War Breaks Out

In front of the general's tent stood Garen and his personal guards, along with a stranger who was panting as if she had just rushed over.

The person was wrapped up from head to toe. When she removed her face covering, she revealed a rough face marked with several scars.

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

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

"General, I've received confirmed intelligence. The Noxian army has finished assembling and is expected to arrive here in a month. Please prepare for battle!"

"I'm always ready. Do you know who's leading them?"

"Darius."

"Good. Thanks for your hard work. Keep gathering information, and report any discoveries right away. If you can't come in person, send Valor."

"Yes, sir."

Quinn answered crisply and was about to leave without even taking a break. Although it wasn't proper, I instinctively stepped in to stop her.

"Wait!"

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

"No, it's just that you look exhausted from all that traveling. I thought you could come into the tent and rest for a while..."

"Time is short. I don't have time to rest!"

She cut me off and turned to leave again. Then Garen spoke up. "Then come inside and rest for a while. Valor can replenish his strength, too."

Quinn hesitated. A hint of confusion entered her eyes, as if she didn't understand why I had such influence.

She whistled, and Valor swooped down. Garen had a whole live sheep brought out for him.

We went into the tent and sat down. Garen introduced Quinn and me to each other. It wasn't necessary as far as I was concerned, but I listened obediently anyway.

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

"How's Fiora?"

"She's very well, thank you for asking."

Garen let out a rare laugh. "Haha, no need to be so formal. Quinn, Fiora, and I were friends when we were little. We've just had too much going on to see each other much since then."

I knew Garen was mentioned in Quinn's dialogue, but I hadn't realized they'd been childhood friends. Judging by how she looked now, she must have gone through a lot. She was a great Demacian warrior!

We chatted for a while. I noticed that the way Quinn looked at Garen was different. There was none of her usual coldness in her gaze; instead, it was full of admiration, even affection. Of course, they were childhood friends, so perhaps I was mistaken.

Once Valor had regained his strength, Quinn stood to take her leave again. This time, I didn't try to stop her. She left the tent, grabbed Valor by his talons, and soon disappeared from sight.

Only after Quinn had left did Garen bring up my situation.

"Sage Tabor's prophecies have always been accurate, but I haven't seen anything unusual about you, and I don't know where to assign you. So I'm giving you the freedom to act during wartime. When the fighting begins, you won't have to obey anyone's orders except mine."

"Thank you for trusting me, General. I'll give it my all. For Demacia, I'll lead the charge!"

I'd said these perfunctory words countless times. The main reason I'd enlisted was to hone my skills and earn Fiora's favor. Demacian honor had nothing to do with it.

After I left the tent, Garen issued the order to assemble and mobilized the troops for war. His expression was as stern as ever, and his voice carried an unquestionable authority.

"Warriors of the Dauntless Vanguard, you are the bravest soldiers in Demacia. You hold the highest honor among the armies of the kingdom. That honor was given neither by me nor by King Jarvan, but by our brothers and sisters. Let us fight to protect them! I'll lead the charge!"

"I'll lead the charge..."

Everyone shouted together, and it felt as if the earth around us were trembling. No wonder armies shouted as they fought. That kind of momentum was a powerful force in battle.

After the mobilization, we split into five groups and spread out along the long front line. Once we confirmed where the enemy would attack, we would regroup and meet them. I followed Captain Alven to the southern end of the mountain range, where we took up new positions.

War could break out at any moment, but I still hadn't prepared myself for it. In other words, it didn't feel real at all.

War had always seemed distant where I used to live. I'd only seen it in books and movies, where people faced death without fear and heroes inspired admiration.

The southern region was quite hot. On my third night there, I grew restless and couldn't fall asleep, tossing and turning until I finally got up to take a walk outside.

The stars shone brightly overhead, and a night breeze scented with fresh grass brushed my face. It was very pleasant.

Would this vast plain at the foot of the mountain soon become a battlefield? The thought that such a beautiful place was about to be trampled by war truly pained me.

I took out the Giant Stone Sage Tabor had given me and held it in my hand. It felt cool and soothing, easing some of my restlessness. As a warm breeze blew over me, I actually fell asleep on the grass.

I was half asleep when the sound of a horn woke me. I opened my eyes and saw that dawn was just breaking. Shouts came from the nearby tents.

"The Noxian army is advancing!"

They had chosen the lower ground at the southern end of the mountain range to attack—the very place where my unit was stationed. A messenger hawk flew north, and the other units would come to support us once they received the news.

The Noxian army charged forward like a pack of ravenous wolves, paying no heed to the traps and barriers we had set up. By noon, they had already passed through five checkpoints and reached the mountaintop. Only one other unit had arrived; the remaining three were still on their way.

Facing the vast, dark mass of Noxian soldiers, we followed Garen's plan and retreated as we fought, avoiding a direct confrontation. But by the time the second unit arrived, our vanguard had already clashed with the enemy!

"General Garen will be here soon! We have to hold on!" Captain Alven shouted, leading us into battle.

Only then did I realize that movies and TV dramas made war seem far too simple. Just facing the enemy took tremendous courage.

