Chapter 118. Battle Part 8
She was going to detonate the Cryo Archon's authority and take Shenhe down with her. At that range, both of them could die.
"Is she trying to drag Shenhe down with her?!"
Shinobu saw it immediately and understood what Signora was doing. Signora seemed to realize her end was near, so she chose to perish together with Shenhe.
"This is bad!!!"
Kokomi also panicked. Shenhe's physique was strong, but a direct self-detonation of Archon authority was no joke. It was a genuine Archon-level attack.
Earlier, when Futsu Mitama unleashed Musou no Hitotachi against Scaramouche, a large part of that power had been offset by the explosion of the Cryo Archon's authority. Through the chat group livestream, Kokomi, Kuki Shinobu, and even Shenhe herself had all seen how terrifying that move was.
If she took that head-on, Shenhe might really die on the spot.
An Archon's attack was not something to take lightly. Scaramouche's two previous shockwaves had already completely shattered Kuki Shinobu's barrier, and that alone proved how frightening the Demon God Realm really was.
Archons and those below them were simply on different levels entirely.
That was why Kuki Shinobu and Sangonomiya Kokomi were so anxious.
But Shenhe, the one involved, was calm.
She stared at Signora, whose face was twisted with madness as she tried to drag her to her death.
Then her mind drifted back to something Cloud Retainer had told her half a year ago, when she was preparing to go to Inazuma.
That night in Liyue Harbor, outside Futsu Mitama's residence, Cloud Retainer had looked at her calmly and said:
"This journey to Inazuma carries risks. I specifically asked the Geo Archon for something to ensure your safety."
Then she added,
"The outside world is very dangerous. You have slain demons for many years, but you should know this: demons are dangerous, yet human hearts are even more dangerous."
Shenhe had remained silent. She had long since learned that lesson in her childhood.
"Although I trust Futsu Mitama to protect you," Cloud Retainer said, handing her a pale golden stone, "it is better to have a backup plan, just in case."
Then she instructed her earnestly,
"The Geo Archon's power will not interfere with your ordinary trials of life and death. His power exists to protect your safety, in addition, if someone using Archon power tries to bully you, the Geo Archon will naturally protect you."
"Go now. I am very pleased that you have taken this step. After you return from Inazuma, remember to tell me all the interesting things you met."
After speaking, Cloud Retainer flapped her wings and left.
Only then did Shenhe suddenly remember that she still had not told her master about the interesting things that had happened in Inazuma.
But this trip to Sumeru should be ending soon too.
When she returned, she would gather all those experiences together and tell her master about them at once.
Thinking this, Shenhe tightened her grip on Signora even more, worried that the other woman would not explode quickly enough.
Several more talismans floated from her body.
Their chilling aura made it obvious that Shenhe was also preparing to play the self-destruction game.
"?"
Signora's expression twisted even further.
She had intended to self-destruct to force Shenhe back.
But the other woman was not only unafraid, she even seemed ready to die with her?
Already furious, Signora felt an even greater blaze of rage rise inside her.
You want to die? Fine. Then let's die together.
But after that burst of fury, she quickly calmed down.
She did not truly want to die. She only wanted to scare Shenhe into giving ground. If Shenhe showed any intention of retreating, Signora would immediately cancel her self-detonation.
It was a move that would hurt the enemy a thousand while costing herself eight hundred.
But Shenhe's current attitude left her with no retreat at all.
A ruthless light flashed in Signora's eyes.
She was ruthless to others, and even more ruthless to herself.
If she wanted to break the stalemate now, she had to detonate the authority within her.
As for whether she survived afterward, that would depend on luck.
Staying here meant only one outcome: DEATH.
Signora was not the kind of person who would die quietly and anonymously, so she chose to gamble.
ALL IN.
BET EVERYTHING.
GAMBLE WITH HER LIFE.
IF SHE WON, SHE LIVED.
IF SHE LOST, SHE DIED.
With that thought, Signora exerted force, and terrifying flames burst from her body, burning toward Shenhe.
Shenhe showed no fear.
The talismans around her emitted an astonishing chill, protecting her while suppressing Signora at the same time.
"YOU FORCED MY HAND!"
Signora roared and decisively detonated the Cryo Archon's authority inside her.
An indescribable divine majesty spread outward.
Unlike Scaramouche's sudden burst, Signora seemed to be waiting for something.
The next second, a veiled, faceless phantom appeared in the sky.
It looked down on the battlefield below, its eyes empty and emotionless.
"This is..."
Kuki Shinobu's eyes widened. She had not expected something like this.
