I Will Defy

by Rook837

"You're just another Ionian coward, too weak to stand on you own, but too proud to bow down. I can see it, plain as day, and now... everyone else can too." (Rated M for Intense Violence and Dark Content. Nothing Explicit)

26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

I lay my head back against the wall, cupping my hands around my face as I force myself to take deep breaths. I can hear people talking around me, talking in panic about what this means, but for some reason the words don't seem to reach me. I just lean against the wall, focusing on the darkness as my head throbs almost painfully with racing thought.

I messed up.

I should have known. While not being common, the League still has been known to name new item additions after winning teams, or, at least, their captains. I should have known something as big as this would be cause for them to do the same thing. I just… should have. It doesn't matter that the exact details of the match were held from everyone but summoners. I've studied enough to know everything about the League that a summoner should.

No excuses. Whatever happens now is on me.

I feel a strong presence beside me, and I let my hands slip and eyes open. Zane stands next to me. He doesn't try to argue or even speak. He just gives me a nod with a look that says "we'll get through this." No blame, no guilt, just pure resolve to solve whatever comes next.

I forgot how much I missed my family. His confidence and love let me breathe again, and I give him a nod that he returns, and I suck in a breath, letting Zane's presence steady myself. The talking has slowly died down, leaving them looking at me for an answer. I don't know how they can still trust me after all my mistakes so far, but I guess it doesn't really matter. All that matters is what comes next.

"We don't have to stop them," Fairfax says suddenly. "We've done what we came here to do. Ionia's fate is in the hands of the League alone. Stopping Noxus from stealing from the League isn't our problem."

"It will be when they turn that power on us," Zane says quietly.

"It's too dangerous," Fairfax shakes his head. "We didn't plan for this and we don't know what we're going up against. This isn't our responsibility."

"If we don't stop them here, who knows how many people they're going to kill with those artifacts before the League does anything," Zane growls.

"Zane," Fairfax says sternly. "Now is not the time to let your guilt control you. You weren't in control of what you did, and I'm not going to let you die so you can feel better about yourself."

Zane stutters at that, and I can feel the hatred boiling off of him. He doesn't say anything though, probably because Fairfax is right. I don't have to imagine what Zane's going through, knowing he was trying to do the right thing but somehow ended up helping the Noxians and causing innocent deaths. I remember how I felt, how I wished I had died so I wouldn't have to live with my shame. For Zane, this isn't about doing the right thing, it's about repenting with his life.

He was there for me when I wasn't thinking straight. Now it's time for me to do the same.

"We don't have to do this," I whisper in the silence, waiting for people's attention to gather on me. "But I'm going to. I don't expect any of you to come with me."

"Aria-" Fairfax starts.

"I'm tired," I sigh. "I'm tired of bad things happening to good people. I'm tired of watching and not doing. I'm just… tired of it all, but if I don't fight right here and right now, who will? How many more people will be tortured or killed if I don't do something now and wait for somebody else to become as broken as me?"

"This isn't about Ionia…" Fairfax says quietly.

"You're right," I shrug. "It's about doing the right thing."

"Doing the right thing is how good people get themselves killed," Fairfax argues faintly.

"How can anyone expect to save lives without risking at least a part of their own?" I ask, meeting his eyes.

I can see the stubbornness in Fairfax even as he looks away. His usual emotionless mask is slipping as he fidgets. I know he just wants to protect me, to make up for what happened to me. He's always felt like he owed a debt to me for somehow not stopping Kor. He just wants to keep me safe.

"It's okay," I whisper. "I can do this. I will do this."

He sighs, looking back to me.

"Alright."

I give him my best confidant smile, which I'm sure doesn't look great on my dirt and sweat smudged face. Still, it's something.

"I'm going too," Seth says.

I turn to him, almost saying something, but I stop when I see the determination in his posture. A genuine grin lights up his face, and his joy is almost infectious. I understand it, in a way, the happiness he has about finally doing something not for survival but for good. It's been a long time since I felt like that. I just hope I'm strong enough to actually make it work this time.

I look to my brother, already knowing what answer I'll get from him. Zane just gives me a nod with a proud look in his eyes, and I blush a little. I lean against him, laying my head against his arm, and I can feel him begin to relax slightly, letting out a deep breath.

"Well," Devon says, stepping up to our little circle. "I never miss a good party. Count me in."

I blink at him curiously. He has a grim smile on his face, but I see an actual anticipation in him, an excitement that wires his muscles tight. I don't think I've ever seen him smile before, not seriously, at least.

Fairfax lets out a breath, turning away from us. I can see him forcing himself to accept our decision, his fingers tapping the pommel of his sword almost nervously. He sighs, turning back towards us with a look halfway between resignation and conviction.

"If you're going to do this, you need to know what you're going up against," Fairfax says, more to himself than any of us. "Aria, do you remember what I told you that night in the forest? About why Sadon was trying to get back at me?"

I cut his parents' throats.

I swallow, nodding. That night seems almost like a dream now. My hand, Fairfax saving me, it all just seems so long ago. I guess trying to forget has that sort of effect on memories, making them more surreal than tangible.

"Now do you remember what Seth told you about how I met him?" Fairfax asks slowly. "About how I was in an elite unit of child soldiers, his parents being in charge, and how they were betrayed by another in our unit because they were helping Ionians?"

"Yes," I whisper, casting a concerned glance at Seth, who just looks at the two of us in confusion. "But what does any of this have to do with S-"

I trail off as I begin to understand, snapping my attention to Seth and then back to Fairfax. A torrent of concern and sorrow for Seth hit me all at once. I try to say something, anything that will stop Fairfax from turning Seth's world upside down, but Fairfax turns away before I can say anything, facing Seth with a grim look. Seth has a surreal look on his face, like he's already pieced it all together, but a hunger yearns to hear the truth from Fairfax.

"I told you I got revenge not by killing the man who betrayed your parents," Fairfax murmurs, "But that I killed his parents. I meant what I said, Seth. Sadon was in my unit, and I killed his parents the same day I was forced to execute yours."

Stillness. There's no rage or shouting or anything from Seth. I just see him standing there like he's not even breathing. His look of yearning has completely disappeared, and it's replaced with something more dangerous. I don't know if it's satisfaction or excitement, but it bleeds violence into every one of his muscles.

"I told you I would tell you his name when it was time for you to take the vengeance that wasn't mine to take," Fairfax says, giving him a steady nod. "Now is that time, Seth."

Seth smiles.

It makes my heart lurch. It's the most predatory thing I've ever seen him do, the way the dim lantern light gleams of his teeth, giving them hungry edges. A red glare shines in his eyes, a reflection from the bloodstained walls and thoughts. An odd peacefulness has settled into him, taking away any tension that was in him. Seth lets out a slow breath, and I see him visibly relax.

Fairfax turns from him to me, a flicker of concern passing between the two of us.

"I need to talk to you for a second," Fairfax says, already stepping away from the rest of them.

I follow him, but I already know what he's about to ask me, and I already know my answer. We get far enough away that the others won't be able to hear our whispers, and Fairfax leans in close.

"Aria, you know what he's feeling right now better than anyone," he whispers. "I know I have no right to ask this of you, but-"

"Yes," I answer before he can finish. "I'll do it. I'll look out for him."

Fairfax blinks and then gives a thankful nod, looking visibly relieved.

"It's just… you know how easy it is for hate to kill a part of your own soul as well as the person it's directed towards. I don't want him to do something he's going to regret."

"I won't let that happen," I say, my voice rising with fiery conviction. "Not to Seth. Not after he gave me a piece of my heart back that I didn't think I'd ever find again."

He looks at me, giving me a small, sad smile that turns into a genuine one after a few seconds. It's the first time I've actually seen Fairfax truly smile and not just quirk the corners of his lips, and there's an amused and joyful glitter in his eyes as he looks at me. He looks younger for once, reminding me that even with everything he's gone through, he's still only in his early twenties, only a handful of years older than me.

"I didn't realize you and my little brother were that close," Fairfax says, actually teasing me. "Do I have to start chaperoning the two of you? Maybe finally have the talk with him after all this?"

"Fairfax!" I hiss, completely mortified and not even trying to fight the blush on my cheeks. "It's not like that!"

"Oh?" Fairfax muses. "Are you sure?"

I sputter, not sure what to answer with as neither yes or no is completely accurate, and his smile deepens. I let out a frustrated sigh, glaring at him.

"You can't just go from being a serious, 'older and weathered beyond my years' type of guy into a light-hearted joker," I grumble. "It's off-putting and weird. You're supposed to be the stereotypical mature, grim, and brooding member of our group."

"Does that make you and Seth the hesitant lovebirds?" Fairfax asks with a sly smile.

I put my hands on my face and mumble something nonsensical and vaguely rude about Noxians and their humor. I let my hands fall only when I'm sure my face is done heating up, and I try my best to ignore the pounding embarrassment in the back of my mind. Fairfax has gone back to his usual stoic self, only an echo of a smile on his lips.

Everything in me screams that I shouldn't be taking the time to joke with Fairfax while Noxians are stealing unimaginably powerful artifacts even as we speak, but… I don't feel guilty. If I don't enjoy the little moments like this, even if they are humiliating, then when will I stop to enjoy something? There's always going to be another crisis or something else to do, so why not enjoy the little things as they happen?

"If you're through with your deranged sense of humor," I say dryly. "I think we should probably get to work."

"One last thing," Fairfax says. "On a more… serious note."

A tinge in his words turns the words deadly serious, and I swallow down any remaining joy as I look up at him, smile disappearing quickly. His tone isn't one I've heard before, one that carries legitimate concern in it. The quiet fear in the back of my mind pounds against my wavering heart once again as I look at Fairfax, preparing myself.

"What is it?" I ask softly.

"It's about Sadon and me. We… our squad wasn't just an elite group of child soldiers. We were trained for a specific purpose, to achieve a certain goal. Each of us were taught to be anti-mages, to counteract magic as either a swordsman, archer, or mage. Sadon was the mage of our group."

