A/N
Yo!
I know I said this was the last chapter, but I've actually made more. The site's been acting up for a while now, and I've noticed that some of you have been missing my updates, sorry about that!
There will be one more chapter after this one, and then the story will be over. I won't be answering reviews until the next chapter, so for now, I just want to say thanks again for reading my fic. It really means a lot to me.
Enjoy reading :)
Chapter 28 – Come Play Act 6
Jinx's lair was the same chaotic mess as always, scraps of metal, old blueprints, half assembled weapons, and random things scattered across every available surface. The familiar, faint scent of gunpowder mixed with oil and metal filled the air, wrapping Naruto in an odd sense of nostalgia.
He sat on an old stool, shirtless, while Jinx tinkered away, welding pieces of a new mechanical arm together. The sparks flickered in the light, casting shadows across her eyes. She was focused, but Naruto could tell, she kept glancing at him.
Every few minutes, she'd steal a look over her shoulder. It was subtle, but he saw it.
Like she was checking to make sure he was still there.
She's afraid I'll vanish again.
Naruto sighed through his nose, watching her delicate hands work on his arm. His heart clenched. After everything, she was still worried about losing him again.
He couldn't let her feel like that.
So, without thinking, Naruto stood up and wrapped his arm around her from behind, pulling her against him. His chin rested on her shoulder, his voice low and soft.
"I'm sorry…" he murmured. "I've missed you."
Jinx froze.
Her grip on the tools slackened, her breath hitched, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she didn't have anything smart to say.
Then, slowly, she turned in his arms.
Her pink eyes shimmered, her face conflicted anger, relief, sadness, love. So many emotions all at once.
"Dumbass…" she whispered, her voice cracking. Then she threw her arms around him, clinging tight. "I've missed you too."
Naruto barely had time to breathe before she crashed her lips against his.
It wasn't rushed or desperate.
It was real, it was everything they had left unsaid.
For the first time in a long, long time… they were home.
Naruto sat on the edge of Jinx's cluttered workbench, flexing the fingers of his new arm as he watched the metal shift seamlessly, the joints moving with the kind of fluidity that almost felt... natural. It was lightweight but sturdy, the sleek black metal smooth under his touch.
It felt good. It felt right.
But what made his throat tighten wasn't the craftsmanship—it was the small engraving on the wrist.
Isha.
His fingers hovered over the name, tracing it lightly.
"She'd like it, y'know," Jinx said, breaking the silence. Her voice was quieter than usual, missing that usual playful lilt.
Naruto didn't respond right away. He just stared at the name, lips pressing into a thin line before finally giving a small nod.
"Yeah, she would."
His voice was soft, but it didn't crack. He was stronger now—maybe not all the way, maybe not yet, but he was getting there.
Jinx leaned back, crossing her arms as she watched him test the arm's movement. "About time, though. You have no idea how annoying it was watching you run around with just one arm."
Naruto let out a short laugh.
"Guess I made your job harder, huh?" he teased, rolling his shoulder to get a feel for the new limb. His core hummed to life, the faint blue glow beneath his chest brighter than before. His eyes, once dull and empty, shone again, alive with purpose.
Jinx's smirk softened, her gaze flickering over him, her lips quirking in something that wasn't quite a smirk, but not a frown either. Something softer.
"You look good," she muttered, twirling a screwdriver between her fingers, like she needed something to occupy her hands.
Naruto turned to her, his expression shifting into something warmer, fonder.
"You do too."
Jinx snorted. "Yeah, yeah, I always look good, lover boy."
Naruto chuckled, but he didn't let it drop. Instead, his gaze lingered, trailing over her, taking in the way her long blue hair fell freely down her back not tied up in those signature braids, not twisted into something wild and messy, just… down.
And it suited her.
"I mean it." His voice was softer now, but steady. "You should keep your hair down. It looks nice."
Jinx blinked, caught off guard for just a second before her brows furrowed, her usual attitude slipping back into place. "The hell kinda battle ready look is that? Ain't exactly practical, y'know?"
Naruto just shrugged, smirking. "Doesn't matter. I'll be there to cover your blind spots."
Jinx stared at him, eyes flicking across his face like she was searching for something. And maybe she found it, because that cocky little smirk of hers twitched into something smaller.
Something genuine.
"Cringe." she muttered, rolling her eyes.
But she didn't argue.
And she didn't tie her hair back up, either.
Chaos consumed the docks. The sharp clang of steel meeting steel, the deafening roar of gunfire, and the cries of the wounded filled the air. Smoke curled into the sky, mixing with the salt of the ocean and the acrid sting of burning metal.
Vi didn't stop to think, she didn't have time to.
She moved, quickly her gauntlets were slick with blood some hers, mostly theirs but she kept swinging, kept fighting. She didn't care about the ache in her arms or the way her ribs screamed every time she took a breath. There was no stopping, no hesitating.
Because if she stopped, people died.
A sharp cry cut through the noise. Vi's gaze snapped toward the catwalk above a Piltovan enforcer cut down, the soldier collapsing hard onto the metal. Still alive. Barely.
