First, take down the Sword Demon, then save Runeterra.

“Don’t worry, he’s regained his senses.” Ato knew what Lissandra was worried about.

"The bodies of the Celestial Warriors are indestructible, but their spirits are not so unbreakable."

“Every Celestial Warrior who fought against the Void monsters was corrupted by the Void and developed mental problems, but none of them showed it.”

"The empress died in battle, but her descendants inherited the throne, and the empire continued to function for hundreds of years."

"Until the last emperor Azir was betrayed by his best friend and died in the ascension ceremony, the imperial royal bloodline was cut off, and the corrupted Celestial Warriors could no longer suppress their ambitions."

"They divided up the Empire's territory, their bodies no longer radiant, but darkened and bloodthirsty, and were known as the 'Darkborn' by others. This division continued for hundreds of years until the Protoss of Mount Targon finally intervened and ended that dark age."

After hearing the history of the distant land, Lissandra momentarily forgot to consider the terms of the deal.

"This is the cause and effect of the Icathian War. There are very few records of the specific battles, and the Darkin are unwilling to talk about them."

“What I’m trying to say is that the fighting power of the Celestial Warriors is beyond doubt. If that number of monsters were released in Freljord, even if the three demigods and you three sisters joined forces, could you win this war?” Atto added fuel to the fire.

“It’s far from enough…Freljord will be destroyed because of it.” Lissandra had to admit this fact.

Ator chose to make a deal with Lissandra because he was worried about Freljord, which is closest to the Void. With a great enemy at hand, they were still fighting among themselves, and the tribal power was shifting, depleting their strength.

Once the Watchers break free of their seal, this becomes the first line of defense.

"I need to know how many Celestial Warriors you can send?"

Ato glanced at Aatrox, who hesitated before saying, "After the fall of the ancient Shurima Empire, there were no more Celestial Warriors."

“Now we are the Darkin, and our power has declined compared to when the Empire still existed, including mine.”

“This was unavoidable, after all, you saved the world,” Lissandra said, expressing her understanding.

"I hold the position of Supreme General of the Empire, and my power is second only to Empress Setaka."

"So I am not fighting alone. Many people are acting on my orders. They are my subordinates and my brothers."

“They all died, in that war. Less than half survived, and they all became Darkin…” Aatrox’s tone was clearly one of loss.

"Even if they become Darkin, their loyalty to me has been honed over a thousand years. They will still obey my commands and await my awakening."

Lissandra couldn't help but feel hopeful: "So, how many reinforcements can you send?"

"Of all the brothers who sleep in Freljord, I can only sense... one."

“…What?” Lissandra’s expression froze, and a wave of disappointment washed over her.

Before Lissandra changed her mind, Atto explained, "He has traveled almost the entire world since he broke free of the seal a thousand years ago."

"Of the Darkin scattered around the world, no more than ten still obey his orders. The others are either missing or not friends of Aatrox. This is the maximum force we can mobilize."

"When facing Void creatures, no matter how many ordinary people there are, they will only become nutrients for creating more monsters. Only Darkin with strong individual combat power can fight against Void creatures."

"Moreover, the void has not yet completely broken free from the seal. You should be well aware of the results of previous years' investigations. It is currently in a state where the seal shows signs of weakening but can still be maintained."

“We will awaken the Darkin who is sleeping in Freljord to monitor the seal in place of your Iceborn. If a small number of monsters leak out, she can easily handle it.”

"And when the seal is completely broken, we will bring all our forces to Freljord."

"This is all the support we can provide. What do you think now?" Ato breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't realized before that he had the ability to analyze pros and cons!

Lissandra slowly rose to her feet, and the True Ice Base reappeared beneath her. She rested her chin on her hand and wandered around the sacrificial hall.

I've said everything I needed to say... The current situation and the sealed state must be putting a lot of pressure on her.

With the help of the Darkin, I'm solving her biggest problem, and she'll most likely agree to trade with me! Ator is confident of that.

Fifteen minutes later, just as Ato counted that Lissandra had moved around the hall twenty-four times, he received Lissandra's final decision.

“I agree to the deal. But I have one condition: immediately awaken the Darkin slumbering in Freljord. I need to monitor her condition and make sure she doesn’t pose a threat to us.”

During their conversation, Lissandra learns that the Darkin appears to be a woman.

“No problem.” Ato slung his greatsword over his shoulder. “It’s a pleasure doing business with you.”

On the way to Frostguard Fortress, Aatrox sensed a familiar presence. In the mountains not far from the fortress, Aatrox finalized the details of the deal.

As the group left the fortress, Lissandra briefly explained the deal with Ator to her Iceborn subordinates, and selected a few to accompany her to the site where the Darkborn would be awakened, including the old priestess Loraca.

Tell me the approximate location.

Is this a special way to move quickly? Ato's mind raced, and he didn't hide anything: "The first mountain range we encounter south of the fortress is it."

"Don't make any unnecessary moves." Lissandra's arms were stained dark blue, and she waved them in the cold wind.

"freeze!"

A bone-chilling cold emanated from beneath Atuo and the others' feet. A layer of pure ice formed beneath their feet, with thin, elongated ice shards extending outwards, resembling bone claws.

Lissandra changed her hand gestures, and a thick, cold mist spread out, obscuring their vision. The next moment, the mist dissipated, and the group found themselves near their target mountain range.

"So fast? Mages' teleportation is always something to envy... Why can't warriors learn teleportation?" Ato muttered to himself.

“We can begin.” Lissandra nodded to Atto.

"Wait a moment." Then Ato looked at the Iceborn, "Whatever you see, believe that everything is under control. Don't overreact. This is what your chieftain promised me."

"...We will obey the chieftain's will." Loraka and the others were puzzled, but since Lissandra agreed, they had no objections.

Ato closed his eyes, calming his slightly agitated emotions. He drew the Darkin Demon Sword with his right hand, and with a thought, restored the Demon Sword to its original terrifying appearance.

"Frost above, is that the embodiment of demons?"

If Ato hadn't reminded them, Loraka and the others might have already instinctively retaliated.

Aatrox activated the power of the Demon Sword, and a bloody aura erupted, his voice echoing throughout the entire mountain range.

“Anaka… Anaka… Anaka…”