Chương 41: The deepest, most profound darkness enveloped the night.
As the sun sank beneath the horizon, the wind and snow intensified with the plummeting temperatures.
Though the heart of the storm had drifted far from the southeastern region of Debang, warmth did not grace the city of Tianxin, nestled amidst the surrounding mountains; it remained frigid and bitterly cold.
The air was thick with a chilling sense of despair—cold, lifeless, hopeless, and dark—an atmosphere that seeped into the very bones.
It felt as though one had descended into a hell on earth, silently observing the figures below, those once-human souls now reduced to wandering shadows, aimlessly drifting without awareness or purpose. An inexplicable shiver coursed through the girl.
A few crystalline snowflakes fluttered down, gently settling among her hair, while the bone-chilling wind inexplicably evoked memories of that man—cold as the eternal ice of the Arctic—and the merciless blade he wielded.
Instinctively tightening her cotton cloak around her, the girl named Yaya felt a flicker of dread and fear flash across her gaze.
Is this what death feels like?
Or perhaps, something that transcends death?
As the daughter of General Du Kaka, one of the prominent commanders who once ruled Noxus, she had grown accustomed to the harsh realities of life and death from a young age, understanding the depths of sin.
She had always believed herself sufficiently prepared to confront the terrors of mortality.
Yet, in that fleeting moment when the shattered longsword pierced her chest, gazing into those eyes—cold and indifferent as a pool of despair—she was overwhelmed by a terror that transcended death, shattering her psychological limits.
She was acutely aware of the profound horrors that lay between life and death.
Nevertheless, what she experienced was an icy dread that surpassed the fear of death itself; that emotionless man seemed to have transcended mortality, instilling a terror that penetrated the very marrow of her soul.
Standing quietly at the edge of the airship, she watched as the labyrinthine streets below gradually shrank within her vision.
Eventually, even the figures that roamed the city became indistinct, prompting her to exhale softly.
"What's the matter? Is your cheap sympathy acting up again?"
A cold voice echoed from behind her, as the frigid-faced man approached her side, his gaze fixed indifferently on the diminishing city below. He sneered, "All of this is the handiwork of your so-called steadfast allies! How beautiful it is, isn't it? In an instant, it has extinguished the hopes of four hundred thirty-three thousand five hundred sixty-seven souls. What a grand feat!"
The girl, stung by his mockery, instinctively glared at the indifferent assassin, opening her mouth to retort, but ultimately found herself speechless.
With a slight bow of her head, she weakly defended, "Sometimes, necessary tolerance is essential when dealing with steadfast allies."
It was evident to all that her resolve was faltering.
The cold assassin couldn't help but scoff derisively, "Ah, necessary tolerance! Indeed, it has been quite necessary! Ever since several generals went missing, has Noxus not been steeped in 'necessary tolerance'? Now even the decayed and wretched nation of Zaun can shamelessly proclaim itself an ally of Noxus! Truly, what 'necessary' tolerance this is!"
"Talon!" Yaya exclaimed, anger surging as she addressed the assassin, "You harbor prejudice against the Darius brothers! We all strive for Noxus; why can't you acknowledge our efforts?"
"Acknowledge? Why should I?" Talon retorted with a sneer.
"Should I recognize your laughable and pitiable notions? Do you truly believe that is possible? You have clearly forgotten what the true path of Noxus entails, yet you still seek the validation of others. How naïve and absurd!"
"Then, Talon, please enlighten me on what the true path of Noxus is! Is your version truly the authentic path?"
Yaya clenched her fists in fervor, her expression charged with emotion. "Do you not understand? Your so-called path of Noxus leads us toward annihilation! Without the generals, we lack the strength and resolve to confront the threats from Debang. If we remain inflexible now, all of Noxus will face destruction!"
"Noxus shall endure for eternity!"
Her impassioned defense, however, elicited nothing but a scornful laugh from the indifferent assassin. "We possess unparalleled warlords and a formidable army of millions, seasoned in battle. History has proven that any who dare obstruct Noxus's path will be ground to dust!"
"And you, having lost the pride of being Noxians, seek to drag others down with you. In my eyes, you are utterly unworthy of pity. If General Du Kaka were to learn that his two daughters had fallen to such depths, I cannot fathom his fury."
"Talon! Your heart is filled with prejudice! Not only against the Darius brothers but also against our allies!" Yaya cried out in anger.
"Prejudice?" The assassin seethed at her accusation.
Pointing to the city below, now obscured by the storm, he coldly laughed, "Then tell me! How can I not harbor prejudice against your so-called 'ally' who extinguished the lives of four hundred thirty-three thousand five hundred sixty-seven souls for mere amusement?"
"I… I…" The girl faltered, rendered speechless.
"Struggling for words?" The man taunted. "So, your so-called 'path to save the nation' is truly no more than this!"
This time, Yaya did not attempt to argue against his mockery; she found herself devoid of the strength to respond.
For no matter the multitude of reasons, they could not alter the fact that a mad alchemist had poisoned four hundred thousand innocent lives.
Though the actual outbreak of the virus had not yet turned half the city's populace into ghouls, the virus had already infiltrated everyone's bodies; it was merely a matter of time before they all became the walking dead.
On the airship, silence enveloped them, broken only by the howling winds and swirling snow above.
In the depths of the impenetrable darkness, the city, desecrated by the dead, gradually faded into the obsidian night.
The night was profoundly dark, terrifyingly so.
As for principles and integrity, they could be cast aside...
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