"..."
The verbal guidance concluded here.
Rin did not press Asmoday any further. The Authority of Erosion had already served its purpose; pushing it further might arouse her opponent's suspicion.
To make a target believe their actions are the "result of their own thinking arriving at the correct conclusion"—that was the highest realm of the Authority of Erosion.
It was also what made Rin so terrifying.
"The 'Heavenly Principles' has been corrupted by quantum energy."
After a long silence, Asmoday dropped the biggest bombshell of all. This suspicion was still within the scope of Rin's speculation, so she had no extreme reaction. The seven gods below, however, whether they had "defected" or not, were all stunned beyond words by this news.
"The quantum energy contained within the Branch of the Imaginary Tree was beyond imagination."
"While extracting Imaginary energy, the 'Heavenly Principles' was inevitably corrupted by quantum energy."
This sentence was not a lie.
Rin immediately made her judgment. Before Phanes, the "Heavenly Principles," the seven Dragon Kings who ruled the continent of Teyvat were all [Scions of Long]. Their bodies, and the souls that resided within them, were far more resilient than those of other life forms.
Furthermore, most [Scions of Long] had relatively simple thought patterns. Even if their strength was inferior, their ability to resist the erosion of quantum energy was much higher.
However!
What the [Scions of Long] could withstand did not mean other life forms could do the same. Although Phanes was stronger than the seven Dragon Kings, it was not certain he could resist the quantum energy. This was especially true after defeating the Dragon Kings, when a weakened Phanes was likely eager to absorb the energy from the Imaginary Branch to replenish himself. At that time, he had not yet constructed a barrier around the continent of Teyvat, and it was unknown if others might try to snatch the fruits of his victory. His actions were not improper.
But it was for this very reason that the root of the problem had been planted from the very beginning. Quantum energy has a weak addictive property for all living beings—a conclusion reached after the Monarch's own experiments.
"By the time we realized it…"
"It was too late."
"The 'Heavenly Principles,' corrupted by quantum energy, began to frantically destroy everything it had created—including us. All the beauty on the surface was born from the hands of the 'Heavenly Principles,' and now it wanted to cast it all into the Sea."
"We never found a cure for this 'madness'."
"I joined forces with Istaroth, Baal, and Paimon. We only managed to seize an opportunity when a sliver of its true self returned to seal the 'Heavenly Principles' within the Ley Lines."
"After the last remnants of the 'Heavenly Principles'' consciousness dissipated…"
Asmoday's voice dropped even lower than before.
"Paimon, Baal, and Istaroth, one after another, threw themselves into the Ley Lines. They used their very existence as the price to maintain the seal."
"But this cannot last forever."
"Sooner or later, the seal will crack, and civilization will ultimately be destroyed."
"I cannot die."
As Asmoday spoke these four words, Rin preemptively withdrew most of the Authority that had infiltrated her body. At this point, confessing the secret she had hidden in her heart for so long had become an instinct for this soul; the Authority of Erosion had become all but unnecessary.
"My death would render the sacrifices of the 'Heavenly Principles' and my friends meaningless."
"I cannot die."
Rin retracted the last of her power.
At that moment, Asmoday's spiritual power reached its zenith.
"The gods have made such sacrifices; the mortals on the ground should not be an exception!"
"Phanes' Dominions are [Finality] and [Abundance]."
Asmoday once again dropped two words bursting with information, and from this point on, she began to address her creator by his true name.
As for the names of these two Dominions—although the Empire had never directly faced an Astral God, thanks to the Emperor's existence, there was some general knowledge about their true names:
"Terminus, the Final King," the Astral God of Finality.
"Yaoshi, the Pharmacist," the Astral God of Abundance.
The former was an Astral God who moved against the flow of time; the [Authority of Time] was a partial manifestation of its Path. The latter was an Astral God of "pity" who granted its followers "imperishable flesh"; the [Authority of Prayer] was a partial manifestation of its Path.
The [Authority of Time] explained the source of Phanes' power over time; the [Authority of Prayer] explained—
"[Abundance] can transform wishes and faith into power."
"I bestow [God's Eyes] upon humans with strong desires, unwilling to accept their fate, gathering their power and channeling it into the Ley Lines."
Asmoday's gaze swept over the assembled Demon Gods.
"I use the 'Erosion' imposed by [Finality] to strip power from the Demon Gods, also channeling it into the Ley Lines. They too are children of Phanes; they should make this sacrifice."
"With these two methods, I strengthen the seal."
---o---
"..."
"Asmoday-chan."
"If not for your own lack of power, you would have an even more extreme plan, wouldn't you?"
That was correct. Asmoday had a more radical idea, and this plan had been set in motion long before the last of the "Four Supreme Pillars," Istaroth, had thrown herself into the Ley Lines.
The Demon God War.
The command from Sky Island to determine the "Seven Archons of the Mundane World" through victory was a far more direct and reliable method.
"And these two Dominions…"
"As an incarnation of 'Space,' you should not command them."
"..."
"Is that important?"
"No, it really isn't."
Midway through, Asmoday had already been freed from the erosion.
Most of her words were true, but they were also mixed with a considerable number of lies.
With her guard up, as long as Asmoday deliberately concealed it, Rin could not glimpse the whole picture. But her mastery of the human heart required no Authority. She knew with certainty that her opponent was lying—and it was a lie about something so terrifying that she would never dare speak the truth, no matter what.
However…
It didn't matter.
Just as Rin said, whether Asmoday was lying and what those lies were, was of no consequence to the Empire and His Majesty, the Emperor.
A priceless Branch of the Imaginary Tree.
Two Dominions the Empire did not possess.
…That was enough.
"Asmoday."
Rin's tone shifted, dropping her previously flippant address.
"You told me all this to state a single fact: there is a bomb underground, or there is a monster underground."
"But have you ever considered…"
A deep purple glow floated from Rin's palm, and the moment Asmoday saw this energy—
"Im… impossible!"
"Nothing is impossible."
The one thing that remained unchanged was the faint smile on Rin's face.
"Your understanding is somewhat limited."
"Beings like us… can also wield quantum energy."
Khaenri'ah had researched the quantum energy within the Ley Lines. To prevent the situation from escalating or even exploding, Asmoday had summoned the seven gods to destroy Khaenri'ah. In Rin's view, there was no right or wrong in this. If measured against the Empire's history, Sky Island's actions would even be a point in their favor.
But all of this was still irrelevant.
Rin only needed one fact from it all—that quantum energy could stir the Ley Lines, and perhaps even drag out the sealed Heavenly Principles. That was more than enough.
Simply put, it was time to help "their" branch with some pest control.
Toward the gnarled, colossal white tree, a stream of deep, dark purple energy poured straight from Rin's hand!
Whoosh—
BOOM!!!