"The Guizhong Ballista is destroyed…"
The one speaking hovered above the chaos, her feathers billowing like banners in the wind. Her voice, usually distant and composed, wavered with the faintest note of tension.
"Without its covering fire, retaliation shall be difficult."
Another voice answered her, softer, timid, yet brimming with urgency. It trembled as though the speaker feared the very words she was forced to say.
"But the Jade Chamber is our last line of defense!"
The voice belonged to a half-qilin, ganyu, who stood at the forefront, her pale blue hair dampened by sea spray and pulled back into neat ties. Slender horns curled from her crown, faintly glowing even against the storm-darkened sky. Her crimson eyes darted upward to the floating palace overhead, filled with both dread and devotion. Her hands tightened around the grip of her bow until her knuckles turned white, her voice almost breaking under the weight of the truth she had spoken.
The waves battered the stone piers of Liyue Harbor, each crash heavier than the last. The sea boiled with fury as Osial's massive coils lashed against the cliffs, its roar echoing like thunder across the heavens.
A rather feminine, yet firm voice cut through the chaos:
"I have… another idea."
The words belonged to a woman standing at the forefront of the battle. Her long, white hair whipped about in the violent wind, and her golden eyes gleamed with resolve. Silk robes trimmed in white fur fluttered around her as she raised her chin toward the looming leviathan.
Another voice, timid yet carrying an undertone of desperation, followed:
"What do you mean, Lady…?"
It was Ganyu, her crimson eyes flicking nervously between the woman beside her and the god above, her bow trembling slightly in her grasp.
The first woman's gaze softened as she lowered her eyes to the sea of terrified soldiers around her.
For a heartbeat, her face betrayed a fragile warmth. But just as quickly, that softness hardened into steel. She looked upward again, her voice carrying against the storm.
"I'll sacrifice the Jade Chamber."
A hush fell, heavier than the spray of the ocean. Millelith officers turned pale, some gasping audibly, others gripping their spears in disbelief. Even the Adepti, those who had fought gods in ages past, hesitated at the enormity of the declaration.
High above, the floating palace shimmered faintly, proud and untouchable, a symbol of Liyue's prosperity. To destroy it would be to burn the very proof of their triumph. And yet, in this moment, there was no hesitation in her tone.
Osial roared again, the waves surging higher, the heavens darkening with its fury. The battle for Liyue's survival was about to begin.
The Jade Chamber groaned as its mechanisms roared to life, golden light spilling from its underbelly. Slowly, the grand palace began to ascend, pushed higher and higher by unseen force, until it hovered directly above the writhing head of Osial. The storm howled around it, sea spray and shattered stone flung skyward as the floating fortress reached its destination, then stopped, poised like a blade ready to strike.
A sudden ripple of wind coursed through the chaos. A figure appeared, landing with the weight of a whisper on the jade chamber. His right arm, patterned with the sigils of the Yaksha, his mask gleaming faintly before dissolving into nothingness. His teal hair shifted against the violent wind, and his golden eyes burned cold and sharp, like a predator's. In one hand rested his polearm, its tip gleaming with a deadly glow. Silent, he watched the leviathan below with the stoicism of one who had fought nightmares for centuries.
Within the very heart of the Jade Chamber, multiple figures gathered, Adepti and allies forming a protective circle. At the center stood a lone girl, her golden hair whipping wildly in the gale, her white and black garments torn by battle but her stance unshaken. Her eyes clear, steady, determined, reflected the storm and the god she faced.
Her name was Lumine, the Traveler.
From just beyond her side, a commanding voice rang out, firm yet carrying the weight of sacrifice:
"Traveler, lend me your hand."
The one who spoke was Ningguang, Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing. Her amber gaze was resolute, her composure unbroken even as her life's greatest work hung suspended, awaiting destruction.
Lumine gave no words in reply. Instead, she drew her blade in one swift, practiced motion, steel flashing as the stormlight caught its edge. Her grip was steady, her expression unyielding.
One by one, the Adepti closed their eyes, their forms glowing with radiance. From Cloud Retainer's outstretched arms, from Xiao's silent figure, from every immortal present, streams of power began to pour forth, lines of light weaving into the Traveler, converging upon her like rivers into the sea.
The Jade Chamber shone like a beacon in the heavens, its heart igniting with the combined strength of gods and mortals alike.
And Lumine stood at the center of it all, her sword raised, her gaze as fierce and unwavering as the dawn.
"…Goodbye, for now." Ningguang's voice was steady, but beneath its calm lilt carried the weight of parting with something far greater than stone and timber. Her amber eyes lingered on the resplendent halls of the Jade Chamber, the culmination of her vision and perseverance, a symbol of Liyue's prosperity. For a fleeting instant, sorrow flickered across her features—an echo of the sacrifices she had already made to protect this land. Then, with a faint, almost wistful smile, she lifted her chin toward the storm.
"Let us meet again in the future."
At her side, Lumine stepped forward. The Traveler's hands tightened around the hilt of her blade, her expression unwavering. Golden energy surged around her, threads of Adepti power still coursing through her veins, humming in resonance with the floating palace itself. With a resolute cry silent upon her lips, she raised her sword high above her head, the stormlight glinting along its edge.
