____________________
The Wind then took the Little Star into the Highest mountain in all the land.
The journey however was a treacherous one.
Their ascent to the mountain top took them straight to the marshy jungle at the foot of the tall mountain.
There, the Little Star got curious after she saw on a bunch of glowing flowers growing near a crooked tree, leading her to be separated from the Wind who told her not to stray away from her breeze before they entered the jungle.
Alone and scared, the Little Star ran around the jungle trying to find the gentle Wind whom she had lost.
- The Tales of the Little Lone Star
____________________
(Back at the Northeastern portion of Dihua Marsh)
The abyssal egg could no longer hold back the immense dark pressure swirling inside it.
After one final crack, it exploded with the force of a volcanic eruption, sending waves of explosive abyssal energy cascading throughout the marsh.
Xiao, without a moment's thought, threw himself over the injured child in order to shield her.
He absorbed the brunt of the corrosive blast with his own body, as both of them were flung out into the air!
But the force behind the blast was so strong that Beidou was torn from his grasp after the initial impact, causing the little injured girl to be thrown like a ragdoll across the muddy ground.
The poor injured child coughed out a spray of blood as she crashed into the muddy terrain, barely conscious and unable to summon the strength to even open her eyes.
Xiao, on the other hand, landed hard as well, rolling across the ground with countless small cuts and burns covering his body.
He was in immense pain, but he had to keep moving.
He had to find the child!
He quickly scrambled to his feet and looked around for the whereabouts of the injured child, whom he saw had landed a short distance away, her body crumpled and motionless in a patch of muddy ground.
He could see that her breathing was shallow, and the wound in her stomach was still bleeding profusely!
Over at ground zero, the thick dark haze that formed from the explosion began to dissipate, revealing a truly horrible sight.
What was once an abyssal-made egg-like structure, now stood a colossal grotesque monster with fur as black as night.
It had the head of a bull with multiple twisted horns and a single, malevolent crimson eye glowing at its center.
Its body and mane were like that of a lion, with forelegs adorned by draconic claws and hind legs like those of a horse.
But its most grotesque feature was its tail, a malformed, serpentine beast that writhed and lashed with a life of its own!
The creature then let out a deafening, soul-shaking roar that echoed throughout the Bishui region—the birth cry of a newly born god!
Haden was ecstatically elated!
He could feel it... the overwhelming power that radiates from this new creation was unlike anything he had ever felt before!
He could feel its immense power... apower that could rival the Archons themselves!
Years of painstaking research and back-breaking labor had finally paid off!
He had finally done it!
He had created a god!
He had successfully created a god!
Though the beast was not yet complete—it still required the heart of that insufferable Yaksha to reach its full potential—he could feel that its current form was atleast strong enough to challenge a nation, much more an Archon!
He could sense it, for the first time in the history of this loathsome world, an artificially-made god was finally born!
A god made not by the powers of Celestia but by the hands of those eternally damned in the Abyss!
He had succeeded in taking the reins of divine creation away from the Usurper!
"MARVELOUS, TRULY MARVELOUS!"
"BEHOLD CELESTIA! WITNESS AND COWER UPON THE MIGHT OF THE ABYSS! HAHAHAHAHA!"
Haden then looked at his newborn creation with a contemplative expression.
A god made from the very clay of the abyss, and molded by the hands of those who were condemned needs a suitable name....
Yes, a name, one that will strike fear into the hearts of those who will behold it!
"From this day forth, you shall be known as Guàiwù, the Indomitable beast!"
The creature, no, the god, as if understanding its creator's intent, roared in approval with a guttural sound that echoed throughout the lands of the Bishui region.
As the mighty beast roared in approval, Xiao meanwhile staggered in pain as he tried to get himself up after being thrown away.
Burns crisscrossed his body, particularly on his back, causing him an unprecedented amount of pain.
His strength was nearly spent.
He was at the brink of his limit!
And now he had to contend against this collosal abomination?!
The Yaksha knew that there was no way he could survive the onslaught coming from this monster.
He was sure of it!
The power that radiated from this so-called god rivaled that of his master Rex Lapis during his youth!
Yet, his efforts will not be in vain…
He had already journeyed to Liyue Harbor earlier that day after parting ways with his divine benefactor.
He had already relayed the message to his master and he was sure that the rest of Liyue, particularly his lord, had already begun to mobilize!
He knew that all he has to do right now was to buy them precious time.
