As we at last ascended to the top of the stairwell, Yasuo silently opened the metal gates to reveal the upper sanctums of the Immortal Bastion. As it was quite dark, Ahri had ignited her orb of deception to brighten up the hallway as well as the general mood of our trio. Walking under the bright illumination of Ahri's orb was much merrier than walking through the darkness. Strangely enough, we encountered no signs of resistance at all, which started to make me wonder just where all the guards had wandered off to.
"The guard probably rushed off to defend the lower sanctums against the Black Rose." Ahri deduced as she carefully bent down to examine a plate of unfinished food and a deck of cards that had been hastily scattered over the table. Her eyes darted through the hallways as if searching for more clues on the Noxian whereabouts.
As we walked further down the hallways, sounds of combat started to ring in the distance. Ahri distinguished her orb to once again shroud us in the shadows, as Yasuo and I drew our swords. I mentally counted my summoner spells, and found them all to be ready.
"What do we do?" I asked, as I turned towards Ahri. Except for her eyes which gleamed through the darkness, Ahri's features were quite hidden.
"It sounds like the Black Rose is up ahead." Yasuo interjected. "If the Noxians are fighting the Black Rose on one front, we can go in from the back to finish them off."
"It would sound like it." Ahri nodded. "We came up from the left wing of the Immortal Bastion, and the path we just took would have brought us back to the center. Let's go."
We broke into a sprint, running through the darkness as the sound of combat grew louder and louder. At last, we turned the final corners of a corridor to see the backs of a group of Noxians, desperately holding down the hallway against the forces of the Black Rose. Fighting in the frontline was Swain himself. A massive silhouette of a demonic raven shimmered around Swain, who was hovering in mid air. Scattered red tendrils of lightning shot from his demonic hand periodically into the Noxian forces. Although some of Swain's attacks were deflected by the Noxian's strong armor and shields, Noxians whose flesh was exposed to the demonic power would crumble instantly. A red aurora surrounded Swain, which seemingly consistently drained the strength of surrounding Noxians though members of the Black Rose were not affected.
With their backs to us, a group of Noxian mages were rapidly launching spells towards the Black Rose while a few Noxian bruisers were desperately keeping the frontlines at bay.
"Now!" Yasuo shouted, and spinted into battle. I followed suit, and with overwhelming confidence for once as we greatly outnumbered the surprised Noxians, managed to fully implement the power of my sword. Slashing an arc of steel into the first mage, my blade easily piercing his cloth armor, I sidestepped an arrow before turning to cast "ignite" on the shooter. A Noxian Bruiser turned towards me, and performed a downward cleave with his axe. Instead of running, I simply striked the blade to the side in mid air, side stepping to the right as the blade landed left of me. I followed up with a jab, mimicking how Fiora had fought back in Sett's arena, to finish off the Noxian. At last, the surrounding noises of combat dispersed as the last of the Noxian defenders fell.
"Great timing!" Swain laughed, as he strode across the hallway towards us, reverting back to his usual form. The crimson glowing raven wings on his back faded as he dropped down from the air. "I take it Sion has been defeated?"
"Oh yes." Ahri smiled, before gently pushing me forward with her left arm. "And it was thanks to Wentao here actually. He landed the killing blow."
"It was a group effort." I blushed, my face most likely turning redder than Swain's demonic form. Swain shook my hand, before checking a watch on his right wrist.
"Marcus is late." Swain noted, before tapping on his wrist subconsciously. "Draven was injured down below. It appears we may have to take down the Grand General without the arena master and House Du Couteau."
"Where even is Boram?" I inquired, as I was surprised to not have seen the Grand General resisting the Black Rose with his troops.
"Darkwill should still be in his throne room, right down these very halls." Swain replied, before spitting on his hand distastefully. He eyed the corridor straight ahead, which was just left of the hallway we had emerged from. "Coward. Such behavior shall not be tolerated. Forwards. This ends now."
The battle inside the Immortal Bastion had whittled down the entirety of the Black Rose. Many of its members had sustained heavy injuries, and although with the powerful healing options available in Runeterra, I doubted that any of them would have been able to help further. The Black Rose had now set up forward camps inside the Immortal Bastion, and were scavenging for resources to treat their many wounded. A few swordsmen who were still in healthy condition were ordered to run down towards the kitchens in search of refreshments.
