CHAPTER 6: A NEW CHAMPION ENTERS THE SCENE

Kassadin narrowed his yellow eyes at Vel'Koz.

"You were called here by Malzahar, weren't you?"

"Only Malzahar and I know the truth of the world. Through careful studying, we both came to the conclusion that Runeterra lacked a ruling power. Of which will be us, the Void. There's nothing you can do, Voidwalker. We are already in motion."

Kassadin's Nether Blade glowed malevolently purple. He glared. "What do you mean, 'in motion?'"

"It means I've said too much, Kassadin," the eyeball replied, "Now are you going to let me into the League or not? My patience is tiring."

"I'm sending you back to the Void, where you belong."

Vel'Koz's tentacles glowed purple as well, crackling with Void energy.

"I suppose you are looking for a fight. If it is a fight you want, then it shall be a fight you get."

()()()

"Hm..?" a half-asleep Riven murmured. She opened her eyes and looked at the dim blue clock that hung on the wall. Thursday, 4:15pm. She suddenly sat up on the leather couch she was sleeping on.

"You're finally awake, huh?" a voice asked from the kitchen.

"Where am I..? What am I..?"

Suddenly, Riven realized where she was and jolted wide awake. Yasuo walked into the living room drinking a cup of hot chocolate and holding another in the other hand. He offered it to her with a simple "here". She murmured a "thanks" before taking the hot chocolate from his hand. As she sipped the hot chocolate, she realized what an inconvenience she had caused for him. Ignoring the fact that she killed this guy's teacher, she burst into his apartment, then slept over at his place, and now she was drinking his hot chocolate. The two of them just awkwardly sipped their hot chocolate, not sure how to start a conversation after the one they had just a few hours ago. Riven looked at the time again and was puzzled. Why had none of them been chosen to a match for over six hours?

"Hey Yasuo," she started, as she put the hot chocolate on a nearby desk, "why haven't we been summoned to the Rift yet? It's been almost the entire day, and the Rift shuts down at six."

"Yeah, apparently something happening outside the Institute right now, and they had to shut down all League operations for today. They say we would be safest in our rooms, as they're currently sorting out the issue."

Riven's eyes grew wide and her hands clasped across her mouth. Then she remembered what an inconvenience she was being.

"Oh, wow. Alright, thanks Yasuo. I really appreciate your forgiveness." She gave a little bow, grinned, and walked towards the door. Yasuo followed behind her and unlocked the door. He smiled back.

"If you need to talk to me, don't be stranger."

"Thanks. I appreciate it."

She threw her arms around Yasuo's neck and gave him a friendly hug. As he closed the door behind her, he got ready for another confrontation with Draven. It was inevitable.

()()()()()()()()()

Outside the wrecked exterior of the Institute, Vel'Koz's eye glowed with energy. The air around him crackled with smoke. Kassadin stood opposing Vel'Koz. His Nether Blade was dim. This Void scum is stronger than the last time I saw him, he thought to himself.

"Is that it for your power, Kassadin? What a shame. I thought the Void power I gave you would be so much stronger."

That's right, Kassadin thought, he was the one that gave me this power when I fell into the Void. He suddenly recalled when he fell into the Void to save his daughter. When he was nearly overcome with the Void's monstrosities, some mysterious tentacles wrapped around his arm, before infusing him with pure Void energy. This monster before him saved his life from the Void, while he couldn't save his own daughter. The eyeball cackled.

"I hope you're not getting sentimental, Kassadin."

Kassadin's eyes flickered downwards, and a blue bar popped up. He was out of mana. He flicked his eyes towards Vel'Koz, and a blue bar popped up on top of its head, er, eye. Half mana.

How did he reach such efficiency with his spells? Kassadin stared. He had no choice but to surrender the fight. The least liked option, but it would be the only one to save his life. He wouldn't put it past Vel'Koz to want his own power back.

"Vel'Koz," he began, "There is no longer a reason for me to fight you."

"You have surrendered?" the eyeball asked.

"Yes. I have." He said, through clenched teeth.

What were left of the Institute doors swung open, and a voice announced, "Vel'Koz, welcome to the League of Legends."

()()()()()()()()()

Yasuo walked to the cafeteria for dinner before going to find Draven. As he entered the atrium, a large eyeball floated out, muttering something about how the food did not meet his research standards. Yasuo stared at the being for a couple of seconds in confusion before walking into the large room. Must be a new champion, he thought, what a weird look. He went to the buffet table and loaded a plate with salad and grilled chicken before finding an empty spot. He was affixed to his food, eating voraciously and thinking about how he can approach Draven. And most importantly, how he'll win the next fight.

After ruthlessly finishing off the grilled chicken, Yasuo let out a quiet burp of contentment, scooped up his plates, and went off to get ready for his next encounter.

