Rin pushed open another door and stepped into the room, his scythe resting on his shoulder.
His eyes quickly searched every corner.
"Alya!"
"Where are you?"
The room remained silent for a moment.
Then—
"Rin!"
Rin turned toward the voice.
His eyes lit up as he spotted Alya standing at the far end of the room.
"There you are."
He started walking toward her.
But then his gaze shifted.
Standing beside Alya was Maxwell, his massive hammer resting on his shoulder.
Rin's expression immediately hardened.
"...You."
Without another word, he lunged forward.
Whoosh!
His scythe cut through the air.
Maxwell reacted instantly, raising his hammer.
Clang!
The two weapons collided, sending a shockwave through the room.
Before either of them could attack again—
Alya rushed between them and grabbed Rin's arm.
"Rin!"
"He isn't an enemy!"
Rin didn't take his eyes off Maxwell.
"How can you be sure?"
Alya tightened her grip on his arm.
"You need to trust me."
For a few seconds, the room fell silent.
Rin looked at Alya...
...then slowly lowered his scythe.
Maxwell also lowered his hammer.
He let out a quiet sigh.
"...I'm sorry."
"For what I did."
Rin gave him a cold look.
"Oh?"
"Did you?"
Before Maxwell could answer—
Clap...
Clap...
Clap...
The sound of slow applause echoed from the doorway.
All three turned at once.
Brody stood there, a faint smile on his face.
"My..."
"What a wonderful show."
His gaze moved from Rin...
...to Alya...
...then finally stopped on Maxwell.
"An intruder."
"An escapee."
He adjusted his black glasses and smiled even wider.
"But the one thing I truly didn't expect..."
His eyes locked onto Maxwell.
"...was a traitor."
The atmosphere instantly turned tense as Brody stepped into the room.
Maxwell tightened his grip on his hammer.
"We need to go."
Rin didn't take his eyes off Brody.
"Alya."
"Run."
He pointed his scythe toward Brody.
"This man is a crazy scientist."
Brody smiled.
"I'm honored."
Maxwell glanced at Rin.
"You can handle him?"
Rin let out a quiet laugh.
"As long as you two escape from here..."
"...that's all that matters."
He slowly stepped forward, placing himself between Brody and the others.
His crimson aura began spreading through the room once again.
"Alya."
"Go."
Alya hesitated.
"But Rin—"
Rin kept his eyes fixed on Brody.
"I'll catch up."
Maxwell nodded.
"Let's move."
He gently pulled Alya back.
Alya looked at Rin one last time before finally nodding.
"...Don't die."
Rin gave a small wave without looking back.
"I don't plan to."
As Alya and Maxwell disappeared into the corridor, Brody chuckled softly.
"So..."
"You intend to stop me all by yourself?"
Rin rested his scythe on his shoulder.
"I only need to stop you long enough."
The two men stood facing each other in silence.
Neither one moved.
The atmosphere grew heavier with every passing second.
Then Rin slowly lowered his stance.
"Come on."
"Show me what you've got."
Alya and Maxwell hurried through the corridors of the base, carefully checking every intersection as they moved.
The sounds of explosions and distant fighting echoed through the facility.
"We need to keep moving," Maxwell said.
Alya nodded.
"I know."
As they turned another corner, they suddenly saw someone running toward them.
"Yin!"
Alya called out.
Yin stopped in front of them and let out a relieved sigh.
"Alya..."
"Thank God you're okay."
His relief quickly faded as his eyes shifted to Maxwell.
"...Why are you with her?"
Maxwell answered calmly.
"I walked away from Noxus."
Yin studied him for a moment before giving a slow nod.
"I see."
He looked down the hallway, his expression becoming serious.
"Even though I still don't know what she's planning..."
"...I have to stop it."
Maxwell frowned.
"That sounds like you're planning to face her."
Yin nodded without hesitation.
"I must."
Alya stepped beside him.
