As time passed, a sliver of dawn appeared in the sky. The long night gave way to a brilliant sunrise, but it did nothing to reassure the soldiers of the Trifarian Legion. They had fought for an entire day and night, only to suffer the greatest defeat in the legion's history. After a bitter struggle the previous night, this elite army had lost a third of its troops, yet it had still been forced to withdraw from the area around the portal fortress. The Nether Knights had hounded them for an entire day and night, and now the soldiers were exhausted. Most of the legion's supplies were still on the other side of the portal, never having made it through in time. With the fortress lost, there was no hope of recovering them. The soldiers had only three days' worth of food on them, and they were trapped in the middle of rebel-held territory. The Trifarian Legion was on the brink of disaster.
"We're out of time."
Inside a hastily assembled command tent, Darius's resolute face had lost its calm. Ling Ying remembered that he had shown little emotion even when he ordered indiscriminate bombardment the previous night. But now, with the fate of the entire legion at stake, even he could no longer remain composed.
"The Trifarix Council can't send us any support right now. We're on our own. So if you have a solution, stop being so cryptic!"
As he spoke, Darius turned to LeBlanc, who had been idly playing with her hair beside the table.
"Calm down, General Darius."
LeBlanc answered with easy composure.
"The solution is simple. I already told you: Du Couteau has the power of the Soulstone. The Underworld can't manifest directly in Runeterra, but when someone sacrifices their body to serve as a vessel for the Soulstone, he can open a passage to the Underworld and summon its matter into the mortal world. But the matter he summons can only remain stable within a certain distance of the vessel, so..."
"So?"
"So, those Undead Knights chased you all night. Du Couteau's true body must be nearby, watching. Find him and shatter the Soulstone, and you'll cut off the anchor that lets those things exist in this world. They'll be banished back to the Underworld."
"Then how do we find him?"
"You don't need to worry about that. I came here to help you with exactly this. Just follow the directions I give you, and you'll be sure to flush the old man out."
"Hmm..."
After hearing LeBlanc out, Darius stroked his chin and considered the matter.
"Then I'll have the Trifarian Legion prepare to advance."
"No, no. Don't rush. Once you see where he is, you won't want to throw your entire army at him."
LeBlanc reached out and lightly tapped a spot on the map. Darius looked at it, his brow furrowing slightly.
"The Gorgon Catacombs?"
"Mm-hmm. That's right. The old king built them as an underground refuge to save his own skin. You occupied this land without thoroughly sweeping the place, didn't you?"
"Back then, we couldn't spare troops to explore it properly, so we simply rendered it unusable."
The Noxian gave a noncommittal nod.
"Then congratulations. Now you'll have to dig through every inch of it to find that old man, Du Couteau."
Darius fell silent again. He paced back and forth in front of the table several times before speaking.
"The terrain down there is too complicated. There are plenty of unexplored areas and traps. A large force can't operate there. If your information is precise enough, we can send a small elite squad to cut off the head."
"Mm-hmm. It's precise, and I can give you accurate intelligence on the catacombs, too."
"Good. Then we can discuss who to send..."
"Hey, hey. My person is definitely going. She's volunteering to sacrifice herself for the glory of Noxus."
LeBlanc suddenly grabbed Ling Ying by the wrist and waved her hand in the air.
"Hey! You..."
"Good."
Before the furious Ling Ying could protest, Darius nodded approvingly. Then he turned to the people behind him.
"I'll need a capable fighter on my side as well. Samira, it's your turn."
"Oh? Sounds like a suitably thrilling job."
A woman stepped into the tent at the call. She was tall and dark-skinned, with strong Shuriman features. The sturdy muscles and unusual tattoos visible beneath her skimpy outfit suggested she was no pushover. The broad-bladed sword strapped to her back, nearly as tall as she was, and the firearm slung at her waist would have been enough to make most people think twice. Ling Ying stared at the eyepatch on her face for a moment, earning a smug chuckle from the woman.
"What? Think my eyepatch looks good? I could give you one. But first, I'd have to put a hole in your face. Hahahaha!"
"You..."
"What about me? What? You want to fight? I'm happy to oblige."
"Enough."
Darius rapped on the table, dispelling the growing hostility. Samira gave Ling Ying a cold snort, then stepped aside to fiddle with the coin she always kept in her hand.
"I'm going too."
Katarina, who had been silently resting with her eyes closed, stepped forward.
"I want to watch that man meet his end with my own eyes."
"Oh?"
Darius looked surprised.
"Isn't he your father? Are you sure?"
"I'm absolutely sure. I told you: when he sent assassins to take my head because I hadn't carried out his mission seriously enough, the word 'father' became nothing more than a title to me. Besides..."
As she spoke, Katarina reached up to touch the black eyepatch over her left eye. Her gaze was icy with killing intent.
"The man who took my left eye should be here, too. This time, I'm collecting what he owes me!"
