"Ahri!"
"Ahri!"
In Blossom Valley, Logan shouted at the top of his lungs.
"You're early this time—what—" A bright, amused voice answered, but it cut off halfway, turning sharp and serious. "Wait. Logan… what have you been in contact with these past few days?"
White fog bloomed in front of him, then dispersed in an instant. In her human form, Ahri hovered lightly in the air, her expression tense as she stared at him.
"No time to explain. Ahri—just look." Logan grabbed her hand and pressed it to his own head.
Ahri froze for a beat, then did as he asked, her fingertips touching his forehead.
The next moment, she opened her eyes, took in Logan's battered, wounded body, and gently blew a soft breath toward him.
A sweet scent rushed over him. Logan felt a coolness wash through his limbs, and the sharp, sick discomfort vanished completely.
He looked up at her. "Do you have a way to fix this?"
"A way?" Ahri's voice tightened. "Logan, do you understand how far apart our worlds are? If you were in Ionia, I'd have countless options. But you're in Zaun. That place is too far from Ionia—the barrier around the spirit realm there is stubborn, rigid. I can't push my power into the physical world."
"To deal with her isn't difficult for me. She isn't that strong." Ahri's eyes softened with apology. "The hardest part is the plane itself."
Of course she wanted to help Logan.
If something happened to him, Ahri would be sad—not because he brought her things, not because she'd lose someone who came to keep her company, but because Ahri grieved for every death. To become a soul meant it would be nearly impossible to appear in the physical world again. Losing a life was always heartbreaking.
As a savior spirit of the Spirit Blossom realm, Ahri respected every living being, cherished every life—regardless of who they were or how strong they might be.
"Then what do I do?" Logan's voice cracked. "You really don't have any way? Ahri, I'm out of options. If this keeps going, Zaun and Piltover will both be destroyed."
"This…" Ahri pressed her lips together. Her foxlike eyes narrowed, her pupils turning into golden slits as she stared at him with solemn focus. "What if the only way… requires you to pay with your life?"
"Would you do it?" she asked, those golden slit pupils locking onto his eyes.
"…" Logan went silent.
Give up his life… to save Zaun and Piltover?
He'd always thought of himself as kind. As someone righteous, someone with hot blood in his veins. But sacrificing himself to save everyone else…?
Before all this—back in that safe, peaceful world—he'd imagined it. When he watched stories about heroes online, he'd admired them, gotten swept up, even blurted out that he could do something like that too.
But now Ahri was asking him directly, and Logan just… froze.
Maybe he wasn't as brave as he'd always believed.
And now he understood how great the people were who ran into danger to save others.
Did they never struggle with themselves?
Was it really just a rush of impulse—charging in without thinking?
"…"
Ahri watched him quietly. When he lowered his head, she didn't speak. She simply waited beside him for his answer.
"Ahri… is that really the only way?" Logan finally looked up.
"Yes." Ahri nodded once. "Unless another god comes to Zaun, the strength your world has can't stop this disaster. That thing's power will keep growing until it becomes something you can't fight at all."
"Zaun is too far. The wall between worlds is too hard. If I want my power to reach the physical realm and strike her, I need an anchor point."
"And you can be that anchor," Ahri said softly. "But you're… too small. So small that even a fraction of my power would swell your soul until it bursts. And to defeat her, I need far more than a fraction."
"So… you will die."
Logan let out a laugh that sounded like a sob.
He ran a hand through his hair—Ahri's power had already made it grow back, the hair that Styraatu had burned away.
He messed up his black hair, then lowered his gaze. "There are still so many things I haven't done. I still haven't… celebrated Jinx's birthday with her."
"I wanted to give her those gifts myself."
Logan's voice dropped to a whisper. "But it looks like… I won't get the chance. I don't even know if she'll like what I picked for her."
"You've made your decision?" Ahri's eyes brightened.
There was something she hadn't told Logan. She had been testing him on purpose—studying the sound of his soul. It was pure, pleasant… but Ahri was still curious. Curious what choice Logan would make when death was no longer an abstract idea.
Now she knew she hadn't misjudged him.
"What else can I do?" Logan sighed. "If even you don't have a way, then Zaun is finished. They trust me. They put their lives in my hands. Even now, there are people nearby helping me. Vander and Janna are still fighting the Darkin out there."
"I want to be selfish… but I'm scared I'd regret it." Logan looked up, forcing steady breath into his chest. "From the day they started calling me the Lord of Zaun, I had to take responsibility for them. And besides… there are people in Zaun I care about. People I love."
"So stop asking me."
He smiled—small, tired, resolute—then spread his hands.
"Come on, Ahri. I'm counting on you."
"I understand." Ahri smiled warmly. "Don't worry, Logan. It will all end."
She flipped her wrist. A glowing orb appeared above her palm, shining like a tiny moon. With a playful lilt, she said, "I promise—within ten seconds, it'll be over."
Logan didn't notice the sly gleam that flashed through her eyes.
"Will they be affected?"
"No." Ahri's smile didn't waver. "Only you… and her. Only the two of you will be affected. You'll die in that world, and then you'll vanish."
She extended her hand, aimed the orb at Logan, then pushed hard from behind it with her palm.
"Hng—"
The orb surged into Logan's body.
In the same instant, he choked on a cough. His chest, his face, his limbs—white light began leaking out from inside him. His body looked like paper under strain, seams and cracks spreading everywhere as radiance spilled through.
"Go." Ahri floated closer and wrapped him in a gentle embrace. "I'm coming with you."
———
"BOOM!"
A Hextech gemstone erupted with dazzling blue light as it shattered inside the launcher. A massive black rocket screamed toward the flame monster. The recoil sent Jinx staggering back, her boots scraping as she rode her hoverboard backward—dozens of meters in an instant.
