Although Zhongli's spear failed to penetrate the shell, the impact still stimulated the creature inside.
A massive insect burst from the egg, its colossal form shooting into the sky above Narukami Shrine, wings slicing the air like vibrating steel.
It began to circle.
And then—
Just a few heartbeats later, more figures peeled out of it.
Then more.
And more.
Within minutes, the sky above Inazuma was filled with tens of thousands of identical creatures.
The explosive multiplication was so absurdly fast that even Su Ran—the creator—felt a jolt of shock.
Even for a swarm organism… this is insane.
He immediately issued a mental command.
Stop breeding.
Otherwise, in less than an hour, the number of insects would surpass the entire human population of Teyvat.
The Star-Sunderer—the brood-leader—paused mid-flight.
Then the swarm stopped multiplying altogether.
Fortunately, their intelligence was naturally low, more instinct than thought, which was precisely why Su Ran had been able to seize control of the Star-Sunderer so quickly.
But even dormant, the pressure emitted by the Breeding Envoy rippled across all living beings.
The stronger one's will or power— the clearer the fear.
A primal sense of predator and prey.
One after another, the Archons of the Seven turned their gaze toward Inazuma.
Something unspeakably terrible had appeared, something whose threat eclipsed even the legacy of the Third Throne…
And might surpass even the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles.
Sumeru — The Lesser Lord's Cage
No one felt it more directly than Nahida.
As the young branch of Irminsul, she felt the tremor of the entire world.
The world was afraid.
Even the World Tree trembled.
What… what has appeared?
Nahida pressed her hands against the transparent barrier of the Sanctuary of Surasthana, desperate.
"Is anyone there? Can anyone hear me?"
But no matter how she tried to reach outward, all she met was silence.
The sages were mortals— some of them shivered at the sudden chill, but dismissed it as nerves.
The sanctuary fell quiet once more.
Fontaine — Focalors
At the Oratrice Mécanique d'Analyse Cardinale, Focalors shuddered violently.
She tightened her hold on the small Arlecchino in her arms.
"What is that!? Why is it so terrifying!?"
Anything capable of instilling instinctive fear in all thinking beings should not exist in Teyvat.
"…Don't tell me it's something your master did again?"
Little Arlecchino blinked.
"I think it is…"
Nothing else made sense.
Natlan — The God of Fire
The Pyro Archon lifted her sunglasses, staring toward Inazuma.
A monstrous aura washed over her.
Her fighting spirit roared to life.
Snezhnaya — The Tsaritsa
The Cryo Archon:
"Abababababa—"
She didn't need to think to know.
This was another disaster caused by her genius Executioner.
She bitterly regretted not creating a clone to follow him like a tail.
Every time something world-shaking happened, she was always the last to know—
Despite the fact that he was her Harbinger!
Back in Inazuma
Panic swept across the land.
The sky was crawling with enormous, unknown creatures, more horrifying than the cracks of the collapsing dream.
Yoimiya blinked her eyes open in her shop.
"…Huh? Wasn't I just standing next to the gods?"
Why was she suddenly home?
All around Inazuma, people who had awakened from the dream now stared upward in terror.
As for the Star-Sunderer, the brood-leader drifted downward, settling loyally beside Su Ran.
To it—
Su Ran was the queen.
Instinct demanded absolute obedience.
Even Ei felt fear.
The aura coming off the creature was worse than anything she had ever faced.
Worse than any demon god.
Worse even than that day she confronted the Sustainer.
Su Ran's strength was unknown; he always hid it.
But this thing?
This thing made no attempt to hide what it was.
"Morax, dare you fight it?"
Su Ran's eyes lit up with excitement.
Beidou and Yelan trembled uncontrollably.
To them, both Zhongli and the insect were incomprehensibly far above mortal strength.
The difference didn't matter—
an ant couldn't comprehend the distance between a mountain and the sky.
"I do not dare," Zhongli said instantly.
He surrendered without hesitation.
This creature exceeded the scope of demon gods.
When he thought about the fact that he had just tried to spear it while it was hatching—
Even Zhongli felt a rare moment of self-doubt.
"Not even a try? How will you ever know your limits unless you challenge them?" Su Ran teased.
"No need," Zhongli replied calmly.
"I have already learned my limits—from you."
A single hit was enough.
"..."
Ei tugged on Su Ran's sleeve.
She pointed at Kokomi, Lumine, and the others.
She clearly expected him to follow through on his earlier suggestion—
"Capture them and feed them to the bug."
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