The Balladeer's resentment materialized into tangible malice. Rover raised his head, calmly watching as the Balladeer spread his arms and laughed wildly. His eyes held nothing but contempt for those he deemed beneath him—and the burning desire for vengeance.
Yet what Rover felt was a profound sense of pity from the depths of his heart.
"Die!"
The Balladeer fully merged with the colossal machine before him. Rover frowned slightly—this steel behemoth indeed radiated a divine aura.
Moreover, its elemental composition seemed to consist of more than one type. Out of caution, Rover did not immediately attack. Instead, he continuously evaded, observing from all angles.
"This... is the power of a god! Hahahaha!"
The Balladeer wantonly unleashed the endless power surging within him. From the machine's palms, multiple elements surged forth, bombarding Rover in a frenzied storm.
Faced with this overwhelming assault, Rover's gaze sharpened. Lightning flickered along his arm.
In an instant, he had already blinked behind the Balladeer.
"What?!"
The Balladeer was stunned—he hadn't even seen how Rover had done it.
Mid-air, Rover twirled his blade, sending out several wind slashes. Yet the razor-sharp gusts merely left faint white scratches on the machine's surface. Finally, Rover clenched both hands, summoning a massive Geo greatsword that shot skyward before slashing down upon the machine's back.
Under the violent burst of sparks, the mech lost its balance, tilting to one side—though the Balladeer quickly stabilized it.
"Rover, what hope do you have of breaking through my defense?!"
The Balladeer laughed maniacally. He turned and stomped the ground, unleashing countless Electro shockwaves from his feet. Rover blinked again, reappearing mid-air.
This time, the Balladeer seized the opportunity, punching Rover and sending him flying.
Nahida, watching from the sidelines, stiffened slightly, unable to suppress her concern.
As the dust settled, a figure dashed toward the Balladeer at blinding speed.
Since the power of Teyvat itself had minimal effect, Rover entered his second phase.
Havoc surged from his blade. Spectro erupted from his palm.
Under that cold gaze, the Balladeer felt a chill—as if he had been plunged into an abyss of frost.
The moment the Spectro particles made contact with the machine, the Balladeer distinctly felt his movements slowing.
Then, without hesitation, Rover plunged his blade into the mech's chest. Countless Havoc particles erupted, devouring its exterior inch by inch.
"How... How is this possible?! No!! You damn—!"
The Balladeer gradually realized he was losing control. In desperation, he clawed at his own chest, forcibly tearing away the now-blackened plating.
But Rover wasn't finished. He placed a hand on his gourd.
"Bring out your full strength. Otherwise, you will be erased from existence right here."
The moment those words fell, the Balladeer's eyes widened. Even with the boost from Electro, he could barely keep up with Rover's speed.
And now, something far worse was happening—Rover had entered his third phase, meaning the Balladeer could no longer even see his movements.
First, Rover transformed into the Crownless, hurling his spear with an unstoppable force that tore through the air.
"My left arm... My left arm! AAAAAH!"
The Balladeer's furious roar echoed once more, but Nahida, standing nearby, detected a trace of fear in his voice.
A gaping hole had been punched through the mech's left shoulder joint. Havoc particles gnawed away at the interior, and before the Balladeer could react, the entire arm collapsed.
But it didn't end there.
Tempest Mephis manifested, its razor-sharp blades slashing repeatedly at the mech's knees. After several strikes, conductive energy surged into the circuitry, utterly destroying it.
The machine lost balance once more, crashing to its knees.
Gritting his teeth, the Balladeer raised his remaining right arm, gathering a terrifying surge of energy.
But in the next second—
A screech pierced the air.
The Mourning Aix, hovering above, unleashed a beam of Spectro energy from its chest, dispersing the condensed elemental fusion in an instant.
"No... Why... WHY?! My power... The power of a god... NO!!!"
From that moment on, no more sound emerged from the machine's interior.
Finally, Rover recalled his Echo and approached the now-motionless mech. He raised his crossbow, a Havoc-charged bolt aimed squarely at its head.
Rover never gave his enemies time for last words. There was no point.
"Wait!"
Nahida rushed forward, signaling for him to hold back.
After a brief moment of consideration—perhaps this was related to the Irminsul—Rover lowered his crossbow.
The machine's head opened, revealing the Balladeer, his spirit broken. Gone was the arrogance from before; his eyes were devoid of life.
"I... refuse to accept this..."
The Balladeer collapsed weakly, yet his fist remained tightly clenched.
"Stop this, Balladeer. You've lost."
Nahida spoke softly, biting her finger as she formulated a new plan in her mind.
"What awaits you is endless imprisonment."
Rover raised his crossbow again.
"You don't seem to have considered my stance in this, God of Dendro."
Nahida froze, but quickly composed herself, attempting to placate him.
"I have a way to let him start anew."
Rover didn't understand why Nahida was so determined to protect the Balladeer. He continued coldly:
"He and I are now mortal enemies. If you can swear on your life that this dog will never cross my path again, then I'll spare him. God of Dendro—do you dare stake your life on this guarantee?"
Nahida hesitated. She weighed whether the Balladeer's life was worth such a gamble. Finally, she took a deep breath, met Rover's gaze, and nodded firmly.
"I swear it on my life."
Seeing this, Rover lowered his crossbow and turned to leave.
Not a trace of emotion showed on his face—as if dealing with the Balladeer was beneath his notice.
"DIE!"
Hidden within the Balladeer's clenched fist was a wind blade. In an instant, he hurled it at Rover's retreating back.
Nahida's mind went blank. No matter how she rationalized it, she couldn't fathom why the Balladeer would still attempt such a cowardly strike.
Rover's eyes narrowed. Without even turning, he reversed his grip on his scabbard, blocking the attack against his back.
A crisp clang rang out.
Unharmed, Rover came to a slow stop. Then, he drew his blade.
Like a reaper passing judgment on a condemned soul.
Nahida said nothing more. Heartbroken, she stood aside, watching as the glint of steel unleashed a sword beam straight toward the Balladeer.
At the very last moment—
An Abyssal portal tore open. A hand reached out, yanking the Balladeer inside before the attack could land.
"So he was saved after all..."
Rover let out a cold scoff in Nahida's direction. Though he could kill her now per their agreement, no one could predict the consequences if the Dendro Archon perished—what chaos might erupt within the Irminsul?
Once more, Rover gazed in the direction where the Balladeer had vanished.
A thought—one he had never before entertained—flickered in his mind.