"P-Pyro Archon..."
"Y-You wouldn't... want us to fight you, right?"
After being thrown onto the competition stage by Rios, Tepetapán and Tamuyin's moods also plummeted to the bottom.
They had shouted so loudly earlier that everyone in the Stadium of the Sacred Flame could hear their voices.
But now, when they opened their mouths, their voices trembled so badly that perhaps even they themselves couldn't hear what they were saying clearly.
Rios said nothing, merely stepping toward them.
His pace was very slow, but with every step, it was as if another heavy shackle was added to Tepetapán and Tamuyin's hearts; the fear in their hearts surfaced unabashedly on their faces, and even breathing became particularly difficult.
"Lord Pyro Archon, I'm from the People of the Springs just like you—the entire tribe, only I address you as Lord Pyro Archon, please don't..."
Before Tepetapán could finish speaking, a burning fist had already smashed heavily onto his cheek.
His entire body launched backward like a fired cannonball, slamming into the wall of the Stadium of the Sacred Flame.
Boom!
Accompanied by a massive roar, dust rose in the Stadium of the Sacred Flame, obscuring Tepetapán's figure and making it impossible to determine if he was alive or dead.
"D-Damn... he really attacked us."
"Even if it's the Pyro Archon, I'll fight to the death!"
Seeing his companion who had been standing together moments ago mercilessly struck down, the cornered Tamuyin could only muster his courage and launch an attack at Rios. "I'll fight you!"
But the next instant.
He discovered the scene before his eyes had changed.
The Pyro Archon, who had been close at hand, suddenly vanished, replaced by the full view of the Stadium of the Sacred Flame, which grew smaller and smaller; several Qucusauruses glided past in front of him.
He... he had been thrown into the sky by the Pyro Archon!
The Stadium of the Sacred Flame, which he had always felt was enormously vast, had now become like a tiny black dot.
This meant he had reached a very high altitude.
I'm done for!
Falling from such a height would definitely kill him!
Though Tamuyin was born in the Scions of the Canopy and often swung around with grappling hooks, he had never flown to such a height.
Even the people of the Flower-Feather Clan, skilled at riding Qucusauruses, probably hadn't flown this high.
Tamuyin couldn't remember how long he flew in the air, but every second was utter torment for him.
He could feel his upward speed slowing more and more; when it stopped rising, that would be when he plummeted from the sky.
At this height, even falling down, who knew how long it would take to reach the ground.
At that moment, Tamuyin noticed a red dot appear in his vision.
The red dot's area enlarged at extreme speed—it was originally a rope made of flames flying over.
In all of Natlan, only one person could manipulate flames to this degree: the current Pyro Archon, Rios.
"Lord Pyro Archon came to save me?"
Seeing the fire rope fly over, Tamuyin thought it was the Pyro Archon coming to rescue him and subconsciously relaxed his guard.
But when the fire rope reached his side, not binding his body but instead wrapping around his neck, his mind went completely blank.
The next moment, he was yanked down by Rios, plummeting toward the ground at extreme speed.
Tamuyin felt his neck was about to break; the world before his eyes spun wildly, all his organs as if stirred together, utterly unbearable.
The descent speed was countless times faster than his ascent; before Tamuyin could even blink, he crashed to the ground.
Boom!!!
Tamuyin smashed into the ground, emitting an earth-shatteringly deafening roar, as if a massive explosion had occurred.
"Get up there."
Before Tamuyin could catch his breath, he was thrown into the sky again by Rios, preparing for the second round of descent.
And while he was performing his aerial human flight show, his good companion Tepetapán was also receiving painful treatment.
Rios grabbed the other's head and smashed it directly into the ground, cracking the floor several centimeters deep, then lifted him up again.
"P-Pyro Archon... spare me..." Tepetapán had several teeth broken, his nasal bridge collapsed, mouth full of blood, mumbling incoherently in plea for mercy. "I know I was wrong... I shouldn't have said those things about Kaiulani..."
"Forgiving you is Kaiulani's business." Rios said with a smile. "What I need to do is send you to see Kaiulani."
