Noxus slowly lifted her head.
Saito was still holding her, but she immediately pushed him away.
"Let me go."
Saito stumbled backward.
"Hey!"
Noxus regained her balance and looked around the ruined Grand Lab.
Her breathing was heavy.
"This isn't over."
A voice came from behind her.
"It is."
Noxus froze.
She slowly turned around.
Yin stood beside the main console.
His hands were already on the controls.
He was ready to shut the entire laboratory down.
Noxus's eyes widened.
"No..."
She quickly stepped toward him.
"Get away from that console!"
Yin shook his head.
"This has to stop, Noxus."
Noxus looked at the controls in horror.
"If you do that..."
"...our laboratory will be blown away!"
Yin stared at her.
"Indeed."
He looked around the Grand Lab.
"All of your experiments..."
"Everything you've spent years building..."
"...will be destroyed."
Noxus's expression broke.
"No..."
She shook her head.
"No, no..."
"Please, Yin."
Yin remained silent for a moment.
He looked at the woman standing in front of him.
The same person who had once been his closest friend.
Then he slowly pressed his hand against the final control.
"I'm sorry, Noxus."
He looked directly at her.
"Forgive me."
Click.
The shutdown sequence began.
The shutdown sequence immediately activated.
"Power shutdown confirmed."
The computer screens began flashing red.
"Self-destruction will commence in..."
"10 seconds."
Saito looked toward the console.
"...Yep."
"That's the signal."
He turned toward the exit.
"Let's go!"
Yin nodded.
But before following Saito, he looked back at Noxus.
"Come with me."
Noxus stared at him.
Yin's expression softened.
"Sector X isn't the laboratory."
He placed a hand over his chest.
"Sector X is us."
Noxus looked around.
The broken machines.
The destroyed equipment.
The experiments she had spent years working on.
Everything she had built was about to disappear.
"But..."
"My hard work..."
Yin stepped closer.
"Then we'll rebuild it."
"But this time..."
"...we'll use it to help people."
He extended his hand toward her.
"Join me, Noxus."
Noxus stared at Yin's hand.
Then she looked around the laboratory one last time.
Her eyes moved across the machines she had created.
The memories of the past flashed through her mind.
Yin.
Maxwell.
Brody.
Fawn.
Their first laboratory.
Their first inventions.
The name Sector X.
Finally...
Noxus slowly nodded.
Yin immediately grabbed her hand.
"Come on!"
He pulled her forward.
"Run!"
The two rushed after Saito as alarms continued blaring throughout the laboratory.
"7 seconds."
Saito glanced back.
"Move faster!"
Yin tightened his grip on Noxus's hand.
"Don't let go!"
Noxus followed him as they sprinted toward the exit.
Behind them, the Grand Lab began shaking violently.
The place that had once been Sector X's home was about to collapse.
Outside the Sector X base, chaos had already spread across the battlefield.
Rin was supporting Maxwell, who was still struggling to walk.
Kaito looked toward the others.
"Go, go!"
Suddenly, Alpha appeared from behind the cover.
"Over here, guys!"
The remaining Blue Scarf members quickly moved toward him.
Alpha had already taken cover alongside the Red Sun Gang.
Shiro looked toward the burning entrance of the base.
"Where are Saito and Yin?"
Lily looked back at the destroyed laboratory.
"They're still inside."
Shiro's expression immediately changed.
"Crap."
He stepped forward, preparing to rush into the base.
But Alpha quickly raised his hand.
"Wait."
Shiro looked at him.
"We can't just leave them!"
Alpha remained calm.
"Trust Saito."
Shiro hesitated.
The ground suddenly began shaking beneath them.
Everyone looked toward the Sector X base.
Alpha narrowed his eyes.
"They'll make it out."
Lily clenched her fists and stared at the entrance.
"...They better."
The group remained behind cover, waiting for Saito, Yin, and Noxus to escape before the entire base collapsed.
Inside the collapsing base, Saito, Yin, and Noxus rushed down the stairs.
The entire structure shook violently around them.
BOOM!
