Arcane: Twin Cities Mechanic

"Whoa!" 

Just as Ryze was mentioned, Ryze appeared—it was uncanny.

Both the astonished Li Lin and the slightly surprised Zoe turned their heads toward the direction from which an arcane orb was flying.

Standing about twenty meters away in the shadows was a tall, slender man with purple-blue skin, emanating pure arcane energy that dispelled the darkness around him. 

He was bald but had a thick beard along his temples and chin, with a finely crafted, magically sealed cylinder strapped to his back. His weary eyes, appearing as though he hadn't slept in ages, still held a piercing, unmistakable coldness and killing intent. 

Not giving Li Lin any chance to explain, Ryze's hands began gathering spheres of arcane lightning, each pulsing with potent magical energy, and he threw them without hesitation. 

As the purple-blue orbs neared Li Lin and Zoe, the rune lines on Ryze's skin flashed brightly. 

In the next instant, Ryze placed his left hand on his outstretched right arm, releasing a larger, more powerful sphere of explosive energy from his right palm. 

In the span of a heartbeat, the energy blast surged forward, striking the arcane orbs and triggering a swift, devastating chain of explosions. 

"Damn it!" 

Li Lin cursed under his breath, quickly teleporting in front of Zoe, who still hadn't fully grasped what was happening, pulling her into his embrace and activating his Infinity Armor's forcefield. 

The intense blasts crashed into the transparent shield of the armor, blocking all magical damage.

"Li Lin! You came to save me! You're just so, so… so cool!" 

Zoe beamed, her legs wrapping around his waist as she clung tightly to him.

Li Lin didn't know what to say. "Silly girl, is this really the time for that?" 

The forcefield, when expanded to cover more area, lost durability quickly, and the energy shield wasn't exactly reliable. 

Not daring to linger, he quickly flew them out of the central anti-magic pillar hall and hovered in mid-air.

Seeing the "mechanical puppet" take the girl and float above, Ryze's pupils narrowed slightly. 

However, instead of focusing on the other's strength, he still deemed the World Runes more important.

Taking advantage of the momentary retreat of Li Lin and Zoe, Ryze sprinted along the floating stone bridge toward the central anti-magic pillar. 

Relieved to see that the three World Runes and the red rune fragment hadn't been taken, he finally breathed easier.

"We mean no harm!" Li Lin shouted at Ryze, who was staring at them coldly.

What exactly is this thing… and it can even talk?

Could it be one of Piltover's new Hextech devices?

Ryze's mind was filled with questions as he heard Li Lin's mechanical-sounding voice. 

As a rune mage dedicated to guarding the World Runes, it had been ages since he visited a large human settlement.

Using locator scrolls alone wasn't enough to gather the World Runes—sometimes, gathering information was necessary.

Ryze had a knack for collecting intelligence, and rumors across Runeterra rarely escaped his ears.

For example, he had heard a few months back that Piltover had developed a device allowing people to use technology to control arcane magic.

It had worried him for a while.

Arrogant humans daring to control magic through unnatural means—were they about to repeat the mistakes of the Rune Wars from a thousand years ago?

Fortunately, after investigating in a small Noxian town, Ryze realized his fears were unwarranted.

Otherwise, he would have taken time off from gathering the World Runes to destroy these potential "apocalyptic" Hex Gates himself.

"Who are you? And how did you find this place?" Ryze's deep eyes glowed as he asked without a hint of courtesy.

Under the influence of arcane magic, the purple runes on his skin lit up, covering him in a shroud of arcane lightning as an even more unstable energy orb gathered in his hand.

If Li Lin and Zoe's answer didn't satisfy him, he would have no choice but to eliminate the two who had discovered the World Runes' perfect hiding place…

Especially the girl.

Ryze narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He could clearly sense the celestial magic emanating from Zoe, something that didn't belong to this world, along with an aura that sent a chill through him. 

She was far from an ordinary human.

Li Lin knew that Ryze wasn't one to negotiate, especially with the way he held that blazing sphere of arcane energy, ready to hurl it at any moment.

So, he cut straight to the point, keeping it brief: "My name is Li Lin, from Piltover, and this is Zoe, who has inherited the power of the Twilight Star."

With a reluctant sigh, Zoe slipped out of his embrace, delicately balancing herself on her toes in the air, using magic to support her.

She turned around, her curious gaze sweeping over Ryze, "Huh, what a strange purple-skinned, bald uncle."

"Twilight… Star?" 

Hearing this name, Ryze's initial shock deepened, to the point where he ignored the odd nickname Zoe had given him and couldn't help but take another sharp breath. 

