The moment the voice faded, her body began to change.
The sharp bone spurs on her skin retracted inward, and the once rough, ridged surface began to smooth over.
Her figure now looked as if it were clad in a tight black and violet bodysuit.
The first to emerge was her fair, slender neck.
Judging by its elegant curve, it was easy to tell—this was a woman of grace and beauty.
Then, the grotesque carapace covering her head receded.
As everyone had suspected, a striking, almost radiant face was revealed beneath.
What stood out were the two dark markings stretching across each side of her face, reminiscent of dragonfly wings—subtle but youthful.
Her hair, long and flowing like a waterfall, tumbled down her back in strands of black with hints of purple.
In just a few breaths, the strange creature from earlier had completely transformed.
"Long time no see… You were just a little girl back then. If I recall correctly, your name was… Kesha?"
Ryan studied her face closely, a flicker of recognition softening his expression.
He hadn't realized how much time had passed since that first journey to Shurima.
Kai'Sa gave a faint nod and a hesitant shake of her head.
Her voice was much more unmistakable than before:
"Yes… I was. But now… my name is Kai'Sa. Lord Ryan, how long has it been since you left our village…?"
"Eleven years," Ryan replied, a shadow crossing his eyes.
"I remember—back then, I arrived at your village injured from a sandstorm. I stayed for a while at your home to recover."
He had never known what became of the village after he left.
Years later, he sent scouts to find the village after joining Noxus and returning to Shurima on a campaign.
They came back with nothing. The village was gone—vanished without a trace.
Back then, Ryan hadn't seen the Void with his own eyes.
He only knew that many in the village had whispered about it… believed in it.
"The village… was swallowed by the Void," Kai'Sa murmured.
"My mother… everyone… they're gone."
A deep sorrow filled her eyes. Even after all these years, the pain still gripped her heart whenever she remembered.
"It's over now. What matters is that you survived. That in itself is a miracle."
Ryan stepped forward and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
Kai'Sa took a deep breath, steadying herself. Her expression hardened with purpose.
"I came back for those who never could," she said quietly.
Then, dropping to one knee, she added,
"I beg you, Lord Ryan—destroy the Void."
She couldn't measure Ryan's strength precisely, but just standing near him, she could feel it.
Her carapace, crafted from a Void creature, was shrinking in fear.
She had felt this before, many times.
The carapace could sense danger, could express fear.
But… this reaction was stronger than anything she'd felt, even when facing the most terrifying Voidborn.
Even in this weakened state, she wasn't sure she could summon her armor again.
Which only confirmed it—Ryan was far more powerful than she had imagined.
She might not be able to keep her promise alone… but Ryan…
"Kai'Sa," Ryan said softly, "I want to destroy them too. But don't underestimate the Void."
He reached out, lifting her gently from the ground.
"They are the enemy of all life. There's no doubt. But if we truly want to defeat them… we need to understand them."
Ryan had considered entering the Void's domain before.
Every time the thought arose, a cold warning stirred deep inside him.
Something waited on the other side. Something deadly.
"…I understand," Kai'Sa whispered, biting her lower lip.
The bitterness in her voice was unmistakable.
No one knew the Void like she did.
Ten years of survival in that place, fighting alone against nightmares.
She didn't even know if she could truly fulfill her vow.
"You're home now. Rest," Ryan said, his voice calm but firm.
"Katarina will help you adjust. I have something else to take care of. Once it's done… I want to hear your story."
"Yes, Lord Ryan," Kai'Sa replied quietly, nodding.
Katarina, standing nearby, offered a friendly smile at just the right moment.
Kai'Sa glanced at her and managed a stiff, reluctant smile in return.
She hadn't worn that expression in so long, it felt foreign and difficult.
Ezreal gave her a sympathetic look.
He could roughly guess the kind of horrors she had endured. He patted his chest with a confident grin and said:
"Miss Kai'Sa, if you ever need help, you can count on me. I've got a bit of a reputation across Runeterra. Name's Ezreal!"