Using his spear, he propped himself up, ready to face his end.
And though he was now facing his own inevitable demise, a peculiar sense of serenity and peace washed over his weary soul.
'Maybe after this...I... I'll get to see them once more... my brothers and sisters.'
"Menogias... Bonanus... Indarias... Bosacius... my dear siblings... I'll see you all soon."
With the last of his strength, the last remaining Yaksha pointed his spear towards his enemies.
He would die defiant!
He would not sully the title of Yaksha by cowering in front of this monster!
He will do what he had sworn to do!
To serve as the spear of his Lord!
For Rex Lapis! For Liyue!
*****
(Meanwhile, all across the Bishui Region)
The birth of an abyssal god served as a potent beacon for the countless monsters that inhabited the entirety of the Bishui Plain.
From the several savage Hilichurl tribes to the wondering bands of Abyss mages and other monstrosities, the corrupting presence of the dark god had unconsciously stirred them into motion, causing them to enter a frenzied state!
Towns and villages from all across the region soon began experiencing raids and large scale attacks from these frenzied monsters.
Local militia and the few garrisoned Milileth soldiers in the area immediately sprang into action, trying desperately to hold back the tide of monsters.
Meanwhile at the vicinity of the Wangshu Inn, the Sixty five strong Honor guards who accompanied their Grand Master in her journey to Liyue, prepared to go into battle as groups of monsters began to descend upon the inn.
"HONOR GUARDS OF THE KNIGHTS OF FAVONIUS! MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ARMS!"
"WE HOLD THIS GROUND IN THE NAME OF THE ARCHON!" cried Captain Yuan as each knight brandished their swords and held their shields tight.
The first wave of the monsterous horde then rushed down towards the Wangshu Inn but surprisingly their thundering charge was broken by the defensive spell that formed a sort of protective bubble around the Inn.
It was the same spell that Artoria had cast earlier that afternoon.
The aftermath of the frenzied charge caused several dozens monsters to be flung out to the surrounding marshes after they made contact with the powerful golden bubble shield that surrounded the inn!
For the monsters who were helpless thrown towards the muck, it was like charging straight into a giant rubber band!
After the initial wave was repelled, the Sixty five strong Honor guards, plus the several mercenary groups who had gathered around the outside of the inn, made their counterattack.
They charged forward with their blades and spears pointed towards the mass of enemies that were bearing down upon them.
The defensive golden bubble allowed them to pass through without resistance.
A fierce melee battle then followed.
Steel weapons clashed with rudimentary clubs and monsterous claws.
Elemental spells from the Abyssal mages and Samachurls collided with the magical enchantments that blessed the swords and armor of the knights.
Dozens of bodies were hacked and sliced!
Guts and gore were spilled upon the once peaceful and welcoming grounds of the Inn as the combat intensified.
The ferocity and sheer numbers of the monsters had forced more than half of the mercenaries present to retreat back to the immediate safety of the defensive bubble, which gave them much needed protection.
As these mercenaries regained their bearings, they were surprised, astonished even when they saw how their allies from the north fared against the onslaught of the monsterous horde.
The knights approached the battle not in a blatant and chaotic manner, but rather with a certain discipline and methodical order that belies their seemingly individualistic appearance.
Eachgroup of five to six knights moved as a single cohesive unit, their shields locked in place whenever the enemy would charge.
They would then sprung out once the charge was repelled, and would begin hacking and cutting their enemies like weeds in a garden!
Their collective movements were so fluid and so precise, that they were almost akin to a dance as they methodically cut down groups of enemies in perfect synchrony!
This was the infamousFavonius Bladework, a style that had been heavily modified and refined by their current Grand Master over the last five years in order to better suit large group battles, a style that the mercenaries had only heard of in passing.
Several shots of gunfire rang across the battlefield, as several uniformed groups of knights open fired against the enemy ranks using their experimental Mondstadt-made muskets.
These were the new piece of long ranged weaponry that were created through the joint venture of the Seventh (The Dorman Company) and Eight (The Research and Development Company) Companies of the Knights of Favonius.
The uniformed and effective usage of both traditional melee combat and these new ranged weapons allowed the knights to effectively maintain a defensive perimeter around the inn, all while inflicting massive casualties to the enemy.
The mercenaries of whom some had previously deemed the Knights of Favonius as nothing more but glorified bodyguards in shiny ceremonial armor, had their entire worldview turned upside down that day!
