Chapter 112. Battle Part 2
Dottore stood within the Shrine of Maya, where he had already become something no longer wholly human—a dark, orbiting shape shimmering with the light of seven elements. Across from him stood Lesser Lord Kusanali, Aila, and Black Aila, each one carrying a different kind of pressure, each one ready to turn this sanctuary into a battlefield.
Dottore raised his hands and clapped with a smile that was almost warm.
"Excellent, excellent. To be honest, seeing you all so lively, I'm relieved."
His gaze lingered on the two Ailas.
"Before that, could you tell me why you are so close, yet your souls show no signs of merging?"
He smiled benignly, like an elder concerned for the younger generation.
"You know, even [we] cannot get too close."
It was true. His segments could not approach one another too closely, because each was a separate soul. Too near, and they would instinctively try to devour each other, seeking to seize everything the other possessed.
"…"
Black Aila said nothing. Blood-red light flickered in her eyes, and shadowy tentacles rose one after another behind her.
Aila's gaze was equally cold. The tachi in her hand carried a chilling aura, while purple lightning flashed in her eyes.
Neither of them intended to speak. Neither of them intended to delay. The hatred that had accumulated over the years could not be dissolved by words.
Through their fusion, Aila had witnessed everything Black Aila had endured: the inhuman experiments, the dazed wandering in the Abyss, the pain of having memories stitched together like wounds forced open again.
And all of it had been born from Dottore's hands.
"Be careful. Don't act rashly. He is stronger than you imagine." After the two Ailas stepped forward, Nahida finally exhaled, the pressure on her easing slightly. She added, "And… don't you have another form?"
The two Ailas were indeed strong now, both bearing complete Demon Gods authority. Beneath the Demon Gods, they were among the strongest existences.
But beneath the Demon Gods was still beneath them. Against someone at Demon Gods level, the difference was still too great.
"Don't worry. We know." Black Aila looked at Dottore, her tone as cold as winter steel. "Because we know exactly how terrifying he is. So we'll go all out and kill him. We won't hold anything back."
Aila gave the slightest nod beside her. They were not rushing in yet. They were waiting, watching.
If the other side attacked first, they would be ready.
"That's good."
Nahida let out another quiet breath. Even now, she still could not fully tell how far the fusion had elevated them.
According to what everyone in the group had said—and from the group livestream back then—they were at least a large step above Guizhong.
Originally, Nahida had thought she ought to be stronger than Guizhong. They were both Demon Gods, and by aura alone, with the Gnosis in her possession, she should have been far stronger.
Later—only after the battle had truly begun did Nahida understand that she was the gatekeeper of Demon Gods-level combat strength.
During the Archon War, Guizhong could hold off a single Archon for half a day, stubbornly keeping that invader in place.
As for herself—it was embarrassing to even think about. Scaramouche had not gone all out, Dottore had not gone all out, and she was already on the verge of collapse.
Still, Nahida had a clear understanding of her own place. From now on, she only needed to do her duty as support.
Nothing else mattered. Thinking more would be pointless. The gap in strength was simply too obvious.
"Why such hostility?" Dottore looked at the two Ailas, sounding genuinely puzzled. He exhaled lightly. "Logically speaking, aren't we friends?"
"Although I admit it, my initial act of splitting your soul to create two of you was selfish. But after you arrived in Snezhnaya, I conducted countless experiments on you to make you stronger, and you even went to the Abyss to collect materials for me. Have you forgotten those little things?"
"But isn't that also a kind of bond? So there's no need for us to fight and kill, is there?"
Aila and Black Aila remained silent.
Their killing intent only grew thicker.
Nahida's eyes widened slightly as she stared at Dottore. In her opinion, he was truly shameless. To say such things at a moment like this—did he think their anger toward him needed to be even higher?
Dottore kept talking to himself.
"I have a suggestion. Why don't you two return to Snezhnaya with me? I don't know how you're maintaining your current state, but I'm sure there are hidden dangers. Come back with me, and I'll help you resolve them."
He was talking so much because he was curious about what had happened to Aila.
Before, because of the God Creation Project, he had suppressed that curiosity. But now the two Ailas stood before him, fully formed, clearly preparing to join forces against him.
Ah~~~!
Dottore felt his mind tremble. He was already impatient to begin experimenting.
Two perfect subjects! Even if it meant completely offending Futsu Mitama, he would still take these two Ailas for himself.
Of course, if they accepted his suggestion, that would be even better.
His instincts told him these two Ailas were fully independent individuals and that there should be no hidden danger at all.
But the more that seemed true, the more valuable they were for research. They might even bring him closer to truth itself.