"The Cryo Archon?! This is different from Scaramouche's."
Sangonomiya Kokomi also looked stunned.
Signora detonating the Cryo Archon's authority had actually summoned the Archon's phantom.
Though it was only a phantom, Kokomi still felt a deep unease.
An explosion of divine authority was already equivalent to an Archon's strike.
If the Cryo Archon's phantom had appeared, did that mean the Cryo Archon of Snezhnaya had already cast her gaze upon Sumeru?
For a moment, Kokomi felt that Signora's method was similar to her own ability to draw on the power of Orobashi no Mikoto on Watatsumi Island.
But Orobashi was already dead, so she could only use a small portion of the remaining power.
Signora's case was different.
The Cryo Archon was still alive.
The authority granted to Signora was probably meant to help her from afar and allow better control over that power.
Or perhaps the moment Scaramouche detonated his own authority, it caused the Cryo Archon to look down and observe what was happening here.
Either way, Kokomi now felt an overwhelming sense of danger, and she frantically @-ed everyone in the chat group.
This was deadly.
Signora alone was already troublesome, but now there was a very real possibility that the Cryo Archon was interfering from afar.
Kuki Shinobu also joined in, @-ing everyone in the group as well, hoping someone could come up with a solution.
She had seen what distant divine intervention looked like before.
Raiden Ei had intervened from afar many times in Inazuma, not only severely injuring Scaramouche and Signora, but even altering natural disasters.
In Shinobu's opinion, the Cryo Archon of Snezhnaya was definitely not as strong as Inazuma's Archon.
But no matter what, she was still an Archon.
An existence none of them could confront.
Kuki Shinobu: "@Raiden Ei @Raiden Makoto @Azhdaha @Guizhong @Maha Rukkhadevata @Nahida @Futsu Mitama @Aila @Venti, something terrible has happened!"
Sangonomiya Kokomi: "@Raiden Ei @Raiden Makoto @Azhdaha @Guizhong @Maha Rukkhadevata @Nahida @Futsu Mitama @Aila @Venti, the situation is bad. Shenhe might die."
Raiden Makoto: "Huh?"
Albedo: "Die? What happened? Wasn't the battle going well on your side?"
Raiden Ei: "Did something unexpected happen? I've seen Signora's strength before. With the two of you helping, she shouldn't be able to cause much trouble, should she?"
Yae Miko: "Signora is troublesome, but her trouble usually isn't about her strength. Could it be that she still has another trump card? But a mere detonation of Cryo authority shouldn't be enough to stop you, right?"
Keqing: "Is it that self-detonation move Scaramouche used before? Detonating the authority granted by the Archon."
Kamisato Ayaka: "If it's that move, then the situation really is not good."
Futsu Mitama: "I can intervene."
Nahida: "I can come out immediately!"
Guizhong: "No need. Futsu Mitama, Nahida, focus on what you're doing. Cloud Retainer, that talkative bird, left Shenhe with quite a few life-saving trump cards."
Azhdaha: "Cloud Retainer can't defeat an Archon without a formation, right?"
Guizhong: "Cloud Retainer had Morax create some items for Shenhe to protect herself. This life-saving method is specifically for Archons. After all, before Shenhe left Liyue, Cloud Retainer considered this point, which is why she asked Morax to create life-saving artifacts. She didn't use them in Inazuma, but unexpectedly, they're being used now."
Aila: "I remember that crane also gave 'me' a similar life-saving item. She said that if she lost the Fusion War, I could use this to forcibly withdraw from the fusion."
Aila: "As a master, she is extremely, extremely qualified. She gives her disciples ample support, the best inheritance, and the best life-saving artifacts."
Venti: "Normal, this is the inheritance of Liyue. However, if there's a life-saving artifact given by the old man, then the Fatui Harbinger will likely not escape this calamity."
Kuki Shinobu: "Then... the Cryo Archon's phantom appeared, is everything alright?"
Sangonomiya Kokomi: "[Image] Look, everyone!"
Maha Rukkhadevata: "Using authority to strike from afar? In a sense, this is a violation of the rules. Foreign Archons cannot invade other nations, let alone use force."
Raiden Makoto: "Most likely, she only wants to save people, not kill them. If she were to act, then whatever Snezhnaya wants to do next would be extremely troublesome."
Raiden Ei: "But, it's possible this isn't 'her' consciousness. This phantom is very likely a counter-attack program."
Albedo: "If that's the case, then the situation is very bad. If I were there, it would be fine. My body can still block this attack."
