"Lady Keqing?"

Without waiting for her superior's answer, Ganyu softly padded into the office. Though it was quite the sizable room, it looked slightly drab. The Yuheng's aversion for anything overly luxurious was made apparent in her workplace, even though there was probably no other noble in Liyue who shared her mindset. Whatever, she got her job done however she wanted, and no one else had a say in the matter. Especially not her colleagues.

She had probably been expecting the secretary's arrival, because she stood up from behind her desk the second the door opened. She'd certainly had her work cut out for her in the past couple of days, but it was nothing she could not handle. As such, she managed to look fresh and elegant for this most important day, which would without a doubt get extremely hectic.

Keqing readjusted her golden hairpin. "If you're here, it means it's nearly time? Are the other Stars ready to make their entrance?"

Ganyu bowed. "Indeed. The Lords and Ladies are waiting for you to enter Yujing Terrace. Since Lady Ningguang was the one to lead the ceremony for this year's Rite of Descension, she will also be giving a short speech before the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor can carry out the final rites."

"Mhm. Let's head out then. We certainly don't want to keep them waiting, do we?"

The Yuheng checked her appearance one last time, and smiled with satisfaction when everything turned out to be in order. Her chest heaved with a sigh. When she first dressed up like this for the Rite of Descension, she never would've guessed Rex Lapis' funeral would take place several weeks later, with the Qixing overseeing it to boot. Well, she just had to go all out and flawlessly get that unfortunate event out of the way, as usual. And if anything, it was a chance to embrace a new beginning.

Keqing was ready for the coming change. She had been preparing almost her entire life for this very moment.
Now, she could only hope that her nation did the same.

The indomitable Yuheng flipped the door open with solemnity, and the General Secretary, appointed by the late Geo Archon himself, followed suit.

"Well, here goes. The next chapter of Liyue's history begins now."


Chapter 10 – The Star and the Narwhal


The air around Yujing Terrace was suffocating. Countless employees and consultants from the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor scurried around the plaza, frantically making last-minute check-ups on absolutely everything. The white banners, the incense, the altars for gold and food offerings, the lanterns, everything was scrupulously examined, checked and double-checked. Their director was nowhere to be found however, she was probably preparing her mind and body for the coming ritual somewhere quiet. As the final descendant of the Hu bloodline and last practitioner of the sacred flame arts, her role in the Rite of Parting would be crucial. No mere mortal had ever cremated an Archon before, after all.

While the anticipation was rising, more and more of Liyue's sons and daughters flocked to the growing audience. If the Rite of Descension was crowded, it was still dwarfed in comparison to what was probably the nation's most important event in millenia. Not only the harbor's citizens in their near entirety, but also dignitaries from afar, entire families of cultivators from Qiaoying, elders from Qingce, even villagers from the more modest areas like Yaoguang or northerners from Stone Gate made the journey to the harbor. The sheer grandeur and tumult that came with something as unprecedented as a god's funeral made the bustling city feel extremely different. Not only the overpowering smell of incense, but also a tremendous amount of tension in the air made what should have been a fond farewell to their Archaic Lord feel surprisingly oppressive.

Whether one wanted to admit or not, the impact brought by Rex Lapis' passing still weighed heavily upon Liyue.

Aether was unnerved. As he stood amidst the crowd, he blended in perfectly with the nobles on the front row. In order to conceal his usual outlandish clothing, he adorned a white and gold Liyue-style tailcoat, courtesy of Lady Ningguang's personal tailor. It was not extremely practical to move around in – and in truth, was not his preferred choice of wear either– but if he could at least remain unnoticed for the time being, his attire would serve its purpose.

And according to Yelan, the red surprise it came with could come in handy.

The Traveler bided his time patiently, waiting for the Qixing to make their appearance so the ceremony could begin.

In the corner of his vision he could see Shenhe, his friend also dressed up for the occasion. At the Tianquan's behest, she was now wearing a straight-skirted gray hanfu, which only served to hide her usual bodysuit. Though not suited for fighting, he still thought she looked good in it – which was apparently enough of an argument to make her comply with the plan without even looking at Yelan. She also seamlessly fit in with the other attendees, dressed like a wealthy businesswoman despite not having a single Mora to her name. In all honesty, he felt somewhat proud of how far she'd come.

"There they are! The Qixing are here!" shouted a random citizen. Again.

Well that certainly brought back some not-so-fond memories. But the law-makers of Liyue arrived in order, and he joined the collective clamor, trying his best not to sound out of place. He eyed the Lords Tianshu, Tianji, Kaiyang and Yaoguang, the set of stern and powerful gentlemen he never had the pleasure of meeting personally. Ningguang, Keqing and the Lady Tianxuan also bore serious faces, as it was expected during a funeral. Though he noticed that the Lady Tianxuan looked even more nervous than the others. Perhaps it was for reasons unrelated, but he made a mental note of it all the same.