These warriors were now seeing, firsthand, the fruits of the grand reformation that the Knightly Order had undertook for the last five years!
They were now witnessing the rebirth of an army, a legion that had once battled the Abyss during the Cataclysm five hundred years ago!
As the bloody defense raged on, a golden flash of light was seen streaking from the uppermost floor of the Wangshu Inn, heading towards the northeast direction of the Marsh.
From the moment they saw it, the knights immediately redoubledtheir efforts in cutting down their foes, for they knew what it meant!
They knew that their goddess, their Archon, had finally joined the battle!
"BROTHERS! SISTERS! HOLD THE LINE! LET NONE OF THESE MONSTERS SEE THE NEXT SUNRISE!" Captain Yuan roared as he personally led the all-out assault of the knights.
Each knight fought like a possessed warrior, their fervor and morale surging to new heights as their presence slowly caused the enemy ranks to break, causing the various monsters to retreat in panic!
This heroic and hard-fought defense fought by the combatants that day would later be known in history as the Battle of Wangshu Inn.
It was one of the two most crucial battles that occured in Liyue's recent history, second only to another battle that occurred just a few miles northeast at that very same night.
A battle that was seen by none, but was witnessed and testified by the accounts of one lone adepti, the Conqueror of Demons, Xiao.
That battle would be remembered throughout the annals of Teyvat's history as the Battle of Dihua Marsh or as it is more popularly known….
The Lioness' Reckoning.
____________________
(Back at the Marsh)
The sight of the feared Conqueror of Demons making a valiant last stand in the face of inevitable defeat was, quite frankly, an amusing spectacle for Haden.
The abyssal Lord let out a low chuckle as he watched the lone Yaksha's act of futile defiance.
"Amusing, purely amusing. So stubborn till the very end!"
"I suppose I should have expected no less from one of Rex Lapis' dogs." Haden sarcastically mocked as Xiao let out a defiant roar.
"YOU HEARTLESS VILLAIN! YOU WILL NEVER SUCCEED!" shouted Xiao
"The rest of Liyue will stop you! My Lord will not let your twisted ambitions come to fruition!" Xiao continued as he mustered the last of his strength to stand up against his corrupted foe and his monstrous god.
"Rex Lapis? Oh, that old coot. Yes, I am quite aware of your master's inevitable arrival. And I'm quite looking forward to it as well." Haden said as he snapped his fingers, signaling the monstrous beast that stood behind him.
"He may be a god, but my pet here...well, my pet here is a god as well!"
Haden then looked at the injured and staggering adepti with a predatory look.
"Your willpower is...unexpectedly strong. Like what I have said earlier, you will be the perfect FINAL piece."
"Even though your sacrifice here will be of little use against the might of my Guàiwù, at least your death will serve a far greater purpose!"
"Guàiwù! Dinner is served!" Haden commanded.
The monster let out a harsh-sounding roar as it began to march forward, its heavy footsteps shaking the very ground with each step.
Xiao braced himself for the inevitable.
He is ready to die with his honor intact!
But before Guàiwù could even take one more step, something fast....something strong came crashing down from the heavens with a force so tremendous that it generated a powerful gust of wind upon impact that blew off several small trees and patches of shrubs within the immediate vicinity out of their roots!
Haden and even Guàiwù had to shield themselves from the gust of the impact.
When the dust settled, Abyssal Lord noticed that the Conqueror of Demons was seemingly unaffected by gusts of the crash, and was now looking towards the site of impact with a seemingly profound expression of relief.
However, what truly caught his attention was the source of the impact itself.
At the very center of a newly formed crater, just a few inches away from the motionless injured child who was seemingly spared from the force of the crash, stood a woman of unimaginable beauty.
She wore a sort of adventure attire with long sleeve white vest and a dark blue traveling cloak that sways elegantly with the wind.
She had piercing emerald green colored eyes that shone with both power and wisdom.
Her golden blond hair was tied in an intricate, tightly secured braided bun, with two thick, shoulder-length locks left to frame her face.
Her immaculate face was so perfect that it could rival the divine, and her well-proportioned and voluptuous body was something that could make even goddesses cry in envy!
In Haden's eyes, she was the living embodiment of perfection.
But there was a problem....
Haden knew this woman.
He knew her very well!
She was one of the key individuals from all across the Seven Nations that the Abyss Order had been trying to monitor for years!