Guizhong: "I've asked Morax, and it's fine. If she acts, the life-saving artifact Cloud Retainer gave Shenhe will also activate on its own, so there's no need to worry too much."
Sangonomiya Kokomi: "Is that so? That's great."
Kuki Shinobu: "Mhm."
Venti: "By the way, @Sangonomiya Kokomi @Kuki Shinobu, if possible, after defeating the Fatui Harbinger, if she's not dead, can you bring her back to Mondstadt?"
Venti: "No matter what, she is a Mondstadter. Since she has failed, it's time for her to return and her ending."
Raiden Makoto: "You've gone soft?"
Raiden Ei: "The sins she has committed are not few. Barbatos, are you sure?"
Venti: "Since death is inevitable, why don't I put an end to her story? How should I put it... I was indeed partly to blame for what happened back then. If I had returned sooner, or if Dvalin had killed that poisonous dragon earlier, none of this might have happened."
Eula: "No, that's not right. That's not your fault. We, the Knights of Favonius, are committed to protecting the citizens of Mondstadt."
Eula: "Regarding the death of the Fatui Harbinger's beloved, I believe he fulfilled his duty as a Knight of Favonius without shame. He is a great hero in the hearts of Mondstadt's citizens."
Eula: "But the Fatui Harbinger defiled that honor. I feel sorrow for her."
Albedo: "The past is the past, Venti. You don't have to bear all the responsibility yourself, just as you entrusted freedom to the citizens of Mondstadt."
Albedo: "Mondstadters chose this freedom, and they will naturally give everything for it, instead of being like greedy bloodsuckers who seek help from the Archons when in trouble and talk about freedom when there's none."
Klee: "Albedo big brother and Eula big sister are right! Although Klee doesn't understand what happened! But Venti big brother doesn't have to blame himself for bad things."
Klee: "Mama once said, don't rely on others for everything, you have to create everything with your own hands! If you really can't do it, then go find Acting Grand Master Jean, Albedo big brother, Lisa auntie, Kaeya big brother, and everyone in the Chat Group!"
Bosacius: "Yes, even now, with only Alatus remaining of the Yakshas, I have no regrets. We, the Yakshas, shall fight for this world!"
Azhdaha: "Sigh, Bosacius."
Zhongli: "..."
Kuki Shinobu: "Understood. If the Fatui Harbinger isn't dead in the end, I will do my best to preserve her life."
Sangonomiya Kokomi: "Send her to Mondstadt? That's a bit far."
Nahida: "I have the Teleportation Scepter!!!!"
Aila: "@Nahida, focus on assisting, don't chat in the Chat Group. Dottore is about to charge over."
Nahida: "Okay!"
Venti: "Thank you all. However, it's time for this matter to come to an end. After this is done, as compensation, I'll go get some more Time Power!!!!"
Paimon: "Wait, I suddenly realized something."
Venti: "What?"
Paimon: "You said send her to Mondstadt City? That means... you're not on The Nameless Island right now, but in Mondstadt City?"
Venti: "How could that be~ I'm definitely still on The Nameless Island~~~"
Kuki Shinobu: "Then how do we send the Fatui Harbinger over?"
Venti: "Just send her to Mondstadt City, I'll have Dvalin take action! Don't worry!"
Lumine: "Is this an unwitting confession?"
Futsu Mitama: "Ah? Alright... Venti, you don't need to say anymore. Everyone probably knows what your situation is now."
Azhdaha: "Eh?! You?! Barbatos, you're free?! Weren't you just telling me that the first thing you'd do after getting free was come mock me?!"
Venti: "Ahahaha~ How could I possibly dare to mock you? If I dared to step into Liyue, I'd probably be chased and beaten by the old man with a spear."
Raiden Ei: "It seems, Barbatos, you are indeed free."
Maha Rukkhadevata: "When?"
Zhongli: "Hm?!"
Raiden Makoto: "You got free so quickly? After taking so much Time Power? She only trapped you for such a short time? I miscalculated. When I asked her for help back then, I even paid a price. It seems your relationship isn't ordinary."
Venti: "Ah ah ah? What are you all talking about? I can't hear you~ I'm not in Mondstadt City!! I'm still on the island!! I'm only getting free in two days!!"
Azhdaha: "Barbatos—!!!! Still daring to lie to me?! Today, everything will be settled!!!!"
Raiden Ei: "Barbatos!!!! Take your Gnosis back!!!!"
Venti: "Ehe!!!!"
In the chat group, because Venti let slip, everyone suddenly realized that he, who they had always thought was trapped on The Nameless Island, seemed to have already gotten free at some unknown point.
