Malzahar's pupils trembled. His body felt as though it had plunged into an endlessly cold abyss, or as though he were plummeting from ten thousand meters in the sky. For a moment, his head spun as he stared at the figure above in disbelief.
How?
When had she gotten there?
How had she slipped past his senses? Why hadn't the Void barrier stopped her?
"No…"
He tried desperately to roar, but all that came out was a hoarse, dry, lifeless wail. He could not even raise a hand.
As he watched that determined figure, it felt as though his entire world were collapsing, as though the pyramid he had built piece by piece was being destroyed before his eyes.
Kai'Sa continued rising.
The closer she drew to the key, the greater the resistance became.
The air around her seemed to grow countless times denser, leaving her feeling as though she were struggling through the depths of an impossibly deep ocean, every inch of movement becoming difficult.
Above, the Watchers whose eyes had opened noticed her.
Their gazes were filled with fury and contempt, as though an ant had dared challenge a god.
Under the terrifying will of this world, Kai'Sa felt an immense pressure descend upon her. The Void armor covering her body trembled uncontrollably, radiating an indescribable sense of fear.
It was instinctive terror.
Invisible tendrils seemed to wrap around her, dragging her body backward.
Just a little more.
Just a little more!
Kai'Sa gritted her teeth and forced herself forward with everything she had. A suppressed roar escaped her as scenes from all the years she had lived flashed through her mind.
The Void had destroyed everything she had.
And it had not destroyed only her life.
She had seen families torn apart, loved ones separated, children crying, the elderly wailing, men roaring in helpless rage, women falling into despair.
She had witnessed too much.
That was why she refused to let it happen again.
Long ago, she had already made her decision.
If ending the Void required her life, she would gladly pay that price.
One more step forward might expose her directly to the fury of the Watchers.
She might die without even leaving a corpse behind.
So what?
Kai'Sa continued flying resolutely toward the key.
As the distance narrowed, the Watchers' gazes became increasingly furious. Their power seeped through tiny cracks between worlds, turning the sky into a sea of violet fire.
Like a moth flying into a flame, Kai'Sa never hesitated for even an instant.
Agonizing pain spread through her body, as though countless Void insects were tearing into her flesh.
But in that moment, she also saw panic appear in the Watchers' eyes.
A faint smile rose at the corner of her lips.
They were out of options.
Sealed between two worlds, all they could do was watch helplessly as she took the key away.
One more step.
The key itself was also only one step away from opening the rift in the sky.
At that moment, the force blasting from the pods on Kai'Sa's back spread like a pair of enormous wings.
She surged forward once more and reached out.
Her hand closed around the key.
Then she ripped it out of the enormous pillar of light.
In an instant, heaven and earth trembled.
Furious roars from the Watchers echoed throughout the Void.
The violet sky seemed to collapse, crashing downward as though the entire firmament were falling apart.
Even if they could not escape, they still intended to kill Kai'Sa for destroying everything.
Kai'Sa's energy had already been exhausted.
Her body fell from the sky, yet her hand remained tightly wrapped around the key.
Looking at the beautiful violet heavens collapsing above her, she found the sight strangely breathtaking.
She had already tuned out the furious roars of the Watchers.
Then suddenly, she fell into someone's arms.
Warmth surrounded her, carrying an inexplicable sense of security.
"You've done enough. Leave the rest to me."
Luke held Kai'Sa with one arm and raised the Void Riftblade with the other.
Then he slashed toward the falling sky.
"Vmmm!"
A roar like a dragon's cry erupted.
Vast sword energy tore upward, seemingly splitting the entire sky in two and forcing the collapsing heavens apart.
The Watchers' fury was nothing more than bluster.
At this point, aside from glaring helplessly, there was nothing else they could do.
Kai'Sa looked at Luke's profile and finally relaxed, letting all the tension leave her body.
She trusted him.
At the same time, she handed him the second key she had stolen.
Perhaps this had been Bel'Veth's plan all along.
Bel'Veth had upgraded Kai'Sa's Void armor and added the special ability of invisibility.
That was how Kai'Sa had been able to slip through the barrier while Malzahar's attention was elsewhere.
