Liyue — the Jade Chamber.
Ningguang drew in a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.
"The wind has shifted slightly," she said softly.
"It crossed the sea from Mondstadt… toward Inazuma."
"But in the end," Keqing said, hands trembling despite herself,
"he still returned to Liyue."
Aerin killed without blinking.
With a single gesture, an entire city could vanish without leaving so much as a corpse behind.
He had dismissed Venti, telling him to get out of the way—
yet there was no sign that Aerin intended to spare Mondstadt's expeditionary force.
"Still," Ningguang said calmly,
"he is not a blood-crazed butcher. That much is certain."
"His trip to Inazuma buys us time—time to think."
Her expression was grave, but her mind was already racing, searching for a way to protect Liyue when that moment came.
Snezhnaya — the Fatui Harbingers' council chamber.
"HAHAHAHA—!"
Maniacal laughter echoed through the room.
"He went to Inazuma! He really went to Inazuma, Beelzebul!"
The Harbingers exchanged uneasy looks at the hat-wearing figure laughing on the table.
Doctor Dottore shrugged.
"You seem excited. But don't forget—those were future projections."
"Because of the revelations, everyone has altered their plans. Including the Fifth Descender."
"That light screen even includes him. He won't act blindly."
Arlecchino shook her head.
"Whether you like it or not, he'll come for us eventually."
"Ask yourselves—can you survive?"
"I just want to see Beelzebul crushed beneath his foot," Scaramouche cackled.
Dottore sneered.
Scaramouche shot him a glare. "You sound awfully confident for someone about to die."
"My apologies," Dottore replied lightly.
"I'm not like a defective product such as yourself."
"My segments are spread across all of Teyvat. Killing me completely would be… inconvenient."
"Dottore!" Scaramouche snarled.
Dottore waved dismissively as he walked out.
"Good luck. You'd best find somewhere he won't easily reach."
Inazuma.
The sky mirrored the hearts of its people—
black clouds, thunder rolling without end.
Yae Miko gazed sorrowfully at the storm above.
She knew exactly what Inazuma's true problem was.
Of the Three Commissions, two heads had secretly colluded with the Fatui over the past year—
pushing Delusions, whispering to the Shogun that Visions threatened Eternity.
Thus came the Sakoku Decree.
Then the Vision Hunt Decree.
Inazuma bled.
Watatsumi raised the banner of rebellion.
"When your own rulers destroy their people," Yae murmured,
"it's worse than Mondstadt's moral collapse."
"…Those Three Commissions are finished."
She sighed.
"But wasn't the root of all this my old friend?"
"The Raiden Shogun isn't a distant myth like Venti."
"She rules Inazuma directly."
"No decree moves without her consent."
At sea — a remote, desolate island.
The clash of steel and the roar of elemental bursts echoed—
until suddenly, silence fell.
A long while passed.
Then a gentle breeze swept over the shore.
After leaving Mondstadt, Venti had rushed straight here—
to the island where the expeditionary force had landed.
The sight before him shattered his heart.
Knights lay scattered across the sand—
twisted, broken, lifeless.
"There's… no one left…"
He staggered through the bodies, desperately searching for a survivor.
Then he saw him.
Grand Master Varka, kneeling on one knee, his greatsword snapped in half.
"Varka…!"
No response.
Venti collapsed.
"Was extermination really necessary…?"
"These knights had strong wills—stronger than civilians!"
He couldn't understand it.
He knew Aerin's stated goal was to strengthen Ley Line resonance—
to cull weak wills so the world might stabilize.
War hardened resolve.
But this…?
This went far beyond that.
"Did they die because they refused to fear death?"
"No… that would make even less sense."
The wind whispered its report.
There were no living humans left on the island.
"…Refused to fear death?"
"Close," a voice said lazily.
"But they died because they rejected my kindness."
"Anemo Archon of Mondstadt—Barbatos."
Venti whirled around.
On the rocks sat a woman clad in jet-black armor.
He hadn't sensed her at all.
Black plates gleamed crimson under the sun.
