Hearing Mualani's words, Caelus simply kept a calm expression and did not respond.
But even without an answer, his silence seemed to confirm Mualani's speculation.
[So the Pyro Archon already knew that the Ode of Resurrection could no longer revive people, which is why he suspended the Holy Night of the Return of Fire.]
[I still don't understand though. Couldn't the Pyro Archon have just explained everything clearly? Why did he insist on using such a forceful method to stop the event?]
[Kachina mentioned before that the Holy Night of the Return of Fire is practically the spiritual pillar of the people of Natlan. Winning the competition is the greatest honor for them.]
[If the Ode of Resurrection can't revive fallen warriors anymore, then the Holy Night of the Return of Fire and the Night Warden War would become meaningless. In the future everyone would just fight the Abyssal monsters on their own. There would be no reason to participate in the competition anymore.]
[If the truth that the Ode of Resurrection has lost its power were revealed, the people of Natlan might feel as if their entire belief system collapsed. It would feel like the sky itself had fallen.]
[And remember what Mauvika said earlier. Natlan's Ley Lines can only last for about another year. The Abyss will definitely launch an attack during this time. If the people of Natlan lose their will to fight at that moment, they probably won't be able to display their usual combat strength.]
[That is why the Pyro Archon said nothing and forcibly suspended the Holy Night of the Return of Fire. He wanted everyone's resentment and attention to focus on him instead of making people question the Ode of Resurrection.]
[Just like earlier in the Arena. The Pyro Archon told the people of Natlan that the Ode of Resurrection is not useless. It simply cannot revive Kaiulani because she did not participate in the Night Warden War.]
[The Pyro Archon is silently carrying everything on his shoulders.]
[Isn't that exactly what a god should do?]
[That might be true, but the Pyro Archon is not some ancient being like Venti or Nahida who has lived for over five hundred years. He is just a teenage boy.]
[To understand Natlan's situation and still make such a decisive choice while bearing the misunderstanding and hatred of the entire nation... I think that is truly incredible.]
[My heart hurts for him. He is still just a kid.]
[Is anyone else laughing right now like me? Earlier I saw someone analyzing that the Pyro Archon was secretly colluding with the Abyss.]
[Seeing your message made me laugh too. What kind of genius comes up with a theory like the Pyro Archon cooperating with the Abyss?]
Watching the flood of player comments, Caelus's lips twitched slightly.
So he was apparently that amazing.
Originally, he had suspended the Holy Night of the Return of Fire and the Night Warden War simply to accumulate emotion points.
He had never expected the players to interpret his actions in such a dramatic way.
In the eyes of Mualani and the players, he had probably turned into a tragic hero who was willing to endure countless insults in order to protect Natlan.
"Mualani, even if you understand my reasoning, my decision will not change."
"Rather than dwelling on this matter, it would be better for us to bring Kaiulani back as soon as possible."
"That place is probably already swarming with Abyssal monsters. With her current strength, she may not be able to hold out for long."
Caelus deliberately described the situation as extremely dangerous.
In truth, with Kaiulani's strength, those Abyssal monsters would not be much of a threat to her.
Even the Abyssal Singer from the original storyline would probably end up being thrown around by Kaiulani like a ragdoll.
But of course he could not say that.
Instead he exaggerated the danger and made it sound as if Kaiulani might soon die beneath the claws of the Abyssal monsters.
"Lord Pyro Archon, are you not going to take action yourself?" Kinich asked with a puzzled expression. "If you were the one to save Kaiulani, it should be very easy to bring her back."
Caelus shook his head.
"I still need to investigate whether other Abyssal monsters have appeared within Natlan's borders."
"In my judgment, this attack was not random. It was carefully planned."
Everyone was momentarily stunned after hearing this.
"Aren't Abyssal monsters supposed to lack intelligence?" Kachina asked in confusion. That was very different from what the elders in her Tribe had always told her.
"The monsters themselves lack intelligence," Caelus replied. "But the one directing them does not."
"Both Kaiulani and Iansan were attacked. Their common trait is that they are both champions of the Holy Night of the Return of Fire, and neither of them was by my side."
Kinich immediately grasped the implication.
"Lord Pyro Archon, are you suggesting that the Abyss deliberately targeted them?"
If the victims shared a common trait, then the attack clearly had not been random.
It had been planned in advance.
"I believe the Abyss has also realized that the Ode of Resurrection has lost its effectiveness," Caelus continued. "They also understand that once this information spreads, it will deal a devastating blow to the morale of the people of Natlan."
"Previously I suspended the Holy Night of the Return of Fire and the Night Warden War, which prevented them from using that opportunity to reveal the truth."
"But now..."
"Everyone still held an unofficial Holy Night of the Return of Fire in order to preserve the tradition, and that ended up attracting the Abyss..." Mualani lowered her head slightly and finished Caelus's sentence.
The girl's eyes flickered with sadness.
Kaiulani had finally won the competition, yet she never realized she had already been targeted by the Abyss from the shadows.
"It is fortunate that the Pyro Archon insisted on canceling the Night Warden War," Kinich said slowly as realization dawned on him.
"Otherwise it might have been impossible to hide the truth from everyone present."
If Caelus had allowed the Night Warden War to proceed and casualties had occurred, then everyone would have discovered that the Ode of Resurrection had lost its power.
The consequences would have been unimaginable.
Fortunately, Caelus's firm stance had prevented the situation from spiraling into disaster.
[Holy crap. So this was the Pyro Archon's real plan!]
[Damn. The Abyss is actually that cunning. They knew killing Kaiulani would expose the truth about the Ode of Resurrection failing.]
[If the Pyro Archon had not forcibly stopped the competition earlier, Natlan would probably already be in chaos.]
[The Pyro Archon and the Abyss are basically playing a strategic game in the shadows, constantly countering each other. This reminds me of Zhongli faking his death. My brain cannot even keep up. This level of strategy is insane.]
[Are you sure the person above isn't trolling?]
[Speedrun to never posting wild theories again.]
[Waaa I was wrong. Earlier I was calling him a dictator, but it turns out he was protecting everyone's faith.]
[He is only a teenager... yet he has to shoulder all of this alone.]
[Wait. Does the Pyro Archon refusing to personally rescue Kaiulani also have a deeper meaning?]
[Definitely. He has to remain in the center to prevent the Abyss from using a diversion to attack elsewhere.]
[And if he personally rushed out to rescue someone, wouldn't that prove the situation is serious enough to require the intervention of a god?]
[Maintaining the current situation and allowing the tribal warriors to handle it instead makes the public believe everything is still under control.]
[This strategy is unbelievably deep. He really doesn't seem like a teenager at all.]
[HoYoverse really loves playing with contrasts. The Pyro Archon looks straightforward, but every action he takes carries hidden meaning.]
"Caelus."
Mualani clenched her fists, her eyes filled with determination once more.
"How much longer can Kaiulani hold on?"
"I'm going to save her right now."
...
This fanfiction is completed on p@treon
[email protected]/guilt_free_daoist
Join disc0rd link in synopsis.
GIVE ME YOU POWER STONES.