Tales of a Hundred Cycles

by BANIX

A book written by an unknown author had recently gained immense popularity in Teyvat, a collection of short stories of a Descender who reincarnated in parallel versions of Teyvat at different points in time. Unbeknown to them, each of the short stories are true historical events that took place in those parallel universes

19. Cycle 37- With Oaths Comes Victory

AN: This chapter contains spoilers about 5.1 Archon Quest. You have been warned!

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Before this day ultimately became history, nobody would ever believe that day had turned into night when the Abyss spilled forth to consume their beloved nation. The sky had been painted black– Tupac idly wondered if any of their descendents in the far future would ever believe this seemingly ludicrous truth when the horrors of today would one day be passed on as a story to the future.

But he had no time to be thinking of a future when the present was at risk of becoming extinct. It was supposed to be a relaxing and normal day; he was planning to meet up with his former rival and get wasted at a local inn, letting bygones be bygones as they drank themselves silly and waking up with a killer hangover the next day. That was what he expected to happen before he would head out on an expedition with Tenoch to quell the danger that the exiled Natlanese had foretold and spoke about. Nobody in Natlan, and certainly not Tupac, was ever expecting that a dark hole in the sky to suddenly open up and spew forth rocks that rained down corrupted pylons all over Natlan.

No words can perfectly describe the unimaginable horror that consumed Natlan in a terrifying cataclysm.

"Hurry! Run! Move move move!" Tupac yelled in desperation as he held his weapon tightly and continuously swung it with all his might, as if believing that the tighter he grasped onto his hammer, the more people he could save. The entire tribe– no, the whole of Natlan were wholly caught unprepared. Already, he estimated that close to a hundred had perished from the sudden ambush within the first ten minutes of the outbreak of the cataclysm. The tribe's warriors had hastily formed a resistance group but it wasn't as effective as they had hoped. Brave souls were falling by the dozens with every passing minute and for the very first time in his life, Tupac finally understood what the word "despair" really meant.

"GET BEHIND ME! HURRY! HURRY!"

Time and time again Tupac would futilely charge recklessly into the fray, hoping to clear a path forward to reach the people who were stranded up at the front before they lost their lives under the corruption of the Abyss. Time and time again he would fail, time and time again he felt as if a piece of his heart was lost with every life he saw perishing right before his very eyes. Time and time again he felt himself being so utterly useless in the face of absolute evil.

What use is there in being a hero, if he couldn't save a single soul?

The sky above them brightened briefly. The unusual phenomenon distracted both the monsters and the tribal warriors for a short moment as a flaming comet fell from the sky. Everyone quickly got out of dodge as the comet crashed into the middle of the battlefield in a smoking crater, but Tupac's eyes widened in disbelief when he spotted just what the comet really was.

A… person?

Unbelievable as it sounded, a man had indeed fallen from the sky. The unknown monsters seemed to have understood it too and quickly moved to surround the man to tear him apart. Tupac immediately charged ahead, ignoring the concerned cries of his comrades. The man was unconscious and defenceless. He wouldn't be able to defend himself against the evil monsters. Tupac had seen too many lives lost today and regardless of who that man was and where he came from, he will be damned if he failed to protect this unknown man when he's within reaching distance.

"GET LOST!" Tupac tore apart a wolf-like monster into two with his bare hands and his huge steps drew him closer and closer until he was able to hoist the unconscious man up with one hand and slung him across his shoulder. A brief moment of joy embraced him when he understood that he finally managed to save one life today. Even if it was just one, he did manage to save somebody today.

"Tupac! Hang in there! We are coming!"

Tupac's comrades shouted over the flames of war as they fought tooth and nail to reach their comrade, who was being surrounded on all sides by monsters more evil and powerful beyond their wildest imaginations. Nobody fights alone in Natlan.