"Thank you… Though I've never heard of you," Kai'Sa replied politely, her tone neutral but sincere.
At that moment, Ryan raised his hand.
Four dark blue magic circles shimmered around them, surrounding the group.
The small blue creation seemed particularly drawn to Kai'Sa's carapace and clung to it, fascinated by the scent.
In the next instant, the four of them vanished.
----------
Outside the Mausoleum…
Boom!
A thunderous blast echoed through the air as a surge of magical energy erupted from Ryze, shattering the mana prison that had bound him.
"…Why must we fight?" Nasus sighed deeply, raising the axe-headed scepter in his hand.
Just as he was about to strike, he paused.
He sensed a ripple in the surrounding magic and lowered his weapon.
A radiant blue portal opened beside him, and Ryan, clad in a flowing arcane cloak, appeared, hovering calmly at Nasus's side.
---------
Elsewhere, in the camp…
Three dark blue magic circles flared to life near Cassiopeia.
As the light dimmed, Katarina, Ezreal, and Kai'Sa materialized within them.
Ezreal looked around at the scorched land outside the protective barrier.
The sky was dark, the ground blistered and torn apart. His eyes widened in disbelief.
"What happened here? Was this because we entered the mausoleum?"
"T-That… Professor…" Sen Yan stammered, pale and visibly shaken.
"It's the aftermath of the battle… between the Head of the Council and the mage…"
Ezreal swallowed hard.
"Targon's stars above… this kind of power…"
He looked around at the wasteland.
The once-solid desert landscape was now cratered and blasted, like a god had ravaged it.
This was sand mountain compressed to near-stone over centuries.
And yet now, it looked like crumbling tofu.
Whatever happened here… it was beyond comprehension.
Ezreal felt a cold sweat on his back.
He glanced upward, where a bald mage floated above the light curtain.
Magic surged from the figure like a flood.
A terrible pressure weighed on him, and he had to fight for a second to stay standing.
"Why… Why are there so many terrifying people in the world…" he muttered.
That mage—purple-skinned, fierce, overflowing with world-ending magic—didn't look like someone with mercy in his heart.
Above, in the skies…
Ryze's sharp eyes focused on Ryan, who now radiated unstable, overflowing power. His voice was low and filled with disbelief.
"…You fused with it?" Ryze said, stunned.
"That's impossible. How can your body contain the full power of the World Rune?"
He already knew the answer. Deep down, he had sensed it the moment the rune's energy surged through the continent.
For over a thousand years, Ryze had hunted the World Runes.
He knew their essence intimately—how they pulsed and echoed across the land.
And now… Ryan wasn't just carrying the rune.
Ryan was the rune.
"You're wondering why it's possible now?" Ryan said calmly.
"Just because it hasn't been done before… doesn't mean it can't be done now."
His voice was steady, almost casual, as if discussing something mundane.
His body slowly rose higher, magic flaring violently around him.
The atmosphere itself bent to the will of his power.
Dark blue arcs of magic surged outward, bathing the sky in pulsing light.
"No… No!" Ryze growled, his voice hoarse, eyes wide.
Seeing the scene unfolding before him, Ryze's expression twisted with disbelief and fear.
His voice grew frantic, almost desperate.
"No one can fully control its power! You're going to destroy yourself!"
His eyes flickered with panic, haunted by memories of past catastrophes.
Ryze had seen too many who tried to wield the World Runes.
None of them had ended well.
Tragedy. Madness. The world's broken beyond repair.
And now, though he understood that it was already too late to reclaim the rune infused within Ryan, he couldn't stop himself.
Once a person merged with the World Rune, even if they couldn't access its full power, it became a part of them.
Forcibly removing it was impossible—perhaps only the gods could do so.
Still, Ryze hadn't given up.
The terror the runes once brought to the world… he could never forget it.
He wouldn't let that nightmare repeat. Even if it was hopeless, he had to try.
