Here it is, the epic spar between James and Irelia with Syndra showing up later! Hopefully you'll enjoy it! Yay or nay?
Also I want to point out that this story isn't exactly lore friendly. A reviewer saying that Irelia was twelve at the time caught my attention, but I've been writing it as non-canon so far so I'm sorry if that disappoints you! :[
Thanks again for The Dark Arrow being the beta reader for this story! I'm far from done with it ;D
James didn't have any time to react when Irelia lifted him off the floor against the wall, a single hand on his neck and squeezing harshly. His hands instinctively went to her arm, trying to pull it off in a futile manner. Her blades floated behind her menacingly as she scowled.
"What are you doing here Noxian? Has your brilliant Grand General been so distraught over losing his hand that he wants you to lose one too?" Irelia hissed.
"Irelia! Do not jump to such conclusions so quickly! Let us talk with him in a calm manner!" Karma said.
"Your peace leads to nothing but extermination Karma!" Irelia shot back. "Ionia is under attack by people like him!"
"Maybe you should listen to-!" James wheezed.
Irelia slammed James's head against the wall making him dazed. "You'll speak when I say you can Noxian scum!" She took a deep breath. "A few miles from here, there's remains of a great forest and numerous bodies, one of them an elder with his heart torn out. We picked up traces of magic in the area that matched a presence on your suit."
James gulped at this. He remembered what Elise said upstairs about her magic being tracked. These two must've been the ones.
"What were you doing there?" Irelia said, her voice still as aggressive as before. James didn't answer. The woman sent a blade into his gloved hand, carving through it. The man screamed in pain. "ANSWER THE QUESTION!"
"Irelia stop this!" Karma said. "The Spirit would not approve of this!"
The Blade Dancer briefly looked away from James, glaring deathly at Karma. "You claim to speak for the spirit... As if it doesn't move my blades."
This was the worst time to let her guard down. Irelia felt a fist get lodged into her jaw and was sent tumbling to the ground, meeting the dust of the floor. She bit her lip upon being hit and spat out some blood. James was taking deep, broken breaths as he regained his senses. Irelia glared at him.
"Invader!"
James was able to avoid the blades that flew at him. The treatment and actions Irelia was giving him combined with the news of Jade being murdered by Culda made him compelled to show this woman her place. James quickly charged Irelia and tackled her. The force sent them both crashing through a window and onto the tiled roof. Karma ran to the broken window, looking out with horror at the two figures.
"Irelia! You don't have to do this!" She said.
"Stay out of this Karma!" Irelia shouted. "This is between me and him!"
Irelia's further words were cut short when James clubbed her to the ground.
"Get up! Fight!" He yelled.
The response was a punch to his stomach. James felt himself get lifted up and Irelia back slammed him on the surface. She rolled off him, sending a heavy blow to his face and did it again with her knee. Karma let out a frustrated cry and went down the stairs, soon sprinting out of the building.
"It's not every day I find a worthy dance partner in these lands! I'm going to take my time with you Noxian… and I'm going to savor every moment of it!"
Irelia heaved him to his feet and directed two of her blades to embed themselves into his back shoulders. Instead of yelling in pain, James growled and sent a blow to Irelia's face. She only flinched, smirking at him smugly. James sent two more blows which knocked her down.
The Blade Dancer stood up and saw James perform a roundhouse kick against her. She effortlessly blocked it, his boot in her hand.
"Careful, I hit back!" She spouted.
Irelia swung around and threw James with such force he landed on another tiled roof, sliding across the rough surface. She walked to the edge, looking down at him with contempt.
"These rooftops will be your graveyard!"
James spat out some blood before getting back up with a groan. Looking at the blades impaled in his shoulders, the man yanked one out quickly to lessen the pain. He threw the blade at Irelia who didn't move a muscle as it stopped a few inches in front of her temple.
"You rely on weapons too much." She said before recalling the other blade in James's shoulder back to her. "Try letting go!"
The Blade Dancer directed two blades between James who barely had time to figure out what she was doing. He reeled back, but a flow of crimson flew through the air as he grasped his chest that had a thin slash across. The woman jumped onto the roof and dashed past him, slashing the left side of his torso. James yelled in pain and felt his right get the same treatment.
The Ionian slashed faster than James could react, and he could only gasp when his legs felt the same pain. On his knees, James looked up at Irelia who continued to stare him down condescendingly. He couldn't move in time when she sent two blades at him. The first hit his left shoulder making his body lurch to the point of impact with the second striking his right shoulder. James was knocked on his back, Irelia pacing towards him. She picked him up by the collar and thrusted a punch which resulted in James losing a tooth.