She was the primary person responsible for stymieing several of their operations in Mondstadt for the last five years!
She was the one highly suspected by several of his colleagues within their Order to had been the one to cause the failure of their attempt to sow discord in Mondstadt by conjuring an abyss-laden storm almost two years ago!
"Artoria Pendragon Gunnhildr..." Haden growled as if pronouncing her name was a curse.
The dreaded Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius!
The woman who had seemingly revitalized the Chivalric Order and the Nation of Mondstadt as a whole for the past five years!
The one who, according to rumors, had a strength equal to that of a Fatui Harbinger!
The person whom many of them suspected to be a close associate of the Anemo Archon Barbatos himself!
This wretched woman had been a constant thorn in their side for these past five years!
So many of their operatives were slaughtered by her knights and scouts because of her sanctioned missions against their Order!
They tried to infiltrate the Knights of Favonius for years, yet all of their attempts failed as each and every one of their agents were either captured or killed!
They couldn't even get near her, for the woman was always surrounded by a contingent of highly skilled knights.
Hell, even her house, her entire damnable estate was reported to be protected by a sort barrier that no one, not even their greatest spellcasters, could break!
There's even an academy size boot camp of several hundred knights-in-training stationed just nearby that place!
"You vile damn woman! Of all the places for you to show your face...you chose here! In Liyue!"
Haden then sneered at her, preparing to launch a long winded monologue that he had prepared specifically for her.
"You and your thrice cursed knights have been a thorn on our side for far too long! With your demise here tonight, Mondstadt shall fall into chaos!"
Yet unknown to the overly theatric Iniquitous Baptist, from the moment she arrived, Artoria didn't gave a single damn about whatever gibberish nonsense he was spouting.
She hadn't even bothered to look at her surroundings.
Her emerald eyes had not even spared a single glance to the monstrous god besides the abyssal Lord.
Rather, her gaze, her entire world was focused solely on the injured child who was lying motionless in the muddy ground before her.
'Be...Beidou' she fearfully thought as she slowly kneeled down in front of the child.
Her entire body was shaking uncontrollably as she gazed upon the sorry state of the child that she had befriended... and cared for since yesterday.
She's hurt....Her little star was hurt...badly!
A gaping wound in her stomach with blood dripping both from the wound and from her small mouth.
"Be....Beidou….Little…Star…. sweetie its me, Auntie Ria is here."
Artoria's trembling voice was filled with sorrow and dread as tears began to pour out of her beautiful emerald eyes.
She couldn't think straight, her mind was in a state of emotional turmoil brought about by the battered state of the child she now held dear.
Even in her panicked state, she, at the very least noticed that the wound inflicted upon Beidou goes far deeper than just a physical injury.
Abyssal energy was festering around it, poisoning the girl's body and even corrupting the child's very soul!
Without a single moment to spare, Artoria pressed both of her hands over the gaping wound and poured out her divine energy, conjuring a myriad of healing spells, particularly those rooted from her skill, Avalon Le Fae, in a desperate attempt to save the poor girl's life.
Memories from her past began flashing through her eyes.
Painful memories from that one faithful rainy day in Whitland, Wales…
The sudden frantic phone calls....
Her running through the rain-soaked streets as sirens blare all around her....
The sight of town's local kindergarten...on fire....
The...the...white...body bag.... containing her...her precious daughter....
Artoria shook her head, trying to push away those horrid memories.
She... she will not lose someone again!
Not here! Not now! NOT AGAIN!
She was becoming desperate…
Hers was the desperation of a mother trying her best to save her child!
Artoria's presence and the sudden surge of holy energy had somehow aroused Beidou from her unconscious state as the little girl heard the sweet and gentle yet oddly tensed voice of her newest favorite person in the whole world.
She could barely open her eyes as she gazed upon the person she wanted to see so much.
"Aun...Auntie….Ri..Ria? It…it hurts….it hurts so bad…" whimpered the little girl as she tried to reach out to her.
"Hush now sweetie, hush now. Everything's going to be fine alright. You'll be fine, I…I promise. Don't worry." Artoria said with a profound sorrowful tone.
Her voice trembling as she poured even more of her power in a desperate attempt to close the wound.
Her focus was solely on the child even as she felt a sudden spike of malevolent abyssal energy coming from the peeved abyssal Lord and his pet god who were several yards away from her….
Artoria never once tore her sight away from the injured child before her.