The young Pyro Archon's smile was the same as always, merely a slight curve of the lips.
But in Tepetapán's eyes, it was a demonic smile, more terrifying than Abyss monsters.
Rios pressed Tepetapán's head and smashed it into the floor, then like throwing a bowling ball, hurled Tepetapán along the ground.
Tepetapán turned into a streak of firelight, bombarding the arena's wall; the ground was gouged with a crack over a meter wide, a sight that made one's heart pound with dread.
After throwing Tepetapán, Rios extended his hand toward the sky, and another fire rope shot from his palm, yanking Tamuyin's neck to slam him down from high in the air; then with a flick of his arm, he threw him back up, subsequently continuing the bowling ball operation on Tepetapán.
"Th-This is too cruel."
Seeing the scene unfolding before her eyes, little Paimon was so scared she clutched her chest with her small hands, her voice trembling as she said, "It's like treating those two as Abyss monsters."
No, even Abyss monsters got better treatment than those two.
When Rios dealt with Abyss monsters, he would snipe them from afar with an arrow, killing them instantly and painlessly.
But those two who had been shouting earlier were being repeatedly tormented by Rios; even as spectators, they watched with pounding hearts and chills.
"If this keeps up, won't they die for sure?" Paimon said fearfully.
"No, even though those two are very detestable, Lord Pyro Archon hasn't gone for the kill."
Kinich pointed at Tepetapán, who was being tossed around in full view of everyone. "Look closely—they have red elemental coats on their bodies; that's Lord Pyro Archon's protection for them."
"When we were testing the defense towers, Lord Pyro Archon gave us similar elemental coats." Kachina's eyes widened slightly, continuing Kinich's words. "This coat ensures the person won't be injured, but they have to endure all the pain fully."
"Does that mean they won't be in life-threatening danger?" Paimon widened her eyes.
"Indeed... but everything has a price."
Kinich said calmly, "With their strength, without the elemental coat from Lord Pyro Archon, they would have died in the first punishment."
"Though they won't die, they have to pay the corresponding price: experiencing death many times over."
"I think, for them, direct death might actually be more comfortable."
Kinich crossed his arms, analyzing coolly.
"But that Tepetapán already has injuries on his body." Lumine's eyesight was excellent; from far away, she could see Tepetapán's nasal bone was broken.
According to what Kinich and the others said, Tepetapán shouldn't be injured.
"It must be that Rios deliberately let them suffer a bit more." Mualani knew her childhood playmate all too well; when he went ruthless, he was truly ruthless.
[So satisfying!]
[Exactly—blood flowing like rivers!]
[This Pyro Archon may not chop the Lady to death like the Raiden Shogun, but this is just as venting!]
[Watching this is way too satisfying!]
When the players saw Tepetapán and the others shouting, dissatisfaction rose in their hearts.
And upon seeing them receive cruel treatment from Lord Pyro Archon, eating the bitter fruit of their words and actions, the players' pent-up frustration was instantly vented, cheering Rios's actions one after another.
======
Genshin Impact World.
After going back and forth who knows how many times, Rios yanked Tamuyin down from the sky and smashed him heavily onto the ground.
This time, he didn't throw him back into the sky; instead, he slowly turned his head, his golden eyes falling on the red-haired woman not far away.
"Mavuika, handle them." Rios said calmly.
"Yes—" Mavuika responded quickly, immediately looking toward the medical personnel. "Chuychu, hurry over and treat them."
Whether it was the Pilgrimage of the Returning Flame on the Sacred Night or the subsequent Night Warden Wars, there would always be many injured personnel.
Moreover, those revived by the Ode of Resurrection didn't return at full health but in an injured state.
Without timely treatment, it could leave serious hidden dangers for the returning warriors.
It was because of these matters that the Stadium of the Sacred Flame was equipped with many medical personnel.
The one currently assigned happened to be Chuychu.
Though Mavuika could see that Rios had preemptively provided protective measures for the punished two, after such severe treatment, it was still better to have a doctor check them.