"Then we're coming with you."
Yin smiled faintly.
"Well..."
"Technically, I need another brain to help me work."
He looked at Alya.
"So..."
"You in, kiddo?"
Alya grinned.
"You don't even have to ask."
Yin adjusted his glasses.
"Good."
"Then let's stop Noxus before it's too late."
The three of them immediately headed deeper into the base, determined to reach Noxus before her plan could be completed.
Rin tightened his grip on his scythe.
Without another word, he lunged at Brody.
Whoosh!
The blade swept toward Brody's neck.
Brody calmly stepped to the side.
The scythe missed him by inches.
Rin landed smoothly and immediately turned for another attack.
He swung his scythe again.
Shing!
Brody jumped backward, narrowly avoiding the slash.
The moment he landed—
Thud!
He drove a kick toward Rin.
Rin quickly raised the shaft of his scythe.
Clang!
The kick slammed into the weapon, forcing Rin to slide back a few steps.
Brody smiled.
"Not bad."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small serum.
Rin frowned.
"Taking some potions?"
Brody chuckled.
"Oh yes..."
"I did."
Without hesitation, he injected the serum into his neck.
Click.
The liquid disappeared into his body.
For a brief moment...
Nothing happened.
Then a strange purple aura began flowing around his right hand.
The energy twisted around his arm like smoke.
Rin's eyes narrowed.
"...What is that?"
Brody flexed his fingers.
"It works."
He suddenly disappeared from where he stood.
"So fast—"
Before Rin could react—
Boom!
Brody's fist slammed into Rin's stomach.
"Cough!"
The impact launched Rin across the room.
Crash!
He smashed into the wall before falling onto one knee.
Rin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and slowly stood up.
"...That actually hurt."
Brody rushed toward him again.
Rin remained still.
At the last second—
He stepped aside.
Whoosh!
Brody's punch missed.
Rin immediately swung his scythe toward Brody's neck.
Shing!
The blade was about to connect...
But the purple aura surrounding Brody's hand suddenly surged upward, wrapping around his neck like armor.
Clang!
Rin's scythe stopped on contact.
It couldn't cut through.
Rin's eyes widened.
"...What the—"
Brody smiled.
"What?"
"Shocked?"
The purple aura around Brody's neck slowly retreated.
Like a living flame, it flowed back along his body before gathering around his left hand.
The energy pulsed violently.
Brody looked at Rin and smiled.
"My turn."
He shot forward.
In an instant, he appeared right in front of Rin.
Boom!
His fist flew toward Rin's face.
Rin quickly raised his scythe.
Clang!
The punch crashed into the shaft of the weapon.
For a brief second, Rin managed to hold his ground.
Then—
Boom!
The overwhelming force blasted him backward.
Rin was thrown across the room before crashing through a large glass wall.
Crash!
Shards of glass scattered across the floor as his body rolled to a stop.
The room fell silent.
Rin slowly pushed himself up.
Small pieces of glass slid off his clothes as he brushed them away.
He rolled his shoulders and picked up his scythe.
"...Looks like the real fight begins now..."
He pointed the blade toward Brody.
"...scientist."
Brody stepped through the shattered glass with a confident smirk.
The purple aura continued swirling around his left hand.
He cracked his neck before looking straight at Rin.
"Then..."
"Give me your best shot..."
"...gangster."
Rin tightened his grip on his scythe.
He slowly walked toward Brody, his crimson aura spreading across the shattered laboratory floor.
Broken glass crunched beneath his boots with every step.
His eyes never left Brody.
Brody stood still, a confident smirk on his face as the purple aura continued to swirl around his hand.
"So you're coming again?"
Rin rested the blade of his scythe on his shoulder.
"I've only just started."
The two stared at each other in silence.
Neither of them looked away.
Then—
Rin lowered his stance.
His grip tightened.
In the next instant, he lunged toward Brody once again, his scythe slicing through the air as the battle continued.