LOCATION: Institute of War
COMBATANDS: The Void, Defenders of Valoran
CASUALTIES: Major for both sides
OPERATION: Hour of Twilight
DAY/MONTH/YEAR: 11 September, 32 CLE
This was it. The final battle for Runeterra was finally in motion. Forces from the Void were arriving through portals scattered in the entire continent. The defenders of the once great Valoran were doing their best against these vicious, alien invaders. Many fell from both sides, but the Voidborn seemed endless. There was no stop to their twisted advance… Champions from the League were fighting aside mere soldiers. Everyone was aiding in the defence of Runeterra. Yet it wasn't enough. Many had already fallen. Now the remaining armies and Champions are making their last stand within the Institute of War, where the Nexi used by the summoners were amplifying the Champions' capabilities. This was the most suited battlefield for Valoran's last stand, the pinnacle of Runeterran (and not only) strength. Less than half of the Champions were still alive. The few that remained had to defend the Instutute from all four sides. On the west side, Darius and Garen were standing side to side, the great generals of Noxus and Demacia putting aside their differences for the ultimate goal: survival. They were slicing Voidborn after Voidborn, standing their ground against all odds with the help of the Summoners and the Star Child to heal them. Champions like Caitlyn had taken cover within the towers of the Institute from where they could assist their melee allies. Xerath had taken position on top of the Institute of War itself, draining power from its very foundations, making his already deadly spells pure destruction for those unlucky enough to be hit by them. The Ascendant was acting as some sort of artillery decimating anyone getting in range, being the most valuable member of Valoran's defense at the moment. Anivia and Corki were bombarding the Void's ranks with frozen storms and Hexplosives, halting the Voidborns' advance. Teemo, Ziggs and some other Yordles had managed to turn the area around the Institute of War into a huge minefield of death, buying time for the forces of Valoran to prepare from any new incoming assaults. As far as the eye could see, it was an all out war.
LOCATION: North side of the IoW
COMBATANDS: The Void, Defenders of Valoran
CASUALTIES: The Void: 58, Defenders of Valoran: 1482 and rising
OPERATION: Ice the Frostguard
TIME: 13:30
Armies from the Freljord were delaying the Voidborn on the north side. Their frost spells and sharp blades bought time to Runeterra. The wards that were established earlier allowed communication through the four side as well as between the commanders/Champions who were fighting. Tryndamere was at the frontline slashing enemy after enemy with his fellow barbarians covering him.
"Now this is a slaughter!" he said, happy to fight once again.
"This battle will be my masterpiece" he heard a voice, HIS voice….
"AATROX!" he yelled. The very voice of the creature drove him into a frenzy.
"Tryndamere, my greatest creation" answered the Darkin calm as ever.
"Now we settle the score you coward" he yelled as he spinned to lock his blade with his nemesis.
"Still so naïve, still so blind… WITNESS TRUTH!" responded Aatrox welcoming the challenge.
Just a few meters further, Sejuani had engaged Hecarim in a 1v1 duel. The power of the spectral centaur combined with Bristle's savage attacks and swings had created a circle of dead bodies around the two Commanders.
"Your tenacity is admirable Winter's Wrath, but pointless. You won't live to see your world destroyed."
"You don't scare me you monster, wolves in the Freljord are more of a challenge than you are."
A crippling laugh echoed from the Shadow of War, freezing the spine of anyone in range to hear it. He spun his spear around, decimating the few foolish enough to rush to Sejuani's side. Sejuani responded by charging towards Hecarim. The mighty specter didn't move back an inch. Instead he crossed his weapon with the Winter's Wrath flair. Victory for Hecarim was sure. The flair wasn't designed for such clashes and its wielder's strength came more from the boar that the woman herself. In such a clash, the boar could do nothing as it was trembled down by the Shadow of War. The flair broke, releasing both combatands from their lock. Sejuani used the sharp edge of that remained from its handle as a sword to impale the centaur.
"Witless girl, I am beyond death!" he whispered sadisticly.
Suddenly Hecarim backed off, and then he charged forward joined by spectral riders with immense speed, knocking Sejuani off Bristle. Now the Freljordian princess looked very small in front of the centaur. Cold blooded as ever, Hecarim didn't hesitate to impale the woman in front of him with his massive spear, causing her to leave an ear breaking scream of pain before dying.
