She couldn't win...
Raiden Ei had realized this long ago. Even though she had gone to the lengths of using three Marks to drastically increase her strength, the result remained the same.
Although her power had indeed far surpassed Zhongli's at that moment, the Jade Shield surrounding him was thick enough to drive one to despair.
Rex Lapis was indeed a God of War, but his defensive capabilities were even greater than his martial prowess.
Zhongli only needed to block her most lethal attacks, and then all other attacks could be completely ignored. The terrifying Lightning Flash struck the Jade Shield, yet it could only faintly stir a ripple.
This scene made Raiden Ei doubt that even if Zhongli offered no resistance and simply let her attack, she would need to swing her sword countless times to completely break his defense.
She had never been Zhongli's match before, and now, even after she had cast aside all her burdens to pursue the path leading to darkness, she still could not defeat him.
Then what meaning was there to everything she had done before?!
Raiden Ei grew bewildered, and now her sword swings were no longer as fierce.
Raiden Ei did not understand why. Had it not been said that Rex Lapis's current strength was far inferior to what it once was, and that he had even forged a portion of his own Authority into Mora for the ordinary people of Teyvat to trade with?
Not only that, but Mora was also a top-grade alchemy material because it contained a portion of Zhongli's power, making its quality extremely high.
Was the gap between them truly this immense? Could she really not win?
Clearly, she had shamefully used the power of the people she had abandoned. Clearly, she had almost given up everything, and her will had never been more resolute, even if she had to stand against the entire world.
But Zhongli was like an insurmountable mountain, and she did not even know if she had seen its peak.
At this moment, as if he had already sensed the bewilderment in Raiden Ei's heart, Zhongli backed away from her, creating some distance, and then slowly spoke to her.
"Beelzebul, how about stopping now?"
"Stopping?"
Raiden Ei spoke, her voice a bit dazed.
"Yes, you should have already understood that continuing to fight is completely meaningless."
After hearing Zhongli's words, a strong sense of unwillingness and anger surged in Raiden Ei's heart, but after meeting Zhongli's indifferent gaze, she finally beat a retreat.
He was right. She had indeed lost, and she had lost completely.
Although she could continue to consume the Marks on her body, doing so would be completely meaningless, and it would also look too desperate.
Having fallen to such a state, she still wanted to save the last bit of dignity for herself.
"Indeed, you won. Kill me."
"I have no ability to bring my sister back, and I have also betrayed the people of Inazuma who followed me."
"Now I have nothing left, and I can no longer find a reason to continue existing."
After Raiden Ei finished speaking, everyone's hearts were shocked, never expecting that Raiden Ei's heart would be so desperate at this moment.
Kujou Sara couldn't help but fly into the sky, leaving the Protective Barrier behind. The moment she stepped out, the terrifying Electro Elemental Power and Geo Elemental Power began to wildly tear at her body. If not for her strength being much greater than before, she might have already died at this moment.
The dark purple light on Kujou Sara's body flickered intensely, but she still charged toward Raiden Ei without regard for her own safety. Even if she had to give her own life, she would stop Raiden Ei from doing something foolish.
Kujou Sara shouted toward the battlefield as she drew closer.
"Almighty Shogun, we do not blame you!"
"Not only me, I believe the people of Inazuma do not blame you either!"
"That's right, Almighty Shogun!"
At this moment, others also spoke up one after another.
"Don't say such words anymore, we can start over!"
Yet even so, the light had completely vanished from Raiden Ei's eyes. Her heart was practically dead.
She had committed unforgivable sins in order to resurrect her sister, even becoming the very thing she despised, but she had still failed. What reason or right did she have to continue acting as the deity of Inazuma as if nothing had happened?
At this moment, seeing things were going south, Neuvillette also hurriedly approached and spoke persuasively.
"Lady Beelzebul, if we can defeat Persephone (No. 3), perhaps we will still have a chance."
"You should know that Persephone's ability to resurrect people does not come from herself. It was the power of another Numbered Member, which she seized after their death."
"If we defeat Persephone, perhaps we can also use this power, or use Persephone's life as leverage to make her resurrect everyone's family and friends."
After hearing Neuvillette's words, Raiden Ei's eyes finally filled with light once again.