She just ran, boots pounded against steel as she sprinted up the steps, sliding onto the catwalk just as a Noxian soldier lifted his axe, ready to finish the job. Vi's gauntlet caught the blade mid-swing, metal shrieking against metal. With a scream, she shoved forward, sending the soldier stumbling back.
One punch.
That's all it took. His body went limp before he hit the ground.
Vi didn't wait. Didn't look. She grabbed the enforcer, heaving them up onto her back with a grunt before pushing forward, legs burning as she raced across the catwalk, dodging stray bullets and leaping over fallen bodies.
She made it past the frontlines, towards a medic tent nestled in the rubble.
"I got you, I got you just hang on, alright?" she muttered, breathless as she knelt down, easing the enforcer onto the ground. Hands shaking, she reached for their helmet, yanking it off—
And her heart stopped.
"Gert?"
Her face was pale, too pale. Blood soaked her uniform, pooling around her, seeping into the fabric. Her chest barely moved.
"Shit, shit, hey—stay with me, okay?" Her hands hovered over him, unsure where to press, what to fix. There was too much blood, too many wounds. "Medic!" she screamed, but deep down, she knew.
She knew.
Gert's cloudy eyes found hers, his lips twitching up into something small, weak.
"Vi…"
She gritted her teeth. "Don't talk, you're fine, we got you—"
Her fingers trembled as they grabbed onto her wrist. Not strong. Not desperate. Just… saying goodbye.
And then, she was gone.
The grip on her wrist slackened. Her chest stilled.
And Vi was left kneeling in the dirt, covered in his blood, staring at someone she couldn't save.
"Goddamn it…" Her voice cracked, barely a whisper.
Another enforcer ran up behind her. "Vi, we have to move! More Noxians are coming—"
She didn't answer. Didn't blink.
Just stared. because there was no time to mourn, no time to stop, no time to let it sink in.
Not Yet.
She took a breath and kept moving forward.
The battle raged on, an all-out war of fire, steel, and desperation. The docks were a battlefield, torn apart by explosions and smoke that hung thick in the air.
Up above, Loris stood his ground.
A makeshift hexgate, smaller than the towering constructs of Piltover, hummed with unstable power beside him. His fingers flew across the console, sweat dripping down his temple as he realigned coordinates, his mind calculating trajectories at impossible speeds.
The gate flickered, pulsing blue, and then—
BOOM.
A shipping container exploded into existence mid-air, hurling towards the incoming Noxian forces like a missile. It crashed onto the docks, flattening soldiers beneath its crushing weight. Another one followed, then another.
Loris barely had time to breathe.
Because then, Ambessa Medarda entered the fray.
She didn't wait for the battle to come to her.
She was the battle.
The moment she stepped onto the war torn docks, the tides shifted.
Her gold-plated armour, battle-worn yet gleaming, bore the intricate engravings of Noxian royalty, each marking a lifetime of conquest. Her cape, drenched from the sea spray, billowed behind her as she walked forward unshaken.
Caitlyn had her in her sights.
High above the chaos, perched within the crumbling remains of an old watchtower, Caitlyn steadied her rifle, lining up the shot.
Deep breath. Steady hands. Squeeze the trigger.
The shot rang out.
Direct hit.
Only, It did nothing….
The moment the bullet struck, the Kaenic runes on Ambessa's wrist flared to life, absorbing the impact like a sponge. The bullet vanished into harmless blue light, dispersing into the air.
Caitlyn cursed.
She fired again. Same result.
Another shot, absorbed.
From the battlefield below, Ambessa lifted her head, meeting Caitlyn's gaze.
A slow, deliberate smirk pulled at her lips.
Caitlyn's stomach dropped, as she heard a deafening roar.
The Noxian warship had turned its cannons toward her perch. A thunderous blast ripped through the watchtower, shattering the stone. Caitlyn was thrown backward, her body slamming against the wooden beams as the structure collapsed beneath her.
She barely had time to breathe before she hit the ground hard, the wind knocked from her lungs.
Dazed, she scrambled to her knees, her sniper rifle just out of reach. Smoke and debris clouded the air, her ears ringing from the explosion.
Ambessa raised her arm. A single fist clenched.
From the heart of the Noxian forces, the soldiers parted.
Something massive emerged.
A colossus of a man, his skin warped and pulsing with unnatural veins, shimmer coursing through his muscles like molten fire.
He dragged something behind him.
A monstrous sphere, rusted chains binding it to his back, its surface humming with energy.
Caitlyn's breath hitched. Because even from here, she could feel it.
The pulse of something far worse than shimmer.
At his back, the pulsing creation of Viktor.
A sphere of incomprehensible power, the ground trembled beneath its weight. As Caitlyn gritted her teeth, reaching for her rifle once more.
if that thing reached the hexgates, Piltover was finished.
The hexgate chamber hummed with failing energy, its once-stable currents flickering as Jayce worked tirelessly, removing one power cell at a time.