"I will make sure the Chain Warden spends some time with you after we are done here… You cost me a lot of time today woman. Ride out!" He yelled to the Voidborn around him, resuming the onslaught of the remaining defenders of Valoran in the area.
LOCATION: East side of the IoW,
COMBATANDS: Voidborn, Defenders of Valoran
CASUALTIES: Major for both sides
OPERATION: The greatest hunter between the two
TIME: 13:30
"INCOMING INCOMING!" yelled a soldier trying to protect his fellows from Kog'Maw's Living Artillery.
The man was pretty much gone the moment the ball of chemical destruction touched him, but he bought enough time for his squad to back off, only to be jumped by Kha'Zix. The Voidreaver made quick work of them, growing stronger with every kill.
"You are barely worth eating…" he taunted the soldiers that surrounded him.
"I see you wretched creature…." He heard a voice behind him. He managed to turn around just in time to deflect Rengar's blade.
"You will make a fine addition to my wall"
"Your pitiful den will be destroyed by the end of this day lion, I will see to it personally"
"Let's be about it!" yelled Rengar.
"He is mine… Press the assault" said the Voidreaver to Kog'Maw and the rest of the Voidbord following him.
The aliens didn't go far as a well aimed Trueshot Barrage followed by a destructive Arcane Barrage decimated everyone around Rengar and Kha'Zix.
"None will help you now beast, we finish this here and now!"
"If you so much wish to aid me in my evolution, THEN SO BE IT!" roared Kha'Zix as he leapt into the fray.
LOCATION: West side of the IoW
COMBATANDS: Voidborn, Defenders of Valoran, the Dream Realm
CASUALTIES: Voidborn: 3548, Defenders of Valoran: 1693, the Dream Realm: 0
OPERATION: No Loose Ends
TIME: 14:15
"DEMACIA!" A huge circular arena appeared, locking Jarvan IV and a dozen of lesser Voidborn monsters within it. The Prince had no problem handling them and quickly allowed the arena to collapse moments later, allowing him to continue the assault on the alien ranks. With Shyvana transformed into a dragon right next to him and many Dauntless Vanguards to assist them, this side was an easy battle for Runeterra… until the skies turned dark and started to rain shadow spikes of death on the forces of Valoran. The land was suffocated of all heat. Everything turned dark and cold… The crippling chill of death.
Any Champion who had fought in the League was "trained" for this situation. It wasn't called Paranoia for nothing.
"Stand together! If you separate yourselves you are dead!" the Champions kept yelling to the soldiers around them.
*BOOM*
Another huge Duskbringer landed right next to them. Despite their best efforts, several soldiers had broken from the main group lost in their own fear. It was then that the screaming, the sounds of flesh being torn away by metal or raw force, and the sinister chuckle began.
"You are in my domain Jarvan… I am free now, I can claim your life and you won't even feel it…"
In a moment of despair, the Prince of Demacia looked around him only to see Shyvana and all his soldiers slaughtered, creating a pool of blood and dismembered flesh around him. Nocturne was at the edge of it, less than 20 meters away from Jarvan. He was looking actually relaxed, peaceful if that could be said for such a creature. But Jarvan and everyone else, who had encountered him, knew that this was a very, very bad sign for the fate of the specter's enemies.
"Why don't you try to then you monster!" he yelled in anger, one hand preparing his lance, the other reaching for a Demacian Standard on his back.
"Oh I will don't worry. After all, I plan on leaving no loose ends by the time I am done with this pitiful world… I still have to find the Dreamer so I can be truly indestructible…. But I want to have some fun with you first… You see, all these times that I was humiliated within your pitiful League of Legends… The times I was as weak as I could be… the times that you were laughing so arrogantly while doing your… hmm what did they call it? Ultimate?" Another sinister chuckle followed him words.
"Isn't Karma a bitch? I guess she is, that's why I butchered her first." Suddenly his expression hardened, returning the few facial characteristics that the ghost had to their usual cruel and evil form. His blades lashed out of their sheaths the next second.
"This time, there will be no allies to save you, no summoners to bring you back, no hope of getting away. You are mine! You are… ALL ALONE!" and with that Jarvan's vision blurred and eventually blacked out.
