Outside the Sacred Flame Arena.
Mauvika stood with her arms crossed, wearing sunglasses and leaning casually against the Flamestrider behind her.
Waves of hot air drifted past, gently lifting her long fiery red hair.
Anyone unfamiliar with her might assume she was the type to whistle at passing girls.
In reality, she had genuinely invited two girls to meet her.
"Mauvika, we're here!" Paimon waved her tiny hands from a short distance away, flying beside a blonde haired girl.
Hearing the call, Mauvika turned her head. Her sun like golden eyes settled on them as a faint smile curved her lips.
"Traveler, Paimon, thank you for coming."
"I watched all of your matches. Every one of them was impressive. You truly live up to your reputation as heroes who saved multiple nations."
Hearing the praise, Paimon scratched her head and laughed awkwardly.
"If you keep praising us like that, we're going to get embarrassed."
Lumine narrowed her eyes slightly and shot Paimon a sideways glance.
Control yourself, Paimon.
If you lose your composure after two compliments, our cool image is finished.
"What did you want to talk to us about?" Seeing that the so called emergency food was unreliable at a critical moment, Lumine stepped forward and asked directly.
"It is something important." The smile on Mauvika's face faded as she straightened up, her expression turning serious. "I will not speak in riddles."
"I am the Pyro Archon from five hundred years ago."
The air seemed to grow heavy.
After several seconds, when Paimon's thoughts finally caught up, she widened her eyes in shock.
"Wha… What? The Pyro Archon from five hundred years ago?"
Her small face filled with disbelief.
"Isn't Natlan's Archon position passed down among humans? If you were the Pyro Archon five hundred years ago, you should have died of old age by now."
It was not only Paimon who was stunned. Even the players watching the scene were in an uproar.
Mauvika really is the former Pyro Archon?
I knew it. She cannot be some kind of reincarnation, otherwise the Traveler's earlier doubts would have made no sense.
If there are truly two Pyro Archons at the same time, does that mean the leaks were right and they are actually going to fight?
The leak also said the current Pyro Archon colluded with the Abyss. I refuse to believe that.
Something is definitely off.
If anyone colluded with the Abyss, wouldn't it be Mauvika? She is clearly human yet lived for five hundred years. Maybe she used Abyssal power.
Mauvika: I colluded with the Abyss too?
If you keep speculating like this, Natlan will turn into a leaker hub. It will be worse than the Winery.
Teyvat.
Lumine thought for a moment, recalling her own experience, and made a guess.
"You must have used some special method."
"For example, entering a deep sleep five hundred years ago and only awakening in this era?"
After she and her brother were struck down by that unknown white haired deity, they had been sealed for nearly five hundred years before awakening. Mauvika might have done something similar.
"Traveler, I am impressed that you could think of such a method."
Mauvika looked slightly surprised.
"If I had not confirmed that no one else was present when the plan was formulated, I might have thought you were there."
Paimon quickly reacted.
"So Mauvika really used the method the Traveler mentioned to reach this era five hundred years later?"
Mauvika nodded.
"That is correct. To carry out the plan to save Natlan, I voluntarily entered the Sacred Fire and endured the passage of centuries through a special ritual."
In simple terms, Natlan, I have returned.
"Save Natlan?" Paimon's eyes widened again. "Is Natlan facing a crisis too?"
"According to our calculations, Natlan could be destroyed in less than a year," Mauvika said gravely.
Over the next stretch of time, she explained the disaster five hundred years ago, the looming catastrophe facing Natlan, and the plan she had devised.
"I think I understand now."
Paimon struggled to process the information and attempted to summarize it.
"So five hundred years ago, you and the people of Natlan created an incredible master plan? When the Abyss invades Natlan, you will activate an Ode of Resurrection that affects all Natlan citizens and use it to drive the Abyss out?"
"That is a reasonable interpretation." Mauvika nodded approvingly. "Paimon, you are quite perceptive."
"Does the current Pyro Archon know about this plan?" Lumine asked.
"The Sacred Fire of Natlan can transmit knowledge and memories. Each generation of Pyro Archons preserves their experiences within it," Mauvika explained. "When Caelus inherited the position, he must have learned of my existence and my plan through the Sacred Fire."
"But he does not agree with it." Her expression grew complicated.
"He does not agree?" Paimon blinked in confusion. "Wouldn't this save countless people?"
"Caelus believes the probability of success is too low. The awakening of the six heroes involves too many uncertainties and variables. A single unexpected event could cause the entire plan to fail."
Mauvika's brows knitted together.
"Even I can only entrust the final outcome to the will of the Great Spirit. It is understandable that Caelus refuses to stake everything on such uncertainty."
"Recently, Caelus has been strengthening Natlan's overall military power and equipping its warriors with increasingly advanced weapons."
"I suspect he intends to consolidate all available forces and wage a decisive battle against the Abyss."
She stated her conclusion calmly.
I think the current Pyro Archon's approach makes sense. If one of the six heroes dies unexpectedly, Mauvika's entire plan collapses.
Those six heroes are obviously future banner characters. There is no way the game would kill them off.
From a player's perspective, none of them will die, and the plan is guaranteed to succeed.
But the current Pyro Archon is not a player. From his perspective, the risk of failure is extremely high, so it is reasonable that he does not fully trust the plan.
"This is really complicated." Paimon rubbed her head and turned to Lumine. "Traveler, what do you think?"
"If it were me…" Lumine rested her chin on her hand and analyzed calmly. "I would likely focus on strengthening the nation first, just like the current Pyro Archon."
At least from that standpoint, Caelus's decision was not wrong.
"I understand your reasoning." Mauvika nodded. "In truth, whether it is my plan or Caelus's strategy, a final confrontation with the Abyss is inevitable."
"However, if we can successfully activate the Ode of Resurrection for all of Natlan, the casualties during that decisive battle can be minimized."
Her gaze sharpened.
"You want us to help awaken Natlan's six heroes?" Lumine asked, already understanding her true intention.
...
This fanfiction is finished on p@treon
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Join disc0rd link in synopsis.
GIVE ME YOU POWER STONES.