I shiver. A mage who's devoted himself to learning to kill other mages. It's not unheard of, but it doesn't make it any less cruel. Now his magic makes more sense, at least, the way it causes pain to break the focus and will of any mages.

"He might be the most dangerous person here to you," Fairfax continues. "He will turn your greatest strength into a weakness if you aren't careful."

"So how do I counter hi-" I begin, stopping when I hear loud, stomping footsteps.

Fairfax and I turn at the same times, blades in our hands as figures in Ionian armor round the corner. They're covered in dust and blood, but about a dozen of them flow into the corridor, halting as their leader holds up a hand, a sneer appearing on his face.

"I thought I might find you here," Zerick says with a serrated smile, eyes gleaming at Fairfax. "I knew you wouldn't be far from your pet."

Fairfax takes slow, steady steps towards Zerick, positioning himself a good distance in front of us. Zerick follows suit on his side, motioning for the soldiers behind him to stay back. Torchlight gleams off Fairfax's silver sword and Zerick's katana.

"I see that you somehow managed to slink your way into this academy after all," Fairfax says with his usual monotone and lifeless cadence.

Zerick laughs, holding up his left hand, and an blob of something black and sticky forms above his palm.

"You've made your last mistake, Fairfax," Zerick grins. "I can't take the chance any of you will interfere with the other group, after all. Do try to put up a fight, though. I would be disappointed if this magic I designed specifically for you didn't at least cause a little suffering."

With that, he pulls back his arm, and throws the glob of sticky darkness at Fairfax. It moves unnaturally fast through the air, arcing straight towards Fairfax's head. He doesn't move except to raise his sword and then send it slicing down, cutting the blob in two.

"That won't-" Zerick begins to say, but then starts choking.

The glob seems to bleed blue fire from where it is cut, engulfing the dark mass before any of it can touch Fairfax. The fire completely eats the substance in maybe a second or two, bringing a glaring light into brief existence with a hiss of flame. Fairfax remains completely untouched and unphased, staring dully at Zerick.

Zerick lets out a shout of rage, and flicks out his hand once again towards Fairfax, a half-dozen more tar-like droplets arching out at him. These seem to move even faster than the bigger clump, and I only see streaks of inky darkness heading towards Fairfax, trying to hit him in a dozen places. Zerick doesn't stop at that, though, and just as he throws the droplets he slices downward with his katana, a crescent whip of black tar snapping towards Fairfax from the end of the blade.

Fairfax's body twitches to turn sideways and evade the blows, but he seems to reconsider it and instead faces them head on. I figure it out a moment later as the streaks reach him, my heart falling: he didn't move out of the way because if he did, the attacks would have hit us instead.

Seven different projectiles of magic hurtle towards Fairfax, and he doesn't hesitate for a moment to face them head on.

He swings his blade in smooth, graceful arcs that somehow manage to intercept each and every piece of magic, bursting all of them into flames. He delivers his final cut to the whip heading straight down at his head, cutting off its end with a annoyed sweep. Blue fire travels down the entirety of the whip, disintegrating it in seconds.

Zerick stands there with a dumbfounded face, his hand clenched so tight around the katana that it starts shaking. Fairfax takes a step forward, flicking his sword back to his side in a ready position.

"How?" Zerick asks, more to himself than Fairfax. "How is this possible."

"The rumors about children being trained to counter Ionian mages," Fairfax murmurs, taking another step forward. "They weren't just rumors."

"The Negation Initiative?" Zerick chokes out. "That… that's not-"

"Surely you've heard some of the things people call me?" Fairfax asks, quirking his head ever so slightly. "Fairfax the Untouched? Fairfax Magebane? Or, maybe you would recognize me if I went by the name I earned."

Fairfax twirls his blade in a few elegant, deadly arcs, and the silver seems to shine in the darkness with a hungry sheen. A white glow engulfs the metal, blue motes of light radiating off the sword with gentle promise. A hum of power suddenly springs into existence as Fairfax's blade seems to awaken at the prospect of eating more magic.

"Fairfax Spellsword," he whispers, and I see Zerick pale considerably.

A laugh bubbles inside me, and I don't bother trying to hide the grin as Fairfax takes one deliberate and slow step after another towards Zerick. Fairfax Spellsword. All this time I thought Fairfax was his last name, but he must have changed it to his first after he earned Spellsword. I know that certain titles in Noxian culture take the place of a first name to keep the person's lineage known, but I also know only the most noble or powerful of people ever have a chance to do something like that.

The soldiers behind Zerick look at each other with surprise, and a few of them actually take a step or two back, reconsidering their positions.

"Stand your ground!" Zerick shouts.

"Please," Fairfax adds. "It would be too easy to take you all on one at a time."

"You think you're so clever, don't you?" Zerick snarls at Fairfax, face turned crimson. "Beating a mage without using magic just because you have some special sword is nothing! I'll show you the true strength of magic!"

Zerick crouches down, eyes focusing on Fairfax. Pale, transparent energy begins to engulf his body, and he suddenly appears more like a flickering mirage than an actual human. An involuntary gasp leaves me as I recognize the high level kinomancy he's performing. It's one of the most powerful forms, so strong that that the magic warps the light around the user, making them all but invisible as they move with inhuman speed. When he does decide to move, he'll be going so fast that he'll just seem to disappear.

"How are you going to counter me if you can't see me coming?" Zerick laughs, his voice mangled by the spell. "Enough games! This ends now!"

Zerick's form disappears with a shockwave so strong it knocks me off balance. Fairfax moves the second he disappears, but I already know it's too late. Any reaction by Fairfax would be dozens of times too slow to-

Fairfax's sword snaps through the air, and scarlet blood sprays forth as Zerick suddenly becomes visible again. His mouth hangs open as he clutches his free hand to his side where Fairfax sliced him a few inches deep. Zerick stumbles, face contorting with rage, and the power around him redoubles. He disappears once again with another booming shockwave, the last thing I see is him twisting his foot.

Fairfax acts again with his fluid grace, seemingly twisting around and putting his sword up faster than should be possible. He sets his sword at a diagonal in a pantomimed block, a blank, focused look on his face. A thousand sparks suddenly erupt from the middle of his blade, a shrill scream of steel meeting steel ringing through the tunnel with such intensity that I find myself covering my ears.

Fairfax isn't fazed for a second, and his sword slides from one position to the next, and he only ever stops moving for a fraction of a second as his blade intercepts more attacks too fast to be seen. A wall of sound and light erupts from where Fairfax stands as a few dozen blows are delivered with each passing second. None of them land on Fairfax, each only producing more flickering yellow-blue sparks and screaming metal.

After maybe six stunning seconds, Fairfax lunges forward, his blade plunging into the air in front of him. Zerick suddenly appears with a loud bang as Fairfax's blade impales him through his chest, pinning him in one spot and stopping the spell. Zerick lets out a gasp of red mist, blood spilling from his mouth as he looks up in slow, jerky motions to meet Fairfax's eyes.

"H-how?" Zericks manages to whisper between coughs, his legs already buckling.

"I told you I was trained to kill mages," Fairfax says slowly.

"B-but… you couldn't… see…"

"You were moving too fast to be seen," Fairfax acknowledges, nodding his head patiently like he's trying to teach a lesson. "I couldn't see your moves or keep up with your speed with just my reflexes, so I just predicted where you were going be."

My jaw drops open as I stare at Fairfax in mixed wonder and horror. I've always known that he's a trained killer, but it never really occurred to me what exactly that meant until just now. Fighting for one's life is something instinctual, and in an age where spells and swords can kill at the speed of thought, it makes sense that following one's instincts is the only way to survive such things. The whole purpose of combat training is to hone those instincts to know what to do so that the right course of action instantly pops into mind.

What Fairfax just did transcends just using instincts to fight. He knew what he had to do without even being able to rely on his senses to give him those quick, gut feelings. The level of skill it would take to instantly analyze how your opponent is going to attack before they even move is insane on it's own, but being able to move and counter each and every attack, only having a fraction of a second to consciously figure out the next move and what needs to be done is just… just…

Fairfax slides his blade into Zerick all the way to the hilt, drawing one final gurgle from him before he finally slumps down as his final breath leaves his body. Fairfax pushes him off the blade, flicking the blood of in a scarlet arc. He turns around slowly, not even paying us any attention as he looks back to the other disguised Noxians down the hall, pointing his sword down at them with a deadly, hungry gleam.

"You still want to try and stop us?" Fairfax asks, tilting his head ever so slightly.

It's hard to tell how rattled the Noxian soldiers are with their dark hoods and cloth wrapped faces, but I manage to make out a few of them shifting with newfound caution. That is, until one of them steps forward, leveling his sword at Fairfax.

"You think we're scared of you because you beat some upstart who was appointed our commander?" he asks with a gritty voice.

Fairfax sighs, looking back at me for a moment, his eyes settling into a determined glare before he looks back.

"Aria," Fairfax whispers just loud enough for our side to hear. "Do you still have the crystal I gave you?"

I blink. The crystal. The one Fairfax gave me so I could instantly teleport to the first floor of the academy. I had it in the pocket of my uniform, so if I change out of my conjured kendo set…

I snap my fingers, slightly annoyed that I forgot to switch back immediately afterwards. After my clothes transform from light back into my school uniform, I fish inside my pocket, pulling the crystal out after a moment and holding it up. It seems no worse for wear, having somehow gone through the transformation process so many times unscathed.

"Yeah, I got it," I say say back, and he nods, still not looking at me.

"Good. Can you make it take all four of you back to the topside?"

My chest tightens around my heart, and I stop breathing. He wants us to leave him here, to fend off who knows how many soldiers. He may be the best soldier out of all of them, but taking on that many at once… no. I can't just leave him here. We fight together. We'll get through the soldiers, and then take Sadon on together.

"I'm not going to leave-" I start saying, my throat dry at just the thought.

"Aria!" Fairfax shouts, startling me. "If you want to stop Sadon's plan you have to go now. I can keep these guys busy, but it would take too long to get through them. I don't intend to lose, but it would make it a lot easier if I didn't have to worry about them targeting you, so if you can do it, then you have to."

