When they first met, they shared drinks and laughter.
Now, upon meeting again, they had come to erase a nation.
The irony of fate was almost surreal.
Luo Li sighed quietly as he gazed into the distance at the still-calm underground kingdom of Khaenri'ah.
That long-maintained peace…
was about to shatter.
"The wind is rising."
Barbatos whispered as he looked toward the sky.
Luo Li and several others followed his gaze.
At some unknown moment, darkness had gathered over Khaenri'ah
a vast shadow eclipsing the heavens.
Everyone recognized it immediately.
"Celestia," someone muttered.
The floating island that had hung over Teyvat for millennia
had finally taken action.
Red-black radiance suddenly spread across the heavens,
and at its center hovered a barefoot, white-haired queen
cold, aloof, and omnipotent
looking down upon the earth.
"Mortals who dare usurp the thrones of gods…
your judgment is delivered."
Her emotionless voice pierced like ice.
A moment later, flames of annihilation
poured down from the sky
filling all vision.
At that instant, the Seven did not hesitate.
As if responding to a silent signal,
each Archon moved in unison,
rushing toward different regions of Khaenri'ah.
Only Luo Li and Raiden Makoto remained.
"We should begin as well."
For the first time ever, Makoto drew Musou Isshin
the blade that had never been sharpened,
a symbol of divine authority rather than war.
Yet now, its amethyst sheen pulsed with godly power.
She was never suited for battle,
yet still forced herself to join this war of extinction.
Sometimes Luo Li genuinely wondered…
why were gods always so selfless?
One after another, willing to die for their people.
"Stay behind me.
And no matter what happens—do not act alone."
Since they were already here,
Luo Li cast aside all stray emotions.
A divine glow rippled through his eyes.
Makoto, as a god, should have been safe enough …
but Khaenri'ah was different.
Their technology rivaled the gods,
and now it was fused with abyssal power.
Dangerous fatally so.
Even other Archons perished in this calamity.
"Let's end this quickly."
A low whisper left his lips
as the Subspace Spear formed in his hand.
Across the battlefield, the other Archons finally revealed their true nature.
Their usual gentleness was nothing but a mask
each one a victor of the brutal Archon War.
A colossal stone spear as if a pillar of heaven itself
shot downward, ripping open Khaenri'ah's outer layers.
Floods powered by water-borne elemental lifeforms
rose like tsunamis to crush those who defied the divine.
Gentle winds transformed into tyrannical storms,
dragging stone and debris into sky-spanning cyclones.
Elemental power rampaged under the gods' command
a world-ending catastrophe unleashed in an instant.
Khaenri'ah was sealed.
Khaenri'ah Underground Nation
When Celestia descended,
many citizens sensed something was wrong.
When divine fire fell from the sky,
the truth could no longer be avoided.
War erupted instantly.
Panicked screams filled the streets.
Cursed citizens fled toward shelters.
None understood why Celestia and even the Seven
had suddenly turned upon their nation.
Nor did they have the chance to question it.
In the crowd, Dainsleif felt his heart clench painfully.
He immediately sprinted toward the royal palace.
He had no time to consider why war erupted so suddenly.
Nor did he remember he had been temporarily barred from court.
As Captain of the Royal Guard,
he believed he must stand in his rightful place.
But when he reached the palace,
he found absolute chaos.
With no commander present,
the guard forces scrambled in disarray
unable to mount any meaningful defense.
Then, one young man stepped forward,
forcefully assuming control.
His orders restored temporary stability.
Dain felt no relief
he simply rushed over and shouted:
"Halfdan!
Organize the Black Serpent Knights
protect the civilians, restore order.
Choose several to come with me.
We must see His Majesty at once!"
The young commander Halfdan still felt nervous,
unsure what to do next.
But the moment he heard Dain's familiar voice,
his panic settled.
"Yes, Captain Dainsleif!"
He didn't question why Dain had returned.
He simply followed the order.
With a trusted leader,
the Black Serpent Knights recovered quickly
and began their operations with precision.
Meanwhile, Dain led a small group deeper into the palace.
Before long, they found the royal entourage.
Just as Dain inhaled to urge them to evacuate,
he froze.
The king did not look surprised at all
as if he had expected this disaster.
Calmly, he continued assigning tasks to his attendants.
Dain could only wait, anxious and silent.
But something else was strange
two unfamiliar individuals stood beside the king.
A pair of siblings, both with golden hair,
faces pale, whispering urgently to each other.
Only after finishing his instructions
did the king turn toward Dain.
"Entering the palace unbidden…
you're bold, Dainsleif."
Dain knelt instantly.
"If His Majesty wishes to punish me,
please do so after the crisis.
At this moment, we must gather every possible hand
to resist the assault."
The king fell silent for a moment.
Then he said:
"Leave the defense of the city to others.
Your task now is to find Rhinedottir
and bring her before me."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Without hesitation, Dain turned and ran.
"Please…
let there still be time!"
Gazing at the divine destruction raining from the sky,
Dainsleif gritted his teeth
and sprinted into the burning outskirts of the capital.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read 60 chapter ahead on P@treon if you're interested: patreon.com/PixelAero