"No different from the rest of your people. You rely on brute strength to win your battles. For a General such as yours, he certainly picks uneven fights."
"Says the one who uses flying blades to fight her battles." James spat out in a wheezed voice.
Irelia growled and punched James's stomach again. She lifted him over her head and threw him into a solid wall with a loud crash.
"How does it feel Noxian? How does it feel being powerless in a fight you're not sure you can win? The feeling of watching your whole world slowly slip away with each strike?" Irelia said with malice in her voice. "That's what your people are doing to Ionia."
She lifted him up by the throat. "Killing you won't bring back those who have fallen in battle against your people, but it will feel good."
The woman didn't expect James to head-butt her and the man put such force into it that she dropped him and stumbled back dazed. James clenched his fist. The Commander delivered a punch to her cheek, an uppercut to her chin, then grabbed her head and sent two heavy blows at her face breaking Irelia's nose with a crack.
James watched Irelia chuckle as she paced backwards. Her bloody nose made the woman look fearful. "That's it? I expected more from a Noxian, particularly one with armor such as yours. Are you getting tired?"
James cracked his neck. The Commander was full of adrenaline now. Irelia was taken aback when he charged her with surprising speed. She sent the blades at him and the man took less maneuvers to avoid them resulting in more cuts on his armor. The two of them fell again with James on top, but Irelia used her strength to lift him over her and fall flat on his back.
He swiftly got back up and pushed aside Irelia's fist with his right hand and used his left to hit her. The woman stumbled back and used her elbows to block James's next punch. The man sent a right hook to her abdomen which make her defensive stance break and James hit her again. Attempting another punch, Irelia reacted to this and side stepped, grabbing his arm afterwards. She sent a blow to his face and then his stomach. Bringing both her hands together, Irelia let out a yell as she clubbed James's chin and knocked him down again.
"Do you believe this fight is anything but your death sentence?!" Irelia snapped.
James spat out some more blood and chuckled in a sinister tone. The Blade Dancer paced to him with a tense glare, picking him up by the collar yet again.
"What's so funny Noxian?"
"Your words are truly ironic." James said. "This fight may be my death knell, but this invasion of Ionia will be the end of you… and all your people."
He was thrown down again, Irelia putting her foot on his chest and pressing roughly. "Ionia will not fall. We will prevail against your Empire! We have the strength to do so!"
"Strength? How priceless!" He said mockingly. "When strength fails… you Ionians turn to your magic to fight your battles for you. Even now, you've only managed to subdue me mostly because of your floating blades!"
Irelia's temper flared.
"Seems like you don't have the stomach for it! Fight me without the use of your magic, unless you know that I'm too strong for you to handle!" He shouted.
As badly as Irelia wanted to kill James right there, his words were already implemented into her mind. She was a strategic Captain in the Ionian military, a dancer of blades. She'd won many battles with the use of her blades, but now there was this one Noxian who managed to survive against her longer than anyone else. Irelia would rather die than even show a slight sliver of fear against an enemy she despised.
"Alright Noxian." She said getting off him. James was surprised at this. He watched dozens of blades float around Irelia and fan out in three sets all along the roof. The blades embedded themselves into the tiles, creating a small arena with the buildings wall acting as the fourth barrier. Irelia clenched her fists and did a combat ready stance. James rose a brow when she taunted him with her now flat palm. "Let's dance."
James's fist clenched, and he charged Irelia. They both met in the middle and the woman dropped to the ground in an attempt to slide into James's legs. He was quick enough to nose dive over her and land on the opposite side. Irelia attempted to sweep him off his feet with a low kick which James also dodged. The Blade Dancer sent two kicks at him which he blocked and then tried punching. James did the same, but both fighters were neck in neck as they fought.
Finally, she gained an advantage and began to send swift, but weak hits to both his midsection and head. James, since he was full of adrenaline and was trained in the Crimson Elite, felt nothing, but a mere tickle and he chuckled at this.
"Is that supposed to hurt? No wonder your people can't hold off Noxus!" He sneered.
The Blade Dancer growled loudly. "Ionia will always stand!"