Ahri, Swain, Yasuo and I marched down the corridor, at last towards the final confrontation. Swain blasted open the doors with his demonic hand to reveal an enormous yet empty antichamber. Empty bronze colored seats were placed all around the room, and I deduced it was where the Noxians would either wait for their private meetings with the Grand General, or where important Noxians would hold meetings. It even might have been where the Black Rose had previously gathered before they were forcibly removed from the Immortal Bastion.
"Get ready guys." Swain breathed, as he raised his demonic hands to face yet another doorway. However, unlike the other doors, this one was much thicker, and had an enormous Noxian axe imprinted onto its frame. "This will be the last doorway that separates us from Darkwill."
"We're ready." I nodded, and put my hands on my sword. Yasuo simply sighed tiredly, while Ahri ignited her orb of deception. Swain released a massive output of blood red demonic energy towards the doorway, whose lock sparked as the metal inside slowly melted away. While the door was still warm, Swain aimed a heavy kick that lifted the metal frame off its hinges. The Noxian door caved into a massive throne room before us, and at the furthest corners of the room on top of a huge metal throne, unguarded and unarmed, was the man from the vision of Noxus I had back in Ionia so long ago. Although old, with gray hair and layers of wrinkles on his skin, the old man still held a blazing, relentless fire in his eyes that magnified his authority. Without a doubt, I was looking at the grand general of Noxus himself, Boram Darkwill.
"Swain!" Darkwill growled, though he made no attempt to get up from his throne. The only sign of his anger was his knuckles, which had turned pale white from the strength he exerted when gripping the handle of his throne. "You treacherous old dog. I trusted you."
"Noxus put their trust in you, yet you arrogantly wasted it." Swain replied coldly. "The Noxian treasury has been emptier than even that of the dark ages, and the city laws itself are in shambles. You've even allowed smuggling from the very country you waged war against. You are unfit for the Noxus throne."
"And so you've decided to intrude upon the Immortal Bastion itself in an attempt to try and assassinate me?" Darkwill sneered, his eyes lingering on each of us as if he was calculating just how dangerous each of us were.
"We won't try." Swain shook his head, before raising his demonic hand threateningly. "We will."
"I admire your courage." Darkwill sighed, before at last taking a stand. He was surprisingly tall, even taller than both Swain and Ahri, and though unarmed, he radiated a sense of threat in the room. From behind his throne, he produced a strange looking item that upon closer inspection, I realized to be a helmet. The helm, which was shaped like a samurai headpiece, was red and gray in color, and had a large pulsing purple jewel embedded in its middle. "But your trespass ends here. You see, during my campaign in Ionia, the battalions were able to retrieve many powerful artifacts. You bind a demon to your power Swain? Then die at the hands of one! Your bones will rebuild the foundations of Noxus."
"Oh my!" Ahri gasped, as her eyes stared directly at the helmet in Darkwill's hands. I realized that as a long time Ionian, she no doubt knew the powers the helm possessed. "That's the Demonic Embrace! Stop him!"
Swain reached out with his demonic hand, and the hand seemed to separate itself from his body as it launched towards Darkwill like a missile. Yet, it was too late. Darkwill had placed the helm upon his head, generating a massive explosion around himself so strong that it shattered Swain's demonic hand. Swain growled as the hand rematerialized upon his wrist.
Darkwill roared with glee, his eyes now burning with verdant flames like that of Mordekaiser, and a powerful ghostly green aura surrounded his form. Yet just as he was about to demonstrate the full extent of his new found power, everything went wrong. Giving a cry of agony, he collapsed to the floor.
"No…" Darkwill rasped, as he grabbed weakly at the air. A shadow slithered out from his body, gaining size and color by the second. Darkwill collapsed onto the ground, into a kneeling position as he attempted to crawl back towards the throne. The black shadow grew larger, and solidified as it seemingly siphoned Darkwill's strength.
"It's an Azakana!" Ahri yelped, as Yasuo unleashed a massive wall of wind to block a volley of dark shadowy spikes the demon had sent towards us.
