In the blink of an eye, August had arrived.
The scent of summer was especially strong in August. Even the sunlight spilling down from the sky carried a ruthless force that could bake people to death.
Yet it also seemed like summer's final stubborn stand. In the end, it could not overcome the passage of time and would soon be replaced.
During this period, Luke's army had basically advanced without obstruction. No town or city could withstand their attack.
On top of that, the terrain along the way had mostly been flat plains, effectively increasing the army's marching speed. A little farther ahead, they would reach Kilgrove's territory.
Kilgrove.
On the wall of this city, built in the standard Noxian architectural style, several people wearing high-ranking officer armor were gazing toward the west.
"Some time ago, we received intelligence that the Demacian army had already reached the Kari Plains. Barring any surprises, they will arrive at Kilgrove before long." (TN: Not sure if author actually meant Dalamor Plains)
A man of about forty slowly spoke. His gaze was solemn, and there was a trace of worry between his brows that could not be wiped away.
"There is nothing we can do. This is something we have no choice but to face."
Beside him, a slightly younger man spoke after him.
One of them came from House Kaizer, while the other came from House Corrigan. One was named Regan, and the other was named Ruank. Both families were nobles with great power and prestige in the nearby territories.
They could also be understood as warlords.
In Noxus's political system, warlords were allowed to hold armies of their own. This was what created the situation where warlords stood everywhere across the land.
And between these warlords who held military power, there was one unspoken rule, they obeyed the command of a Grand General.
Every Grand General was chosen from among these powerful nobles and regional forces, and the current Grand General was Darkwill.
Now that Demacia had led an army and attacked, Demir had already died in battle, so their two families had no choice but to step forward and send troops to resist.
It was just that, at this point, no one wanted to run into a Demacia that had already gone on a killing spree.
At first, everyone had believed that the current Demacia would not last long before being repelled by Noxus. But now, with overwhelming strength, they had invaded forcefully all the way through. In just a few short months, they had already conquered all of Noxus's western mountain territories.
Although, on Noxus's massive map, this was only a corner on the left side, anyone could tell that what they wanted was clearly not just that corner.
"Do not worry. This time, Demacia will not be able to act so arrogantly anymore."
Regan spoke again at this moment. "When I came here, I received word that the Immortal Bastion has sent over the weapon of war. It should arrive tomorrow."
Hearing the words weapon of war, Ruank could not help being slightly moved. His gaze flashed. "Is that true?"
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Regan's mouth. "Of course it is true. Darkwill must be anxious too, or he would not have gone this far."
"With Demacia attacking like this, anyone sitting in that position would be anxious."
Ruank's solemn expression eased a little, and he continued, "With the weapon of war assisting us, plus the hundred thousand troops you and I brought, repelling Demacia this time should not be difficult."
"Exactly." Regan nodded and said, "The only thing we need to worry about is how to control him. I have only heard of his terrifying reputation. You fought alongside him before, did you not? Tell me what it was like."
Once he said that, a towering figure flashed through Ruank's mind. Flames of war reaching into the sky, that figure rushing out from the blaze, slaughter, blood, death...
Even though a long time had already passed, when he recalled those scenes again, his body still could not help trembling.
At the time, he had only been a lieutenant general, unlike now, when he commanded a heavy force.
Back then, he had been assigned to attack a small country. The other side had resisted stubbornly for months, wearing away Noxus's patience.
So they sent out the weapon of war.
A hundred years ago, this man had been even more famous than Darius was now, worshiped by countless people as a great hero. His name was Sion.
After death, he had come back to life and continued serving Noxus.
How should that battle be described? A city that had resisted for months without falling had its gates broken open less than half an hour after Sion was deployed.
Then Sion was the first to charge into the city, displaying his terrifying destructive power.
The flames of war swiftly engulfed the city, and the number of deaths rose at a horrifying speed almost every second.
He saw Sion grab an enemy soldier and tear him in half with ease. Afterward, drenched in blood, Sion killed everyone in the city.
In the end, his eyes red with slaughter, he turned around and set his sights on the Noxian soldiers.
It was that battle.
