Afterword: An Emperor's Ambition (4)

Xerath, unaware of Azir's thoughts, was filled with disappointment.

Although he gained immense power, his mindset did not improve; he remained the same insecure child.

He never considered the meaning of slavery's existence, or the impact of its sudden abolition.

All he wanted was a word from Azir, and he would be content even if it was impossible.

The resentment grew deeper and deeper until Xerath felt that Azir's smile was malicious, and on several occasions he even had the thought of killing him.

Although he did not act on these thoughts, he vented his resentment on Azir's descendants: all the pregnant concubines ended up dying in the womb.

In fact, Azir knew about Xerath's resentment and that he had orchestrated the assassination attempt in the palace. To prevent his best friend from going to extremes, he finally took the initiative to tell him about these things.

Shurima is gradually returning to its former glory, and Azir's next step is to free the slaves. When all the peoples of Shurima work together, they will surely reach new heights!

"I want to build a brand new empire without discrimination; this is my ambition. So, my dear friend, I need your help!"

After a full twelve years, Xerath finally heard those words!

To eliminate slavery, I'd be willing to sacrifice my life, let alone help him!

But just as Azir had anticipated, the idea was met with opposition from almost all the nobles, especially the Ascended, who all opposed Azir's decision!

They fought on the battlefield for thousands of years to help Shurima dominate the continent and plunder slaves. Now, suddenly, they want to liberate the slaves. What's the point of that battle?

Such resistance plunged Xerath into an icy abyss, and he finally understood Azir's predicament: it wasn't that he didn't want to liberate the slaves, but that he simply couldn't!

Seeing Xerath's dejected look, Azir gently patted his shoulder:

"It's okay, I won't give up, my heart will always be with you!"

"Then what else can you do? Command the Ascended with your bloodline?"

"No, I want to become Ascended myself, then they'll have nothing to say!"

This idea startled Xerath, but also deeply moved him.

He knew that many of Azir's ancestors had died during their ascension, and that they were risking their lives to do this now simply to help him!

To avoid worrying anyone, Azir didn't tell anyone the news; he decided to hold the ceremony secretly!

On the day of his ascension, there were very few people around the Sun Disc. Azir had Xerath guard the area while he ascended the ascension platform alone.

As the sun slowly rose to its zenith, Xerath was filled with excitement. He so desperately hoped that Azir would successfully ascend, so that all slaves would be freed!

But... what if he fails?

What if he, like all his predecessors, is blasted into dust by the Solar Energy? Who will be there to help him then?

Looking at myself, having gradually grown from a slave into a powerful mage, isn't this the kind of person chosen by the gods?

Xerath's body trembled slightly as he involuntarily walked towards the flying platform. A bold idea came to him:

Steal Azir's Ascended Power!

At this moment, Azir was focused on sensing the Solar Energy and did not notice Xerath's approach at all. After the Sun Disc received the energy, a strong Golden Light shone down!

At the same time, he heard a tearful "I'm sorry"—it was Xerath's voice.

Azir, bewildered, plummeted from the high platform, watching as Solar Energy poured into Xerath, then the intense light engulfed them, and Sun City was razed to the ground.

Azir vanished into thin air like his father and sister, never knowing why Xerath had done it.

In fact, apart from Nashramae, Xerath killed all members of the royal bloodline.

Nasus and Renekton, who had just returned, rushed over upon hearing the commotion, completely unable to believe what they were seeing.

After they went to great lengths to seal Xerath away, the Shurima Empire also perished.

Strangely, Azir did not disappear; his consciousness revived several years later, leaving him a helpless soul.

For thousands of years, the winds and sands have blown, and he has stood here like a Watchers, watching the ruins of Sun City be buried in the yellow sand.

He didn't hate Xerath, but he felt he had made his promise to him too late. If he had revealed his determination sooner, things might have been different.

But he still wanted to ask Xerath, his former best friend, why he did that.

However, fate truly brought them together. Renekton and Xerath were released at the same time, and Azir was also summoned by the royal blood to reshape his physical body.

He never expected that his bloodline would survive. When he saw Sivir, he suddenly remembered the night he lost his virginity in the slave quarters when he was young.

Azir sincerely apologized to Nasus and Renekton, admitting that he had ruined Shurima.

His supposed brilliance and martial prowess, his imperial ambitions—these were merely excuses for helping his friends!

But now, he is determined to revitalize Shurima!

With the help of Sivir, Yasuo, and others, Azir ascended once again, and the ritual that had been repeated for a thousand years was finally successful!

His ascension was exceptionally difficult, and the power he gained was unprecedented!

Later, in the Garden City in the southwest, he successfully found Xerath hiding beneath the sandfall, and the two reached a reconciliation.

Azir doesn't care about the betrayal from back then; things have come to this point, and hatred is no longer important.

However, he still wanted to get rid of Xerath, because that insecure slave had become an ancient evil spirit!

Xerath now knows the truth of his actions. He not only failed to free the slaves, but also destroyed all of Shurima. This sin can never be atone for.

He accepted Azir's overtures, knowing he wanted to get rid of him, so he decided to play along and settle the score.

Until the final battle, the two acted so convincingly that even they themselves felt their relationship had returned to what it was before.

If it weren't for the constant reminder of the Vastaya's presence, they might have forgotten that they themselves had caused that disaster.

When the final battle arrived, Xerath clashed with Varus, while Azir faced off against his successor, Sivir.

Xerath found it hilarious to see him awkwardly plotting with Sivir to sabotage him.

After killing Varus, Xerath deliberately created an opening for Sivir to succeed, but he did not let Azir go:

"My dearest friend, this is no longer our era. I will retire, and you should leave with me, along with your imperial empire."