"Aunt…Auntie…look…I…I…brought..you.. something."
Beidou tried to lift her, small bloodied and mud-caked, right hand towards Artoria with what little strength she had left.
The poor girl then opened up her palm revealing...torn and scattered pieces of blue petals, the remnants of the Glaze Lily she was able to save after she was suddenly attacked by Haden.
"Auntie…this…this is for…you…. pretty flower….my…sur.. surprise….for you…Auntie…"
"Please, sweetheart, stop talking! You need to conserve your strength!" Artoria frantically said, her own emotions now beginning to overwhelm her as she felt the child's consciousness slipping away.
"I….feel…so sleepy…Auntie…I…I think..I'll sleep…now…thank..you...…thank…you…thank…...you…"
Beidou then closed her eyes and slipped once again into unconsciousness...
Her little arm fell back to the muddy ground as the remains of the Glaze Lily were scattered all over the place in front of Artoria.
Artoria froze, momentarily stopping her healing spell as she looked at the now unresponsive little girl who now bored a small contented smile adoring her blood stained lips.
She then held her little body close to her chest trying to atleast arouse the child, to wake up again, but to no avail.
"Bei...Beidou... sweetheart....please wake up."
"Didn't I.. I…told..you that we'll go..to..to Liyue Harbor...together right?"
"You're going to love it there sweetie...I promise..." Artoria said as she tried to nuzzle the child.
Blood from her now closed wound smearing over the archon's dress.
Silence…
There was only silence.
Only the cold gust of the marsh wind answered her.
She just held the girl's body as her mind went blank.
Her body shaking uncontrollably as tears poured out even more from her eyes.
For Artoria...the whole world seemed to have stopped.
.....
"YOU DAMNED WOMAN ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?!!!"
Screamed Haden at the top of his lungs.
For the Iniquitous Baptist, the presence of this irksome woman was already troubling enough, now she's FLAT OUT IGNORING HIM?!
HE?! THE WRYDSWORD OF HEAVEN'S END AND ONE OF THE MOST TRUSTED OFFICERS OF HIS MAJESTY?! IS BEING IGNORED BY A MERE MORTAL?!
THAT'S JUST PLAIN OLD INSULTING!
SHE SPITTING ON THE FACE OF EVERYTHING HE REPRESENTS!
HE WILL NOT BE IGNORED NOR INSULTED ANY LONGER!
"IF YOU'RE TOO CONCERNED WITH THAT HALF-DEAD STREET RAT THEN LET ME SEND BOTH OF YOU TO YOUR GRAVES!"
Haden then coated his right arm with Abyssal energy, reciting some short incantations.
Each word he uttered was in a language unknown to mortal ears.
His offering to the all encompassing might of the Abyss!
He then made several slicing motions in the open air creating multiple purple colored rifts in space.
Each rift...a gate connecting directly to the abyss…
In just a few seconds, each of the said rifts grew larger and larger until each of them were about the size of a large house.
"This next phase of the operation was supposed to be initiated after I acquire that damned Yaksha's heart. But no matter, theend result would just be the same." Haden snarled as he raised both his arms in a grand gesture.
"THE DESTRUCTION OF LIYUE! AND YOU!"
He then pointed out his clawed finger to the still frozen Artoria.
"YOUR DEATH WILL BE THE ADDED BONUS!"
"AFTER I'M DONE RAZING THIS ENTIRE NATION TO THE GROUND, I'LL MARCH MY LEGION NORTH AND DESTROY YOUR PRECIOUS LITTLE NATION!"
"LET THIS FINAL SCENE BE ETCHED INTO YOUR SOUL BEFORE WE TORE YOU INTO PIECES!"
"BE GRATEFUL THAT YOUR DEATH WILL HERALD THE ERA OF THE ABYSS!"
Soon, thousands upon thousands of abyssal creatures poured out of the rifts.
Hilichurls, Abyss Mages, Rift hounds and so many more came rushing out like a dark plague with one particular goal in mind.
Destruction.
These were the soldiers, the peons that made up one of the Abyss Order's legions.
The one personally lead by Haden himself!
That very night, that one particular stretch of the Dihua Marsh became dotted by countless cursed creatures numbering in the tens of thousands!
A staging ground...for a full scale invasion of Liyue!
An army made for war, lead by a mad warlord and his dark god creation!
