The Battle of Encirclement

No wonder the Multifaceted Orb couldn't contact Shurima; it turns out Azir never intended to unite with us!

After hearing Varus's story, I felt a pang of regret, because Nasus had warned me that Azir was acting strangely, yet I hadn't told the others.

"I'm sorry, Grand Maester Nasus told me before he died that Azir had evil intentions, but I didn't tell you. ♡💣 ❻➈ 💙💝"

"It's not your fault. Even if you had told us before, no one would have believed you, and it might have even caused conflict."

"Do you have any clues about Azir's actions?"

"I don't know why His Your Majesty is like this either. We've already joined the Light, and our alliance has been established... Oh right! Maybe it's because of that woman!"

"The woman with Ryze?"

"Yes! She can also use Dark Power; I suspect she's Vastaya! But there's one thing I don't understand: isn't Ryze on our side?"

"No, he is that That Great One."

"What?! Ryze is the mastermind behind the Vastaya?"

"Yes, I wanted to tell you through the multifaceted sphere, but I couldn't get in touch with you..."

I told Varus about what had happened recently, especially about Aatrox's appearance.

Varus wasn't surprised. He understood when he heard that Ryze was that That Great One; it was all part of his and Aatrox's plan!

Now that Demacia is stable, Shurima has become the stronghold of the Vastaya, making the situation even more dire than before!

Kayle treated Varus and Renekton, and their injuries finally subsided, but they still need to rest.

I used the multifaceted sphere to explain this to others, and also learned about the situation in other places:

Freljord remains unchanged, Noxus is nearing completion of its mobilization, Kindred the fighting in Ionia intensifies. In addition to Janna and Ivern, God of Death has also begun to lend a hand.

No matter how dire the situation, we cannot afford to panic. The next battleground is Noxus!

I left Fiora and Jarvan to continue defending the area, while I took the Angel sisters, Poppy, and Tristana to Noxus to prepare for the next battle.

Noxus was divided into three strongholds, each with a relatively strong defense. Tahm Tam led the defense of the northern stronghold, Darius, Swain, and Rappor led the defense of the central stronghold, Kled led the defense of the southern stronghold.

We haven't shown ourselves since we arrived, waiting for the crucial moment to launch a surprise attack and wipe out the Vastaya here in one fell swoop.

Strangely enough, the Vastaya in the northern stronghold were usually the most active, but they hadn't launched an attack until we received the news:

Several Vastaya have been killed, just like what happened in Demacia back then!

"Who's helping us? Your friend Yasuo?" Darius asked me.

"I'm not sure either. I suspect it's Jax. He was a weapons master from Icathia more than two thousand years ago, and he's still alive today because he was corrupted by Void energy."

"It's quite strange that it not only survived the corruption of void energy but also became our ally."

"Indeed, but this is just my guess; perhaps it's someone else."

"I hope to have more strong friends. By the way, what do you think about Riven?"

Darius made no attempt to hide it; in fact, I also wanted to tell him about it, as I'd been keeping it bottled up inside for days with no one to confide in.

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"I don't know why she joined the Vastaya, and why she became so powerful; her Wind Riding Technique even surpasses mine."

"Oh? Even stronger than your Wind Riding Technique? That's a huge improvement. It couldn't have been something she cultivated herself, could it?"

"I don't think so. I mastered the full range of Wind Power under Janna's guidance, and she does the same. She must have had some expert guidance."

"So that means besides Ryze and Aatrox, there's another unidentified person targeting us?"

"At least one of them, plus the mysterious woman with Ryze, means our battle will be tough."

"Hahaha... Only hardship makes it a battle! Don't be discouraged, buddy, we'll win! Then we'll slap Riven twice, and we'll keep drinking!"

I hope that day comes soon.

We chatted for a while longer. Being with Darius always made me feel at ease, regardless of his strength, but rather a sense of security emanating from my heart.

A few days passed peacefully like this, and we heard no more news of the Vastaya being killed. Instead, we heard that they were conducting a manhunt, and without a doubt, they were hunting down the people who had been secretly helping us!

After discussion, we decided to take the initiative. Although we were unsure whether the Vastaya had gathered together, since it was a roundup, we would definitely need a lot of people.

Darius sent a message to Kled, and he quickly arrived with Rumble, Jikerd, and Silvan.

Besides the people I brought, we also have Darius, Swain, Rappor, and Rovvi who can join the battle.

Upon arriving in the north, Tam and the five members of Strength Speed Shadow Precision were already prepared. A Bing had been gathering intelligence outside and had not yet returned.

In addition, Tam said he had also contacted Sejuani and Volibear, and they are ready to launch a massive coordinated attack to completely wipe out the Vastaya active in Noxus!

Without further ado, after Tam sent the message to the people of Freljord, we immediately set off. Because the Vastaya are scattered, we also split up and acted separately.

To ensure a successful kill, we worked in groups of two or three, carrying red flares to fire if we encountered danger.

Based on skill level, I ended up in a group with Rappor. This big guy was pretty good, but he was considered relatively weak among us.

In the relatively open areas of the north, the Wind's Breath Insight works very well, and I quickly sensed the presence of a Vastaya nearby.

"Enemy spotted! Let's go!"

"Okay, I'll do whatever you say!" Rappor gripped the large hammer in his hand, ready for battle.

We soon discovered a small farm, but since the farmer had already left, only a few skinny, neglected horses and scattered hay remained.

In a small cabin not far from the stables, I sensed the presence of the Vastaya; he was inside!

There was no sign of anyone else here. What was the Vastaya doing hiding in the cabin? I was too lazy to investigate, so I simply conjured Wind Spear it over.

With a cloud of dust, the wooden house was blown to pieces, and several skinny horses struggled to break free of their reins and fled.

The Vastaya wasn't killed; he dodged my attack and stood on a wooden stake, wielding his scimitar.

"A sneak attack without warning, what a despicable bunch."

"No matter what methods are used against you cruel fellows, it's not too much."