Unlike during the Rite of Descension, he was positioned close enough to the front row, and Ganyu was attending this time around. And while the Qixing and the rest of the officials were mostly wearing black, she was dressed in a flowy white garment which made her stand out in a nice way. The secretary noticed him in the corner of her eye and offered a friendly nod in his general direction, to which he responded with a short-lived smile. Taking his eyes off her, he nervously awaited what was to come – hopefully nothing bad. That's when he noticed that the center of the plaza was empty, save for the Seven Stars. When exactly did the employees of Wangsheng leave?

He had no idea, but another party made their entrance a second stream of shouts made him look back. Nearly collapsing under the massive weight they carried, a squad of Millellith soldiers in ceremonial uniforms breached through the crowd, transporting as best as they could what he surmised to be a giant coffin. The heavily-embellished wooden box was so voluminous in length, width, and height, that no less than thirty men were necessary to bring it all the way to the central plaza. Huffing, grunting, their faces red and sweaty, the soldiers placed – or rather, dropped – the coffin behind the Qixing.

Ningguang stepped forward, her eyes almost droopy and her face masked by a mourning frown. In addition to the cunning businesswoman he'd talked to just a few days prior, she made for a surprisingly convincing actress. The Tianquan spoke slowly, imitating a voice about to break down and shatter into pieces to near perfection. But his attention wasn't on her, but rather, on a tall blonde woman who'd silently walked up to his level.

Aether only looked at her for a split second, and shrugged. "You call that being incognito?" he chuckled, his voice barely above a whisper. "Not one to judge, but I'm pretty sure a kid could see through that obvious disguise of yours."

"I do this kind of thing for a living, Traveler. This 'obvious disguise' fools way more eyes than you might think." Yelan nonplussed. "Now, aside from being nothing short of a tourist, what do you have to report?"

He kept looking straight ahead. "I do have an odd feeling, but that's probably no grounds for taking action this early on. Aside from that, I haven't spotted a single suspicious individual in the crowd. The Millellith also looked pretty normal to me, but maybe there's a nasty surprise waiting to jump out of that coffin."

"Absolutely impossible. The Exuvia came straight from Kongxin without any delays, and I kept an eye on the thaumaturges myself. This coffin hasn't been tampered with." she rebutted.

"The stars strike me, then." The Traveler huffed. "How are we expected to come up with a countermeasure to a problem we don't even know exists?"

"We both know this problem exists. And you're the one in charge of intervening if, no, when it does make itself known. This is what we agreed upon, remember?"

He irritatedly snapped his head towards her. "Yes, but if you don't give me the means-"

Yelan was already gone. In her place stood a rotund businessman, who offered an offended look in response to his peeved expression. The blond mumbled an apology, and went back to playing the sitting duck. Or just watching the final rites unfold, as one might call it.

"...And so, today we mourn not a god, not the Prime of the adepti, but the wise and gentle ruler who has led our nation for millenia. Today, we say farewell to the one known as Rex Lapis." Lady Ningguang concluded, wiping invisible tears in the corners of her eyes.

A modest round of applause resounded across Yujing Terrace, and even a few more tears were shed. Aether would be amazed at her ability to move a crowd, if he wasn't so anxious. Every single person attending this long-awaited ceremony could be in grave danger if he failed to properly predict whatever the Fatui were planning.

Regardless, the Rite of Parting went on, as the Tianquan stepped aside to let the workers of Wangsheng take the stage once more. The second phase of the ceremony began, as more incense and perfume wafted around the area, the smell becoming hardly bearable for the attendees on the front row. Several acts of dance were performed by masked troupes, using replicas of the Lord of Geo's stone spears as props. Odes were sung in an ancient tongue, tiny bells and evil-warding gongs chimed, all to help ease their Lord's journey through the afterlife. The offerings were cautiously removed from the altars, and soon enough, they piled up on and around the Exuvia's giant coffin. Though he knew better than to comment on a nation's sacred beliefs, the Traveler found the concept of gods needing an afterlife rather odd. That sounded somewhat impractical, especially when immortals in general could just-

His ears buzzed, his head hurt, and he stopped that train of thought from going any further. It was probably for the best, especially with all that incense clouding his senses. Thankfully, the final act drove his mind away from his mini-existential crisis.

