Misty and Unclear

"Can you let me go now, Senior Brother?"

Kennen released his grip upon hearing Shen's words. He glared sternly at Shen, as if expecting an explanation. At this moment, a faint smile touched the corner of Shen's lips.

Does he have some kind of scheme? Just as I was about to warn Kennen, I saw his back suddenly pierced. The attacker was Akali!

The recent fight had ended quickly, and no one had bothered us, so neither Poppy nor I had paid attention to Akali's movements. Now, she had stabbed Kennen in the heart with a dagger, instantly draining his strength. Immediately after, Shen plunged his soul blade into him.

"Shen, you!"

"Don't worry, Senior Brother. I'm not like Zed. He could kill Father with his own hands, but I would never kill you. However, I need to make you behave so we can reconcile."

Everything happened so suddenly. I quickly grabbed Akali, preventing her from harming Kennen further.

It seemed the ritual earlier wasn't a soul cleansing but mind control. Shen had taken advantage of our inattention to Akali and manipulated her into attacking!

The light in Kennen's eyes gradually dimmed. It was then I noticed Akali's eyes were also a bit dim. Was it because of the soul blade?

Poppy swung her great hammer and charged at Shen. They began to fight. As I was about to go help, I noticed the three Kinkou Order guardians who had just left had returned.

They surrounded me and engaged me in a struggle. While Tianshu and Haishi seemed normal, Li's eyes were also somewhat dim.

It's confirmed, she's also been controlled by Shen. Those dim, lifeless eyes are the best proof!

These individuals were all top masters of the Kinkou Order. Fighting them all at once was not easy. Now, Akali was also staring intently at me, ready to attack at any moment. I was afraid of hurting her, so I could only desperately defend myself.

Poppy was faring much better. Wielding her great hammer, she fought bravely and soon had Shen completely on the defensive, forcing him to rely solely on his agility to dodge.

Just as I was anticipating her rescue, a hoarse laugh suddenly came from beside me, a truly unpleasant sound:

"Hehehe... cough, cough, cough. I've already enjoyed this brief moment of pleasure before the curtain rises. However, a dull performance cannot move my heart. Now, it's time for your finale."

Chunibyo dialogue, a hoarse voice, a puppet-like body, and an ugly gun – it was Jhin!

How did he get here? Was he captured by Shen earlier and escaped during the chaos? But his full gear doesn't look like he's been imprisoned.

Regardless of the reason, his primary target was us.

Jhin raised his Whisper and aimed at Poppy. He delivered a line with every shot. The scene was quite flashy, but it couldn't penetrate the Yordle's thick hide, thus causing no substantial damage. Moreover, Poppy was very careful this time about his binding magic, always dodging before the smoke formed a cage.

This eased Shen's pressure considerably. He seized the opportunity to fire a flare, and the Kinkou Order members scattered around quickly gathered. He himself withdrew from the fight, focusing on Kennen's "baptism."

This situation left us no choice but to continue fighting. If Shen managed to control Kennen, forget about rescuing anyone; Poppy and I would be finished!

"Let's retreat, Poppy! We're no match for them anymore!"

"You go first, I'll try a bit longer! Don't worry, they can't hurt me!"

Poppy refused to abandon Kennen and continued to fight valiantly. If that was the case, what kind of person would I be if I ran away alone? Didn't I say I wanted to be friends with her?

I rallied my spirits and decided to fight to the end with her!

At some point, my left arm was slashed, and at another, my right leg was pierced. Blood flowed from me in increasing amounts. However, I had also killed many people. I wouldn't show them the same mercy I would have shown Kennen.

Poppy gradually transitioned from fighting alone to protecting me while fighting. By choosing to stay, I had ultimately become her burden. Fortunately, Kennen hadn't been fully controlled by Shen yet; otherwise, the outcome would have been decided long ago.

No! I can't go on like this, pathetically. Since I can't escape, I might as well die here. That way, Poppy can escape on her own!

With that thought, I disregarded my injuries even further, attacking wildly without any defense...

I unleashed the swordsmanship Fiora taught me, the techniques I learned from the Dauntless Vanguard, and the skills I honed in the arena to their absolute limit. Every flash of my blade brought down one or two enemies.

At this moment, I suddenly felt my strength was endless, and I couldn't feel any pain. Was this the final burst of energy before death? Why else would I feel no pain?

Just as I was fighting desperately, a group of dark figures suddenly charged into the crowd. They moved with incredible speed, directly attacking the Kinkou Order members, instantly relieving us of our predicament. One of them rushed towards Shen, interrupting his ritual to control Kennen, and then picked up Kennen and left.

"Quick, go!" Zed's voice echoed from the air.

Seeing Kennen rescued, Poppy no longer lingered. Her small body lifted me, and she sprinted away. The other Shadow Order members followed, arriving and departing as quickly as they came.

After running for quite some time, just as I felt I couldn't hold on any longer, Poppy finally set me down. We had arrived in a spacious cavern, the sound of dripping water echoing endlessly.

"You few go guard the cave entrance. If the Kinkou Order pursues us, lead them away. I need to treat Senior Brother. Make sure they don't find this place!"

"Yes!" Hearing Zed's command, several figures immediately dispersed.

Freed from Shen's control, Kennen quickly regained consciousness. These injuries posed no threat to him. Although he was stabbed in the heart, Yordles don't have hearts; that area is merely their power core.

In contrast, my injuries were much more severe. They didn't seem fatal, but there wasn't a good spot on my body. My desperate attack in the final moments had caused these wounds to connect, making them look like I'd been skinned alive, truly terrifying. Zed had a hard time stopping the bleeding.

After this series of chaotic and bewildering events, I truly didn't know who the good guys were. Not long ago, I hated Zed, yet now he had saved me. Shen, on the other hand, had been polite at first, but now... he had become like this.

"Thank you," I managed to utter the two words with difficulty.

"Don't thank me. I saved you because you helped Senior Brother."

Zed's tone remained cold, just as Kennen had said, he was a proud person.

Kennen had recovered significantly by now and stared intently at Zed. "Why did you betray the Kinkou Order? Did you really kill Sifang?"

"I did not betray the Kinkou Order, nor did I kill Father!"

Faced with the accusations, Zed revealed the truth of what happened back then.