At last, Morax let out a quiet sigh.
Do not get angry. Do not get angry.
"Eating vanilla ice cream in the middle of winter… truly delightful."
Relying on the memories of Blue Star in his mind, Zayn lounged inside the pavilion with a massive tub of vanilla ice cream in front of him. He shoveled spoonful after generous spoonful into his mouth.
Back on Blue Star, with his old body and stomach, he would never have dared to eat this much ice cream in winter.
But now? Now he had a powerful, sturdy body. If he didn't use it to enjoy more good food, what was the point?
Hehe~!
Just as Zayn ate happily, the sky that had been pale and bright suddenly dimmed, turning into a gray haze.
A gust of wind swept across the land, followed by rolling waves of sand rising into the air.
A sandstorm was sweeping across all of Liyue.
…And sand had gotten into his vanilla ice cream.
"Morax!!!"
Zayn shouted furiously in Morax's direction.
Hearing the unusual irritation in Zayn's voice, Morax instantly flashed to his side.
"What is it?" Morax asked.
Zayn pointed at the sweeping storm. "Look! Doesn't this look exactly like the work of the Sandstorm Demon God?!"
"He ruined my perfectly good tub of vanilla ice cream! How am I supposed to eat this now?!"
"Since the Sandstorm Demon God is clearly here to cause trouble, aren't you going to beat him up already?"
"And while you're at it, beat him up on my behalf too!"
…Morax fell into a moment of silence.
Did he truly look like someone who fought at the slightest provocation?
Still, sandstorms never occurred naturally in his personally chosen territory of Liyue.
And yet here one was—violent, intrusive.
Very well. If the Sandstorm Demon God had come knocking, he would speak with him properly.
"Geo Demon God! Morax!"
"Come out!!"
The Sandstorm Demon God's voice thundered across the sky above Liyue.
The winds surged even stronger, the sandstorm raging with greater fury.
The straw huts the villagers had built swayed dangerously, as if ready to topple at any moment.
Upon hearing the call, Morax locked onto the source of the voice and instantly flashed toward it.
Seeing this, Zayn casually swept his hand through the air, dropping a barrier over the entire settlement.
Within the shield, the deadly winds fell still.
Then Zayn manifested a new tub of ice cream, settling down to watch the fight unfold like a spectator at a theatre.
"The Sandstorm Demon God arrives uninvited and even dares to provoke. For what purpose?" Morax asked coldly.
The other party had already brought trouble right to his doorstep.
Morax was kind, yes—but he was no soft target.
The Sandstorm Demon God revealed his form: a massive, swirling mass of sand shaped like a monstrous creature.
Demon gods had countless true forms.
Many never bothered to take human shape.
"Morax! Hand over those mortals who betrayed me!"
The Sandstorm Demon God's voice roared with fury.
He believed he had protected those frail humans.
He believed he had offered shelter.
And yet they had dared—dared—to leave his rule.
To him, this was an unforgivable betrayal.
"They are now my people," Morax replied calmly.
"And their leaving was not betrayal—it was desperation born from suffering."
But the Sandstorm Demon God could not, and would not, acknowledge fault.
"Morax! If you refuse—then fight me!"
Without giving Morax a chance to speak again, he launched his attack.
Gale-forged sand coalesced into serpentine dragons that lunged toward Morax.
Morax dodged with ease.
Under the Sandstorm Demon God's control, each windborne blade was sharp enough to grind through stone.
"Hmph. Sandstorm Demon God, I have no wish to fight you," Morax said.
"Those mortals are not your possessions. They have the right to choose their own fate."
But the Sandstorm Demon God, consumed by fury, could no longer hear reason.
"Hand over the traitors!"
Dozens of sand-dragons tore toward Morax from every angle.
Morax's figure flickered, a golden spear—the Vortex Vanquisher—forming in his hand as he countered.
He slipped past the attacks with effortless precision, drawing closer and closer to the Sandstorm Demon God's true body.
"You will not stop me!"
The Sandstorm Demon God roared.
His entire form swelled, expanding outward until he engulfed Morax in a vortex of slicing sand.
Zayn, watching from afar with ice cream in hand, could only think:
This Sandstorm Demon God… really has guts.
Inside the swirling mass, countless razor-like grains spun wildly, intending to grind Morax into dust.
"Boom!"
A radiant golden light exploded outward from within, blasting the sandstorm apart.
A massive shockwave rippled through the air as sand crashed to the ground in sheets.
The Sandstorm Demon God reformed rapidly, refusing to give up.
But after the brief clash, Morax had already identified his weakness.
The battle shifted instantly—Morax pressed forward, suppressing him step by step.
"You'll regret this, Morax!
You and those mortals you shelter will pay the price!"
Leaving behind a final threat, the Sandstorm Demon God dissolved into a swift, swirling gale and fled at full speed.
Morax did not pursue.
But next time?
If they crossed paths as enemies again—
He would cut him down without hesitation.
He had already given the Sandstorm Demon God his one and only chance.
Advance Chapters available on Patreon
patreon.com/pikachu614