Traitor

"Clack!"

"Click!"

Flames flickered and danced. In a dim corner of the casino, a tall man sat at a table. His gaunt face was covered in tattoos, and beneath the striped patterns, near the corner of his eye, was a tattoo resembling a teardrop or a falling sword.

Metal covered his entire jaw, giving him an "iron jaw." At this moment, he stared with a gloomy, uncertain gaze at the lighter flickering in his hand. Behind him stood his confidant.

"Silco gathered all the Barons, yet he specifically forgot to consider if you would be..." the confidant hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Click!"

The lighter snapped shut, and the flame disappeared. The man rested one hand on his forehead. He had half-long hair and a punk-rock style. Hearing the confidant, he spoke, "No, they know my intentions, but they absolutely won't betray me. After all, they hated Silco just as much as I did at the last meeting."

"Why should we all work together, help him build a big business, and only get scraps from his fingertips? Just because he's foolishly trying to rebel? Damn it, he can't even manage his own subordinates, so how can he lead us to suppress the people from the Upper City?" Finn said in a deep voice.

"Everyone has been dissatisfied with him for a long time. Zaun doesn't need him anymore."

"Clack!"

Flames appeared. The lighter danced like a sprite in Finn's hand, his fingers skillfully playing with it. He picked up the small pot on the table and then aimed the flame at the bottom of the pot, heating it.

"Could it be Sevika? After all, Silco suddenly called this meeting and specifically excluded you. He must have found something out."

"That's even more impossible," Finn sneered and shrugged. The yellow jacket draped over his shoulders twitched twice. He said in a deep voice, "Sevika's dissatisfaction with Silco is no less than ours. She broke ties with Vander because of his weakness and brought him down. So now..."

"But she didn't agree," the subordinate couldn't help but say.

The last time Finn had privately invited Sevika over and expressed his desires, even personally lighting her cigarette, Sevika hadn't given Finn a definitive answer until today.

This made Finn's confidant suspect that Sevika had tipped off Silco.

Finn listened and laughed. He put down the pot in his hand and switched the lighter to his other hand, playing with it and flicking it. He said, "Sometimes, not answering is a form of agreement."

"Silco..."

"He's blocking too many people's paths to wealth. His era is over, that old geezer. He should have retired long ago. There are plenty of people more capable, insightful, and ambitious than him. Does he still think he's the same as he used to be? Ever since he took in that Blue-haired Monster, he's changed completely, becoming weak and pathetic."

Seeing Finn's confident demeanor, the subordinate's face lit up with excitement.

Finn's confidence and high spirits made him think about the benefits and status he would gain once Finn took power.

Finn scoffed and snapped the lighter shut. "Such as him, his death is imminent..."

"BOOM!"

A sudden, deafening roar erupted. Dust and debris fell from the walls. Finn, whose speech was interrupted, felt his ears ring. He instinctively covered his ears. As he regained a bit of clarity, he immediately grabbed the lighter on the table, his fingers playing with it, and quickly walked towards the door.

He reached out and pushed open the small door, his face filled with rage.

"Who the hell dares to come to my turf, cough cough, cough cough!"

Before he could finish his sentence, Finn suddenly started coughing, covering his face as tears streamed from his eyes. He looked at his casino.

The casino's electricity had been cut off, plunging the entire place into darkness. Only a few oil lamps burned, illuminating certain areas. Blue and pink smoke mingled and converged, forming a large, sinister smiling face. The casino patrons scattered like birds and beasts amidst the smoke, and his subordinates were also in chaos.

"Who, who—"

Finn coughed, his lungs feeling as if they were burning. The irritating gas he inhaled through his nose and mouth made his consciousness hazy. He struggled to straighten up and looked ahead.

A group of figures emerged from the shadows, accompanied by screams. Finn's men began to fall, one after another, unconscious, limbs severed.

He picked up his lighter and flicked it open, trying to use its light to see what was happening.

A voice also rang out.

"Found him! The Boss said he's the one who likes lighters!"

"Over here! The one who likes lighters is over here!"

"Big Sister, hurry!"

The flames flickered. Finn saw a group of people walking towards him. Under the smiling smoke, their bodies shimmered with faint light. Were those lights strange patterns?

They looked like flower petals, monkey graphics, and cat graphics.

The strange blue and pink smoke, along with these fluorescent graffiti, made Finn suddenly realize something.

Startled, Finn instantly threw his lighter away, then ducked down, hiding himself, and began to run towards a corner.

This. This must be Jinx's doing!