LOCATION: South side of the IoW
COMBATANDS: The Void, Defenders of Valoran
CASUALTIES: The Void: 5463, Defenders of Valoran: 8986
OPERATION: Better off Dread
TIME: 14:31
The strange darkness that had taken over the skies had discouraged the forces of Valoran. The Sun couldn't be seen even during the afternoon, they had nothing to guide them, not even the Moon. No light could bypass this dark maelstrom. Some were affected even more by it. Leona, the best warrior the Solari had to offer, the Avatar of the Sun, felt weaker and weaker from the disappearance of her ever vigilant fountain of power. She knew that the fight would be tough. But she thought that during the day it would be easier for her thanks to the Sun's guidance. She was right. However, that so needed advantage lasted only a few hours. Soon the Nightmare's presence wouldn't be needed. In a matter of hours the Sun would naturally stop aiding her. She hoped Diana was doing better than her. In this hour of need most grudges would perish. The Radiant Dawn could feel her body abandoning her. Now was not the time for weakness… She had to endure, for this world's Sun to rise again. With all the courage she could master she ordered her forces: "ONWARD!"
"Hang in there Leona we are nearly there" he heard Garen's voice through the ward attached to her ear. She had to endure…. She had to do something…. That was it! If she could fire her Solar Flare, she could only hope that Xerath would respond with deadly force against the cursed aliens.
"Yaaaaaa!" she yelled, draining her last amount of mana left. But it wasn't in vain. She could see the golden rays piercing through the dark sky, through Paranoia. That should send some kind of singal back to the institute.
"There! FIRE! FIRE!" she heard through the ward.
"Focus all our magic on the south side" the voice of the Summoner in charge of the Artillery Defense.
"Magic? I will show you real magic" And there they were. A huge wave of Fireballs, frostballs, arcane missiles and other magic projectiles filled the dark sky, but the Ascendant's super charged spells were standing from the rest like jewellery among empty cans. She couldn't believe how grateful she felt to see those Arcanopulses passing inches from her body, finding their targets with horrific accuracy.
"Press the assault without pause!" she heard Pantheon's voice right next to her."Get back in range of the healers Leona we will hold out here"
"You can't hold them alone Pantheon, don't be stupid…."
"Who told you I am alone?" a devilish smirk forming under his helmet.
About 20 elite foot soldiers from Mt. Targon dropped out of nowhere right next to him.
"SPARTANS! WHAT IS YOUR PROFESSION?"
"HAU HAU HAU!" came the reply, full of bloodlust.
"Uh… the tangled webs we weave…" Without the Sun to give them true vision upon this new adversary, the soldiers from could only see a huge shadow with a set of sinister, otherworldly glowing green eyes looming over them. Cho'Gath began towering above the Artisan of War and his comrades.
"So, I roam this battlefield since the battle started to find only corpses… Not even one alive insect for the Terror of the Void. Such disrespect from my allies. I will make sure to write it down in the complains list as soon as I leave this… Restaurant. Hehehe."
"The only thing you will taste here is your blood, monster"
"We will see about that soon enough" said Cho'Gath slamming his foot on the ground.
-LOCATION: Inner Sanctum of the IoW
COMBATANDS: None
CASUALTIES: None
OPERATION: -
TIME: 15:00
"Sir Sir, you must hear me out, PLEASE!"
"Damien, calm yourself child… What happened?"
"Lord Swain, our north side has collapsed sir… Hecarim has defeated the Freljordian princess defending the passage and is now engaging on our first blockade. Tryndamere is fighting the Darkin Blade even as we speak. Nocturne single handedly destroyed our West Side, our South Side is rapidly retreating with Cho'Gath and other lesser Voidborn chasing them. Our East Side is still holding out but we called them to back off. No point to keep fighting when the other three sides are overwhelmed, they would just get surrounded. Instead we called them back here to make our last stand. Xerath is occupied fighting Malzahar, he can't aid us right now."
"What now Grand General? We can't just let it be…With the speed that Centaur possesses he will be at the main Doors any time now… We must send reinforce…"
"There are no reinforcements Captain… All of our men and women, damn me, even children are already fighting… If he comes here then we will fight as all of our allies fought for so long…." Said Swain, trying to make both the captain and himself accept the cold blooded reality that was coming towards them.
Through the wards they had established before the battle came to the Institute of War, he could see that only some small packs of defenders were left. The Voidborn were rushing towards the Command Chamber. The Hour of Twilight had come…
*GRANG* ….. *GRANG*…. *GRANG*….