"Are you ready?" Black Aila asked Aila, her voice calm. "Can you be quicker? I'm already impatient to kill him."
"Almost." Aila exhaled, her tone steady. "Young Master said that although we are one hundred percent compatible, if our state can be adjusted to its peak, then the power we exert will become stronger too."
"But I'm getting tired of this noisy individual as well. Is he always this confident?"
Black Aila glanced at Aila, as if asking whether she had seen what kind of man this was through her memories.
"Compatibility? Power?" Dottore tilted his head slightly, still unable to follow what they were talking about.
But he did not care. Their attitude was clearly refusal, but did they have the capital to refuse?
They were indeed strong. Against anything below Demon Gods level, they would be more than enough.
Unfortunately for them, they had run into him.
The next second, Aila pulled out a card.
"Spell Card: Fusion! Activate!"
The card burst into blinding white light and instantly entered into Aila and Black Aila's bodies.
"Buzz—!!!"
The two of them became spheres of light, then the white spheres merged. A golden radiance erupted outward and flooded everything around them.
"Is this their method?!"
Nahida instinctively raised a hand to shield her eyes. The light was dazzling beyond measure.
Even more shocking, she could clearly feel a terrifying aura rapidly awakening from within that golden brilliance.
A pressure beyond description spread outward from the center of the light.
"Rumble—!!!"
Dark purple lightning ripped through the Shrine of Maya.
At the same time, the sky within the Shrine of Maya seemed to darken for no reason at all. Shadows spread outward, all centered on that golden light.
Within those shadows, one blood-red eye after another opened, and dozens of thick tentacles rose from the darkness.
"Manifested Authority."
Dottore narrowed his eyes, surprise flickering in his heart. He remembered clearly that both of their Archon authorities had been incomplete.
He himself possessed incomplete authority as well, and he could use it with ease.
But incomplete authority was nothing worth mentioning—not even comparable to the authority granted by the Empress.
Yet now, whether Aila or Black Aila, both of them were actually manifesting authority. This… was complete authority?
How was that possible? There was no logic to it.
Even Dottore found this scene unbelievably absurd. If possible, he would have liked to wait quietly for the fusion to finish and observe the changes.
But Dottore was always cautious.
He turned into a black shadow and rushed toward the golden light.
He did not understand what Aila and Black Aila were doing, but stopping them was the correct choice. If he could capture them and bring them back to Snezhnaya, then no matter what secrets they carried, he could uncover them.
Since negotiations had failed, he would have to take all three of them down immediately.
And the Dendro Gnosis? He would happily take that as well.
"Don't even think about it!"
Seeing Dottore rush forward, Nahida immediately activated the Dendro Gnosis and formed a massive barrier, trying to block him.
Dottore gave a disdainful laugh, as if to say: You think this can stop me?
"Snap—!"
At that moment, more than a dozen thick shadowy tentacles suddenly vanished—then reappeared directly in front of Dottore, lashing toward him.
"What?!"
Dottore stared in surprise, not expecting the tentacles to strike before the golden light had even faded.
Realizing the danger, he immediately moved to defend himself. Seven shields, formed from the seven elements of Anemo, Pyro, Hydro, Geo, Electro, Cryo, and Dendro, materialized around him.
The shadowy tentacles struck his barrier at terrifying speed, shattering every shield.
Still, those shields bought him just enough time to create distance and retreat to safety.
"Boom!"
Then, over a dozen purple lightning bolts, each as thick as a bucket, crashed down from the sky and struck Dottore once again.
The lightning swallowed him whole. He did not even have time to react before he was engulfed.
Nahida was stunned.
Had the fusion not even finished yet? And it was already this terrifying?
There were differences even among Demon Gods. Nahida suddenly understood that truth with painful clarity. Perhaps she really was not suited for combat.
Neither she nor her authority seemed made for battle.
"No need to trouble yourself."
At that moment, Aila's indifferent voice rang out. The fusion was complete.
Nahida looked over. The two figures—one black-haired, one white-haired—had now fully merged into one.
She now had black and white hair, and her presence was terrifyingly overwhelming. The authorities of lightning and shadow had fused perfectly within her.
Nahida could also clearly feel that the Shrine of Maya, created through her Gnosis, was becoming unstable.
It was not about to be broken open. The instability came from something else: the surrounding scenery was rapidly transforming into snow-covered Inazuma City.
To be honest, if Nahida did not know Aila was human, she would have assumed she was a Demon God disguised in human form.
This was the interference of consciousness space, causing the surrounding world to change on a massive scale. Could a human soul really be this terrifying?
Nahida's heart trembled. She felt her own smallness more and more sharply.