Despite this, Irelia knew that she couldn't tire out James. He'd survived her blades and showed no exhaustion. She gave up with the weaker strikes, instead grabbing James's arm with both hands and yanking him forward where she head-butted him. He stumbled back disorientated and Irelia attempted a right hook to his torso, but James blocked it and kneed her in the chin. The Blade Dancer was knocked back into one of the blade walls, but she easily shrugged it off. She lunged at James, pushing him back with such force his feet briefly left the tiled ground and crashed into the wall. Irelia jumped at him with James barely avoiding it. His height advantage over the woman allowed him to stomp on her back which caused her to arch upward and then kicked her in the face.
"Come on! Test me! TEST ME!" James demanded.
He tried to kick her again, but Irelia moved and grabbed one of his legs. Using her leverage, the woman threw them both forward with her landing on top of James who took the brunt of the impact. She cracked her right knuckle before sending a right hook into his cheek. Blood spurted from the punch and the latter groaned in pain.
"I'll dance on your grave." She said before sending another blow.
She attempted a third blow, but James blocked it with his arm. The man clenched his hands and hit Irelia's forehead simultaneously causing her reel upward, but not getting off him. James grabbed her armor and delivered a harsh strike to her face. This time Irelia was knocked off and fell back. Both met in the middle with James trying to punch her again. Irelia blocked it and hit his torso which knocked him back. Choosing a different move, James feinted with his right hand with Irelia moving to block it and then uppercut with his left.
"Is this… what passes for combat in Ionia!?" He roared.
Grabbing the dazed woman, James put her in a headlock and continuously slammed her into the bladed walls five times before she regained her strength and threw him off. James collided with the solid wall again and put his foot out to halt Irelia. She grabbed it and threw him at the bladed wall. James's armor protected him from the blades, but a few points still penetrated the back and left light cuts. He swung at Irelia with her ducking down to avoid and then sent an uppercut into his chin. The Blade Dancer began to send more quick blows at James who blocked them with his elbows. After more hits he tried to put her in a headlock again, but Irelia lifted him up and pressed him against the wall again. James winced at the feeling of the blades slowly cutting his back and he put his hand over Irelia's mouth in an attempt to suffocate her. The woman glared at him and pressed harder with the man's back sinking deeper into the walls.
"Ionian bitch!" He said with clenched teeth.
James sent a blow to her neck and then used his leverage to grab onto the bladed wall. He kicked Irelia off him and then tried to dive, but she rolled out of the way and picked him up harshly. The Blade Dancer smirked this time and punched James's lower right where his kidneys would be. His adrenaline was slowly wearing off and he clutched the point of impact. Irelia extended his right arm and took a blade from the wall. James had half a second to see what she was doing. The woman wrenched James forward and then uppercut the blade into his armored chest. James let out a scream that was bloodcurdling and full of agony.
…
Elise stretched in a leisurely fashion before getting back with a few snaps of her bones. She'd used her magic to heal the wounds James gave her and smiled blissfully. Her attention was drawn towards the unconscious Riven laying on the remnants of the wooden cubicles. She only raised a brow at this and left the room as she didn't care for the friend of the man who almost ripped off her spider leg. Elise walked down the hall, soon hearing a faint cry from another room. This caught The Spider Queen's attention and she advanced towards it.
For once Elise blinked in disbelief. Evelynn, The Agony's Embrace, was curled up against the wall in a fetal position with her face buried in her arms. The Spider Queen immediately knew it had something to do with James and she sighed as she walked to the upset succubus. Elise sat down beside Evelynn and the blue woman immediately brought up her head and rested it on Elise's arm. The Spider Queen didn't make any objection when she felt Evelynn's hands wrap around it as well. They didn't say anything.
"So, what happened?" Elise asked in an exasperated tone.
"He kissed me."
Elise opened her mouth to spout but couldn't do it. She sighed. "And?"
"He regretted it. He didn't return anything but anger and shame." Evelynn whimpered.
Taking a deep breath, Elise removed the arm Evelynn was resting on and brought it around to her shoulders, pulling her closer for an embrace. Wasn't often that she was in this situation, normally the only time Elise was embracing Evelynn was when they were having rough sex. This gave the woman an idea.
"Come on." She said with a suggestive smile.
Evelynn met the red hues of Elise and raised a brow when feeling the woman grab one of her breasts, squeezing none-too-lightly. Normally this would make Evelynn aroused, but not this time. The Agony's Embrace pushed away The Spider Queen's hand making Elise tilt her head in confusion.
"What the hell was that?"
