IW: Chapter 244 - Major Events About to Unfold, Inuyasha and Bai Ye: I Have a Daughter, What About You Guys?
"Admiral Swain, they're about to break through! The resistance army led by Irelia has successfully liberated the prisoners and is marching directly upon our command post!"
Inside the central pavilion of the Presidia, the reporting Noxian soldier spoke with a voice strained by raw panic. The remaining imperial troops stationed across the sacred grounds were in absolute disarray, utterly at a loss.
Noxus, which had held a flawless, crushing advantage over the provinces just weeks prior, now felt the walls closing in from all sides. The terrifying reality had finally penetrated the ranks: there were no reinforcements coming. No supply fleets. No vanguard legions.
Without a backline to stabilize the front, this was no longer a war of attrition—it was an execution. Isolated, abandoned, and entirely without aid, the proud forces of the empire had been backed into a desperate, bloody corner by Irelia's relentless counter-offensive.
Listening to the frantic breathless report, Swain didn't move. He kept his head lowered, his singular gaze fixed distantly toward the western horizon—in the exact direction of the immortal capital he loved.
The cold truth crystallized in his mind. I have been cast aside.
In truth, Swain had harbored dark suspicions from the very moment the High Command had greenlit the invasion of the First Lands. He had mapped the logistics himself. Why would an empire built on ruthless efficiency intentionally ignite a campaign destined to collapse under its own weight?
There was only one logical conclusion: the entire theater of war was an inside job.
This catastrophic blueprint hadn't been drawn up to conquer Ionia. It had been meticulously engineered to destroy him. From the very second his boots crossed the threshold of the Presidia, he hadn't been conquering a holy sanctuary—he had been walking straight into a beautifully orchestrated execution box.
"Admiral Swain?!"
Seeing the general stand there like a statue of carved stone, the subordinate swallowed hard, offering a quiet, desperate prompt. "Sir... let us form a defensive wedge. We can cover your retreat while the rearguard holds the line! You must leave!"
When the siege began, these soldiers had bled with the ironclad belief that imperial grit could overcome a lack of logistics. They believed they could annihilate the native rebels through sheer martial superiority. But as the meat grinder of the Presidia dragged on, the Noxian lines had been ground down to bone and dust.
They were utterly exhausted. Morale was plummeting with every standard that fell, while the spiritual fervor of the Ionian resistance surged like a rising tide. With the scales tipped so violently against them, the collapse of the Noxian occupation was a foregone conclusion.
The soldier knew the battle was lost, but he refused to watch his commander fall with the fort.
Everyone could die here, but only Swain could not!
His prestige in the army was extremely high; basically, all the soldiers who followed him to Presidia were willing to sacrifice themselves to ensure Swain's departure.
"No! I will fight myself!"
Swain said, donning his armor. He couldn't just abandon these soldiers at this moment.
Even though he knew they had lost, he still chose not to flee.
Since the person behind this had already started to scheme against him, they would certainly not let him escape so easily.
Hearing Swain say this, everyone else stood frozen in place.
"But if you don't leave now, Admiral Swain, it might be truly difficult for you to escape once the enemy surrounds us!"
Although saying this meant admitting defeat, if Swain were to hold them accountable, they would surely be executed.
But at this moment, the others couldn't care less.
Because they all knew very well.
Swain had to leave. The army led by Irelia hadn't completely surrounded the area yet, so there was still a chance to leave if he wanted to.
Didn't Swain understand?!
They simply couldn't believe it!
Yet... knowing that the war would be lost and that he wouldn't be able to escape afterward, Swain still chose to stay and fight with them.
For a moment, they didn't know what to say, but a sense of admiration for Swain rose in their hearts.
"Let's go."
Swain's calm words carried a hint of confidence.
Even without reinforcements, he didn't believe he would necessarily lose this war.
Watching Swain's figure continuously grow taller, a surge of conviction arose in the hearts of everyone present.
Following Swain's footsteps, all the soldiers also resolved to fight to the death with the Ionian people.
Upon Swain's arrival, everyone on the Ionian resistance army's side stared at Swain. In the hearts of the Ionian people, Swain was the culprit who caused this war.
"As long as Swain is eliminated, this war will end!"
