"Ah, Nasus, I have always found you quite endearing," Sivir remarked, brandishing her spear and offering a charming smile to the dog-headed figure before her. "In contrast to your brother, who is solely driven by a hunger for flesh, you possess a certain integrity, and it just so happens that integrity is a quality I hold in the highest regard."
"Because honest individuals are the easiest to deceive, ha ha ha..."
!!!
Nasus's eyes widened in shock, the depths of his dark, beastly gaze igniting with a sudden fury.
As the sound of her melodious laughter echoed, the woman before him began to fade away, her form dissipating like lines erased from a canvas.
Like a gentle stroke of an eraser, her silhouette gradually vanished from the view of those present, leaving only the soft echoes of her laughter lingering in the void.
"Have you not learned from your past mistakes? I currently possess strength only at the ninth tier; how could I possibly engage you in combat? After all these years, why do you still fail to use your intellect? Ah... but that is precisely what makes you charming. Do continue as you are; I truly admire you, ha ha ha..."
In the emptiness, the woman's laughter slowly faded away.
As the echoes of her mirth dissipated, Nasus fell silent for several moments before raising his staff and striking it heavily upon the ground.
An invisible ripple spread through the void, and the dog-headed man's cold gaze turned toward the three from Noxus.
Sensing Nasus's frigid stare, Darius and Katarina retreated a few steps in silence, while the curious Ekko remained motionless, gazing up at the towering figure of Nasus.
"I am Nasus Idemiz Ventress Hisblade Anoya, the arbiter of the divine, the harbinger of death," he intoned, his voice deep and resonant, as he slowly raised his staff, the solemn gaze of the dog-headed figure locking onto Darius and his companions.
"Accept my judgment, you sinners who have desecrated the resting place of the goddess."
"Soon, there will be nothing left," Nasus intoned in a cold, somber chant, as dark luminescence began to emanate from his imposing form. Countless dim, black motes representing death began to materialize around him.
These points, symbols of mortality and sin, danced around him, quietly exuding an aura of despair from the depths of hell.
[Divine Decree: Realm of Despair].
Before a being that had lived for millennia, Darius understood that Nasus's actions signified an irrevocable enmity between them, yet he still futilely sought to salvage the situation.
"Respected arbiter of death, we mean no offense to Her Radiant Highness. We have come only to fulfill General Darkwill's orders in search of the Staff of Time, and we have no intention of disturbing the slumber of the goddess. I implore you to consider our words."
However, the towering dog-headed figure paid little heed to Darius's plea.
With a chilling gaze, he raised his head. "This place is one where even angels dare not tread. Darkwill is but a mere undead lich; how dare he defile the dignity of the goddess?"
"Do not test my patience, liar," Nasus declared, raising his staff in disdain, "Death is a stern goddess; accept your judgment, and you may at least attain a form of rebirth."
"Because your legacy shall drift away, blown into eternity like the sands of the desert," Nasus intoned, his voice cold and solemn.
"Why waste words with it?" Katarina said with a stern expression, drawing her dagger. "Did not General Darkwill's notes indicate that it currently possesses no strength beyond the ninth tier? Even though it once wielded divine authority, we three together have a fighting chance."
With a swift motion, Darius unsheathed his massive battle axe, declaring, "Since the arbiter of death insists on judgment, let us fight! Noxus never retreats!"
A wind from an unknown source surged through the corridor, causing Darius's crimson cloak to billow dramatically. In that moment, the aura of a battle-hardened warrior intensified around the towering figure.
...
Cold footsteps echoed within the corridor as Xiao Mu Yu advanced with a stoic expression, navigating through countless turns toward the location of Jarvan and his companions.
Upon emerging from the depths of Lux's consciousness, Xiao Mu Yu sensed that Jarvan's group had remained in a fixed position, seemingly thwarted by some unseen obstacle.
Beneath a gray cloak, the man's chest bore horrific scars, the crimson flesh twisted to reveal glimpses of pale bone.
However, concealed beneath the cloak, Lux failed to notice the wounds on Xiao Mu Yu's chest. Clinging to his back, she asked in surprise, "Junior Brother, you've learned the Wind Chime Tongue? Did the teacher not say that only those of the saintly tier could master it?"
Without pausing, Xiao Mu Yu replied coldly, "I once reached the saintly tier."