The gate fell, revealing none other than Hecarim, followed by a small group of Elite, fully fed Leviathans. In a matter of seconds Nocturne appeared right next to him. His blades were full of blood and small pieces of flesh. His face had dissolved into a sated "smile".
"What did I miss?" he asked the Centaur who was staring at his ally's sudden arrival.
"We are just getting started."
Good… Let's not wait any longer then" he said. This time, Nightmarish chains appeared from his hands. The screams of those tortured by the cursed metal echoed through the room.
"This one is mine. The Chronokeeper is doing some sort of ritual on the Upper Tower. I don't know what it is but we shouldn't take our chances. That old fool has a lot of power on his hands. It is only fitting that the Chronokeeper will fail against the Eternal Nightmare"
"I will be his undoing." Whispered the ghost, departing for the Upper Tower.
"No magic will save you now Tactician, no strategy will keep your flesh away from my blade" roared the Centaur and brought down his large weapon to finish off the Grand General of Noxus.
In the few minutes it took Nocturne to reach the Upper Tower, he couldn't help but laugh at the titles that this execution would earn him. He was already called the Eternal. Now he would confirm it. The Indestructible, Indominatable , Inevitable. Always present, the first and the last. Free of the Dreamer finally. It was time to claim what was rightfully his. He met a couple of pitiful defensive spells to prevent the entrance of lesser Voidborn within the Upper Tower. It took him only a matter of seconds to break through them and begin his ascension to find the Chronokeeper. From there he could see the destruction the assault had caused. Nothing but Scorched Earth around him, consumed by a dark sky he had personally created. Yes, a fitting end to this annoying world. The time for daydreaming was over. His objective stood before him. He silently opened the door and entered the small room. The Chronokeeper was standing with his back turned towards him, mere inches from his Blades and Horrors.
"Hello Nocturne." He said calmly, his back still turned to the Nightmare. He was focused on his ritual even under his presence. That assured Nocturne of the importance of the spell. Who would be foolish enough to leave himself exposed to him for no reason?
"How did you know it is me?"
"Everyone knows your ambitions that have to do with me, your belief that I am chaining you down. You seek to destroy everything, but this will only turn against you in the end. It's funny isn't it?"
"I don't think I understand…"
"I thought you were smart enough to not join the Voidborn in their assault."
"You waste my time old fool… Why shouldn't I? I won my freedom thanks to them. I am about to complete my revenge."
"And then what? The world you have been imprisoned in is a big nothing. The Voidborn will leave as soon as they are done with us. You will be all by yourself in this empty place, nothing to kill, nothing to terrorize, nothing to befriend. Maybe they will try to kill you as well or even invade your home. The Dream Realm."
"Have you lost it old man? You are my last connection with the Dreamer. If you are gone then I will become a God. An ascension that even Xerath never dreamt of. Malzahar, the pinnacle of Void power, will be a mere insect when he will stand next to me."
" Even now you don't understand… I suppose you leave me no choise… Uhz'Nihaz eiz navalon…" a small gold orb started shining between his crossed hands.
" Yes… Yes… Pray old man. For only gods will have a chance to challenge me after today." He said as his blade extended heading directly towards Zilean's throat.
" Nor'Drazil nesh vele …. He must understand before it's too late…" With the death of its master, the orb left Zilean's decapitated body and fled out of the window.
Nocturne started chasing it… His own madness beginning to kick in. Someone or something deep inside him told him that if this orb made it out of this realm, this time line would be undone. No godlike powers, no title, nothing. Back to the cage within the Institute of War. No matter how fast he chased it through the dark skies, no matter how many Duskbringers were passing right through it, the orb wouldn't stop following its invisible path. Even when Nocturne tried to reach it with the speed of Paranoia's charge, the orb seemed to be toying with him. A blue portal opened about 5 miles ahead of them.
"NO! NO! NO!" he yelled in frustration. There was nothing he could do to stop that cursed thing from reaching its destination.
'Chain it down!' he heard the voice in his head. It was to no avail. The once unbreakable Unspeakable Horror was broken like a small flange pushed to its limits.
"Time is nobody's ally" What was this? Was he getting mad?
"CURSE YOU OLD MAN. PRAY WE NEVER MEET AGAIN!" he roared to none in particular.
It was done. The small orb made it through the portal and they both disappeared in an instant. Nocturne remained silent, floating, boiling in his own rage. Someone had to die…. NOW! He had to calm down somehow. Killing never failed him….