"Give me your worst, bastards! GIVE ME YOUR BEST SHOT!" Tupac roared and smashed the head of a hilichurl into a gory mess. Corpses were piling up all over the lands and waters of the Toyac Springs. Some of which were the tribesmen of the Meztli tribe, some of which were of the monsters who came to invade their homes. Tupac stood firm as he fended off monster after monster, protecting the man who had fallen from the sky at the risk of his own life despite never knowing who he was and where he came from.

"Tupac, watch out!"

That cry of warning came a little too late yet also just in time. Tupac had tried to evade after hearing the warning, but still found his left shoulder grazed by a serrated weapon of a hilichurl rogue, causing his entire left arm to temporarily lose strength from the pain. The monster blasted a vacuum bullet of anemo and Tupac was forced to tough it out with his large and sturdy body, using it as a meat shield to protect the man who fell from the sky. Blood spurted forth from the numerous newly inflicted wounds and Tupac gritted his teeth. If he had to die here today, he would make damn sure that he would bring as many as these monstrous bastards down with him to the Night Kingdom.

"YA!"

The hilichurl rogue slashed its sickle at the hero who was forced down onto a single knee, intending to reap his life under its blade. Tupac mustered his remaining strength into his right arm and swung his hammer with all his might, only to realise that he had lost too much strength when his hammer flew out of his grasp upon the clash of weapons. The knockback had stunned the hilichurl rogue for a very short moment, but it instantly slashed its sickle at Tupac once more when it realised that its opponent was now entirely defenceless and at its mercy.

"TUPAC!"

Despite staring right in the face of death Tupac felt surprisingly fearless. He gritted his teeth and swung his right fist with all his might. If his arms were torn off he would kick, if his legs were shredded he would use his teeth to tear the throats of his enemies. All that mattered was if he could kill these monsters before he passed on.

Time seemed to dilate and slowed down as Tupac made his resolve and moved, only to suddenly feel a hand gently holding him back by his shoulder. Tupac glanced back, a little surprised to see that the man that he was fighting to save had now woken up and despite looking like he was on his last legs himself, the look in his eyes gave him a feeling that everything would be alright.

"Wind, guide us."

A gentle breeze swirled with the man as its epicentre, rapidly expanding outwards and pushing every single monster back while protectively caressing the warriors of the Meztli tribe, healing their wounds and fatigue. The People of the Springs watched in amazement as their wounds closed up before their very eyes, cheers started to shake the lands and waters and their fighting spirit reignited.

"Just where…" The man who fell from the sky observed his surroundings, looking a little lost but quickly recognised where he was and what time period he's likely to be in. He had experienced a handful of bizarre starts in some of his previous cycles, but this was the very first time where he was thrusted immediately right into the midst of a battlefield, and at the very start of the Cataclysm to boot. Whoever cursed him to walk the samsaric roads really should watch out because when and if he found and identified the culprit, he will be sure to make their lives a living hell just as how they did for him.

In any case, he had quickly come to an educated guess about the situation of this cycle. Natlan, during the Cataclysm, and most likely at the moment when the horror just spilled forth into Teyvat. This wasn't his first rodeo into such a situation but it still made his heart simmer with rage and pain every single time he witnessed and experienced the disaster unfolding before his very eyes.

Natlan; this is his second time stepping foot into this beautiful land, the nation which he helped build alongside Xbalanque in his thirty-first cycle and protected with his life. Be it for personal reasons or otherwise, he could never turn his back on Natlan when he's in a position to help.

He's the hero Ujasiri, and he has returned home to Natlan.

Mysterious fire bloomed forth and Hunahpu's body was set ablaze in a forgotten oath. The light and warmth he emitted dispelled the darkness in the vicinity. The samsaric wanderer spotted a broken claymore lying just a few steps away and picked it up, gently using his hand to shut the eyes of the fallen warrior that this weapon belonged to so that he could rest in peace, before standing up once more and turn to face the mass of monsters that had took a pause in their mindless slaughter and were eyeing him in caution.

