19 - Roundtable and Villains

Caitlyn raised her head, her face a mask of confusion.

Likewise, Lake, watching the scene unfold, was equally baffled.

Caitlyn was here?

But didn't the Ancient One say the one who came was a demigod? Since when did Caitlyn become a demigod?

Lake lowered his head, deep in thought.

Meanwhile, Michaela was utterly engrossed. If reality permitted, she'd have dashed out to grab a bucket of popcorn to fully savor this dramatic spectacle.

Caitlyn, with her sleek black hair, blinked, "Why are you all looking at me? If we're talking about an embodiment of justice, Akali's a much better fit. Justice guides us, and she's a god. I'm just a mortal—do you really think I'm the right choice?"

Akali, still suppressing the wild energy of her blade, shot Caitlyn an expressionless glance.

Kaisa, perched on her throne with one hand propping up her delicate chin, said, "Akali won't do."

"Clang!"

Akali released her ancestral blade, its form shimmering as it reassembled.

Kaisa, unfazed, turned to Caitlyn, "Do you think if Akali went, she'd bring Lake back? Five thousand years ago, who was it that wanted to run off with Lake?"

The women around the roundtable cast subtly strange looks at Akali.

Akali met their gazes without flinching, "My stance is unwavering."

The group: "..."

Katarina's Sinister Blade flickered with a murderous glint, "If you're planning to escape, now's your chance. Otherwise, you won't see my backstab coming."

Soraka gripped her staff, "You need me to guide your path."

Riven's rune broadsword glowed steadily, "Learn from the past to guide the future."

Akali raised an eyebrow at Riven, "My blade is precise and ruthless. Want a taste?"

Riven tilted her chin slightly, "Fighting someone like you? Even with a broken sword, I'd control the field, White Lotus."

A spark of anger flashed in Akali's eyes, but then she smirked, "Heh, you're not much better, Pink Bunny."

Riven slammed her rune broadsword down, ready to throw down.

Akali mirrored her move.

The air crackled with the tension of impending war.

"Lotus?"

"Bunny?"

Michaela, thoroughly absorbed in the scene, turned to Lake with a pleading look, "Please don't tell me those terms mean what I think they do."

Lake shrugged silently.

Ten thousand years was a long time. To keep the spark alive, you had to find ways to have fun.

Michaela felt her entire worldview crumbling as she watched the two noble goddesses gearing up for a fight. Imagining lotus and bunny motifs made her eyes burn...

Before meeting Lake, she'd pictured gods as lofty, elegant, and emotionally detached.

But since encountering him, well, her worldview had shattered and rebuilt itself long ago.

The situation atop the Angel Peak teetered on the edge of chaos.

Just then.

Holy Kaisa, seated on her throne, let out a soft cough and said coolly, "Enough. The Death Singer has already sent four agents to claim Lake's soul. We need to act fast."

As Kaisa's words fell, the roundtable meeting calmed in an instant, reverting to the serene scene from moments before.

Michaela stared at Holy Kaisa on her throne, "Is she your main wife?"

Lake, pondering Kaisa's mention of the Death Singer, replied absently, "Sort of. Kaisa doesn't smile much, so she's got a lot of authority."

Sent four agents?

Who?

Some defeated gods he'd once sent to the underworld?

Nasus?

Renekton?

Or...

Caitlyn still seemed puzzled, "But are you sure you can trust me to go? I'm not like Akali, but..."

Kaisa cut her off, "Akali's ancestral blade can sever my data streams, but you can't be cut off. Once you're transported there and find Lake, if he's willing to come back, great. If not, my Angel Throne will set out immediately."

"I'm a mortal, you know."

"But you have the star Lake granted you. It's time you stepped onto the path of godhood."

Leona smiled at Caitlyn, "If the three of us went, it might stir unnecessary suspicion in that universe. If you go as a mortal, you might face danger. But as a demigod? That universe would think twice—it'd weigh the risks of attacking you. So, we need a plan."

With that.

Leona waved her hand.

From the distant depths, the blazing Sun Star, which fueled her endless divine power, flared brightly. In an instant, a beam of golden light shot forth.

Clang!

The women around the roundtable turned to see a futuristic spear and a set of armor with angular shoulder guards now lying on the table.

Caitlyn blinked at Leona.

Leona smiled, "The Armor of Order and the Spear of Law. Equip them, and even an upper-tier god from that universe couldn't destroy you instantly. If that universe is foolish enough to try, we'll show up and let them feel the Sun's glory. Plus, with this gear, you won't get lost in the spacetime corridor—it'll use Soraka's [Starry Necklace], given to Lake, to lock onto his exact location and send you there."

Caitlyn opened her mouth, "Can I say no?"

Leona's smile widened, "What do you think?"

Caitlyn glanced at the other goddesses and warriors around the table. All she saw were smiling faces. She looked down at her sniper rifle, then at the sci-fi spear on the table, and after a moment of silence, said, "You're picking on the soft target here. Clearly, I'm the easy one."

Kaisa spoke from her throne, "Enough. Lake may not be here now, but he promised you a star, and the stars remember that promise. Tomorrow, I'll send you to that star to claim it and step onto the path of godhood. After that, with our mandate, bring Lake back. Running off once was enough—does he think it's a habit now?"

The women nodded in unison.

The next second.

Kaisa's gaze snapped up, her cold eyes locking onto Lake and Michaela. The latter flinched in surprise.

Kaisa's face remained impassive, "Lake, I know you'll receive this message. The Death Singer's agents are already there. I can sense you've lost your connection to the stars—your divine power is gone. You can't stop the Death Singer's agents. Find Caitlyn, and let us, your wives, help you."

Her words fell.

With a sharp crack, the cosmos, stars, Heavenly Blade, angels, holiness, and roundtable vanished, replaced once more by the modern interior of the house.

Lake lowered his head in silence.

Michaela, curious, asked, "So, you need to find this Caitlyn?"

Lake snapped back to reality and looked at Michaela.