Elise laughed at the silly question. "It's what always gets you going right? Doesn't it make you aroused?" She stopped when realizing Evelynn was scowling at her.
Back in the destroyed room Riven finally regained consciousness. She put her hand on her head as she sat up. Hair disheveled with a headache, The Exile groaned when standing up fully. Then she remembered what she was doing before being knocked out.
"James." She whispered concerned.
The girl walked out to the hallway, calling out her friend's name. She got no response.
"What kind of a woman do you take me for?! I'm in a state of despair and you want me to fuck you?!" A voice snapped.
"I take you for a demoness who's letting mortal emotions cloud her judgement!" Another voice shot back. "Look at yourself Evelynn! You're in despair over a mortal being!"
Riven didn't recognize the second, but she got the first. That succubus who knocked her out and abducted James. Holding her blade with a glare, Riven paced to the room.
"You wanna know why I'm in despair over him?! Do you?!" Evelynn snapped.
"Yes! Yes, I do!" Elise shot back.
Evelynn's throat swelled up. She didn't believe it was ever possible. She took a deep breath, loosening up her throat again.
"Because I love him!"
Riven stopped in the doorway at the sound of this. A few words that she wished she hadn't heard. Elise and Evelynn took notice of her but didn't make any acknowledgement. The Spider Queen looked away from Evelynn, almost like she was ashamed of her. The three women said nothing.
"Do you now?" She asked coldly.
The Agony's Embrace's hands clenched into fists to try and remain strong, but her voice was trembling. "Yes."
Elise only huffed at this and said nothing else as she walked out of the room, not even bothering to look at Riven who had her shoulders slumped. The Spider Queen snapped her fingers, teleporting out of the building and presumably back to the mansion. Evelynn was biting her claws as she leaned against the wall, sliding back down. While being aware of Riven glaring at her, Evelynn didn't say anything, much less, look at her.
The Exile thought about the words Evelynn said. Soon a laugh was heard. The Agony's Embrace immediately glared at Riven.
"That's hysterical. Losing your composure because a man doesn't love a succubus like you back?" Riven sneered.
Standing defiantly, Evelynn's vulnerable emotions were abruptly replaced with visible rage. Her lashers and talons were glowing red, eyes having the same effect. Riven brought out her blade, ready to finally fight the succubus. Evelynn had never felt hatred for someone like this despite meeting Riven not fifteen minutes ago. The urge to flay this girl alive, feast upon her delicious organs, kiss her, yank her tongue out with her fangs and shower herself in the girl's blood.
But she couldn't.
James would forbid Evelynn from ever seeing him again and might even kill her if she did such a horrific act. Evelynn made a sound of disappointment as she resisted the urge to slaughter The Exile. Then she smirked.
"Well he did kiss me love." Evelynn giggled when seeing Riven's eyes show suppressed rage. "And this time… it was because he wanted to. Oh… such a sweet taste he gives."
Riven's temper flared, her blade glowing with runic energy. Evelynn cackled at her victory and grinned widely when the girl marched towards her. The succubus had forgotten about her current situation with James, she was ready to cause some fresh pain.
Just as the two of them were about to fight, a bloodcurdling scream was heard outside. It was a man's scream, one they both recognized.
"James." They said in unison.
Immediately the thought of fighting ceased from their minds. Evelynn turned and ran to the window, peeking out with Riven next to her. Both of them looked around for a source and then noticed a rooftop that had what appeared to be a barrier around it. Narrowing their eyes, they saw two figures inside. A pained yell came from the spot, the same one they'd heard.
…
"You should've know better than to come here Noxian!" Irelia shouted before clubbing James down. "I am both the tranquil sea and the tempest. I've noticed you are no longer taunting me. Everyone has something clever to say... until the blades find their throat! Or in this case, give into the will of punches."
James gasped for air and The Blade Dancer laughed. She put her foot on his torso, pressing down with all her strength. "You're finished."
A growl was heard and Irelia didn't expect James to hit her with a harsh backhand from his left. She was knocked off, landing with a painful gasp from the sudden strike. James stood up, his hand on the blade lightly embedded in his chest.
"You Ionian's always were arrogant on the battlefield. Even when faced with overwhelming odds, you tell us to run and return to Noxus." James said with venom.
Irelia glared at him, but it soon turned to shock when she heard an unsheathing blade and a groan from James. The man yanked the blade out, looking at it with annoyance before throwing it aside.
"Is that all you got?" He taunted.