This caused a flurry of "Ah"s in the group.
Venti had hidden it too well; everyone thought he would only be able to get free in at least half a year.
Unexpectedly, he had already gotten out and was still freeloading.
Kamisato Ayaka, Eula, Albedo, Keqing, and others in the group would often "feed" him.
Even Futsu Mitama would sometimes send out a few bottles of wine and ask him how he felt staying on The Nameless Island.
At that time, Venti would always say,
"It's fine, it's fine. I have food and drink, I even catch a few crabs for a drinking snack, so it's completely fine."
Anyone in the group who had eaten Fake Condensed Resin would try to help Venti in some way.
After all, he was "imprisoned" for them.
Now it seems... he probably escaped long ago. They didn't know what to say.
Or perhaps, they should praise him for being worthy of being called the free Barbatos? This was indeed quite free.
The situation in the chat group did not affect the outside.
The Fatui Harbinger had also finished charging her power, but she gritted her teeth and said to Shenhe,
"LET ME GO! OTHERWISE, WE'LL ALL DIE!!!!"
"Barbatos entrusted us to bring you back." Shenhe glanced at the chat group, then said calmly, "Surrender obediently, you can't kill me. If the Cryo Archon's authority explodes, you can only kill yourself."
Whether it was because Shenhe's words were too irritating, or because the name 'Barbatos' appeared, the Fatui Harbinger was instantly enraged. The liquid-like flames on her body erupted like boiling magma, and she furiously shouted,
"GOOD! THEN LET'S ALL DIE!!!!"
With that, the Fatui Harbinger directly detonated the authority granted to her by the Cryo Archon.
"CRACK!"
As something shattered, the liquid-like flames on Signora's body were instantly frozen.
The Cryo Archon's authority was given to her, and when she detonated it, she naturally suffered the damage first.
However, due to the terrifyingly hot, liquid-like flames flowing on the Fatui Harbinger's body, the damage she sustained was invisibly reduced significantly.
Even so, the Signora herself was completely frozen, and her terrifying flames, capable of incinerating most monsters, were easily frozen.
The phantom of the Cryo Archon above, after the Fatui Harbinger detonated her authority, seemed to receive some instruction, placing her indifferent gaze upon Shenhe.
"CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!!!!"
Accompanied by a teeth-gritting sound, the cold air generated by the explosion was condensed by an invisible force.
In an instant, an ice spear containing a terrifying aura was created and shot towards Shenhe.
A hint of excitement flashed in Shenhe's eyes. Facing this ice spear with its terrifying aura, she showed no fear. Instead, she felt this was an opportunity.
Knowing she couldn't block it, then the protective measure given by Rex Lapis would activate.
Therefore, Shenhe intended to meet it head-on.
She wanted to see just how terrifying an Archon's attack was! Could she block this strike with all her might!
Thinking this, Shenhe tried to pull Calamity Queller out of the Signora's abdomen, but it wouldn't budge.
This caused a hint of surprise to flash in Shenhe's eyes, but she said nothing, instead immediately sticking several talismans onto her body.
"This is different from Scaramouche's."
Kuki Shinobu frowned slightly upon seeing this scene. She hadn't expected the phenomenon caused by Signora detonating the Cryo Archon's authority to be so different from Scaramouche's.
She didn't know if it was because she had been charging for a long time, or if the Cryo Archon had a preference for Signora.
If Guizhong hadn't mentioned in the group that Rex Lapis had given Shenhe a protective treasure, then Kuki Shinobu would probably be @Futsu Mitama and Nahida to come to the rescue.
Only Futsu Mitama and Nahida had the ability to rescue the situation; only an Archon could deal with an Archon.
It was just a bit awkward that Futsu Mitama's battlefield was even more dangerous. If he came over, Scaramouche would probably follow.
The aftershock from Scaramouche's previous attack had directly destroyed the barrier she had painstakingly set up.
However, Kuki Shinobu could boast about this for a lifetime: without reaching the Adepti realm, she had withstood two Demon Gods-level aftershock attacks with a barrier.
This was something worth boasting about in any nation on the continent of Teyvat.
But she could only block aftershock attacks. If Futsu Mitama came to save Shenhe and Scaramouche followed, then the scene would turn into the three of them trying to figure out how not to drag Futsu Mitama down.
"It is different."
Sangonomiya Kokomi nodded, looking at Shenhe not far away. She said seriously,
"However, Shenhe is probably looking forward to this. Unlike us, she single-mindedly pursues power. With such an opportunity now, she appears calm on the surface, but her heart must be overjoyed."