"Hmm."
Darius nodded slightly.
"If you can take Du Couteau's head, I'm sure Commander Swain will trust you more."
"Hmph. I serve Noxus. As for him, I don't think he represents Noxus yet."
Katarina openly snapped back at Darius in front of everyone. To everyone's surprise, he didn't react.
"So we have three candidates..."
"No, four."
LeBlanc waved a hand.
"You don't expect me to stamp all the information directly into your brains, do you? A map isn't much help, either, so I'll have to go with you myself."
"You're coming yourself?"
Ling Ying shot LeBlanc an annoyed look.
"Of course."
LeBlanc shrugged.
"The me you see here isn't an illusion. She's a clone, and controlling her takes a great deal of effort. Why shouldn't that count as going myself? This clone doesn't have much fighting ability, though, so you'll have to take care to protect me. If anything happens to me, you'll be stumbling around the catacombs blind."
"Great. So we have to fight our way into an underground maze with no information, using just four people, and babysit someone, too."
Samira looked back and forth between LeBlanc and Ling Ying with a critical eye. Then, as if suddenly seized by some strange impulse, she slapped her hand down and shouted,
"Sounds good! This'll be thrilling! When do we leave?"
"Right now. But we need someone to stage a feint on the front line and draw Du Couteau's main forces away from the catacombs."
As she spoke, LeBlanc turned to Darius with a smile.
"You and your Trifarian Legion can manage that, can't you, General Darius?"
"Trifarian Legion!"
"Stand and fight to the death!"
The soldiers of the Trifarian Legion roared like thunder. In stark contrast, the Underworld Army facing them stood in near silence. The Undead Knights began their silent charge. They gradually picked up speed, passed the Soul Armor and Nether Soldiers in their ranks, and crashed into the Noxian front line like roaring tanks. But just then, the knights suddenly lost their footing and sank into the ground. Their neat formation instantly fell apart.
"Array Cannons! Rapid fire! Target the trapped area!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
A dense barrage exploded across the traps holding the Undead Knights. Even though they had lost some cannons in their hurried retreat earlier, the roaring explosions and flames still dominated the battlefield.
"Oh, the sweet sound of cannon fire. Now that's war."
Samira closed her eyes, listening to the distant cannons with an expression of rapture. Then she opened them and cast a disdainful glance at LeBlanc, who was working magic amid the ruins.
"Now look at us. Ugh, that stench of magic."
"All right."
LeBlanc paid no attention to Samira's remarks. She pressed a hand against the wall, and pale blue magical patterns lit up. An oval portal abruptly took shape.
"This portal leads straight to the center of the catacombs. That means we could walk right into Du Couteau's face, so stay alert."
Without a moment's hesitation, LeBlanc stepped through first, followed by Katarina. When it was Ling Ying's turn, she looked back at Samira with a teasing smile.
"So, are you coming with us through this stinking portal, or are you going back to take part in your real war?"
Ling Ying immediately stepped through the portal, leaving Samira hopping with rage on the other side.
"Damn you! One of these days, I'm going to fight you. Then I'll twist your head right off!"
Still hurling threats, Samira strode through the portal. As soon as the last person entered, it shimmered and vanished from the wall. Among the crumbling ruins, only broken bricks and desolate weeds and wildflowers remained.
"Drip!"
Water seeping into the catacombs fell onto the moss-covered floor, sending a ripple through a puddle and shattering the reflected images of the four travelers.
"It's freezing down here."
As she walked through the shadowy catacomb passage, Samira looked around and hugged herself, shivering slightly. Ling Ying took a certain satisfaction in seeing the Shuriman, who wore nothing but a tank top, tremble in the chill underground. Perhaps sensing Ling Ying's ill-intentioned gaze, Samira turned and glared at her.
"Something's here."
LeBlanc suddenly stopped. Katarina, right behind her, immediately drew two daggers. Ling Ying looked ahead. The passage was dark and seemingly empty, but through the magical vision LeBlanc had granted her, she could see clearly: the passage was covered by a strange shadow.
"An Unfathomable Shadow. Its true body is in the Underworld, but this monster can project itself into the mortal world. It's invisible under normal vision, but once you enter its hunting grounds, it devours your soul without you even noticing. Hmm. Looks like the old man hasn't left his rear completely undefended."
"So if this thing is here, Du Couteau must be close by?"
Samira looked around without a care in the world.
"Then what? How do we deal with it? I suppose we can't just hack it to pieces with a sword?"
"Why not?"
LeBlanc smiled meaningfully as she traced a few lines in the air. A dark red rune appeared. She pushed it forward, then suddenly crushed it in her hand. Everyone felt their bodies grow heavy. Ling Ying looked down and saw a faint red glow linger on her skin for a moment before quickly disappearing.
"Now you can hurt its true body, which exists between the worlds."
"What...did you do?"