"Uh..." The response was as succinct as Lux had anticipated, and she discerned that her junior brother had no desire to elaborate. Thus, she fell silent.
In the realm of consciousness.
(Young human, your wisest choice now is to hastily depart this pyramid.)
"Why?" Xiao Mu Yu asked coldly.
(Some deities with darker aspects often manifest their powers with great aggression upon death. If my judgment is correct, this teddy bear was conjured with the intent to slay all it can. Otherwise, the goddess of youthful beauty would not have inherited solely the aspect of the Slaughter Deity.)
"..." After a few moments of silence, Xiao Mu Yu stated coldly, "I have yet to locate the treasure within this pyramid. Whether the Celestial Soul Locking Jade exists remains uncertain; I cannot return empty-handed."
(Celestial Soul Locking Jade? Spare me! We are in a critical moment of life and death! Had I known this was the resting place of the goddess of youthful beauty, I would never have suggested coming here. This is not an ancient relic; it is clearly the prison where the goddess sealed that old scoundrel Xerath!)
(Don't even mention the Celestial Soul Locking Jade; you'd be hard-pressed to find even a gem within this pyramid, let alone a treasure! Since this is the resting place of the goddess, the only beings here, aside from that eerie teddy bear, are the goddess's two minions, Nasus and Rek'Sai, and the unfortunate Xerath who is sealed away.)
(Encountering any of these individuals would spell trouble, so your wisest course is to flee at once.)
The dark, twin orbs...
Slowly opened.
"Even if I must leave, I must first retrieve the last remaining clue to the Celestial Soul Locking Jade," Xiao Mu Yu stated coldly.
(The clue to the Celestial Soul Locking Jade? Are you referring to the girl named Annie?)
"Ah, indeed, it is she," Xiao Mu Yu replied with a cold nod.
("Goodness! Are you courting death? The Celestial Soul Locking Jade is not exclusive to that little girl; there are numerous similar leads scattered across the continent. If you search diligently, you are bound to find one. However, if you linger here any longer, encountering either Rek'Sai or Nasus—those two lackeys—or that teddy bear, with your current meager strength at the ninth tier, it would be nothing short of miraculous if you emerged unscathed!")
Disregarding the demon's ominous warnings, Xiao Mu Yu lowered his gaze and replied coolly, "Actually... I am quite curious."
("Curious about what?")
"Curious as to why you are so concerned," Xiao Mu Yu stated icily. "Aren't you unafraid even of death?"
("Me? Ahem... Of course, I fear not death! However, I am merely worried about you, given our many years of camaraderie. Day and night we have been companions, our consciousness intertwined; such long-standing bonds naturally evoke affection... Oh dear, how embarrassing! I inadvertently revealed my true feelings, ha ha ha...")
"..." Xiao Mu Yu chose to ignore the demon's tasteless jest, as he always did.
"!!!" At that moment, his steps abruptly halted, and Xiao Mu Yu's swift figure came to an instantaneous stop.
His pitch-black eyes coldly regarded a beautiful woman approaching down the corridor, humming a cheerful tune. Xiao Mu Yu stood expressionless in place.
She was a striking figure, wielding a slender spear and carrying a massive cross-shaped boomerang on her back, though at present, an unusual staff was also slung across her shoulders.
The woman donned a remarkably light suit of armor, which starkly contrasted with the heavy, rigid armor that encased her body like a tin can. This armor was so insubstantial that it was hard to believe it could be considered protective; rather, it resembled a set of alluring, breezy attire.
Beneath the gently swaying battle skirt were her dazzlingly alluring, long legs, while the upper portion of her armor merely covered her partially exposed bosom, revealing a captivating cleavage.
Indeed, the armor seemed more akin to a corset than protective gear.
Yet, this seemingly airy armor, worn by the woman, did not convey a sense of frivolity; instead, it exuded an air of sanctity and inviolability. With every movement, she radiated an aura of martial prowess.
This commanding presence, combined with the languorous expression reminiscent of a lazy cat that adorned her face, created an oddly enchanting beauty.
The Goddess of War, Sivir.
With a mere glance, Xiao Mu Yu instantly recognized the woman he had encountered before.
Within the realm of consciousness, the demon's excited voice suddenly echoed.
("The Staff of Time! It is the Staff of Time! Human boy, quickly seize that staff from the woman's back! Hahaha! We've struck gold! With that staff, we shall no longer fear that wretched teddy bear!")