I want to argue. I want to fight what he says so badly, to come up with the second option that saves us, but I just can't. I can't because I know he's right.

"Alright," I say, eyes watering.

He turns his head back to me, giving me a smile that's probably meant to be reassuring but only looks sadly forced on his face. Then he turns back to the Noxian soldiers, and he stalks towards them with deadly intent.

"He can handle himself," Seth says, suddenly next to me and startling me slightly.

I give him a look, trying to see if he's just saying that to ease my worries or if he means it. His eyes are locked on Fairfax and hard as steel, completely free from any concern. I let out a slow breath, letting the reassurance of Seth's absolute faith wash over me.

"Stand around me in a circle," I say quickly, already opening up my mind towards the crystal's enchantments. "As close as you can."

I wait for them to comply, awkwardly trying to ignore the sudden claustrophobia as they surround me. It works partially, and I close my eyes, trying to ignore my surroundings even as shouts and clashing steel begin to fill the air around me.

The crystal already has the spell wrought into it to teleport, so the only real thing holding it back from teleporting more than one person is the fact that it doesn't have enough energy. It's a small crystal, designed to store just enough to work for one person, but if I crush the crystal and pour energy into the spell as it activates, it should still work.

"Here we go," I whisper, focusing intently on the crystal.

I want this to work. I want it to work so badly. If it doesn't, Noxus is still going to end up winning overall even after everything we've done, After the pain we've went through, after the sacrifices we've made… the sacrifice Xander made… this doesn't just have to work, it will work.

I push all those thoughts and emotions towards the crystals, opening myself up to feed as much energy as it takes to teleport the four of us, and then I crush the crystal in my hand.

There's a scream of magical energy, and I can feel it wrapping around me not unlike my conjured armor does. I can feel it engulf me, and then there's a sudden and violent jolt similar to that of suddenly falling. One moment I'm standing in the tunnels of the academy, and the next I'm suddenly not. All my senses are suddenly replaced by the sensations of my new surroundings with nauseating speed. I almost fall as my ears ring and vision blurs, but I manage to stay upright, making myself focus the best I can. I start making sense of what I'm seeing a moment later, looking around quickly to fully take in my surroundings.

I've only ever rushed through the main hall of the academy, not really having any reason to stick around or take any real note of where things are. It's a huge, rectangular room filled with towering bookshelves along the back wall and a few tables and chairs spaces around them. The other two-thirds of the room all the way to the entrance is mostly clear besides some random tables against the wall. The teleportation magic dropped us just in front of the door to the stairway down, close to the large entrance doors of the academy.

We all seem to be intact, so at least there's that. Everyone has varying levels of disorientation, but seem otherwise unharmed. I let myself take another second to steady myself, and then I force myself to start thinking out loud, planning our next moves.

"Alright," I slur, trying to quickly shake off the faint ringing in my ears. "We've got to move fast. We don't know where the Vault portal is, but it has to be somewhere in the academy, meaning this is their only way out. If we set up an ambush here-"

"Aria," Devon interrupts, and I hear the sound of swords scraping free from sheaths. "They're here."

I look up quickly just in time to see Sadon stalk from the shadows, dressed in black, layered robes that overlap in sections, giving him a heavier, more menacing appearance. Next to him, both Cody and Jackson step in pace, wearing light leather armor and armed with daggers and a glaive respectively. Sadon stares with narrowed, eyes, and I can feel Seth tense up next to me, barely stopping himself from charging him outright.

"You just don't know when to give up, do you?" Sadon spits, Jackson and Cody flanking out on either side.

"I guess not," I say back absently, gesturing for Devon, Seth, and Zane to stay close to me. "The same could be said for you, though, couldn't it? What, rigging the match wasn't complicated enough for you?"

"For me?" Sadon lets out a harsh laugh. "Oh, you have a lot to learn, girl. "

Cody inches closer to my right, fingers twitching around a throwing dagger. Zane steps closer, sword raised protectively as he stares him down, but that only seems to goad Cody more. The hunger in his eyes grows, and fear flickers deep in my belly.

"Tell me, Jackson," I say, trying one last thing. "Were you always working for Sadon? I thought you at least had a shred of honor in you."

"People like me don't get into places like this without a patron," Jackson shrugs. "I think you might be the only one who got here based on merit alone."

"Certainly explains why someone like Cody made it here," Seth says from next to me, and I don't bother suppressing a slight smile as Cody face flushes red.

I slide my foot, tapping it against Zane's and nodding ever so slightly to my left side. Zane moves in a smooth motion, and Seth follows suit, the two of them switching positions and moving away and towards their opponents. Zane faces Jackson's glaive with confidence, and Seth's axe gleams slightly as he stops a duelist's distance away from Cody.

I stare straight at Sadon, Devon's sturdy presence just behind me steadying me slightly. I still can feel my legs shaking, but I don't think it shows.

"You can't win, Sadon," I say, gathering my will and focus together. "There's no way your two goons can keep the four of us distracted while you enter the League vault. Even if you try to fight us first, it's three on four. There's no way you can beat us in time."

Sadon looks at me, his head tilting ever so slightly. He looks confused for a moment before a huge smile spreads on his face followed by hysterical laughter that rings through the hall.

I make sure not to let my guard down even as he keeps laughing, bending over and clutching at his stomach as he wipes tears from his eyes. What am I missing? Neither of the three have anything on them that looks remotely like a League artifact, so he can't have robbed the Vault yet. Time's in our favor now, and Fairfax should even finish up and be able to join us if we stall long enough.

So why is he laughing?

I grit my teeth as Sadon's laughter dies down to quiet chuckling. He looks up at me, spreading his hands to either side of him as a crazed glint enters his eyes.

"First of all," Sadon grins. "I think it's important for you to realize that this isn't a three versus four."

A steel blade suddenly slides into my vision, its edge quickly pressing against my throat just as the tip of another blade pokes into my side, pressing between my ribs and aimed at my heart. I hold back a startled gasp even as the cold steel pushes tighter against my throat. I do my best not to move, but it doesn't stop the sinking feeling in my chest.

"It's four against three," Sadon says. "With the odds in my favor."

Devon stands behind me, one blade ready to cut my throat and another ready to impale my heart, and he says nothing. He just stands, ready to kill me at the slightest movement, and there's nothing I can do to stop him because I trusted him.

I trusted him.

"Drop your weapons," Sadon orders Zane and Seth. "Or I'll have my agent cut her throat before you can so much as blink."

Zane and Seth look at each other slowly, their faces equally pale. They start to comply, and I open my mouth to let out a shout, to tell them not to, that they'll kill us all anyway. Devon jabs the tip of his gladius into my left side ever so slightly, just enough to make me suck in a breath without actually cutting into me. Jackson and Cody walk up to my brother and Seth, pointing their weapons at vital locations as well, and all I can do is clench my teeth in rage and frustration.

"I made sure Jackson and Cody got into the academy because I thought they would make useful subordinates if they owed me something," Sadon says simply, walking over to me. "But, of course, I needed someone I could trust to make sure they were loyal, someone who's worked for me a long time. So, I planted Devon, someone with a little more subtlety to keep an eye on things. He's no student, he's my assassin. It really isn't that hard to modify someone's appearance with magic and surgery to make them look younger, you know."

Sadon leans in close, his face inches from mine. His breath is like rotting meat, and it's all I can do not to gag as he smiles again.

"You stupid, pathetic Ionians always want to believe the best in people," Sadon whispers. "That's why you didn't think twice about a thief making it into a prestigious summoning academy. Your compassion is your weakness."

I close my eyes, fighting a building scream.

It's just not fair. We got so far only to be beaten like this? By some twisted, last second blindside? We lose without so much as one last final fight because of this? What kind of sick fate is it to die when we were so close?

I should have known Devon was a liar. His amazing swordsmanship against the Noxians, his ability to simply go unnoticed without effort, his amazing perception… I should have realized that it wasn't just Noxian thieves that have those traits, but that assassins would be the exact same way.

I grind my teeth together harder and harder. I could understand if we lost to Sadon. I was prepared to die fighting. I was ready for it, even if it just meant a chance at stopping Noxus. But this? Being betrayed again and slaughtered like cattle? Bleeding out on the stone without casting a single spell, planning a single blow, or even letting out one last shout of defiance?

It's not fair.

I open my eyes, involuntary tears spilling out as I stare into Sadon's gleaming eyes, and I let out a scream as my hate and anger overflows.

It just makes his smile deepen.

He turns away, walking with steadily away, a low chuckle coming from him. Sadon looks back at me with a sneer, opening his mouth to say something else, but before he can, the air in front of the bookshelves seems to ripple and waver before splitting open with a shrill screech. A portal opens up, it's edges burning with golden, flickering light as its pitch black center settles into glass like stillness.

"Ah," Sadon says, turning from me and facing the portal expectantly. "Your second mistake. My job was to simply secure the victory for Noxus by tricking an Ionian and laying the groundwork for our forces. Stealing from the Vault was his part of the mission."

The glassy surface of the portal breaks as I look on in horror, and Alexander Grimtooth steps from it, a stoic expression on his face. He looks out of place in his school uniform, especially after Elizabeth steps from the portal in ornate crimson robes and Edward follows in black steel plate armor. The portal shudders, and then closes behind them with a snap of energy.

Elizabeth and Edward look surprised, but Alexander seems unfazed, simply shifting his eyes around the room in a cursory glance. In his left hand he holds a staff of some sort, wrapped and covered in cloth. In his right is an empty silver chalice with gold trimmings and rubies set into it. Just behind the grail, sheathed in a simple leather loop at his hip, is an ancient looking sword, a dim emerald in the middle of its crossguard. The metal is more grey than silver, but a faint purple glow rolls in waves off the blade like a beating heart, and I can feel it's sickly energy with the tiniest bit of effort.

I don't know what I was expecting, but I don't recognize any of the items. Granted, the staff is shrouded by cloth, but to not even have an idea of what the other two are… it only makes the fear and worry in me grow with each passing second.

