"He's finally here... Old Man..."
Barbatos's tone relaxed considerably. The Old Man was still the same Old Man, as reassuring as ever.
Morax gave Buer (Greater Lord Rukkhadevata is called Buer, Lesser Lord Kusanali is called Nahida) a slight nod. Though they hadn't seen each other in over five hundred years, as Original Seven Archons of the mortal realm, a mere exchange of glances was enough to convey a great deal.
At that moment, the Armored Monster completely broke free from Buer, hurtling into the ground like a cannonball. Moments later, it emerged, dragging the black-robed figure out with it.
The Anemo, Geo, and Dendro Original Archons stood united, facing the black-robed figure and the Armored Man.
However, it seemed two of their enemies were missing...
Though the black-robed figure was slightly injured, it was nothing serious.
He flung the longsword in his left hand, embedding it in the ground. In the distance, the sand erupted as a colossal Black Serpent surged forward, carrying the once-again-paralyzed Shouki no Kami, the Prodigal, which crackled with Electro energy.
With a forceful heave of its head, the Black Serpent slammed Shouki no Kami onto the ground. The machine tumbled to a halt at the feet of the three gods, motionless.
Buer glanced down. Morax said, "Go. Leave this to Barbatos and me."
Buer nodded and moved toward Shouki no Kami.
The black-robed figure pointed his crescent blade forward. The massive Black Serpent and the Armored Man charged with full force, while the black-robed figure followed close behind, pulling his longsword from the ground and attacking the Anemo and Geo Archons.
Morax raised his right hand, and instantly, thousands of colossal Geo Spears materialized in the sky. Venti's fierce winds enveloped them, and as Morax swept his hand downward, the spears shot toward the three monsters at blinding speed.
The black-robed figure was incredibly fast. The moment the Geo Spears descended, he tore open space and vanished. The Armored Man was slightly slower, but his smaller frame and astonishing defense saved him. Though heavily injured, the wounds weren't fatal; he still had the strength to fight.
The Black Serpent, however, suffered a gruesome fate. Its massive size made it the primary target of the concentrated assault. The Geo Spears, empowered by the Anemo Archon's divine power, pinned it to the desert floor.
Agony ripped through its body, forcing an uncontrollable shriek that echoed so far even Angie in Sumeru City heard it clearly.
It was the last sound the creature would ever make in this world. After that single roar, the Black Serpent went limp, no longer a threat.
The fierce winds clinging to the Geo Spears relentlessly tore at its wounds, widening them. It wouldn't be long before it bled out.
These Abyss creatures possessed power rivaling that of gods, but they were not gods themselves and held no Authority. When they died, they simply died, leaving no lingering troubles behind.
"Heaven-Shaking, Earth-Shattering."
Morax erected a shield around himself and Venti, then materialized a Geo Spear in his hand and charged toward the black-robed figure and the Armored Man.
Venti did the same.
The black-robed figure and the heavily wounded Armored Man showed no fear, meeting the charge head-on.
The four figures collided in an instant, the impact unleashing a shockwave of energy that radiated far into the distance.
-
Player World.
Streamers watching the scene slammed their desks in excitement, their hearts pounding like never before.
The moment the two gods and two Abyss Monsters charged at each other, Morax's pride and Barbatos's fury had them completely hooked.
The earlier Sumeru storyline had been so calm, making this explosive turn of events all the more thrilling. The players were absolutely loving it.
Morax's rain of Geo Spears, which instantly pinned the Black Serpent—the monster players had considered the toughest to deal with—was particularly satisfying. Who knew the massive beast would be so weak?
[The Geo Archon is mighty!]
[See? The sense of security you give me is less than one-ten-thousandth of the Geo Archon's, haha.]
[Scaramouche's fate is so tragic. Is this really how he exits the stage?]
[Honestly, I wish he were conscious right now. Imagine his expression if he knew the giant serpent he nearly died fighting was one-shotted by Zhongli!]
[Count me in! I want to see that too!]
[Scaramouche may have been a monster before, but his actions just now were pretty commendable.]
[Judging by Zhongli and Venti's expressions, they must have been holding back a mountain of rage for a long time.]
-
Sumeru City.
Nahida gazed worriedly toward the desert, only relaxing after sensing the auras of the Anemo and Geo Archons.
The Anemo and Geo Archons are powerful. With their help, Sumeru and Rukkhadevata should be safe... right?
"Something's wrong. This aura..."
Nahida suddenly became alert. This is... the aura of the Abyss...
Cyno rushed up, and upon seeing Nahida, he hurriedly said, "Several portals have appeared at the gates of Sumeru City, and a large number of monsters are pouring out! Dendro Archon, please dispatch troops immediately!"
Nahida nodded and closed her eyes.
In the Akasha, a message appeared. Vision holders throughout Sumeru City received the alert and rushed to the city gates to repel the monsters.
Lumine and Paimon had also returned from the desert. The moment Morax arrived, they knew the situation was under control.
But as soon as they returned, they found Sumeru City under siege by the Abyss.
Without a second thought, Lumine drew her sword and charged forward.
She might not have been able to beat those enemies in the desert, but there was no way she'd lose to these!
Tartaglia was also among the fighters. The monsters stirred unpleasant memories, and he wanted nothing more than to slaughter them all.
Ailina was there too, but Angie seemed to be absent.
In truth, Angie had wanted to join the fight, but Tartaglia had forcefully stopped her, refusing to let her come no matter what. Seeing her brother so insistent for once, Angie reluctantly obeyed.
Though the horde of monsters besieging Sumeru City seemed endless, Lumine and Tartaglia knew they had to close the Abyss Gates first. Otherwise, the battle would never end.
With the coordination of Alhaitham, Cyno, and others, Lumine's group managed to shut down several Abyss Gates.
The battlefield shrank.
Jiang Mumu had only unleashed these monsters to keep Lumine and her friends busy, giving them something to do instead of just watching from the sidelines.
The number of monsters wasn't overwhelming. As long as Lumine and her team fought seriously, the damage from this battle would be completely manageable.
-
In the desert.
Buer had rescued Scaramouche from Shouki no Kami, the Prodigal. Now, his face was covered in wounds, his right hand twisted at an unnatural angle, and his eyes were tightly shut.
Buer reached out and touched Scaramouche's forehead, sighing softly.
This man has sinned, she thought, but his actions now have atoned for it.
After moving Scaramouche to a safe location, Buer rushed toward the battlefield.
The Black Serpent was completely lifeless, its massive body sprawled across the desert. Its dark blood had stained a vast area black.
Arriving on the battlefield, Buer raised her hands. A massive barrier descended, and thick vines shot toward the black-robed figure and the Armored Man.
Rukkhadevata was an excellent support. With her joining the fight, the already dominant Anemo and Geo Archons became even more formidable.
Morax's divine eyes turned icy cold. His attacks grew heavier and faster.
He felt a growing sense of foreboding—an instinct urging him to end this battle quickly and return to Liyue.