The Beginning of the Decisive Battle

Everyone was surprised to hear my guess, and Rebeca immediately denied it:

"Impossible. Shetaka died in the Void War over two thousand years ago. I saw it with my own eyes. And even if she were alive, the Vastaya Rebellion wouldn't have happened."

"What if she was resurrected later? She looks just like Sivir, and she's able to save people right under Azir and Xerath's noses. I can't think of another one like her."

"I still can't believe it. There's no reason for her to stay hidden forever. But it would be best if she were still alive, so we'd have one more ally when the war starts!"

"Don't be too optimistic. Like you said, there's no reason why Shetaka wouldn't have shown up. Since she chose to do this, she might no longer be our friend."

Rebeca stared at me for a moment, then smiled and said, "You mean Shetaka also became Vastaya?"

"This is just my guess. Of course, even if she becomes Vastaya, she won't be the same as other Vastaya. Saving Djis and Oken is the best proof of that."

"Alright, I've lived in seclusion in Ixtal for over a thousand years and don't know much about things. Since the people here trust you, I trust your judgment too."

"I hope my guess is wrong. We now have the ability to fight the Vastaya to the death. If they get strong reinforcements, that would be a very bad thing."

"Hahaha... It's alright, Shetaka might not be as strong Khopesh. Come on, Sivir, I remember now, let's start practicing using it!"

After Rebeca and Sivir left, I found an open space to continue honing my swordsmanship. Two days wasn't enough time to investigate the truth; I should focus on preparing!

The rest of the day passed peacefully. I didn't ask Sivir how things were going; she already knew her enemy was Azir and had to face the cruel truth.

Two days later, before Evelynn's appointed attack date, the Vastaya couldn't wait any longer and launched an attack on us, resulting in the deaths of a patrol team.

Since the battle was only a day away, I ordered the soldiers on the outer patrol to return to the main camp. However, one of the twenty squads was missing. Soon after, Ivern sent word that they had been petrified and left in the ditch.

Petrification—that's Iloza's skill. Rebeca immediately went to investigate, and then we split into three teams and began our operation according to plan!

By the time the third day arrived, we had already moved some distance from the camp, ensuring that no one would be affected.

The weather remained clear as always; the pre-war tranquility was like a beautiful soap bubble, easily burst at the slightest touch.

I met Aatrox on the way to Northfall. He was walking ahead alone, followed by Riven and Syndra, and then a large army of more than twenty Vastaya, just as Evelynn had said.

We split up; Sword Saint engaged Riven, Kindred stopped Syndra, and Wukong and Irelia led the others to fight the Vastaya.

Only Aatrox and I remained motionless, silently watching each other. At that moment, I couldn't hear the battle raging on either side; my mind was as still as water.

Soon Aatrox raised his greatsword. "You already know my weakness. Destroy this heart and you'll win. Besides, this time I won't hold back."

"You crave for me to kill you, don't you?"

"I crave the process of you killing me."

"In any case, this is our last battle. No one can guarantee what tomorrow holds."

"After this battle, I can finally rest. Come on, Yasuo!"

"Come on, Aatrox!"

I was calmer than I had imagined. I felt neither fear of death nor desire for victory; I just wanted to have a good fight with Aatrox!

Aatrox thoroughly enjoyed the battle; he kept laughing, laughing like a madman, laughing like a demon.

In reality, he's a madman, a demon!

This time I didn't use the Wind Force or the Aspect Power, as these had no effect on him; on the contrary, they would be restricted by the Celestial Chain.

Aatrox neither released Scale Powder nor unleashed any sword energy; he crudely executed his moves, which were full of flaws and impossible to exploit.

Our duel didn't feel like a fight between two people wielding immense power; it was more like a duel between ordinary swordsmen, two of the most insignificant beings in the world.

Before long, Aatrox was covered in wounds from my stabs, and he hadn't landed a single hit on me, just continuing his clumsy attacks.

He finally slashed my left leg when I cut off his left wing, but it didn't really affect my mobility.

"Are you out of sorts today? This isn't the kind of fight I wanted."

"You haven't won yet." Aatrox's response was simple.

I thrust straight forward, the Gale Sword moving as smoothly as light, as if it had made a translation in space.

The techniques I use now no longer distinguish between Wind Sword and Laurent Fencing Technique; I'm more comfortable using them freely.

I was studying Aatrox's moves with Rebeca and Jax a couple of days ago, but I've forgotten them all now. However, I'm much more relaxed than in our previous two encounters.

Is this what it feels like to be at the peak of Martial Arts? I think I've figured it out!

Aatrox's smile grew even wider, and after a while, it became somewhat eerie. Soon after, I slashed his face with my sword, and dark red blood seeped out, flowing down the wrinkles on either side of his nose.

Suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my back; I hadn't realized when he had slashed my shoulder blade!

I remained highly vigilant and alert throughout, yet I still fell victim to it, without even realizing when I was injured.

It seems that his seemingly ordinary moves are not as simple as they appear. Aatrox has truly brought out the best in his skills!

However, after I cut off one of his wings, his balance was affected, and after fighting for so long, he only managed to hurt me once.

Soon I found another opportunity, and with a swift stroke of my sword, I cut off his other wing. Blood flowed all over his back, but the wound healed quickly, as if the wing had never grown at all.

"Haha... Thank you for your help. Now I can fight like a mortal again!"

Aatrox let out a wild laugh, as if freed from shackles after losing his wings, and his movements became even more agile.

I don't care. He's not as fast as me anyway, and I don't have to worry about the Scale Powder affecting me now. The scales of victory have tipped in my favor.

I kept increasing my speed and strength, trying to find an opportunity to pierce the heart of the greatsword. After some attempts, I successfully injured the arm that was holding the sword.

At the same time, I also felt the strain. Aatrox was very strong, and Uniform Strength had no effect on him.

Ultimately, applying Uniform Strength is about distributing force evenly across the body. I'm fine without it, but when I do apply Uniform Strength, I feel pressure all over my body. In the end, speed is still the key to victory.