A section of the ceiling collapsed behind them.
Saito looked toward the countdown displayed on the emergency system.
"...Crap."
"We don't have much time!"
The countdown continued.
3...
Saito's eyes widened.
"Keep moving!"
2...
He suddenly stopped and turned around.
"Get behind me!"
Yin grabbed Noxus and quickly moved behind Saito.
1...
Outside, everyone was still waiting.
Rin held onto Maxwell while Kaito kept watch over the entrance.
Shiro stared anxiously toward the base.
"They better get out..."
Suddenly—
BOOOOOOM!!
The entire Sector X base erupted.
A massive explosion burst outward.
Flames and debris rushed toward the group.
Alpha immediately stepped forward and raised his sword.
"Brace yourselves!"
But before the explosion reached them—
A golden light descended from the sky.
Olsen landed in front of the group.
He raised one hand.
A glowing cube of auris appeared in the air.
The cube expanded rapidly.
Whoosh!
It transformed into a massive shield.
The explosion crashed against it.
BOOOOOOM!!
The ground shook violently as the shield absorbed the blast.
Everyone behind it remained protected.
Alpha lowered his sword slightly.
"...Olsen."
Olsen remained focused, holding the shield against the enormous explosion.
"Stay behind me."
The flames continued raging around the barrier as everyone waited anxiously for the people still trapped inside.
Several minutes passed.
The smoke slowly began to clear.
Everyone stared at the remains of the Sector X laboratory.
The massive structure was almost completely destroyed.
Maxwell stood silently, staring at the rubble.
Alya looked toward the ruins.
"...Are they alive?"
Hashima immediately turned toward his men.
"Search for them!"
"Hurry!"
The Red Sun Gang nodded.
"Yes!"
They rushed toward the destroyed laboratory, searching through the rubble.
Then—
A strange distortion appeared in the air.
A portal suddenly opened.
Everyone stopped.
Two figures stepped out.
Yin and Saito.
A moment later, Noxus walked through behind them.
She turned around and closed the portal.
Saito stared at her.
"You know..."
"You could've done that earlier, right?"
Noxus looked at him.
"I was saving my auris."
Saito sighed.
"...Fair enough."
Bomb's eyes widened.
"They're alive!"
He immediately rushed toward them.
"SAITO!"
Fanny, Rin, and Alya followed.
"Wait—!"
Saito barely had time to react before Bomb and the others practically jumped onto him.
"Whoa!"
"Careful, jeez!"
"You're gonna break my spine!"
Bomb laughed.
"We thought you were dead!"
Saito tried to push them away.
"I'm fine!"
Kaito walked over, a relieved smile on his face.
"You made it, Saito."
Saito nodded.
"Yeah."
He glanced toward Noxus.
"...With some help from her."
Everyone turned toward Noxus.
She remained silent for a moment.
Then she simply nodded.
The group looked at one another.
For the first time in years, the members of Sector X stood together again.
Maxwell slowly walked toward Yin.
His expression was serious.
"...Brody?"
He paused.
"...Fawn?"
Yin lowered his head and shook it.
Maxwell understood immediately.
"I see..."
He looked down for a moment before stepping closer to Yin.
Alpha then approached them.
"It's good to have you back, scientist."
Yin gave a small smile.
"Me too."
He looked toward Noxus.
Then toward Maxwell.
After a moment, Yin asked,
"So..."
"What will happen to them?"
Alpha looked toward Noxus and Maxwell.
"We'll take them to the Balance Table."
"They'll face punishment for attacking the Balance Table and the people under its protection."
Yin remained silent for a moment.
Then he looked at Alpha.
"Can I request something?"
Alpha nodded.
"Of course."
Yin looked toward Noxus.
"I want to decide their punishment."
Alpha studied him for a moment.
Then he nodded.
"If that's your call..."
"...I don't think anyone could disagree with it."
He looked toward Hashima and Shiro.
Hashima gave a small nod.
Shiro nodded as well.
Yin looked back at Noxus and Maxwell.
For the first time since Sector X had fallen...
He knew there was still a chance to decide what came next.