In order to control Sion, Noxus sent out over a hundred powerful fighters at the level of deputy generals, or the Dauntless Vanguard. In any legion, these people would have been elites.
However, even with all of them acting together, it was only at the cost of nearly being wiped out that they finally managed to control Sion.
Even now, when Ruank thought back on it, he could still feel a trace of fear deep in his heart.
If those people had failed to stop Sion, then without a doubt, he would have died in that battle too.
"That is terrifying..."
After hearing his description, Regan was somewhat shocked. Then he grew excited again. "But the stronger he is, the more advantageous it is for us, is it not?"
Ruank nodded. "Indeed. That is why I said that if Sion assists us, winning this battle will not be difficult."
"Thinking about it that way, I actually feel a little sorry for Demir. If he had gotten Sion's help earlier, Demacia should have already learned its lesson by now."
Though Regan said this, a smile appeared on his face. "Now the benefit falls to us. Repelling Demacia now is a great achievement. We can also divide up some of the regions Demir once commanded."
Naturally, Demir also had a family backing him. However, now that he had died in battle, his family was still in the capital.
In Regan's mind, he had already begun imagining how he would carve up some of the territories Demir used to control afterward.
Then he looked toward the direction outside the city and clicked his tongue. "I actually pity Demacia a little now. They still do not know what they are about to face."
Ruank did not speak. He also looked toward the direction from which Demacia was about to attack.
Sion had once fought Demacia. In that battle, he had personally killed Demacia's king, and it was also the battle in which he had died.
Now that he was facing Demacia once more, it would likely only stir even greater hatred and rage in his heart.
And what the Demacian army was about to suffer was that terrifying hatred and rage.
In the blink of an eye, one day passed.
The sun rose, then set, then rose again, releasing warm light once more.
As the army led by Luke slowly arrived, Kilgrove quickly went on alert.
A row of soldiers was arranged atop the city wall.
"It is said that Demacia has better artillery. Defending the city will be extremely disadvantageous for us."
At this moment, Regan looked at the Demacian army already entering his field of vision. He felt a trace of pressure from the other side's immense overall presence, then spoke again.
"The reason Groft's entire army was wiped out had a lot to do with this."
"Kled was there at the time as well. In the end, they were probably forced to leave the city and meet the enemy."
Ruank did not know what the situation had been like back then, but judging by the aura of this Demacian army before him, he knew Demir had not lost unjustly.
This army stood in orderly formation. As Demacia's military banners fluttered, killing intent wrapped around the sky above them. Every soldier was well equipped, and in the middle of these ranks, there was even a towering white colossus.
Some armies only needed one glance to know whether they were powerful or not.
Over the years, he had fought in every direction and seen armies from all kinds of places, including those from the Freljord and Shurima.
However, only this Demacian army before him could make him feel pressure before the battle had even begun.
Even Kled had been defeated in battle against them. At this point, no one dared question Demacia's strength anymore.
From analyzing Demir's battle situation, they must have eventually charged out of Groft and fought Demacia head-on.
However, at this moment, they would have no choice but to do the same.
Facing Demacia's excellent artillery weapons, their only choice was to leave the city and meet them in battle.
Regan's expression was calm at this moment, and he said without the slightest panic, "This time is different. We have Sion. Let him take the lead. We will seize the chance to charge behind him. As long as we dodge Demacia's bombardment and get into close combat, victory will be ours."
"Mm."
Ruank nodded slightly. He was thinking the same thing. Then he turned and gave the order, "It is time. Release the weapon of war first. Notify everyone to prepare."
"Yes!"
A deputy accepted the order.
The order was quickly passed down.
The tightly shut city gates slowly opened, drawing Luke's army's attention.
Within the formation, Luke sat on horseback and saw Kilgrove's opened gates.
Noxus was clearly preparing to leave the city and meet them in battle again. Luke was not surprised, but this time, there seemed to be something different.
He watched as a Noxian squad slowly carried out a platform. On top of the platform stood a huge coffin cast from black iron, and beside the coffin, a massive heavy battleaxe was embedded into the platform.
Seeing this scene, he could not help narrowing his eyes, and something came to mind.
Bang!
Bang!
"Roar!"