A plum blossom hat tore through the red smoke, and the 77th Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor made her entrance. In an excessively ornate ceremonial outfit, Hu Tao seemed to collect herself in silence, as the other employees exited the stage a second time, and even the Qixing made sure to give her ample moving room. Shadowed eyes closed and red lips pursed, not a sound came from neither her nor the audience, and yet the sudden pressure was astounding. Aether felt a massive mystical aura weigh heavily upon him, and he barely managed to conceal his struggle. Looking around him however, he found that the other attendees acted normally, completely oblivious to the crushing power that had suddenly taken over Yujing Terrace.

He surmised that the divine pulse was coming from her, or rather, from the ritual she was about to conduct. Him being the only person affected could be a problem when looking for nearby danger.

In a motion that made his head spin, Hu Tao reached out her hand, and a long wooden pole tipped with a flat scarlet tassel materialized before her. The Staff of Homa gave off a blurring heat, the steady and invisible flames at the tip mixing with the fumes of the all-surrounding incense. A vibrant red blinded everyone's vision, as the firewood staff seemed to burn up the very air around it.

And she danced. A young woman danced amidst the sea of flames, conducting to perfection what no other mortal could ever hope to achieve. Following her, moving at her pace, was the terrifying flame of Homa that would cremate her late Archon.

Aether struggled to keep his eyes open, a bead of sweat running down his temple as a vein on his forehead nearly popped. Not only was the air incredibly dense, the flashing flames felt dazzling, and the sound of ritual instruments banged against his eardrums. While he first thought he would enjoy this entrancing dance, the Traveler instead found himself burning from within. A trail of flames followed each and every step she took, her solemn poise unperturbed by the scorching heat she wielded.

Finally, her movements slowed down, as most of the incense began to dissipate. The director lifted her weapon overhead, and rather than the overwhelming blaze from before, a small, innocent fire butterfly flared into being, and rested upon the tassel. Soon followed by a second one. And another one. And one more. Thousands upon thousands of ashen butterflies appeared one by one, spreading like a wildfire across the once-blue sky, blotting out the sun in unison with their wings

A living scarlet cloud surrounded her, as she motioned towards the coffin behind her. Following her command, the wisps swarmed the ornate box, and flames began to spew from within. The wooden lid burned up, the offerings were turned to ashes, and the rest began to disintegrate, revealing the Exuvia for all to see. Hu Tao merrily flicked her wrist upwards, and the fiery creatures moved as one, carrying the divine corpse high into the air. As if it had regained life for a brief moment, Rex Lapis' shell floated amidst the flames, earning a collective step back from the crowd. Even the Qixing and the General Secretary stared in awe at what the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor had accomplished, at how polished and perfected they had made the most important final rite in Liyue's history.

It was a beautiful, maddening spectacle. The pinnacle of sacred arts, use of a Vision, and pure magic all at once. The butterflies began to eat away at the Exuvia, very slowly burning away the divine scales adorning its body.

Aether watched in a respectful silence, until a crawling sensation in his neck snapped him out of his daze. To his bewilderment, he saw very distinctively a drop of his own sweat leave his neck and float away. Taking a quick glance around, he noticed that the strange phenomenon was ocurring all around the plaza as glasses, puddles, and flasks were all being emptied by a mysterious force, the water flowing in the same direction.

It was odd, scary even. Whatever was going on clearly had nothing to do with a rite involving so much fire. That jittery feeling came over him again, all of his inner alarms blaring at him to do something. He tried to grab Shenhe's attention, but she was distracted by the cremation, like everyone else. More and more liquid flew above the Exuvia, and to his dismay, it was not evaporating. Something, or maybe someone was controlling this water, gathering it for a dark and unidentified purpose.

He really hoped Yelan had a contingency plan for whatever the heck was about to happen, because the siphoning showed no signs of stopping. The currents merged, growing in size and capacity in the form of a fluid ball over the stage. At long last, a few began to notice it, as a few panicked whispers reached his ears. When the ball grew to the size of a horse carriage, even the officials broke character as he saw the Tianxuan lean forward and whisper something in Ningguang's ear, who in turn visibly whitened. The pale Lady Tianquan stepped forward in a rare panic, shoving the funeral director aside to make a quick announcement. Above them, the flowing water took a form vaguely reminiscent of an eldritch living being. A sea monster.

The Traveler's ears buzzed, preventing him from hearing whatever she shouted, but he read three impactful words on her lips.

Everyone. Evacuate. Now.

He couldn't hear anything. In fact, he could barely think. He didn't know why he felt so compelled to rush forward when everyone else was fleeing in the opposite direction. He shot a glance skywards. The massive water ball had morphed into... what exactly was it? At first glance, it looked like a giant, aqueous whale, but it also bore a narwhal's tusk on its forehead. A... Celestial Monoceros, perhaps?

Whatever it was, it came raining down upon the stage.

