The sisters' forms changed in an instant.
As the fox ears resting on the back of her head twitched gently, Rin's body swelled in a flash into that of a colossal nine-tailed fox. Unlike the celestial fox that Sakura transforms into during her Collapsed State, Rin's body, particularly the tips of her tails, was adorned with many unique pictographic characters.
To be precise, they were Authority-imbued characters known as [God Runes], which held the same symbolic meaning as [Death Spots]. The only difference was that because all Apostles had come into contact with the Monarch's power, the external manifestation that should have appeared as [Death Spots] had instead become [God Runes].
Incidentally, while [God Runes] varied in strength, they were standard issue for all Apostles. Above them were the Three Pillar Gods, who possessed the even more advanced [God Halos], as did three rarely seen individuals among the Flame-Chasers.
Although Sakura maintained her human form, she had, in fact, already entered a combat stance. An unsheathed tachi manifested at her waist, and just below her perked fox ears, her light eyebrows gradually took on the lines of a yin-yang symbol.
"It's coming, sister."
"Mm—"
ZING!!!
The moment Rin's voice fell, Sakura's hand was already on the hilt of her blade, the sword drawn half an inch from its scabbard.
With a clear ring of the blade, a formless, pitch-black chaos that had just materialized beside her was instantly sliced in two before dissipating completely.
"Just like before."
"The enemy is using a lower-tier form of Imaginary energy."
Each Apostle had their own specialization in the use of Authorities, but the refinement of a skill was not without its limits. When they encountered a bottleneck, even beings as powerful as them would try other paths to broaden their own minds and perspectives.
Therefore… all Apostles wielded all twelve Authorities.
In an ordinary intra-planetary civilization, it would be no exaggeration to call them "Lesser Finalities."
The simple iaijutsu slash Sakura had just executed was a strike that combined four Authorities: "Ice," "Thunder," "Consciousness," and "Void." It was just enough to eliminate the "pseudo-black hole" attack… not an ounce more, not an ounce less.
What Sakura referred to as "lower-tier energy" was a branch of Imaginary energy that had adapted to a planetary environment, similar to "Honkai energy." In specific environments, it was extremely cost-effective, easier to control in battle, and more efficient.
"Is that so."
"An existence capable of roaming the sea of stars shouldn't be this weak."
"Either our opponent expended too much energy in their previous 'civil war,' or the fellow is hiding something good it doesn't want discovered."
"Or both."
The God Runes on her nine tails lit up in sequence.
The starry sky fractured, and Imaginary space appeared directly behind Rin. A colossal amount of Imaginary energy began to converge madly at the tips of her nine tails, which were raised like blazing flames!
VMMM!
His Majesty the Emperor's [Divine Flame Cannon].
This was a move Rin had "borrowed" from the Monarch. The more Authorities poured into it, the more powerful the [Divine Flame Cannon] became. Even the current instant-cast version possessed enough power to cleanse the surface of most civilizations… it just wouldn't be a particularly clean job.
"Let's see if you dare hold back now!"
FWOOSH—
The crimson-gold pillar of flame tore across the universe, its incandescent light illuminating the entire starry sky like a new star!
BOOM!!!
---o---
"It ran?"
"Unlikely. It probably just hid itself."
Sakura, who had just closed her eyes, opened them again. Sky Island, which had taken the full force of Rin's attack, had vanished from their perception.
"Although there were signs of a portal opening, if it were a long-distance teleportation, it wouldn't have left zero traces. That fellow who hasn't shown its face is indeed a bit better than us with the [Authority of the Void], but not to the point of completely overwhelming us."
"If it could really do that…"
"Sister Eden would probably have had to wait for the Monarch to rescue her."
When no Imperial subjects were present, the Apostles were still accustomed to calling Lu Xing "Monarch" rather than His Majesty the Emperor. The new title had only been established 1200 years ago.
"Should I go look for it?"
"No, we'll just wait for the rabbit to run into the tree stump."
Rin smiled and rejected her sister's proposal.
"If it could abandon this place so easily, the two 'native factions' wouldn't have fought to the death back then."
The younger sister reverted to her human form, the [God Runes] that signified her power still faintly visible on her skin.
"Imaginary energy is inextricably linked to the existence of civilization."
"In the boundless sea of stars, far from any trace of civilization, the thickness of the 'barrier' can be anywhere from dozens to thousands of times greater."
According to Imperial records, all forms of energy in the universe were evolved from Imaginary energy in different ways. In star systems where the barrier to imaginary space was thick, traces of civilization were rarely seen, and even planets were relatively scarce.
"We'll just prepare here and wait for it to return."
"If you want to stretch your legs too, sister…"
Rin's gaze shifted to the not-so-distant continent of Teyvat.
"You could help Sister Eden look for Uncle Rock Tortoise's fragment. Although it's only the power from four thousand years ago, it shouldn't have remained completely obscure on this continent."
---o---
Swoosh!
A current of azure air swirled in the high altitude as a "slender" figure hovered in the sky.
"Wind."
"The wind everywhere is being controlled."
Wendy slowly closed her hands. Countless translucent "wind sprites" gathered in her palms, pouring the "memories" that had brushed across the land into her mind. This was a special ability combining the Authorities of "Wind" and "Consciousness." Among all the high-ranking officials at the Legion Commander level, only Wendy could do this.
Her title, "Sky Sovereign," symbolizing "the strongest under the heavens," was not without reason.
"I see."
Wendy's gaze shifted toward "Dragonspine," the snowy mountain in the southern part of the continent.
"By controlling the flow of warm air, a climate of eternal spring was born on this land that should have been covered in white snow."
Wendy snorted lightly.
"Forget the starry sky."
"These humans, treated like 'infants,' probably don't even want to leave this warm cradle. This so-called 'Archon' seems to be nothing more than a doting mother spoiling her child."
Despite her words, the dissatisfaction Wendy expressed was more akin to envy. Her immense power was merely a mask to hide a certain softness in her heart.
"In that case…"
WHOOSH!
SPLASH!
Azure and blue converged in the air.
Wind and water condensed in Wendy's left and right palms respectively. This was not the pure Authority of "Wind." The foundation of Wendy's position as a Legion Commander was this: a level of Authority control that was nearly a true [Ideal Fluid]!
A fluid is not limited to wind.
Stirring up a storm, raising a tsunami… both were powers that Wendy commanded.
The best way to make such a Demon God reveal itself was, naturally, to create a disaster large enough to destroy an entire nation. Considering the Apostle's warning before they left, Wendy ultimately scaled back the "natural disaster" significantly.
"Mondstadt City."
"A single capital city should be enough."