He found Draven in the Institute hot tub with his harem. Surprise, surprise.

"You," the moustached man said as he narrowed his eyes.

Yasuo looked down at him then said, "back of the Institute. Five minutes."

He noticed some of the ladies pointing at him, whispering, and exchanging some quite rude words. Yasuo couldn't resist the temptation. He whipped out his blade in less than a second and pointed it at the ladies. The metal gleamed ominously in the dim light. "If you're not out there in five minutes, I'll kill these ones first."

The ladies stared back at him for a couple of seconds before screaming and splashing and getting the heck out of the water and running off half naked. Satisfied, Yasuo sheathed his sword, took a look at Draven, and went out to the back of the Institute to wait.

Leaning against his tree, he brought out his flute again and began playing his melody. He looked at the large tower clock that shone brightly.

It took Draven exactly 4 minutes and 56 seconds to get to the back of the Institute.

His dual axes were spinning around in his hands already as he walked towards Yasuo. Yasuo put his bamboo flute away and unsheathed his sword.

"You're gonna pay for ruining Draaaven's night out," the executioner threatened.

"Shut up, virgin." was the simple reply that came from Yasuo.

Draven's face contorted into an expression of repulsion.

"Why the sudden haste for battle, skinny boy?" taunted Draven.

Yasuo remained silent. Draven's expression turned to one of knowing.

"Aaah, I see, eh? It's cuz I told your lady the truth, huh? Well, lemme tell ya what," Draven said as he got closer, "you ain't gonna do crap to me, and once I finish you off, I think I'll have a little "fun-time" with her."

Yasuo's knuckles whitened as he gripped his sword.

"If he feels like it," Draven continued, "Draaaven's gonna be getting down and dirty with that cheeky little bit-"

A white flash of steel, and a red line was drawn across Draven's cheek. The red hot anger inside Yasuo flared. A cold breeze blew around the two.

"On three?" Draven asked.

"On three." Yasuo confirmed.

"1."

"2."

The "3" never came, as an axe flew straight at Yasuo's head. "Choryon!" He yelled in Ancient Ionian as a quick wind wall appeared and blocked it off. Yasuo grabbed his sword, and through the wind wall, thrust it out at Draven. Draven raised his axe, meeting Yasuo's blade midair with a powerful clang. Yasuo's sword, empowered by the wind, emitted a blast of wind, knocking Draven onto his back. A thin line of blood trickled out from the corner of Draven's mouth. Screaming in rage, he grabbed both his axes and slammed them, both still spinning, into the ground. As the blades of the axes spun towards Yasuo, Draven took the time to regain his bearings and combat sense. Yasuo, not having his wind wall available, jumped up into the air, before seeing Draven hide a sinister grin. Oh, no, Yasuo thought,before the executioner leapt into the air and slammed Yasuo down onto the ground, pinning his arms on the ground.

"You know," Draven said ominously, "my axes always come back to me."

Yasuo didn't understand what he meant. Then he heard the quiet whirring of the axes in the distance becoming louder and louder.

Crap, Yasuo thought, as the whirring got ever louder and ever closer to him.

"Your little princess ain't here to save ya this time, Ionian scum."

Rage triggered in Yasuo. He will not lose to a Noxian a second time. He refused to. Using his sudden newfound strength, he used his free hand to grab onto Draven's wrist and squeezed. Upon hearing the cracking of his bones, Draven yelled out in pain and instinctively pulled his hand back. That was a mistake. Yasuo grabbed his collar and threw him like a sock puppet to the side, driving his sword deep into Draven's stomach while he was at it. He leapt off the ground, and the axes passed by where his heck was just a fraction of a second ago. Draven was slowly standing up, holding onto the trunk of a tree to stand up properly. Panting heavily, blood dribbled from his forehead and the corners of his mouth, and he had various cuts across his person already. His eyes were half closed as he put his hands up in front of him, signalling surrender. And suddenly, Yasuo was brought back to the Noxian invasion, where he ruthlessly finished off the surrendering Noxians. They deserved no pity. No pity at all. Not even now, as the Noxian scum stood there, an easy target for his whirlwind.

"Hasagi!"

A huge whirlwind flew towards Draven, hitting him hard into the air and even partially uprooting the tree. However, Yasuo didn't follow up, as Draven fell hard back to the ground. He cleaned the blood off his sword and sheathed it. His eyes flickered to Draven's motionless body and a red health bar popped up. Beaten to within an inch of his life, huh, Yasuo thought. He knelt down and looked into Draven's defeated eyes. Draven struggled to sit up, and was surprised when Yasuo gave him a hand and helped him up against the tree. He couldn't see Yasuo's eyes, but he knew it could hold nothing pleasant. Yasuo's voice was as cold as the steel his sword was made of.

"Looks like you did have to cheat for that extra second, and you still couldn't win."