"Ryen! Super handsome! Really, really strong!"
"Ryen spoils Paimon the most!"
Hmm…
After listening to a long stream of chatter without any useful information, Yae Miko couldn't help but smile wryly in her heart.
Paimon was acting completely like a fervent little fangirl—whenever it came to someone she liked, everything about them had to be good. All the best virtues in the world had to be projected onto him.
This kind of thing, Miko had seen countless times before.
Wasn't the big IP she personally created, Ms. Hina, followed by a whole crowd of such passionate fans?
Take, for example, a certain loud, rough oni—when it came to Ms. Hina, he could heap praise upon her in eight hundred different languages.
Gentle, understanding, kind…
But who would have thought that Ms. Hina was actually a certain big dog—and a male one at that!
Thinking of this, Miko found the whole situation even more amusing.
But seeing that Paimon looked ready to chatter on for an entire day and night, Miko quickly interrupted:
"Alright, alright, we know Ryen is a good person. But can you talk about the details?"
"Details…"
Paimon scratched her cheek, muttering:
"That kind of thing can't be said!"
"Anything involving Ryen—none of it can be revealed!"
Miko gave her a smiling look.
"Is that so…"
"Idiot!"
Lumine couldn't help but retort.
"You've already revealed plenty!"
"Eh?"
Paimon stared blankly at her.
"Let's get back to the main topic," Miko chuckled lightly, steering the conversation away.
"I know why you've come. You want me to speak to Ei, don't you?"
Ayaka nodded solemnly, speaking softly:
"I know this may put you in a difficult position, but Guuji Yae, you are the only one who can change things."
"Since the Shogun-sama has locked herself away and refuses to come out, only you can see her—only you can speak with her."
Hearing this, Miko's interest quickly waned.
"You really think too highly of me."
"That person has locked herself up completely now. No persuasion works on her."
Ayaka fell silent. After a long pause, she murmured faintly:
"If I were to say… that if Inazuma cannot keep pace with Liyue and the others, and falls behind…"
"Inazuma will surely be destroyed."
Miko's brows furrowed.
"What do you mean?"
Ayaka sighed.
"Guuji Yae…"
"Liyue, Mondstadt, and Snezhnaya have formed a life-and-death alliance."
"They are preparing to launch a charge against Celestia. A great war is already unavoidable—the three nations will go to war with the Heavenly Principles."
"Inazuma will absolutely not escape being caught up in it. Either we obey Celestia and oppose the three nations of Liyue, Mondstadt, and Snezhnaya…"
"Or… we do nothing, and just wait for the flames of war to spread, and Inazuma will sink into ruin."
"Guuji Yae, you should understand—under such overwhelming tides, no one can stay outside the whirlpool."
"This great war is destined to engulf all of Teyvat."
"If Celestia wins, and we side with them, then in the war we'll be destroyed by the three nations."
"If the three nations win, and we don't join their alliance, who can guarantee they won't settle accounts with us afterwards?"
"Guuji Yae, we can no longer stand aside. If nothing changes, only death awaits us…"
The smile faded from Miko's face. Her brows furrowed tightly, her voice turning cold.
"The three-nation alliance… against Celestia—how do you know this?"
"Because I witnessed with my own eyes that the three nations have already begun their cooperation!"
Ayaka spoke solemnly:
"Right now, the three nations combined possess more than a dozen beings of archon-level strength, with nearly a thousand divine retainers."
"Give it another year, and within those nations there will be dozens more at the level of gods, and dragons on par with the adepti."
"They'll form a draconic cavalry army numbering over three thousand."
"The three nations have already begun preparations for war. At Liyue's Rite of Descension, Rex Lapis was heavily wounded by Celestia while in disguise, and was forced to abdicate."
"Now, among the people of Liyue, the flames of resistance against Celestia have already been ignited."
"There is no coexistence. Only with one side's complete destruction can it end."
"Guuji Yae, please—think of a way…"
This news was enough to make Miko discard all other distractions.
Rubbing her temples, she muttered:
"Celestia… the three nations…"
"Why has it come to this!"
As one who was herself a divine familiar, Miko understood Celestia far more clearly.
Once the war began, even if Ei continued her seclusion, Celestia would still force her to make a choice.
To stand with Liyue's side would invite Celestia's retaliation. To stand with Celestia, the might of the three nations was already too great—Inazuma would be crushed beneath their strength.
Even if Inazuma did nothing, perhaps out of old ties the three nations might spare them.
But Celestia…
Celestia would never let Inazuma go.
The Nail of the Heavens of ages past. Khaenri'ah five hundred years ago.
Such would be Inazuma's fate.
This was a war that concerned all of Teyvat. No person, no power could escape the whirlpool.
Choose the right side, and everything might still be negotiable. Choose the wrong side, and eternal doom awaited.
Miko felt a twinge of regret. If she had known it would come to this, why had she invited Ayaka and the others here?
It might have been better to send them directly to speak with the Raiden Shogun's puppet.
Even a puppet should understand the gravity of this matter.
"Guuji Yae, please think of a way—we truly have no more time!"
Ayaka lowered her head bitterly.
"I understand…"
Even Guuji Yae, who had shown indifference toward both the Vision Hunt Decree and the Sakoku Decree, finally looked troubled now.
The current situation had completely exceeded the limits of her imagination.
The three nations, Celestia…
One after another—what were they all doing?
Couldn't they just live peacefully?
Miko sighed.
"I understand the severity of this matter. But what I said just now is also the truth."
"That person has completely shut herself in, sealed off from everything. Even I… even I have no way to speak with her at all."
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