His hands were shaking, not from fear, but from exhaustion. The weight of the corrupted Mercury Hammer dug into his shoulder as he gritted his teeth, wrenching out another cell with his free hand.
The room trembled. A distant explosion.
Jayce glanced up, sweat dripping from his brow. His heart pounded in his chest as he listened to the chaos raging outside. He had to move faster.
Because if Viktor got here before the hexgates were shut down, It was over.
Meanwhile, on the crumbling perch above the battlefield…
Loris and Vi were outnumbered.
The Noxian forces were relentless, shimmering veins bulging through their armor as they charged like rabid animals, their swords clashing against Vi's gauntlets. She threw punch after punch, feeling the sickening crunch of bone beneath her fists, but they kept coming.
"Loris, how's it looking?!" she called over her shoulder, her breath coming ragged.
Loris was hunched over, his fingers flying across the controls, his usual sharp mind pushed to the limit. The makeshift defences were barely holding, and he was running out of tricks.
He looked up, forcing a smile.
"Could be worse."
Vi snorted, blocking an axe swing before slamming her fist into the attacker's jaw, sending him over the edge of the platform.
"You always this optimistic when we're about to die?" she shot back.
Loris chuckled. "Makes it easier to ignore how—"
The air shifted.
A sudden whistle too fast, too sharp.
Vi barely had time to react before…
The first bolt struck Loris in the side.
His breath hitched.
Vi spun around just as more came, a hail of crossbow bolts ripping through the air.
"LORIS!"
The second bolt buried itself in his chest.
The third, his neck.
Loris stumbled. His fingers twitched as he instinctively tried to keep working, his brain refusing to process what had just happened.
Vi was at his side in an instant, catching him before he collapsed.
"Hey….hey, come on, stay with me," she begged, shaking him lightly, but his eyes—
His eyes were already unfocused. His breath hitched, a small, weak sound escaping him as his fingers curled into the blood-soaked fabric of her shirt.
Vi's stomach twisted.
"Shit… no, no, you're fine, just hold on—"
Loris let out a weak, half-laugh, his lips twitching as if he wanted to say something witty something to make it less painful but he couldn't.
His body went still.
The fight didn't matter anymore. The war raging around them didn't matter.
Vi just held him.
Blood soaked into her gloves as her grip tightened, her jaw clenched so hard it hurt.
She had lost people before. Far too many.
And still, it never got easier.
She inhaled sharply, forcing herself to her feet. She had to continue fighting.
Through the thick smoke, Caitlyn moved like a ghost, her rifle trained on the dark silhouettes of Noxian soldiers as she led her squad through the side streets. Maddie and Steb flanked her, gas masks secured, their squad carrying the one thing that could turn the tide of this battle.
The plan was simple: Strike fast. Strike hard. Disappear.
Caitlyn lifted a hand, signalling the squad to halt as they neared Viktor's monstrous entourage an army of shimmer-enhanced soldiers, pushing the massive sphere forward like it was some kind of war god's altar.
This was their moment.
She nodded to Maddie.
"Now."
Gas bombs sailed through the air, smashing into the ground around the Noxian forces.
A thick, sickly green fog erupted, filling the street in seconds. The Noxians coughed and sputtered, gagging on the noxious fumes.
The enforcers, prepared for this exact moment, pulled down their masks and advanced.
Through the fog, Caitlyn saw her squad move like shadows, picking off helpless soldiers one by one.
Then the bomb carrier dropped to the ground, crawling low through the smog, making their way to Viktor's sphere. They were so close.
Then a blade flashed.
The enforcer let out a strangled cry as a Noxian blade pierced their back, the bomb falling from their hands.
Caitlyn barely had time to react before Steb was already there, driving his own dagger into the soldier's throat before they could do any more damage.
The bomb was still active.
Still intact, but the carrier was dead.
Steb didn't hesitate. He grabbed the device, pushing forward through the blinding fog, his breath ragged as his mask was knocked loose in the chaos.
With one final push, he reached Viktor's sphere, placing the bomb on its surface.
His hands shook as he armed it, the gears clicking into place.
Then a signal.
A hand sign, the detonation was imminent.
Caitlyn saw it through the fog, her heart pounding as she braced for the explosion—
Nothing.
Silence.
Confusion hit her first.
Then dread.
The bomb hadn't gone off.
Through the thinning smoke, Caitlyn's sharp eyes locked onto the device, noticing something jammed in the gears.
A nail...
Her stomach dropped.
Sabotage…
Before she could react, she felt the crack of metal against her skull.
Caitlyn woke to the sensation of cold metal pressed against her temple.
Her skull throbbed, the pain radiating down her spine, and when she tried to lift her hands, they wouldn't move. Bound? No… her wrists were just stiff from being held behind her head for too long.
She forced her eyes open, blinking rapidly against the harsh torchlight illuminating the blood-soaked docks. The stench of death and smoke was thick in the air.
The remaining enforcers the few that hadn't been slaughtered were lined up beside her, kneeling, their heads bowed, Noxian spears at their backs.