The monoceros doused the flames around the Exuvia, and the thousand butterflies vaporized away in a small puff of steam. It neared the ground in what he could only describe as slow-motion, and yet no one seemed fast enough to exit the stage in time. Ningguang was looking back, trying maybe to pull someone out of harm's way. The Lords were frozen in stupor, the Tianshu frantically looking around for someone. Keqing's hand reached for a lightning stiletto, but the sharp item was slipping out of her grasp. Ganyu looked his way with a mix of terror and disapproval, probably screaming at him to turn back and take shelter.

He felt his heart harden like stone. He didn't know what he could do to make a difference. To provide any form of protection to these people. He only remembered hearing a deafening whalesong, and seeing the fear in everyone's eyes as he reached out a desperate hand towards them.

Then he felt as if the world was being washed away.


"Ah, what a fine morning..."

Tartaglia stretched his muscles, his content smile a stark contrast to the chaos that was unfolding below. Screams of terror, the cries of the weak crumbling under his superior might, it was pure music to his ears. And that Hydro blast earlier was just the first note of a perfectly executed symphony.

Overlooking Yujing Terrace, the roof of Yuehai Pavilion was the perfect vantage spot to enjoy the spectacle. Most of the crowd was fleeing at the moment, but they would be back soon upon realizing that their only escape route had been blocked off by his men. It was all so foolish on the Qixing's part, really. Understaffed Millellith thinly spread out all over the nation, Yujing Terrace being blocked by Mt. Tianheng on two sides and a drop on the third, they were basically begging to get ambushed at this point. And now, their once-radiant stage was nothing but a smoking pile of ruins, the heavy boards and decorations burying alive any who stood on it mere moments ago. His troops would arrive any second now, all for the sake of spreading chaos around what should have been a grand funeral. So why not make it a funeral for all the attendees?

Snapping his watery weapon in two, Childe drew a focused breath and leaped down into the fray. The leftover ripples from his previous pooled around his feet, but he didn't mind. Unlike him however, the soldiers who tried to apprehend him could barely keep their footing, so he just cut them down without a second thought. Sure, the Exuvia was right here and he could just snatch the Geo Gnosis and run, but what would be the point of that? Nah, it was the perfect time to make the Fair Lady eat her venom-coated words. If he could attain full control over the situation, and show the Seven Stars how powerless they truly are, then his return to Snezhnaya would be most triumphant indeed. Bonus points if he gets to humiliate Signora in front of Her Majesty.

Once again, he chucked at his own genius, as he split another guard in two. If he could formulate a single complaint, it would be the lack of a challenge the protectors of the harbor offered him.

"C'mon, is that all you've got?" he egged his unfortunate opponents on. "Aw man, looks like the trained elites won't cut it. Does somebody else think they can do better, or at least entertain me a little? Come on, wannabe heroes, vigilantes, martial artists, anyone? Show me a good fight, alright?"

He spoke, but only got the crowd's terrified silence for an answer. A Millellith attacked from behind, but a quick toss later and the sound of bones snapping drowned out the poor man's screams. In the distance, he could already spot Lev and the rest of his troops arriving to subdue the rest, yet he found no pleasure in his victory. Liyueans were weak cowards, and it made him sick to his stomach. Maybe he was a bit of a bad guy, but at least he fought for his home. But it seemed no one here could even-

"...!"

He tilted his head at the last second as a polearm almost impaled him. The tassel grazed his cheek, drawing a line of blood on the right side of his face.

Shenhe immediately went for his throat again, thrusting her weapon at high speeds to break through his defenses. Childe dashed backwards, parrying the quick hits with his own Hydro blades. His edge ripped against her staff and slid towards her, erratically cutting through the exorcist's fine garments. With a frown, she ripped the remaining tatters apart, revealing her usual combat attire under the rags of her hanfu. A small cloth remained in her hand, and she looked alternately between it and the Harbinger, until her glare spelled demise.

He had the audacity to cackle. "Oh, you're mad, aren't you? Yeah, you're pissed, I can tell. I'm threatening your people, spilling blood left and right, don't you want to stop me? You're not going to run away like the others, are you?" She took a single step forward, and his eyes glowed with battle-craze. "No, you're different. You've got guts. Come on, grip that spear of yours and show me a good time!"

Shenhe's entire body shot forward, the howling winds of winter following her trail. The Calamity-Queller roared, and a mystical frost whiteblinded her opponent, coating his blades with ice. While his hands and muscles were weighed down, she struck through the opening, as blood spurted from his wounds. But he did not seem deterred by her rage, quite the opposite. The madman enjoyed it, taking every blow as if he was the one delivering them.