Irelia's gaze fell on Swain. At this moment, she also held a firm belief in her heart.
And the Trinity Force behind her danced as her conviction grew stronger.
The Trinity Force was originally a weapon of the Equilibrium Order, and now it had become her blade dance. Her coordination with the Trinity Force became increasingly seamless, and she grew in the process, completely influencing the entire battle situation.
Neither side wasted any words. They were already enemies, both wanting to put the other to death as quickly as possible.
Irelia rushed towards Swain. To catch the bandits, first catch their leader. As long as Swain was captured or killed, this war could end, given Swain's rallying power within the army.
The belief of the Noxus soldiers on the Ionian battlefield would all collapse.
Facing Irelia, Swain's defense seemed so fragile.
One was a blade dancer forged in the crucible of battle, the other a brilliant strategist of Noxus. Swain's advantage lay in his mind.
Their rapid advance earlier was largely thanks to Swain's countless ingenious strategies, but after being betrayed by an internal mole, Swain realized that all his schemes completely relied on the support of that powerful nation.
Without Noxus's support, even with many strategies, he would ultimately not escape the fate of failure.
So Swain also understood that this time he didn't lose to Ionia, but to the Black Rose.
He hadn't expected the enemy to have infiltrated Noxus so deeply.
However, in that instant he was distracted, Irelia's hand rose and fell, directly severing one of Swain's arms and simultaneously shattering his kneecap, which instantly caused the already disadvantaged Swain to lose his combat ability.
"Protect Admiral Swain!"
The surrounding soldiers no longer cared about fighting the Ionian people. They protected Swain within their formation, simultaneously separating Swain from Irelia.
"Retreat!"
Seeing the situation was dire, and Swain had already lost his combat capability, while the morale of the Ionian side had greatly increased, fighting on was naturally impossible.
Seeing the Noxus army preparing to retreat, Irelia's voice spread across the entire battlefield: "No more meaningless sacrifices!"
Although Irelia still wanted to continue the pursuit, she also knew very well that if she insisted on pursuing, many more people would still die on the battlefield.
Their resistance was simply to tell Noxus that they would not allow Noxus to occupy this place.
Seeing that victory had already arrived, Irelia was also unwilling to further escalate the war.
After hearing Irelia's words, although many around still wanted to keep these Noxus people in Ionia forever.
But they ultimately stopped their steps.
Because the prestige Irelia had forged in this war had already gained everyone's recognition.
Everyone was willing to revere Irelia as their leader.
Everyone on the entire battlefield was shouting Irelia's name.
Peace belonged to their Ionia!
With Swain's defeat, Noxus began a full-scale rout in Ionia, and commanders in various locations also received orders from their superiors.
All Noxians were to retreat from Ionia.
Black Rose.
LeBlanc looked at the intelligence in her hand, a smile playing on her lips.
Still too naive, after all.
"Then, next is your judgment, isn't it? A hero of Noxus ultimately became a criminal of Noxus."
LeBlanc smiled, feeling that these matters seemed somewhat ironic.
But then again, wasn't all of this caused by herself?!
Demacia.
"He lost."
Bai Ye looked at the intelligence in his hand. The Ionian war had already reached Demacia.
Previously, they had traveled by water, all the way from Bilgewater to Demacia.
Because it was for Master Yi's sake, Bai Ye did not stay in Bilgewater or Piltover.
However, along the way, he also heard many legends.
"Indeed, just as you predicted, Bai Ye. Why didn't Noxus support him in the end?!"
Nidalee was a bit curious. Clearly, if Swain had just occupied that place and defeated Irelia, then victory in this war would definitely have belonged to Noxus.
But Swain received no support from anyone in the end, which also puzzled Nidalee.
"Perhaps it's because they knew the war would fail."
Sona's music drifted over. After days of getting along, they had gradually become familiar with each other.
The children from the monastery had also been sent to an orphanage in Demacia.
And Sona had decided to start pursuing her dreams in Demacia.
Perhaps in a few days, she would have to part ways with Bai Ye and the others.
"War failed? It certainly lost, but isn't it a bit too much to betray your own people like that?!"
Is this Noxus?!
Nidalee thought to herself, but this matter didn't seem to have much to do with her.