The Blade Dancer was silent, scowling at him before scoffing and charging again. Irelia jumped and kicked James's chest, making him stumble to his knees. She attempted to elbow his face, but James parred it and pushed her back. The Commander brought his hands together and jumped a little higher, bringing his fist down to Irelia's shoulder. She groaned loudly at the pain, grasping her shoulder. The woman tried to swipe James across which he avoided. Irelia sent a punch that was also dodged, and James hit her lower torso, the same spot she hit him. James delivered two swift hits that sent Irelia's face left and right. She blocked the next one, but James was faster this time and he bent down under and came up, sending a punch at her already broken nose.
"HAD ENOUGH?!" James shouted in fury.
Irelia didn't give up. She tried to hook him but was too disoriented and the motion was slow. James easily blocked it and kicked her abdomen. Irelia crashed into the solid wall, writhing on the surface to recover her strength.
"Stay down!" James spouted.
Even in her state, Irelia refused to give up. She would rather die here over surrendering to a Noxian. The Blade Dancer slowly stood up, clearly exhausted from the extended fight with this man. James growled and prepared his final strike. Irelia could only watch in fear when James reared his boot up and kicked her in the chest. The Blade Dancer let out a pitiful cry as she hit the tiled ground, groaning with clenched teeth afterwards.
James panted heavily, in desperate need of air. His gloved hands on his knees, the man looked at the woman who laid there. The woman who said these rooftops would be his graveyard, that this fight against her was his death knell.
The woman he'd barely beaten, on her own land. James's eyes showed fury against her while Irelia looked with fear. The look of fear in her eyes seemed to give satisfaction to something inside James that he didn't know he had. He loved the feeling of the wounds on his body, the cuts from the blades. The way this woman looked at him in fear.
"JAMES!" A familiar voice shouted.
Just like that, he snapped out of his rage. The man turned, seeing Riven and Evelynn standing atop the roof he and Irelia first fought on. James looked at Irelia who seemed like she was ready to die. He observed his bloody hands and his tattered uniform. The actions James performed against Irelia were the same ones he'd almost used on Elise.
Suddenly, the satisfaction James didn't know he had vanished, replaced with a knot in his stomach. The man felt he was turning into a monster. He felt like he was turning into… Culda.
The urge to kill Irelia was gone, but James would still show her his place. He went towards the wounded woman, grabbing her torn uniform, meeting her gaze amidst her bloody and bruised face.
"I didn't have to fight you. That also doesn't mean I didn't want to, Ionian." James said with a hiss on the last word. "You seem to have no mercy for Noxians, you believe they're all alike. Have no brains, only brawn. Only a bunch of ruthless killers serving under a dictator."
"That is all you ar-!"
James pushed Irelia down and before she knew it, the woman was on her stomach and pulled up into a choke hold. She instinctively put her hands on his torn armor, trying to pry it off. Riven and Evelynn could only watch with anticipation.
"There you go again, being the one whose mind is concluded, yet you're very deluded." James whispered. "Do you think I follow orders blindly without questioning them? Do you think I would kill my fellow soldiers if my general demanded it?
Irelia said nothing this time. She still scowled nonetheless. The two of them heard a rumble, seeing numerous Ionian soldiers appearing across several rooftops by their position. Karma was leading them and was very concerned with the situation. James disregarded this.
"I could do it right now. I could snap your neck, spill your own blood on the land you've sworn to protect." James said.
"I give my life willingly." Irelia snapped.
"But I'm not going to do that. It'd just add to the illusion that all Noxians are the same. Just butchers who merrily slaughter countless civilians without hesitation."
"You're still my enemy." Irelia said.
"Enemy? My sense of duty is no less than yours. Sometimes you come across corpses of your counterparts on the battlefield. You wonder what their names were. Where they came from. If they were really evil at heart." James said coldly before jerking Irelia's chin up to meet his gaze. "I want you to look back on this day. I want you to remember it as the day a Noxian bested you in combat on your homeland. I want you to know that he had the chance to kill you. To snap your neck. To break every bone in your body. To humiliate you in front of your fellow soldiers. To remember that despite all those possibilities, he didn't go through with it, and let you live."
Irelia's glare had faded, but she also showed no astonishment or surprise. The Blade Dancer's pride was too great. James scoffed at this and released her. He looked around with disinterest at the Ionian soldiers on the roofs. The man wasn't sure if they were about to embed him with dozens of arrows. Feeling that Riven and Evelynn were scared for him, the man gestured at them to stay there.
