovial air even in the worst moments.
But now, his mouth was pressed into a thin line. His presence radiated one thing, coldness.
"Ah, brother, finally." The Gardener smiled.
"I've been hoping for the day we reunited." He grinned wide.
"Did you miss me?"
He sounded like he was seeing a long-lost sibling.
But Whisker didn't respond. His crimson eyes stayed locked on the Gardener, the temperature plummeting by the second.
The Gardener chuckled.
"Ah, that look. You know, she had that same look in her eyes before she died."
He burst into laughter.
"Thought there was no way she'd lose! All proud and confident, thinking her 'will' was enough!"
He threw his head back.
"Haha! The joke was on her!"
"Solren." Whisker finally spoke, interrupting the laughter.
The Gardener's laughter froze.
But Whisker didn't stop. His crimson gaze narrowed as he continued.
"Has anyone ever told you… you talk too much?"
He tilted his head slightly.
"You did this. You did that. You're always yapping. What are you… some fucking woman?"
"It feels like you've been talking for an entire season."
He sighed, as though he was fed up.
"Do you plan on killing your enemies with boredom? Because damn, I sure want to kill myself right now."
'Hm. I approve this one…' Ozeroth's voice rang inside Atticus's head. If not for the seriousness of the moment, Atticus would've laughed out loud. Whisker really knew how to push people's buttons.
By now, the Gardener's eyes had turned ice cold.
His voice was low as he spoke.
"Do not call me that name again."
But Whisker suddenly turned back and locked eyes with Atticus.
"Leave him to me, my star actor."
Atticus met his eyes, immediately noting the seriousness in them. He nodded.
Seeing this, Whisker turned back and faced the Gardener, who had already begun to fume.
He tilted his head further, his expression blank.
"I hope you do something other than talking this time…"
A pause.
"Solren."
The instant Whisker uttered the name, the Gardener's gaze turned feral.
"I'll kill you," he growled.
Their killing intent exploded, crashing down on everyone present.
The air grew so heavy, so crushing, that many dropped to one knee, clutching their throats as they struggled to breathe.
Atticus's eyes widened. This wasn't just pressure, it was domination. Pure, suffocating will.
Whisker's crimson eyes locked with the Gardener's, and for a moment, time stopped.
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Each blow shattered the air, each clash sent shockwaves thundering outward.
Atticus's gaze flashed as his eyes narrowed into pinpricks. His will exploded from him before collapsing and enveloping everyone behind him.
The impact of the clash slammed into him, the sheer force of it shaking his entire will.
'It's powerful!'
Currently, Whisker and the Gardener had just collided with their wills. What they had both just manifested was a power that Atticus couldn't comprehend, so he didn't bother to. All he knew was that it was Will.
And only Will could fight Will. However, after all his advancement, Atticus would've never expected their will to be so overwhelmingly powerful compared to his!
'I'd lose.'
In that clash alone, the question that had been burning in Atticus's mind had been answered. Only their shockwave had rattled his will. If he had clashed with the Gardener directly, he would have lost.
"Atticus!"
Atticus sent a glance back to see Avalon and Magnus staring at him in worry. Only his will was currently fighting back against the shockwave of Whisker and the Gardener's clash. If not for Atticus, they would all be dead!
But before Atticus could even say anything, the Gardener's booming voice shook their ears.
"KILL THEM ALL!"
Atticus's eyes widened. His gaze shot toward the top of the sky, Elderish was rising from his bow.
Their eyes locked.
"I'm sorry," Elderish said.
Atticus's expression twisted violently as his grip on his blade tightened.
They both moved.
BOOOOM!
The moment they clashed, the air exploded. A shockwave boomed out like thunder cracking the heavens.
The force split the clouds above and tore through the land below.
The paragons were flung back like cracked dolls, crashing into the ground with bone-rattling speed. Warships shattered, blasted into fragments, flames swallowing their remains.
The domes that held the humans groaned before being sent hurtling through the sky, carrying the humans in them.
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