Fire burned and coated the weapon, metal regrew from the broken half of the weapon under Hunahpu's Formless Forging technique that he learnt from the earth dragon that slumbered beneath the Land of Monoliths. He had instantly become the centre of attention the moment his fire was set ablaze and walked up to stand at the forefront, raising his weapon up high.

"Burn to cinders, rekindle in ashes!"

The claymore was swung down as flames that promised recompense raged forth like a tidal wave, purifying the corruption and incinerating the abyssal monsters. The man who nobody knew disappeared in a fiery blur and by the time anybody managed to locate him with their eyes, he was already right in the thick of the battle far ahead, pushing back the countless monsters all on his own power.

"Hurry, reinforce him!"

Somebody among the Meztli tribe shouted and everyone's thoughts were immediately brought back to the reality at hand. The warriors of the Meztli tribe yelled and charged alongside their saurian companions. The man's presence had brought courage, and courage had ignited the sky and earth. Everyone present, down to man, woman, child, and saurians, will fight to their last breath to defend their homes and loved ones.

"Charge!"

"For Natlan!"

"For Natlan!"

That man in fire was undoubtedly the strongest warrior the Meztli tribe had laid their eyes upon. Every swing of his weapon quaked the land, summoning endless flames that incinerated evil with extreme prejudice while mysteriously protecting Natlanese with a protective embrace.

"I will aid you!"

Tupac easily crossed the distance between him and the man in fire with a powerful leap, his strength restored earlier from the blessings of the wind. His hammer ended the life of another wolf-like abomination as he stood side by side with the saviour of his tribe. The man swung his claymore to cleave a mitachurl into two halves just as Tupac defended them from the ambush of several hilichurl archers, working hand in hand to end this senseless madness as soon as possible.

A gigantic blazing comet of fire materialised in Hunahpu's hand and he threw it forward with a vengeance. With that, the abyssal monsters encroaching onto the Toyac Springs should have been sufficiently cut down to size such that the Meztli tribe could deal with them on their own even without his assistance. As a frequent participant of war he knew that nobody is powerful enough to be able to save everybody– even Archons had failed to do that– but that will never stop him from trying to save as many as he can.

"Take over things from here," he hastily left Tupac with these words before he shot back into the sky like a blazing flare. He rose higher and higher into the sky, the light he illuminated shaking the atmosphere with the amount of power he was quickly burning up in a desperate effort to minimise the lives lost to a minimum. The shining light was glaringly conspicuous among the backdrop of the dark black sky and it finally stopped and hovered there like a shining sun.

Brother, grant me strength

With a hopeful prayer that spoke of power arising from a forgotten oath, Hunahpu called forth upon the sealed power that Xbalanque once bestowed upon him and had engraved into his soul. The Natlan of this cycle might not remember the hero Ujasiri but he would never forget his promise to his brother, Archon, people, and nation when he built it up brick by brick, step by step alongside them. The strength of the belief that Xbalanque taught him resonated with his soul as the fragment of divine power of pyro within him was finally unsealed and readily answered his call to battle.

"Burn!"

Countless fireballs began to dot the skies en masse, turning night back into day. They began to fall at the wave of his hand and descended right into the many grounds where cruel battles were being waged, eliminating enemies of Natlan at a rate that struck fear even into the Abyss itself. Yet, that wasn't enough. This alone still could not tip the scales of war into Natlan's favour.

A Golden Wolflord, one that's unimaginably bigger and more powerful than Hunahpu had ever seen or fought appeared before him by tearing a rift in space. The abomination roared at him, jaws opened and displaying its razor sharp teeth before making a lunge. The hero Ujasiri cocked his left arm back before throwing a punch of unrelenting fire in retaliation, successfully beating it back with a single counterattack but that wasn't a decisive blow that had managed to put the abyssal monster down for good.

