"Better not lie to me. If you do, you'll turn into vapor."
Duke's finger lightly tapped the trigger, charging the railgun once again. His eyes gleamed with amusement. The act itself might damage the weapon beyond repair, but he didn't care—after all, railguns were outdated relics to him now.
He had far better toys at his disposal. The one in his hands was just an old stockpile he happened to keep around.
"I…"
Facing the hum of the charging railgun, Sivir felt terror sprout like weeds in her heart, spreading fast and uncontrollably.
If she didn't act soon, once that weapon fired, she would end up like the burrower earlier—blown apart in an instant, reduced to vapor just as Duke had said.
The railgun's heat could easily evaporate a human being.
"Actually…"
Sivir's voice trembled as her mind raced—calculating the distance between herself and Duke, the strength of her strike, the range of her movement, the speed of her crossblade Chalicar.
Bit by bit, her fear gave way to killing intent.
Was Sivir truly some gentle-hearted mercenary?
Hardly.
She had once told Taliyah that many people wanted her dead—and for good reason: she had killed far too many.
The motives behind those killings varied—a bag of coins, a blocked path, or even a fight over a mouthful of filthy water.
Born and raised in the harsh desert, Sivir was like the desert itself—unpredictable, boundless, and cruel.
At times she could show astonishing magnanimity, but in the next breath, she could become as violent as a sandstorm.
Duke saw all of it. Her every thought, every flicker of murderous intent, was laid bare before him.
Sivir's muscles tensed in perfect sequence—ready to explode into motion.
"There are five paces between us," Duke began, his voice calm. "You could throw your Chalicar within a single breath, then sprint to the right to evade my counterattack. Even if I used the railgun to block it, you've already calculated the ricochet angle."
"One rebound. That's all it'd take to take off my head."
"If that worked, you'd not only escape but also walk away with a brand-new weapon."
He met her gaze as he calmly laid out the plan she had built in her mind.
Sivir's expression shifted instantly, but she didn't deny it. Instead, she stepped back, muscles coiled, arm swinging—ready to hurl the Chalicar.
Voom!
An invisible force slammed into her, lifting her off her feet and pinning her hard against a stone pillar near the pit's edge.
"How did you know what I was planning?!"
Sivir struggled, but Duke's telekinetic power held her fast. Her weapon slipped from her grasp and clattered onto the ground.
"I implanted my magic into you," Duke said evenly. "My magic is… special. It can infect another's body, manipulate their actions and thoughts, and even read their intentions."
"What?" Sivir's eyes widened. "You knew I was going to run from the start?"
"Exactly." Duke nodded. "Remember when we left the Rebirth Cradle? I put my hand on your shoulder."
"That was the moment I placed my magic inside you. From then on, I've been monitoring your every move. Every thought you've had was fed back to me through that link."
"No wonder… no wonder I couldn't control myself when I got into your vehicle!"
Now it all made sense—why her body had obeyed without her consent. This man had been manipulating her all along.
"In other words," Duke shrugged lightly, "your little schemes were never secret from me."
He lowered the railgun and handed it to Kai'Sa. "Since you're curious, go ahead—take it for a spin. Just… don't aim it at anyone."
After cautioning her, Duke turned back to Sivir. "For instance, how you planned to take my money and ditch the job. How you pretended to search for intel on my friend but really used the funds to buy food and water."
"That dragon was yours too!" Sivir snapped.
"Yes," Duke said without hesitation.
He stepped on the floating platform beneath him, and it morphed into a throne suspended midair. Duke sat down lazily upon it.
Kai'Sa blinked, curiously mimicking his movement by stepping on her own platform—but nothing happened.
"The control access is locked to me," Duke said without looking back. "I'll unlock it for you later. Just wait."
Having reassured her, he fixed his gaze once more on Sivir.
In his grand design, Sivir was an indispensable piece.
But now, all signs pointed to one thing—this woman had no intention of cooperating. Worse, she wanted him dead.
If that was the case, Duke would have to reassess his plan.
If necessary, he would abandon her entirely and rewrite his strategy.
If it came down to it, he could just kill Azir, wipe out anyone connected, and erase every loose end.
He had five seconds left on his Superhuman Experience Card. That was more than enough time.
Still, Duke wasn't some bloodthirsty tyrant who killed on impulse. He preferred his plans to unfold step by step.
Brute force and intimidation might yield results—but only short-term ones.
He wasn't one of those "Main God Space" reincarnators who would slaughter indiscriminately just to survive.
He had principles.
And now, it was time to lay things bare with Sivir.
See where she stood—and act accordingly.
