In the blink of an eye, a month passed.
In Noxus, in the capital.
A hidden hall was shrouded in silence. The internal structure of the hall was complex, with countless passages branching through it.
Among them was one tunnel that led to the underground main hall.
Inside the main hall, the light was dim. Weak flames flickered, faintly illuminating the vast space, as well as the figures standing in every corner of it.
On the first floor, the second floor, and even the third floor, numerous cold gazes came from every direction. Looking around, every person there was dressed in black. Some wore cloaks, others wore masks, and all of them concealed their faces.
This was the main headquarters of the Assassins' Guild, a place that made many Noxians turn pale at the mere mention of it and keep their distance.
"Who called you here?"
A voice sounded in the darkness, sparking a wave of discussion.
"I don't know. What I received was the leader's summons."
"I had just accepted a job when I received the summons."
"Same here."
"The leader has been missing for months. Why would he suddenly issue a summons?"
"Where has the leader been these past few months?"
Voices of discussion continued to ring out. The assassins were all puzzled by this sudden summons.
By now, the assassin leader Du Couteau had been missing for more than half a year. During this period, the Assassins' Guild had been without a head.
Although it still maintained normal operations, without someone leading it, it inevitably seemed disordered.
"I will give you the answers to what comes next."
At that moment, a tall, slender figure slowly walked out. She had beautiful red hair, refined features, and a thin scar left near her left eye.
"Katarina?"
"When did you come back?"
"And what do you know?"
"What is this summons about?"
"Are you the one who called us here?"
Hearing the many questions, Katarina swept her gaze across the entire hall and said calmly, "I returned one day ago. I know most of what I should know. While I'm at it, I'll tell you this. The leader is dead. Now, the token is in my hands."
As she spoke, she raised her hand. In it was a black iron token that looked heavy and solemn. Aside from the character for "leader" engraved on it, there was also a faint layer of patterns.
Seeing this token, many assassins present immediately revealed covetous looks.
In the Assassins' Guild, whoever obtained the token could replace the previous leader and take charge of the guild.
It seemed like nothing more than a piece of iron, but what it represented was supreme authority.
Yet at this moment, compared to the token itself, what shocked everyone even more was the news that the leader, Du Couteau, was dead.
"What?!"
"The leader is dead?"
"What do you know? Speak!"
"Why is the token in your hands?"
Katarina looked at the last person who had asked a question and said calmly, "Isn't the answer obvious enough? There are only two ways for the token to change hands. One is to entrust it to someone. The other is to seize it by force. In the end, only the person still alive is qualified to hold the token."
The assassins present fell silent one after another, sinking into thought.
They all knew Katarina was Du Couteau's daughter, as well as an assassin personally trained by him.
She had always possessed some reputation in the Assassins' Guild. It was just that as soon as she made her debut, she disobeyed orders and acted on her own, leading to the failure of a plan.
Because of that, as early as several months ago, Du Couteau had personally given the order to send assassins after Katarina and kill her.
To the assassins, this matter was no longer a secret.
So they knew there was absolutely no possibility of entrustment between this father and daughter.
After that, Du Couteau disappeared, and Katarina vanished along with him.
Now, Katarina had returned alive and brought back news of Du Couteau's death.
Then only one possibility remained.
"You killed the leader?"
An assassin could not help asking.
"That's right."
Katarina admitted it calmly. The moment her words fell, another wave of discussion erupted.
Suddenly, one assassin said coldly, "A duel for the leader's position must be approved by the council. You killed the leader privately without permission, so even if you obtained the token, it means nothing. Besides, we cannot confirm whether this token is genuine."
Faced with his accusation, the assassins present also came back to themselves one after another.
In the Assassins' Guild, there were six council members. These six council members were not assassins, but they occupied important positions in the guild and each had different responsibilities.
When it came to discussing major affairs, the council had to vote.
To become a council member, one also had to pass through layer after layer of selection and assessment, and the judgments made had to be fair and authoritative.
Otherwise, if they showed bias, the assassins also had the right to strip them of their status as council members.