Alexander looks around in distaste, eyes passing over Seth and my brother quickly, discounting them as one might trash. His gaze lingers on me, though, but whatever thoughts he may have are hidden behind his expressionless face.

"I take it this means you failed in your mission?" Alexander finally says, turning to Sadon with a raised eyebrow.

Sadon tenses up, biting back a response, and instead he just gives the slightest of nods, hands clenched tight.

"I see I was right about informing you and your agents about this part of the plan," Alexander shrugs, walking over to him.

"Yes," Sadon says dryly. "I'm so thankful to have a brat like you ordering me around."

There's the faintest twitch of annoyance as Alexander narrows his sharp green eyes at Sadon, his mouth a flat line of disapproval. Sadon sucks in a breath, looking away as he clenches his hands into tight fists.

"Apologies," Sadon murmurs.

"Accepted," Alexander sighs, gesturing for him to follow as he heads out of the room. "Now come. We still have the third plan to pull off."

Wait. What? Third plan? There was another? Sadon rigged the match, Alexander stole from the League vault, and now they're going to do something else, too? I shoot a look at Zane, one that he returns with a growl, shifting slightly where he stands. He doesn't dare move more than that, though, not with two swords ready to take my life. Seth is in no position to move either, but he still manages a defiant glare of daggers at both Cody and Sadon, his fingers twitching ever so slightly.

"Speaking of which," Sadon says slowly, pointing at the artifacts. "What's with the blade? That wasn't on the list."

"On your list," Alexander nods. "This blade… well, let's just say it's more important to our patron's plans than anything else going on here."

"Oh?" Sadon raises an eyebrow.

"I'm sure he'll tell you about it when the time comes," Alexander sighs. "For now, let's get going. I tire of this place. Even the air here is… weak."

Alexander continues for the door, and I can feel Devon's head following him, blade letting up ever so slightly against my skin. I'm tempted to try one last final bid, to try and use magic to escape Devon's hold, but with him this close to me, anything I do would be easy for him to sense coming. My thoughts and will would have to be faster than the reflexes of a trained assassin, and I don't know if I'm that good.

"What about these runts?" Sadon asks as Alexander walks past him.

Alexander stops, turning on his heel as a lopsided smile begins to form.

"Edward, go and guard the Ionian. Elizabeth, take over guarding Seth," Alexander orders, his eyes lingering on me, and I do my best to suppress the disgust and uncomfortableness of just having him stare at me.

"Let's have one last piece of entertainment before the finale, shall we?" Alexander clasps his hands together. "Cody, it's time. Kill the girl. Make sure to take as much time as you need."

Cody's eyes glaze over, his hands trembling when Elizabeth reaches him, holding up a hand to Seth's head, a ball of fire igniting in her palm. Cody lowers his sword, and then he starts walking towards me with slow, excited steps. Each footfall echoes in the silent room, and my heart begins to kick into overdrive as it beats faster and faster.

"Don't do this," I whisper, mostly to myself.

Cody sneers, drawing a serrated, curved dagger from his armor and spinning it in his hand. I can hear the air parting along its keen edge, and I swallow. His eyes are ravenous. This isn't going to be fast.

Panic begins to rob my breath, setting my bones on fire as I desperately try to come up with one last plan, one final attempt to turn things around. I let out an involuntary whimper as I see Cody smile, my muscles screaming at me to move, but I can't. If I do, I'm dead. If I don't, I'm dead. What am I supposed to do?

I go from one scenario to the next, each ending with me and everyone else dead, the Noxians walking away to do who knows what kind of damage with those artifacts. Only one idea has promise. One last attempt. Something only I can do.

I take in a shaky breath, closing my eyes and squeezing out tears. I give myself a second to just breathe, and then I open my eyes, looking past Cody at my brother.

"Zane," I whisper, my voice wobbling with fear. "You have to… I'm not going to make it out of this one. It's up to you now."

He blinks at me, face contorting in horror as he begins to grasp my meaning. I see Edward and Jackson tense, focusing their weapons on Zane.

"I'm dead either way," I manage to get out between sobs as Cody reaches me, slowly lifting a dagger to my chin. "It's up to you two now. You can do this. You have to."

Cody leans in next to my ear, inhaling deeply, and I can't help but shudder.

"I've been waiting a long time for this," Cody whispers. "Don't worry. I won't make the same mistake I did last time. No, tonight, you die in one strike."

He pulls back, slowly and as dramatically as possible lifting the dagger above him and aiming it down at my head. He clenches the handle tightly, eyes flashing with excitement.

"Zane," I whisper harshly, flicking my eyes between him and my killer. "Do it! Now!"

"I can't," Zane says, shaking his head fiercely.

"Zane!" I shout, my voice cracking. "You can take them! You and Seth! Do it!"

"I'm not letting you die!" Zane shouts back, and my eyes fill with more tears as I turn to Seth.

He looks at me the same way Zane does, with disbelief and rage, his head shaking slowly. I silently plead that he'll do something, anything, that he'll get out of Elizabeth's death blow and fight, but I can see that he's just as paralyzed as Zane. Even if it means dying himself, neither is willing to cut my life short by a few seconds just to increase their own chance of survival. I mean too much to both of them.

Somehow, that thought brings me an odd solace. At least I'm not alone, and if I die, I know that I leave being loved. I'd forgotten what this feels like, to actually feel like I matter to someone. It hurts, but at the same time… it reminds me that at least I tried.

"Goodbye," Cody says, a deep smile on his face. "Ionian."

With both hands gripped on the dagger, he brings it down with all his strength into my skull. I don't let myself close my eyes as it comes down. I stare straight ahead, and blood sprays across my vision, staining my world scarlet.

Cody blinks, looking down at where his hands used to be. Two stumps are all that remains, thick and scarlet blood spraying out in arcs and mist. Cody's hands, still clenched around the dagger, fall to the floor just at the side of my vision, and it takes me a moment to realize who's sword just cut Cody's hands off. Cody opens his mouth to scream in horror, very real pain and fear entering his eyes.

Devon doesn't let him.

Devon's right blade, the one under my neck, lifted up just as Cody's hands came down, cutting them both off at the wrist. Just as the start of a scream starts to form in Cody's throat, Devon spins past my right side, his left sword screaming through the air in a reverse grip, stabbing Cody through his back with enough power that the tip slides out the front of his torso, Cody's heart impaled somewhere in between.

Cody's scream turns into a gurgle, spilling from his mouth as he looks in confusion between his chest and where his hands should be. He looks up at me, eyes twitching as water forms in them. There's a slow shik sound, a kind of sound that a blade being pulled through hot, sticky meat makes, and I watch as Cody's eyes seem to turn to glass, the life leaving them.

His body falls to the floor a moment later, and I'm too stunned to do anything but slowly look up at my savior.

Devon stands in front of me, blades readied in the direction of Sadon and Alexander. There's only a grim look in his eyes as he faces me ever so slightly, concern tinting his face.

"You alright?" he asks, not quite taking his attention from his opponents.

"W...W...Why?" I ask, not sure what else to say.

He blinks.

"Aria, I told you before, I'm good at watching and taking notes. I remember things. So when I say that there isn't one single time I can remember being disappointed or unimpressed with how you've acted here, you know I mean it. You're not the only one that's tired of letting bad things happen to good people, and, well…"

He turns his head fully to me, his voice more serious than ever.

"You showed me that it doesn't matter who we are, what we've done, or what's happened to us. What really matters is if we let our pain corrupt us, or let it strengthen us. That's what I see in you, in your every action. I didn't think it was possible to survive in this world and be good, but now I see just how wrong I was."

Devon.

Maybe I shouldn't be surprised at just how much I affected him with my actions. Devon, the quiet, thoughtful, but always seemingly caring student wasn't just an act, it's who he is. He might just be more like me than anyone else here. I don't know why he became a spy, but I can only guess it's not so different from why I wanted to become a summoner. His silent, lonesome eyes and swiftly fading smiles are no different from the masks I wear.

I open my mouth to say something, but that's when I see movement over his shoulder. While Devon was talking to me, Edward must have started sneaking over. He reaches the halfway point, just about to break out into a sprint at Devon's back.

There's a sudden shout and explosion of fire that robs me of my hearing, and I manage to catch the end of Seth spinning away with his axe in hand, a scorch mark on the wall next to him. Elizabeth stumbles back with a bloody nose, obviously having been distracted by the sudden actions. Just as my hearing returns to normal, I make out the clash of steel, and turn to see Zane disengaging from Jackson and joy surges through me, stealing away my sorrow and fatigue.

I give Devon a nod, turning back to Sadon and Alexander with raised hands, pure will electrocuting the blood in my veins and lighting my muscles on fire with anticipation. Sadon's face is red, fists clenched, but Alexander only shakes his head in disappointment, hand traveling to the sword at his belt. My allies and his start to take slow, careful steps to return to their respective sides, and I watch Alexander carefully.

"Traitor," Sadon snarls at Devon.

Devon smiles, twirling a blade idly in his right hand, but otherwise he says nothing.

"Edward, Jackson, Elizabeth," Alexander sighs impatiently. "I leave them to you."

"They outnumber us," Elizabeth says, wincing as Alexander looks at her blankly.

He seems to ponder that for a moment before slowly handing the two artifacts in his hands to Sadon and drawing the sword from his side, a purple aura pulsing from it at regular intervals.

"I suppose it would only be fair if the odds were evened," Alexander says, stepping forward.

My pulse quickens, but I don't let the fear control me. Alexander joining the fight is bad, especially with that blade, but it doesn't mean we necessarily lose. If we can just-

A crack of thunder splits the air as Alexander blurs forward, crimson lightning snapping around his body and following him in a trail. A flash red, glaring light burns that into my vision, and as the afterimage begins to fade, I see Alexander standing back where he was before, breathing heavily and sweating. A fake-looking smile darkens his face even as I hear a sound from next to me, something hot and wet slapping the side of my face.

I turn to my left, towards Devon.