The Golden Wolflord howled and rifts started to appear all around them by the dozens. More and more riftwolves arrived and Hunahpu swung his weapon, decimating a large number of them with a single blow but the weapon that he randomly picked up from the battlefield could no longer handle the stress, shattering into pieces after it served its final purpose. The Golden Wolflord saw that moment as an opportunity and lunged once more, successfully injuring Hunahpu who had managed to erect a jade shield in time and was mustering all his strength to prevent himself from being chewed into two as both him and the monster crashed into a nearby cliff.

"Stupid mutt," Hunahpu gritted through his teeth as his blood flowed from his wounds and soaked his clothes. The Golden Wolflord was trying its best to clamp its opened mouth shut to finally consume the hero Ujasiri, who was still stubbornly resisting with his arms raised in an impressive showing of physical strength.

The Golden Wolflord instinctively understood that danger was coming when sparks of electro began to erratically cover Hunahpu's body. It tried to let go but this time, it was Hunahpu's turn to have it in a vice grip.

Musou Shinsetsu

The signature technique of the Inazuma kagemusha split the beast into two in an unexpected comeback, and in the process tore a rift through the sky that could be spotted from all over Natlan before the rift quickly closed up. Natlanese from all over the nation witnessed how the ball of fire flew and headed for the Tequemecan Valley where the Children of Echoes lived. A bright light ignited all over the valley within seconds before that same ball of fire flew back into the sky and descended at the location of the next nearest tribe. That ball of fire repeated that process several more times and the monsters invading Natlan visibly lessened with the swift repeated reinforcements of the unknown man clad in fire. Cheers and relief spreaded through Natlan like wildfire, courage burned fiercer than ever as people of the Nation of War fought to repel the remaining monsters for their homes and loved ones.

"Hero! Watch out!"

It was his third re-visit to the Scions of the Canopy. Despite the power he wields his body was still susceptible to the limitations of a mortal and he had been getting drastically weaker and weaker as he continued to reinforce the worst hit parts of the nation. He had burnt too much elemental energy in him too quickly and his body could not replenish what he had lost at the same rate he was expending it. The number of pylons were decreasing with his efforts but new ones took their places after he left, resulting in him needing to make repeated trips back and forth without rest. The weakening of his strength was also obvious to the eyes of the Scions of the Canopy and they immediately charged ahead to the forefront to surround him in a protective circle, desperately fending off the monsters that were doing their utmost best to kill him.

"Kongamato!"

A gigantic yumkasaurus roared at the summon of its partner before making a leap, and its crash landing flattened numerous abyssal monsters under its weight. The Huitztlan warrior who bore the Ancient Name of Malipo arrived in a flash and thrusted his spear forward, piercing through the bodies of several hilichurls as though they were meats on a skewer before flinging them aside in a skillful display of strength and finesse. Kongamato spit out a flaming flamegranate and the explosive projectile cleared out more abyssal monsters. The yumkasaurus roared as the ground quaked with it, and its roared signalled a fresh wave of attack conducted by the Scions of the Canopy as Kongamato bravely used its large size to weather through the attacks raining down upon the vanguard, using its body to protect its comrades that were behind it.

"Hero, you need to rest!" Burkina quickly pulled Hunahpu back when he got back up onto his feet and was intending to head right back into battle. It did not escape Burkina's eyes that the man's legs were already shaking in exhaustion and it had been two full days and nights since he first appeared in the sky as a blazing sun and cut down that monstrous giant wolf with a blade of lightning. Natlan had been at continuous war for almost three days and everyone had to have taken some degree of rest to be able to continue fighting, but this hero, he had been fighting continuously without stopping for Natlan from the very beginning.

"It's fine," the hero was equally stubborn, as if he's a man on a mission and could care less if he died doing so. No Natlanese warrior feared death as long as their homes and loved ones could be protected, but this is not the way Burkina feels that the flames of this nameless hero should be extinguished.

"Listen to me, you have done enough! Now, go and rest! Fight again once you are rested!" Burkina continued in his persuasion but was interrupted when a hail of arrows were being fired in such huge quantities that it blotted out the sky like falling rain. Cries of warning could be heard as everybody shouted for everyone else to take cover, but there would definitely be casualties incurred from such an attack.