She was the only one who could have done it.
Fortunately, she had succeeded.
Luke used Spatial Shift to take Kai'Sa to a temporarily safe location.
Looking at the other Void key, he suddenly felt the Void Riftblade stir.
He brought the two keys together.
Brilliant light immediately erupted.
The two keys fused within the radiance.
When the process ended, the first key had disappeared, while the weapon still retained the shape of the Void Riftblade.
But when Luke gripped the hilt again, the sensation was clearly different.
At that moment, he finally understood the true meaning of the word "key."
If Malzahar had possessed both keys from the beginning, he would never have needed to go through all this trouble.
He could have easily opened a rift between the two worlds and released the Watchers.
Likewise, the two keys could also be used to completely open a passage from the Void into the material realm.
Just then, the shaking beneath their feet suddenly intensified.
The entire palace began trembling violently.
Streams of violet light rose toward the sky, even from the battlefield where the Aspects were fighting.
They watched as the Void warriors transformed into streaks of violet light and converged overhead.
"Is this… a sacrifice?"
"Did that kid actually succeed?"
"These Voidborn seem to be sacrificing themselves to summon the Watchers."
The Aspects had indeed sensed the Watchers' presence earlier, leaking through the small tear that had opened in the sky.
But moments ago, all of it had been forced back.
Now, however, these Voidborn seemed to be sacrificing their own lives to rip the rift open by force.
Even if their goal was not to release the Watchers, they were clearly trying to accomplish something else.
Luke sensed the change as well.
He knew the Watchers were unwilling to accept defeat.
He could feel their gazes locked onto him.
Cold.
Furious.
Filled with endless killing intent.
They clearly had no intention of sparing Luke or Kai'Sa after everything they had done.
As countless Voidborn sacrificed their lives, the rift in the sky was forcibly torn open again.
The oppressive presence of the Watchers poured through it.
Their power was about to spill into the Void.
"Bel'Veth, are you planning to keep watching?"
Luke spoke aloud.
The Void barrier had already disappeared the moment Kai'Sa took the key.
As soon as his words fell, a piercing shriek erupted from the distance.
It sounded like thousands upon thousands of voices merged into one, carrying terrifying penetrating force.
Even the air trembled faintly.
Malzahar, who had not yet completely died, suddenly felt his soul shudder.
It was as though a being no less terrifying than the Watchers themselves were about to descend.
At that moment, realization struck him.
So this was the creature that had secretly been helping Luke and the others.
He raised his head.
A colossal figure streaked across the sky at incredible speed.
Her form was strangely elegant, like a fusion of a butterfly and a fish. Her enormous wings stretched nearly forty meters across, while the aura radiating from her was both immense and terrifying.
She was a Voidborn Malzahar had never seen before.
Her destination was unmistakable.
In the blink of an eye, she descended onto the enormous Void altar.
She folded her wings inward as though claiming the altar for herself.
Her power spread outward, gradually enveloping the entire structure.
Streams of dark violet Void energy rose from beneath the ground, wrapping around her like an enormous cocoon.
At the same time, her power spread rapidly in every direction, branching outward like cracks racing through shattered glass.
As those cracks expanded, the entire palace began shaking violently, especially the area around the altar.
The Watchers seemed to realize something was wrong.
Their power had only just squeezed through the rift when they immediately redirected all of it toward Bel'Veth.
They sensed a threat from this creation of the Void.
A being that could truly threaten them.
Even if their attempt to escape failed this time, it would hardly matter to the Watchers, whose lives were virtually endless.
They could continue waiting.
They could wait for another opportunity.
Because sooner or later, that day would come.
But with Bel'Veth's emergence, they sensed a change within the Void itself.
A change beyond their control.
And that filled them with a deeply ominous feeling.
Unfortunately for them, by the time they recognized the danger, it was already too late.
Before the torrent of their power could descend, Bel'Veth suddenly spread her wings.
A dazzling violet beam erupted into the sky.
At the same time, an enormous wave surged outward in every direction.
Even the Aspects on the distant battlefield felt the disturbance.
