Maxwell stared at Yin for a long moment.
Then he finally asked,
"Who changed you?"
Yin looked down for a moment before answering.
"The Balance Table."
Maxwell's expression changed.
"The Balance Table?"
Yin nodded.
"They showed me that we can still change."
"They can become our place of redemption."
Maxwell remained silent.
He looked at his old friend, remembering the people they had hurt and everything Sector X had become.
Finally, Maxwell lowered his head.
"...I'm sorry, old friend."
Yin looked at him.
"Maxwell..."
But Maxwell turned away.
"I hope you find what you're looking for."
Back at Sector X
Noxus stood inside the laboratory, staring at the empty chair where Yin used to work.
Her expression was cold.
"So..."
"Yin is siding with the Balance Table."
Fawn stood nearby.
Noxus slowly clenched her fist.
"Then we declare them our enemy."
Fawn looked at her.
"But they're too powerful."
Noxus turned toward him.
"Then we'll join the Calamity Table."
Fawn's eyes widened.
"...Are you sure?"
Noxus didn't hesitate.
"Whatever it takes..."
Her eyes hardened.
"...to bring the Balance Table down."
The laboratory fell silent.
The decision was made.
Sector X had officially chosen its enemy.
Back in the Present...
Noxus quickly walked toward Yin.
He was still lying unconscious on the floor.
Noxus raised her hand.
A faint glow of yellow-orange auris surrounded her fingers.
She released a small pulse of energy.
Yin suddenly gasped.
"Gah!"
His eyes opened.
He looked around before his gaze finally settled on Noxus.
"...Noxus."
Noxus stared down at him.
Yin struggled to sit up.
"We have to stop this..."
"Please."
Noxus remained silent.
Yin looked at her desperately.
"Don't do this anymore."
For a moment, Noxus's expression softened.
Then she looked away.
"But..."
"We've already gone too far, haven't we?"
Yin shook his head.
"Not yet."
He reached toward her.
"Trust the Balance Table..."
"...like you trusted me."
Noxus immediately pulled her hand away.
"Never."
Before Yin could respond—
A voice came from behind them.
"Hey."
Both of them looked toward the sound.
Saito stood nearby, his sword resting over his shoulder.
"I know you two are having a little chat..."
He glanced around the destroyed Grand Lab.
"...but could we maybe—"
Noxus suddenly raised her hand.
Boom!
An orange beam shot toward Saito.
He jumped aside just in time.
The beam tore through the wall behind him.
Saito landed and raised both hands.
"Okay, okay!"
"I interrupted at a bad time."
Noxus's eyes glowed brighter.
"Come here, Blue Scarf."
Her auris surged around her body.
"I'll kill you first."
"NO!"
Yin tried to reach for Noxus.
But Noxus raised her hand.
A powerful force blasted him backward.
"Yin!"
He was thrown across the laboratory and crashed onto the floor.
Noxus immediately turned toward Saito.
She lunged forward.
Saito's eyes widened.
"Okay..."
He tightened his grip on his sword.
"Think, Saito..."
Noxus fired another beam.
Whoosh!
Saito jumped aside.
The beam tore through the wall.
He landed and immediately moved again as another beam shot toward him.
"Okay..."
"Dodge."
Another beam.
"Dodge."
Another one.
Saito gritted his teeth.
"...I can't think of anything!"
Noxus smiled.
"The Balance Table..."
"...will fall to its knees."
She raised both hands.
The yellow-orange auris around her suddenly gathered between her palms.
A small sphere appeared.
Then it began growing.
Bigger...
And bigger...
Until an enormous orange-yellow sphere of auris hovered above her.
The entire Grand Lab shook from its overwhelming pressure.
Saito stared at it.
"...Great."
"She can do that too."
Noxus's eyes burned brightly.
"Die."
She thrust both hands forward.
The massive sphere shot toward Saito.
"Here it comes!"
Saito planted his feet.
He raised his sword with both hands.
The sphere collided with the blade.
BOOOOM!
The impact pushed Saito backward.
His boots dug deep into the floor.
Cracks spread beneath his feet.
The ground shattered around him.
"Grrr..."
His arms trembled violently.
"I..."