Gore sprays from his severed neck in a fountain, his head rolling a few paces away from his body, blood smearing the ground near it. There's a distinct and visceral wet, squelching sound as blood spurts out from his neck in regular intervals, sending a mixture of thin, bloody ribbons arcing through the air and fine mists raining down around me.

I blink the blood from my eyes even as Devon's body falls to the ground with the loud, scraping clang of steel hitting the ground. Devon's head comes to a stop rolling, facing me, giving me a good look at his face. His eyes have a glint of happiness in them, his mouth upturned in the slightest of smiles. He wears the same expression he had when he told me why he helped me, the expression of a man who finally found his way again. Now, though, the spark of life is gone from his eyes, replacing any hope the expression may have carried with overwhelming revulsion.

My legs buckle, and I fall to my knees, hot blood soaking my leggings.

Numbness. There's a point where sorrow and fear form a despair so deep it can only be described as an empty numbness, and that's the only thing I feel. Just like with Xander, all it took was a second for a good man's life to be taken away.

And it's my fault.

"There," Alexander says, his word only faintly echoing in my hearing. "Now the odds are even. Come, Sadon. We're late as it is."

I can't take my eyes from Devon's. The smile on his face…

I'll never get to know him now. I won't get to call him friend and watch as his eyes light up in acknowledgement. We'll never sit together in blissful silence. I won't get to see him reach for his dreams. I won't ever see him again.

I won't get to hear him laugh.

For some reason, that's the thought that really gets to me, the one that lets me pull my vision away. That thought seems to distance my emotions, not really weakening them, but turning the screaming sorrow and wrath into things I can quantify, things I can objectively feel.

That, or they've so consumed me that I can't think clearly anymore.

I see the two Noxians leave, Sadon giving a quick smile as Alexander trudges behind, exhaustion evident in his posture. The remaining three Noxians in the room close ranks quickly, watching us closely, and I place a hand down on the ground to help myself stand up.

My hand lands in something wet and hot, and when I raise my hand back to my eyes it comes covered in blood. In Devon's blood.

I stand up slowly, the stone beneath me slippery, and I stare at the Noxians even as Seth and Zane near me, standing just behind me. Seth is trying hard not to look at Devon's body, his axe held in a white knuckle grip, and Zane has a stone-cold face, devoid of mercy and compassion.

Elizabeth steps forward, and she laughs.

I stand up, looking at her in disbelief. Does she not realize that someone just died? That a soul, something beautiful and unique, is gone now? She just… laughs?

Nothing seems real anymore, not even as I look at the three Noxians getting ready to kill us. I clench my hand covered in Devon's blood, and I can feel as it pools and drips to the ground. It feels warm on my hand, but not nearly as hot as my boiling blood. The liquid hatred mixed with shocks of fear pumps through me faster and faster, sharpening my mind back to reality.

This is real.

They just killed Devon.

He died because of me.

No one else dies today.

Except them.

I know what I have to do.

Jackson lunges forward, past Elizabeth and at me with his glaive, and finds only steel as Zane meets his advance, a storm of sparks flashing from their metal two-handed weapons as they engage in a brutal duel. Jackson spins the glaive around him, stabbing and slapping at Zane with both the point and pole itself in fluid, continuous motions. Zane uses the strength of his two-handed katana to disrupt him before he can build up too much momentum, punching or kicking the Noxian if his sword would otherwise be too slow.

Zane turns his head to me after a particularly brutal stagger he delivers to Jackson, his face twisted in concern. I meet his eyes, and nod, assuring him that I'm… okay. His focus snaps back to Jackson, and he engages him with a roar.

I side-glance at Seth. His eyes are dark, but when he notices my look he gives a nod, walking further off to my side to give me room. Edward follows him, the two raising their weapons in a more standard dueling form, each adjusting their stances microscopically just before they dash towards eachother and engage in combat.

Elizabeth grins at me, holding up both hands, and an inferno rages to life in either palm, the heat intense enough to warp the air around her.

"Come now," Elizabeth says, eyes practically burning themselves. "Gather your magic. I want this to at least be a slight challenge."

"What makes you think you can defeat me?" I snap at her, my will and anger pouring out in a sheet of force that actually causes my words to leave with a slight shock wave from my body. Purple, glowing light surrounds me, a hum that matches the intensity of her crackling fire filling the air. I see the flames falter as she blanches at how much power I just called up in the span of a second, but her mouth sets in a firm line.

"I don't have to defeat you," Elizabeth says. "I just have to distract you long enough for your allies to lose."

I don't let her goading drop my focus even for a second, but I do take a quick note of how Zane and Seth are doing so far.

Zane lets out a grunt of surprise, drawing my attention in time to see Jackson delivering a flurry of glowing green stabs at him, his attacks enhanced by magic like in the League matches. Zane's dominance starts to falter, and I take a step back from Elizabeth, clenching my teeth hard.

Even Seth starts to give up ground to Edward already, Edward's sword bursting into flames and all but exploding with each of his strikes. Seth spins away, gasping, and I get the brief image of his soot-stained face and singed hair before he dodges again, Edward's sword just missing his head.

"See?" Elizabeth asks, her eyes glowing brighter with golden light. "Soon they'll be dead, and you'll be all alone."

I ignore the irrational twinge of fear in my bones at that thought, doing my best not to let her lure me in. The thing is, what she doesn't realize, is that I already know what she's saying is true. Zane's never had to fight against a person using both physical and magical combat, and Seth's about an even match against Edward. It's basic logic, not some shocking new factor.

That's why I already know what I have to do.

If the chances are even for both their fights, I'll just have to be the factor that balances them. More than that, though, we're on a time limit. I have no idea how long it's going to take Sadon and Alexander to accomplish their plan, and every second we waste here they're getting one step ahead.

Every fight so far, I've done my best to hold back so I wouldn't kill anyone, so I wouldn't become the monster everyone thinks I am.

But those rules just don't apply anymore.

So I reach for a spell I've been perfecting for years, one I haven't dared use since I got the mark, one so powerful that I don't even know if I'll be able to sustain it for more than a few seconds. I pull forth the image in my mind, and as I exhale, my breath comes as mist. The blood beneath and around me begins to freeze, and I throw myself into the spell, pulling the best parts of all my magic together into one conjuration spell.

Overwhelming strength, from my martial conjured clothes.

Daunting magic and physical defenses, from my conjured heavy armor.

Pure magical power from my conjured robe and armor mix.

And finally, my most powerful element, the one thing I excel at above all else, I pull the magic surrounding my conjured kendo uniform, drawing forth the very element of speed itself.

I gather the best parts of each conjured armor, connecting each to each other to cast away their individual weaknesses, and the sheer complexity of so many aspects in harmony with each other splits my mind open. It's all I can do to hold the spell in my mind, grinding my teeth as I tether the intangible to the physical, putting together the manifestation of the spell in one outfit of clothes.

Speed, Strength, Toughness, and Power all wrapped into one spell. I burned out more than a few magic circuits and nodes the last time I tried this spell almost a year ago, before I split the elements into individual spells. It all comes down to my body, how I seem to have overwhelming amounts of mana but am too frail, my circuits too weak and thin to conduct it all. My sickness, maybe the source of my magical power, is the one thing that's always hampered me, stopping me from brute forcing solutions with sheer power.

It forced me to hone my mind, to figure out creative and focused ways to let out my magic so I wouldn't tear myself apart. It all comes down to this.

So I will my creation into reality with a shout, and my body explodes with power.

I don't make the same mistake I did last time. Instead of focusing it all out through my hand, I let the magic coursing through all the circuits, the invisible conducting veins of magic in my body push out their energy. My vision turns white with pain as it feels like the entire insides of my body are on fire, but I don't let up. I push, with all my strength, because if I don't pull off this spell, then my best friend and my brother will end up dead.

So I don't let the pain rob me of consciousness. I push with all that I have, letting out a defiant scream filled with all my emotions, and…

The spell takes hold, exploding into existence. The pain disappears in a flash, and my eyes snap open in time to see the surprised face of Elizabeth before purple and black light engulfs my clothes, changing them once more. I expected the light to be golden, but it having the color of my aura isn't exactly surprising either, so I roll with it, clenching my teeth against the sensation of shifting cloth as the magic settles beneath the engulfing light.

The light finishes condensing, and the second it does a few things hit me all at once.

First of all, I'm exhausted. My body burns and aches literally all over, and I already know I won't be using much more powerful magic for awhile. Besides the physical fatigue, there's also a deep mental exhaustion, sort of like a warm blanket over my thoughts. Everything seems just a bit more fuzzy and numb than before, my eyes heavy, but it's nothing I can't handle.

Secondly, I feel good. Even though I'm tired and in pain, my muscles all quake with energy and power, and I can feel the enhancing power my outfit is having on my magic already, amplifying the strength of my spells and aura casually.

Finally, I look good. My new uniform is a few layers of clothes, but my outermost layer is the newest one I constructed. I have heavy, combat boots and solid black leggings around my legs, a mid-thigh level skirt peaking out from underneath the long, tight coat/robe combination covering my torso and arms. My hands are covered in fingerless gloves that reach all the way up to my biceps even if the long sleeves of the coat cover it. Finally, a huge dark hood hangs on the back of the coat that also reaches down about mid-thigh, a series of buckles around my waist keeping the upper portion form-fitting while letting the lower half fall almost like a dress.

If looking like a professional assassin wasn't enough, the pitch black ensemble, legging included, are made of a material that's soft as cloth and just as flexible while being stronger than any normal steel. Magecloth, as it's commonly known, is something that can only really be created with conjuration magic or weeks of careful threadcraft, but when it's complete, it's one of the strongest materials out there while still remaining lightweight and comfortable.

I smirk to myself, a hint of sadness in the smile. Learning to channel my mana through my weak body really did make me learn the finer arts of magic. I'm by no means a master, but accomplishing something like this… well, I'm surprised it only took me years of work, study, and effort to make this possible.