At that moment, perhaps the scent of war had once again awakened the existence inside the coffin. A huge impact suddenly sounded from within, followed by an angry roar. Killing intent began to spread out from inside the coffin.
On the battlefield, silent before everything erupted, the restless black iron coffin kept producing drum-like booms.
On Kilgrove's city wall, as well as among the soldiers waiting and ready, the moment they heard that sound, they began slamming their weapons heavily against the ground and shouting.
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
They poured the purest killing intent into the powerful existence inside the coffin. The aura of the entire army also gathered with their shouting, and their morale rose sharply in a short period of time.
"Open the coffin!"
A loud shout rang out.
The black iron coffin was finally going to be unsealed. Several soldiers had special methods, and only after great effort did they manage to push the coffin lid.
As the sound of iron chains loosening came from inside, the soldiers pushing the coffin lid showed several traces of panic on their faces.
The next second, with a loud bang, the heavy coffin lid was suddenly smashed open, and the soldiers dodged in terror.
A thick and even hideous gray hand suddenly gripped the edge of the black iron coffin.
"Roar!"
This time, the deafening beast-like roar clearly rang out from within. The next second, a huge human figure sat up from inside, his eyes releasing endless rage and killing intent.
This huge coffin seemed as if it had been specially made for him. As the figure slowly stood up, everyone finally saw his full appearance.
He was a full three to four meters tall. Standing there, he looked like a giant. His body was broad and heavy, and huge blocks of muscle exposed savage lines of sinew. The surface of his body could practically be described as covered in scars.
All kinds of glaring, eye-catching blade scars were stamped across his steel-like dark gray skin. Beneath his chest was a furnace-like device, burning with red magic.
His face was fierce, like a terrifying monster. His eyes were a mindless crimson, filled only with the desire to kill.
On his lower jaw, he wore something ancient and fang-like.
And that... was Jarvan I's crown.
Luke recognized it at a glance.
It was this monster-like creature who had brought about the most humiliating day in Demacian history.
That day, on the battlefield, Demacia's king, Jarvan I, had been forcibly rushed down at close range by him, and the two had exchanged life for life.
And in Luke's mind, he had another name.
The Undead Juggernaut, Sion.
A Noxian hero reawakened by the Black Rose through dark magic and blood magic, and granted even greater power.
He truly could not be underestimated.
"Kill!"
At this moment, Sion regained his freedom and let out a roar that shook the heavens. He reached out with his massive hand and slowly picked up the battleaxe standing beside the coffin.
That incomparably heavy-looking battleaxe was easily gripped in his hand.
Because of his killing intent, the scorching weather seemed to become even more restless.
Blood.
He smelled it.
Wanted it. Pain. Needed it!
Closer. They were coming.
No chains? Free! Kill!
All kinds of chaotic words flashed through his mind. In his muddled brain, there was only the desire to slaughter.
The next second, Sion's gaze saw the Demacian army ahead. In an instant, something was awakened in his chaotic mind.
A fragment of memory flashed past.
He was surrounded. He was charging. His trusted followers fell one by one. He saw Demacia's king.
He charged over without regard for anything. One hand clamped tightly around the king's throat. Piercing pain surged through him, but Sion feared no pain.
But the memories afterward vanished. That was what made him incredibly irritated.
He continued staring fixedly at the Demacian army.
Those banners... Demacia... a pack of cowards!
The key memory had been severed, but that no longer mattered. At this very moment, Sion only wanted to charge over.
Slaughter!
Endless slaughter!
The inexplicable hatred and rage made Sion's body burn with hunger. The blood furnace in his abdomen felt starved, releasing a surge of red blood energy that wrapped around Sion's body, making him look even more terrifying.
Right now, he only wanted to taste the fear of every Demacian.
"Kill!"
With another heaven-shaking roar, Sion leaped down from the platform and charged violently toward the Demacian army.
His speed was astonishingly fast, like a savage giant war chariot. Scarlet blood energy filled the space around his entire body, and the ground shook with his charge.
Seeing Sion begin his charge, the Noxian army had already grown excited. Once Sion rushed over, they would charge together behind him.
When Regan and Ruank saw the enraged Sion, they could not help exchanging a glance. Both saw the delight in the other's eyes.