"What?" Swain asked, as his eyes circled through a shade of red. Transparent demonic wings sprouted from his back as he shifted into his raven form. "I thought those only existed in Ionia!"
The Azakana, which had now grown to its full size, reared up onto its hind legs. The demon gained color, somewhat representing a gorilla if its flesh had been forged from violet colored dark wood. It was much larger than the Azakana Yone and Yasuo had fought, and the air radiated with its power. The Azakana lept towards us, before swiping with its massive right claw.
Frozen in shock, I would have been crushed at that moment if Ahri had not hastily grabbed me and spirit rushed both of us out of the Azakana's reach. Swain, who had received augmented speed and strength in his demonic form, dodged backwards to evade the attack. However, Yasuo was not fast enough. The Azakana knocked the swordsman back into a wall, and leaped towards him for a finishing blow.
"Brother!' Yasuo yelled out, as he managed to hold his sword in a defensive stance. Just as the Azakana was about to reach Yasuo, bringing alongside it a strike that would have smashed Yasuo's skull to pieces, a crimson burst of energy ignited midair between Yasuo and the Azakana, sending out a shockwave that was so powerful it knocked the Azakana off its feet. Levitating in thin air, back from the dead, was Yone. He had returned from the spirit realm in aid of his sibling.
"Yone!" I called out, while lumbering over to him. Yone looked over at me, nodding his head to show that I had his attention. "What's happening? How did Darkwill summon an Azakana?"
"An old legend." Yone stated, as he swished his red Azakana sword in the air. "Once upon a time, an Ionian trapped his own Azakana inside a helmet, through which he forged a dark pact with the demon to gain power. But an azakana needs a host. Although the Ionian is long dead, the Azakana lived, its consciousness trapped within the helmet. The helmet, named Darkness Embrace to tell of how the man had embraced his own demons for power, had been lost for generations, though its name was passed down through ancient history books. Darkwill's volatile greed and anger has now given the Azakana a new host, allowing it to at last escape its prison."
"The Azakana will grow stronger the longer it lives." Ahri noted, her golden eyes staring intently at Darkwill, as if examining him. "Darkwill reeks of both anger and greed, but most of all obsession. These are the emotions Azakanas thrive off of."
"Then let's finish this quickly." I said, before drawing my sword and readying my summoner spells. Ahri's orb sparked green as it transferred spiritual energy to Yasuo, healing him before she ignited her orb to an azure shade of blue once more to face the Azakana. Yone twirled his twin blades, holding them in his signature stance while Swain's hands dazzled with demonic energy. Together, we faced the Azakana.
Getting up, the demon swiped at us once again, though this time we were prepared. Yasuo rolled under the Azakana, jabbing it's belly while Yone danced behind the beast to deliver a strike with his azakana sword. The blade siphoned energy from the demon, granting Yone a scarlet orb surrounding him that blazed with power. Ahri nimbly dodged the Azakana's attacks while she launched her orb of deception, which burned through its thick skin with its intense spirit magic. Periodically, additional volleys of fox fires and smaller orbs of raw power would appear from thin air, embedding themselves into the Azakana as Ahri gracefully evaded each of the Azakana's attacks. I activated "ghost", gaining nearly the same speeds as Yasuo and Yone while periodically slashing at the demon when I detected a weak spot in its armor. Swain faced the Azakana head on, blasting the demon with demonic power of his own. His aura leached onto the Azakana's power, empowering his own attacks. Yet even with our combined forces, the Azakana would not falter. Each time Yone striked into the Azakana's flesh, the wound would seal itself in a matter of moments.
"He's feeding from Darkwill!" Yone shouted towards Swain, who nodded his head in understanding. Pointing his hands towards the fallen grand general, Swain unleashed a massive burst of demonic power in an attempt to finish off Darkwill. Yet, a green barrier of energy formed around Darkwill, blocking Swain's attack.
"I can't!" Swain cried out. "The Azakana, it's protecting him."
Yone threw his soul out of his body, and dashed towards Darkwill with his two swords. Just as he was about to strike the green forcefield, Yone's spirit cried out in pain and was forced to retreat as the Demonic Embrace's aura burnt his body. All this while, the Azakana continued to grow larger and more powerful as it fed off of the grand general's emotions. I sprinted towards Darkwill and attempted to cast 'ignite' while staying clear of the Demonic Embrace's aura, but found myself barely out of range.