Karma bit her lower lip, unsure of what to do. The Noxian had beaten Irelia in combat. He had the chance to kill her right there, cause humiliation that would spread across the entirety of Ionia. Maybe he backed down due to the arrival of the soldiers, but Karma wasn't sure of that. She ordered the soldiers to not open fire on the man just yet.
"SO MUCH UNTAPPED POWER!"
A loud crash was heard from another building making everybody tense up. Soldiers were heard screaming as they fell to their deaths with splats. Irelia immediately recalled the blades to herself, doing a stance with a few blades by her side. A cloud of dust and debris filled the spot of where a building once was. Karma and the soldiers watched the scene, soon noticing a silhouette of a woman floating through the mess. James narrowed his eyes and soon widened them. Irelia's mouth went agape.
Coming out of the debris was Syndra, an armada of spheres at her disposal. Her eyes glowed purple with a cocky smirk.
"Oh shit." James and Irelia said in unison.
The Dark Sovereign narrowed her eyes, examining the figures present before her, or in other words, her playthings. Then her gaze fell upon the one who gave her a bloody nose the night before.
The man in dark unique armor, his face hidden by his helmet. Her temper flared.
"SCATTER WEAKLINGS!"
Syndra commanded all her spheres in the direction of every rooftop that had soldiers on them, including the one with Karma. The woman barely had time to react before the orbs crashed through the structure, sending the figures on top tumbling into rubble with yells. Karma crashed through a stone wall with it crumbling both around and on top of her, rendering her unconscious and bloody. Riven and Evelynn weren't spared either, but they managed to avoid the deadly attack thanks to Evelynn pushing Riven out of the way with her. Unfortunately, both of them fell from the building and onto the street below. Landing with loud thuds, both fell unconscious.
Back up top, the only roof that remained unharmed was the one James and Irelia were on. Syndra had intentionally left it intact for her quarrel with the armored man.
"Run playthings." Syndra spouted with a cackle afterwards.
James exchanged glances with Irelia for a second. He wasn't sure if she would help him in this situation, but he didn't wait to find out. The man barely avoided an explosion of magic as a new sphere formed at his location. James yelped and dove through a window which put him back inside the building. A loud rumble was heard as Syndra lifted the entirety of the floor above him off the building, throwing it aside soon after.
"There's nowhere to hide!"
James dove to avoid another sphere that formed by him. He clumsily ran from the dark mage who laughed at his futile attempt to escape. James jumped aside again to avoid a sphere soaring for his head. The object smashed through a wall and showered him in debris.
As he steadied himself out, the man felt a strain on his body. He was unable to move, and he grunted to resist it. Syndra had him encased entirely in the grip of her magic. Smirking, Syndra waved her hand around, sending the helpless man flying through the interior of the building, sending him crashing into walls and stones. James screamed at the pain she was giving him and when she deemed it enough, Syndra brought him face to face like before. James was disoriented and bloody. He could barely maintain his composure in Syndra's grasp.
"You are weak and pathetic. You are nothing without your advanced weaponry!"
"And you're no-nothing-! Without your-! Spheres!" James shouted.
The mage scowled at him. Instead of using her spheres, Syndra grabbed James's neck and began to choke him. The man gagged and spat some blood at Syndra who flinched with her eyes closing. They opened with a purple glow as she gritted her teeth.
"Wretch!"
Syndra directed a sphere to James's torso, then his chest, and finally his head. Syndra released him prior to the last hit and he went sailing across the room with a loud thud. Syndra sneered at his position and levitated to him. James slowly got back up, clearly wounded and tired. The Dark Sovereign summoned a sphere that was crackling with dark magic. She grinned evilly and prepared to hurl it.
James heard what sounded a wisp in the air and then heard Syndra scream in pain. He could see that she'd been lightly cut across her abdomen. The mage whimpered pitifully and then James saw a figure kick her away. When he regained his senses, the man was shocked to see an extended hand from his former opponent, Irelia.
He looked at her with confusion and she grumbled.
"Come on!" She said with an impatient tone.
The Blade Dancer pulled James back up and they were at their full height.
"Huh. Didn't expect to see you here." He said bluntly.
Irelia scoffed at his words, clearly annoyed. "If anyone's going to kill you, it's going be me."
"So, you're here to help her?" James sarcastically asked.
She only glared at him, choosing not to say anything else. They could hear a growl, and both turned to see Syndra preparing more spheres.