Clawed gauntlets.
A half-mask of the same dark metal.
Only her lips and eyes were visible—
—and those eyes were blood-red.
The moment she looked at him, Venti's body began to tremble.
"Was it you?" he demanded.
"Did you do this?!"
She nodded casually. "Yes."
"They were foolish."
"I sensed something interesting in their consciousness."
"I tried to help them—but their commander insisted on waiting for your orders."
"So I sent them on their way."
"Maybe next life they'll grow a brain."
Venti froze.
"You… read the divine message I sent through them?"
She ignored the question.
"Allow me to introduce myself."
"Bella."
"By your terms—someone from beyond this world."
She chuckled.
"I always wondered why this world kept calling to me."
"Turns out he is here."
"You mean Aerin?" Venti asked.
Her eyes flared.
An unseen force crushed into his mind.
Seconds later, he collapsed.
"…I see now," Bella murmured.
"No wonder he chose this world."
She looked down at him.
"Watching your people die by his hand must hurt."
"How about this?"
"I grant you power."
"Go oppose him. Annoy him. Make his life difficult."
Venti glared up at her.
"My knights died because of you," he spat.
"And you have the nerve to speak of kindness?"
She sneered.
"That look again."
"You, too, want to reject my offer?"
Venti laughed softly.
"At least Aerin has a reason."
"You? You just want chaos."
She shrugged.
"We come from the same source."
"What he can do—I can do too."
"Well?"
"Never," Venti said through clenched teeth.
Aerin's methods were cruel—
but the arrival of a Descender always reshaped Teyvat.
With Celestia crippled and the Abyss stirring,
a harsh order was still better than total annihilation.
And Bella—
She terrified him far more than the Abyss ever had.
Her patience snapped.
Black lightning crackled.
A violet-black electromagnetic sphere formed in her palm.
"One strike," she said lightly,
"and Mondstadt disappears from the map."
"Tempting, isn't it?"
Venti smirked weakly.
"Compared to Aerin… your power is nothing."
Her eyes narrowed.
"A fragment of wind dares mock me?"
"Then—return to the Ley Lines."
The sphere struck.
Black energy engulfed Venti.
Lightning tore through him.
His scream was brief.
The energy collapsed inward—
—and the Anemo Archon dissolved into a faint breeze.
Bella exhaled sharply.
"Stubborn fools… all of them."
Then—
She stiffened.
That presence.
"…That aura—"
Space twisted.
She vanished.
High above, a massive white dragon swept through the clouds.
Bennares descended upon the island.
"…Who did this?"
She had arrived on Aerin's orders.
The test was simple.
Stand firm.
Do not flee.
That alone would have been enough.
Yet they were already dead.
"I sensed Venti earlier…"
She shook her massive head.
"He would never kill his own people."
Then—
Recognition.
Her four eyes widened.
"…That energy."
She rolled her eyes.
"Bella… you idiot."
Reality.
Bella was Bennares' dark-attribute manifestation—
a special entity deliberately woven into the future vision by Aerin.
Fear sharpened obedience.
Her powers needed no explanation.
No one would doubt them.
In reality, she would only appear briefly—
never revealing her true strength.
To Teyvat, Bella would remain a mystery.
Eula, barely conscious, didn't dare speak beside Aerin.
The future image had nearly knocked her out again.
Mondstadt—
reduced to less than thirty percent.
Mostly children.
Even their god—
slain.
"Aerin—!"
A familiar voice cried out.
A green figure slid to his knees.
Venti—alive.
Crying shamelessly.
"That Bella—who is she?!"
Aerin looked down calmly.
"So you finally showed yourself, Venti."
"Ignore Bella for now. She's no threat to me."
"But Mondstadt—that is my responsibility."
"You saw it."
"Even my future self was furious."
Venti nodded frantically.
"Deal with it—please deal with it."
The loss of the expedition…
his own death…
His Gnosis—crushed.
No second Anemo Archon would ever exist.
"…Before that," he pleaded,
"could you listen to me—just a little?"
Aerin regarded him silently.
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