"Soldiers, advance!"
Azir's majestic voice rang out, and the soldiers formed from golden sand surged forward, crashing toward the figure in the distance wreathed in arcane energy.
"I am eternal!"
Xerath's arrogant voice lost none of its force in reply.
Pillars of arcane power rained from the sky, lightning bolts flew casually from his hand, and slow-moving orbs drifted across the battlefield only to explode without warning. The sand soldiers were no mortals and knew no fear of death, but even they were blasted apart under that kind of onslaught, dissolving into clouds of sand.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Caleb had only just managed to catch his breath. Looking at the situation in front of him, he frowned.
Azir had arrived, but it didn't look like he could actually finish Xerath off.
The two of them were clashing head-on, but neither could do anything decisive to the other. Azir kept shifting positions under the protection of his sand soldiers, while the arcane energy pouring off Xerath continuously blew apart any soldiers that came too close.
The fight was deadlocked.
"This is going to drag on for a while," Caleb muttered to the two women moving closer to him.
"Yes," Sivir said without hesitation, nodding at once. "I've heard that truly powerful Ascended can fight for months without it being strange at all."
With reserves of power that absurd, it would come down to who could hold out longer in the end.
Still, Xerath specialized in sorcery, and Azir wasn't exactly a close-quarters fighter either, so the two of them were just standing off at range and hammering each other with spell after spell.
"So do we just pull back now?" Kai'Sa asked quietly, lowering her head.
Nasus stood beside them, but as a civil official, he had no way to join the battle at a time like this. All he could do was shield the group from the aftershocks of the clash.
Was there really no other way?
Caleb lowered his head and fell into deep thought.
They definitely couldn't wait for months.
The Void in Icathia wouldn't wait that long.
And Xerath was the kind of bastard who only cared about himself, so naturally he didn't care one bit about the Void coming.
But Azir was the Emperor of Shurima. There was no way he could accept his people being slaughtered.
Not to mention that there wasn't much time left before the Ruination either.
Caleb couldn't exactly go back to Zaun first and then return here later to wait for them to settle the winner.
They needed a quick resolution. Xerath could afford to drag this out, but they couldn't.
And Azir clearly understood that too, which was why he kept intensifying his attacks.
Caleb had never believed in some so-called protagonist's luck. If Ryze just happened to pass by right now and Caleb explained the situation, that powerful mage would probably have no problem lending a hand.
But this was Shurima.
Ryze could be anywhere in the world. There was no point gambling on luck.
Though Azir had been taught martial skill by Renekton, the soldiers formed from sand were still the main source of his combat strength.
"You've got to be kidding me... Other protagonists are probably off chasing girls right now..."
Caleb could only sigh helplessly. He had just fought the Black Mist with his life on the line, and before he could enjoy even a few peaceful days, Xerath had shown up in front of him.
If this trouble wasn't dealt with, then as the Void in Icathia continued north, it would reach Zaun and Piltover sooner or later.
And if the Ruination came on top of that, Janna alone would never be able to protect all of Zaun.
"Nasus, tell me everything you know about the Darkin. Right now."
Caleb's gaze darkened. This time he really had to get serious.
"Simply put, the Darkin are god-warriors who were corrupted by the Void."
As Nasus spoke of that history, grief filled his eyes, but so did pride he could not suppress.
Back then, with only Renekton left behind to guard the capital, almost all of Shurima's Ascended had gone out to war.
One after another, they charged forward and drove their weapons into the heart of the Void, finally suppressing the corruption unleashed by Icathia.
And every Ascended who had entered the Void came back changed.
From warriors whose presence inspired awe, they turned into hideous monsters.
Fortunately, their hearts had not changed.
Not until Shurima fell.
Once the Darkin were no longer ruled by men, their pride made them believe there was no being left in the world with the right to command them.
And so the Darkin War began.
Nasus spoke quickly over the chaos of the battlefield, but every word still reached Caleb clearly.
"Later, the Aspects of Mount Targon taught humanity how to seal them within weapons."
At that, Nasus could not help but sigh.
The Darkin were proud. They could not accept the fall of Shurima.
Every one of them wanted to become the master of the new world, and in the end, none of them succeeded.
"All right. I understand now."
Caleb closed his eyes and entered the palace of his mind.
Inside the system inventory, the long spear that seemed to have a heart embedded in it still pulsed faintly.
No wonder it was a Darkin, after all. Even after all these days, it had still kept its patience.
Caleb slowly reached out and gripped the shaft.
He had tried something this reckless once before, and a single furious roar from the thing had scared the hell out of him.
"Mortal! You can communicate with me?"
It was the same voice as before, still carrying that vicious edge.
Caleb drew a deep breath and said slowly, "I need your help."
"My help? I'm not some warmhearted saint."
"I know that means I'll have to wield you." Caleb's tone remained steady.
"Oh?"
Now the other party was interested.
This kid not only had a powerful body, there was also a kind of sorcerous energy surging through him.
Across all of Runeterra, a body like that was hard to find.
And without question, if the boy ever laid hands on his true weapon body, his will would overwhelm the boy's consciousness.
"Interesting."
A savage, twisted face appeared before Caleb, the original form of that Darkin.
"Go on then. What kind of trouble could force you to come begging me for help?"
Greed filled the other's eyes, and a faint smile hung at the corner of his mouth.
Even this brief conversation was enough to leave him feeling satisfied.
Ever since he had been sealed inside this damned weapon, the endless darkness had stretched on for far too long.
He couldn't even find someone to talk to. All he could do was remain silent and keep waiting.
He had waited so long it had nearly driven him mad.
"Xerath," Caleb said in a low voice.
"The slave at the emperor's side? What about him?" the Darkin asked carelessly.
"He stole the power of Azir's Ascension ritual and caused Shurima's destruction."
That single sentence dragged the Darkin's mind back to the era when he had still been a god-warrior.
"So it was him. Good. Good, kid!"
No matter how one listened to that tone, it was overflowing with rage.
"I'll help you kill him until not even dust is left."
The Darkin's voice was already thick with brutality and chilling murderous intent.
"Rest easy. I swear it on my existence as a Darkin and on the pride of the Ascended."
"Then I'm counting on you."
After saying that, Caleb opened his eyes again.
Beside him, Kai'Sa looked completely at a loss.
"Get farther back." Caleb waved a hand behind him, then used Shadow Step and rushed forward.
Darkin were vicious and brutal by nature. Nasus was both a civil official and someone who had received only half the power of Ascension.
He could not afford to drag the others into this.
Caleb charged straight into the center of Azir and Xerath's battlefield, then summoned the spear from his inventory.
The heart on it was beating violently, clearly thrilled at the thought of seeing the light of day again.
Caleb seized the shaft with one hand.
A massive black vortex appeared in the sky above the desert!
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