The Public Trial

The crowd erupted. Most people still didn't believe it, but some were starting to have doubts.

After all, Dukao had once been the idol of all Noxus. The people had loved him deeply, and the circumstances of his death had always been a mystery. How could they not be suspicious when this was suddenly revealed?

Katarina once again quieted the crowd, then glared viciously at Darius. "If the Darius you all respect isn't lying, then let him tell us whether this is true!"

"That's right. Ten years ago, I was the one who cut off Dukao's head with my own axe!"

Darius made no attempt to hide the truth. The more openly he admitted it, the more Katarina hated him. She continued listing his crimes:

"His Majesty just said you plotted to overthrow the empire. I've been investigating that for a long time. I learned that the two of you often met in secret with your former confidants in the northern borderlands. So, you two dismissed officers, what were you doing there? Bring them in!"

At Katarina's command, a group of people were led into the execution grounds. A few of them looked familiar to me—they were the people who had gathered in Swain's courtyard that day. I'd thought they had already escaped, but it turned out they'd been captured after all.

"You've done well, little sister Katarina. You investigated so thoroughly and even caught them. Well done. You're right—it's all true. Not only did I kill Teacher Dukao, I also wanted to overthrow this empire. But—"

"Enough! There are no buts. These crimes are enough to have you executed a thousand times over!"

Darkwill was furious. He turned to the two elderly men beside him. "Learned Sages, what punishment do you think they deserve?"

The execution grounds were in an uproar. Everyone was discussing what Darius had just said, and a considerable number of people had already begun to turn against him.

At that moment, the two elderly men stood up. They raised their hands to quiet the crowd. "Noxus is strong because of its loyalty. Traitors are the ones who can least be forgiven. They should all be beheaded!"

"Behead them! Behead them..."

As the crowd shouted, a man stepped forward. He had a ridiculous handlebar mustache and a fierce face lined with wrinkles. He was Darius's younger brother, Draven—the man known as the Glorious Executioner.

"Draven, if you kill these traitors yourself, I'll overlook your past transgressions in light of your service."

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

Was he really going to kill Darius himself? I could hardly believe it. Weren't the two of them close? Draven had practically been raised by Darius.

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

When Draven raised his blade, I couldn't hold back any longer. Talon grabbed me. "Don't rush. That may be the face of a killer, but Darius isn't his target."

Draven raised his blade and swung it down swiftly. Just as Talon had said, it didn't strike Darius's neck. Instead, it struck Swain.

With a clang, the chains binding Swain were severed. Only then did Draven release Darius from his shackles.

Darkwill was furious at the sight. "Do you know what you're doing, Draven?"

"Better than you do! Lord Swain is a role model for us warriors!" Draven snatched up a spear and hurled it at Darkwill, but Katarina knocked it aside.

The emperor's guards had now surrounded the three of them, along with the twenty or so people who had just been brought in. Talon and I joined the fight too.

"Catch!" I threw the battle-axe I'd hidden beneath my clothes to Darius, while Talon had already taken down several men.

"You two clowns still dare show your faces? You're dead today!" Katarina's words were as harsh as ever. Her fierce expression and fiery temper suited her bright red hair.

It was my first time seeing Darius fight. His movements weren't at all precise—in fact, they were downright wild. His peerless strength left anyone who dared stand against him dead or crippled.

The twenty or so confidants had also broken free and were cutting down the men surrounding us. The crowd had long since fled in every direction. Before long, we were close to fighting our way out!

Just as I was starting to celebrate, more soldiers surrounded us. They gave off an eerie, chilling feeling.

They were covered in armor, with especially heavy protection around their necks. They wouldn't be easy to kill. Someone born with Divine Strength like Darius could handle them, but the rest of us had a much harder time.

Still, they weren't fast, and their fighting skills weren't impressive. If we held out a little longer, we could beat them.

Talon couldn't find a good way to deal with these fully armored men, so he chose to attack Darkwill instead. He was now locked in a fierce fight with Katarina.

There wasn't much to see in their duel, because it was impossible to follow. Blades flashed and crossed in a chaotic blur, and the clash of steel rang out without pause.

The battle was at a stalemate. Without reinforcements, we were gradually gaining the upper hand. It seemed as if victory was finally within reach—but our hopes didn't last long before something strange happened:

The soldiers we'd knocked down stood back up!

"Hahaha! You think you can kill my Death Guard? Dream on!" Darkwill roared with laughter.

Death Guard? What were they? Could they not be killed? As I watched them keep getting back up, a chill crept over me.

"Don't panic. They haven't all gotten back up."

Darius pointed to the guards whose heads he'd cut off. No wonder their necks were so well protected. They were afraid of being beheaded.

But knowing their weakness didn't mean we could kill them. At the moment, aside from Darius and a few others, no one else had the strength to pierce their armor.

Thanks to Darius's bravery, we continued to hold our ground, but our numbers were dwindling. We stood no chance against the far more numerous Death Guard.

Then I heard the clatter of hooves in the distance. Kled arrived with a group of soldiers. There weren't many of them, but they were all elite fighters, and their arrival eased the pressure on us considerably.

Kled rode a lizard. He approached Darkwill unsteadily and demanded, "What's going on, Brawn? Why did you destroy the teleportation gate leading my army here? Tell your men to stop at once. I have questions for you!"

"I never thought you'd joined the Rebel Army too. I'm disappointed. There's no need to ask. You can die here with them!"

Kled flew into a rage. Though he was short, his explosive strength was no less impressive. Each of his attacks could sever a Death Guard's neck; their thick gorgets were useless!

His arrival brought the battle to another stalemate. Then Swain, who had yet to join the fight, spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but somehow it seemed to ring directly in our ears:

"Your Majesty, we have not betrayed you. And of course, we would never betray Noxus."

"That's enough, Swain. Don't say another word. Offering your life to the empire is your greatest honor."

"You're wrong, Your Majesty. I'm not here to beg for forgiveness. I'm here to lead Noxus to its peak."

Swain raised his left hand, and Darkwill inexplicably floated into the air. He clutched at his throat with both hands, his face twisted in pain and terror.

"What have you done? Put me down!"

"For your former glory, and for Noxus!"