When two equally brave armies clashed, the carnage was beyond imagining. Precious lives became worthless, and every beautiful thing faded into insignificance.

This was the first time I'd seen a battle like this. I doubted many in the whole army had ever faced a scene like it.

Bodies littered the ground, everything stained crimson.

At first, people shouted loudly to encourage one another. Before long, no one said a word. There was only the clash of weapons and the sound of steel piercing flesh. The stench of blood burned in my nose and throat.

Some people died as soon as the fighting began. I thought they were the luckiest, because they wouldn't have to witness the horrors that followed.

Some were terrified at first, but after killing a few people, they became numb to the bloodshed. Their minds seemed to seek out enemies to fight without regard for anything else.

Others were fearless from the start. They used every skill at their disposal until they collapsed from exhaustion.

I was probably the second kind. At first I was terrified, but as the people around me kept falling, my fear built to its limit and then disappeared.

Don't hurt me! And don't hurt my comrades! My reason slowly vanished, and I became almost completely berserk.

My mind went blank. I just charged at the nearest enemies over and over, my body no longer obeying my commands.

When my weapon was too damaged to use, I drew my sword and kept killing. The swordsmanship I'd learned before and the combat techniques I'd honed after enlisting blended together, and without meaning to, I brought them to their full potential...

I lost all five senses except for my pounding heart. Its thuds were so loud they felt as if they would burst through my chest...

I didn't know how long it had been when I collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted. Something at my waist dug into me, and I heard it crack.

Suddenly, a soothing feeling like a flowing stream spread through my body, and my mind slowly cleared. Only then did I realize I was covered in wounds, some deep enough to expose bone. They were horrifying to look at!

I reached for the Giant Stone at my waist and found it had shattered into several pieces. The energy it released must have been what brought me back to my senses.

Why had this happened? Was there something special about this stone?

I raised my head and was astonished to see my wounds healing at a visible speed. My strength was gradually returning, too!

I stood up again and saw bodies all around me, both enemy and ally. For some reason, the mountain rumbled as if it were about to collapse.

Could the power from this stone let me end the war and become a hero known throughout the world?

The thought filled me with excitement, but it didn't last long. Several Noxian soldiers spotted me.

They swung their weapons at me. Wanting to test the Giant Stone's power, I charged at them with my sword, but the result was disappointing.

I was still the same as before. My wounds had merely healed. Surrounded by more than ten people, I was quickly knocked to the ground.

I thought I was as good as dead when I suddenly heard a scream. I opened my eyes and saw two people lying in front of me. The rest were on guard, having spotted the culprit nearby: Quinn.

She was in no better condition than I was. Her already scarred cheek had several fresh wounds, one of her eyes had been struck by an arrow, and she was covered in blood. The quiver at her waist was empty. It looked like the two arrows she'd used to save me had been her last.

"Hang on, Leivo! All our people are here. The final battle against the enemy is about to begin."

Her small frame looked even more fragile in front of the burly Noxian soldiers. If she hadn't been trying to save me, she wouldn't have faced them head-on.

"Ugly freak!"

Seeing that the one who had just killed their comrades was a skinny little girl, the soldiers flew into a rage. They rushed at her all at once, and I seized the opportunity to join the fight again.

Quinn wasn't strong in head-on combat. She could only rely on her nimble movements to dodge, and the dagger in her hand had no chance of piercing their thick armor.

But Valor was formidable. His talons were like steel hooks as he repeatedly clawed at the enemies' faces. If he caught them, he'd tear away two chunks of flesh; if they fell, he'd rip their throats open.

Unfortunately, winning this small skirmish meant nothing. There were still more enemies nearby, and when they noticed the fighting, they kept gathering around us. In no time, there were more than twenty of them!

With so many enemies, Valor had fewer and fewer opportunities to attack. He circled overhead, screaming nonstop!

"Go! Have Valor carry you!"

I urged Quinn to leave. There was no point in staying here with me, but she didn't even acknowledge me, staying completely focused on the fight.

Before long, we were surrounded. There was no chance of escaping now. Quinn's strength was gradually failing, and I could only watch as an enemy's dagger pierced her body. Valor let out a mournful cry and swooped down, never to rise again.

I threw myself beside her and held her tightly, feeling her faint breath slowly fade away.

She struggled in despair and spoke her final words.

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

I hurriedly pressed the Giant Stone against her wound, but it had no effect. The moment her breath ceased, rage once again robbed me of my reason, and I charged at the enemy alone...

No miracle came. Nothing could change what had happened. As I charged, the enemies all rushed toward me, and countless weapons pierced my chest.

My consciousness blurred, and my vision began to fade. In the distance, I heard the mountain rumble. A gigantic figure walked toward the battlefield, though I couldn't tell whether it was real or a hallucination...

I'm sorry, Fiora. I couldn't protect your younger brother's body, and I can't keep loving you anymore...

It seemed I'd never become a hero after all...

Could I return to my old world and live a peaceful life again...

Darkness descended, and an endless cold swallowed me whole...