Inazuma lay beneath a heavy pall.
For nearly a year, its people had been crushed under the Sakoku Decree and the Vision Hunt Decree.
Unjustified tax hikes and absurdly high landing fees devastated merchant guilds. Commerce collapsed, the economy spiraled into chaos, and ordinary citizens were dragged into misery.
And now they were told the truth—
That none of this was merely corruption by the Kanjou or Tenryou Commissions.
It was collaboration.
A deliberate effort to assist the Fatui in turning Inazuma's citizens into Delusion test subjects.
That was nothing short of treason.
[Nilou]: "The Fatui are absolutely disgusting…"
[Diluc]: "Delusions again."
[Kujou Sara]: "Impossible. The Kujou Clan would never do this. The Tenryou Commission exists to uphold Narukami's will."
[Sangonomiya Kokomi]: "You're an adopted child of the Kujou Clan. Do you really think they'd tell you the truth?"
[Navia]: "Turning an entire nation into a Delusion testing ground… the Fatui truly live up to their reputation."
[Clorinde]: "The key issue is cooperation. Without the Kanjou and Tenryou Commissions, the Fatui couldn't have progressed this far."
Liyue · The Jade Chamber
Ningguang gazed at the light screen, deep in thought.
She understood clearly—this catastrophe stemmed from the Electro Archon's absence from worldly governance.
Without divine oversight, the Fatui found an opening. The Commissions dared to enforce the Sakoku and Vision Hunt Decrees only because no god intervened.
"The hearts of those in power have completely rotted," she murmured.
Yet her thoughts went further.
Inazuma was ruled by humans acting in a god's name.
And history proved—human rule, left unchecked, always decayed.
She recalled Mondstadt's Lawrence tyranny.
The desert dynasties of Sumeru after King Deshret's fall—patricide, usurpation, chaos.
Fontaine's Remurian dynasty, which once drowned its own people in calamity.
Every disaster shared the same root.
Gods who no longer interfered.
"Human will fades with mortality," Ningguang sighed. "Expecting future generations to uphold the same convictions is wishful thinking."
"Liyue has endured only because Rex Lapis never truly left."
Dragonspine · Mondstadt
"Master…"
Lumine stood beside Aerin, calling softly.
She and Paimon had learned quickly—when Aerin summoned them, hesitation was pointless. Loyalty came first.
Primordial Looms. Fourth Descender. Celestia's arbitrary titles.
Whoever wanted those labels could keep them.
Lumine knew Aether could no longer cross the stars with her. He had already chosen Teyvat as his final homeland.
And Aerin's so-called "will suppression" was merely a safeguard—to prevent her from abusing the wishes of mortals.
She never intended to do such a thing anyway.
Following Aerin was far safer than opposing him.
"Can Kokomi really defeat Inazuma's god after becoming a Valkyrie?" Lumine asked softly.
"That's still a god."
"No problem," Aerin replied calmly. "The mark you bear allows you to share my power."
As Aerin grew stronger, so too would his Valkyries.
Recently, the Future Weaving System had granted him terrifying rewards:
Void Archives — Replicates any weapon or tool whose principles the user understands
Xuanyuan Sword — The golden blade of absolute dominion; sword intent born from will itself
The system's rewards followed a frightening rule:
Descriptions were law.
If a weapon was described as "the strongest," then across the entire cosmos—it was.
The Xuanyuan Sword granted Aerin absolute authority over anything its sword qi touched.
Matter. Energy. Even concepts.
Seal. Purify. Command.
And if he chose destruction instead—
The sword intent alone was catastrophic.
"Well, then there's nothing to worry about," Lumine smiled.
As a Valkyrie, she knew exactly how terrifying her power had become.
The question was just an excuse to talk.
Paimon followed behind as they entered a sealed cavern.
The sight inside stunned them.
A massive crimson object pulsed faintly—like a living heart.
"So big… it's still beating," Paimon whispered.
"The heart of Durin," Aerin said. "A dragon created by Abyssal power. It's still alive—and one day, it would regenerate."
A black void formed in his palm.
In the next instant, the heart unraveled and vanished into nothingness.
"Is that Abyss power?" Paimon asked.
"Sharp little one," a voice replied from the cave entrance.
A woman in red stood there—Alice.
Beside her was Jean.
"That's why Mondstadt never dared deal with it," Alice said softly.
Jean bowed deeply to Aerin. "I accompanied Lady Alice to see you."
Alice laughed lightly. "She thought I might offend you. As if I'm a child."
Her gaze lingered on the empty cavern.
"So… you dealt with the child after all."
"It never understood," Aerin said flatly. "It thought screams were songs."
Paimon's eyes bulged. "That's horrifying!"
Durin's perception had been warped. Only upon awakening did it realize the devastation it caused.
"That's no excuse," Aerin continued coldly.
"A confused mind. A mother who wanted to prove her child's beauty."
"It didn't understand—but its creator should have."
Alice froze, sweat dripping.
Aerin turned away.
"Mondstadt has entered a new phase. I'm simply removing future risks."
"If your maternal instincts interfere with my plans," he added coolly, "I'll erase you as well."
He passed Alice without another glance.
"An appalling role model."
Alice stood stunned.
Inazuma · Delusion Factory
Rosalyne, Eighth of the Fatui Harbingers, rubbed her temples impatiently.
She hated paperwork.
After the mutated Hilichurl incident, she had been ordered to withdraw from Mondstadt and oversee Inazuma's Delusion operations.
Then Barbatos vanished.
Even the Tsaritsa could no longer sense him.
Morax's situation changed as well.
Pierro ordered caution.
Thus, Rosalyne was sent to clean up.
"I don't even understand this nonsense," she muttered. "Why not send Dottore?"
A cold whisper brushed her ear.
"Because scapegoats exist for a reason."
Her blood froze.
A shadow clung to her back.
Red eyes gleamed.
"Who's there?!"
She spun—
And froze.
"Bella…"
Yae Miko shot to her feet in terror.
"Of all times…"
Bella grinned, holding a green chess-piece–like object.
"Looking for this?"
Rosalyne's breath hitched.
"Is that… Barbatos' Gnosis?"
"Yes," Bella laughed. "I recreated it."
"You killed him?!" Rosalyne shouted.
"I did," Bella said lightly. "And learned something interesting from your memories."
"Your Tsaritsa wants to become a Descender."
"Collect the Gnoses. Control Irminsul."
She lifted a Delusion.
"To mortals, this is a death sentence."
"Only Vision holders survive prolonged use."
Rosalyne snapped back, furious.
"The Tsaritsa will revive the dead through the Ley Lines!"
Bella tilted her head.
"A shame."
"Aerin's arrival makes that dream impossible."
Then she smiled.
"But I can help."
Rosalyne scoffed—
Bella cut her off.
"You're boring."
"Dottore. Scaramouche. They have ambition."
"You only obey."
Her eyes turned cold.
"So die for now."
Black-red energy pierced Rosalyne.
Lightning flared.
Fire swallowed her whole.
When it faded—
Nothing remained.
To read advanced Chapters, head over to p@treon:
patreon.com/nani_kaito