"You're hesitant." Tartaglia sneered as he countered another strike, fusing his two water daggers into a dual-bladed spear. "You're trying to protect the people here, and that's why you can't go all out – they would get caught in the crossfire. Why do you even bother? We both know they're unworthy of your time and strength. Just ignore your surroundings and come at me with everything you've got!"

A curved riptide missed her by a hair, and she rammed into him. "I no longer fight like this. Maybe this is too complicated for you to understand, but someone changed me. He showed me what I'm truly worth, so not for his sake but mine, I will not let my own power consume me."

The Harbinger was not even trying to veil his contempt. "Tsk. You know nothing of true power, then. If you can be swayed so easily by some weakling's advice, then you aren't worthy of an ounce of what you currently possess." His elbow hammered on her back, finally managing to break her guard. "I'll be rendering your body completely unusable now, no need to thank me."

Shenhe tried to evade his next attack, but it was already too late. A violet flash shone at the ginger's waist, and she was engulfed into a thunderous blast. Donning his Fatui Mask, the Young Lord unleashed the might of his Delusion, and rained down lightning hell upon her. He seemed to slide on an Electro current, performing slash upon cross slash at a staggering speed. The exorcist braced herself and summoned a Cryo avatar to her aid, but the illusory figure was shattered by a raging bolt within mere seconds of appearing.

"Shouldn't have let your guard down!" he grinned while slashing her in a reverse-sweeping motion.

An intense pain shot across her waist, and Shenhe realized too late that her entire body had nearly been severed in half. A deep gash ran between her hips, causing blood to endlessly pour out of her. She immediately applied Cryo to her wound, temporarily sealing it off, but she knew such a rudimentary dressing wouldn't last very long.

Leaving her next to no time to recover, Tartaglia slammed into her guard, his polearm threatening to cut through hers. The vehement Electro blade was already beginning to nick her staff. He flashed a twisted grin behind his devilishly red mask, and he jabbed her wound with his knee, causing blood to spurt out of her mouth. Shenhe fell to her knees while clutching her now explicitly bleeding stomach with one hand, struggling to hold Calamity-Queller in the other, as intense lightning burned through her blood.

It pooled around her, staining her long white hair. Shenhe breathed sharply between her gritted teeth, as she felt the Harbinger draw closer. He towered over her, confident that she was now no match for him. Too confident.

"I bet your friend's teachings don't feel so useful anymore, do they?" he laughed.

Supercharging his polearm and his arm along with it, he raised it overhead as dark energy surrounded his entire body. The exorcist felt her hair raise on end, suddenly being trapped in a circular violet cage. The enraged Harbinger lined himself up with her chest from above, and his arm descended with the might of a bolt strike ready to impale her. The all-piercing thunderbolt neared its target, and...

"Hey, asshole."

Childe snapped his head towards the voice, only to see a jagged boulder coming mere inches away from his face. His impending strike deviated from Shenhe to protect himself, but he saw his polearm shatter upon impact as the massive boulder slammed into him and pushed him back.

He recovered just in time for a violet flash to blind him, and Keqing seized the opportunity to lacerate him with Electro slashes. The Fatuus roared in frustration and summoned two new daggers to counter her, only for the Yuheng to scoop up Shenhe and blink away at the last second. He realized his mistake only when he saw an arrow of blinding white flying towards his skull. His arm gradually coated with a dark armor as he gripped the oncoming projectile in mid-air, clenching his fist to prevent the harsh frost from reaching him.

Tartaglia discarded what remained of the broken arrow with his corrupted arm, panting. "Who... who do you think you are?!"

As if waiting for him to ask, what he thought to be the ruined stage shook, wooden planks and stone pillars revealing a massive Geo structure underneath. From a distance it looked like a massive stony dome, except it seemed to be hollow on the inside. And what he saw beneath it absolutely pissed him off. A gloved hand burst through the hardened stone. A golden braid danced before his widened eyes. Keqing landed on the dome. Ganyu stepped forward, bowstring drawn. To his disbelief, every person who was supposed to die from his Celestial Voyager had been protected under this golden shell, Seven Stars and officials alike.

An extremely pissed off Aether outstretched his right arm, a pure Geo seal shining in his palm. "I don't know you personally, but I know two things: one, you're with the Fatui. Two: you tried to murder Shenhe, as well as everyone else here. So before we begin, I'm going to leave you five seconds to pray to your Tsaritsa." His finger pointed at the Harbinger, an enraged scowl on his face. "And whether you do it or not, know that she can't save you from me."

"Well who do we have here?" he chuckled, trying to regain his composure. "Blond hair, long braid, foreign-looking? Don't tell me I also get to destroy the famed Traveler today! I've heard a great many things about you, comrade. I was messing around with your friend here, why don't you take this opportunity to join in on the fun?"