Then… she drove the blade downward.
Steel met crystal at the Jade Chamber's heart, and in that instant, the world was swallowed by brilliance. A shockwave of golden radiance exploded outward, sweeping over Adepti, Millelith, and mortal alike. For a heartbeat, all was light, warm, blinding, eternal.
Then it faded.
The glow that once filled the palace dimmed, the shimmering lanterns and runes etched into its body flickering out one by one, like stars succumbing to dawn. Silence overtook the battlefield, broken only by the roar of the sea below.
And slowly, with the sounds of collapsing stone and timber, the Jade Chamber began to descend. No longer a palace in the heavens, but a falling titan, its final act of defiance against the god it sought to destroy.
The great palace began its descent, the heavens trembling as the Jade Chamber plummeted like a dying star. Its vast shadow swallowed the harbor, and the sea below churned violently in anticipation of its crash.
Gasps tore from the Millelith as the inevitable approached. Some turned their heads away, unable to watch their symbol of pride reduced to ruin. Even the Adepti, stoic in their centuries of battle, got ready to depart from the jade chamber
Then…
The sky ripped open.
From a wound of searing gold, light cascaded down in blinding torrents. The storm faltered, the roar of waves silenced for an instant as something vast and radiant emerged from beyond.
A figure descended, not falling but commanding the air itself. Armor, plated and shining as if forged from the sun, encased his body. A helm shaped like a dragon's maw framed burning crimson eyes. Twin claws, gleaming with lethal brilliance, extended from his gauntlets. Metallic wings unfurled at his back, stretching wide as if to embrace the entire sky.
Without a sound, he moved, swift, decisive.
The Jade Chamber's colossal bulk should have crushed the god beneath it. Instead, the armored warrior intercepted it in midair, his clawed hands pressing firmly against the palace's base. For a heartbeat, the impossible happened: he stopped it. The entire fortress, suspended above a trembling sea, held aloft by a single, silent figure.
Golden sparks flared from his armor, energy rippling outward like shockwaves against the storm.
All eyes turned upward, Adepti, Millelith, even Osial itself.
Ganyu's lips parted, her crimson eyes wide in disbelief. "Impossible…" she whispered.
And high above, the leviathan's eyes narrowed, recognition, or perhaps fury burning within them.
The armored warrior hovered for only a heartbeat with the Jade Chamber in his grasp, golden sparks of his power crackling against the battered palace. Then, with a sudden, controlled descent, he swept downward, guiding the fortress safely through the storm. It landed on a stable stretch of coastline far from Osial's thrashing coils, the Jade Chamber intact, its halls unbroken.
He didn't pause to admire his feat. His gaze swept over the battlefield, Adepti, Millelith, and mortals alike. Broken stone, shattered ships, scorched earth… yet no one lay seriously hurt. Lumine had survived, as had the others who had joined to protect her.
The most striking sight, however, was the figure's form as he turned toward the sea. On his back, massive metallic plates were split apart like jagged sails, faintly glowing, their engineering impossible to comprehend. When summoned, the plates united seamlessly into a singular, enormous shield. At its center gleamed a blazing symbol of the sun, etched deep into the metal, radiating light like a miniature dawn. When split, the sun divided perfectly across both halves, a fragmented emblem that hinted at the shield's power yet retained its imposing majesty.
The ocean roared in response. Osial's coils writhed violently, eyes blazing with fury as it focused entirely on the alien figure who had dared to intervene. Towering waves surged, smashing against the coast in rage.
The armored warrior's eyes fixed on the colossal coils of Osial, unmoving even as the god of the sea churned the waters into towering walls of fury. Then, without warning, he surged upward.
Metal plates split and glimmered as he ascended, the massive shield on his back stretching apart like jagged sails, fragments of the sun symbol glinting on each side. Golden light radiated from the shield and his body, cutting through the storm clouds like a beacon of power.
He hovered above Osial, suspended in the air with perfect stillness. The ocean beneath him churned violently, each wave crashing against the shore as if aware of the impossible being above. Lightning forked across the storm-darkened sky, illuminating his crimson eyes, his plated claws, the immense shield poised and ready.
From this vantage, he looked down upon the leviathan, not with hesitation, but with silent, unyielding intent. The wind howled around him, the storm itself bending to the presence of this alien warrior.
All eyes from the shoreline, the Adepti, and Lumine remained fixed upward. Even Osial paused, its many eyes narrowing, perhaps sensing a force greater than any it had encountered.
Osial's massive coils whipped upward with a roar that shook the heavens. Water surged and twisted around the leviathan, forming colossal fists and tendrils aimed directly at the armored warrior hovering above. The storm intensified, lightning crackling across the sky as the god of the sea unleashed its full fury.
One coil struck like a battering ram, slicing through the clouds toward him, but the armored figure did not flinch. The metallic shield on his back glimmered as the segmented plates aligned, the sun symbol uniting into a single, radiant emblem. The impact struck the shield with a thunderous clang, sparks scattering, yet he remained unshaken, suspended above Osial like a sentinel carved from steel and light.