"You bastard!" Sivir roared. "What the hell do you want from me?!"
"Since you've asked," Duke said, crossing one leg over the other and lighting a cigar, "let's talk openly."
He took a long drag and exhaled slowly. "Where should I even start?"
Sivir glared at him, waiting for an answer.
"Do you know why Azir saved you?" he asked.
"That ancient mage?" she snorted. "Who cares? All mages are lunatics. He probably saved me on a whim—and might bury me in the sand the next moment."
"No, Sivir. He didn't save you on a whim." Duke raised a finger. "It was you who saved him."
"I saved him?"
"That's right. You don't understand your own bloodline. In Shurima, countless pretenders claim to carry the Sun's blood, using it to swindle others—but all of them are liars."
Duke flicked the ash from his cigar and pointed at her. "There's only one true heir of the Sun's blood."
"And that's you, Sivir. Within you runs the last trace of Ascended blood."
"You are Azir's direct descendant. When Cassiopeia stabbed you, your blood awakened Azir—who had been slumbering in the Void for three thousand years."
"You were the key to his rebirth—and the reason Shurima rose again."
"You're saying I have Ascended blood?" Sivir blinked, then burst out laughing. "Don't try to con me with fairytales for toddlers! I'm not buying it."
Duke didn't argue. He just watched her quietly.
In the original timeline, Azir never told Sivir the truth—he was too preoccupied with reviving the capital. It wasn't until later, when Nasus found her, that she learned of her heritage.
But Duke's interference had altered everything. Now, Sivir still had no idea who she truly was.
Her laughter faded. She swallowed hard, voice trembling. "You're serious?"
"I am." Duke nodded. "You've underestimated your importance, Sivir."
"You have the power to revive Shurima—or to destroy it."
"Right now, everyone is looking for you. Azir, your ancestor. Nasus, the guardian of Ascended blood. And Xerath, the betrayer who cursed it."
"Your blood determines Shurima's fate."
"Shurima's fate?" Sivir scoffed. "Everything I have, I earned with my own hands. As a child, I stole to eat, dug through ruins for scraps. As an adult, I worked myself to the bone, sold my blade just to survive."
"Everything I have—I earned it. I didn't rely on my bloodline. I didn't rely on anyone. It was all me."
"And now you people show up, saying I'm the key to Shurima's salvation. What does that have to do with me?"
"When that Noxian whore stabbed me, I died."
"And even if I'm alive again, this life belongs to me!"
"My death has to mean something!"
"I'll decide my own fate!"
Her voice rose to a furious crescendo, echoing through the canyon.
Gasping for breath, she glared at Duke, eyes blazing with resolve.
"No one can control my will!"
"Not the gods—and not you!"
"That's your answer?" Duke tilted his head.
"That's right," Sivir said firmly. "That's my answer."
Duke sighed, exhaling a ring of smoke. "That makes things… complicated."
He thought silently for a moment. Sivir's defiance was rooted in trauma. After being stabbed by Cassiopeia, she'd been haunted by that near-death experience. Having spent her life fighting for coin, now she wanted to live—for herself, not for anyone else.
"Stop trying to control me," Sivir snapped. "Either kill me, or let me go. There's no third option."
"I can let you go," Duke said evenly. "I can even send you somewhere safe."
"But in exchange, you'll have to live the rest of your life in hiding."
"Your bloodline is too valuable to Azir. If you defy him, he'll use every ounce of his power to capture you—and turn you into a tool for breeding."
"He won't catch me!"
"Sivir, you're too naïve." Duke leaned forward, his floating throne gliding closer. "He's an emperor from a thousand years ago. Even now, his power exceeds your imagination."
"If he truly wanted, he could put a bounty on your head that no one could refuse. Do you think mercenaries would hesitate to sell you out?"
"Your ancestor wouldn't kill you. But to preserve Shurima's future, he'd make you a vessel to pass down your bloodline."
"Sacrificing one life for the rise of an empire—don't you think he'd do it?"
"Between one woman and a nation, which do you think he'll choose?"
Sivir said nothing. Deep down, she knew he was right. She'd worked for powerful people before and seen what they were capable of.
They always chose power.
"Heh. So after all that, you just want me to join you," she sneered. "You're no different from them."
"I can give you what you truly want," Duke said quietly. "I can help you get everything you've ever dreamed of."
He extended his hand toward her.
"It all depends on your choice."
"Will you walk away…"
"…or will you stay?"
End of chapter....
IRONBOUND PATRON
🔸 Arc Reactor Elite – 35 chapters + HIDDEN SURPRISES
👉 patreon.com/MrBehringer