"Om!!"
With a deep hum, Ryze's body was enveloped in magic, and his skin took on a deep indigo hue.
"Hraah!"
He let out a sharp cry as his muscles tensed, then thrust his arms forward.
Thousands of dark blue magic circles burst from his palms, cascading forward in a torrent aimed at Ryan and Nasus.
"Such a waste…"
Nasus shook his head, his voice full of regret. But he made no move to defend himself or Ryan.
Ryan, without a word, floated slightly toward the incoming onslaught.
A dark blue, egg-shaped sphere of energy shimmered around him, enclosing him in its glow.
He stood still, hands calmly folded behind his back. No gestures. No counterspell.
To onlookers, he seemed like a statue, motionless in the face of death, welcoming destruction with indifference.
Boom!
BOOM!
The barrage landed with thunderous force, like the wrath of the heavens unleashed.
The sky quaked under the pressure, torn by the onslaught of Ryze's raw spellcraft.
Light from the impacts overwhelmed everything, engulfing Ryan in a blinding glow.
But when the barrage faded and the haze cleared...
The shield was completely intact.
Not a crack. Not a mark. Not even a speck of dust out of place.
"Ryze," Ryan said, his voice low, almost sorrowful.
"The magic of the World Runes can't harm me."
He raised one hand slowly, his palm open.
Magic surged from his fingers like liquid lightning.
A moment later, it twisted and coiled, forming into the shape of a giant ethereal python.
The serpent made of mana reared back, then shot through the sky like a bolt, trailing arcs of dark blue energy in its wake.
Every spell Ryze cast in response was swallowed as the python passed.
As it neared Ryze, the Rune Mage snorted coldly.
He halted his casting and raised the ancient tome clutched in his hand, positioning it like a shield between him and the serpent.
Buzz!
The snake collided with the shield, releasing a shockwave of force that rocked the landscape.
The desert dunes erupted in clouds of dust and sand, the blast echoing across the horizon.
Just then, the cat-like creature—Ryan's arcane familiar—rushed into the sky.
Its small blue body glowed with intense brilliance as it floated midair, pouring energy into the magical shield around Ryan.
Kai'Sa watched in awe, her gaze locked on the battle above.
"So strong…" she whispered.
"Both of them… they're beyond anything I imagined."
She had faced the Void. She had fought horrors beyond comprehension.
But even then… this was something else entirely.
For the first time in years, she felt a sense of helplessness return.
And deep within, doubts began to stir in her heart.
"If there are so many powerful beings in this world…"
Kai'Sa's brows furrowed deeply as she watched the sky-tearing battle unfold.
"Then why does the Void still exist?"
The question plagued her. The Void's intentions were clear—it had always sought to invade, corrupt, and consume.
And yet, the people with the strength to stop it fought amongst themselves.
What confused her even more was the white-hot battle in front of her.
It seemed… purposeless.
The bald mage—Ryze—was undeniably powerful.
So why oppose Lord Ryan? Why not fight together against the real enemy?
Kai'Sa couldn't understand.
Around her, others had their reactions. Cassiopeia and Sen Yan had been numb for a long time to such titanic clashes.
But Ezreal and Katarina, who had missed the earlier duel, were captivated, awe flashing in their eyes.
A loud boom! Shook the sky again.
Ryze's magic was endless, yet it had no effect—none of his spells could even crack Ryan's shield.
"...A World Rune attuned to magic…"
Ryze's eyes reflected the glowing sigil within Ryan's. Fear flickered in his gaze.
He had seen World Runes before—devastating, dangerous artifacts that defied understanding. But none like this.
The runes he'd known didn't amplify magic.
They twisted it, corrupted it.
But Ryan... Ryan had found one that did the opposite.
A rune that enhanced his already immense magical power.
Ryze knew then—this was a battle he couldn't win.
And yet, he wasn't discouraged.
