Diluc knew that Kaeya was of Khaenri'ah blood.
But he had no idea that Kaeya's background carried such weight.
The orphan of one of the founding families of Khaenri'ah…
"Let's return to the matter at hand, Morax."
Aether's gaze turned back to Zhongli.
"The Statue of the Seven, you may take away. But this thing—must remain."
"A transaction?" Zhongli asked in return.
Aether gave a slight nod.
"You could put it that way."
"If it is a transaction, I do not believe you have the capital to bargain with us."
Zhongli shook his head, his hand continuing to channel energy.
"Is that so…"
Aether let out something like a sigh.
"Then forget it. This thing is not something we absolutely need anyway."
"Aether! What on earth are you saying, spouting nonsense like that?"
Lumine stepped forward angrily, glaring at him.
"You stole Venti's statue, and now you dare to insult him like this! You bastard! Apologize right now, leave the Abyss Order, and come travel with me!"
For a moment, Aether's eyes flickered with hesitation.
"Apologize? This—this is what he, what the Seven Gods owe us. Why should we apologize?
Back then, the Seven stood with Celestia to annihilate Khaenri'ah. They watched countless innocent citizens burn in the flames, twisted into undying monsters.
And tell me—did they ever apologize?"
Zhongli and Venti fell silent.
Even if they had been coerced by Celestia, in the end it was still by their own hands that many had died.
"Lumine, this world is not simply black and white."
Aether's voice softened, like an older brother patiently teaching his sister.
He pointed at Zhongli and Venti.
"You may be their friend, but you must also understand this—
They are not flawless gods. By their own hands they drowned Khaenri'ah in a sea of blood. The hilichurls that wander across the continent today—
How many of them are the products of that curse of immortality?
How much innocent Khaenri'ahn blood stains their hands?"
"The Abyss is no sanctuary of kindness either. In this world, there is no absolute white, nor is there absolute black."
Ningguang and the others looked complicated as their gazes fell upon Zhongli and Venti.
The two said nothing, offering no rebuttal.
"So what's the point of all this talk?"
Ryen spread his hands with a casual grin.
"Who we choose to befriend—what's it got to do with you?
If I'm in the mood, every hilichurl is my friend. If I'm not, even Celestia itself, I'll kill."
Aether froze for a moment. He did not know who Ryen was, but from him radiated a chilling sense of threat.
He frowned slightly, giving no reply.
This man's danger far exceeded even Zhongli and the others.
It wasn't just a matter of strength.
He bore no real sense of belonging to this world—
an extreme individualist, caring only for the people and things he chose to care about.
Perhaps even destroying the world would not place much of a burden on him.
Aether didn't know how Lumine had gotten entangled with him, but…
Maybe it wasn't a bad thing?
At the very least, Lumine now had guaranteed safety.
"Tell us—what is this thing?"
Ryen rubbed his chin, curiously studying the purple-black core in front of them.
"I could tell you. But what kind of bargaining chips can you offer in return?"
"Bargaining chips?"
Ryen gave a faint, amused laugh and shook his head.
"I never intended to bargain with you. A deal requires both sides to sit at the same table."
"What I want now is an answer—this is my demand."
"If you refuse, I'll go into the Abyss myself and wipe out every last member of your Abyss Order."
"But if you're willing to speak, I'll spare your lives. That counts as a fair trade, doesn't it?"
The moment he finished, an Abyss Lector nearby bellowed angrily:
"Arrogant fool!"
Ryen's eyes turned cold. He raised his hand, fingers pressed together, and thrust swiftly into the air before him.
This strike did not cause any tremor.
But…
The very fabric of space was pierced straight through.
He reached in, grabbed hold of the Abyss Lector, and dragged him out from the Abyss itself.
Clutching his throat, Ryen smiled faintly:
"Believe me, Teyvat's space is nowhere near as unbreakable as you think."
With that, he squeezed slightly—
The Abyss Lector instantly dissolved into blue smoke.
Everyone was shaken by this display.
Aether and the remaining Abyss Lectors instinctively stepped back.
"Who are you?"
Aether frowned tightly, staring at Ryen.
He had never before seen someone who could, with sheer brute force, tear through overlapping space and pull a living being straight out of the Abyss.
"The same as you."
Ryen spread his hands casually.
"Two eyes, one nose, one mouth—just an ordinary human."
Aether silently cursed inside, but didn't dare voice it aloud.
Ryen was Lumine's friend—but not his. He couldn't guarantee Ryen wouldn't turn on him.
If angered, he could certainly sever the spatial overlap.
But from what he had just shown, Ryen could track down the Abyss itself. He truly had the power to annihilate the entire Abyss Order.
After a brief silence, Aether drew in a deep breath and said solemnly:
"I can tell you. But first—you must tell me, where do you stand?"
"My stance?"
Ryen raised a brow, his voice soft:
"I don't have much of a stance. If I don't like someone, I kill them. For now… Celestia is getting on my nerves. So I plan to kill her."
Aether let out a subtle sigh of relief. The man was indeed an individualist.
But for now, his hostility was directed against Celestia—that was enough.
"This thing… is the embodiment of a certain being's power."
"That being calls itself… the Sinner."
~~----------------------
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