A heavy boot pressed against her shoulder, forcing her lower.
She hissed, looking up and froze.
Maddie stood before her, Caitlyn's heart clenched as she took in the scene. Maddie was holding her own hextech rifle, but not in defence of Piltover. She was presenting it like some kind of trophy to Ambessa.
The Noxian General stepped forward, her towering form exuding absolute confidence. Armor battered but unbroken, her dark eyes cold and unreadable.
Maddie, with a smirk, extended the rifle.
"A gift," Maddie said smoothly, her voice sickeningly proud. "The last remaining piece of Piltover's resistance. Their best shot, on her knees before you."
Caitlyn felt sick.
Ambessa took the weapon, inspecting it briefly before ripping it apart in her bare hands.
She tossed the pieces to the ground, metal clattering against the stone like a death knell.
Caitlyn's chest tightened.
Ambessa regarded Caitlyn with mild amusement, then turned back to Maddie. "You've done well," she said. "I had my doubts about your commitment, but this? This is proof enough."
Maddie grinned, cocking her own rifle. Aimed directly at Caitlyn's skull.
"Let's finish this, then," Maddie said.
Caitlyn's pulse pounded in her ears.
She should've seen it. Should've known. Maddie had been distant, but she thought it was because of the stress of war, of loss.
Not this.
Not betrayal.
Caitlyn clenched her teeth. Her stomach burned with fury, but she didn't let it show.
Instead, she laughed.
Low, cold and empty.
Maddie narrowed her eyes. "What the hell's so funny?"
Caitlyn looked up at her. No fear in her gaze. Only disgust.
"You always were a coward," Caitlyn said simply. "Guess I should've known you'd rather stand beside power than fight for what's right."
Maddie's jaw tightened.
"You're in no position to judge, Kiramman." She raised the rifle, finger resting on the trigger. "Maybe in another life, we could've been something more than this. But in this one? You're just a loose end."
She fired.
But Caitlyn moved. She jerked her head just enough, the bullet grazing past her cheek as she twisted to the side, throwing her elbow into Maddie's ribs.
Maddie let out a strangled gasp, stumbling back.
Caitlyn lunged, grabbing for her weapon...
But a sudden, sharp burn in her gut.
Her body seized up.
She looked down and saw Ambessa's blade buried deep in her stomach.
The world blurred at the edges, blood dripping from Caitlyn's lips.
Ambessa leaned in, her voice a murmur against Caitlyn's ear.
"I thought your mother raised you better," she said, twisting the knife just slightly. "Such a waste of potential."
Caitlyn let out a ragged breath, body trembling.
Ambessa pulled the blade free, and Caitlyn collapsed forward, catching herself on shaking hands. Blood pooled beneath her.
"Now," Ambessa said, stepping back, wiping her blade clean. "Finish her."
Maddie straightened, her face cold, merciless. She lifted the rifle again, levelling it with Caitlyn's forehead.
"You should've stayed down," Maddie muttered.
She pulled the trigger, but before the bullet could reach Caitlyn, a golden sphere materialized around her.
A shimmering, pulsing force.
Maddie's eyes widened as the bullet ricocheted off the barrier, straight back at her.
The shot landed dead centre between her eyes.
Maddie didn't even have time to scream. She collapsed instantly, the life leaving her body before it even hit the ground.
Only the hum of the protective sphere remained.
Caitlyn, gasping, looked behind And saw Mel Medarda, standing on the ridge above, her hands glowing with power.
A flicker of shock passed through Ambessa's expression.
Then, fury.
Mel lowered her hands, her golden aura still radiating through the battlefield.
The air grew thick with tension, the weight of inevitable violence pressing down on everyone. Caitlyn, still on her knees, clutched her bleeding stomach, gritting her teeth against the pain. The remaining enforcers readied themselves, but the odds were stacked heavily against them.
But a sound could be heard…
Music…
A loud, blaring melody echoed through the battlefield, cutting through the sounds of war. It was manic, chaotic a taunting, upbeat tune that didn't belong in a moment like this.
And it was getting closer.
The Noxian soldiers faltered, heads turning toward the sky.
Through the haze of battle, a flying machine emerged a monstrous, patched-together wreck of an airship engine, converted into something almost impossible. A hot air balloon, propellers whirring at its base, steering it through the skies.
Atop it, two figures stood.
Both hooded, standing like statues.
Their clothes were splattered in vibrant colours streaks of purple, blue, and green staining the fabric of their white shirts and cloaks.
The air was electric.
Then, at the same time, they lowered their hoods.
Jinx Her wild, unbraided hair whipped in the wind, pink eyes blazing with excitement.
And beside her stood Naruto.
Back to full strength. His hair was still a pale, ghostly blond, but his eyes shone once more, no longer hollow, no longer lifeless. His new arm flexed, his blade strapped to his back, as he stared down at the battlefield with cold determination.
Jinx grinned, tilting her head toward him.
"Looks like we made it in time," she said.
Naruto nodded, his gaze locked onto Ambessa.
"Yeah," he muttered.