Xiao, who was still reeling from his injuries, was now frozen in place by the sheer scale of the army that suddenly appeared before him.
'This is...hopeless', he thought.
Absolutely hopeless!
Even with the arrival of this mysterious yet powerful goddess, the sheer number of the enemy alone was just too much!
"MY LADY!" Xiao promptly screamed as he tried to rouse the now catatonic goddess who was still holding onto the body of the little girl.
"MY LADY, YOU HAVE TO GO! YOU CAN STILL ESCAPE!"
"MY LADY, PLEASE..."
Xiao didn't want to see his benefactor, the goddess who had saved him from his Karmic Debt, die in front of him.
He had already seen too many good people die in the long years of his existence!
So many friends lost....he can't bear to see another one die, especially not this kind goddess who he owes his life!
Yet, Artoria remained still and silent.
She just sat there hugging the body of the child, like a statue carved out from grief.
Haden let out a villainous laugh seeing the desperate drama unfolding before him and his legion.
"HAHAHA! LOOK AT YOURSELVES!"
"TWO PATHETIC SOULS, DEFENSELESS AGAINST MY MIGHTY ARMY!"
"THIS IS YOUR FATE! YOUR INEVITABLE FATE!"
He then turned to his massive army, raising his left arm as if to give a final speech.
"MY LEGION! THOSE BLESSED BY THE ALL ENCOMPASSING TRUTH OF THE ABYSS!"
"TONIGHT WE MARCH AGAINST LIYUE, AGAINST THE SEVEN NATIONS, AGAINST THE USURPER!"
Hordes of various monsters answered their master's call with a unified series of howls and screeches that echoed all throughout the battlefield.
"YOUR FIRST TASK, KILL THAT LOATHSOME WOMAN BEFORE..."
Haden wasn't even able to finish his speech when he, his godly creation and the rest of his army, immediately felt asudden and profound tangible chill.
It felt like as if their very souls were being choked by the cold and unforgiving hands of death itself!
Every single abyssal creature present, from the lowest Hilichurl to the highest abyss lectors, shuddered from the profound sense of dread that had suddenly washed over them.
.....
It was thenfollowed by a sudden, overwhelming burst of light energy!
Pressure so powerful that it sent most of the army crashing into the ground, unable to get back up.
Even Haden himself and his self-proclaimed god were forced to kneel upon their knees upon feeling the enormous pressure crashing over them!
"What...what is this?!" Haden cried out as he tried to resist the pressure, but to no avail.
He then desperately tried to move his neck in order to find the source of this overwhelming power and when he laid upon it, his very being froze in place.
At the very center of the phenomenon, was Artoria…
She was now standing….
The body of the child was now carefully laid down on the ground beside her, as she now stood with an EXPRESSION OF PURE, UNADULTERATED RAGE!
Her emerald eyes were now glowing with the light of a thousand suns!
Her hair now flowing like golden flames as it defied the laws of gravity!
"No..No...You..." Haden couldn't believe it.
This woman!
This cursed woman whom they had labelled as a mere threat with a strength on par with a Fatui Harbinger was capable of such raw overwhelming power?!
It can't be! She shouldn't have this kind of power!
The unimaginable brilliance that came forth from Artoria began searing the very darkness that came from the Abyss….
Causing the soldiers of the Order to began screaming in pain as if their very bodies were being burned by an invisible fire!
Haden, the Wrydsword of Heaven's End, for the first time in Five Hundred Years felt something he hadn't felt in a long, long time.
He felt fear.
True, genuine fear for his very life!
'She....she's no mere mortal...' Haden thought as he tried to process the sheer scale of power that the woman was radiating.
'She...she's a GODDESS?!'
Artoria then let out a loud cry of pain, anger and anguish as her very divinity exploded out of her body!
Immeasurable quantities of divine energy began to radiate out of her very being like a supernova!
Reality itself began to bend and twist around her as if it was trying to flee from the sheer might of this angered deity.
A collosal dome of brilliant light soon formed and began expanding outwards from Artoria's very being, enveloping everyone and anything it came across including a sizable area of the marshland!
Haden closed his eyes as the searing light momentarily blinded everyone.
Then, there was a momentary silence.
For a fraction of a second, they felt nothing...but then they sensed something was wrong.
Something was definitely WRONG!
Even with their eyes closed, they felt a sudden shift in the world around them.