Sure enough, Sion had not forgotten his hatred for Demacia.
He even seemed more terrifying and powerful than he had in Ruank's memories, and this was after he had been sealed away for so many years.
One had to know that after tasting slaughter and blood, Sion would become stronger and stronger.
At this moment, he could already clearly see the dawn of victory.
Demacia, feel the terror brought by Sion!
At this moment, seeing this, Luke calmly said, "Lux, call in backup. Everyone else, open fire!"
"Huh? Oh!"
Lux did not hesitate. She decisively raised her staff and aimed it at the colossus behind her. In an instant, she released all the magic in her body toward him.
A brilliant ray of light shot toward the colossus.
The next second, a layer of glowing lines began appearing across the stone giant's body. Then, like a living person, his limbs slowly began moving from their initial stiffness, constantly shaking off the petrified state.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!
At the same time, the artillery soldiers who had already formed their positions aimed at the charging Sion and fired the first round of shells.
Several predicted shots landed precisely on Sion, instantly swallowing him in firelight.
However, the next second, Sion charged directly out of the flames and continued advancing at incredible speed.
He was fast. Far faster than Kled had been last time.
The difference was that this time, there was only Sion.
He completely ignored the damage from the artillery, as if it neither hurt nor itched.
Luke raised his hand, signaling the artillery company that there was no need to keep wasting shells.
In the blink of an eye, Sion had already charged half the distance. Because of his charge, a wide and deep track had appeared on the ground.
Lux had no idea about any of this. She was focusing fully on transferring the magic in her body to the colossus.
Finally, she felt that a good deal of her magic had been consumed, and the condition for the colossus to awaken had been met.
The next second, a pair of huge golden wings opened. The colossus suddenly leaped up, standing in the place where sunlight shone directly down. His mountain-like figure appeared exceptionally majestic.
Then, under the shocked gazes of one Noxian after another, he slowly landed in front of Sion.
There was a faint smile on his face as he looked with great interest at the charging Sion.
During the process of awakening, he had already noticed this enemy.
It seemed this was a guy who could let him experience a bit of fun.
"Come on! Let me take you on!"
Galio's voice was deep and powerful. As he spoke, he had already taken his stance, seemingly preparing to take Sion's violent charge head-on.
In the blink of an eye, Sion came charging with monstrous rage. Seeing the towering stone giant, he still did not stop.
No matter who the enemy blocking his path was, he would smash them to pieces!
The next second, bang!
The two collided, producing a tremendous sound. Even the air shook because of it. A gust of wind swept toward both sides, and several cracks immediately spread across the ground.
"Now that's what I'm talking about!"
What followed was Galio's loud laughter. He still stood in place without moving an inch, while Sion's charge had stopped.
Sion remained locked in place with Galio in a posture of exerting force.
However, it looked more like Sion was the only one exerting force.
The difference in size between the two sides was actually quite large. Although Sion was already a giant compared to ordinary people, compared to Galio, he was still only a little shorty.
One had to know that Galio was a full thirty meters tall and weighed three hundred tons, a giant worthy of the name.
Seeing this scene, all the Noxian soldiers who had been waiting to charge together with Sion were dumbfounded.
Why had a moving stone statue suddenly appeared out of nowhere?
What was going on?
At this moment, Regan and Ruank, who had not been happy for long, had the same question. Their eyes were full of shock, and at the same time, a bad premonition rose in their hearts.
"Get out of my way!"
At this moment, Sion erupted with a furious roar. The strength of his entire body burst out in an instant. He swung the battleaxe in his hand and smashed it viciously toward this obstructive stone statue.
He had destroyed countless stones before, so this stone giant would be no exception!
However, what fell faster than his battleaxe was Galio's heavy fist.
"Try this first!"
He clasped his hands together, raised them high over his head, then smashed them heavily down toward Sion before him.
Boom!
The heavy fist landed solidly on Sion, exploding with a thunderous sound. The ground instantly cracked in every direction, and a huge pit appeared.
Half of Sion's body was directly embedded into the pit. For an instant, he was smashed unconscious.
But the next second, his eyes rolled, and he woke up again. Roaring, he struggled out of the pit and still tried to attack the colossus before him.