Jinx glanced back at Ambessa as well, the grin on her face turning sharp.
"Make sure you kill her this time," she said.
Naruto's expression didn't waver.
"I will."
The airship lurched forward, picking up speed as it let off paint bombs.
From the sides of the airship, dozens of canisters rained down upon the battlefield, exploding on impact.
A shockwave of colour burst across the docks splashes of neon paint covering everything in its wake. Bright purples, electric blues, toxic greens a masterpiece of chaos.
The Noxian frontlines crumbled, soldiers flinching as their vision was clouded by the vibrant smog.
Then Firelights dropped in. Hoverboards whined through the air, cutting through the haze like streaks of light.
Ekko led the charge, moving like a ghost in the storm.
He dropped from the sky, landing on the cart dragging Viktor's sphere. The massive, shimmer-infused brute guarding it barely had time to react before Ekko slammed his board against his head.
The giant stumbled, eyes rolling back, before collapsing into the dirt.
Sevika and her Zaunite fighters charged from the sidelines, weapons raised, their war cries splitting through the battlefield.
The enforcers took their chance, scrambling to their feet, grabbing their weapons.
The battle was officially reignited.
And amidst the frenzied chaos, Naruto jumped.
He leaped from the airship, slicing straight through the paint-smoke, descending like a blade through the sky.
And he landed, right in the middle of the Noxian ranks.
Soldiers staggered back, caught off guard by the sudden impact.
Naruto exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders.
"Alright," he muttered to himself, flexing his fingers. His core burned blue, his arm tensed around the hilt of his blade.
Then, he charged.
The echoes of gunfire and clashing steel filled the streets of Piltover, but above it all was the unmistakable, rattling roar of Jinx's minigun.
From her perch on the airship, she grinned wildly, her fingers gripping the handles of her beloved weapon.
"Alright, boys," she called out over the battlefield, her voice playful but sharp, "let's paint the town blue!"
As she opened fire. The minigun roared to life, spewing lead in a devastating arc. Bullets ripped through the air, tearing through Noxian soldiers, forcing them to scatter like rats. She watched them scramble for cover, their heavy armour useless against the sheer force of her gunfire.
From below, Vi was still fighting to keep the hexgate defences in place.
Loris's lifeless body was slumped beside the control panel, blood pooling beneath him.
An enforcer hesitated, his eyes flickering to Loris before shaking his head and stepping over him.
He reached for the final lever, hands trembling slightly. He steadied his breath, gripping the controls.
Just as he lined up his shot a massive, shimmer-infused soldier barrelled forward, blocking the path of the shipping container.
"Shit!" the enforcer cursed, yanking his rifle up, but the monstrous soldier was too fast.
A wicked grin spread across the Noxian's face. His veins bulged, his eyes wild with shimmer madness.
That was, until Vi slammed into him.
With a furious growl, she swung her gauntlet back, her entire body coiling with power, as she punched his massive frame. The impact sent him flying straight into the loading bay.
A split second after, the container launched forward, slamming into place—crushing him instantly.
Vi exhaled sharply, rolling her shoulders.
"Squish," she muttered.
Finally, the enforcer at the controls fired the shipping container.
The massive steel box hurtled through the air, its trajectory dead on, heading straight for Viktor's ominous sphere.
The impact was deafening.
Shards of metal and broken hexglass exploded outward, scattering across the battlefield.
The smoke was still thick, swirling around the remains of the sphere, but something felt wrong.
A chill ran down Vi's spine, something was missing.
As she heard deep, mechanical whine, like something powering up.
Then a blinding light sliced through the smoke.
A laser clean, precise, and deadly cut straight through the thick steel doors of the hexgates.
The metal hissed and groaned, melting from the sheer heat of the blast.
As Viktor finally appeared, Or at least, what used to be Viktor.
His body was twisted, reshaped, no longer just a man but a machine of his own making.
The once-frail scientist was gone. His limbs were sleek metal, infused with arcane energy, pulsing with unnatural power.
His eyes, once filled with weary determination, now burned with something else entirely.
Something far more dangerous.
The battlefield was chaos.
Smoke, blood, and fire choked the air as Piltover and Zaun fought side by side against the oncoming Noxian horde. But then, they came.
Viktor's machines.
At first, they moved like ghosts in the mist, sleek figures with glowing red gems in their heads, stepping through the battlefield with precision. Then, in a blink, they struck.
The first screams rang out as the machines seized whoever they could grab enforcers, Firelights, even Noxians. Their metal claws clamped onto flesh like vice grips, and then, a pulse of raw, arcane energy surged through their bodies.
One by one, the victims' eyes rolled back, their faces twisting in unnatural pain as arcane symbols burned into their skin. Their bodies seized, shuddered, then went completely still.
Sevika fought like a beast, swinging her massive mechanical arm with brutal force, smashing through any Noxian in her way. But then they got her.
A machine lunged from the shadows, its claws wrapping around her throat.
"GET OFF!" she snarled, slamming her fist into its side. But the arcane pulse shot through her before she could react.