In short, the Assassins' Guild had strict ranks. Each layer managed the one below it, and in the end, all were jointly governed by the leader.
That was how it had stood firm in Noxus for so many years.
Something like a duel for the leader's position had to receive unanimous approval from the council. Otherwise, the people coveting that position would never stop coming, and everyone would want to challenge it.
If the leader's position kept changing, with one person barely sitting firmly in the seat for two days before being assassinated and replaced by someone else, repeating over and over, the guild would fall into chaos.
Therefore, there had to be a council in the middle, responsible for judgment and ensuring the fairness and authority of the duel.
For the past several decades, Du Couteau had relied on his formidable strength to sit in that position without dispute.
Now, even if he was dead, the assassins might not necessarily acknowledge Katarina's status.
Facing the accusation, Katarina's expression remained extremely calm as she said, "Who said I did not notify the council? Besides... whether the token is real or fake can be known with a single test."
At that moment, six more people slowly walked out from behind the curtain. Unlike the others, they wore gray-white robes, and all of them were over fifty years old.
Among them, the oldest one took the token, and a surge of magic suddenly released from his hand.
The glow of magic flickered to life, and the patterns on the token gradually lit up. Immediately afterward, a terrifying killing intent spread from within it, suffocating everyone and making the entire hall sink under its weight.
That was the accumulation of killing intent personally forged by successive generations of leaders. It could only be described as terrifying.
At this point, there was no longer any need to debate whether this token was real.
This was absolutely the genuine leader's token.
Only the leader's token could possess such terrifying killing intent.
The council member handed the token back to Katarina and said casually, "Katarina did indeed inform the council that she intended to duel the previous leader. At the time, the one who made the decision on behalf of the council was Du Couteau himself. This matter was unanimously approved by the council. Between the two of them, whoever returned with the token would be the leader."
Between Du Couteau and Katarina, between father and daughter, there was bound to be a bloody battle. That was no secret either.
It was just that they had disappeared together, so no one knew who had won or lost.
If Du Couteau had informed the council of this matter in advance, then the assassins present truly had nothing else to say.
At this moment, one assassin stepped forward and said coldly, "The Assassins' Guild has been leaderless for these past few months. Now she suddenly returns with the token. To be honest, I am not questioning the guild's fairness. I simply believe she does not possess the ability to command the guild. Moreover, regarding the previous leader's death, you do not seem to intend to make it public. Where did they go during these past few months? Should we not be given an explanation?"
"I'll answer that question."
Katarina spoke calmly at this moment. "During the months Du Couteau was missing, he went to Demacia. As for me, I pursued him there."
"Demacia?"
"Why would the leader go to Demacia?"
The assassins present began questioning one after another.
Katarina continued, "His mission was to assassinate Demacia's king, Jarvan III. And I believe all of you should know by now about the current upheaval in Demacia."
As her words fell, many assassins looked at one another.
That was right. Demacia's upheaval was the decree pardoning mages.
This incident was a major event across all of Runeterra.
A nation that had forbidden magic for several hundred years had suddenly announced overnight that all mages would be pardoned and promised them equal status.
It might look like a simple decree, but the meaning behind it went far beyond that.
Demacia had begun using magic. In the past, that was something no one would have dared imagine.
The two sides had struggled against each other for so long. Demacia, without magic, had always been famous for its powerful soldiers and strong horses. With the mages joining them now, it was difficult to imagine how much their strength would rise.
What the assassins present had not expected was that Du Couteau would actually be connected to this matter.
"That's right. In a certain sense, he could be said to have personally helped drive that policy forward in Demacia."
Katarina saw the assassins' astonished gazes and still spoke calmly. "A rebellion started by nobles and Mageseekers using mages, their target was to break through Dawn Castle, while Du Couteau infiltrated them and waited for an opportunity to assassinate Jarvan III. However, his assassination was doomed to fail from the very beginning."
"Jarvan III had predicted their plan in advance and made preparations, waiting to catch them all in one net. Du Couteau's assassination failed, and he escaped Dawn Castle. As for what happened next, all of you already know."