"I can't hold it!"
The enormous sphere continued pushing against his sword.
Saito's knees began sinking into the broken floor.
"Crap!"
Suddenly—
The sphere vanished.
Saito froze.
"...What?"
Noxus's eyes widened.
"What?"
Both of them looked upward.
A figure floated high above the Grand Lab.
Golden light surrounded his body.
Olsen.
The Primordeus stood silently in the air, looking down at Noxus.
Noxus stared at him.
"...Primordeus."
Olsen slowly lowered his gaze.
"I see..."
"You've already become a god."
His expression hardened.
"...A corrupted one, actually."
Noxus glared at Olsen.
"You..."
"Stay out of this."
Olsen remained floating above the Grand Lab, completely calm.
"You only use your power for yourself."
Olsen looked down at her.
"Maybe that's true."
"But..."
His expression became serious.
"As the leader of the Primordeus..."
"I disagree with what you're doing."
Several glowing cubes of auris suddenly appeared around Olsen.
One...
Five...
Ten...
More continued forming around him.
Noxus's eyes widened.
The cubes began shaking violently.
"What are you—"
The cubes suddenly fired.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Streams of auris beams shot across the Grand Lab.
Noxus quickly moved between them.
Whoosh!
She dodged one beam.
Another passed inches from her.
She twisted through the air before another beam nearly struck her.
"Tch!"
Noxus suddenly accelerated upward.
She flew straight toward Olsen.
Meanwhile, Saito walked over to Yin.
He looked at the destruction surrounding them.
"Okay..."
"You got any ideas?"
Yin adjusted his glasses and looked toward the main console.
"I can try to shut down the laboratory system."
"But I need more time."
Saito looked upward at Noxus and Olsen battling above them.
He sighed.
"Well..."
"Take as much time as you need."
Yin nodded.
"Got it."
He immediately turned and hurried toward the main console.
Saito watched him for a moment before turning his attention back to the battle.
Yin reached the controls.
He placed both hands on the console.
"...Let's see if I can still remember how this thing works."
He began pressing buttons and entering commands as the Grand Lab continued shaking around him.
Olsen quickly flew backward as another beam of auris tore through the air.
Noxus chased after him.
"You use my power for destruction!"
Olsen's expression hardened.
Noxus smiled.
"Yes."
"And I'll use it to kill you too!"
She raised her hand and fired another beam.
Olsen twisted through the air, narrowly avoiding it.
Suddenly—
Whoosh!
Several swirling portals appeared beside Noxus.
They rotated rapidly, each one glowing with different colors of auris.
Olsen's eyes narrowed.
"...What are you planning?"
Noxus spread her arms.
"Take this!"
The portals suddenly connected.
A massive rainbow-colored beam began forming between them.
The entire Grand Lab shook violently.
Noxus's eyes glowed brighter.
"SUPERNOVA!!"
The enormous rainbow beam erupted from the portals.
BOOOOOOM!!
It shot straight toward Olsen with overwhelming force.
Olsen remained calm.
He simply flicked his hand.
The glowing auris cubes surrounding him immediately moved into position.
One after another, they formed a barrier directly in front of him.
The rainbow beam crashed into the cubes.
BOOOOOOM!!
The Grand Lab shook violently as the enormous attack collided with Olsen's defense.
Noxus stared through the explosion.
"Let's see you block that..."
Outside the Grand Lab, the battle had become even more chaotic.
Alpha sliced through one of the remaining scientists before quickly looking toward the base.
His expression became serious.
"...The situation just became much more tense."
A massive surge of auris shook the area.
Hashima looked toward the Grand Lab.
"I think we need to evacuate some of my people."
Alpha nodded.
"Agreed."
Hashima immediately turned toward Makuto.
"Makuto."
"Evacuate half of our people."
Makuto nodded.
"Understood."
He raised his weapon and shouted across the battlefield.
"Everyone!"
"Retreat!"
The Red Sun Gang began pulling away from the frontline, moving their wounded and exhausted members away from the increasingly dangerous Sector X base.
Alpha remained near Hashima, both of them watching the enormous flashes of auris lighting up the sky.
Whatever was happening inside...
The battle was becoming far more dangerous than they had expected.