Her eyes widened, as her body locked up.
Then, slowly, her gaze lifted toward the sky, her face slack and empty as glowing runes etched themselves into her skin.
Mel's eyes flickered with horror as she watched her mother's army encircle her.
Ambessa stood at the centre of it all.
Noxian banners rose high, forming a perimeter around Mel, Caitlyn, and Ambessa.
"Mother, please," Mel pleaded, stepping forward. "This war will bring nothing but ruin. Piltover, Zaun, Noxus, none of us will survive this."
Ambessa regarded her daughter with cold indifference, adjusting the Kaenic Rookern on her arm.
"You are still a fox, Mel," she murmured, shaking her head. "Soft-hearted, fragile. You should have never come back."
Caitlyn, standing beside Mel, gritted her teeth.
She was done listening.
With lightning speed, she grabbed a nearby spear and swung it, as it connected with Ambessa's jaw making the warlord stumble back.
Ambessa turned her head back slowly, rolling her jaw with an amused scoff. She touched her lip, where a faint trace of blood smeared her fingertips.
"Hmph." A low chuckle rumbled in her throat. "You have spirit, girl."
Caitlyn squared her stance, gripping her weapon tightly. "You're damn right I do."
Ambessa smirked looking around.
Before her, Noxian soldiers held their spears at the ready, surrounding Caitlyn and Mel like predators cornering prey.
Caitlyn panted, blood dripping from the wound in her side, but her hands remained steady on her weapon. Mel stood beside her, still catching her breath, staring at her mother with burning hatred.
Ambessa scoffed at them both, her gaze sharp, calculating. "Is this all Piltover has left?" she mused. "A wounded fox and a girl playing soldier?"
Then, lightning tore through the battlefield.
A crimson blur shot past the Noxian ranks like a streak of fire. Soldiers barely had time to react before the air shifted, and suddenly… he was there.
Naruto landed between Caitlyn and Ambessa, the crackling red energy of his runes fading into the air. His twin blades gleamed under the battlefield's light, his new black mechanical arm gripping one of them tightly.
His hair, paler than before, nearly white, fell over his sharp eyes, that held no hesitation, no fear.
Ambessa's lips curled in amusement.
"So," she mused, rolling her shoulders as she flexed her grip on her sword. "You didn't run after all."
Naruto's smirk was sharp, dangerous. He tilted his head, shoulders relaxed but his stance was anything but casual.
"Nah," he replied smoothly, spinning one of his swords before bringing it to his side. "I made a promise, remember?" His eyes flashed, a flicker of something dark, something personal.
"I'm going to kill you."
Ambessa exhaled through her nose, an approving glint in her eyes.
"Good," she said, lowering into her battle stance. armour flexed, shifting to match her movement, runes glowing faintly around her right wrist. She tightened her grip on her massive sword.
"One of us dies today," she declared.
Naruto exhaled slowly, his grip tightening on both hilts.
"Yeah," he murmured, disappearing in a flash of red lightning.
The battlefield was already a nightmare smoke, fire, and steel clashed against screams and blood, a twisted orchestra of chaos. But when the machines arrived, the horror truly began.
The enforcer, the young recruit who barely knew how to hold a gun, let out a strangled gasp as cold metal claws clamped around his arms. His body went rigid, his terrified gaze flickering in the firelight before an arcane glow surged through his veins.
Ekko, perched above the battlefield, sucked in a sharp breath.
"Damn it," he whispered.
The boy's face twisted, his lips parting as if he wanted to cry out, to beg for help, but the glow in his eyes swallowed whatever was left of him.
Jinx's hands clenched around the grips of her minigun, her teeth grinding as she watched. More and more of them were falling to Viktor's machines.
A low, guttural growl rumbled through the battlefield, sending a primal shiver down her spine.
That sound.
That monstrous, blood-chilling sound.
Jinx slowly turned her gaze to the far end of the battlefield.
A shadow emerged from the wreckage, massive and hunched, moving with an unnatural, animalistic grace. The metal bindings on its forearms groaned, struggling to contain the raw power coiled beneath them.
Warwick.
The beast sniffed the air, his massive, clawed fingers twitching as his red eyes burned into Jinx's ship.
Jinx's fingers tensed around the trigger.
"Well," she muttered. "Shit."
Warwick moved, faster than anything his size should be capable of, he lunged straight for the airship.
"Hold on!" she yelled, yanking the controls to the side as the monster slammed into the side of the ship, its claws tearing through metal like paper.
Vi saw the whole thing from below.
Her stomach dropped.
"JINX!"
She didn't think as she started running straight for the edge of the platform, and jumped.
The wind ripped past her ears, the world a blur of movement.
For a split second, she thought I'm not gonna make it.
As a hand caught her.
"Vi, one of these days, you're gonna give me a heart attack," Ekko grunted, struggling to keep the board steady under their combined weight.
"Less talking, more flying!" Vi snapped, eyes locked on Jinx struggling against Warwick on the airship.
As they reached the deck, Vi threw herself forward, her gauntlet whirring to life as she swung her fist collided with Warwick's jaw, sending the beast staggering back.
