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

A crow landed on Swain, who was lying on his back.

It gripped the armor on Swain's chest with its claws, lowered its head and pecked at the severed part of his left arm, pulling out a piece of flesh with bone fragments.

The blood was still flowing, and Swain felt his consciousness gradually fading.

"Am I going to die? It's a pity I can no longer serve the empire..."

"The only regret is that I didn't manage to conquer this land for the empire..."

He glanced up at the crow perched on him and was instantly drawn to its eyes.

A reflection appeared in the crow's eyes!

He saw a black rose hovering over the Immortal Fortress, eventually enveloping the entire fortress.

He saw a mysterious shadow beneath the Immortal Fortress, as if it concealed a power that could devour everything.

He saw the emperor sitting on the throne, with a pale figure appearing behind him. Chains were bound to the emperor and extended to the hands of the pale figure behind him.

Swain's eyes widened instantly, his will to survive erupting once more.

"No, I can't die! The Empire is in danger! The Emperor is a puppet of the 'Black Rose'! He's the Pale Lady!"

But due to blood loss and severe injuries, he can't even turn over now.

"This is definitely not an ordinary crow!"

As Swain and the raven locked eyes for longer, he finally learned about the raven's origins and why he could obtain information by making eye contact with it.

"The secret demon, Ram! The collector of knowledge!"

Swain imprinted the name deeply in his mind, and suddenly remembered that he had read about it in the notes left by his parents.

They have been searching for the demon's eye that burns in the darkness.

Before his parents were executed by themselves for suspected treason, they had been working in the lower levels of the Immortal Fortress, searching for it!

"How did I end up encountering the hidden power of the Immortal Fortress here...?"

"I cannot die, I must return to the Empire..."

Without Swain holding Irelia back from the front, and with the Ionian Soul buff, the remaining soldiers were quickly wiped out.

"You are all the pride of the Empire." Swain was gratified that not a single deserter had appeared in a war that could not be won.

After eliminating everyone, Irelia and the rebels surrounded Swain, keeping a close eye on the invaders' only survivor, who was also their commander.

The crow had already flown away by the time the crowd gathered around, and no one paid it any attention.

"Don't you have anything to say?" Seeing Swain remain silent, Irelia became even more annoyed.

"A naive idea." Swain's voice was extremely weak. "Child, is this your first time fighting a war?"

"For millennia, Ionia has maintained a balance! It was your invasion that shattered that balance!"

Swain forced a smile: "The Empire's expeditions never care about the consequences. Do you think we care about that so-called balance?"

"Kill him! Kill him!"

Swain's words immediately enraged the rebels, who wanted to execute the enemy commander on the spot.

“You cannot stop the Empire if you continue with this naive idea,” Swain said with surprising calm.

"Since you show no remorse whatsoever, then go and repent before the Soul of Ionia!"

Throwing knives hovered around Irelia, one of them aimed straight for Swain's neck!

"Is it really impossible to go back in the end? I'm not reconciled..."

Just then, a red sword aura flashed past, deflecting the deadly throwing knife.

Immediately following was an even larger sword aura, which landed at the feet of Irelia and the others, splashing up sand and stones, causing everyone to take several steps back.

"Get out!"

A majestic voice rang out, and a figure shrouded in blood-red energy flew down from the mountains on both sides.

As they got closer, everyone could see that the person was wearing Noxian-style armor and had a pair of tattered wings formed from blood energy on his back.

The most striking thing was the terrifying-looking giant sword in his hand, which gleamed with blood-red light.

He landed in front of Swain, and the greatsword swept out another wave of air, forcing everyone back once more.

Irelia was shocked to discover that she had temporarily lost control of the thrown knife that had been deflected!

The bloody aura permeated the throwing knife and would take some time to dissipate.

"Is this the intruder's hidden power?" Irelia's expression turned grave. Her intuition told her that she had no chance of winning against this demonic figure.

By the way, judging by the time, Master Ji should be back soon! He might have the ability to fight back!

"Intruder, even if you are strong, we will fight to the death! Moreover, the masters of the Wuji Sect are on their way!"

Irelia tried to stall for time.

What? You want me to hit myself?

At this moment, Atto felt like he had shot himself in the foot.

Most of his face was hidden inside his helmet, and he had reverted to his Noxian form as Harris, not worried about being seen through by Irelia.

However, he also had a solution.

"If you're talking about that black-robed man with the greatsword, he was severely injured by me when he rushed here, and then he disappeared without a trace! Hahahaha!" Ato laughed arrogantly.

Master Ji? Even he lost? I hope he's alright...

Irelia had no time to worry; the most important thing right now was this mysterious powerful figure. The invaders were taking the Holy Land so seriously! They had actually sent someone they had never seen before!

The joy of reclaiming the holy land instantly plummeted to rock bottom.

However, the mysterious expert did not choose to attack again, but instead came to Swain's side.

He lifted Swain by his only remaining right arm, leaped into the air, and with a flap of his tattered wings, carried Swain westward at breakneck speed.

"Hahahaha! You've won this time!" The mysterious powerful figure's voice gradually faded into the air.

"Intruder! Stop!" Someone tried to give chase, but Irelia stopped them.

"We have recaptured the Holy Land at a minimal cost, which is already a great victory. Let's not add any more casualties."

"Hmph, it's not your place to command yet!" said the leader of the militia.

"Can this be considered a victory if we didn't kill their commander? How can someone as weak as you be a leader? If you won't go after them, I will! Brothers, let's go!"

With a wave of his hand, the militia leader sent a group of the rebels who had been fighting side by side to follow him.

Irelia watched all of this silently without saying a word to stop it.

They were originally from different paths, but they fought together only to reclaim the Holy Land.

Before leaving, the militia leader's last words were: "Ionia needs change, but most people are complacent. We are the ones who will change Ionia! From this day forward, we are the Brotherhood of Navori!"