A Difficult Battle

My wounds healed faster than I expected; they were almost gone in just one day. However, the damage caused by the Dark Power hasn't fully healed yet...•°¤*(¯`★´¯)*¤° °¤*(¯´★`¯)*¤°•.

Aatrox is the owner of the Dark Rune. If I want to contend with him, I'll at least need the Light Rune, and I'll also need to know how to use it.

I just don't know where Ryze is. Maybe I should bring Kayle and Morgana with me before I find him. They are the embodiment of light and darkness and can help me deal with Aatrox.

When I visited the Angel City before, Meriel also promised to help me deal with Aatrox, but I don't want to see her now. It's best to avoid contact with such a powerful being who is neither friend nor foe unless absolutely necessary.

After resting quietly for a few days, when I felt that the Dark Power had no effect, I prepared to go to the Temple of Bahru to find the Kayle sisters.

As if anticipating my actions, Aatrox was already waiting for me at the portal. He destroyed the portal and killed the mages there.

"You're here so soon? I thought you'd need to rest for a few more days."

"Your operations have never ceased, and I have no time to rest, but before the battle, I'd like to say a few words to you."

"Speak, no one can bother us today unless they're courting death."

"Powerful Vastaya are always paired with powerful mortals, so why are you always in Vastaya form? Is your host so incompetent?"

"This is my true form. I wasn't sealed away, so of course I don't need a mortal body."

"It seems my information was a bit wrong. I thought you were sealed inside the giant sword."

"I've killed Myisha and Pantheon, who can seal me away now?"

"You weren't sealed away, but you still disappeared for a thousand years, all to prepare for today's plan, right? You are that That Great One!"

"That Great One helped the Vastaya find a suitable host, restore their consciousness, enhance their power, and advance the plan, but that person was not me."

Regarding that That Great One's identity, I only suspected Aatrox and Evelynn, but after the Shadow Isles incident, I ruled out Evelynn.

Now that I know that person wasn't Aatrox, could he be someone I don't know?

"Can you tell me who it is? Now that the war has started, there's no need to hide anything, is there?"

"Bai Juen and the others weren't deliberately hiding it; they genuinely didn't know..."

Aatrox said that the Vastaya did not know the true identity of "that That Great One," which is why they called him that.

The two were partners; the That Great One helped him find and awaken the Vastaya, and in return, he was to hand over the Dark Rune when the war began.

Their cooperation has lasted for centuries. The That Great One has always concealed his true identity, but one thing is undeniable: he is a powerful mage!

"You've been cooperating with him for so many years without even knowing his identity? You're lying to him, aren't you? You wouldn't hand over the Dark Rune."

"No, I've already given it to him. We share the same ideals; we're just helping each other out."

I didn't want to ask any further, because among the people I knew, Ryze was the only Archmage currently collecting runes.

If it really is him, then our situation will be terrible, and I will feel terrible too, because I just helped him collect the Death Rune and the Primal Crystal.

Of course, I can't be too pessimistic. Maybe Ryze is just using the Vastaya. After all, he didn't even tell them his identity, but he was very honest with me.

→

And this is just my guess; it doesn't mean that the That Great One is really Ryze. Of course, to confirm, we need to leave alive, which currently requires defeating Aatrox!

Do you have any other questions?

"That's all. So now, are you going to kill me?"

"Perhaps, I have no choice but to do this!"

Aatrox raised his living greatsword and pointed it at me; even without the Dark Rune, the aura of darkness emanating from him was still incredibly powerful.

The greatsword didn't look sharp; apart from the blade, the middle part looked like a piece of bright red flesh. The red and yellow area where the hilt met the blade was dazzling and thumping like a heart.

What's terrifying is that I could feel my heart pounding in rhythm with the giant sword!

I forced myself to control my agitation, drew my Gale Sword, and stared intently at Aatrox.

I have seen him many times in the Ascended Realm and know his immense power, especially the way his terrifying greatsword effortlessly severed the heads of his enemies.

Of course, I am not a grunt, nor even a mortal; I am a powerful War Aspect!

I sparred with Aatrox. He wasn't fast; in fact, he was quite slow. He just swung his greatsword clumsily, like a beginner.

This gave me a huge advantage, forcing him to retreat constantly, and the powerful Wind Slash left scars all over his body.

Although these wounds won't be fatal, they will definitely cut through his flesh and break his bones over time!

What's going on? Aatrox is far too weak. He wasn't this weak back in the Ascended Illusion. Does he have some hidden trick up his sleeve?

Who cares? Just attack as much as possible and kill him before he can use his last move!

Just as I was pressing my attack, I suddenly noticed that the Gale Sword was covered with a thin layer of black powder, as if it had fallen off his body.

Soon, the black powder was sprinkled on me, causing a slight stinging sensation. This was familiar to me; it was the corrosive Dark Power.

I tried to blow away the black powder by creating Wind Force, but the black powder formed a black line, gradually turned into mist, and wrapped around me, thus slowing me down!

This wouldn't normally be a problem, because even if we were to compete in terms of strength at the same speed, I wouldn't be at a disadvantage, especially since I can Uniform Strength!

But after a while, Aatrox remained the same, while I felt my strength waning!

Why did I feel tired first when I used Uniform Strength? At that moment, I saw that the greatsword in his hand was even sharper than before!

Without a doubt, it was this sword that was causing the problem. It either absorbed my power or sliced it away, and in short, I started to fall into a disadvantageous position!

The Black Mist around me tightened, my body grew increasingly exhausted, and my movements became more and more difficult. I couldn't keep fighting like this; I would be worn down and killed sooner or later!

"It seems you haven't mastered the power of the War Aspect yet. Pantheon's struggles were far more intense than yours!"

"As you can see, I'm just a novice, but I don't intend to defeat you with the power of the War Aspect. Mortal strength can also prevail!"

"Hahaha... You've already lost your chance, but I still have to praise you, because your mastery of Wind Element Strength is excellent; you even managed to cut my bones!"

Judging from Aatrox's words, it seems he has no intention of continuing the fight; he's prepared to kill me. Of course, I won't just sit here and wait to die!