But the impact threw the entire ship off course.
Jinx yelped as she lost her footing, her hands grasping at the edge before she was nearly flung off entirely.
"Jinx!" Vi yelled, but Warwick recovered quickly.
His head snapped toward Vi.
His growl deepened, something flickering in those red eyes.
Vander she thought.
As she froze.
His clawed hand shot out, grabbing Vi by the throat. The second his fingers wrapped around her neck as her vision blurred.
Her body went limp.
It wasn't unconsciousness. It was something worse.
It felt like her soul was being peeled away, layer by layer, like she was disappearing, fading into something else.
Warwick's eyes glowed brighter, his breath heavy as he tightened his grip.
Ekko did the only thing he could think of, He grabbed Vi and yanked the airship into the clock tower.
The impact shattered the tower's upper half, sending debris raining down onto the battlefield below.
Jayce was running out of time.
Sparks rained down around him, the power cells in the hexgate humming louder and louder as he frantically ripped them from their sockets, one by one.
"We can still fix this," he muttered under his breath. "We can still"
"You don't understand," a voice interrupted.
Jayce froze, slowly, he turned.
Viktor stood in the shadows, his hexclaw gleaming, arcane energy pulsing through his veins.
"I do understand," Jayce snapped, yanking another power cell free. "You're insane."
Viktor tilted his head, watching him with something almost sad.
"This world is filled with suffering, Jayce," he said softly. "But I have found a way to fix it."
Jayce gritted his teeth. "By what? Controlling everyone? Stripping them of free will?"
Viktor shook his head.
"Not control," he said. "Perfection."
With a simple wave of his claw the power cells Jayce had removed flew back into place.
The hexgates roared back to life.
Jayce stumbled back, his breath catching in his throat.
"You see," Viktor murmured, stepping forward as the arcane glow wrapped around him, "free will is a flaw. I will fix it."
The air shimmered, and suddenly the entire battlefield was bathed in the eerie glow of the hexgates.
The world itself shifted, the very air humming with raw power.
The moment Naruto locked eyes with Ambessa, he knew this was the real fight.
A shockwave exploded beneath her boots as she lunged forward, swinging her massive sword in a horizontal arc, aiming to cleave Naruto in half.
But Naruto was already gone.
A streak of crimson lightning flashed through the air as Naruto teleported behind her, his runes crackling to life, blades poised to strike.
Ambessa twisted at the last second, slamming her gauntleted fist into the ground.
The earth shattered, sending jagged debris flying Naruto flipped backward, dodging most of it, but one massive rock clipped his side, throwing him off balance.
Ambessa was on him in a second.
She brought her sword down a blow that could split the floor in half.
Naruto crossed his blades in an X blocking it just in time.
The impact shook the ground beneath them, his arms strained under the weight. She was strong. Ridiculously strong.
"You're fast," Ambessa admitted, pushing against him. "But you can't win on speed alone."
She pressed harder, forcing Naruto to his knees.
He gritted his teeth, his core glowing violently, sparks of blue and green energy pulsing across his body.
His feet dug into the ground, a burst of force erupted from Naruto's core, blasting Ambessa away.
She slid back, digging her sword into the stone to anchor herself, eyes narrowed.
Naruto exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders.
"You talk too much," he muttered.
Lightning surged across his body.
In an instant, Naruto was back in front of her, his blades spinning in his hands like a whirlwind of death.
Ambessa barely dodged the first strike.
As she blocked the second, sparks flying as her cleaver met Naruto's steel.
Naruto moved like a phantom, disappearing and reappearing, striking from every direction.
Each hit was faster, sharper pushing her back.
But Ambessa was adapting.
She started predicting his movements, turning her blocks into counterattacks.
She threw a brutal knee into Naruto's gut, as he grunted, barely dodging a follow up elbow to the face.
Naruto flickered back, skidding across the ground, panting.
Ambessa wiped a trickle of blood from her lip.
"Not bad," she admitted, rolling her shoulders. "But not enough."
She rushed him again.
Before she could reach him, Caitlyn swung her spear at Ambessa stopping her.
Caitlyn, still bleeding from her gut, stood firm. "Did you forget we're here too?" she snapped.
Ambessa grunted, kicking the spear back at Caitlyn.
But then a golden wall of energy slammed into her from the side.
Mel's magic rippled across the battlefield, her hands glowing with power.
She stepped forward, eyes blazing, her voice low.
"This ends today, mother."
Ambessa laughed, rolling her shoulders.
"You all think you stand a chance?" she taunted. "I was forged in war. Raised to conquer. You" she gestured to them all, "are just scared children playing at being warriors."
Naruto spat blood to the side, stepping up next to Mel and Caitlyn.
"Yeah?" he smirked. "Then let's see if you can handle all of us."
Naruto vanished in a burst of lightning, reappearing above Ambessa as his blades descended.
Ambessa met him head-on, blocking one blade.
Naruto tried to counter, twisting his body and slashing upward, but Ambessa's gauntleted fist smashed into his ribs.