Kuki Shinobu nodded in agreement upon hearing Sangonomiya Kokomi's words. Shenhe was an out-and-out battle maniac.
She would never let go of an opportunity to improve her strength.
It's just... this appearance of trying to catch the attack bare-handed without a weapon, isn't it a bit too much?
Just as Kuki Shinobu and Sangonomiya Kokomi were thinking that, the ice spear had already struck towards Shenhe like lightning.
Without calamity queller, Shenhe could only meet it bare-handed. Her Vision, hanging on her body, emitted a dazzling light.
The talismans pasted on her body also emitted different lights to enhance Shenhe's various abilities.
Shenhe focused intently on the ice spear, already visualizing in her mind scenes of herself catching the spear bare-handed or shattering it with brute force.
But there were also some scenes of her dying tragically from this ice spear in different ways.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!!!!"
Shenhe's heart accelerated. At this moment, time seemed to slow down. From the moment she faced an Archon's strike, she clearly realized how minuscule her power was before an Archon.
This was the realm Futsu Mitama and Aila had entered, and also the realm her master had always wanted to enter.
Suddenly, Shenhe remembered that her master was an existence who had fought alongside Rex Lapis in the Archon War.
So, would this Archon's strike, formed by the self-detonation of the Cryo Archon's authority, be much stronger than an ordinary Demon Gods'?
Logically speaking, when facing such a terrifying attack, Shenhe should have responded with a clear mind.
But for some reason, as she watched the approaching ice spear, the distracting thoughts in her mind were too numerous to suppress, and even images from her childhood appeared.
The days of training with her Master, her first meeting with Futsu Mitama and her junior sister, traveling together to Inazuma, receiving guidance from Raiden Shogun at Tenshukaku...
Wait!
At this moment, Shenhe seemed to realize something.
The next second, the ice spear vanished from her sight.
"!!!!!!!"
In an instant, an indescribable sense of crisis enveloped Shenhe.
"Om—!!!"
Just then, a pale golden energy surged from the stone Shenhe carried, forming a Jade Shield that protected her.
"BANG—!!!!"
At that very moment, the ice spear and the Jade Shield collided.
A terrifying shockwave spread outward from Shenhe, as if two of The Seven Archons were clashing from afar.
"CRACK! CRACK!!!"
The ice spear began to break apart. The remote clash ended almost as soon as it began.
Not far away, Signora, who had been frozen solid, was forcibly defrosted by the shockwave.
"Morax!!!!"
Signora, regaining consciousness, gritted her teeth at the sight.
But this outcome was within her expectations.
The moment Shenhe did not flee and instead stayed to face the blow head-on, Signora had already anticipated this result.
Even so, seeing it happen still filled her with uncontrollable fury.
This was the fury of failure.
She had exhausted all her trump cards, and there was no chance left to turn the tables.
"…"
As the ice spear disintegrated, the phantom of the Cryo Archon also began to fade. But just before it vanished completely, it seemed to act of its own will and raised a hand.
"!!!" x2
Kuki Shinobu and Sangonomiya Kokomi both thought the Cryo Archon intended to continue attacking Shenhe.
But the next second, the phantom transformed into light blue energy and surged into Her Majesty the Tsaritsa's body, freezing the flames burning within her once again.
"Ah, Her Majesty the Tsaritsa, you are as merciful as ever."
Signora praised the Cryo Archon again.
But then she was completely frozen into an ice sculpture and crashed heavily to the ground.
Sensing no further threat, the Jade Shield transformed back into pale golden Geo energy and returned to the stone.
Shenhe took out the plain-looking stone, gazed at it calmly, and finally sighed.
She did not know whether she was lamenting the Geo Archon's power or her own weakness.
"This is a reusable life-saving artifact."
Kokomi walked over and exclaimed,
"As expected of the oldest Archon, anything he personally made is incredibly powerful."
Her tone carried a trace of envy.
This was an Adeptus disciple from Liyue. Even after leaving Liyue, she could walk almost anywhere on the continent of Teyvat without fear.
It was not that the Jade Shield inside the stone was unbelievably strong.
Rather, the stone itself was a symbol.
It represented that Shenhe had the protection of an Archon behind her.
On the continent of Teyvat, anyone with even a little common sense would not dare to provoke Shenhe. Doing so would be the same as confronting Morax, the oldest Geo Archon.
Although Sangonomiya Kokomi belonged to Inazuma, the deity she worshipped was the deceased Orobashi no Mikoto, and she had no such backing when traveling abroad.