"Get behind me!" Irelia said.
James was hesitant to do such a thing, but Irelia was his best chance of surviving at the moment. Syndra launched her spheres.
"Watch out! Watch out!" James exclaimed.
Irelia charged her blades, letting them swirl around her and James. The spheres Syndra threw were deflected by the flurry of blades. Irelia let out a cry and directed the blades at Syndra who was knocked back, slightly disorientated and losing her balance. The Dark Sovereign shook it off and scattered the spheres at both.
"MOVE!" Irelia shouted.
Both of them dove to avoid the spheres that crashed into the building's interior with more debris flying. James groaned as he got up while Irelia was already back to avoiding more spheres.
"Hah! You would defend this weak, pathetic excuse of a man?!" Syndra said cackling at Irelia.
The Blade Dancer ignored her words. Irelia leaped into the air and sent two blades at Syndra who put her hand out to halt them and directed the objects back at their master. Irelia managed to avoid them and dashed past the mage, slashing her leg with Syndra exclaiming in agony. Irelia tried it again, but Syndra scattered her orbs and knocked the woman back a distance against a stone wall. The Ionian grunted from the impact but still got up. She wasn't done yet.
James watched the two women engage again in combat. Irelia dashing in various locations just in time to avoid the mages orbs and Syndra blocking the blades being hurled at her. The man felt useless not being able to contribute. He needed his rifle that was back at the mansion.
"Time to improvise." He said to himself.
Irelia used her blades to defend herself from a literal bombardment of Syndra's spheres. However, this time the mage raised her hands in the air and simultaneously slammed them downwards. A massive shockwave emitted around her and it sent Irelia into the stoned wall again. This time The Blade Dancer nearly had the life knocked out of her and Syndra summoned seven spheres.
"YOU WILL NOT RESTRAIN ME IONIAN! I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!"
"Revenge is a dish best served cold!"
Syndra was too slow to react before James leaped from behind. She felt his gloved hand on her neck and then abrupt pain in her lower side. The man had lightly stabbed the mage with a knife.
"GET OFF ME!"
James remembered Elise's mention of Syndra's temper. He imagined that she'd never allowed one of her playthings this close to her and it was undoubtedly making her angry. He'd exploit this as best he could.
"An entire legion couldn't stop you, yet here I am, holding a knife to your body!" James said in a mocking tone.
Syndra's eyes glowed brighter than ever before. "SHUT UP!"
The mage summoned magic that she hadn't balanced yet. An inhuman explosion happened between her and James that resulted in what remained of the building exploding violently, sending debris everywhere amongst the scared population. James and Syndra were both sent flying in the same direction, crashing through a building that was still intact and skidding across the floor. She regained her senses, seeing James slowly get back on his feet, a hand on his side in a likely attempt to tend a few broken ribs.
Syndra was about to send more spheres before feeling a blade embed her back. The Dark Sovereign glared as she turned, seeing an exhausted Irelia on a pile of rubble with her hand stretched out. Syndra remembered James and tried to knock him away by scattering her spheres, but he managed to bypass them by half an inch.
Tackled out of the building while maintaining her levitation, Syndra used her sharp nails to scratch James across the face twice before he sent a blow to her face, knocking the headpiece off her and exposing her white hair. The mage chose to bite James's arm and he yelped. She reeled back with some blood on her teeth.
"Pathetic!" James spat.
"I WILL KILL YOU!"
James managed to put Syndra into a choke hold but could barely bring his arm close enough to cut off her air. The Dark Sovereign summoned dozens of spheres, trying her best to knock James off but in her state of mind, the mage ended up tearing down more buildings with the spheres. In addition to this, they both levitated higher and higher above the village with the spheres whirling around them with such speed it created a vortex with a purple glow.
"You wonder why you were restrained!? Do you?!" James shouted.
"Shut up! SHUT UP! FEAR ME YOU WEAKLING! MY POWER IS UNMATCHED!"
James felt Syndra elbow his already damaged ribcage which caused him to nearly lose his grip. The man fought back by sending the knife into her torso, making the woman scream.
Desperate to shake him off, Syndra resorted to sending a punch to his face. However, she was rather weak in terms of strength and James easily blocked it. He punched her which made some blood spurt out. James sent another blow, but Syndra managed to duck and avoid it much to his surprise.
"HAH!"
Finally, free of his grip, Syndra sent a sphere to him. It missed.
"WHAT?!"
