Listening to Ayaka's words, Yae Miko instinctively imagined the sight of a thousand cannons of Liyue firing in unison.
Without any direct reference, she compared it to Inazuma's Divine Thunder Cannon.
A thousand of them…
Forget about gods — even all of Inazuma would be blown to pieces.
It almost seemed…
that defying Celestia might actually have a chance of success?
But Yae Miko shook her head. The real issue right now wasn't rebellion against Celestia.
The question was — how could that other world possibly exist in such an absurd way?
How had Liyue, without anyone noticing, obtained power that surpassed the current age?
The first two armies were strong enough to suppress anything below a god.
The next two, capable of easily hunting even gods themselves.
Then what about the final army?
Miko lifted her head and looked at Ayaka.
The latter didn't keep her guessing.
She glanced briefly at Lumine and said softly,
"Lady Yae, you should've heard already — Lumine travels with six dragons, each one on par with a god's familiar."
Yae Miko nodded slowly. Then, as if realizing something, her expression suddenly changed.
"You mean to say…"
Ayaka spoke solemnly:
"The final army is still under construction. Its ultimate form hasn't been completed yet."
"But even now, one-fifth of the force has already been assembled."
"Liyue, Mondstadt, and Snezhnaya have joined hands — together, they aim to create a Dragonrider Legion of three thousand."
"In other words — three thousand troops, each bonded with a creature as strong as a god's familiar."
"These dragonriders will be equipped with the strongest weapons, including hot weapons."
"They will dominate the skies, launching full-scale attacks across sea, land, and air."
"The dragons of Pyro, Hydro, Dendro, and Cryo will handle elemental reactions, while the other four types will wield non-elemental magic."
"Lady Yae, you should understand what non-elemental magic truly means."
"These are three thousand powerful god-level familiars, each fighting in perfect harmony with their riders."
"You can imagine their strength, Lady Yae."
"This — is the true ultimate weapon being forged by the three nations."
"When I left," Ayaka continued, "over two hundred dragonriders had already been gathered. It's expected that within a year, all three thousand will be formed."
Yae Miko opened her mouth, then after a long pause, let out a bitter laugh.
"No wonder… no wonder the three nations have the confidence to face Celestia."
"With power like this, they truly have the right to charge against the heavens."
"If they advance, they possess unstoppable might. If they retreat, they have impregnable defense."
"Even if they were to lose, with the help of that other world, they could still remain unconquered."
"I see now…"
Yae Miko sighed softly.
The situation in Teyvat had already evolved far beyond her comprehension.
It was both a blessing and a curse.
Joining the three nations meant gaining the power to avenge Celestia's cruelty.
In the worst case, they could retreat to that world and build strength in safety.
But if they continued to stand by and watch, or if Ei remained unaware of the three nations' true might…
Then when the great war began, Inazuma would surely answer Celestia's call, just to survive.
Ei was strong, yes — but…
Facing such armies, could Ei's Musou no Hitotachi — her "One Slash of Nothingness" — really make any difference?
This war was no longer something even gods could meaningfully participate in.
Only an existence beyond the level of gods, like Celestia itself, was worthy of the combined opposition of the three nations.
On such a battlefield, even a god would be nothing more than a slightly larger pawn.
And more terrifying still—there was Ryen, the one they kept mentioning, who possessed the power to confront Celestia head-on.
If it really came to a clash between Inazuma and the Three Nations...
What would happen when they came to settle accounts afterward?
Right now, Inazuma's position had narrowed down to only two choices:
Join the Three Nations, or stand with Celestia.
But in Yae Miko's view, there was only one viable path—
Join the alliance, and take vengeance upon Celestia!
That was, without doubt, the best possible choice.
Miko pressed her lips together and asked softly,
"Is there more?"
Truthfully, she didn't want to see Ayaka nod.
The strength of the Three Nations had already surpassed Inazuma's understanding.
If they were even stronger than this…
But Ayaka did nod.
"Yes… there is more."
"Though Snezhnaya and Mondstadt haven't advanced as quickly as Liyue," she said,
"Liyue is already a nation of soldiers. On the Jade Chamber, they've installed a divine artifact known as the Beacon—a device that grants large-scale blessings."
"When the Beacon is activated, even ordinary citizens of Liyue can gain power comparable to Vision bearers."
"During the last demon god attack, countless sea beasts appeared at the harbor. Miss Ningguang activated the Beacon—"
"Even the children of Liyue, not yet of age, were swinging tens of tons of stone blocks, crushing thousands of sea beasts with overwhelming might."
"In that entire attack, Liyue suffered no injuries, no deaths, no damage."
"In fact, the only destruction that occurred—was caused by the Liyue people themselves, when they overdid it and accidentally demolished part of the harbor."
Yae Miko let out a helpless laugh and shook her head.
"So that's how it is… truly unbelievable."
Ayaka nodded slightly.
"That's why we want to stabilize Inazuma as soon as possible, and push for it to join the Three-Nation Alliance."
"Miss Ningguang herself said they wouldn't mind having more strength to stand against Celestia."
Miko lowered her head, falling into thought for a moment.
"It seems… we really must act quickly, then."
"But as I've said before — to meet Ei, you must first get past the Raiden Shogun."
"And that stubborn puppet will only ever follow the decree of Eternity."
"Your arrival, and the news you bring, have clearly violated that concept of Eternity."
"Most likely, the moment you meet her—she'll draw her blade."
"And even if you do manage to reach Ei herself, it won't be easy to convince her."
"That woman is far too stubborn—her heart is tied in knots that have been sealed too long."
"I imagine… even within the Plane of Euthymia, a battle will be inevitable."
Miko turned toward Lumine, her voice soft but serious:
"Little one, you're strong, I won't deny that. But compared to Ei… you're still far behind."
"After all, she's the most skilled in combat among all the gods."
"We'll need to think of another way…"