For the first time, a narrator's voice appeared within the light screen.
Calm.
Flat.
Devoid of emotion.
It introduced the Judgment of Shamash in Aerin's hands as if everything unfolding were only natural.
Yet to the people of Teyvat, that emotionless narration struck like thunder.
Each word crashed against their ears, shook their minds—
even their souls trembled.
A radiance rivaling the death of a star.
The descent of a god of destruction.
A weapon whose full power had only ever been unleashed by the Fifth Descender.
In all of Teyvat, only a handful even understood what a star truly was.
The rest didn't need to.
Because they all understood the narrator's final line:
[If he wishes, this single strike can shatter the entire continent of Teyvat.]
"Ah—!"
Jean jolted upright as if waking from a nightmare, cold sweat soaking her back.
"So… this is what the Fifth Descender truly is?"
"If he wanted to… he could erase every nation in Teyvat with one blow?"
[Diluc]: "This… this is his real power?"
[Kaeya]: "Then flinging us away earlier was just him playing around."
[Paimon]: "Aerin can break the whole continent?! And he caught me and Lumine—wuwuwu, I didn't know anything!"
[Lumine]: "So this is what a Descender is supposed to be like… I just want to find my brother."
[Alice]: "A… a star…"
[Hu Tao]: "W–wait, wasn't he only supposed to send some people back to the Ley Lines? Why does it sound like the end of the world?!"
[Hu Tao]: "I even wanted to see who it'd be… maybe promote a little business… I'm doomed!"
[Zhongli]: "Director Hu, do not panic. If the continent truly collapses, I doubt more than a handful—besides Aerin—would survive."
[Keqing]: "Is that really how you comfort people, Consultant?"
[Venti]: "I don't think he will. If he wants the world, destroying everyone and ruling over the ruins makes more sense than breaking the world itself."
[Yae Miko]: "Aerin-sama~ really, there's no need to be upset with Mondstadt. If you see this, Inazuma warmly welcomes you."
[Jean]: "He… probably won't. I'm not worth him using something like that."
Wangshu Inn, Liyue
The adepti were completely stunned.
A power capable of shattering an entire continent—
no one could even imagine such a thing.
Even Zhongli felt shaken.
During the ancient war, Phanes and Nibelung battled for ages before the world's crust fractured—
continents broke, lands sank, others overturned.
Yet the future shown by the light screen claimed that Aerin could do it in a single strike.
The Fifth Descender's power had already surpassed the Primordial One.
Abyss Order
Aether collapsed weakly into his chair.
"Heh… hehehe…"
Laughter escaped him—empty, broken.
"So this is the Fifth Descender."
"What do we even fight him with?"
"How could we possibly fight him?"
"Abyss Lector—do you know what a star is?"
"One unstable fluctuation is enough to doom multiple planets."
The Abyss Lector didn't fully understand—
But planet-ending was more than enough.
"Prince," the Lector said anxiously,
"Why don't we surrender?"
"Offer him everything we've built. Withdraw from the competition."
"Ask if surrender counts as half a loss—leave us a way to survive."
"Even farming every day would be fine."
The narration had brought despair to all of Teyvat.
Especially to Mondstadt's citizens.
Some had already collapsed, sobbing, afraid to watch what came next.
[Jean stood unsteadily at the city gate.]
[She stared at the enormous greatsword glowing orange-red before her.]
[Light descended.]
[Her vision was swallowed by flame.]
[The brightness intensified—Aerin's strike drawing closer.]
[Jean clenched her teeth, refusing to retreat even a step.]
[But just as she prepared to face the blow—]
[The light split apart.]
Her vision cleared.
Twin torrents of fire raced along Mondstadt's walls, spiraling outward—
until they met again.
The earth shook.
A deafening explosion roared behind her.
Heat washed over Jean, nearly knocking her down—
yet she remained standing.
"Amazing resolve, Acting Grand Master Jean," Aerin said calmly.
"You insist on blocking my path."
"So I won't waste time with you."
"I'll take another route into Mondstadt."
"If you believe you can still stop me—stand here."
"But how many of you would it take to block every road into the city?"
Jean didn't understand.
But the heat and explosion behind her filled her with dread.
She turned slowly.
As her blurred vision sharpened—
her face trembled violently.
"Ah… ah…"
"The… the walls…"
The ancient walls of Mondstadt—
along with Eula's frozen dome—
had been completely destroyed.
Centuries of protection.
Centuries of faith.
Gone.
Only the city gate behind Jean remained—
and even that was meaningless.
Aerin lightly patted her shoulder.
Jean collapsed to her knees.
"Every direction is now an entrance."
"Acting Grand Master Jean—
keep guarding this gate."
"Or split yourself into countless copies and surround the city."
"If you can."
She heard the mockery.
Tears fell silently from her face.
Aerin waited briefly.
Seeing only sobbing—
he sighed.
"If you won't rebuild Mondstadt's walls," he said,
"I'll build them for you."
"I promised none of you would leave today."
"I keep my word."
"Without walls, too many might slip away."
Jean's spirit finally broke.
She collapsed unconscious.
Mona and Fischl watched in horror.
Where Mondstadt's walls once stood—
rows of black vortexes appeared.
From them emerged towering white figures.
They lined up—
encircling the entire city.
When Mona saw what they were—
she blacked out instantly.
Ruin Guards.
Dozens of them.
Forming a new wall.
Space twisted.
Valkyrie Eula emerged from the Imaginary Space.
She froze at the sight.
After steadying herself, she asked quietly,
"Master… you summoned me?"
"Yes," Aerin replied.
"Clean up."
"Anyone still breathing—anyone capable of using elemental power—
fit them with suppression collars."
"Drag them into the city."
Eula nodded, then glanced at Jean.
Her heart ached.
"So stubborn, Jean…" she thought softly.
"Master… Jean—"
"She's alive," Aerin said coldly.
"I'll erode her will with Dark-attribute energy."
"Prevent suicide."
"After testing is complete, I'll release control."
"If she wants to die afterward—
that's her choice."
Aerin's back vanished into Mondstadt.
The world fell silent.
That strike had destroyed exactly what he intended.
The Annihilation Form of Judgment of Shamash was terrifying—
but Aerin's mastery of it was even more so.
He could control minds.
Erode wills.
Encircle a city with Ruin Guards like sentinels.
Escape was death.
Somewhere beyond Teyvat—
A purple-black armored warrior watched the fading light screen.
Surtrlogi murmured quietly:
"This… is our enemy?"
"Which god is playing such a cruel joke on us?"
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