In all of Zaun, only the weapons she created had this style!

Damn it!

Silco is making a move against me?!

Why?!

Why is he targeting me? Isn't he afraid the other Barons will feel threatened and have even more opinions of him?!

Didn't he get enough at the last meeting?!

Finn panicked instantly.

He completely forgot how he had looked down on Silco, how he had belittled Silco, in the small room just now.

"B-Boss!" His confidant also rushed out, standing exactly where Finn had been.

Finn instinctively looked back, only to see his confidant stagger and fall to the ground with a "bang."

This intensified Finn's desire to escape. In the darkness, taking advantage of the chaos created by the fleeing gamblers, Finn found an opportunity and scrambled towards a specific spot.

Within this casino, there was a secret path known only to him.

Reaching a corner, Finn frantically pressed a button. With a click, the floor split open, revealing a passage. Finn quickly ran inside.

Then, following the secret path, he soon left the casino.

Coughing incessantly, Finn had successfully escaped. Gazing at the pitch-black casino, a trace of hatred appeared on his face.

Silco.

Gritting his teeth, he prepared to seek refuge with another Alchemical Baron and inform them of Silco's actions against him.

The Alchemical Barons must unite!

But after stumbling just a few steps, Finn heard a voice ahead.

"Heh, just as Silco predicted. A guy like you would definitely prepare an escape route for yourself."

Finn looked up in terror and saw a tall figure emerge from the shadows of the alley entrance ahead.

As the figure drew closer, Finn saw her face clearly.

"Sevika, you... you betrayed me?" Finn's face turned ashen as he looked at Sevika.

Sevika shook her head. "I never agreed to cooperate with you, so how can there be betrayal?"

"By the way, Finn, where's your lighter?" Sevika suddenly said out of the blue.

Finn blinked, not understanding what Sevika meant.

"It's gone? What a shame," Sevika frowned and said softly, "I quite liked your lighter."

"Do you know, the last time you played with the lighter in front of my face, I really wanted to take your head off. But I couldn't, because Silco didn't intend to touch you. He chose to spare you, to give you another chance. It's all Jinx's fault, she made him soft, actually believing you guys would change. Heh."

"But this time is different. He's made up his mind to make some changes."

"No, you can't kill me! Sevika, Sister, Sister! Silco is already finished. Yes, Jinx, how many scummy things has he done for Jinx? You know better than any of us, don't you? He's always had you cleaning up after that brat. You're Zaun's Second Hand. I, I will get the Barons to help you. I will help you become Zaun's First Hand!"

Finn retreated, shouting as he backed away, "Don't you want to be Zaun's First Hand? I don't want that position anymore. It's yours, Sister. You have the ability. Silco's people all respect you. You should be their Boss, shouldn't you?"

"The business, the territory, you're doing everything. You're handling all his affairs! That guy just opens and closes his mouth to give you orders, he can't do anything else! We don't need to obey him!"

Sevika slowly approached Finn, her expression calm. "Finn, you weren't like this when you were in front of me last time. Now, you look like a stray dog."

"Tell me, why do people change so much when faced with death?"

Sevika's expression was somewhat dazed.

She suddenly remembered that night many years ago.

Vander putting on a gauntlet, facing the monster head-on, unafraid of death.

In this instant, Sevika suddenly felt a trace of regret.

Perhaps Vander was truly outstanding.

At least, he wouldn't turn into this face in the face of death like Finn.

"Listen to me, Sevika, listen to me--"

Shaking her head, Sevika cast aside her distracting thoughts. Then, she quickened her pace, approaching Finn and raising her left arm. The Alchemical Limb emerged from her cloak. In the darkness of the night, Sevika raised her arm high.

"No, don't!"

"Don't come near me!" Finn screamed.

"Finn, Silco asked me to give you a message--"

"Do you know? The status you have now, the fact that you could emerge from the dark, sunless mine, isn't because you have strength or intelligence."

"He never thought you could help him with anything. There was only one thing he needed you to do, and yet you couldn't even do that. You've truly disappointed him, Finn."

"You've forgotten who gave you your status, who allowed you to gain wealth."

"You've forgotten why Zaun could develop into what it is today under Piltover's oppression."

"You've forgotten loyalty!"

Sevika's expression was cold, her left limb raised high.

"He said, don't walk too fast. Wait for him in hell. He'll wait for your revenge!"

She swung her arm down. Under the Purple Light, blood sprayed into the sky, and onto Sevika's indifferent face.

"Traitor."

Author's Notes