"Who said I meant for a doctor to treat them?" Rios suddenly asked.
"What?" Mavuika was slightly stunned, clearly not expecting to have misunderstood the meaning.
"I meant for you to punish them." Rios pointed at the two unconscious on the ground.
Punish them further?!
Whether it was Mavuika or the others in the Stadium of the Sacred Flame, none had expected Rios's instruction to mean this.
"Lord Pyro Archon, you've already given severe punishment for their actions." Mavuika said.
In her view, Rios's punishment was sufficiently severe, even somewhat excessive.
If they punished them further, Rios's actions could no longer be considered just.
"Who said what I did earlier was punishment?" Rios said something shocking once more.
He lightly curved the corners of his mouth, smiling at Mavuika. "What I did earlier was just venting."
"The punishment for insulting a hero starts now."
Hearing this, everyone present collectively drew in a sharp breath.
So, what Rios had done before wasn't punishing the two from the Pyro Archon's standpoint—it was simply him wanting to vent his inner rage.
He actually planned to impose formal punishment on Tepetapán and the other!
"...I understand."
Mavuika could sense Rios's anger and thus didn't continue to persuade him.
Kaiulani had only just passed, and now she was being slandered by the living.
If severe punishment wasn't given, the honor of Natlan people would become a joke.
Though Rios's methods didn't align with a Pyro Archon's behavior, they were indeed what a Pyro Archon should do.
He admitted it was one-sided venting, and after venting, he called on Mavuika to handle it officially.
This allowed everyone in the Stadium of the Sacred Flame to breathe a sigh of relief while not violating Natlan's laws.
In Mavuika's eyes, Rios had already done more than enough.
On the other side.
After giving the instructions, Rios addressed everyone in the Stadium of the Sacred Flame. "Kaiulani can't be revived with the Ode of Resurrection simply because what she participated in wasn't a Night Warden War."
"But she, who lost her life to protect her companions, is an unquestionable hero of Natlan."
"If anyone dares to slander her like those two just did, their fate will be even worse."
With that, Rios scanned the Stadium of the Sacred Flame, taking in every single person.
Under Rios's pressure, those who had some doubts earlier instantly dispelled their suspicions toward Kaiulani.
"Yeah, Kaiulani is a hero who protected her companions—how could we doubt her?"
"Team competitions are all about doing whatever it takes to win; getting into a brutal fight and being caught off-guard—what's there to say? When fighting Abyss monsters, do we still expect them to follow the warrior's code?"
"If your strength isn't enough, train properly—don't blame all your incompetence on others, and even use slanderous means; truly shameful!"
The people in the arena verbally condemned Tepetapán and the others one after another.
In their eyes, Kaiulani, who sacrificed herself to save her companions, was undoubtedly a hero beyond question.
While Tepetapán and the others, who lost the match and then maliciously slandered Kaiulani, had no qualification to be warriors at all.
"It seems everyone's thoughts have unified."
Hearing the voices around her, Paimon knew everyone was dissatisfied with what Tepetapán and the others had said.
"I'm sure Kaiulani's spirit in the heavens would also feel gratified." Lumine nodded gently.
But in Natlan, after people die, they go to the Night Kingdom—there probably isn't a "spirit in the heavens" saying.
"Huh?"
Just as everyone thought the dust had settled, Mualani lightly raised one delicate eyebrow, letting out a puzzled sound.
"What's wrong, Mualani?" Paimon asked curiously.
"When Rios looked over, he gave me a wink." Mualani explained to everyone. "He wants us to go to the council hall later; he has something to say to us."
"Just from a wink, you understood that much?" Paimon scratched her hair.
"Hehe, actually, most of it is my guess." Mualani squinted her eyes in a smile. "But I've played with Rios since we were little; I know better than anyone what he means to express—it must be what I'm thinking."
"Then do you know what Lord Pyro Archon wants us there for?" Kinich asked.
"I don't know."
Mualani shook her head, then placed her hand over her heart. "But I hope it's something about saving Aunt Kaiulani."