A Search Through Runeterra (Arcane)

"You deny the darkness in your soul! You deny your power!"~ Viegar, The Tiny Master of Evil

Okay... lemme be completely honest witchu guys for a moment. The 7 chapter mass release? I haven't started on it.

Ay before you start attacking... in my defense... my lease is ending soon and I need to find a place to live. And if you know about the Netherlands.... housing is a big fucking problem.

Once the home situation is sorted out then you will get your chapters.

Also, I just found out that Rell got aged up in the Ambessa story.... by nearly 20 years. Fuck that. I prefer this. Ambessa is a shit character both in the lore and in the game. I'm going to ignore that.

New chapter. New fight. Did you enjoy this? Did you like the previous chapters fight? Hope I conveyed the size and force properly.

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The Iceborn lunged at Xin, both swinging their blades in his direction. One blade came high and the other low. Both trying to remove the life from his body.

Xin Zhao moved. Pivoting toward the left Iceborn who swung high, he ducked under the blade and used his momentum against him by pushing him into the incoming strike of the lower blade.

"AGH!" The man yelled as he brought his blade down forcefully to stop the other blade.

CLANG

The two True Ice weapons clashed as particle of ice shot into the air.

Xin did not stay still however, he gave the back of the man the strongest kick he could muster. 

THUD

The Iceborn stumbled onto his ally already being unstable from the forceful change in his swing. The two lost footing and toppled onto each other.

Using that opportunity, Xin sprinted to his fallen spear and picked it up. The layer of frost on the weapon had receded.

"It is not permanent then." He commented as he observed.

WHOOOSH

Instinctually he jumped to his side, rolling on the round. The Iceborn had thrown his blade at Xin Zhao hoping to get him with his back turned.

The blade sunk to the ground catching his attention. Xin Zhao thought of picking it up but decided against it. He had heard of the weapon and its mystical ability of causing death with just a touch.

"RAAAGH!" The yell broke his out of his thoughts as he watched the two lunge at him once more.

The unarmed Iceborn came first, his arms wide open trying to grab onto him and take him down. His ally followed close behind him in an effort to get in a single hit with his blade.

Xin Zhao couldn't allow that.

A touch meant death.

He felt the spear in his hand tip forward as he got lower. The Iceborn closed his arms as he got close. He stepped back, avoiding the grab by a hair and swung his spear upward.

The enemy's eyes widened as he jumped backward. Backward right into his ally. The man raised his blade above to not gore his own fellow.

Xin used the opportunity to once again stab forward. This time, he aimed for the other shoulder. But the injured man was behind his comrade. Both ducked the stab. 

BANG

In an instant, Xin Zhao flicked his wrist upward. The spear lurched upward and the tail end slammed into the face of the closest Iceborn.

The man's chin rose upward.

In the same motion, Xin Zhao twisted his wrist back down slamming the spear onto the man's face.

BANG

But as the man reeled from pain, he managed to send a kick into Xin Zhao's torso.

The sheer force of which sent him back a couple feet and onto his behind with his breath knocked out of him.

Black spots danced around his eyes as Xin Zhao couldn't rise to his feet instantly. He struggled to find his breathing again and pushed himself to his feet with his spear as a crutch.

As his vision cleared, he spotted both Iceborn walking in his direction with their weapons in had.

Xin Zhao's mind went into overdrive as he analyzed everything.

The two weren't used to fighting together. That was the most obvious one. As long as he could make use of their anti-synergy this was quite possible.

The other thing he had come to realize was that they relied on their inhuman body over the skill required.

Their sheer power got them so far that they did not have any reason to ever fight with skill. They just swung their weapons with reckless abandon and hoped to kill their enemy. And most often than not, they succeeded.

Xin Zhao's vision sharpened as he felt his mind regress. The current him closed his eyes and went to sleep and the Reckoner awoke.

Xin Zhao would rest now. Viscero would be fighting from now on.

With a sudden burst of energy, Xin Zhao ran to the two wielding his spear. The closest Iceborn swung his sword.

But Xin Zhao ignored the attack as he continued running closer.

Right as the blade made contact, Xin moved his spear to the side blocking the attack. But the force of his swing pushed him further away from the two.

SHHHHHH

A layer of frost spread across the weapon again.

This time, he did no move his hand. The frost burned his hand as it reached his point of contact with the spear.

If he couldn't get close to them..... they would have to come to him.

Surely enough, the one who had sent him to the side jumped to him and swung his blade downward.

A perfect moment.

It was as if time itself slowed down then. Xin watched the blade descend on his person with a detachment that seemed impossible.

It cam closer but Xin Zhao remained still.

He needed to have the man commit to his swing before he moved. Even the littlest bit early would mean that he could forcefully change the trajectory of his weapon.

SWING

Xin Zhao turned sideways and watched the blade whizz past him.

SCHING

His spear moved with purpose as it accelerated beyond what he had displayed previously. Blood dripped as the spear found it home in the man's neck.

The man's free hand rose to his neck as blood poured out like a fountain.

"Sleep." Xin whispered to the dying man. "Close your eyes."

"RAAGAHH!" The other Iceborn shouted as he swung his spear at him. This swing came sideways.

Xin looked as the swing arrived, he leapt into the air using his spear as a spring. Unfurling both his legs, he jump kicked the Iceborn as his swing passed under him harmlessly.

But contrary to his expectations the kick did nothing as the man barely moved despite the wound on his shoulder. He used it as an opportunity to swing his blade in reverse.

Cannot let it touch skin.

The words repeated in Xin Zhao's mind as he let go of his spear and spun mid air landing on the flat side of the blade and rolling off to the side.

Instantly a chill crept onto his back as frost began to spread across his armor. It was only a matter of time before the chill turned into a burn. His hands shot back to his spear as he grabbed it with both hands and pointed it to his adversary.

A thrust would end things now.

A simple spear thrust.

And so he waited. Waited for him to make the first move. Sweat dripped from his brow as his concentration was pushed to its limit.

SWING

The man swung the blade at him sideways once more.

Xin, anticipating this move, stepped forward and replied with his own thrust. 

Just as the attack arrived, Xin Zhao's spear moved like it had gained a life of its own. It snaked right around the blade and pierced the man's torso.

Pushing the advantage, Xin Zhao shoved it further inward.

SWING

Despite being pierced by the weapon, the man still swung his own blade in retaliation.

Unable to pull his weapon out, Xin Zhao jumped backward.

The man refused to fall despite being impaled. He lunged at Xin Zhao once more wildly swinging his blade.

Xin Zhao easily sidestepped the swing and sent a kick to his wounded shoulder.

The man flinched in response but swung his blade diagonally. Easily ducking the swing, Xin reached and gripped his blade hard and pulled it free.

Another swing came downward. Xin deflected it using the spear and stepped back.

The man stood still. His eyes wide open. His blade still in hand. Blood dripped from the man's mouth.

But despite his open eyes, there was no light in them. 

He died standing.

Xin breathed heavily as he looked at both his enemies.

Iceborn.

Freljord's greatest fighters.

The title was not given in vain. These men were monsters. Enhanced by their surroundings, displaying feats of strength and agility he could only dream of replicating.

He shuddered at the thought of them learning the art of weaponry. If their savage fighting style was replaced with something more controlled. Something more reliant on skill... They would be an unstoppable force.

These weren't men anymore. They were death given flesh.

His men were lucky they had come to him first. Not a single one of them would have survived the encounter otherwise.

He sighed. As per the information given to them, there were four more Iceborn left.

SPLATTER

He swung his spear as the blood on it from his recent enemies splattered onto the ground.

"Four more..." He muttered as he joined the battle once more after catching his breath.