Indeed, she had been confined for too long and knew too little of the outside world.
After this matter was over, no matter what, she would have to go out and travel. And she would have to spend more time in the Chat Group.
With the Teleportation Scepter, she could travel freely across Teyvat. Even if something happened, she could return to Sumeru at once.
"From now on, leave it to me."
Aila spoke calmly. A flash of lightning crossed her wine-red eyes as she looked at Dottore's shadowy form and said,
"Dottore, it's time to settle all old grievances! Although you are not the real Dottore, I'll collect some interest from you first!"
With that, Aila extended a hand, and in a single thought, countless lightning bolts surged toward Dottore.
A flood of purple thunder crashed down upon him.
Nahida watched, and envy quietly stirred in her heart.
This was an offensive Demon Gods authority. Far stronger than her own.
Before this battle, Nahida had believed that the God of Wisdom should have a unique combat style of her own.
She should not rely on brute force to solve everything. Otherwise, what would be the difference between her and a brute?
Now she understood.
Wisdom was for reasoning with others.
Force was for making others sit down and listen to your reasoning quietly.
"I'm not the real Dottore? Hahahahahaha!"
Dottore released Abyssal Energy to block the lightning. Looking at Aila with a fanatical expression, he said,
"No, you're wrong. We are all Dottores."
"There is no such thing as a main body. I am Dottore, and they are Dottores too. Do you know how captivating your current appearance is?"
"Just as I thought back then—you are the key to my reaching the truth. You are different from Scaramouche. He was already a divine puppet, so becoming a Demon God is normal."
"But you are human. A human entering the Demon God Realm, and even condensing a consciousness space. I have to admit—you are stronger than me."
Dottore seemed to have an especially peculiar obsession with the word human. He clenched his fists and said, somewhat impatiently,
"But now, for the truth, I need everything about you. Surrender obediently!"
With those words, Dottore spread his arms wide, and one spatial portal after another opened behind him.
"Hm?"
Nahida frowned. Dottore was far too disrespectful, daring to open portals inside her domain.
She immediately activated her power, intending to force the portals closed.
But before she could do so, one terrifying monster after another poured out like madness from within them.
Not only monsters, but Ruin Guards, Ruin Graders, Ruin Hunters, Ruin Drakes, and other war machines also emerged.
Humanoid monsters, blackened and suffused with ominous Abyssal Energy, rushed out as well.
Although Nahida quickly shut the portals, the number that had already poured in was nearly three thousand.
And their auras were terrifying. Nahida could feel that these were likely soldiers Dottore had painstakingly researched and refined.
Individually, they would probably give experienced adventurers headaches for a while.
But now there were more than three thousand here.
That realization made Nahida uneasy. Fortunately, the battle was not taking place in Sumeru City, but within her own domain.
Inside the Shrine of Maya, so long as the Gnosis was not destroyed, no matter how fierce the fighting became, her domain would not be breached.
If this had happened in Sumeru City, it would not even be a question of whether the Matra and the Thirty could hold the line.
Even if only one or two slipped through and reached civilians, it would become a massacre.
The entities teleported in by Dottore received some silent command the moment they appeared and rushed toward Aila with bloodshot eyes.
Dottore himself laughed loudly.
"Come, let me see how strong you truly are. These are my proud creations. They make perfect appetizers. Originally, I planned to use them to threaten Futsu Mitama and keep him from acting rashly. But now it doesn't matter. I no longer care whether Scaramouche lives or dies."
Once he had cared about Scaramouche.
Now, he did not.
His gaze was fixed only on Aila.
One was a useless being who had only become a Demon God through all kinds of divine coincidences.
The other was a human who had reached the Demon God Realm through her own efforts—and had even completed two Demon God authorities.
From any angle, Dottore had no reason to keep caring about Scaramouche.
"These canon fodders?"
Aila watched the charging enemies with complete indifference.
For some reason, she thought of the Abyssal Tide she had once seen deep within The Chasm.
What was the difference between these enemies, rushing at her like mad, and the Abyssal Tide sealed in The Chasm?
And yet—compared to the Abyssal Tide, these were still too weak.
With that thought, Aila raised one hand. Blood-red light flickered in her eyes as she fully released her Shadow Authority.
"Buzz—!!!"
Shadows swallowed the rushing enemies whole, and one thick tentacle after another struck them as if swatting flies.
"Splat Splat Splat———!!!!"
Under Archon authority, all beings were equal.
Whether they were mighty beasts, war machines forged from human ingenuity, or beings corrupted by Abyssal Power—
Before such a strike, all of them looked fragile.
All of them looked breakable.