"Hey, Viktor—my dear student. I'm very happy we're meeting again."
Before Viktor could even speak, Heimerdinger waddled up and reached out to pat Viktor's pants.
Viktor looked down at him, pressing his lips together, eyes bright with surprise and a smile. "I'm happy to see you too, Professor."
"After you left, Jayce and I… we actually kept looking for you," he said to Heimerdinger.
"And what about me?"
Singed's voice cut in—raspy and low. He lifted his eyes to Viktor and continued evenly, "You're weaker than the last time I saw you, Viktor."
"Doctor…" Viktor stared at Singed and couldn't help asking, "Why are you here?"
"Were you brought here too?"
"No. I joined voluntarily," Singed said.
"Brought here?" Logan deadpanned, visibly exasperated. Seeing Viktor still hadn't reached out to shake his hand, Logan didn't act awkward about it—he simply withdrew his hand and said, "We wanted to invite you back, but you've seen what our relationship with Piltover is like now."
"They won't let us go up, and we won't let them come down."
"So we could only use a more… extreme method."
Viktor looked at Logan. "So what do you want me to do?"
"Join us, Viktor. Zaun needs you," Logan said seriously.
"Kid, Zaun is a good place," Heimerdinger added at Logan's feet, hands clasped behind his back, puffing his mustache.
Viktor gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "You want me to join you?"
"Honestly… on the way here, I saw the city. Zaun has changed—a lot. And that change moved me." Viktor didn't hide it as he spoke. "Logan, I'm not going to lie. Seeing Zaun like this… I really did think about joining you."
"But I can't. My body won't allow it."
Viktor lifted both hands with effort. Pain flickered across his sickly face as he spoke. "I don't have long left. I can't do high-intensity work."
"And with the time I have left… I just want to do something for myself."
"That's easy." Logan looked at Viktor and said, "We'll help you live longer."
"See him?" Logan pointed at Vander. "That's Vander. You've definitely heard the name."
"Vander?" Viktor turned, stunned—only to see Vander carefully pinching a sheet of paper between his claws, using it to wipe the blue-haired girl's mouth.
"Wasn't he dead?"
"He was. But Doctor Singed modified him, and then Janna brought him ba—"
"Wait!" Viktor suddenly reached out, pressing a hand to Logan's chest while the other clutched his own head as he bowed forward. Then he looked up, confused, staring at Logan. "Who did you just say?"
"Janna."
A tiny sigh sounded.
In the small house, the goddess herself came out to work—again.
A little blue bird fluttered onto Logan's shoulder, and a clear, pleasant voice followed.
"It's nice to meet you, Viktor."
How many times had she said that now?
"I am Janna."
Viktor stared at the blue bird on Logan's shoulder. He straightened slowly, mouth falling open, eyes full of disbelief.
This… was real?
Zaun's spirit—Janna—actually existed?
Viktor was a scientist. He should have been skeptical of divinity and faith. But as a Zaunite—even if he didn't believe in other nations' gods, other city-states' religions—he still believed in Janna.
Because that was what every Zaunite did.
The elders told the stories to the young. A living flame passed hand to hand. That was how Janna endured, never truly disappearing into history.
Janna had given everything for Zaun—parting the sea, protecting what remained. And Zaunites, in turn, had always given her something back: faith.
Even if it was little… there were always people in Zaun who hadn't forgotten her.
"I can help you, Viktor," Janna said gently. "Please don't give up."
A soft teal glow shimmered. A breeze slipped into the room, and Viktor felt as though a hand—warm and tender—brushed across his face.
His lips trembled. He looked at Janna, unable to speak.
Then he lowered his head and murmured, "Janna above…"
Logan let out a quiet breath of relief.
Locked in.
When Janna showed up, there wasn't anyone in Zaun she couldn't win over.
Even Silco got easier to deal with when he saw her—so what chance did Viktor have?
As for Viktor's condition…
Once their "energy replenishment ambassador" topped Logan up for a second energy point, Logan would bring a gift to Spirit Blossom and ask Ahri if she had any way to extend Viktor's life.
Unlike Janna, the wind goddess, Ahri had lived far longer—and what she knew was broader, more complicated, deeper.
Souls were complicated. Ahri would have a way!
And if Ahri didn't…
Wasn't Kindred in Spirit Blossom too?!
Thinking that, Logan couldn't help grinning.
The blue bird fluttered off Logan's shoulder and quietly returned to her little house, continuing to absorb the steady stream of faith.
The plan to restore the goddess was being handled by Scar and his people. It sounded dramatic, but in practice, it was simple: Scar led the folks from Firefly Community around the city, handing out pamphlets—each one filled with stories about Janna.
And honestly?
It worked surprisingly well.
Propaganda was plain and unglamorous—and that was exactly why it was effective.
Janna wasn't absorbing much faith yet, but compared to before, it was far better. At this rate, it wouldn't take long for her to recover a little. At the very least, long flights would no longer be a problem.
But…
Did she really count as a god anymore?
Janna felt lost.
How many times had she helped Logan lie and trick people now?
Mm.
Sigh.
Life is hard. Little Janna sighs.
Over the next few days, Singed used chemtech to keep Viktor alive—propping his life up on a thin line.
He couldn't fix Viktor's frailty or the root illness. Viktor's condition wasn't something you could solve by swapping an organ, replacing an inner part.
But keeping Viktor in a state where he could function and work?
That, Singed could do.
All it took was a diluted nutrient solution, plus a specialized Shimmer reagent.
Singed really was a genius—not a reputation inflated by hype. He'd dragged Jinx back from the brink of death, and he'd even brought a dead Vander back to life.