Ling Ying felt the change in her body and asked, not without concern.
"Just a little trick. I gave you a touch of the Underworld's aura, so you can reach the Unfathomable Shadow's true body through its projection."
"I see. Ha! I like it!"
Samira swung her greatsword in a couple of circles. Then she charged forward, rushing toward the passage where the Unfathomable Shadow lurked with tremendous momentum.
"Take this, you freak!"
She raised her greatsword, now enhanced, and brought it down on the Unfathomable Shadow in a leaping strike. The creature was slow to react. It did nothing even as Samira closed in, but the moment the sword struck its head, it sprang to life by reflex. Its bloated body opened two palms as broad as umbrella canopies, grabbing at the area where Samira stood.
"Shing! Shing! Shing!"
Cold Light flashed through the air. Katarina had thrown a row of small, butterfly-wing-shaped knives. They flew in graceful arcs toward the shadow's outstretched claws, cleanly severing all five fingers.
"Graaah!"
The Unfathomable Shadow let out a strange cry. Its surface rippled, and a dozen tentacles shot out, sweeping over Samira and Katarina. But Ling Ying was ready. She used Shadow Step to slip above the Unfathomable Shadow, then dove down, spinning rapidly as she fell. She became a human Little Top wreathed in swordlight, cutting off every tentacle the shadow had extended. The Hextech Gunblade, running at full power, sent a pale blue blade of energy rushing into the shadow. The High-Energy Ion Stream sliced through its body as effortlessly as a hot knife through butter. Then a flash of light—an explosion. The bloated shadow monster was blown to pieces, its fragments pattering down like rain.
"Yoo-hoo! That was thrilling! Hahaha..."
"Wait! It's not over!"
From behind, LeBlanc called out to Samira. Ling Ying looked closely and saw the tiny fragments of shadow had grown legs. They were scampering down the passage.
"That thing's not dead! It's trying to carry a message! Stop it!"
"Shing! Shing!"
As soon as LeBlanc spoke, Katarina used a quick step to cut off the shadows' escape route. She spun at high speed, sending countless knives and daggers flying. Like a lotus made of blades, they wiped out a large swath of the fragments in an instant.
"Don't even think about running!"
Ling Ying raised her sword and started forward, but a burst of fire behind her made her hastily roll out of the way.
"Hahaha! You ugly freaks! Come on!"
Samira shouted as she fired her gun again and again. The modified barrel spat out a hail of bullets in a short burst, riddling countless fragments with holes—and nearly riddling Ling Ying with them, too.
"You crazy woman! Did you do that on purpose?!"
Ling Ying shouted at Samira in annoyance.
"Can't you aim?!"
"Huh? Sorry, I missed. I'll try again next time."
Samira stuck out her tongue at Ling Ying while she kept shooting, infuriating her.
"Up ahead!"
LeBlanc's timely warning interrupted Ling Ying just as she was about to argue with Samira.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
The sound of sharp objects slicing through the air reached them in an instant. Already on guard, Ling Ying melted into the shadows and fled backward. Samira had less luck. Though she was nimble, with a greatsword in one hand and a gun in the other, she had few effective ways to dodge the sudden assault while fighting.
Cold Light flashed, and several cuts appeared on Samira's body. Her greatsword shielded her from a few daggers aimed at vital spots, but there was no way she could protect herself everywhere. Worse, the daggers she had knocked aside suddenly curved through the air and darted toward her back from a tricky angle.
"Damn—?!"
Samira hadn't finished swearing when a mass of black mist suddenly wrapped around her, completely engulfing her. When she "saw the light of day" again, she had been tossed behind LeBlanc.
"Stop trying to get yourself killed! I won't save you next time!"
Ling Ying gave the bewildered Samira a fierce glare, then turned toward the direction from which the daggers had flown. Katarina had already taken the lead. She accelerated and charged forward, throwing two daggers. In a flash, she appeared at the end of their flight path, no more than a breath later, and sent a spray of blades shooting out around her.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The assassin in the darkness was no pushover. Even when faced with Katarina's swift assault, he still managed to counterattack. The daggers they threw clattered together in midair, scattering a brilliant shower of sparks. The light illuminated Katarina's murderous face and briefly revealed the invisible assassin. The air in front of her rippled, outlining the faint, transparent shape of a person.
"Got you!"
The corners of Katarina's mouth lifted slightly. As she smiled, her body bent backward into an arch no ordinary person could manage. She flipped through the air like a windmill, her long legs sweeping out in a crescent.
The metal guards on her boots struck the spot occupied by the human outline, throwing off even brighter sparks. At last, they disabled the intruder's invisibility cloak. A blue-robed assassin in silver armor, wielding strange double-edged blades, appeared before them.
"Talon. I've waited a long time for this."
Katarina gave a savage grin.
"You took my left eye. Now it's time to pay your debt."
Before you continue