Kuki Shinobu, meanwhile, did not join the conversation. Instead, she hurried over to Signora, who had been frozen into an ice sculpture.
"Mm."
Shenhe nodded slightly and put the stone away. Her voice was calm.
"Just now, I felt a life-and-death crisis that cannot be described with words. Now I finally understand why Master always says that possessing Demon God-level combat power does not mean one has truly stepped into the Demon Gods Realm."
"There is a world of difference between an Archon and everything below that level. If Master had not personally helped me obtain this life-saving item crafted by the Geo Archon, I would probably have died there."
That feeling was terrifying.
Even remembering it now made Shenhe feel a chill down her spine.
She had clearly seen the attack, and she could have blocked it simply by raising her hand, yet the result would still have been death.
No matter how she blocked it, it was death, as though her fate had already revealed her end the moment the ice spear was formed.
This also made Shenhe understand something else.
She needed to maintain reverence toward beings in the Demon God Realm.
Perhaps clashing too often with beings who had already entered that realm, such as Raiden Shogun, Futsu Mitama, and Aether, and merging with her Master to possess combat power comparable to an Archon, had made her forget what reverence felt like.
Now, the Tsaritsa's distant strike gave her a clear understanding of just how vast the gap was between herself and an Archon.
At the same time, Shenhe also seemed to have grasped the method of entering that realm.
It was by no means a realm that could be reached through so-called life-and-death training alone.
It required reliance on certain external objects.
Seeing Shenhe's expression, Sangonomiya Kokomi blinked.
Although she did not know what Shenhe had gained from the battle, she was about to speak when—
"Come over and take a look at Signora's current condition."
Kuki Shinobu's voice came from nearby, calling Shenhe and Sangonomiya Kokomi over.
The two exchanged a glance, then hurried over together.
They were also curious about Signora's current state.
From what had happened earlier, the Cryo Archon's phantom had ultimately saved Signora's life.
Though "saved" only meant suppressing the liquid-like burning flames within her, not truly rescuing her.
After all, no matter what, the Cryo Archon's phantom could only remain for a short time. It was impossible to remotely pull someone away.
When they arrived beside Kuki Shinobu, Shenhe and Sangonomiya Kokomi saw Signora turned into an ice sculpture.
Inside the ice, her eyes were tightly closed.
The resentment on her face had disappeared, replaced by calm.
When silent, Signora carried the dignified, elegant aura of a noblewoman.
To be honest, seeing her like this made Kuki Shinobu and the others feel a little unaccustomed.
In their eyes, Signora was the embodiment of treachery.
She might be noble, but she was never associated with elegance.
"I just checked. This layer of ice is very hard. Even forcefully striking it with a tachi doesn't leave a mark."
Kuki Shinobu sheathed her tachi and looked at Shenhe and Sangonomiya Kokomi.
"To be honest, I'm not even sure whether Signora can hear us now. Because the Cryo Archon probably temporarily froze her so she could slowly recover inside. Later, once she fully recovers, she might jump out and catch us off guard."
Shenhe heard this and said calmly,
"She is no longer my opponent. Without the power of authority, her remaining life probably isn't enough to continue burning."
"Mm."
Kokomi also nodded slightly, looking at the Signora's ice-encased form.
"Perhaps the Cryo Archon couldn't bear to watch her burn away her life like that. So she intervened from afar and froze her. At the very least, this allows her to survive for a while."
It was universally acknowledged that Archons cared for humanity.
Moreover, Signora was a Fatui Harbinger who had made unimaginable contributions to Snezhnaya and the Fatui.
You could criticize her, but you could not deny that she was indeed one of the hardest workers in the Fatui.
Whether in Mondstadt, Liyue, Inazuma, or Sumeru, she had laid her plans everywhere.
Setting aside their opposing sides, if she were an ally, she would truly be a reassuring presence.
But she was an enemy, so Futsu Mitama and the others wished they could flay her alive.
That was why it was understandable that the Cryo Archon intervened to save her life.
For someone like her, who had at least worked tirelessly if nothing else, failing to intervene would have been hard to excuse.
"Let's seal her up first, then figure out a way to bring her back to Mondstadt."
Kuki Shinobu said that, and Shenhe and Sangonomiya Kokomi both nodded.
So the three of them worked together to set up a seal around the Tsaritsa, who had been turned into an ice sculpture.
To make sure she would not break out and to prevent her from hearing their later conversation, they put considerable effort into the sealing.
The battle there temporarily ended.
Kuki Shinobu even took a photo of the Signora's ice-sculpture state, posted it in the chat group, and explained what had just happened.