"But how can we defeat her?"
"I have fought her before. Although you are indeed very strong, Morax, you are definitely not her match."
"Even if we join forces, I see no hope at all."
Raiden Ei began to consider the possibilities, only to find it was almost impossible to achieve.
"There is still a chance!"
Seeing an opportunity, Neuvillette hurriedly explained their plan to Raiden Ei.
After hearing Neuvillette's explanation, Raiden Ei was indeed tempted.
If Persephone could seal away some of her power, they would indeed have some hope of defeating her.
"So, will this wish be made by Morax?"
At this moment, Raiden Ei looked at Zhongli.
"That's right, Mr. Morax is the most suitable candidate."
Neuvillette nodded, but in this situation, Zhongli appeared exceptionally silent.
"Alright, then I can join you. Consider it my atonement..."
Raiden Ei took a deep breath, then decided to gamble on this last shred of hope.
Seeing Raiden Ei filled with hope once again, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Although Raiden Ei was completely disregarding Inazuma this time, she was doing it for her sister, so they couldn't bring themselves to criticize her too harshly.
Moreover, over the years, Raiden Ei had contributed an indelible force to Inazuma's peace. Therefore, even when the people of Inazuma fell into despair, the first person they thought of seemed to be Raiden Ei, who had already abandoned them.
Finally, Kujou Sara and Kamisato Ayato transferred the Marks on their hands to Raiden Ei, who then transferred her remaining four Marks to Zhongli. Now, Zhongli had exactly ten Marks on his body.
A winner had been decided!
Shortly after, the battle in the distance also came to an end. At this moment, Lumine was holding a rope, and tied to the rope was another yellow-haired boy who looked very similar to her.
Lumine had achieved a complete victory. She had successfully used the Dull Blade to make a comeback against the power of five elements, ruthlessly knocking Aether unconscious before tying him up and dragging him back.
As Lumine dragged the rope, she hummed a tune in high spirits, feeling increasingly grateful to Dr. Edward.
Indeed, the suffering she had once endured would ultimately be transformed into her strength.
Praise Dr. Edward!
It was also Dr. Edward who helped her discover Aether's weakness. Otherwise, Aether might have escaped this time.
What surprised Lumine was that the battle between Zhongli and Raiden Ei had already stopped by the time she returned.
"Traveler, you're finally back!"
Seeing Lumine's figure, Paimon's heart finally settled, and she hurriedly flew to Lumine's side. Just then, she saw Aether lying face down on the ground and couldn't help but ask curiously.
"Huh? Why is there another person? Who is he?"
Lumine was just about to explain to Paimon, but a fiery red figure suddenly shot past her from behind, letting out an incredibly piercing scream.
"Your Highness the Prince!!!"
Enjou ran over with unprecedented speed, even faster than when he was fleeing. Finally, he reached Aether's side, helped him flip over, and a large, swollen bump on Aether's forehead immediately caught his eye.
"Your Highness the Prince, you must cheer up! The great cause of the Abyss Order still needs you to complete!"
At this moment, Aether's eyes were tightly shut. Even as Enjou called out to him urgently, he showed no reaction whatsoever.
It was unclear whether he was unconscious too deeply or simply unwilling to face the fact that he had been defeated by his own sister.
Or perhaps he was unwilling to face the terrifying prospect of Lumine using Little Aether to threaten him into joining the group!
Setting aside this minor interlude for a moment, seeing Lumine's safe return, everyone's hanging hearts finally settled.
Just then, Zhongli, who had already gathered all the current Marks, emitted a blinding light from his body.
Subsequently, the light shot straight up, piercing right through the cloud layer in the sky, allowing sunlight to once again shine upon this land.
Finally, everyone sensed that Persephone's aura had changed position and was rapidly approaching them at a terrifying speed.
In just the blink of an eye, that terrifying aura appeared directly above them.
"Miko?!"
Raiden Ei looked at Persephone, who had suddenly appeared before them. A flicker of wariness first flashed in her eyes, followed by them widening sharply because she saw an unexpected figure.
At this moment, Yae Miko had transformed into a pink fox, lying quietly on Persephone's shoulder, behaving as docilely as a fox fur scarf.