So keeping Viktor alive for a while—keeping him stable and lucid—wasn't hard for him at all.
And on the second day, Viktor joined Zaun's reform work.
At the Forgen Tavern, Silco laid out all his ideas to Viktor—what Zaun wanted to build, what Zaun needed. Viktor listened, then immediately grabbed a pen and started writing across the drafts, producing multiple approaches on the spot.
With Ekko leading the Firelights to get hands-on, Silco's first power generator concept took shape almost immediately.
Actually manufacturing it would take time, but… Zaunites might lack many things, yet they were unmatched when it came to building with their hands.
Once the direction was set, making it real was only a matter of time.
"A talent—he's really a talent!"
"He's incredible. Too smart!"
At the Forgen Tavern's bar, Silco, Vander, and Logan were drinking again.
Silco couldn't stop himself from talking to Logan, excitement rising with every word. "He's even better than I expected. With the cities at odds, there are tons of materials we simply can't get—but do you know what he did? Viktor took one look and immediately listed multiple substitute materials—and every single one was something we can actually find in Zaun!"
"That's not something Jinx or Ekko can do—no… even Heimerdinger can't do that!"
Silco was practically vibrating with it.
Because once Viktor arrived, Zaun truly started moving.
What they'd done before was environmental change, community change—changing Zaun's rules and structure.
But now…
Zaun was changing its economy.
If those things could be built, then in every sense of the word, Zaun would finally break free of Piltover's control.
Zaun had been pressed down and bullied for so long, and the biggest reason was always the same: the economy and production capacity couldn't keep up.
Now… fine, even if it still wouldn't match Piltover after everything was made, it wouldn't be to the point where Zaun had to rely on Piltover for everything.
"Alright, Uncle, I get it—he's talented. You don't have to keep praising him," Logan said.
"You don't understand, Logan," Silco snapped, then leaned in hard. "All you know is how to fight. You don't understand what an economy means to a city-state! Now I understand why Piltover left us tens of thousands of meters behind in one burst. If Jayce Talis is really as good as the rumors say—better than Viktor—then it makes sense."
"Viktor alone can speed up our development by centuries!"
"No." Silco's expression turned fierce in an instant. "Talis has to die. If not, then make him join us. Go up to Topside and snatch him too."
After seeing a genius like Viktor, after watching Viktor work with his own eyes, Silco couldn't accept that Piltover might have someone even better.
"What are you even saying? He's a councilor." Logan sighed, helpless. "Didn't we agree? Slap Piltover once, make them surrender, then we start draining their resources instead. Kill a councilor, and it really becomes a war to the death."
"And why are you suddenly acting like a bandit? You're not in the murder business anymore, now you're in the people-snatching business?"
"Heh." Silco raised his drink and swallowed it down. "I've always been a gangster."
Logan looked to Vander—only to find Vander silently drinking, sulking into his glass.
"Dad, why are you so quiet today?" Logan couldn't help patting Vander's back.
"Don't talk to me," Vander said, shooting Logan a look, then went right back to his drink.
"What's his problem?" Logan looked at Silco, exasperated.
Silco wore a smug, satisfied smile. "He thinks his precious daughter hates him now. He's being dramatic."
"What happened?" Logan got curious.
Precious daughter—was that Vi or Jinx?
Probably not Jinx. She was acting sweet and obedient around Vander. It hadn't even been a week—she was still holding it together. Her true nature hadn't fully slipped yet.
"Vi was brushing his teeth. He wasn't paying attention, and his teeth sliced her palm. Now he's blaming himself."
"Vi's not that dramatic," Logan said, sounding doubtful.
Silco nodded. "She doesn't care at all. It's just a cut—lost a bit of flesh. Vander's the one making it a big deal."
And Vander's voice drifted over, low and gloomy. "Logan… do you think Goddess Janna can turn me back?"
"Uh…" Logan's mouth twitched.
After hesitating, he said, "Probably. Don't worry, Vander. Your situation… the goddess will definitely have a way."
Yeah.
Please, Janna—help me take the blame one more time.
——————
Evening in Piltover.
Inside the Council building—
Councilor Salo's face was livid. He slammed his hand hard on the table.
"Where is Jayce? Jayce!"
"Mel—make him come out!" Salo barked. "As a councilor, in the last three days of meetings, he hasn't attended a single one! What does he take Piltover for? What does he take us for?!"
Mel looked at Salo coldly and said, "Stop throwing a tantrum, Salo. Jayce is doing everything he can to find Viktor. He's not skipping meetings on purpose."
"Viktor, Viktor, Viktor! You two are just chasing Viktor every day!" Salo roared. "But he's just a Zaunite! For a Zaunite, Jayce ignored the crisis Piltover is facing—what the hell is he thinking?!"
"We must demand an explanation from Zaun!"
"We must!"
"Zaun must hand over the criminals!"
Around the round table, this time even Councilor Kiramman—who had always advocated cooperation and opposed war—lowered her gaze at Salo's words and said nothing.
But that silence was its own stance.
It was support.
Because what Zaun had done this time really was too much.
Piltover had already been hinting—subtly—that it was willing to let Zaun become independent and self-govern, no longer controlled, free to develop on its own. Hadn't it been obvious lately? No Enforcers had gone down to the Promenade.
Yet what did Zaun do?
How dared they?
Did they really think Piltover was soft?
Councilor Kiramman let out a long sigh, feeling nothing but weary helplessness.
Listening to the councilors erupt into argument, Kiramman pressed her hands to her forehead. When she opened her eyes and stared at the table, a single thought formed in her mind.
That was—
War between the two cities…
was truly about to begin.
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