"All that time to master your work and you can't hit a man only two feet away." James sneered.
"ENOUGH PLAYTHING! YOUR TIME IS UP!"
Furious that he was getting to her, Syndra threw herself at James and locked him in her arms. He rose a brow at this before noticing crackling magic around her.
"DIE!"
Releasing him, the mage unleashed the full potential of her magic. A colossal blast of magic erupted from her body that created a brief purple bubble in the sky before disappearing. However, she failed to notice James had a firm grip on her arms and soon found herself spiraling downwards to the village with him.
"LET GO!" She shouted.
"You don't get it Sovereign! I'm not your plaything! You're coming with me bitch!" James roared.
She tried to get free of his grip, but the man was too strong, and she was too weak. The mage couldn't even stop herself by levitating. As they got closer, Syndra felt a swap of positions. Now she was on the bottom with James on top.
"AHHHH, FUCKING BASTARD!"
Before hitting the ground, Syndra managed to cast a barrier in front of her to lessen the impact. Hopefully.
CRASH
A shockwave emitted from the site of the already destroyed buildings. It reached points beyond, shattering windows of buildings that remained unscathed from the conflict and making the occupants of the Blood Moon Festival run in fear. Roads had cracks with dust and debris filling the area. A few stragglers, including the conscious but significantly wounded Karma emerged.
"What the hell just happened!?" A soldier asked.
Karma didn't reply. She clutched her bloody leg with a wince as she kept walking. Some soldiers were helping those caught under the rubble. Karma then noticed dozens if not hundreds of medics arriving at the site of the ruins. She heard a familiar groan and noticed Irelia limping amidst the dust.
"IRELIA!" She said with anxiety.
The Blade Dancer stumbled as she struggled to maintain her posture. Karma and another soldier came to her aid to give support.
"What happened?"
"Um… I think the Noxian and The Sovereign levitated into the sky or something." Irelia said clearly disorientated.
"Get over here!" A voice sounded.
Both their gazes darted towards a lone soldier who was standing over a large crater. Scorch marks with small mana fires. Immediately everyone gathered around the site. Irelia narrowed her eyes, seeing two bodies in the rubble. Upon closer inspection, she recognized them.
One of the figures was Syndra, unconscious and face down while being covered in dust and dirt. The other was the Noxian. He was on his back instead, a hand across his torn and dirty uniform. The top half of his helmet was off and there was a bloody spot on his forehead.
"JAMES!"
An otherworldly and inhuman screech was heard from the crowd of medics and soldiers. Everyone gave some space from the source of it.
Evelynn was looking down at the crater with horror and fear in her eyes. Fresh tears escaped her before leaping down and literally landing on top of the wounded man. She quickly comforted him in her arms, holding him against her tight and not wanting to let go for any reason. Irelia and Karma watched in bewilderment, unsure of what to do.
"What's going on?" Another voice asked.
The voice was directly behind Irelia and Karma, seeing a woman with white hair. She pushed past a few soldiers and medics, seeing the crater as well. Riven recognized the armored man… and the woman who was cradling him in her arms.
"James, don't die. Don't die. Don't leave me." Evelynn said whimpering.
"Evelynn…?"
The succubus was almost overcome with joy and emotions when she found him looking up at her. Evelynn pulled off the mouthpiece of his mask to allow some easier breathing.
"James…"
James managed a weak smile contrary to his actions against Evelynn earlier, before slowly closing his eyes and his mouth returning to a neutral form. Evelynn felt the body go limp.
"No…" She gasped.
The woman picked up the scent of blood around her. She realized that along James's side, he was bleeding out.
"No, no, no, no, no! Stay with me!" She said with her voice breaking.
The paramedics had seen enough and jumped down into the crater with their supplies. Irelia's eyes widened and she didn't know why she chose to jump down too, rushing to James's aid. Riven was already there, trying to cover James's wound before the medics took over.
"We gotta stop the bleeding!" A medic said.
"Don't die James! Please don't!" Evelynn said fully crying.
Riven took pity on this, but she was in no better condition. The Exile went to Evelynn, wrapping her arms around the blue woman and embracing her in a rough hug. Evelynn didn't falter in doing the same. Riven didn't trust or like Evelynn, but her present actions showed that she was certainly in love with James.
Riven felt like she was comforting Jade for a brief moment. A woman weeping over the loss of her love. A tear escaped The Exile's red pupils. She felt like she was going to lose James all over again.