Katarina raised the token in her hand, showing that father and daughter had already gone through a great battle.
And now, the one standing before them was the victor.
"As for my trip to Demacia this time, I also discovered many interesting things. But I will tell you about that later."
Katarina's gaze fell on the assassin who had questioned her earlier, and a confident smile curved her lips. "As for whether I possess the ability to take this position, I will give you a chance. From this moment on, without needing council approval, any of you may challenge me at any time. Whoever succeeds will become the next owner of the token."
As her words fell, the assassins immediately snapped out of the story Katarina had just told and looked one after another at the token in her hand, greed appearing in their eyes.
The assassin who had spoken first confirmed once more. "Are you serious?"
"Absolutely. The council is present as witness."
Katarina smiled faintly.
"Good."
The assassin nodded slightly. As soon as his words fell, his body suddenly burst into motion.
Like a leaping panther, the speed he unleashed in that brief instant was terrifying. Only an afterimage remained in the air.
The assassin's short blade, carrying killing intent, was already attacking Katarina.
Katarina's expression did not change. With a crisp clang, she casually blocked the sudden attack.
Immediately afterward, the two moved at the same time. Their blades clashed in the air, cold gleams flashing amid the clear clangs.
Suddenly, Katarina stopped moving, and that assassin also stopped at the same time.
One second passed. The assassin clutched his throat in terror, yet he could not stop the blood spraying out. His eyes filled with unwillingness as he collapsed.
The entire hall suddenly shook. Many assassins revealed surprise in their eyes. They had not even seen clearly how Katarina won.
While the assassins were still stunned, another swift figure suddenly sprang out from behind Katarina, equally fast.
However, Katarina sensed him at once. After only a few exchanges, the second assassin coveting the leader's position also fell to the floor.
Next came the third, then the fourth, until after the fifth assassin collapsed, the smell of blood had spread throughout the entire hall.
Katarina stood upright, holding two coldly gleaming short blades. Her face was indifferent as she stood there calmly and casually. At her feet lay five greedy corpses.
Every single one had died from a single strike. No second blow had been needed.
The powerful strength she displayed had already awed the entire hall into submission.
The hall was silent. Katarina looked around. "Now, is there anyone else who refuses to accept this? You only have this one chance."
No one answered.
After a few seconds of silence, an assassin suddenly knelt on one knee, placed one fist solemnly on the floor, and said, "Greetings, leader."
The assassins around him came back to themselves one after another. They also knelt on one knee and shouted in unison, "Greetings, leader!"
In Noxus, strength was respected, and strength stood above all else.
Katarina had gained the council's support and displayed such formidable strength. She no longer needed to accept any doubts.
From this moment on, the position of the new leader of the Assassins' Guild truly belonged to Katarina.
Seeing this, the corners of Katarina's lips curved into an exceptionally beautiful smile. She put away her daggers. "Since all of you acknowledge my status as leader, then from this moment on, regardless of whether you were once Du Couteau's old subordinates or someone else's, you will obey my orders. If anyone disobeys, I will launch a purge without sparing any effort. Believe in my strength. I will never allow a traitor to live."
Her cold and merciless words fell into the assassins' ears, but to them, they were perfectly normal.
The Assassins' Guild had been able to stand for so long precisely because it possessed an extremely high degree of unity. When the leader gave an order, the subordinates advanced together.
As for traitors, they would be purged by all assassins at the first possible moment.
After all, to many assassins, the Assassins' Guild was also a place to make enormous money, and there was no exploitation of profits here.
All assassination contracts were placed openly and fairly where everyone could see them. If assassinating a target paid one thousand gold, the guild took twenty percent, and the rest belonged entirely to the individual assassin.
In Noxus, they never had to worry about lacking jobs to take.
To the assassins, this was their way of survival. This was their path to livelihood.
Therefore, every assassin who joined the guild had to be prepared for the possibility that if they committed an act of betrayal, all the assassins would rise up and attack them together.
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