Another wave of water crashed with the force of a tidal wall, attempting to sweep him away. He tilted slightly, letting the shield absorb the torrent, the segmented sun splitting perfectly along its halves, energy rippling across the surface. The strike dissipated harmlessly, as though he were untouchable.
Osial's eyes burned with growing frustration. Coils twisted faster, waves surged higher, a relentless barrage of crushing force and roaring water. Yet every strike, every massive swing… met nothing but the gleaming armor and the impenetrable shield. Not a scratch marred him. Not a step was faltered.
From below, Lumine's breath caught in her throat, her crimson eyes wide in awe. The Adepti exchanged glances, some people whispering prayers, others gripping their weapons, unable to comprehend the immovable figure above.
The armored warrior hovered above Osial, unmoved by the onslaught of the sea god's fury. The coils whipped, waves surged, and yet not a single strike could touch him.
Slowly, deliberately, he raised both arms high above his head. Golden sparks flared along the edges of his plated claws, tracing the contours of his forearms and armor. Energy began to coalesce, rippling outward from the metal, the air itself shimmering under its intensity.
A brilliant glow ignited from his draconian hands, radiating outward like molten sunlight. It pulsed, growing, stretching across the storm-darkened sky, the raw power radiating a heat that made the clouds ripple and the waves below recoil.
Even the storm seemed to hesitate. Lightning paused mid-fork, wind stalled, and Osial's eyes narrowed in confusion and fury. The leviathan's coils thrashed violently, but it could not touch the being above.
The golden energy continued to swell, gathering into a sphere of blinding radiance, far larger than the sea god itself. The sheer scale of it painted the sky in molten gold, the brilliance rivaling the sun, illuminating the entire harbor, the Jade Chamber below, and the trembling coastline beyond.
Lumine shielded her eyes, her crimson gaze locked on the impossible display. The Adepti fell silent, some bowing instinctively, some frozen in awe. Even the roiling sea seemed to hold its breath, as if the world itself recognized the power amassed above.
The armored warrior's gaze fixed on Osial, crimson eyes burning with unwavering intent. Slowly, deliberately, he brought his arms forward, channeling the golden energy from his palms. The sphere of radiance above him, blinding, immense, like a second sun, shimmered and pulsed with raw, unstoppable power.
Then, with a thunderous cry, he shouted:
"TERRA FORCE!"
The golden sphere shot forward, a comet of molten brilliance, hurtling directly toward Osial. The sea god lashed its massive coils, attempting to strike back, to crush or divert the attack, but it was too late. The waves that had risen to block it vaporized before even reaching the radiance, dissipating into mist as if burned away by the sheer intensity of the light.
Osial roared, an ear-splitting, furious sound, as the golden sun collided with its massive form. The impact was absolute. Energy cascaded over its coils, water and storm screaming against the unyielding force, but nothing could withstand the brilliance. Every strike, every wave, every attempt to resist was overwhelmed, swallowed by the molten radiance.
The golden light engulfed Osial entirely, stretching far beyond its form, illuminating the sea, the coastline, and the floating Jade Chamber in a blazing halo. The roar of the god of the sea merged with the pulse of the attack itself, a clash of titans that seemed to shake even the heavens.
The blinding radiance began to fade, like the last embers of a fallen star. Osial's roar diminished to a distant, defeated rumble, the waves settling as if exhausted by the sheer force they had endured. Mist rose from the waters, curling into the sky and dissolving under the warmth of a suddenly returning sun.
The storm clouds that had choked the horizon for hours receded, leaving a sky streaked with gold and pale blue. Sunlight danced on the calm surface of the harbor, glinting off the water like a thousand scattered diamonds. The once-raging sea had become serene, the waves now gentle, reflecting the peace brought by the armored warrior's impossible intervention.
From above, a shadow detached itself from the brilliance of the dissipating attack. The armored figure descended slowly, deliberately, each movement measured and precise. The segmented plates on his back folded inward, the halves of the massive shield locking seamlessly into place, the sun symbol at its center gleaming with quiet authority. His metallic claws gleamed under the sunlight as he approached the Jade Chamber, floating effortlessly, a guardian in shining armor.
The Jade Chamber itself remained whole, untouched by the fury it had once hovered above. Lumine knelt ontop of the core, still catching her breath, crimson eyes wide in awe as she observed the descending figure. Around her, the Adepti and Millelith stirred, some shielding their eyes against the fading brilliance, others staring, still unsure of what they had just witnessed.
On the balcony of the Jade Chamber, Ningguang stepped forward. Her usual poise remained, but there was a tension in the line of her shoulders, a careful tightening of her hands. Her amber eyes met the descending figure, and she forced a small, brave smile onto her lips.
"Who… are you?" she asked cautiously, her voice steady yet edged with curiosity and awe, carrying across the now-calm wind.
The armored warrior hovered mere meters above the chamber, the golden sun emblem on his shield catching the light of the returning day. His crimson eyes met hers, unflinching, unwavering, yet not unkind. He lowered his head slightly, the sound of his armored plates settling echoing softly like distant thunder.
"I am… Wargreymon."