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"Darius, I knew you would come."
Quiletta strode out of the city gates with her adjutant close behind, her steps sharp and deliberate, as if each carried the weight of her defiance.
Her right arm was bare, and her only weapon was the longsword that swayed lightly at her hip.
Darius frowned, his voice stern and unyielding.
"Do you even realize how reckless you're being? If I hadn't been at Immortal Bastion, it might have been President Ryan who came. There wouldn't even be dust left of this region."
"Good," Quiletta replied, her face calm, her tone cold.
"Let him act. Let him turn this place into a lake."
Swish!
Clang!
Xin Zhao's spear sliced through the air lightning-fast. But Darius' axe was faster, intercepting the strike in a shower of sparks.
"General Darius," Xin Zhao said, his grip tightening on his spear.
"It seems she's dissatisfied—with you and the empire."
His frown deepened as he studied the woman before him.
Darius raised his hand, signaling for Xin Zhao to lower his weapon.
"I'll handle this."
But Quiletta's sharp voice cut him off before he could continue.
"General Xin Zhao, am I supposed to be content when someone like Imistan is put in charge of the Lesser garrison?" she asked, her frustration spilling over.
The air around her bristled with tension as if her simmering rage might ignite at any moment.
"Imistan is dead," Darius replied solemnly.
"...Dead?"
Quiletta blinked, her rising fury faltering. For a moment, she seemed disoriented before letting out a bitter laugh.
"A coward like him, who hides behind others and takes credit, dead? I find that hard to believe."
"He died on the frontlines," Darius said, his voice steady.
"Executed personally by the President."
Quiletta's sneer faded as she stared at him. The news stunned her into silence. It took her several moments to find her voice again.
"He... charged the frontlines?" she said, her tone disbelieving.
Darius met her gaze, unflinching.
"That's right. And make no mistake, if I'd had the chance, I would've executed him myself. But at the time, my hands were tied. He was quickly transferred to Lesser, locked in a long battle with Demacia. Meanwhile, I had just taken command of the northern lines. For the empire's sake, I swallowed my anger."
His words cut through the air like his axe would through steel. This admission carried years of pent-up resentment.
"That betrayal was the reason I joined Trifarix," Darius continued.
"The empire was rotting, infected by worms with no sense of honor. That was not the Noxus I fought to build."
He planted the Noxian flag into the soil before them. The banner flapped in the wind, its crimson folds seeming to pulse with the might of the empire.
Darius's gaze turned to the Black Gate in the distance, a symbol of Noxus' conquests.
"We can build the ideal empire together, Quiletta. Plant this flag above the Black Gate, and let strength, knowledge, and foresight guide the empire's future."
Quiletta's adjutant, a short-haired woman named Infertia, stepped forward.
"The new Trifarix—strength, knowledge, foresight," she said solemnly, echoing the principles of Noxus' new leadership.
Darius shifted his gaze to the adjutant.
"Invetia. I recall you had a different adjutant before."
"Decius," Quiletta replied, her lips curling into a bitter smile.
"He's dead."
Darius stiffened, pain flashing briefly in his hardened eyes before being replaced by resolve.
"I'm sorry."
Quiletta let out a hollow laugh.
"Of course you are. He died attacking the Freljord—on your orders, drafted into the frontline army."
Her gaze shifted to the crimson flag, and her bitter smile deepened.
"Darius, you symbolize the power of the empire. I'm not sure if you understand. Power alone changes nothing."
"You lost your son. And that's why you betrayed the empire?" Darius snapped, his voice thunderous.
"You think only your child died on the battlefield?"
Quiletta stared at him, her despair clashing with his fury.
In that moment, neither would yield, both standing firm in their pain and convictions—two warriors bound by the same empire yet fighting for different visions of its future.
Every day, soldiers fall by his side. Whose sons and daughters are they?
Darius had long known that no one, not even his son, could escape the war.
"The rise of Noxus is built on countless wars and the blood of its sons and daughters. This is what we learned the day we first set foot on the battlefield. It's what you once told me," Darius said, his voice low and firm, his gaze piercing through Quiletta.
Xin Zhao, the adjutant behind Darius, watched quietly, his words heavy with truth.
The weight of those words made Xin Zhao's grip tighten on his spear.
Behind Quiletta, Invetia's hand trembled as she clutched the dagger hidden in her sleeve, hesitation flickering in her eyes.
Darius pressed on, his voice unwavering:
"Noxus has two paths—constant expansion or disintegration. It's that simple."
Quiletta's expression twisted with grief and defiance as she retorted:
"Darius, nothing is ever that simple! We were young once, and back then, the choice seemed obvious. But now..."
"What choice are you hoping for?" Darius interrupted, his tone as sharp as his axe.
"Betrayal or loyalty—there is no third path. The mistakes of the past are over. It's time to focus on the future."
"Darius, you don't understand," Quiletta said bitterly.
"Those weren't mistakes—they were moments of revelation. I learned what it truly means to fight for Noxus."
She took a shaky breath before continuing:
"It means giving not only your blood and life but the blood and lives of your children as well. Decius wasn't just my son, Darius. He was—"
Quiletta's voice broke, her words cut short by a flash of silver.
Ding!
The dagger halted an inch from Quiletta's neck, intercepted by Xin Zhao's spear. The silver blade quivered in the soil, its attack thwarted.
"General Darius," Xin Zhao said calmly, lowering his weapon.
"I trust you won't object to my intervention."
Invetia's face twisted in pain as her trembling hand released the dagger.
She had gambled on a single opportunity, and she had failed.
Darius turned, his eyes burning with fury as they locked onto Invetia. Betrayal was the one thing he could never abide.
"General Darius," Invetia said, her voice strained,
"Quiletta has forgotten the laws of Noxus. We reap the rewards of the empire, and we owe it our lives in return. She has crossed the line of treason. You should execute her yourself."
Invetia gritted her teeth, clutching her injured arm. It had been her only chance, and she knew the penalty for her failure.
"The law of strength," Darius began, his voice low and contemplative.
"It is true that betrayal demands death... but perhaps this isn't about you, Invetia."
His voice softened as if understanding dawned upon him. He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head.
"Is this what you wanted, Quiletta?"
Quiletta's silence was telling. Her expression was empty, her intent clear.
Xin Zhao stood back, his observant eyes taking in the scene before him.
As a bystander, he saw what the two could not admit outright.
Darius didn't want to kill Quiletta. Despite everything, guilt and pain tied him to her.
But Quiletta had already given up on life, and her actions were meant to free him from the burden of her existence.
She wanted him to walk forward, unshackled by the weight of her betrayal.
She was giving him a reason to kill her—a way to let her go so he could continue leading Noxus without hesitation.
War had stripped her of everything. Her son was dead.
Her arm was gone. And her belief in the empire she had once bled for had withered.
What was left for her now?
"War doesn't just bring glory," Quiletta said softly, her voice filled with despair.
"It brings endless pain."
Her words lingered in the air, and there was only silence for a moment.
Darius watched her closely, his heart heavy with unspoken sorrow. He understood her choice.
And now, he had to make his own.
Slowly, he raised his battle axe, its blade gleaming in the cold light.
Quiletta closed her eyes, her face serene, accepting the fate she had chosen.
And as the crimson banner of Noxus fluttered in the wind above them.
Darius swung the axe, his heart breaking under the weight of duty.