People in the League, but with the Taiwan Server System

In some ways, they were even worse than members of the Order of the Shadow, who might have been brutal but had at least rendered outstanding service.

"Ah, the Order of the Kinkou... They spend their whole lives upholding harmony with nature, yet stand by and do nothing while their own people are slaughtered..."

Chen Ce sighed and drew an X over a temple-shaped mark in the upper-right corner of the map.

The Order of the Kinkou couldn't be relied upon. It wasn't worth spending so much time going all the way over there just for Akali, so he might as well put the Order of the Kinkou "on the back burner" for now.

As for the Order of the Shadow... that would depend on how things went. They didn't seem willing to work with outsiders. Otherwise, they would have already joined forces with the Resistance Army, just like the Navori Brotherhood.

And then there was...

Fae'lor Island.

The Dark Sovereign, Syndra.

This peerless powerhouse could overturn an entire island by herself, even shifting the plates of the First Lands ever so slightly. She was someone he had to try to recruit, no matter what.

If he managed to bring Syndra over to their side, this war that had dragged on for years could practically be brought to an end on the spot. Forget Noxus—even across all of Runeterra, there were probably few who could match her.

And her skills dealt devastating AOE damage, making her perfect for the battlefield.

She was practically a nuclear weapon...

As for how to convince Syndra, who despised Ionia, to help them... he'd have to think it through carefully. He couldn't afford to slip up. With his current strength, if he accidentally angered her, she could turn him to ash with a flick of her finger.

Recruiting Syndra was a high-risk, high-reward "deal." He had to be extra careful.

What else was there—

"Boss!" Ahri's shout from nearby interrupted Chen Ce's thoughts. "Someone's coming!"

Chen Ce turned to look. The fox girl was pointing toward a distant rock pillar. On the horizon, there was little more than a black speck.

He immediately entered Meditation.

In his view of the Spirit Realm, he "saw" two surging currents of magic—swift as the wind and sharp as blades.

They were finally here...

Rumbling thunder hid within the dark clouds overhead. Flashes of lightning lit the path beneath Yasuo's feet.

It was going to rain again... he thought, just like that day...

He didn't like the rain. The clammy air made his palms sweat, making it harder to keep a firm grip on his sword.

But the rain wouldn't stop falling just because he disliked it—just like so many other things. Just like the pursuers behind him wouldn't stop just because he tried to explain.

He was already moving as fast as he could.

But he still couldn't put any distance between himself and the pursuers behind him.

He was practically riding the wind, but he was so tired... The pursuers, who never rested by day or night, had barely let him stop for even a moment.

At last, amid a dense cluster of rock pillars, a flash of swordlight swept toward him from behind.

He turned his head to dodge the blade, but it still cut off a strand of his hair.

"Stop running, Yasuo!" came his elder brother's furious reproach.

Yasuo finally stopped. The wind of the sword beside his ear sounded so grating that it was even louder than the gale before a downpour.

"Go, Yone... I don't want to fight you." He reached for his waist and tightened his grip on his sword hilt.

Clang—! The blades collided with a sharp, clear ring.

"Your crimes are unforgivable, Yasuo!"

Yone held his two swords across his chest. Their keen steel blades reflected the mingled anger and pain on his face.

"You've brought shame upon us... You swore an oath to protect Elder Souma!"

The same old argument... Yasuo slowly straightened his back. Pain and... anger lay beneath his tightly closed eyes.

"You swore an oath to protect this land too... Just look around you! Your so-called honor has left this land in ruin!"

At his words, Yone frowned.

The next moment, he charged forward again, his sharp twin blades moving through his hands as nimbly as wild geese.

"Throw away honor, and all that's left is a life of shame!"

Clang—!

Clang-clang—!

The sound of clashing blades rang out again and again, steel meeting wind high above the ground.

Rain fell amid rolling thunder... Raindrops were sliced apart by the blades, then splashed against their edges.

Unlike any of their previous battles, Yasuo couldn't move freely against those steel blades, and Yone struggled to gain the upper hand against the wind.

After clashing again and again, the two slowly put some distance between them.

Following the code of honor, they began circling one another.

At last, as lightning flashed across the sky, both men spotted an opening.

Yasuo drew his blade back to his waist and began to lean forward, his breathing growing quick and rhythmic. He felt the wind—right there in his blade. He was about to unleash the ultimate technique of the Way of the Wanderer.

Last Breath.

Yone's gaze filled with killing intent, and the steel blades held across his chest were already poised to strike.

"I'm sorry, little brother... I won't let you sink any further."

The moment the words left his mouth, they both charged at each other.

The rain and fierce wind blurred their vision.

Yet in the reflections on their blades, they still saw themselves and each other.

And...

A spear that had appeared out of nowhere.

A spear spinning through the air.

Clang—! Metal rang out once more, but this time neither Yasuo nor Yone managed to hurt the other.

Their swords... had been blocked by a spear.

"You two, stop fighting!"

Chapter 30: I'll Kill You in One Q-A Combo

When the spear came flying in, Yasuo and Yone both froze.

To be honest, with their keen perception, they had noticed the spear-wielder approaching long before he arrived.

They just hadn't expected him to dare rush right into the middle of their sword fight and block both their attacks by himself.