Naruto's vision flashed white as the pain ripped through his side.
Before he could even process it, she was already moving again.
Naruto ducked, rolling beneath the sword, feeling the air split apart just inches above his head.
He flashed forward, his blades humming with power aiming straight for her ribs.
But Ambessa caught his wrist with one hand.
Naruto's eyes widened.
Before he could react, Ambessa lifted Naruto off his feet and slammed him into the ground, the sheer impact cratering the stone beneath them.
Naruto choked on his own breath, pain exploding through his back.
Ambessa grabbed him by the face and with one monstrous throw she sent him flying.
Naruto's body crashed through a stone wall, debris exploding around him as he disappeared into the rubble.
Ambessa exhaled, shaking her hands loose.
"Well," she mused, stepping over the broken stone. "That should keep him down for a while."
She turned her gaze toward Caitlyn.
The enforcer locked eyes with the Noxian warlord.
Caitlyn had seen death before. She had stared down criminals, assassins.
But Ambessa was something else entirely.
Caitlyn got in her stance, but it was weak, her wound was still pouring blood.
Ambessa charged, towards her as Caitlyn tried to dodge.
But Ambessa was already there.
A massive gauntleted fist slammed into Caitlyn's gut breaking the spear.
Pain lanced through Caitlyn's body, the spear's broken tip slick with her own blood as she struggled against Ambessa's strength.
Her arms trembled, every muscle burning as she tried to keep the deadly point from piercing any deeper. But Ambessa was relentless.
"Did you truly think you could stand against me?" the Noxian warlord sneered, her voice as solid as steel.
Caitlyn's jaw clenched. She could barely hold her ground. She was losing.
As a pulse of golden light.
Mel's magic flared around them, a shimmering shield forming between them but Ambessa pushed through it, the runes on her wrist pulsing as they absorbed the energy.
Mel gasped as her barrier shattered like glass.
Ambessa didn't even flinch.
With a final grunt of effort, she overpowered Caitlyn's grip, twisting the spear toward its target, Caitlyn's eye.
Time slowed as Caitlyn ripped the dagger from her own gut, slashing wildly at Ambessa's wrist.
The blade tore through the runes, slicing them clean off.
The pieces clattered against the stone.
But the spear still drove forward.
Caitlyn had no time to dodge, she was going to die.
This it it...
In a blur of motion as an arm wrapped around her waist.
As she was yanked out of harm's way.
Caitlyn gasped, blinking through the pain, her body trembling as she clutched at her bleeding side.
She looked up to see Naruto was standing in front of her, breathing heavily, his white-blond hair damp with sweat.
"You alright?" he asked, voice softer than she expected.
Caitlyn exhaled sharply, the adrenaline still running hot in her veins.
"Yeah," she managed, gripping his shoulder for support. "Thanks."
Naruto gave her a small, almost weary smile.
"Anytime."
Then, his gaze snapped back to Ambessa.
The runes were gone.
She vulnerable, now... Naruto thought
Mel had already begun to gather her energy, her hands trembling as golden light coiled around her fingers but Naruto was already moving.
In the blink of an eye, he was there. His twin blades sliced through the air, one aimed directly for Ambessa's chest.
Her eyes widened in shock, but there was no time to react.
The blade plunged deep into her heart.
The battlefield fell held her there, his grip unwavering as he twisted the blade deeper.
"I told you," he whispered.
Blood dripped from her lips, her expression caught between fury and awe.
Naruto leaned in, his voice barely more than a breath "This is for Isha."
With a final twist, he ripped the blade free.
Ambessa stumbled back, her body faltering, but she refused to fall.
Mel rushed forward, catching her mother before she collapsed completely.
Naruto turned away, his blades still dripping with blood, his face unreadable as he walked back toward Caitlyn.
The Noxian soldiers stood in silence, watching their commander fall.
Ambessa coughed weakly, her fingers grasping onto Mel's arms as she stared up at her daughter.
For the first time, her voice was soft.
"You are the wolf."
Mel froze, her lips parting but before she could respond, the light in Ambessa's eyes flickered out.
She was gone.
Mel's breath shook, her fingers curling into fists against her mother's armour.
The Noxian soldiers without hesitation, without shame raised their weapons to their chest and saluted.
Caitlyn pressed a hand to her bleeding stomach, exhaling as she watched the warlord die.
She glanced at Naruto, expecting to see triumph in his expression.
But there was none.
He simply stood there, staring at the blood on his hands.
And for a moment, just a moment Caitlyn thought he looked tired.
Chapter 28 – Come Play Act 6
A/N
And that's the end of this chapter!
What did you think of the fight? This was a shorter chapter, just setting the stage for the finale. In the next chapter, Naruto and Caitlyn will have that long-awaited talk. We'll also catch some action with Naruto and Jinx and then, the ending arrives.
The chapter is already done, so let's hope the site is working properly for the update.
Please leave your reviews/questions, you wish for me to answer at the start of next chapter.
Until next time,
Byebye!