Public Trial

After all, Dukao was once an idol for all of Noxus, and people had deep feelings for him. The cause of his death had always been a mystery, and now, with its sudden revelation, how could people not doubt it?

Katarina once again silenced the clamor, casting a hateful glance at Darius. "If your respected Darius isn't lying, then let him explain if this is true!"

"That's right, ten years ago, I personally beheaded Dukao with my axe!"

Darius made no attempt to hide it. The more he was like this, the more Katarina hated him. She continued to recount his crimes:

"Regarding what Your Majesty just said about their attempt to overthrow the Empire, I've been investigating for a long time. I learned that the two of them, along with their former confidants, frequently held secret meetings in the northern territories. I ask you, two dismissed officials, what were you doing? Bring them forward!"

As Katarina finished speaking, a group of people were escorted in from outside the execution grounds. I recognized a few of them; they were the ones from the meeting in Swain's courtyard that day. I had thought they had escaped, but I didn't expect them to be caught.

"You're quite something, Sister Katarina. You investigated so thoroughly and even captured them. That's right, what you said is all true. I not only killed Teacher Dukao, but I also wanted to overthrow this Empire, but..."

"Enough! There is no 'but.' These crimes are enough to kill you a thousand times over!"

Darkwill was furious and turned to the two elders beside him. "Two learned Sages, what crime should befall them?"

The execution grounds were already in an uproar, with everyone discussing Darius's words. A significant portion of the crowd had already begun to oppose him.

At this moment, the two elders stood up. They waved their hands, signaling for quiet. "Noxus is strong because of its loyalty, and the most unforgivable are traitors. These people should all be beheaded!"

"Behead them! Behead them..."

Amidst the crowd's outcry, a man emerged. He had a comical mustache and a fierce, scowling face, revealing his sinister nature. It was Darius's brother, Draven, known as The Glorious Executioner.

"Draven, if you can personally kill these traitors, I will overlook your past transgressions in consideration of your previous merits."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Draven readily accepted the order.

He was going to kill Darius himself? I found it hard to believe. Weren't their relationship good? Especially since Draven was raised by Darius.

"Brother, I'm sorry, but I still respect Lord Swain more than you."

As Draven raised his blade, I could no longer hold back. Talon grabbed me. "Don't rush. Although that's a killing expression, the target isn't Darius."

Draven swung his blade down swiftly. Just as Talon had said, the blade didn't strike Darius's neck but swung towards Swain.

With a "clang," Swain's chains were severed, and then he proceeded to remove Darius's shackles.

This action greatly angered Darkwill. "Do you know what you're doing, Draven?"

"Perfectly clear! Lord Swain is a role model for us warriors!" With that, he snatched a spear and threw it at Darkwill, but Katarina blocked it.

At this point, the Emperor's guards had surrounded the three of them, along with the twenty-odd people who had just been brought in. Talon and I also intervened.

"Catch!" I tossed the war axe I had hidden under my clothes to Darius, while Talon had already taken down several men.

"You two clowns dare to show up! You will surely die today!" Katarina's words were still harsh. Her serious expression and fiery temper matched her fiery red hair perfectly.

This was my first time seeing Darius fight. His moves were far from refined; they could even be described as exaggerated. His unparalleled strength left anyone who dared to oppose him either dead or crippled.

The twenty-odd confidants had also broken free and were now slaughtering the surrounding soldiers. The citizens in the vicinity had long since fled, and soon, we were actually breaking through!

Just as I rejoiced, many more soldiers surrounded us. They gave off a chilling, uncomfortable aura.

These soldiers were fully armored, with particularly tight neck guards, making them difficult to kill. Darius, with his natural divine strength, was fine, but the others weren't so lucky.

However, they weren't fast, nor were their combat skills particularly impressive. They could be defeated with a little delay.

Talon found it difficult to attack these heavily armored soldiers, so he chose to target Darkwill instead and was currently locked in a fierce battle with Katarina.

There wasn't much to see in their fight because it was impossible to follow. All that could be seen were flashes of blades and swords crossing in a chaotic mess, accompanied by constant clanging sounds.

The situation became a stalemate. Without reinforcements, we were slowly gaining the upper hand, and the dawn of victory seemed imminent. But our joy was short-lived as a bizarre scene unfolded:

The soldiers we had knocked down were getting back up!

"Hahaha, you think you can kill my Death Guard? Dream on!" Darkwill mocked loudly.

Death Guard? What were these things? Were they unkillable? I felt a chill as I watched them continuously get back up.

"Don't panic, they haven't all gotten up."

Darius pointed to the guards whose heads he had severed. No wonder their necks were so well-protected; they were afraid of beheading.

However, even knowing their weakness didn't mean they could be killed. Currently, apart from Darius and a few others, most people lacked the strength to pierce their armor.

Thanks to Darius's valor, we continued to hold on, but our numbers dwindled. Facing the numerous Death Guard, we had no chance of winning.

Just then, I heard the sound of approaching horses not far away. Kled arrived with a troop of soldiers. Although their numbers were small, they were all elite fighters, significantly relieving our pressure.

Kled's mount was a lizard. He shakily approached Darkwill and questioned him:

"What's going on, Brawn! Why did you destroy the portal that leads my army here? Make your men stop immediately; I have something to ask you!"

"I didn't expect you to join the rebel army too. You've truly disappointed me. No need to ask; you'll die here with them!"

Upon hearing this, Kled was enraged. Although he was small in stature, his explosive power was no less. Each attack could sever the necks of the Death Guard, rendering their thick neck guards useless!

His arrival brought the battle to another stalemate. At this point, Swain, who had remained silent, spoke. His voice wasn't loud, yet it seemed to reach my ears directly.

"Your Majesty, we have not betrayed you, nor will we ever betray Noxus."

"Enough, Swain, you don't need to say anything more. Offering your life to the Empire is your highest honor."

"You are mistaken, Your Majesty. I am not here to beg for forgiveness; I am here to lead Noxus to its peak."

Swain raised his left hand, and Darkwill inexplicably levitated into the air, clutching his neck with both hands, his face contorted in pain and agony.

"What have you done! Let me down!"

"For the glory you once held, and for Noxus!"