In her explanation, she especially mentioned the Cryo Archon's remote intervention to save someone, hoping to make it clear that Archons also cared about human life.
But to everyone else, it looked more like the Cryo Archon was ignoring the rules and directly interfering in the battle of her juniors.
In Liyue Harbor, Zhongli, who was drinking tea, looked at the messages in the chat group.
His gaze turned toward Snezhnaya, his expression unreadable.
"Are you going?"
Guizhong saw his movement and understood that he intended to head for Snezhnaya.
"Mm."
Zhongli nodded slightly, looking toward Snezhnaya.
His tone remained calm.
"She broke the rules. As an Archon, directly interfering in a battle—though I do not think she did it to bully the weak. But her phantom appeared, launched an attack, and then ultimately saved Rosalyne. So she must bear responsibility for that."
Yes, no matter how his subordinates fought, Zhongli would not interfere.
At most, he would stand there and let others guess what he was thinking.
But one thing was certain: unless his own people were in mortal danger, he would not act.
And even if he did, he would not be so obvious as to leave evidence behind.
The Cryo Archon had intervened from afar.
Zhongli was not sure whether she had directly attacked Shenhe, though he believed she would not do something like bullying the weak.
But she had indeed saved Rosalyne, so she had to take responsibility for that.
"Should I come with you?"
Guizhong looked eager, clearly wanting to go to Snezhnaya with him. After all, since her resurrection, she had remained in Liyue the whole time.
Liyue's scenery was beautiful, of course, but if she had a chance to travel and see something new, why not?
Zhongli shook his head slightly and looked at her.
"You cannot go. This time it is a conversation between the Seven Archons, and there may even be armed conflict. If you go, I won't be able to fight at full strength."
Yes, this trip was meant to settle matters, and it was very likely to involve combat.
Zhongli did not want to bring Guizhong along.
Although she was a Demon God, there were still differences among Demon Gods.
Take Nahida in the original plotline, for example. Even as an Archon, she could not defeat Scaramouche, who had only just stepped into the Demon God Realm.
She even needed Traveler's help to contend with him.
Maha Rukkhadevata's concerns were not unreasonable.
So Zhongli did not plan to bring Guizhong to Snezhnaya this time.
On one hand, the shadow left by her death back then still lingered in him.
Now that Guizhong had been resurrected with the help of the chat group, Zhongli would never let her fall into danger unless her safety could be guaranteed.
In Liyue, if Guizhong ever fell into danger again, the old friends could provide immediate support.
Even Azhdaha beneath Mt. Hulao could appear as a surprise force, making it difficult for Guizhong to die unless a higher-ranked existence unfairly intervened.
And that possibility was almost zero.
"Alright."
Hearing that, Guizhong was naturally a little disappointed, but she had no choice.
Weakness was the original sin.
She might as well stay obediently in Liyue.
"Mm."
Zhongli nodded, his gaze fixed on distant Snezhnaya.
"Then I'll go first."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhongli vanished from where he stood, transforming into a golden dragon and racing toward Snezhnaya.
At that moment, he was no longer Zhongli, consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
He was Morax, the Geo Archon.
Guizhong watched him leave and shook her head helplessly, with a strange sense of amusement.
If this had been Zhongli from the Archon War era, he would probably have chosen to question the situation first.
If the Tsaritsa had shown any sign of admitting fault, he would never have pressed her too hard.
But now, he clearly intended to use this as leverage to make Snezhnaya pay dearly.
If they were unwilling to pay a heavy price, he would probably use force to make them yield.
It seemed he really had changed a great deal over the years.
Guizhong thought about that, then wondered what she should do after Zhongli left.
She was not especially interested in tea or music.
"Forget it. I'll keep making Azhdaha mechs."
She stopped thinking about it and decided to continue crafting them.
Watching Futsu Mitama face the fully formed shouki no kami, the prodigal, in the group's livestream, Guizhong could not help but sigh.
Those scholars from the Akademiya really did have some skill.
Even now, with old friends like Cloud Retainer helping, she probably still would not be able to create such a mech on Archon level herself.
After all, the energy core alone would not be easy to solve.
Could Zhongli really take out his own Gnosis and put it into an Azhdaha mech?
Hmm... actually, that did not sound impossible.
Guizhong thought this and hurried toward Guyun Stone Forest, looking eager to try.
—
Meanwhile, in Snezhnaya—
On the icy throne, a veiled woman looked toward Sumeru and let out a soft sigh.
Pierro immediately noticed it. He respectfully asked, "Your Majesty the Tsaritsa, what happened?"