The Traveler in question took a step forward, but a hand pressed softly against his chest.

"Aether. Don't let him provoke you." the half-qilin nodded. "Let's take him on as a team, shall we? You'd probably be fine on your own, but I want to defeat the Harbinger who desacralized Rex Lapis' funeral too."

Aether regarded her with a confused gaze for half a second before his mind braced, and so did his grip on his sword. The two shared an intimate yet confident smile, as they both looked straight ahead.

He looked back at the lilac-haired woman. "Keqing, grab your Qixing buddies and open up a path to the exit. Once you've dealt with the small fry, take Shenhe with you and evacuate as many people as you can. Shenhe, protect as many people as you can on the way out, but be mindful of your injuries."

"And as for you, Ganyu..." He raised the Sword of Descension. "Let's finish this story the way it started: You and me, on Yujing Terrace, ignoring our differences to move forward."

"That's cute." Childe interrupted. "I was gonna give you a chance to run, but it seems you people are bent on getting in my way. Too bad for you, your white-haired friend amused me enough – I'm tired of playing around. At least try to enjoy the battle, because you won't be standing for very long."

A thunderous stream swirled around his armored arm, and the sinister mix of black and violet seemed to spread to the rest of his body, coating his limbs in an ominous armor. The miasmic energy took the form of a chestplate around his torso, bordered by a feathery collar. It dropped into a cape donning the colors of the pitch-black universe, which flowed into oblivion. Finally, his grin-distorted face was covered up by an elongated crimson horned mask adorned with a pearl in the center, akin to a monster's single eye.

"The time for talking is over!" he roared in a warped, guttural voice. "The Devouring Depths have grown restless, and they scream at me to feed them. Now come and prepare to be crushed by my hand, Traveler. I have only death to offer you."

The foul stench of the Abyss materialized into a massive double-edged glaive which he flourished, rushing forward to impale his opponent. The blond dashed forward sword in hand, and the gold and violet blur collided, sending shockwaves flying. Their weapons locked into one another as they both swung them in opposite motions, steel and sparks bouncing off of their bodies. Tartaglia recklessly threw himself on the offensive, only for the Traveler to cast a windblade once he was in range. The razor wind hewed across his chest, but he immediately countered with an understream strike. A Hydro pulse from below sent Aether flying, and he recovered just in time to dodge a lightning bolt. One of Ganyu's arrows flew past his cheek from behind, but the Harbinger crushed it in one hand before lunging forward.

"You should've thought this through comrade! Did you really think two people could compare to the might of a Harbinger?"

"Doesn't hurt to try." the blond retorted as another riptide missed him.

His blades flowed harmoniously into a torrent of slashes, forcing his opponent to step back as he tried to deflect the hits. A golden stone spear materialized into Aether's hand as he went on the offensive as well. The two dual wielding warriors' attacks picked up speed, their thrusts and swings intertwining in a deadly dance around Yujing Terrace. Earth and ocean clashed with the might of the elements, sparks and raindrops flying as the two mercilessly hacked at eachother. Aether sliced into his hip, Tartaglia grazed his shoulder. The blond thrusted into his arm, the ginger slashed into his chest.

Childe jumped backwards while wielding his weapon horizontally, lining up for a Hydro arrowshot. A massive cluster of sharp gold crystals sprung into his field of view, surging forward at Aether's command. The Harbinger swooped down and cleaved through the obstacles with one swing, only to find that his opponent wasn't there. He suddenly felt his arm be pulled, and realized what was really happening. The Traveler locked his wrist behind his back, as the armor-clad warrior tried to swing at him, only missing him by a hair's width. A pure Cryo arrow flew into him while he couldn't dodge nor deflect, exploding into his chest with a mighty bang.

"RAAAAAAAGGHH!"

He swung the blond around and bashed him into the stone flooring, his foreign weapon bearing down on him. Another ball of water formed in his free hand, and he shot it towards Ganyu. While speeding through the air, the watery projectile burst into a harpoon shape, threatening to skewer her. The archer hopped out of range, but even with her divine senses, she could not avoid the explosion upon impact. She rolled and tumbled, landing on her side a few meters further.

"Dont think I'm done with you..." Aether grunted as he forced himself up, strengthening his back with Geo to counter the ginger's overwhelming pressure.

And a small jade shard shattered into his hand. A wisp of power migrated into his chest.

His body moved at an inhumane speed, and he found himself running towards the half-qilin the next second, blocking shots coming from behind by leaving Geo crystals in his trail. As he became a blindingly fast blur, he let his feet give out from under him and slid to scoop her up, immediately dodging another arrow when his legs allowed him to.