"Solidify!"

A wide wall of jade intercepted the attack before a meteorite fell from the sky and obliterated the hilichurl archers on the other side of the battlefield. That attack was the final straw for Hunahpu as he finally fell onto a single knee for the very first time in this battle for survival. His vision was darkening, exhaustion was coming to claim him, and he could barely feel anything in his limbs at this point.

"Regroup!" Burkina ordered as he quickly placed himself in front of the nameless hero and with an expert thrust of his spear, ended the life of another hilichurl who had tried to strike them down. Hope started to dim when more and more pylons suddenly appeared around their homes, opening the floodgates for more monsters to encroach upon what the Huitztlan tribe were trying their best to protect.

Kongamato fired another flamegranate spit, obliterating a small group of enemies in an explosive blast, but even its usually powerful attacks felt futile in the face of such large numbers. Natlan started to feel the pinch with the incapacitation of the nameless hero who had been aiding them tirelessly for two days and two nights.

"Burkina, to your left!"

Burkina's body reacted faster than his mind could comprehend the words of that familiar voice, instantly swinging himself to the left before striking out with his spear, a little surprised that his attack had hit a monster that he did not sense the presence of and was attempting to ambush him. A blaze of fire, one different from the nameless hero yet visually similar, arrived and obliterated the enemies with a vengeful blast.

"Mavuika!"

"I will handle the frontal assault! Burkina, I need you and Kongamoto to split everyone else into two groups and lead them to flank the monsters from the sides!"

"Got it! Kongamato, you heard her!" Burkina pledged his promise as his childhood rival and friend who ascended to Archonhood finally was able to come to their aid. Mavuika tapped into the divine power that she inherited, her hair igniting with fire as she spared one thoughtful and also, mildly confused glance at the fallen nameless hero who had finally succumbed to exhaustion and fell unconscious. She had so many questions, but she could ask them later after her beloved nation had been saved.

"Follow my lead! For Natlan!"

"FOR NATLAN!"

Victory was heralded for the Scions of the Canopy at the timely arrival of their Archon who also called the Huitztlan tribe her home. The scales of war were finally starting to tip in Natlan's favour because even the Abyss was starting to exhaust itself, having expended too much power trying to tire Hunahpu out which gave Mavuika greater freedom to assist the battlefields where the worst wars were being waged. The cataclysmic war was eventually won with Natlan emerging as the victor and while many had died that day, the casualty count was already much lower than everybody's expectations.

"So how is it, Tenoch, is our benefactor going to be alright?"

"Can you stop yapping for a moment? You are being a hindrance to my work!" Tenoch snapped back at Tupac, who was understandably concerned about the nameless hero who played a pivotal role in saving Natlan and had already been unconscious for close to half a month. The Pyro Archon had brought the nameless hero back to the stadium for medical treatment when it was apparent that whatever that made him fall into prolonged slumber was not normal. The person with adequate and the best expertise in the healing arts within the stadium at the moment, happened to be the exiled Natlanese Tenoch, who shouldered the expectations of all present to try and save their unknown benefactor.

Natlan had won the war for now, but deep down everyone knew that the peace brought forth by this victory wouldn't last forever. The turbid black tide that Tenoch had warned everyone about and was in the midst of gathering a group on an expedition to eradicate it was still present, and Tenoch really wanted to proceed with the expedition but the untimely emergence of the Cataclysm had derailed his plans. Thankfully, the emergence of the nameless hero and Mavuika's power had burned the black tide down to a smaller size such that it shouldn't be encroaching into their territories anytime soon, but it would simply be a matter of time before it grew back into its original size.

More alarming, there's no telling if an event like the Cataclysm would ever take place in Natlan a second time and if that time comes, will Natlan be prepared for it? Mavuika said that she has a plan to address this concern. Personally, Tenoch held some reservations but he's willing to at least hear her out first before coming to a decision.

