l Dottore stared wide-eyed at the vision before him.
The future version of himself—arms spread, calm in the face of death—had always relied on one thing:
His segments.
As long as those fragments scattered across Teyvat existed,
he would never truly die.
Originally, Dottore assumed Aerin would use Irminsul—
track each segment, erase their records, and kill them one by one.
Or perhaps erase the segment data directly from Irminsul.
But what Aerin was doing now—
It wasn't that.
"This… isn't how Irminsul erasure works."
As Fatui's foremost researcher, Dottore knew too much.
Through the Tsaritsa's conjectures and ancient records, they understood one rule:
When information is erased from Irminsul, the target disappears instantly.
No pain.
No awareness.
No time to scream.
Yet his segments were screaming.
They were dying—slowly.
"What did he do…?"
Dottore froze.
The unknown terrified him far more than death.
"Hah… even at the end, I don't know how I'm being killed."
"Disgusting… this ignorance is torture."
["What did you do?!"]
[Dottore clutched his head, staring at Aerin in agony.]
[Aerin spoke again, mildly amused.]
["Interesting. You were so dignified a moment ago."]
["And now you look like a different person entirely."]
["I didn't do anything."]
["I merely stated—"]
["Another one of your segments is dying."]
The words landed like a curse.
The moment Aerin finished speaking—
Another scream erupted inside Dottore's consciousness.
Every segment panicked.
["What's happening?! Are you killing us?"]
["Are you insane? Without us, how do you function?"]
["We gather intelligence, secrets, forbidden knowledge!"]
["You know how much effort it took to create us!"]
Dottore heard them all.
But he didn't respond.
Because the man in front of him—
Was the real threat.
"No… impossible…"
Dottore staggered back.
"Did you control Irminsul?"
"No—even if you did, erasure wouldn't look like this."
"This isn't right. This isn't right!"
For the first time in his life—
Fear dominated him.
He had dissected gods.
Defied heavens.
But he had never seen reality rewritten by speech alone.
The world fell silent.
Moments ago, people were still reeling from Teyvat being "crushed."
That could at least be explained as overwhelming force.
But this—
Moving one's lips, and reality obeys?
Too abnormal.
"Is this… Adeptal Law made manifest?"
Xianyun whispered, eyes trembling.
In Liyue legends, such power existed only in fiction:
Speak, and the heavens comply.
Impossible.
Yet here it was.
Zhongli spoke at last.
"It is planetary authority."
All eyes turned to him.
"During Sumeru's upheaval, Aerin fully seized Irminsul."
"Irminsul is the core of Celestia's order."
"By extending control through the Ley Lines, he now governs the entire system."
"Even the False Sky is bound to him."
Zhongli paused, voice heavy.
"He likely holds the world's will itself."
"A single thought—and the planet obeys."
Dottore's segments were natives of Teyvat.
Bound by its will.
If the world decided they should die—
They had no choice.
"I see…" Xianyun swallowed dryly.
"No wonder."
She was right.
Zhongli's explanation was reasonable—
though incomplete.
What Aerin used wasn't merely planetary will.
It was conceptual authority.
But to Teyvat's people—
Someone who commands the world's will
might as well be omnipotent.
Zhongli rose slowly, gazing toward Sumeru.
"The new master of Teyvat…"
"Emperor Aerin."
[Dottore never understood it.]
[And never would.]
With every sentence Aerin spoke,
another segment screamed—and died.
Until finally—
["Dottore."]
["You, and every segment of you—die."]
["As for the original body—"]
["Experience the same reactions you inflicted on those children."]
["Then die."]
Aerin turned away.
The instant he did—
Dottore collapsed.
Burning pain tore through his organs.
Vomiting. Convulsions.
Every reaction is identical to his experiments.
"Kill me… kill me!"
His plea went unanswered.
This was only the beginning.
Self-termination was impossible.
The world itself forbade it.
People watching weren't sympathetic.
They were horrified.
Because this was what those children endured.
"This man deserved death long ago."
Arlecchino muttered while returning to Fontaine.
She protected orphans.
And despised Dottore.
Rosalyne shuddered beside her.
"If that man comes to Fontaine…"
Arlecchino shrugged.
"If he wants us dead, nowhere is safe."
Before Irminsul
Eula stepped out.
"Master."
Aerin looked at the glowing tree.
"Nahida finished?"
"She's… still going," Eula said awkwardly.
"Benelothis is watching."
Aerin nodded.
"Good."
"I'll first restore those killed by Bella's interference."
"Then—refinement."
Across Teyvat—
The dead returned.
Varka stared at his hands.
"We… died, didn't we?"
Elsewhere, confused citizens filled Sumeru's streets.
Memory gaps.
No pain.
Only silence.
["Now,"] Aerin said calmly.
["Irminsul will begin refined selection."]
["A baseline of will, morality, and desire."]
["Those who fail—are erased."]
Eula hesitated.
"And Nahida?"
Aerin replied evenly:
"Set her aside."
"For Sumeru—"
"I have a better ruler."
He spoke a name.
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
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