I look at Elizabeth slowly. Maybe a half-dozen to ten seconds passed from start to finish. If she had been smart, she would have attacked while I was casting the spell. It's one major weakness is the time it takes me to put together, but she had been too distracted by my swirling aura to make a move. That, or Seth and Xander fighting in close proximity scared her off. I knew Zane would at least know what I was doing and protect me, but I'd bet Seth would have done the same too.

Speaking of which…

I turn my head, breathing heavily in the cold air. I don't remember it being so chilly in the room, but each of my breaths forms solid mist, the sweat on my brow freezing quickly against my skin. Even beneath me, a thin layer of frost has expanded across the floor in a ten foot radius. I'm not surprised this magic stole the heat from the air, not even a little. The color of the light that conjured my armor being my aura's instead of the usual golden probably has something to do with that, but I'm not exactly sure what or why.

As I turn to look around me, I can see that both Seth and Zane have come to a short ceasefire in their duels, eyes flickering between me and their opponents. I give a wry smile, turning back to Elizabeth, unclenching my hands. The one that was covered in Devon's blood is now covered in scarlet snow that falls as my hand opens, gliding to the ground gently.

I let out one last breath, reaching my left hand toward my sword to draw it.

Elizabeth has enough sense to not let that happen, and she throws a comet of fire at me, letting out a scream as she flings her right hand out at me. It's strong, I can tell by how much energy she drew up for the spell, but it's not strong enough. In this armor, I could slap the fire away with a single hand and not be any worse off, but there's no reason to risk hurting myself just yet.

So, instead, I jump to my side, spinning my lower body so I'll do a full cartwheel in mid air. It's not something someone without practice could do, but the combination of me learning to dance and the superior strength and muscle control given by my armor is more than enough to let me easily pull it off, and the comet rips through the air a good second or two after I've already landed in a crouch.

Instead of running at her and giving her the chance to throw more spells at me, I push out with my mind and activate my armor's spells. This one is designed much like my kendo one to increase my speed, but in a different way. My kendo one puts me in a slow-motion world as my muscles and thoughts are sped up, allowing me to move normally through the slowed world of perceptions but be a blur to anyone else.

This armor forsakes speeding up my perceptions and focuses solely on speed. I just have to will myself forward, and I practically teleport to the location in front of me, appearing at a distance determined by how quickly I push off with my foot and step with the other. I call the spell blink because it lets me instantaneously skip a distance, turning my world into a blur and dropping me out more or less where I intend to go all within, well, the blink of an eye.

So I blink forward, and the air rushes around me as light swirls for a moment, and then I drop back to normal speed. It's incredibly disorienting to suddenly be in a new position, but it doesn't take me long to figure out I just overshot my mark. She's a few feet behind me and to the left, hair whipping wildly from the wind I created blinking past her.

Even as she turns to face me, I've already skidded to a stop, targeting her once again. She finishes her turn just as I come up in a low sprint, and I shove the palm of my hand into her stomach with all my strength.

I can feel it as bones snap, and Elizabeth is thrown from the ground into the air, flying a good twenty feet away before she lands, her body rolling against the ground. She coughs, sticky red blood spraying from her mouth onto the ground as she tries to lift herself up, her body shaking from the effort. I stalk over to her as she gets back to her feet, tremors wracking her body. Every breath she takes is a wheeze, and her face is covered in a layer of sweat, pain twisting her face into a grimace.

She spits another glob of blood onto the ground, looking up at me with dark, raging eyes.

"H…h…how?" She sputters, flecks of red spraying from behind her clenched teeth.

"You wanted war," I say simply, clenching my hand tight again. "Well here it is. That's all it takes in war, you know. One blow, and you're dead. One mistake, and you lose. This isn't some League match where mistakes can be made. Just remember, though, you wanted this."

I take a step forward to dash and finish her off when a sudden shout from Seth startles me. I turn in time to see Edward swing at me with his fiery sword from where he stands, the fire blasting off in a crescent wave at me.

I jump and twist my body into a horizontal spin, the flame passing just beneath me as I land again. Seth attacks Edward, distracting him, but the damage has already been done. Elizabeth slams her hand to the ground, and a fissure spewing red light breaks open, heading directly towards me.

I can feel her magic working beneath me, cracks opening up on the ground to spew forth a geyser of flame in a huge area around me. There's no way for me to completely escape the heat, not by running even with how fast I am, so instead, I fall into a crouch, and jump into the air, pushing my muscles to the limit. The ground beneath my feet shatters from the force, miniature shockwaves exploding out as I'm launched into the air, hurtling towards the ceiling.

I fly through the air just as the flame explodes from the ground, launching me even higher. My enchantments protect me from the worst of the heat, but it still feels uncomfortably hot, to me.

As I begin to fall, I realize very quickly that I may have made a mistake. While on the ground, I was fast and mobile, but in the air I can't control much more than my descent, making myself a perfect target for Elizabeth.

She gives me a crimson smile, and then she puts both hands out, palms extended with thumbs interwoven, and the air in front of her turns into a swirling circle of energy. The vortex of fire swirls faster and faster until it unleashes a constant, streaming torrent of fireballs. They all fly with slightly different paths, but all are aimed in my general direction, a good portion guaranteed to hit me.

I don't have time for anything fancy or complicated to negate her attack. So instead, I grab the air underneath the soles of my feet with my mind, willing it to harden into miniature walls of solid air. Then I kick off them, sending myself hurtling in a new direction as I enter the storm of fire. Each time I'm about to hit by a new gout of flame I create a new footfall to push off of, dodging through the air in just about every direction to avoid getting hit. I work my way closer and closer, gritting my teeth in concentration.

I dance through the firestorm, turning from a fall into a spin into a dash into a jump as I move between the dozens of attacks, desperately trying not to get hit.

I'm not perfect though. Even as I dodge, trying to squeeze past two particularly close attacks, a ball of fire sears into my arm, exploding with enough force to send me spiraling out of control. I throttle a scream as I desperately try to regain control of my descent, but another flame explodes against my shoulder, little flames dancing along the cloth of the coat and singing it. It does restabilize me though, and I ignore the flashing pain from my left shoulder and right elbow as I create one last footfall, pushing off it and finally sliding to the ground, past Elizabeth's torrent of flames.

She turns, looking at me in surprise as she lets the fire fade, but her legs wobble dangerously beneath her, as she does so. She lets out a small grunt, falling to one knee before looking back up at me, throwing a hand out for another attack.

By then, though, I'm already in front of her, and I deliver a kick to her head that sends her flying back through the air and ricocheting off the ground a few times before her body stops rolling. I can't tell if she's dead or unconscious, but her body is limp. She's out of the fight, and that's all that really matters right now.

I try to ignore the idea that I may have just killed someone, but it worms its way into my mind anyway, making me nauseous. Even if it had to be done… it just doesn't feel right.

I turn, looking to my allies. Zane seems to be having the most problems right now, Jackson's emerald magic enhancing his moves against my brother. A few cuts mark close calls Zane's had against his glaive, so I draw my katana, the sound of steel on wood almost completely silent, and I blink holding my my katana as I do.

When I'm dropped out of the intense speed, I know I hit because my arm is hit with a violent, jarring sensation that travels up from my sword, and let out a gasp of pain, eyes watering up as my arm screams at me for delivering a blow with such speed. I turn, doing my best to ignore it, and see that I struck a deep blow into Jackson's waist, scarlet arching out in a fine spray as he falters on that side.

Zane takes advantage, swinging his two-handed katana down with a shout. Jackson tries to get his glaive up to block the blow, and he does manage to get his glaive up in a horizontal block. However, Zane's swings down with enough power to push the glaive's shaft down, and with Jackson's serious injury hindering him he can't stop Zane's o-katana from slicing down all the way from the space between his shoulder and neck to about half the distance from his heart.

Jackson gives a shudder, and Zane rips the sword out, blood all but exploding from the wound. Jackson falls to his side, letting out one long, gurgling breath as he dies.

I turn away, looking to Seth in time to see him slam the side of his axe into Edward's head. Edward stumbles away, a large gash bleeding, and and his eyes roll back into his head as his body falls to the ground with a loud clang of dropping metal. I flick the blood off my katana before I sheath it, letting out a slow, deep breath.

Three down. Two to go.

Seth comes jogging over to Zane and I, and I can feel my adrenaline fading ever so slightly. My conjured armor is keeping me from feeling the worst of my exhaustion and pain, but even so, my muscles ache. I feel like I might have pulled something in my bicep, and my shoulder gives me steady, throbbing pangs of discomfort from where I got hit.

Seth and Zane don't look to be in great condition either. I count five slices bleeding on Zane even as he gets his breathing back under control, and while none look particularly bad, they all look seriously painful, especially the one on the side of his head. Seth, for his part, is covered in soot and scorch marks, some of the leather pieces melting together. The back of his left hand looks particularly burned, and I spot a red cut just above his knee that looks deep.

"You guys okay?" I ask, breathing no faster than as if I might have taken a short jog.

"Yeah," Zane sighs, the left side of his hair matted down with blood. "Looks worse than it is."

"Same," Seth coughs, wiping some of the ash off his face. "You?'

"Just sore," I nod back, not quite believing either of them.

"Alright then," Seth gasps, stretching his shoulder. "Let's get going then.

I give my brother a look, trying not to glance at where Seth is, still catching his breath. I know we don't have time to spare, but it's not like we can just go rushing in right after a battle. Seth needs more time to recuperate if we want to even have a chance. I don't exactly want to say that out loud to Zane, but he seems to catch my drift when I give a little nod towards Seth.

"It's okay," Seth says, standing up, intercepting my concerned look. "I'm fine. Really. Besides, there's no time to waste."

I bite my lip as Zane gives Seth a pat on the shoulder and a grin. They're both pushing themselves, even if they don't want to admit it. The thing is, without them fighting with me, I honestly don't know if it's possible for me to beat Sadon and Alexander. But… well, it's not like I can just tell them to wait here. They know what they're getting into.

It doesn't take away my growing fear of either dying, but some part of me realizes I'm way past that point now. So I move forward, heading for the door.