As long as the other side failed, that was good.
"Wrong. It's nothing more than a political struggle. Swain didn't lose to Ionia, but to the internal forces of their own people!"
Bai Ye said lightly. The two of them were still too naive.
It was just a struggle between Swain and the Black Rose. Swain was destined to lose because Noxus itself was currently under LeBlanc's control, and at the same time, before Swain gained power...
LeBlanc had many ways to eliminate Swain, but it was to make Swain's death not so bizarre, which is why she orchestrated such a play.
Now, hasn't Swain become the one to take the blame for the failed war?
Currently, it was also effortless for LeBlanc to eliminate Swain.
"Internal struggle?"
"Hmm, let's not talk about that."
Bai Ye glanced not far away, feeling a sense of perception in his heart.
A Crow was watching him from there.
Has Swain gained power?
Bai Ye muttered to himself. So, having gained power, why would he suddenly seek him out?
Bai Ye was currently in Demacia, so he wasn't particularly afraid of Swain.
However, due to the previous events on the battlefield, Bai Ye was temporarily not planning to provoke Swain.
He also knew very well that once Swain decided to make trouble for him, he would no longer return to Noxus afterward.
There was nothing for him to be nostalgic about there.
Bai Ye's thoughts shifted. He told Nidalee to take Sona and leave first, while he remained there. After Nidalee had left with Sona and Ahri, the Crow landed beside Bai Ye.
"You seem to have known I would come?"
"Swain, you're truly bold, daring to come to Demacia all by yourself!"
Not only the Crow, but Swain himself had come.
But then again, shouldn't Swain be in Noxus right now, starting to overthrow the emperor?
Why would he come to find him first?!
To Swain, was he really that important?
Bai Ye had a question mark in his mind about this. He didn't think he was that important to Swain.
Similarly, Bai Ye also felt relieved, because Swain had come alone, which meant he wasn't here to kill him.
If he wanted to make a move, Swain should have done so when Sona and the others were here. To act within Demacia's borders at the same time, Bai Ye suspected he must have lost his mind, otherwise it would be impossible.
"Because I've learned some things."
With that said.
Swain raised his arm, which had been severed by Irelia, and a hint of recollection flashed in his eyes.
This truly was a sorrowful matter.
His arm had become a demon's arm. He had gained power, but was he still himself now?
When he was about to be executed, he gained power in the Immortal Bastion and simultaneously overthrew Noxus's imperial authority.
He overthrew Boram Darkwill and established the Trifarix Council.
From now on, he would end Noxus's autocratic system and hereditary officialdom.
The crackdown on the nobility had only just begun; he intended to rebuild Noxus.
"Will you join me?"
This time, Swain formally invited Bai Ye. Before, he had only entertained the thought of inviting him if possible, thinking it would be good if Bai Ye joined, but it didn't matter if he didn't.
But this time, Swain approached Bai Ye with a strong desire for him to join.
Because he had also come to understand some things; he had always underestimated Bai Ye.
"No, I will not join any faction."
Just like before.
He would not be tied to Noxus; remaining unaligned among various factions was more in line with Bai Ye's interests.
Hearing Bai Ye's refusal, Swain wasn't surprised. Before coming, he had already considered that Bai Ye might refuse.
"So... it's still a cooperation like before, right?"
Swain nodded. Although he felt a little disappointed, he felt it was acceptable even if Bai Ye didn't join.
At least he would have someone to cooperate with externally.
After gaining power and knowledge, Swain also understood what kind of person he had been facing before.
When he lost the war back then, he believed that loss was absolutely not unjust.
If he couldn't even understand his opponent, how could he possibly defeat them?
From various actions afterward, Swain realized that he had been manipulated by LeBlanc from the very beginning.
"Yes, as long as you can offer benefits, we can cooperate."
This was exactly what Bai Ye needed. Bai Ye didn't care who the other party was, as long as it aligned with his conscience.
"Then I have three tasks: one for Demacia, one for Zaun, and one for Shurima."
...
Bai Ye hadn't thought much at first, but when he heard Swain say he had three things to entrust to him, he was stunned?!
No?!
Are you going all out with combat power here?!
Is it that Noxus has no one else, and everything has to be given to him?!