Night fell and people began to turn in for the night. The room where the nameless hero rested turned empty and thus, nobody was alerted when the nameless hero finally roused from his slumber, a little confused if he had finally woken up to a new cycle or if he's still stuck in the thirty-seventh samsara. He guessed that he probably didn't die in the battlefield at the Coatepec Mountain and judging from the fact that he could neither hear nor sense any conflict nearby, the ongoing war must have come to a certain conclusion. Whether that conclusion remains temporary or permanent has yet to be determined.

His body was screaming in pain from overexertion, yet Hunahpu forced himself to get out of bed in spite of it. There's a promise that he had been yearning to verify ever since he realised that he finally had the chance to return to Natlan and he could no longer wait. He concealed his presence with several techniques that he had picked up and mastered in his long samsaric life, avoiding detection of the people that had taken refuge in the stadium and eventually arrived at the stadium centre where the Sacred Flame burns eternal.

The stadium was void and empty, as it should at this time of the day. Hunahpu stared into the fire for a long while, memories from his thirty-first cycle flashing across his mind as he did so as he both anticipated yet dreaded to find out if Xbalanque's oath would hold.

In his thirty-first cycle Xbalanque had forged and inscribed the Ancient Name of Ujasiri into the memories of Teyvat and also into Hunahpu's soul. It was Xbalanque's hope that by doing so, through the power that came with the inscribement of an Ancient Name, no matter which future cycle that Hunahpu will step into, Natlan will always be able to remember their first Ancient Name the moment he returned. There is a ritual to be conducted before that could happen, of course, Xbalanque had a strange stubborn insistence for rituals, but it was always Xbalanque's intention to create a future where Natlan would never forget Hunahpu and the nation's first Ancient Name and in the process, attempt to break the curse of his samsaric fate.

Despite being the hero whose Ancient Name embodied the ideal of "courage", it took a long while before Hunahpu felt ready to face the moment of truth at this critical moment. He took a deep breath before taking a step forward, stretching his right hand into the Sacred Flame and a small flicker of hope burned within him when he felt that the fire didn't burn, which meant that it acknowledged him as a Natlanese. He closed his eyes and recited the incantation that embodied the meaning of his existence and of his given Ancient Name, the incantation that Xbalanque forged and inscribed for him.

"The wanderer walks upon the samsaric roads in an eternal search of purpose and answer. He who had been forgotten and never remembered shall always have the strength to forge ahead, he who experienced countless uncertainties shall never falter. In the face of tribulations, the shadowfire shall always burn to ignite the sky and earth."

Silence returned to the stadium under the cover of this peaceful night. Not long after, there was a choked sob, then soft laughter that soon turned hysterical before finally calming down after a long while. There was a strange mix of sobbing and laughter that conveyed a complicated mix of emotions. Relief, joy, reminiscence, and also resolve.

"Xbalanque, you crazy son of a bitch…" Hunahpu laughed and sobbed as he sat in front of the Sacred Flame with his palm covering his face to hide the tears that spilled from his eyes. They were tears of joy. The feather-like obsidian stone that hovered in front of him was proof that Xbalanque's madness was insane enough to fulfil the oath he promised Hunahpu.

It's not impossible for the Descender to be remembered.

He had done it. Xbalanque had broken the cursed samsaric fate that shackled Hunahpu. Not entirely, but it was enough to give Hunahpu hope that there must be a way for him to one day free himself from his curse and that alone was sufficient.

Xbalanque had given him hope, hope that he dared not dream of for more than thousands of years.

Hunahpu's hysterical emotions eventually quelled as he grasped the physical manifestation of his Ancient Name with his own hands. He glanced back, spotting Mavuika who had been patiently watching him some distance away all this while.

"Glad to see that you are doing fine. Don't think we had been acquainted yet, but my name's Mavuika, the current Pyro Archon. On behalf of Natlan, we thank you for your selfless assistance. May I know your name?"