"What's the plan?" Zane asks me.

"Figure out what they're doing and stop them," I say with a shrug. "I don't know. It's not like any plan we make is going to survive one second against them."

"True," Zane lets out a huff of air. "But who should we be targeting?"

"Zane, you deal with Alexander. He may be acting like some big shot, but his magic aptitude isn't that great, and after what he did to… to Devon… well, moving that quickly seemed to take its toll."

"Any idea how he did that?" Seth asks.

"I think he charged his muscles with that red lightning magic he uses," I answer, chewing the thought over a little. "It would explain why he looked exhausted afterwards. Holding and expanding that much energy in the span of a second is a terrible idea. I'd be surprised if he was able to cast any more spells today."

"Alright," Zane nods. "Then you two get Sadon?"

"Yeah," I say carefully. "But we're going to need your help as fast as possible with Sadon. Watch out for him especially because… well, his magic is designed to create pain. If you get hit even once, there's very little you're going to be able to do."

We reach the doors leading out, and I raise my hand to open it, hesitating for a second.

"Whatever happens out there," I begin, terror ripping apart my heart. "Just remember we need to stop their plan, whatever that is."

"Well," Seth says, giving me steadying look. "Let's find out. Together."

I give a weak attempt at a smile, and then I open the door.

We step outside into the courtyard of the academy. The air is crisp and even I can feel its cold. There's barely any light in the sky, the stars even shrouded by clouds. Still, dawn should be arriving soon, and with it, hopefully, a free Ionia.

Standing in the middle of the large courtyard is Sadon and Alexander. Sadon seems to be adjusting something on the fountain, and when he moves I see he's placed the chalice Alexander stole onto the fountain's pedestal like centerpiece. He turns, and when he sees us, excitement lights up in his eyes. Alexander scowls as we approach, handing Sadon the wrapped staff-like object with a shove.

"I leave the rest to you," Alexander says, his words barely reaching us as we walk towards them. "I take it these three won't be a problem for someone with your talents?"

"Hardly," Sadon says with a grin. "Go, finish the mission and deliver the blade to him. Tell him I'll be right behind, and that I'll make sure to achieve at least some of our bonus objectives."

"We'll see," Alexander smiles faintly, pulling out a large crystal from his pocket and giving me a short wave. "I'm sorry I'm going to miss your death, but I have quite a busy week ahead of me."

"You mean you're too weak to take us on," I say quickly, trying to get him to stay. "Why don't we settle this right here, right now?"

"Would love to," Alexander laughs. "But, like I said, I have places to be. This blade won't deliver itself, now will it?"

His hand squeezes tight around the crystal in his hand, and it explodes into a shower of blue sparkling dust. The dust turns into motes of energy, swirling around him in an orb just before it flashes, disappearing and taking Alexander away with it.

I clench my teeth, hard. Noxus, or, at least, one faction in Noxus, just got their hands on an artifact from the League vault, something so powerful it was locked away for everyone's safety. Even worse, whatever that blade is, it's what they were after all along.

But there's still two more artifacts right here, right now, and there's no point dwelling on what I can't change, so I turn my frustration back into focus as I look to Sadon. Beating him won't be easy, but I know we can do it if we play it right.

Luckily, I just so happen to know the best way to make a Noxian angry:

Be myself, and be loud about it.

"I don't suppose you'll just give up, will you?" I ask as Zane and Seth flank him on his right and left. "Three on one isn't good odds."

"For you, maybe," Sadon grins, the metal studs in his face turning the expression into a ghoulish mockery. "I like my odds."

"Alright," I say slowly, trying to calm myself. Memories of what happened last time he fought me are still fresh, and my hand tightens in phantom pain. This time will be different, though. I didn't fight back in the forest, and this time, I'm not alone.

"I've got to say," Sadon says, slowly backing up to the fountain. "I like the dark getup. Looks much more Noxian."

"Thanks," I say dryly. "I wore it just for you."

"How thoughtful," Sadon smiles.

"I figured your blood wouldn't show as much on this."

Sadon's eyes narrow again.

"I'm going to enjoy killing you."

"I wish I could say the same," I reply. "But so far, I'm not impressed."

"Impressed?" Sadon growls. "Why would I ever need approval from some worthless, Ionian wench?'

"Probably the same reason you have a spoiled brat like Alexander ordering you around," I shrug.

"He'll know his place after I'm finished here," Sadon says. "I was the one to pull off every complexity, every intricate detail of the plan, not him, and if he thinks he's going to take credit for that, then he's got another think coming."

"Yes, I'm sure they're going to be so impressed you managed to trick a single Ionian with lies and magic. Real masterful work, right there."

"You insolent wretch!" Sadon hisses. "You don't even know half of what's going on here, and you dare insult me?"

I stop, as if to think about it for a moment, and then I start nodding.

"Yeah, I think I will. I mean, I'm just not scared by what I've seen so far. What about you Zane?"

"Even I think tricking me is pathetically easy," Zane shrugs. "So no, not really."

"Seth?" I ask, turning my head to him.

"Not even a little," Seth says darkly, his voice like gravel.

I turn back to Sadon, giving him a hapless little wave of my hand. Sadon closes his eyes, his breathing loud and quick. I see Seth inch forward to attack, but I flick my head to stop him. Seth stops himself, still holding back his rage. He's too smart and well trained to let himself give in to attacking Sadon blindly. Seth waits for his vengeance with careful patience, waiting to make sure his blow will kill him. It's terrifying, in its own right, that someone I call friend had become so proficient in killing that he can hold himself back from killing his parent's murderer.

"You think that by making me angry I'll become weaker?" Sadon asks, opening his eyes. "That I'll tell you our plan?"

"No, I just really like making you angry," I give my sweetest smile. "Those other two things would just be bonuses."

"Before you die," Sadon whispers. "I'm going to make you suffer. Part of that should be knowing just how in over your head you are. You think you're so smart because you managed to figure out the first plan and part of the second, but you have no idea what's coming."

"A bit melodramatic, don't you think?" I ask. "I mean, I think it's safe to say that whatever this third plan of yours is, it can't be worse than rigging a League match or stealing artifacts from the League vault."

Sadon stares at me.

Then he starts laughing.

"That cup," Sadon points to the chalice, shoulders shaking slightly. "Is called the Grail. It was sealed away because it can store infinite amounts of magical energy to be used for later. You stupid girl! The tunnels under the academy weren't just for getting our operatives in! Don't you remember the match that got interrupted because they 'accidentally' dug through a ley line? Or those crystals that were transported in the caravan of soldiers here? From the very first day you arrived, this, right here, was being planned!"

As he points to the fountain more and more, I begin to look closer at it. Something about it bothers me, just like when I went to talk with Devon after I was poisoned. There's something odd about the fountain, something I can't quite put a finger on-

I stop, staring at the intricate grooves and lines in the fountain.

I did put my finger on it. Stars, I was tracing it while I talked to Devon.

When I first got here, that fountain wasn't covered in a single mark. It was all smooth stone. Now, there's an intricate design in it, and now that I look closer, it looks a lot like some type of magical spell.

"Those tunnels we made were to also create artificial ley lines with the crystals we brought. It's not that the magical energy was weak here, but we just connected all the major ley lines that run through Ionia to go through this one spot. This 'fountain' is designed to be a magical well, to begin releasing the energy of the ley lines underneath it."

"Right into the grail," I say hoarsely, my breathing picking up. "The grail that can store infinite amounts of energy."

"Now you begin to understand!" Sadon grins. "This academy is in close proximity to every major ley line in Ionia, so creating a few direct pathways with crystals was child's play. This fountain was carved with a spell to draw forth energy and not stop, and the best part is, it was done while you were here!"

I swallow. The ley lines of Ionia. If they were to be drained dry… the only thing I can compare it to is if the sun stopped rising. Every aspect of Ionia from our culture, religion, economy, lifestyle… just everything is centered around the spiritual, magical nature of Ionia. If that were to just disappear…

No. It's so much worse than that. Ionia wouldn't just be destroyed, left to rot in the shadows as it lost all importance. Noxus would gain unimaginable amounts of magical energy. They would have so much stored in the grail… the destruction they could cause is just… sickening.

And that's exactly how I feel. My stomach turns with nausea, my hands shaking noticeably. Zane and Seth both look just as shaken as me, and they give me nervous looks, like they expect me to tell them it's not possible, that Noxus couldn't just throw an entire nation into despair and suffering.

But I can't because it is.

"That's right," Sadon cracks a lopsided smile. "And the best part is what the first thing I get to do with all that power."

Sadon moves his hand to the other artifact, the long, tube shaped one that's wrapped in cloth. He gently and very carefully moves the cloth at the top of it, and it begins to fall away.

"See, part of tricking your brother wasn't just me lying to him and letting the necklace do its work," Sadon continues, drinking in my reactions. "See, I got the wonderful job of getting to kill all the Ionian rebels who were foolish enough to show their faces so no one could tell your brother I wasn't part of their little resistance. Maybe you even heard a little about them being slaughtered? Well, regardless, the best part about going to their gatherings and killing them all was how I got to do it."

The cloth falls away, and the puzzle pieces all fall together.

Everything that's going on here. It had to be big. Years of planning had to go into this, I knew that because the academy was constructed for this plans very purpose. Whoever made that deal with Dumont, who got the academy built for him in exchange for Dumont overlooking their plan, looked years ahead when he planned this out, and something like that has to have a huge payoff.

So they made sure it would. They put the academy here, in Ionia, knowing that when the accepted the rematch it would be held here. They set up an agent to kill Ionian rebel groups, something that must have taken months of undercover work to root out, all so they could convince an Ionian they were the rebels. They orchestrated a caravan and drew the vast majority of soldiers in occupied Ionia to the academy as cover to get that Ionian agent in. They dug tunnels underneath the academy to not only get soldiers in to clean up after the Ionian and make the rebels to blame, but they also connected the leylines all to well up in one place. Finally, the true goal of the plan, they put agents in place to steal artifacts from the League vault during the match.