"I will pay you accordingly for all of them."
Seeing Bai Ye's strange expression, Swain added.
"Aren't you afraid I'll be like last time?!"
Bai Ye recalled the war between Ionia and Noxus.
Back then, it seemed Swain had also approached him for cooperation, but in the end, he did nothing and instead directly did things that harmed Noxus.
Because of this, Bai Ye was very curious why Swain still dared to seek his cooperation. If he acted like before, wouldn't Swain suffer a huge loss?!
"Who would go all out for a losing cause?"
Swain didn't care at all. Back then, he didn't know what Bai Ye was after, and even if he saw failure in that war, whatever the other party did seemed to be within reason.
Swain didn't press the matter. Hearing Swain say this, Bai Ye was also a little surprised, but after thinking about it, he didn't dwell on it anymore.
This Admiral was indeed a bit different from before.
"Tell me, what are they?"
Three different matters. He had some idea in his mind, but he wasn't entirely sure.
After hearing Bai Ye say this, Swain didn't hide anything and directly stated: "The matter in Demacia is that you need to assist someone in assassinating Demacia's emperor."
Assassinating Demacia III?
Isn't that Katarina?
Bai Ye realized that this storyline seemed to have reached this point, which meant Silas's plot was also about to begin?!
Katarina's assassination of Demacia III leads to internal strife within Demacia.
In fact, Demacia has always pursued isolationism.
That is to say, they wouldn't meddle in the affairs of other countries, only wanting to protect their own territory.
Even though there had been many wars between Freljord and Noxus.
But they still hadn't expanded outward, just like this war, Ionia was even on the verge of defeat in the early stages, but Demacia remained stable and unmoving.
It was also because of this that Darius was directly reassigned to Freljord, and later was called back after Swain's coup to change the Noxus empire.
Now, assassinating Demacia III greatly served Noxus's interests.
Because they needed a chaotic Demacia.
Swain saw the reason Demacia could be destabilized, and that was the Mage Seekers.
Class solidification was evident in many places in Valoran, such as Piltover, but compared to Demacia, this was the king of class solidification.
Due to the ban on magic, mages in Demacia did not live well.
But ironically, there could be mages among the nobility.
This also gave Swain an opportunity: as long as the emperor was assassinated, the emperor had always been easing relations between mages and Demacia, even considering lifting the magic ban.
Swain decided to start from this point.
"This is truly worthy of Noxus's style!"
Highly distinctive expansionism and highly distinctive isolationism have truly run through Noxus and Demacia.
And this time, the events triggered by Silas would also begin soon.
Speaking of which, if Lux's meeting with Silas was prevented, then this matter would seem to be completely suppressed, right?
"And the second one?"
Bai Ye had probably guessed that Noxus wanted to attack Demacia.
So Bai Ye was also very curious about the second matter.
What exactly would cause Swain to want to act against Zaun?
"I need you to help me find someone, Singed."
When he mentioned Singed, Swain paused, then continued: "It's really thanks to you that my plan failed once!"
Before, he didn't know who had stopped that matter in Wuji Village.
Now he knew it was Bai Ye, right in front of him. Speaking of which, the thing he had created to retaliate and suppress Ionia's morale was actually destroyed so easily by Bai Ye.
This actually made Swain feel a little displeased.
However, he needed Bai Ye at the moment.
"Well, I'm really sorry. Seeing a crowd of people about to die in flames, I felt it would be more peaceful to act."
"Say whatever you want, I need you to find Singed. You stopped the previous matter. Originally, we were going to settle accounts with Singed, but that guy has already hidden himself, so now it's up to you!"
Swain said directly.
After seizing power, Swain immediately sent people to find Singed for an explanation.
Because Singed had told him that the flames would never extinguish.
But in the end, they were put out by Bai Ye and are still frozen in Wuji Village to this day.
This kind of spectacle, on the contrary, became a disgrace to Noxus.
So Swain would not let Singed off so easily.
However, it seemed Singed had a premonition that Swain was looking for him, so he immediately went into hiding.
"Are you so sure he's hiding in Zaun?"
Bai Ye asked curiously. Logically speaking, how was he so sure?
"That guy can only be there."
Just a rat in the gutter.
