War Erupts

In front of the general's tent, besides Garen and his personal guards, stood a stranger, panting as if they had just arrived. The person was wrapped up tightly from head to toe. After removing their mask, a rough face was revealed, marked with several scars.

Seeing the crossbow on her arm and the giant eagle circling overhead, I recognized her—the Wings of Demacia, Quinn.

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I never would have imagined she would look like this: short, plain-looking, disfigured, and with a hoarse voice.

"General, I have confirmed intelligence. The Noxian army has finished their mobilization and is expected to arrive in a month. Please prepare for battle!"

"I am always ready. Do you know who their general is?"

"Darius."

"Good, thank you for your hard work. Continue your reconnaissance and report any findings immediately. If it's inconvenient, have Valor come instead."

"Yes."

With a crisp, powerful response, Quinn turned to leave without even resting. I quickly stepped forward to stop her. Though it was against protocol, I did it instinctively.

"Wait!"

Quinn glanced at me, her gaze sharp. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I just saw how tired you looked from your journey and wanted to invite you into the tent to rest a bit..."

"Time is of the essence, there's no time to rest!"

She cut me off and turned to leave again. Just then, Garen spoke, "Then come into the tent and rest for a while. Let Valor also replenish its energy."

Quinn hesitated, a hint of confusion in her eyes, seemingly wondering why I had such influence.

She whistled, and Valor swooped down. Garen had a guard bring a whole live sheep to entertain it.

Inside the tent, we each took our seats. Garen introduced me to Quinn, which was unnecessary for me, but I listened obediently.

When Quinn learned that I was the young master of the Laurent Family and the prophesied savior, her attitude softened considerably.

"How is Fiora?"

"She's very well, thank you for your concern."

Garen let out a rare laugh. "Haha, no need to be so formal. Quinn and I were good friends with Fiora when we were young. We just haven't seen each other much since then due to our busy schedules."

I knew Quinn's dialogue mentioned Garen and Fiora. I didn't expect them to be childhood friends. Seeing her now, she must have suffered a lot. She is a great Demacian warrior!

We chatted for a while, and I noticed Quinn's gaze towards Garen was different. There was no sharpness, only admiration, even affection. Of course, they are childhood friends, so perhaps I was mistaken.

After Valor had replenished its energy, Quinn stood up to leave again. This time, I didn't try to stop her. She left the tent, grabbed Valor's talons, and soon disappeared from sight.

After Quinn left, Garen finally brought up my matter.

"Sage Tabor's prophecies have always been accurate, but I haven't noticed anything special about you, nor do I know where to assign you. Therefore, I grant you freedom of action during wartime. You do not need to obey anyone's orders except mine when the fighting begins."

"Thank you for your trust, General. I will do my utmost. For Demacia, I will lead the charge!"

I've uttered these perfunctory words countless times. In reality, my main reason for joining the army is to hone my skills and gain Fiora's favor; it has nothing to do with Demacian honor.

After leaving the tent, Garen issued a mobilization order for a full wartime effort. His expression was as solemn as ever, his tone carrying unquestionable authority.

"Warriors of the Dauntless Vanguard, you are the bravest soldiers of Demacia, holding the highest honor in the entire kingdom's army. This honor is not given by me, nor by King Jarvan, but by our brothers and sisters. Let us fight to protect them! I will lead the charge!"

"I will lead the charge..."

A roar erupted from everyone, and it felt as if the very ground was trembling. No wonder they shout while fighting in battles; this kind of momentum is indeed a powerful combat force.

After the mobilization, we divided into five teams and dispersed along the long front line, waiting to gather and engage once the enemy's attack location was confirmed. I went with Captain Alven to the southern end of the mountain range to re-establish our position.

The war could break out at any moment, yet I still wasn't mentally prepared. In other words, I felt no sense of reality.

War felt distant in my previous life, something only seen in books and films. The people there faced death with equanimity, and the heroes were admirable.

The southern region was quite hot. On the third night here, I felt extremely restless and couldn't sleep. So, I got up and went for a walk outside.

The stars in the sky were bright and dazzling, and the night breeze carried the scent of grass, which was very pleasant.

Soon, will this vast plain at the foot of the mountains become a battlefield? The thought of such a beautiful place being trampled by war was truly heartbreaking.

I took out the Giant Stone given to me by Sage Tabor and held it in my hand. It was cool and felt very comfortable, which eased my restlessness considerably. As a gentle breeze blew, I actually fell asleep on the grass.

Just as I was dozing off, I was awakened by the sound of a horn. I opened my eyes to find that dawn had just broken. Shouts could be heard from the nearby tents:

The Noxian army is advancing!

They chose the low-lying area at the southern end of the mountains to launch their attack, which was where my team was stationed. The messenger falcon flew north; other teams would rush to support once they received the news.

The Noxian army advanced ferociously like starving wolves, completely disregarding the traps and barriers we had set. By noon, they had crossed five checkpoints and reached the mountaintop. By this time, only one unit had arrived; the other three were still on their way.

Facing the dense Noxian army, we fought and retreated according to Garen's plan, avoiding direct confrontation. However, by the time the second unit arrived, our vanguard had already clashed with the enemy!