Their swordsmanship was unrivaled. They had thought that the fierce sword wind alone would stop the man, so they wouldn't accidentally hurt an innocent bystander.

But... how could they have known the wind wouldn't stop him...

And, even more incredibly...

Their swords...

Had actually been stopped by him...

He'd blocked both their swords with a spear...

It was impossible...!

Thud—! As the spear stopped spinning, it swept across and forced the two swordsmen back several steps. Their battle instincts told them that if they didn't retreat, the spear shaft would smack them hard in the face.

They each stepped back a dozen paces. Their gazes grew sharper, and the swords in their hands seemed to have found a new opponent.

Chen Ce—the peacemaker between them—secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

On the one hand, he was glad he'd arrived in time. On the other... he was glad the two hadn't gone all out just then.

Yasuo hadn't unleashed the ultimate technique of the Way of the Wanderer, Last Breath. Instead, he'd used a regular combination of Sweeping Blade and Steel Tempest.

But judging by his stance... he'd probably planned to follow up with Last Breath as soon as he finished that move.

If he'd managed to pull it off, even Counter Strike might not have stopped him so easily. And even if it had, Chen Ce would have been hurt.

As for Yone, he hadn't yet been possessed by an Azakana, the demon of the Spirit Realm. His swordsmanship hadn't yet surpassed the limits of human ability, so Counter Strike would have been enough to block all his attacks.

In any case, he'd arrived just in time...

"Both of you, hear me out." Chen Ce shook his numb arm and looked from one to the other. "I'm sure there's been some misunderstanding between you—about the truth behind Elder Souma's death."

"Who are you? What do you know?" At the mention of "Souma," the hot-tempered Yasuo could no longer contain his excitement. "Who killed the elder? Tell me!"

Compared to Yasuo, Yone, who had always been calmer and more humble, was far less agitated.

Instead, he looked deeply suspicious—which was the right way to treat a stranger who had suddenly appeared and claimed to know a secret no one else knew.

"Who are you?" He looked at Chen Ce with suspicion and a trace of hostility, and didn't lower his twin blades. "Before you reveal anything, tell us who you are."

As he spoke, he glanced from the corner of his eye toward the nearby rock pillar.

He saw another figure hiding there... who looked like a Vastaya. He had to be cautious.

"My name is Chen Ce." Chen Ce greeted them with a traditional Ionian gesture, then lowered his spear to show he meant no harm. "I'm a member of the Placidium Resistance Army. I know the truth about Elder Souma's death."

"How am I supposed to believe you?" Yone still hadn't let down his guard.

"I can take you to find the real killer."

"The real killer... Can you prove it?"

"I believe so. Once we find the murder weapon, the truth will come to light."

"How can we know that the 'murder weapon' you find is really—"

"Enough—!" Before Yone could finish, Yasuo angrily cut him off. "Yone! Why do you keep refusing to believe me? Even now, when we've finally found hope, you're still determined to believe I'm the killer!"

"I just need to be more careful." Yone frowned too. "Yasuo, you have to understand—I'm in more pain than you are right now. I want you to be innocent more than anyone!"

"Then why... why won't you believe me!" Yasuo roared.

"The elder died by the Way of the Wanderer, and you're the only one who knows it. That's a fact." Yone's tone was still fairly calm, but he could no longer quite suppress his anger.

After one unfriendly look, Yasuo drew his sword again. He had always been like this—not steady enough, not calm enough, always letting his emotions drive his actions—just as he'd left Elder Souma without permission that day, hoping to fight on the front lines, and ultimately caused the elder's death.

"Convince me with your sword, Yone!"

The sharp blade came at him again, and Yone had no choice but to raise his sword and counter.

The two legendary swordsmen clashed once more. Their blades flashed between them, and the sound of steel ringing against steel filled the air.

Chen Ce's eye twitched. He had no choice but to charge forward with his spear again.

But this time, he couldn't stop them so easily. They'd already noticed him, unlike when he'd caught them off guard before.

"Stay back!" Yasuo seized an opening to swing his sword, sending a fierce gust of wind slashing toward him.

Chen Ce dodged the wind blade and used Counter Strike again.

Even so, he struggled to keep up with their pace. Yasuo and Yone were both just as physically strong as he was, and they were even slightly faster than him.

Chen Ce wanted to block their swords or use the second strike of Counter Strike to knock them out, but he couldn't quite keep up.

The two brothers were deliberately avoiding him.

"Tsk..."

Chen Ce desperately waved his hands in a "flower-hand" motion, but he still couldn't keep up with them. If this dragged on, Counter Strike would wear off. He couldn't keep spinning forever.

The clanging grew more and more frequent, and the two swordsmen fought more and more fiercely. At this rate, someone would soon be bleeding.

Fortunately, just as Chen Ce was getting more and more frustrated, the fox girl who'd been lying in wait nearby finally made her move.

A dazzling Orb of Deception flew from her hand, trailing strange energy from the Spirit Realm.

Though Yone had already noticed Ahri hiding nearby and watching the fight, the Orb of Deception was simply too fast. With his hands full fending off Yasuo's attacks, he couldn't find an opening to block it.

With no other choice, he rolled in the opposite direction from where the orb had come. Yasuo, still furious, chased after him.

And that was exactly where Chen Ce stood.