Whoever planned this goes beyond being a tactical genius, and someone like that doesn't just make sure they get every possible inch they can. No, someone like that also plans for what to do if things went wrong.

I should have seen it. There are no coincidences when it comes to Noxians, and Akira told me in his letters that the people being killed by Voidborn were all rebels.

So as the cloth falls away and reveals the top of The Void Staff, a staff from the Void realm itself with immense power of not only destruction and corruption but to also control the Voidborn themselves, I only feel pure horror.

"I experimented summoning Voidborn by doing it wherever the rebels gathered," Sadon sighs with something akin to nostalgia. "That way, no one would think twice about groups of people being murdered, and now, with The Void Staff and a limitless supply of mana, I think opening a portal directly to the Void realm should be rather trivial, don't you?"

My legs threaten to give out beneath me. There isn't a curse that doesn't run through my head as I stare into the eyes of a literal madman, willing to risk an open portal to the Void just to accomplish his goals. I try to say something, but my throat chokes the life out of whatever words begin to form.

"You wouldn't," Zane says, eyes wide. "The Voidborn aren't some tool. They're monsters. They're the enemy of all Runeterra. They could destroy us all."

"Not if one can control them with, for instance, this staff" Sadon retorts, covering it back up idly even as he boasts. "And do you want to know the best part? The best part is the only reason I'm going to open a rift for hundreds of Voidborn, the only reason Ionia is going to be not only drained of it's magical energy but also have it's population slaughtered, is because you made me resort to this to destroy our evidence. For that, you have my thanks."

My heart feels like it's ripping itself apart, my ribs suddenly too tight. My jaw shakes.

If Sadon activates the fountain, Ionia will lose it's very soul.

If Sadon opens that portal afterwards, the majority of Ionian's will lose their lives.

And this is just a secondary goal, a bonus that Sadon, Alexander, and whoever planned this all would be happy if they achieved.

When I learned they were rigging the League match using my own brother, I felt in way over my head. When I discovered they were robbing the League vault, I was scared to find out the most powerful entity might not be as strong as I once thought. Now that I know that those were only extra plans, and that another one includes doing this to Ionia, I don't just feel scared and angry.

I feel despair, because even if we stop Sadon here, Alexander still achieved their main objective by delivering that blade, an artifact even I don't know about.

"Oh, I love that look you all have in your eyes," Sadon laughs. "Each of you so full of fear and hatred. Although, I must admit, I find it slightly pathetic that you've gotten yourself this worked up over a girl, Seth."

Seth stiffens where he stands, and my heart feels like it stops beating as things go from bad to worse.

Sadon doesn't know Seth is the child of the commanders he turned in to be executed.

"My parents," Seth whispers, eyes filling with fiery rage. "You betrayed them. They trained you, and you still turned on them."

Sadon furrows his brow, still confused for a moment, but then realization hits him hard. His eyes widen, his mouth twitching as he clenches his hand tight.

"You," Sadon spits. "You're the brat who belonged to them? The one Fairfax took revenge on me for, like I did something wrong?"

"That's right," Seth snarls, baring his teeth. "And now, I'm going to finish what Fairfax started."

Seth twirls his axe in one, simple arc, and as he catches it shadows explode, surrounding him in a cloak of darkness.

"It's time you joined your parents, murderer."

"I could say the same to you," Sadon seethes, holding out his hands in a helpless expression. "But if you think you can take me, then come at me with everything you've got."

I try to scream, I do, but nothing comes out except a dry, guttural groan as Seth loses whatever composure he had to what we're facing, and Sadon's taunts push him over the edge. Seth charges at him with a scream, raising his axe overhead for a powerful swing.

Sadon's eyes are cold as he lifts his hand, and silver light swirls around his palm before soaking into it. Steel seems to grow over his hand's skin, and he catches Seth's axe. Seth snarls, trying to pull it back, but metal shrieks as Sadon literally holds onto the axe, holding it in place. Sadon comes in for a low punch with his free hand, and I see that metal has formed around it too. Sadon punches Seth in the stomach, and as he does the metal in his hand explodes, the combined force sending Seth flying back into the ground. He lands, and as the silvery dust of Sadon's cruel magic falls on him, he screams, each mote inducing pure agony.

Zane reacts quicker than I do, sprinting at Sadon while his back his turned to deal with Seth. Zane goes in for a stab, and his o-katana cuts through Sadon's robes. There's a screech of metal, and spark shoot off as his sword glances off Sadon's armored body. Sadon counters with a quick elbow at Zane's head, but Zane manages to duck and jump back in time, adjusting himself for another attack.

I force myself to move, sprinting at Sadon with a scream as I draw my katana. I gather my will around me, purple electricity arcing off the metal of my sword as my will sharpens. I raise another hand, pulling together that energy to throw at Sadon with a spell.

Sadon slams his palms together, and the metal on his other hand disappears, turning into a silver aura that surrounds him. Then he throws his hands outwards, and the aura begins condensing into a maybe a hundred slivers of metal floating around him like a hail of crossbow bolts. I change my spell quickly, letting out my energy as he then sweeps his hands towards us, the slivers shooting with uncanny speed.

My spell goes off before his, but only just barely. The air itself crackles like thunder as it's frozen into a giant wall of ice a few inches thick, separating us from Sadon's attack. I stop my momentum as I reach Zane at the same time, and turn to him, opening my mouth to-

The sound of shattering ice stops my words, my head turning to Zane just in time to see a flash of a dozen metal shards rip into his body and throw him backwards, some even going straight through him. I get the faint glimpse of surprise on his face before all I see is a blur of motion and a mist of blood as he tumbles away. Tears well up somewhere deep behind my eyes as I turn back to the ice wall I made to protect us, and I see the ice wall has a dozen or so holes in it, all centered around where Zane was.

Even as I look, the wall shatters, and Sadon come through, completely covered in scaled, silver-steel skin. He rams into me, and my bones rattling as the full weight of an steel encased man slams into me, throwing my much smaller body backwards.

I throw out a foot, trying to stop myself from falling, and my ankle twists painfully. Still, it holds, and I swing my katana in desperation. Sadon's too close to me, though, and his hand shoots out, clamping down on my forearm and stopping my awkward slice. His hand twists, and pain shoots up my arm, and I gasp, my eyes flashing red. My hand involuntarily opens, and my katana falls from my grasp.

I start gathering my will with frozen intent, frost forming in my left hand. Sadon sees it coming though, and a blade of metal springs from Sadon's right wrist, above his hand. He lets go of my twisted arm, and I stumble, off balance with him no longer grappling me. Silver flashes in a diagonal slice across my vision as he swings his arm-blade from my left hip to below my right ribs.

Thankfully, the defensive spells of my coat hold, the cloth deceptively strong as it withstands an edge created by magic, and I only end up being pushed back, pain flashing across my stomach as a bruise already starts to form. Sadon's face is covered with a spiked, garish mask of metal, but I imagine surprise lies behind it as a cloth coat stops his magic cold, and I take my opportunity.

I scream at my armor's spells, gathering the power of speed as I look off to the side, and I blink ten feet away. The sudden movement combined with the blow to my stomach makes me more than a little nauseous, as I spin around, facing Sadon. I lift my hand and shout, concentrating on his feet.

Ice freezes to his metal form even as he tries to take a step, stopping him. He gives a tug with his leg, but the ice holds. I take a breath, exhaustion slapping me from so much quick, unrefined spellcasting. Even as I gather myself, Sadon points his arm-blade at me with a metallic snarl. The blade turns into a spear, and then rockets off faster than a heartbeat.

I feel my chest crack as I'm thrown off my feet, bouncing against the ground before rolling onto my stomach. I gasp in shock and pain, but that only makes blood shoot up the back of my throat, and I start coughing. Each heave of my chest sets my ribs on fire. I slide my hand slowly under my chest, feeling for a wound, but find nothing. By some miracle, my defensive magic must have stopped the spear from impaling me. However, I realize dimly, my defensive magic was never designed to stop the force of such a blow.

I continue doing my wheezing, gurgling coughs until the pain at least becomes manageable if not bearable. I look up, the motion jerky and painful, and I see Sadon crouched in front of me, his metal skin gone.

"What a disappointment," he says with a tsk before standing up, walking over to the fountain.

I look around squinting through my pain blurred vision as I search for Zane. I see him, barely lying on the ground with metal shards sticking out of him. A small pool of blood has formed under him, and I can't see how badly he got hit by the shrapnel. He's still awake though, and I can faintly hear him moaning as he twitches and writhes.

There's a sudden scream of agony from almost right next to me, and I look to see Seth on the ground, a metal spike sticking through his left hand. His axe lies just out of reach, and Sadon must have seen him reaching for it, throwing another of his pain spikes to hold him in place. A few smaller ones stick out of his leather armor, and I see him biting down the growing pain.

I look back over to Sadon in time to see him step to the fountain, deliberately looking me in the eye.

"I told you that you would suffer," Sadon smiles. "So now, suffer knowing full well what happens next."

Sadon places his hand against the fountain, and the intricate lines, glyphs, and runes light up with blue energy. The fountain, shaped like two intersecting arches over a podium, begins to glow and hum with power. Above the grail, the lines converge along the intersection of the arches, and the energy falls down in a stream of blue liquid, of pure mana.

The grail lights up, but no matter how much mana flows in, not a single drop overflows.

I watch as the lifeblood of Ionia is drained away, and I'm helpless.

Again.

My vision begins to blur, darkness encroaching, and I lay my head down on the ground, watching as every ounce of magical energy that flows through Ionia is drained away. My vision fades more and more until everything seems to stop, and I blink my eyes with exhaustion.

"It's time."

I search for the owner of the voice, the world around me still frozen as my consciousness fades, and I spot a figure in a simple, dark cloak standing above Zane's fallen form. I squint, desperately trying to figure out what's going on, but I'm just so tired.

"Come. Remember your origin. It's time for you to accept."

Darkness swirls, and the echoing voice is the last thing I hear as I slip away from my pain, a blissful escape at last.