"Honestly, try to keep up. You're telling me this is how fast a half-divinity can go?" he jokingly mocked, ducking as a violet bolt pierced the air above them.

Ganyu replied in the same tone. "Qilin are peaceful creatures, consider yourself lucky I'm even helping you out. And besides, the Conqueror of Demons' enhancer might be working wonders on you, it still counts as cheating in my book."

"That's... actually fair."

"No matter. Could you drop me off on a nearby vantage point, please?"

The second she spoke, she felt her body leave his arms as she gained her footing on a broken pillar, just in time to see a golden blur head straight for the Harbinger. The two warriors blocked eachothers attacks as they chained into more complicated strikes, showing not an ounce of weakness for the other to capitalize on.

The grip on her bow tightening, she aimed as her eyes did their best tracking Tartaglia's movements. She had her place on this battlefield. She would be the one to bring him down.

"Aether is fighting for all of our sakes. I cannot afford to fall behind."

Adrenaline and divine blood coursed through her veins, making her bow seem lighter than ever. A concentrated blizzard accumulated around her next attack's arrowhead, making even the wrath of the legendary Andrius look like a feeble morning breeze in comparison. The sky darkened as an unknown power blotted out the sun, and the very heavens shuddered. She drew her bowstring with difficulty, but she knew this shot would matter. In the corner of his vision, Aether saw six stars intertwine behind her, forming a qilin-shaped halo. Whatever she was about to unleash upon the world, he absolutely did not want to be on that attack's trajectory.

"Hey, distracted much?" Childe laughed as he struck through the opening. His attacks picked up speed as the Traveler could barely counter them now, and he managed to break his guard with a triumphant smile. The power of a tidal wave followed by a thunderstorm rained down upon the blond, who tried, in vain, to shield himself. On the other hand, his opponent seemed to get stronger each time he struck him. Strength and hubris fueled the Harbinger's raging attacks, and the Traveler was now nothing more than a weak, defenseless ragdoll he slashed as he pleased.

"So what, all these skills from before were just dumb luck after all? Disappointing. Even the horned girl put up more of a fight than you." he sneered. "But don't you worry, I'll take care of her later - for now I'm just going to show you your own weakness. This is where you die Traveler, here and now!"

He quickly spun his polearm as it seemed to accumulate energy beyond mortal comprehension, and struck.

Time seemed to come to a halt. It pierced through Aether's chest in a blast of water and electricity, lighting his very insides ablaze. The fierce weapon dug through the flesh and bones of its unfortunate victim, properly impaling him on the blade. Blood poured out like an endless stream, as the Traveler's eyes widened. He could not even scream. He could not move at all. Rather, his mouth was left slightly agape.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"...You fell for it." he smirked.

"WHAT?!"

Aether gripped the blade with both hands and in a flash, a thick layer of Geo crystals sealed the weapon, spreading to the Harbinger's arms. Childe tried to move out of the way, only to find that his feet were now cemented to the ground, and were being pulled further in by an Anemo current. He flailed around, but the Traveler hung on, the flow of blood from his wound mysteriously stopping. Like an enraged animal, he roared and grunted, but fell silent when a single blinding light appeared in the corner of his vision.

Flashing an exhausted smile at her battle partner, Ganyu dug in her heels and pulled the bowstring even harder, her arrow now shining with the might of a newborn star. A thick cluster of ice shone at the tip, refracting all light around it. She did not even need to adjust her aim, for the Traveler had already paved the way for her to take the ultimate shot.

One arrow to end it all.

"This God Arrow is for you, Rex Lapis." she murmured. "And... for you too, Aether."

The world shyed away as a single shot broke the sound barrier, shattering all and everything around it in a massive shockwave. The adeptal energy from her body completely spent, Ganyu collapsed to her knees the second her finger let go. A beam of divine light traveled at the speed of a shooting star, with even more impact and damage. An enormous ice crystal that dwarfed the Jade Chamber in comparison sprung into life on the ground zero, shimmering brightly as a moon, illuminating the skies that had been darkened by the half-qilin's wrath. It shone with the colors of the rainbow before becoming a blinding beacon of pure ice...

And exploded, unleashing a thousand blizzards upon the earth.


When Ganyu regained consciousness, the first thing she noticed was that the floor was unusually soft. And warm. Then a small movement from the floor fully roused her. She blinked slowly, getting accustomed little by little to the blinding light that came from above. The sun, its rightful seat in the cerulean sky now restored, bore down upon her, maybe as a form of payback for selfishly darkening the skies earlier. She only wished its blazing rays would stop targeting her so intently.