An Archon's sigh was never a good sign. The last time an Archon had sighed, Beelzebub had attacked Snezhnaya. Now that the Tsaritsa was sighing again, Pierro had a bad feeling. Could trouble be brewing again?
Was it Dottore's doing again? The things he had been doing in Sumeru lately were no small matter. Through the Fatui intelligence network, Pierro already knew about the God Creation Project he was carrying out.
To the people of Sumeru, it was an act of blasphemy. But to Pierro, it was a worthwhile experiment.
If it succeeded, Snezhnaya's overall strength would grow rapidly, which would greatly benefit future plans.
"La Signora is about to perish."
Tsaritsa's voice was gentle.
Pierro frowned slightly.
La Signora was about to perish? How could that be? Wasn't she in Sumeru?
Dottore and Scaramouche were there too. With their help, there should have been no way for La Signora to end up in danger.
Had something unexpected happened in Sumeru?
Pierro's mind raced, and he decided that once he left the throne room, he would ask Dottore what had happened there.
Whoosh—!
Whoosh—!
At that moment, two ice-blue streaks of light shot down from the sky and merged into the Cryo Archon, causing her aura to surge.
With the return of her authority, her power recovered somewhat.
"This...!"
Pierro's expression changed.
The return of two authorities meant that two Harbingers were in mortal danger and had no choice but to detonate their powers.
"This is Scaramouche's authority," the Cryo Archon said, seeing through Pierro's thoughts. "He and La Signora both encountered powerful enemies."
"La Signora was in critical condition. I used the last bit of power within her authority to save her life, but it was already too late. She has burned out completely. She cannot survive. Scaramouche is still resisting."
At the moment the authority self-detonated, the Cryo Archon had seen La Signora and Scaramouche fighting far away in Snezhnaya, and she knew exactly what kind of enemies they faced.
Even so, she had no intention of interfering.
If she did, the situation would escalate several more levels.
She knew what Dottore was doing in Sumeru.
For that plan, she chose silence, waiting quietly for the experiment to succeed or fail.
"..."
Pierro's brow furrowed. He could clearly feel how troublesome the situation was.
He looked at the Cryo Archon and asked,
"If La Signora cannot return, then what should we do about Liyue?"
He knew very well how important the Geo Archon's Gnosis in Liyue was.
The Geo Archon was powerful and still meddle in its governance.
The Fatui could use force to seize the Gnosis from other Archons' nations, but Liyue was the one they could not simply take.
There were too many Adeptus and Demon Gods there.
Five hundred years ago, during the Khaenri'ah disaster, Liyue suffered the least losses, not only because of the strength of its people, but also because of the intervention of many powerful Adeptus.
That was why the Gnosis in the Geo Archon's hands was so important.
On the surface, Tartaglia seemed highly valued, but everyone knew he was mostly slacking off.
If they truly wanted the Gnosis, they still had to rely on La Signora's methods and the contract between the Tsaritsa and the Geo Archon.
"Let Arlecchino go," the Cryo Archon said calmly.
Among the Fatui Harbingers, if anyone's methods were stronger than La Signora's, it was undoubtedly Arlecchino.
The Fourth of the Fatui Harbingers—Arlecchino the Knave.
When Pierro heard Arlecchino's name, he fell silent.
Compared to La Signora, Arlecchino had her own hidden motives.
After obtaining the Gnosis, would she have other thoughts, or even reveal the Fatui's plans to outsiders? No one could know.
She was a madwoman. If the benefits were sufficient, betrayal would not be impossible.
But since Her Majesty the Tsaritsa had given the order, Pierro ultimately nodded.
"I understand."
Loyalty.
Pierro trusted the Tsaritsa's judgment. He would not interfere in an Archon's decision.
This great Archon had placed her trust in him, so he should return that trust instead of questioning her like one of those so-called compatriots.
He was even planning to ask Her Majesty whether he should personally go to Sumeru to retrieve La Signora's body.
"Hm?"
But at that moment, the Tsaritsa suddenly looked up at the sky, her voice carrying a trace of surprise.
"Why is he here?"
Pierro was confused.
Then a majestic divine power enveloped Snezhnaya.
A golden giant dragon soared above the snow-covered city, looking down from the sky.
"Morax?!"
Pierro was shocked.
How could Morax come to Snezhnaya after Beelzebub?
And the aura he was releasing made it very clear that he had come with hostile intent.
What had the Fatui done now to attract the attention of this Geo Archon?
"..."
The Cryo Archon said nothing.
She picked up her staff and vanished from the throne, heading toward Morax.