Gemini and the others reappeared in a huge cavern, which was filled with people. In turn, these people had split themselves up into three groups. The ones on both the left and the right were feints, while the one that would make a direct charge at the Cradle of Creation was the middle and the largest group.
The Abyss Sovereign would probably never expect their main force to be the one brazenly knocking on his door, which was why everyone had enthusiastically agreed to this distribution.
“Everyone here?” Hereward asked, his voice echoing throughout the underground chamber.
“My queen, her courtiers and I are already ready and waiting. We can depart any time.”
“The strongest of the East are more than ready to fight.”
“We’re going to run it down, ladies and gentle—ouch! Why did you hit me, Sofia?”
Everyone chuckled at the henpecked Pinnacle, with even the other great gods smiling. It would seem that even on such a serious occasion, there was still space for other emotions like levity. Gemini glanced around and took in everyone’s face, before nodding to himself.
They had all found their own reasons to fight. Some of these reasons were weaker, while others were blazingly bright in his eyes, but at the very least, all these reasons had transcended the petty reasons of gain and loss to their nations.
For everyone present, this fight was now personal.
Hereward turned to Gemini and Thasvia. “Let’s make our clones for the other two groups now. Try to make them seem realistic, and remember to infuse your Divine Will in them too.”
The two of them nodded.
Recalling the sensation of creating a clone as a Constellation, Gemini infused part of his boundless will into the manifestation that had appeared. Both of these clones didn’t have the capacity for independent thought, but there was no need for these things to begin with.
Inputting a few basic instructions, Gemini took a step back.
“Done.”
“Same here,” Thasvia added.
Their clones immediately separated and joined up with the Paragons and the familiar spirits, one to either side, to make their diversion seem more realistic. At the same time, Gemini consciously restrained his presence and the energy surging within and around him, making it such that he looked no different from the other clones.
“Good.” Hereward swept his gaze around the venue. “Everyone, remember to cause as much damage as possible. Make it seem that you’re the real deal and draw as many enemies as possible towards both sides. The main body will depart thirty minutes after both diversions leave, so do your best to be a nuisance.”
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“Paragons are now nuisances! Hoo-rah!”
“Paragons are now nuisances!”
The two groups cheered madly, and Gemini had to stifle a smile. This was proof that anyone who had lived for long enough had to be partially insane, as evidenced by the lively Paragons. Or was it their way of hiding their nervousness?
He looked at them, and sighed. How many of them would make it past today? They were putting themselves at incredible risk, just to open up the path for the Demigods and the great gods.
For the diversionary groups, they had two objectives. The first was to open up a path in the middle by drawing away the spectres guarding the main force’s approach. With the help of just about every single familiar spirit they could must, these two forces would plunge deep into the sides of enemy territory and carve out a path to the Cradle of Creation for the first thirty minutes, at which point the Demigods and the great gods would charge out into the path opened through the spectres’ departure.
The second was to hamper and hinder the spectres’ attempt to retreat and support their buddies once the main force was discovered. After both objectives were met, they could do whatever they liked, since both flanking groups had no chance of making to the Cradle anymore.
“Heroes of Orb,” said Hereward, “I bid everyone a pleasant journey.”
“Don’t worry about us,” said Pinnacle Kolya, who was standing at the head of the group at the right. “Good luck to the six of you. We might have had our differences, Hyperion, but may you come back safe and sound. The same goes for you, Gaia.”
“This Queen orders you to return alive, Kolya. It would be boring to take over a world without you. And if you do return alive, and we’re all dead, I’ll have to trouble you to take care of the Holdings. The people there are nice and innocent; you can teach them your so-called ethics from Earth.”
“I’d prefer hosting an exchange session, Queen Hyperion.” The Pinnacle nodded. “Not going there as a conqueror or something.”
The two nodded at each other, before Kolya led his group away, the Oracle by his sight. Gemini didn’t know all of the Paragons present, but he could feel a firm will, mixed with hope, emanating off each of them.
The same went for the group on the left, who was headed by the Governess of the East. She was talking to Demigod Xie Baole, who would be charging headlong into the Cradle of Creation with the great gods and the two Demigods of the West, and at that sight, Gemini realised that he knew nothing much about either party.
As such, it was not his part to say anything, but he didn’t need to anyway. After a minute or two, Demigod Xie Baole shooed Paragon Ying Xin away, before returning to their little party.
“I’m so sorry. That little girl seems to think that this old sack of bones can’t make it. How inauspicious.” The old man took a deep breath. “Although I might really can’t make it. You younglings…”
Gemini glanced at Hereward and Thasvia, who had stupefied looks on their face, and then coughed. “Well, Demigod Xie, you could…stay at the back or something. You are getting on in age after all.”
“Thank you for your thoughts, but I am fine.” The old man turned to look at the two groups. “Let us burn the sights of these heroes into our memory instead.”
The six of them turned to watch as two holes in the ceiling opened up.
“Good luck, heroes,” Thasvia said. “The wind shall go with you.”
As a whispering breeze surrounded the two groups of Paragons and familiar spirits, Pinnacle Kolya turned to look at them, qi swirling around his lithe frame. “Bon voyage, the six of you.”
“Goodbye, gods and Demigods.”
“May you have a good journey.”
As more and more such sentences flittered in, Gemini couldn’t help but smile wryly. They should, at the very least, realise who was doing the sending-off, but…
“On my mark!” Paragon Ying Xin shouted. “Three, two…one…go!”
Gales shrieked, and the two groups shot outwards. The Central Circle shuddered a moment later, and a sea of spectres shot to the skies in response with a monstrous howl.
“Goodbye, people,” Gemini whispered. “Don’t die out there.”
He took a deep breath as the sound of explosions sundered the silence of the peaceful sunrise, but there was no point thinking much about it.
After all, their turn would come soon.