Arcane: Twin Cities Mechanic

In the southern plains of Demacia, where the Flow of the Guardian's Sea and the Conqueror's Sea converge, the once clear sky is now sharply divided into two parts. One half is bathed in bright sunlight, while the other is as dark as ink, resembling a boundary between day and night.

Two forces of magic, so intense they almost seem tangible, face off against each other. The howling winds sweep through, disturbing the surrounding magical particles.

Amidst the light and dark, the "Judicator" with pure white wings hovers in the air, while the "Fallen" with purple-black wings stands firmly on the ground, both glaring at each other from a distance of several kilometers, swords drawn.

"Why are you here?" Morgana's eyes burn with purple-black flames, her expression cold as ice. "Kayle, my dear sister..."

She nearly grinds her teeth as she speaks this title.

In contrast to Morgana, Kayle merely tilts her head slightly, her nearly closed battle helm lifting just enough to reveal a slit, casting a look of disdain as she gazes down.

"Why shouldn't I be here? Demacia is my second home."

Her tone is indifferent, almost void of any emotion.

Though the two are far apart, thanks to magic, they can hear each other clearly, their voices traveling effortlessly across the distance.

"We haven't seen each other in centuries." A momentary flash of sadness crosses Morgana's face, but her voice remains laced with resentment. "Sister, are you really going to break my heart again?"

"A broken heart is better than a trapped soul," Kayle replies coldly.

Kayle's twin swords, glowing with a bluish-green light, slice through the air as she moves into a poised stance, directing the blades straight at Morgana.

"The Fallen shall not be forgiven!" She exclaims sharply. "Today, I will purify your sins with righteous fire, Morgana!"

As she speaks, the blades ignite in a fierce orange-red blaze, with starlight-infused magic swirling around the edges. The intense heat does not affect Kayle in the slightest, but it has the power to incinerate all material things.

"Who would've thought you're still the same as you were hundreds of years ago." 

Morgana's sorrow deepens as she speaks.

She clenches her fists, and the chains binding her wings levitate and spread apart, manipulated by dark magic, as she prepares for battle.

"I should have known. A person who would betray their family has a heart as cold as yours."

"My cold heart is the very reason we survived," Kayle retorts.

Morgana grits her teeth, her hands spreading wide as cold black flames rise from her palms. She's ready for the fight.

But Kayle doesn't rush to strike. Instead, her gaze shifts to the north, towards the city of Demacia, now shrouded in dark clouds.

It seems something is rapidly moving through the darkness...

Kayle narrows her eyes. Few things can block her senses, and most of them are the divine spirits gifted by the heavens to Mount Targon.

In Demacia, the only thing she knows that might be capable of blocking her perception is the petrified stone golem created by Durand.

But that is a lifeless object, isn't it?

Just as Kayle begins to doubt, a massive silver-white statue breaks through the dark clouds, falling rapidly toward the intersection of light and dark.

Dust and debris scatter as the statue hits the ground, and in the center of the resulting crater, the familiar figure of the giant reverberates in the eyes of the two sisters.

"Galio?" They both exclaim in surprise.

As the dust from the impact settles, Galio stands tall, his deep voice carrying a lighthearted tone. "Hey, hello there!"

He glances first at Kayle, who hovers in the air, then at the surprised expression of Morgana, scratching his head.

"I remember you two... You're the Winged Protectors of Demacia."

Galio feels the contrasting magical energies flooding into him, powering him with life force, though his voice shows confusion.

Long before he became sentient but still unable to move, he had already known the Winged Protectors. Back then, though they were imbued with magical powers, they didn't interact much with him, and didn't even realize he was alive. Still, as fellow guardians of Demacia, Galio liked them quite a bit.

But then, the two protectors suddenly disappeared, and it was only after that that the soldiers threw him into battle.

He had thought Kayle and Morgana had been sent back for repairs in the sculpting workshop...

What could have caused their estrangement?

"Aren't you sisters? Why are you doing this?"

Morgana is about to respond, but sensing the surge of arcane energy nearby, Li Lin, dressed in armor, teleports in. She shuts her mouth.

"Evildoers must be purged."

"You see?" Morgana sneers without looking back, addressing Li Lin, "This is my high-and-mighty sister. Nearly a thousand years have passed, and our grudge hasn't softened. On the contrary, it has grown more intense because of her coldness."

Galio is confused. The last time he saw people argue, it was between Demacians and their enemies.

As the Guardian Colossus of Demacia, his purpose, the very duty he was created for, was to protect Demacia and her people.

But now, Galio was lost.

Both of them were Demacians, and even sisters, revered by the people of Demacia as protectors.

If they fought, he didn't know who to help.

"This is none of your business, Colossus," Kayle said, pointing her sword at Galio. "I must act in the name of justice and carry out judgment on the guilty evildoers... If you truly bear the name of justice, you should join me in eradicating the fallen."

"Sister, it's you who should be judged and purified!" Morgana glared at Kayle, her eyes filled with malice. "Li Lin, Galio, this is a matter between sisters. I hope neither of you, nor Zoe, will interfere."

With that, she was enveloped in a dark, purple-black flame, her form vanishing in an instant.

The next second, she reappeared beneath Kayle, her arms swinging as she hurled countless dark energy orbs, accompanied by the iron chains behind her.

Kayle sneered disdainfully, her hands gripping the hilt of her sword—still not fully united—before swinging it forward in a swift slash. The arcing, starry sword energy shot downwards at an unimaginable speed, colliding with the dark energy.

Light and darkness clashed, and the explosive shockwave surged outward from the point of contact, rapidly expanding in all directions.

This fierce energy clash was merely the first wave.

The two sisters, enemies who had long held a grudge, didn't hold back in the slightest, unlike the centuries-old considerations in the mortal city-state's domain. They went all out.

One in the sky, the other on the ground, both unleashed their full power, pouring their energy into the clash as though they were two unending energy cannons.

In the blink of an eye, dozens of intense collisions between light and dark energies erupted, shooting upwards with such force that the shockwaves were visible even from faraway cities.

[Warning! The energy shockwaves from the clash of the guardian sisters will affect areas up to 20 kilometers away from Demacia!]

The AI's warning was enough to alarm Li Lin.

The scout units sent by Jarvan IV to assess the situation were already nearing.

Though the magic-nullifying stone walls could absorb the aftershocks of the angel sisters' battle, for the vulnerable mortal patrols just outside the city, wearing only light armor in their pursuit of speed, they stood no chance against such intense magical energy.

This was truly a battle of gods, with mortals caught in the middle!

Li Lin hurriedly issued commands to his air-based mechanical forces, instructing them to deploy and prepare for battle. In case of emergency, they would form ranks and deploy energy shields to block the shockwaves.

It was then that a gust of wind howled as a massive figure soared above him, racing toward the Demacian scout forces in the distance.

"Leave them to me!" 

(End of Chapter)