Her wish came true in a way that she did not expect. Or rather, in a form she did not expect. Casting a warm shadow over her, Aether's face appeared in her field of view. His blond hair seemed even more golden than usual, and it illuminated his smile in a way she wouldn't even dare to describe.

"Hey, sleepyhead." he chuckled. "Slacking off on the job, I see – what happened to protecting Liyue at all costs?"

A familiar hue of lilac dismissed the blond's comment. "Ignore his jokes Ganyu, the Traveler was actually worried sick about you. You pulled quite the stunt back there, take it easy."

"It would be no good if you were to die now after doing so much." Shenhe concurred. "Take a few deep breaths and get your energy under control before attempting to stand up."

Then it all hit her.

She hurriedly rose from Aether's lap, frantically feeling around for any gaping holes where his stomach should've been. But much to her surprise he looked fine, amusedly smiling at her sudden panic. Clearly not the face of a man who'd supposedly just been impaled on a demon blade.

The secretary looked alternatively at his face and stomach, quite dumbfounded. "How did you even- what is the meaning of this?"

He lifted his silk shirt, revealing a transparent Geo barrier surrounding his abdomen. "Fake blood packets can go a long way, you know? A very resourceful woman offered me a few tips on how to fully utilize them with my new clothes, and here we are. Sorry if I gave you a fright."

That little... That Traveler proved to be seriously bad for her heart. Her hand rested on her chest, as she took a few deep breaths.

"We're okay too, thanks for asking." Keqing winked at a now very embarrassed secretary. "They had numbers, but miss Shenhe here fights like thirty possessed men, even when injured. Most of the little scumbags retreated when we managed to make a break for it. The soldiers that were the farthest from this fiasco are already setting up emergency support as we speak."

And then a question of even greater urgency took over her mind.

She brought a hand up to her mouth. "Wait, the Fatui Harbinger! Did we do it? Did we win?"

"See for yourself." the blond shrugged, pointing behind her.

Yujing Terrace in its near entirety was draped under a thin layer of ice, sharp stalagmites protruding around the edges with no signs of melting. In its center laid a very worse for wear Tartaglia, whose corrupted armor gradually crumbled off his body. His chest heaved and dropped along his weak breath, his arms still shaking from their confrontation.

"You two..." he spoke softly in-between quick breaks, as if even opening his mouth took a heavy toll on him. "You fought well. I underestimated your teamwork and ended up paying the price – who would've thought that a single duo of melee and ranged attackers would be able to take me down so easily? But you won this fight fair and square, and even I don't have an escape plan at the ready. The Exuvia's yours for now, but don't think this is the last you'll hear of the Fatui."

Aether really wanted to smash his head in a bit more, but he refrained from doing so in front of a pacifist. But then again, said pacifist had just created a skating rink with a single arrow, so maybe it was fair game.

"Well I'm certainly not looking forward to it." he rasped. "In the meantime just be good while the authorities come to detain you, okay? We have a god's corpse to tend to and a huge mess to clean up."

Keqing pinched the bridge of her nose. "It's going to take a long time before we can weed out the Fatui from our city. This whole incident is our failure as the supposed leaders of Liyue Harbor. A lot of questioning and backstabbing might need to happen in the coming weeks, but we'll eventually sweep these Snezhnayan rats out with the trash."

"That's a bit harsh on the Tsaritsa's loyal people, Lady Yuheng." Childe laughed, and was immediately taken by a coughing fit. "Us Fatui are the persistent kind, what can I say? Chop a head off, and two more shall grow in its place. This is but a minor setback in our war against the divine."

Okay, smashing his head in wasn't gonna cut it.

"It is indeed a minor setback for Her Majesty, but a major one for you, Young Lord."

The Traveler swivelled around sword in hand the second he recognized that haughty voice. Signora pranced towards them, her heels clicking against the ice and snow. Undeterred by the bitter cold, she ignored his scornful gaze until she found herself in sword swinging range. Keqing's hand instinctively reached for her sheath, as Ganyu re-armed her bow.

"I'll only ask this once." the blond growled. "What are you doing here?"

"Me?" She laughed. That sound made him want to drive his blade into that cackling throat of hers. But quickly, her face distorted into a devilish grin.

"I'm only here to claim what's rightfully mine, darling."


Aaaaaaaaagggh... *deflating noises* that was absolutely crazy. Writing this chapter was exhausting, but I'm really proud of how the whole fighting scene turned out. This was technically the finale, but of course we're not done with the story just yet. DwtK aside I was hoping to write something for the anniversary/Ayaka's birthday, but it seems like my muse had other plans because she gave me absolutely nothing. We're still on speaking terms, though.

I hope you enjoyed this finale, because I really put my heart and soul into it. Epilogue chapter coming soon!