After defeating the two artificial deities, the matter was far from over.
Lu Chen and his two companions struggled out of the ruined god-making workshop, only to find the scene outside was no better. Countless ornate Sumeru-style domes had been flattened, and the entire upper layer of Sumeru City was nothing but ruins, much like the nightmare vision they had seen before.
This devastation was, of course, the result of Ei's battle with the two Harbingers.
"They're still fighting..." Nahida wiped the tear marks from her face and looked up at the sky.
Lu Chen followed her gaze. Ei's violet braids had come loose, whipping wildly in the wind. The Musou Isshin in her hand crackled with majestic lightning, her eyes devoid of emotion—like a fearsome goddess of war.
Only in battle could he see this side of Ei. From her, he felt an overwhelming fighting spirit.
"The Doctor and Capitano can't hold on anymore! Ei is amazing!" Nahida exclaimed in awe.
Lu Chen nodded. He could sense the Doctor's heavy breathing; his robe was stained with blood, though it was unclear where he was wounded.
On the other side, Capitano, fighting alongside the Doctor, seemed to be holding up better. But his weapon was chipped all over, and his black armor was covered with scars and slashes.
"As expected of Inazuma's supreme Archon..." Capitano praised, "Such masterful swordsmanship. I have fought in countless battles, yet never have I witnessed such skill. Today has truly opened my eyes!"
Like Ei, who was obsessed with battle, Capitano carried a deep passion for combat. Ei, facing such an opponent, was not stingy with her praise.
"I've heard the Fatui Captain bears the title of strongest human. To survive my blade, you need not belittle yourself."
"Let's cut the flattery!" Lu Chen chuckled. "Capitano, you're a man of honor. I'll give you the chance to surrender with dignity."
When the Doctor and Capitano saw Lu Chen walk calmly out of the ruins, they were both momentarily stunned.
The Doctor's face darkened in shock. "How could it be you?"
"If not us, then who?" Lu Chen sneered. "Those two broken machines of yours were nothing more than oversized toys."
With Lu Chen's arrival on the battlefield, the Doctor's plan had completely collapsed. His once-arrogant expression could no longer hold.
As his true body, the Doctor immediately checked the status of his other segments—only to find he could no longer sense the youth or the boy.
"How... how absurd..." His face twisted toward madness.
"How—how could this be! Impossible!"
Capitano looked at his distraught comrade and sighed. "Dottore, you've led us into a dead end."
"Don't tell me! I can see it!" The Doctor's eyes were bloodshot. Never had he imagined that the god-making project he had painstakingly devised would be so easily destroyed by Lu Chen.
A grand plan, prepared over years, with each piece interlinked—now reduced to nothing but a cruel joke.
Seeing that Dottore was beyond reason, Capitano could only shake his head.
Scaramouche appeared on the battlefield as well. Looking at the disgraced Doctor, a satisfied smile tugged at his lips.
"What a pitiful man."
Yet when face-to-face with his enemy again, he restrained himself, refusing to act rashly.
Nahida looked at him, surprised he could keep his emotions in check.
"Yo! You're finally out!" Venti sat leisurely on a bench, waving with a grin. "Nahida, I've got a big surprise for you! Come take a look."
"Oh..." Nahida walked over, only to see the old man bound and struggling on the ground.
"It's Azar..."
"This guy still won't admit his crimes." Venti kicked him lightly. "As one of the ringleaders, I'll leave his fate to you."
"It's the Dendro Archon!"
Several sages of the Akademiya whispered among themselves when they saw Nahida, their expressions conflicted.
But none dared approach.
Nahida cast them a cold glance before turning back to the Great Sage lying on the ground.
"Azar, you betrayed my trust—and the trust of all the people of Sumeru."
The Great Sage did not dare meet her eyes. His struggles ceased, and he slumped on the ground, muttering in despair,
"It shouldn't have been like this... It shouldn't have been..."
Lu Chen stepped forward and revealed two glowing Gnoses.
"Venti, old man, look at these."
"Ah~ the Gnosis," Venti said, not at all surprised.
"They were using the power of the Gnosis to sustain the false god. But now..." Lu Chen smiled at Venti and Zhongli. "It's time they were returned to their rightful owners."
"Uh... well..." Venti scratched his head, making no move to take it. Instead, he looked toward Zhongli.
"I once made a contract regarding this Gnosis." Zhongli walked forward slowly, showing no intention of reclaiming it. "Whether to fulfill that contract or to honor my choice of stepping down as an Archon, I have no need for it now."
"Yeah, me too!" Venti looked at his Gnosis like it was a hot potato, waving it off with a casual gesture.
"I don't want this thing either. Better to leave it with you, Lu Chen."
"Huh?" Lu Chen looked at the two carefree gods and could only smile helplessly.
"What do I even need these for? I've no desire to be the Anemo Archon or the Geo Archon."
"Since they don't need them, someone must safeguard such dangerous objects." Ei descended slowly from the sky, smiling at Lu Chen.
"Chen, you should take them. Only you can keep them safe."
"Fine..." Lu Chen's fingers closed around the two Gnoses.
Just as he was about to store them in the system, he suddenly felt the gaze of a higher presence upon him.
Instinctively, he looked toward Celestia. The feeling lasted only an instant before fading, like an illusion.
This was why Venti and Zhongli were unwilling to reclaim their Gnosis. These were not just massive energy cores—they were also tools for the Seven Archons to communicate with Celestia.
After a moment's thought, Lu Chen let the two Gnosis vanish into thin air.
The four archons turned their gaze toward the Doctor and Capitano.
With the Fatui defeated, it was time for judgment.
Lu Chen didn't bother looking at the grim-faced Doctor. He was unworthy of negotiation. Instead, Lu Chen fixed his eyes on Capitano.
"I'll say it again—end your meaningless resistance, and I'll grant you the chance to surrender with dignity."
Capitano gripped his weapon tightly, standing silent and unmoving.
"You don't actually believe you can defeat four archons, do you?" Lu Chen said coldly. "And don't forget—I'm here as well."
Capitano knew the battle was lost, but his pride as a soldier made it difficult to release his weapon.
Sharp as ever, Nahida read his thoughts. She smiled faintly and pointed at the soldiers he had brought with him.
"Capitano, surely you don't wish for your soldiers to die here in vain. If that's the case..."
...