The energy released by Bel'Veth effortlessly dispersed the Watchers' power.
The enormous palace began collapsing.
At the same moment, the Watchers realized they had lost their connection to the Void Hive.
One pair of eyes after another filled with fury…
And panic.
Bel'Veth's appearance had sent everything completely beyond their control and far beyond anything they had anticipated.
The Watchers understood exactly what losing control of the Void Hive meant.
Countless Voidborn rushed in from every direction.
Bel'Veth hovered above them, gazing down like a supreme queen surveying her domain.
"From this moment onward, I am the ruler of the Void! Submit to me!"
Her immense voice spread far and wide, carrying overwhelming force.
As though responding to some instinctive call, the Voidborn lowered themselves one after another.
Low growls rumbled from their throats, like vows of loyalty.
Malzahar stared blankly.
At that moment, the Void gained a new ruler.
The Watchers could only watch through the narrow rift, their gazes burning with fury.
They were still unwilling to surrender.
Their will spread outward, commanding the Voidborn who remained loyal to them to attack Bel'Veth.
"I now possess the strength to stand against you as an equal. It is time for the Void to have a true master."
Bel'Veth raised her eyes and met the Watchers' gazes without the slightest fear.
What followed would be a long struggle.
But she would win.
It was only a matter of time.
Then her gaze shifted toward Luke.
"Human, now that you possess both keys, you may open a gateway back to Runeterra whenever you wish. You may also completely sever the connection between the Void and the material realm. But either act can only be accomplished while you remain within the Void."
This was something she had never told Luke.
The one who possessed the keys was also destined to remain with them, lost within the Void.
"I see."
Luke fled the collapsing palace with Kai'Sa and Kassadin.
In the distance, he noticed Aatrox escaping as well.
The Darkin was still brimming with fury and fighting spirit, clearly determined to bring their unfinished battle to a conclusion.
But that battle was destined to remain unfinished.
Luke swung the Void Riftblade.
One gateway after another opened beside the Aspects, each leading back to Runeterra.
"Leave the Void now. Otherwise, you'll be trapped here forever."
Luke's voice reached every one of them.
"That kid actually did it."
Mihira looked at the gateway beside her, exhaled, and stepped through.
"Looks like we weren't wrong to trust him."
Kayle glanced back in Luke's direction before entering another gateway.
Taric, Pantheon, Leona, and Morgana followed one after another, leaving the Void behind.
The Darkin, however, could only watch them go.
No gateways had opened beside them.
"You…"
Still held in Luke's arms, Kai'Sa looked at him with complicated emotions in her eyes.
She understood what Bel'Veth had meant.
If Luke wanted to completely sever the connection between the Void and Runeterra, he had to do it from inside the Void.
But if that connection was completely severed, he naturally would no longer be able to open a gateway back to Runeterra.
"You can finally be free of the Void. See you around."
Luke gave her a warm smile.
Then he opened a gateway and sent both Kai'Sa and Kassadin through it.
At that moment, Kai'Sa suddenly remembered a question he had once asked her.
If she were ever given the chance to free herself from the Void, would she take it?
She had answered yes.
But who could ever give her such a chance?
In the final instant before the gateway closed, she watched Luke's face disappear from view.
Tears suddenly welled in her eyes.
Not only had he remembered.
He had actually freed her from the Void.
In the next instant, she was back in Runeterra.
The powerful Aspects stood around her.
Everyone who had entered the Void had returned.
Everyone except him.
The Void armor covering her body suddenly trembled, as though some invisible connection had been severed.
Gradually, Kai'Sa could no longer sense the Void.
Tears spilled from her eyes.
The Aspects also felt the presence of the Void disappear, and one after another they realized what had happened.
"He completely severed the connection between the Void and Runeterra."
"For a while, no new Void rifts should appear…"
"But doesn't that also mean he can't return from the Void?"
"…"
The Aspects all came to the same realization.
The image of that human's perpetually grinning face surfaced in their minds.
He was usually so infuriatingly smug and unserious.
Yet when it truly mattered, he had done something none of them could have imagined.
For a time, no one spoke.
//The translation for the new League fanfic has been fixed.