The environment had changed…
But worst of all, Haden and all of his minions felt that their connection to the Abyss…
The very source of their power and existence, had suddenly been SEVERED!
As if cut by some unseen blade!
It was like having a part of their very soul being torn away from them!
This caused the entire army to panic and howl in confusion even as they laid nearly crushed on the ground.
The transition occured for a few seconds, and when Haden finally opened his eyes, he was completely and utterly shocked in what he saw.
Gone were the muddy and wet marshlands of the Dihua…
Gone were the tall verdant green grasses that dotted the plains!
Gone were the distant misty mountains of Jueyun!
In their place was a vast and endless arid desert, dotted by NUMEROUS, UNCOUNTABLE, and MASSIVE CRATERS that stretched for miles!
"WHA....WHAT?! WHERE?! WHERE THE HELL ARE WE?!" Haden screamed in confusion as he tried to process the impossible situation he and his army were in!
Soon after, Haden once again fell into his knees as his body began to violently convulse in sheer pain!
He was not the only one who was suffering though!
Every single individual in his army, whether they be Hilichurls, Abyss mages, Rift Hounds and even to the lectors, all seemed to convulse in unimaginable pain as if their bodies were seemingly being torn from the inside by some sort of corrosive poison!
.....
Little did he and the rest of his abyssal legion know, Artoria, in her rage, had called forth her inner world, Avalon, and transported everyone into it!
But this was not the pristine and forested part of the nascent world where Artoria's Tower proudly stood….
No, this was a remote and desolate arid desert found within the farthest and most remote corner of her created world!
This is the place where she, for the past two years, had been testing out her skills, her magic, her…. pipe bombs….and her noble phantasms!
Her own personal Bikini Atoll!
A place of unchained experimentation for the budding primordial goddess!
And this area which is about the size of Texas, has a very high level of Light Energy, the ANATHEMA to Abyssal energy!
The presence of this unusually high concentration of light energy was brought about by her NUMEROUS EXPERIMENTS, namely through the countless times she had spammed her various noble phantasms!
This sort of irresponsible act had somewhat inadvertently created a sort of magical light-based radiation that was HIGHLY TOXIC to anything that harbors the power of the Abyss!
It was an environment that was PURE HELL for any being connected to the dark depths of the abyss!
Like a group vampires who accidentally found themselves stranded in a middle of a vast garlic field!
Sensing its master's pain, the grotesque Guàiwù tried to counter the corrosive passive field effect of the strange land by generating its own mini abyssal field.
This small act had somewhat managed to prevent the total collapse of the army, but the monstrous god was now slowly beginning to feel the full brunt of the Light energy slowly seeping and corroding the very protective barrier it was trying to maintain!
Haden, who was still partially convulsing in pain from the sheer toxic environment, turned his attention towards the now standing goddess who was radiating with pure hatred and malice!
Her divine energy was lashing out like tendrils in every direction, carving out huge swaths of desert land and destroying massive dunes as it passed!
Never before was the goddess subjected to this intense level of mental stress.
Divine she may be, but her very mind was still similar to that of a mortal, filled with mortal flaws and emotions.
And with her grief-fueled distress, the very realm, the very world of Avalon began to shake as if emulating the profound sorrow and unbridled fury of its creator!
(To be continued…)
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(Brocéliande - Arthurian Legend)
- Brocéliande, earlier known as Brécheliant and Brécilien, is a legendary enchanted forest that had a reputation in the medieval European imagination as a place of magic and mystery.
- Brocéliande is featured in several medieval texts, mostly relating to the Arthurian legend, as well as in numerous modern works.
- It is a place of legend due to its uncertain location and unusual weather, and is usually identified as the place where several important locations in the Arthurian mythos are found such as Morgan's magical Vale of No Return, the Faery fountain of Barenton, and the place of Merlin's retirement, imprisonment, or death.
- In modern times, the magical forest is commonly identified as Paimpont forest in Brittany, France.
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(Terre Gaste - Arthurian Legend)
- Terre Gaste, otherwise known as the Wasteland or the Strange Land, is a desolated kingdom in Arthurian legends, often linked to the Fisher King or Grail King.
- In the Arthurian Grail material, the Wasteland's condition is usually tied to the impotence of its leader, the Fisher King, King Pellehan who is the guardian of the Holy Grail. Often, in some literary works, this impotence is preceded by some form of the Dolorous Stroke, in which the king is injured tragically for his sins but kept alive by the Grail.
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