He had stood in this position many times before, facing enemies stronger than he could handle.
And each time, he had reclaimed the rune, sealed it away, and protected the world.
This time would be no different… It was only a matter of when.
Ryan raised his hand again.
With his will alone, magic came to life. Water formed bones.
Mana wove flesh and sinew. The World Rune gave them souls.
Sharks, birds, serpents, and dragons—creatures born of pure arcane force surged forward.
They roared toward Ryze and struck with furious blasts of magic.
Ryan wasn't trying to kill him. Not yet.
He knew Ryze could escape, and unless Nasus chose to intervene—which he clearly would not—Ryan could only suppress his foe, slowly draining his strength, waiting for the right moment to strike.
But…
Seeing the retreat already forming in Ryze's expression, Ryan sighed inwardly.
Hum!
One of the magical beasts dove toward Ryze's location—only to strike empty air.
The mage had vanished.
Ryan's expression tightened with regret.
"That old man's been around for thousands of years. Of course he's slippery…" he muttered with a hint of annoyance.
"He still sees himself as a guardian of the world, even in the face of disaster," Nasus said calmly beside him.
Ryan chuckled. The magical barrier surrounding him faded into the breeze.
"I wish he'd lend us that strength when we need it most," he said.
"When I merged with the rune, I sensed something… wrong. Something dark."
"The Underworld is not bound to us, Your Excellency," Nasus replied, voice low and grave.
"No, but someone—or something—has found a way through. I don't want to see you corrupted by it."
Nasus's eyes flashed, deep as the sands of Shurima.
"We have our way to resist it. You're not the only one who felt its stirrings. That door… the one that should never have opened…"
Ryan nodded solemnly.
"Thank you, Master Nasus," he said sincerely, bowing slightly.
"We all get what we came for," Nasus murmured.
"Just don't forget your promise."
With that, the towering Shuriman sage turned and walked slowly across the dunes, his scepter marking deep impressions in the sand.
Ryan watched him go.
"My promise… I will keep it," he said quietly.
"I, too, want to see what Shurima looked like in its golden age."
His gaze shifted to Cassiopeia and the Sen Ya.
He could already feel it—that distant pressure from Mount Targon.
The eyes of the gods were turning toward them.
The Empire needed more time.
But until then… perhaps some ancient pieces could be unearthed early.
Ryan floated down toward Katarina and the others, decision already made.
As he landed, they all saluted, waiting for orders.
He looked at Katarina first.
"No need for guards here anymore. Take command of the Southern Front Legion. Secure the route through Shurima to Ixtal and Icathia. Use the plains below Zaun as the new Southern HQ."
Much of Shurima's northwestern coastline was already under Imperial control.
But eastward, toward Zaun and Ixtal, strange and dangerous creatures still roamed.
But those lands weren't the Empire's true concern.
Far to the southeast… lay Icathia.
The very heart of the Void's corruption.
"Understood," Katarina said, calm and precise.
"And what of Targon and the Shuriman core?"
"To the west, let them be. Those who wish to leave may migrate east. Viktor and his team will work to restore the land there. That's your second task. Your new weapons will be delivered once they're completed."
"Understood."
Katarina gave a short bow and turned away. Her mission was clear.
But within, dissatisfaction lingered. She hadn't contributed much this time.
Not really. She would become stronger, strong enough to stand beside Ryan, not behind him.
Ryan turned to Ezreal and the others.
"You did well," he said with a smile.
"Ezreal, when the Empire publishes news of the expedition, we'll mention your name—and that of the Explorers' Guild."
"W-wait? Thank you, Mr. President !" Ezreal practically sparkled with excitement.
"Man, Draven's never going to hear the end of this!"
"You may plan your next expedition freely. If you encounter trouble, contact Katarina or me directly."
Ezreal nodded repeatedly, nearly bouncing with energy.
Ryan gave a soft smile.
A flicker of magic surrounded him and Kai'Sa—and then, in a breath, they vanished.