Raiden Ei swore that in these five hundred years, Yae Miko had never been this docile before, creating a feeling of extreme unreality for her.
Moreover, the fact that she had been such a menace when she was Ei's subordinate, but had now become Persephone's docile pet, gave Raiden Ei a strong feeling of being cuckolded!
When Raiden Ei saw the other white-furred fox, her pupils instantly shrank in shock.
As expected, Yae Miko hadn't lied to her; Kitsune Saiguu really had been resurrected.
Then, a wave of immense emotion and joy surged through Raiden Ei's chest, even making her feel as if she wanted to cry.
Seeing an old friend again, this feeling was truly wonderful.
Even if they were enemies now, it didn't matter; as long as she knew the other was still living well in this world, she was completely satisfied.
At this moment, Persephone turned her gaze toward Zhongli and chuckled softly.
Just this one small gesture made everyone present extremely nervous, and they all went on high alert, concentrating fully.
A defensive barrier, more dazzling than before, unfolded, protecting everyone inside.
Five pitch-black mechs soared into the air, hovering around the group like guardian gods. The black mechs, blending cutting-edge technology and the pinnacle of art, brought a profound sense of security to everyone.
At the same time, various weapons aimed at Persephone's position, and hidden weapons in the shadows also pointed there.
The preparations they had made earlier were not just for Raiden Ei, but also for Persephone, and the latter was their primary target. This was the reason why the Fontaine Expeditionary Force and the Liyue Expeditionary Force had come to Inazuma, and they had not forgotten this point.
"You truly did not disappoint my expectations, Morax, by standing until the end."
"Or should I call you Rex Lapis, and... Zhongli?"
"Zhongli?"
Hearing this name, Keqing's heart leaped in surprise, and she instinctively looked toward Hu Tao, but as expected, she found no sign of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor Consultant Zhongli.
Moreover, Keqing noticed that when Persephone spoke this name, Hu Tao's face did not show much surprise.
The others also looked at Zhongli with disbelief, completely unable to imagine that the Rex Lapis they revered and admired had been by their side all along.
He had always been using the identity of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor Consultant to walk the world, and there were even many lucky ones who had the honor of having Rex Lapis personally arrange their funerals!
At this moment, seeing his identity revealed, Zhongli pulled back the hood he wore on his head, revealing his true face beneath it, which bore some resemblance to Consultant Zhongli of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. When Zhongli walked in the mortal world, he naturally couldn't use his true appearance, but instead made slight adjustments.
Of course, the main reason was that the transcendent aura Zhongli now carried made him appear exceptionally handsome and divine, otherworldly and transcendent.
Zhongli was very surprised. It wasn't strange that Persephone knew his other identity, but what surprised him was that Persephone actually spoke it out loud.
However, soon, Zhongli seemed to think of something, and his gaze at Persephone became exceptionally deep.
He seemed to have already understood the other's purpose. Persephone had completely cornered him, which was why she had cut off his last retreat.
Now, he was just like Raiden Ei, with no way to retreat.
The difference was that he had not yet made his final choice.
"Come, Morax. As the final winner, I allow you to make a wish of me."
"Your performance this time was very splendid, so the limit of this wish will be exceptionally high."
"If you want me to restrict my strength, I can sever my left arm right here and never restore it."
Upon hearing Persephone's words, a surge of hope swelled in the hearts of everyone present.
Persephone was indeed incredibly powerful, but if she severed one of her arms, her strength would at least be reduced by ten percent. This would undoubtedly make their subsequent subjugation campaign much smoother!
At this moment, Neuvillette's heart was also racing with excitement. Persephone truly had no intention of going back on her word, so the next battle should be much easier.
Thinking of this, Neuvillette looked at Zhongli and spoke slowly.
"Mr. Morax, have her sever her left arm."
Just after Neuvillette finished speaking, Zhongli still failed to react for a long time, which immediately gave him an extremely bad premonition.
Sure enough, the next moment, his premonition proved true.
Zhongli took a deep breath, looked into Persephone's eyes, which seemed to have seen through him completely, and finally spoke.
"Don't you already know what I'm going to say?"
"I choose to have Guizhong, Skybracer, and the Yaksha Bosacius... fully resurrected."