"General Garen will be here soon, we must hold on!" Captain Alven shouted, leading us into the fray.

It was only then that I realized how simplistic the depictions of war in movies and TV shows were. Merely facing the enemy required immense courage.

Especially when two equally brave armies clash, the brutality is unimaginable. Precious lives become worthless, and all beauty fades into insignificance.

This was my first time witnessing such a scene. I doubt many people in the entire legion have experienced anything like it.

Bodies lay everywhere, a sea of crimson.

At first, people shouted encouragement to each other, but soon after the fighting began, silence fell. Only the clash of weapons and the sounds of bodies being pierced filled the air, the scent of blood stinging the nose.

Some people died right at the start; I think they were the luckiest, as they didn't have to witness the ensuing human tragedy.

Some were terrified at first, but after killing a few people, they became bloodthirsty and numb, their minds involuntarily seeking out enemies to fight to the death.

And then there were those who were fearless from the beginning. They exerted their abilities to the fullest until they collapsed from exhaustion and died.

I probably belong to the second type. I was extremely scared at first, but as the people around me kept falling, this fear built up to its limit and then vanished.

"Don't hurt me! And don't hurt my comrades!" My rationality slowly faded too, and I became almost frenzied.

My mind went blank at that moment, and I just kept charging at nearby enemies. My body didn't obey my commands at all.

When my weapon chipped, I drew my sword and continued to hack. The swordsmanship I had learned before and the combat skills honed after joining the army merged, unleashing their full potential unintentionally...

My five senses were dulled, but my heartbeat was incredibly strong, a thunderous thump-thump that felt like it would pierce my chest...

I don't know how long passed. Exhausted, I collapsed onto the ground. Something poked my waist, making a cracking sound.

Suddenly, a refreshing sensation, like a flowing stream, spread through my entire body, slowly restoring my mind. Only then did I realize I was already covered in wounds, the bone-deep gashes a horrifying sight!

I reached for the Giant Stone at my waist and found it had shattered into several pieces. It was the energy emanating from this stone that had brought me back to my senses.

Why did this happen? Was there something special about this stone?

I looked up and was astonished to see my wounds healing at a visible rate, and my stamina was gradually recovering!

I stood up again and saw corpses all around, both enemies and our own. The mountainside was emitting a rumbling sound for some unknown reason, as if it were collapsing.

Could the power granted by this stone be the reason I ended the war? And that I would become a hero admired by the world?

The thought excited me, but my joy didn't last long before several Noxian soldiers discovered me.

They brandished their weapons and charged at me. Just as I was about to test the power of the Giant Stone, I charged forward with my sword, but the result was disappointing:

I was still the same me, only my wounds had healed. Facing the siege of over ten people, I was quickly knocked to the ground.

I thought I had no chance of survival, but suddenly I heard a scream. When I opened my eyes, I saw two people fall in front of me. The remaining few became alert and discovered the culprit nearby: Quinn.

Her condition was no better than mine. Her already wounded cheeks bore several new gashes, one eye was injured, and her entire body was covered in blood. Her quiver was empty, indicating the two arrows that had just saved me were her last.

"Hold on, Leivo! Our reinforcements have all arrived, and we're about to engage the enemy in a final decisive battle."

Her already slender body seemed even more fragile next to the burly Noxian soldiers. If it weren't for saving me, she surely wouldn't have faced them head-on.

"Ugly hag!"

Seeing that it was such a scrawny little girl who had just shot their comrades, the soldiers were instantly enraged. They swarmed her, lunging at her. I took this opportunity to engage them again.

Quinn's frontal combat ability wasn't strong; she could only rely on her agility to dodge. Her dagger had no chance of piercing their thick armor.

However, Valor was formidable. Its claws, like steel hooks, continuously raked at the enemies' faces. Once caught, flesh would be torn away, and if they fell, their throats would be shredded.

Unfortunately, winning this small battle was insignificant. There were still more enemies nearby. They noticed the commotion and kept gathering, soon amassing over twenty people!

Facing so many enemies, Valor had fewer and fewer opportunities to strike, constantly screeching and circling in the air!

"Hurry! Let Valor take you!"

I urged Quinn to leave quickly, as staying with me was meaningless. But she completely ignored me, focusing intently on the fight.

Soon, we were surrounded, and there was no chance to escape. Quinn's stamina was gradually depleted. I watched helplessly as the enemy's sharp knives pierced her body. Valor let out a mournful cry and swooped down, forever staying on the ground.

I rushed to her side, holding her tightly, feeling her faint breath slowly disappear.

She struggled unwillingly and uttered her last words:

"I... haven't... confessed... to Garen..."

I quickly placed the Giant Stone on her wound, but it was useless. The moment her breath faded, rage made me lose my mind again. I charged at the enemies alone...

No miracle occurred; nothing helped. As I charged, the enemies all lunged at me. Countless weapons pierced my chest.

My consciousness grew hazy, my vision blurred. In the depths of my mind, I heard the mountainside rumble, and a colossal figure walked onto the battlefield. I don't know if it was real or an illusion...

I'm sorry, Fiora, I couldn't protect your brother's body, nor could I continue to love you...

It seems I never became a hero after all...

Can I return to my old world and live a simple life...

Darkness descended, and an endless coldness consumed me