When the smoke cleared, the flame monster wasn't badly hurt. Jinx's rocket had only made her flames shrink a little, her hulking body contracting slightly.
But it was obvious the hit had hurt—because that shot was stronger than anything Janna, Logan, or Vander had managed. For the first time, it posed a real threat to Styraatu.
Styraatu twisted and slammed an arm down toward Jinx's position, a torrent of terrifying fire blasting at her.
"No!" Vi shouted, kicking her board into a sprint toward Jinx.
"Jinx!" Silco saw it too. He tore free from the Enforcers' grip and tried to rush into the flames.
But the wind howled first—tearing through the fire and scattering it. Janna appeared, shielding Jinx. The massive teal bird lifted its head, staring into the sky with stunned disbelief.
That power…
Too strong.
Stronger than even her peak.
How did Logan do it?
Janna looked toward the source—the place where Logan was.
"Whoosh—"
A figure came flying out of the Shimmerstone Quarry and slammed into the clocktower where Silco was.
Vander.
He wobbled, dizzy, then sat on the ground and stared up at the sky, blank-faced.
Logan threw him out?
Why?
What was he planning?!
Silco didn't react either—just stared at Vander, suddenly there beside him, like his brain had stopped working.
"This is your hometown, Logan."
Ahri's voice echoed inside Logan's mind as he opened his eyes.
"Seven seconds left," she said calmly. "If there's anything you want to say, say it now."
"Don't worry about anything else. I'll handle it."
White light gathered around Logan—condensing, spreading. In a single breath, Zaun's dusk turned to day.
No—brighter than day.
A blinding white radiance lit up all of Zaun.
Logan clenched his jaw against the pain clawing up from deep inside him. He felt like he might explode at any second. When he looked inward, into the world of his own consciousness, he could see it—his soul had swollen like an overfilled balloon, trembling on the edge of bursting.
He turned, looking out at the people of Zaun.
"It's going to be okay."
Logan smiled as he spoke, his voice carrying across the entire city.
"Silco. Vander. Zaun is in your hands now."
"Vi… take care of Jinx for me."
His words rang through Zaun. Silco's lips trembled, and his mind went stark white.
Vander froze for half a heartbeat—then erupted.
"If someone's gonna die, it should be me! Get your ass back here!"
"Shut up and listen, damn it!"
Silco barely seemed to hear Vander's roar. He just turned toward Jinx's direction—
—and saw her sitting on her hoverboard, frozen, staring at Logan like she'd forgotten how to breathe.
"Four seconds, Logan," Ahri urged.
She'd seen his memories. She knew exactly who mattered most to him.
Jinx stared at him, hollow-eyed.
And Logan stared back, expression calm.
If he'd known…
If he'd known, he wouldn't have tried to act like some upright gentleman.
If he'd known, he would've swallowed his pride that night and held onto her—he'd promised her he'd let her see "little Logan," but now it looked like he was going to break that promise.
Then again… he was keeping a different kind of promise.
Because after today, nobody would ever see "little Logan" again.
God… kissing really did feel incredible. Logan loved it.
But he wasn't going to get another chance to "practice" with Jinx.
Behind him, the white light gathered into the shape of a colossal fox.
Styraatu was already a nightmare—tens of meters tall.
But this… this was a miracle.
One paw alone was the size of a building. Those alluring eyes—long, narrow, glowing white—stretched ten meters wide. She stood in Zaun, and even people in Piltover could see the gleam of her snow-white fur.
"No… that's impossible!"
"Your power—this doesn't belong to this world! It's fake! Fake!"
Styraatu shrieked and lunged for Logan's back.
No. Impossible! How could this be?!
It had to be a trick.
An illusion.
Witchcraft—anything!
She had never seen a spirit body this strong—not even the Aspects she'd dealt with before had been like this!
How could a spirit do this?
How could it be possible?!
Blood-red rats detonated into powder under the white radiance, but Styraatu's body of flame opened its mouth wide, swallowing toward Logan—engulfing him completely.
"No—"
"Don't!"
"Logan! Logan, come back! Don't leave me!"
Jinx's mind had been blank until that moment.
Then she snapped.
She shoved her board forward, trying to surge toward him—but Vi locked both arms around her waist, and Ekko grabbed Jinx's arm with all his strength, holding her back.
Jinx's teeth clamped together so hard her lips split. Her eyes tore wide, and tears burst out as she reached for where Logan was.
But it was too far.
And behind Logan, Styraatu's flaming maw was already closing.
Ahri's voice fell inside his mind.
"Two seconds, Logan."
Logan gazed at Jinx.
Then he raised both hands.
Left and right, he pressed his index fingers to his lower eyelids and slowly dragged them down, stopping at the corners of his mouth—then he pushed his cheeks up into an exaggerated smile, looking at Jinx with a tenderness so soft it hurt.
His lower body started to give out under Ahri's power. It cracked, then shattered, dissolving into white fragments. Those fragments flowed into the radiance, and the radiance began to devour the rest of him.
But his eyes held only Jinx.
He watched her, truly watched her, and his lips parted.
Behind him, Styraatu's flaming mouth snapped shut—
—and the fox of white light lowered her head too, her enormous jaws opening as if she could swallow all of Zaun whole.
A single voice rose.
"Jinx…"
"Don't cry…"
The fox's jaws dropped.
The white light vanished in an instant, leaving nothing behind.
No flames.
No radiance.
No flood—
Only a girl staring blankly at what remained… and then lowering her head, pressing both hands hard to her chest, and breaking into a scream of grief so raw it tore the air apart.
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