Yes…

Only those who had scaled Mount Targon and inherited the power of a Celestial Aspect would have such an overwhelming magical presence.

As an ancient scholar of the Blessed Isles, Ryze had long been aware of these celestial beings and even knew of some Aspect hosts atop Mount Targon.

During the Darkin Wars, the host of the Twilight Star had taught humans how to defeat and seal corrupted Ascended, saving both the continent of Valoran and the Shuriman empire, ending a dark era.

But if Ryze were to comment on these Aspects, he'd simply say: Stay away.

Ryze had always distrusted these inhuman celestial beings, convinced that their intervention in the Darkin War had hidden motives.

If they truly cared for Runeterra, and for humanity, they would have prevented atrocities like the Ruination, which consumed countless lives, and Mourning Islet wouldn't be so small.

Then again, would they turn a blind eye to the threats on the continent, like Mordekaiser or the Rune Wars that nearly destroyed civilization?

Ryze sneered, unimpressed.

Though he was clearly outmatched by Zoe's power, he wasn't about to let her overpower his resolve.

He demanded further, "Demacia's protectors are only the Winged Sisters. Why have you come here? Are you after the World Runes?"

He emphasized the words "World Runes" for effect.

"I've heard of your name—Ryze, the Rune Mage." 

Li Lin removed his visor, meeting Ryze's slightly startled gaze.

"Is this... a human?"

Why would the Twilight Star follow a human from Piltover? Ryze, laden with questions, took a closer look and noticed the intricate details of Li Lin's armor.

He was indeed not a machine. The metal shell was a specially crafted suit of armor, resembling a scaled-down version of those enormous bronze diving suits he'd seen in Bilgewater's ports.

"Many have heard my name," Ryze said, his arcane orb glowing brighter in his hand. "But they seek me out only for the scrolls... and the World Runes."

"This is a misunderstanding," Li Lin quickly explained. "Zoe and I just happened to pass by, and then she sensed the presence of a World Rune and insisted on checking it out."

"Exactly!" Zoe chimed in, nodding enthusiastically. "So why are you attacking us out of nowhere?"

"Out of nowhere?" Ryze scoffed, his laugh cold. "You're here to claim the World Rune, which makes you a target."

"The World Runes came into existence with Runeterra itself; they belong to no one. Why do you think you can keep them for yourself?" Zoe retorted, her voice sharp.

"You're right; the World Runes don't belong to anyone, not even me," Ryze said icily. "But it's my duty to protect them from falling into the wrong hands."

He stared intently at Li Lin and Zoe, his cold gaze seemingly declaring, *You're exactly the kind of people I mean."

"Oh-ho!" Zoe laughed, hands on her hips, a smug grin spreading across her face. "If you're here to protect them, then today's your lucky day!"

Ryze's frown deepened. "Enough chatter; you're here for the Rune…"

He had no intention of wasting more words on this girl who clearly didn't understand the World Rune's true power.

"Want the Rune? Then you'll have to step over my dead body first!"

With that, Ryze summoned his arcane power and hurled an orb straight at Li Lin and Zoe.

But, to his shock, Zoe merely snapped her fingers, and his spell transformed into countless shimmering crystal butterflies—creatures only found on Targon's peaks.

They fluttered around, filling the space with light before dissolving back into blue particles that the nearby petricite pillars absorbed.

"Well, guess we'll have to add 'grumpy' to your title," Zoe said with a hum. "How about… 'Grumpy Purple Bald Guy'?"

Ryze ignored her taunt, more shaken by the transformation of his magic. "What did you do?!"

"Your magic doesn't work on Zoe," Li Lin said firmly. "I've told you, we mean no harm. If we did, you wouldn't still be standing here."

Ryze grunted, unwilling to believe, and mustered his remaining strength to launch another attack.

Yet each time his arcane blasts took to the air, they morphed into strange creatures, fluttering away before dispersing into the dark space around them.

Ryze had teleported over a thousand kilometers the moment he felt his magic wards disturbed, draining his energy considerably. He'd been running on empty for a while now.

Through his "Data Mind," Li Lin could clearly read every bit of Ryze's condition. "You're out of power, aren't you?"

Seeing his magic rendered useless, Ryze paused his attacks, still glaring at Li Lin and Zoe, his mind racing for alternatives.

"Now," Li Lin said, "can we talk?"

"What would you discuss?" Ryze asked, attempting to buy time to replenish his magic.

Then, Zoe suddenly laughed, adding cheerfully, "Why, the best candidate to protect the World Rune—my dear Li Lin, of course!"

(End of chapter)

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