"Oh?"
The colossus was a little surprised, but immediately grew excited. "Then make sure I have a good time!"
As he spoke, he drew one fist back to his waist, charged it up, and hammered it toward Sion.
With a bang, Sion's body flew up like a pebble that had been thrown, hurtling backward toward Kilgrove.
The Noxian soldiers were now completely dumbfounded.
The next second, Galio spread his wings and leaped high into the air, jumping dozens of meters up. His majestic body was silhouetted beneath the sun, blocking the light that shone toward Kilgrove.
They were covered by a shadow. Looking at the glowing colossus, they could not help swallowing.
"Run!"
Someone reacted and shouted, hurriedly fleeing in every direction.
Sion's body came crashing over, and the colossus predicted the position. In the next moment, he dropped straight down toward that spot like a fired bullet.
He smashed into it instantly.
Rumble!
A violent explosion erupted across that area. A huge pit and a web of cracks spread in all directions, and chunks of earth were flipped up.
The soldiers nearby who had no time to dodge were thrown away on the spot.
And Sion was right at the center.
As the smoke and dust dispersed, Galio's figure slowly appeared.
Beneath his foot was Sion, who had once again lost consciousness. His body seemed exceptionally sturdy. Even under this terrifying impact, he had not been reduced to paste.
Instead, only a few cracks had appeared. The furnace in his abdomen was continuously releasing energy, repairing the wounds on Sion's body.
The next second, he woke up again.
"Kill!"
Tireless, painless, deathless.
This was the weapon of war.
Sion's eyes were blood-red. The stone giant's strength made his heart rage with fury and hatred. He could not fall. He had to kill all enemies for Noxus!
So he absolutely could not fall here!
Sion's awakening once again made the Noxian soldiers let out a breath of relief.
"Excellent! I have not had enough fun yet!"
Galio burst into loud laughter, his hearty voice sounding as if he had found some amusing toy.
This was too interesting. It had been far, far too long since he had encountered an enemy like this.
Tireless? Painless? Deathless?
What a coincidence.
So was he.
At this moment, Galio grabbed the battleaxe Sion swung at him with one hand, and with the other, he reached out and seized Sion by the head.
"Want to experience the joy of flying? Then let's go!"
Regardless of whether Sion agreed or not, Galio suddenly spread his wings and launched himself from the ground, leaping into the sky a hundred meters above.
Then he flew higher and higher, so high that even when people looked up from below, he had become a small dot.
"Get ready for Galio's grand entrance!"
From high in the sky, Galio's deep voice rang out, filled with his happiness.
It seemed that waking him up this time had indeed been the correct choice.
It had been a long time since he had been this happy.
At this moment, unlike what Luke and the others felt, the Noxian soldiers felt fear.
They sensed that something was about to happen next and kept screaming.
"Spread out!"
"Do not gather together!"
"Run faster!"
"That thing is going to smash down!"
The next second, Galio assumed a diving posture high in the sky, holding Sion in one hand.
Whoosh!
His wings beat. The colossus plummeted straight down from the sky toward the Noxian army, like a dazzling beam of light.
With such a huge army, how could they possibly scatter so easily?
Under Regan and Ruank's terrified and stunned gazes, the colossus dropped violently from who knew how many meters above.
Rumble!
At this moment, it was as if the earth shook and the mountains swayed. Kilgrove's sturdy city wall was easily smashed apart, and who knew how many Noxian soldiers were caught in the impact.
As for Sion, he was at the very center of Galio's devastating strike.
After being heavily injured three times in a row, Sion lost consciousness three times in a row. This time, he remembered.
Past glory. Fighting for Noxus. Fighting for Noxus!
The endless hatred and rage surging in his heart, along with the desire to kill, awakened Sion once again.
No matter how broken his body became, even if it was torn into pieces, as long as the desire to kill remained, blood magic could help him recover.
Sion woke up yet again!
"For... Noxus!"
He roared in fury, his face incomparably ferocious. Immediately afterward, he suffered another heavy punch from Galio.
His head was smashed into the ground.
"For what?"
The stone giant looked down from above, overlooking him.
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