"We need to hurry!" Yone roared urgently. "If the Azakana draws enough energy, it'll turn into an Akana that will no longer require a host. If that happens, we're all dead."
As the Azakana obviously had no taste, Ahri's charms were ineffective against it. Yet with blinding speed, she still managed to perform a massive burst of spirit energy that burnt off the Azakana's right arm at such a fast pace that it couldn't regenerate in time. Yasuo hurled a massive tornado of wind towards the Azakana, before dashing behind the demon in an attempt to perform a cleave to the Azakana's head. But just before his blade made contact, the Azakana turned into a massive shadow, melting into the ground before reappearing in front of us, fully regenerated. With a swift strike, the demon sent Swain into the wall with such force that his demonic form shattered. Yasuo's blade sank deep into the Azakana's flesh, but the demon regenerated so fast that the sword became stuck inside the Azakana's left arm. The demon swiped at Yasuo, sending him flying onto the ground near Swain. Yone attempted to dash in for a quick strike, but the Azakana grabbed the swordsman out of thin air before squeezing hard with its clawed hand. A burst of bright red signaled that Yone had once again been sent back to the Spirit Realm.
"Wentao, run!" Ahri cried out, as she attempted to spirit rush her way over to me. But the Azakana, smashed its fist onto the ground between us, sending Ahri flying into a nearby wall while throwing me towards the middle of the room towards Darkwill. My sword clattered onto the ground beside me. The Azakana suddenly froze, tendrils of shadows crawling from his skin. I realized the Azakana was on the verge of evolving into a full fledged Akana, in which case according to Yone, the outcome of our confrontation with the Grand General would be quite meaningless.
Grunting, I tried with difficulty to lift my body off of the steel floor. I glanced towards Boram Darkwill, and it was then that a sudden realization flashed through my eyes. I thought of what Master Yi had taught me about Wuju aboard Sett's ship nights ago, about how the fundamentals of Wuju was to obtain absolute spiritual awareness of one's self and one's enemy. Then, I thought of the piece of advice Spirit Blossom Ahri had given me when I was at death's door steps. "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer," She had said. At first, I had been confused as I assumed she meant physically. Now, I realized Spirit Blossom Ahri had been referring to the spiritual side of things. By now, I have had the honor of visiting the Spirit Realm not once, but twice. My affinity with the Spirit Realm may have been stronger than perhaps anything except my bond with Ahri. What had Master Yi said? The Wuju arts was just another form of Spirit Magic. I, by definition, was one with the spirits. With renewed vision, I looked once more towards Boram Darkwill. In the place of the Grand General, I saw a man driven to the depths of madness by his fear of death. Perhaps once, he had clung to life in the hopes that his life would improve the livelihood of everyone else's. Now, he clung to life due to obsession, for the sole purpose of clinging to it.
Grasping my sword, I channeled from deep within me the powers of the spirits. Even though in Noxus, the Death Realm might have been the afterlives of the spirits, it was still part of the Spirit Realm. Emotions slowly streamed into my blade, filling it with love, doubt, courage, fear, a healthy mix of everything that made me who I was, who I am, and who I will yet be. My sword glowed with a bright green fiery light as it was enchanted with the power of the spirit realm.
"A true master of the Wuju arts is able to cut through any armor." Master Yi had said. Well, now it was time to find out whether that was true, whether I truly connected with the spirits. I took a glance at Boram Darkwill, before raising my sword and cleaving towards his helm. As my body moved closer to Darkwill, I casted 'barrier' to negotiate the burning aura of the Demonic Embrace. In one clean cut, my blade passed through the Azakana barrier and cleaved the Demonic Embrace in half. The helmet's metal exterior melted like butter as my sword burned through the armor, lightly scratching Darkwill's face below it. The Azakana roared as the helmet, its anchor to the mortal realm, was broken. It attempted to make one last grab at me, but his entire form melted into shadows mid air, transferring it back to the spirit realm from whence it came.
Darkwill's dead! This is totally actually what happened in the lore. It's just not mentioned. Yes. I like that. Just the ending to go!