Swain said indifferently. In his opinion, where else could Singed go if not Zaun?
"Okay, if I have time, I can make a trip to Zaun!"
Bai Ye didn't refuse and agreed to Swain's request.
Last time he passed through Piltover, he also learned that some major events seemed to be taking place there.
The Arcane War?
However, at that time, because he had to escort Sona, Bai Ye temporarily decided to leave first.
Since Swain had a task there, he agreed to go there incidentally.
"The task in Shurima is to help me monitor someone, Cassiopeia!"
Cassiopeia!?
After hearing Swain's words, Bai Ye suddenly realized that Shurima's emperor seemed to be returning.
Cassiopeia and her Mama actually leaned more towards LeBlanc, while Katarina and Du Couteau leaned towards Swain. However, Du Couteau would later betray Swain, so there was actually a rather delicate balance between the two sides.
And now Swain was asking him to help monitor her, and he realized that Cassiopeia was probably following orders to Shurima to search for Shurima's treasure.
This matter also involved Sivir.
Because Black Rose was extending its reach into Shurima.
It all clicked into place. The overarching tapestry of Runeterra was beginning to unravel right before his eyes.
The political ripple effects of Swain's eventual coup would shake the continent to its core. Once the Grand General overthrew Boram Darkwill, the Du Couteau matriarch—terrified that Swain would launch a bloody purge against the Black Rose—would desperately send her youngest daughter, Cassiopeia, deep into the Shuriman sands to unearth an ancient, deific treasure. A desperate gamble that would ultimately twist the noblewoman into a monstrous, venomous ophidian creature.
And that was just the vanguard of the coming chaos.
The board was moving rapidly now. The assassination of King Jarvan III, Sylas of Dregbourne breaking his chains to lead a violent mage rebellion in Demacia, the explosive fuse of the Piltover-Zaun chem-war being lit, and the imminent, blazing resurrection of the Ascended Emperor Azir in Shurima...
Looking at the grand timeline, the conclusion of the Ionian invasion was merely the first falling domino in a massive, interconnected chain of global upheaval.
So, Swain has already seen pieces of this through his demonic foresight? Bai Ye mused. He already knows the sands of Shurima are shifting.
"I accept the terms," Bai Ye finally spoke aloud, breaking the heavy silence of the room. "But under one condition: if unforeseen variables warp the battlefield, I reserve the right to act strictly according to my own will. And my compensation will not be a copper less."
Swain's crimson, multi-eyed gaze narrowed slightly, evaluating the swordsman's terms in absolute silence. After a tense beat, the Grand General gave a single, slow nod of agreement. Then, stepping backward into the ambient shadows, his silhouette fractured into a flock of black ravens that scattered out the window, leaving Bai Ye alone.
Instantly, Bai Ye opened the dimensional group chat.
Valoran Bai Ye: [Brothers, we've got absolute work to do!]
He systematically laid out the localized information, detailing the staggering chain of events poised to detonate across the face of Valoran. The revelation sent shockwaves through the various incarnations of Bai Ye across the multiverse. The timeline was compressing, meaning the potential to intercept, manipulate, and rewrite the fates of multiple nations was officially wide open.
Inuyasha Bai Ye: [You think your timeline is moving fast? Time is absolutely flying over here. Onigumo has finally made his appearance on the stage. But... I don't know, something about his aura this time feels radically different from the original trajectory.]
The Feudal Era
Deep within the misty, demon-infested forests of the Sengoku period, the local incarnation of Bai Ye stood atop a weathered cliffside, his brow furrowed in a tight, uneasy line.
For the past several years, he had been aggressively hunting for any trace of Abe no Seimei and that elusive, nameless mastermind lurking in the historical shadows. Yet, the deeper he dug into the spiritual underbelly of this world, the more he realized just how terrifyingly deep and murky these waters truly were. The tapestry of fate was fraying here, too.
"Papa! Mama says it's time for dinner!"
In the distance, a bright, cheerful child's voice shattered his dark contemplation.
Bai Ye's stern expression instantly melted, a warm, soft smile replacing his analytical frown as he turned back toward the cozy, smoke-wreathed cottage nestled in the valley below. The shadows of the future could wait for an hour. Right now, he had a family to return to.
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