"Hunahpu," the man slowly stood back up on his feet. "Is Natlan alright?"

"Would have been much worse if it wasn't for your help. You saved many lives that day," Mavuika replied and her attention was drawn to the obsidian stone Hunahpu grasped in his hand. "Your Ancient Name…"

"Ujasiri."

"Ah, a fitting name, even it's the first time I ever heard of it," Mavuika smiled when she understood the meaning behind the name. "Which tribe do you hail from? I hope you don't take it the wrong way, but nobody knew who you were when we asked around when we should have known if somebody as powerful as you was in our midst."

"It's a long story," Hunahpu shook his head before turning back to look at the Sacred Flame, "but if you really want to know, it's all recorded in the Sacred Flame. Whether you choose to believe in its memories after you have seen it, I leave that choice to you. Goodnight, Mavuika."

Mavuika watched as Hunahpu slowly walked away and it did not escape her notice that he departed with a lighter skip in his steps as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. She contemplated for a short moment before walking forward to face the Sacred Flame, reaching out for it to read the memories that Hunahpu said were recorded into it.

The knowledge that subsequently filled her mind was the most bizarre truth that she ever witnessed.

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The global catastrophe that engulfed Teyvat which would later be known to the future generations as The Cataclysm had a profound and irreversible impact on the denizens of the world. Countless lives perished, even several individuals who sat on divine thrones had lost their lives and had to be replaced. Only the Archons who ruled over the Nation of Freedom and the Nation of Contracts remained seated on their divine throne while the rest of the nations had a change in authority following the aftermath of the disaster.

In Natlan, the Pyro Archon who led the nation through the Cataclysm was said to have perished in an expedition where together with the legendary hero Tenoch, led a fellowship of six heroes into the final battle that would eventually create the barren wasteland of Mare Jivari. The truth was actually far from that, and Mavuika's plan of how she intended to save future Natlan from the Abyss was a secret that was only let known to a select few.

Under the expectations and hopes of all in Natlan, the "nameless hero" that Natlanese are now aware goes by the name of Hunahpu and is the bearer of the Ancient Name "Ujasiri", ascended to Archonhood. It took the collective efforts of the chiefs of the six tribes to repeatedly convey their people's wishes to him, that Natlan wished for him to lead them, for Hunahpu to finally agree to take up this responsibility. Nobody in Natlan could think of anyone more suitable to wear this crown after all that he did to help save Natlan from the Abyss on that bleak day.

Natlan started to be rebuilt under Hunahpu's effective leadership. This was not his first time becoming an Archon but his previous stints were all remarkably short that barely lasted a single day because back then, all he wanted to do was to borrow the power of the Gnosis to defy fate at the cost of his life. This was the first time that he truly got to reign over a nation as an Archon.

To be truthful, he had his own doubts if he was truly up to the task of becoming a nation's Archon. While he had experience in assisting gods to rule over their civilisations in the capacity as their advisor, he still often wondered if he did well enough. He's also not exactly a "normal" human after having lived for so long, not anymore, because he had started to become a long living species and had been slowly becoming less "mortal" with every new power he mastered or gained in his long lives.

His reign as the Pyro Archon will be a long one, but it was something that Natlanese rejoiced over when they learnt of it. They had witnessed Hunahpu's overwhelming strength firsthand, he was already what Natlan believed could be possibly the strongest human in Teyvat even before he rose to Archonhood. They felt much safer having him around as their Pyro Archon for as long as possible.

The Pyro Archon was both a powerful warrior and a wise sage. He imparted knowledge to Natlan, encouraging innovation and invention. He introduced knowledge and experience that he accumulated from his past cycles; Mondstadt's old magic, technology from Remuria's golden age, the highly advanced machinations from King Deshret's civilisation, Fontaine's clockwork technology, the barebones of Sumeru's Akasha system, wisdom that he learnt from Liyue's Goddess of Dust were just the few among many that he tried to blend together to give rise to many creations that allowed the Nation of War to slowly bolster herself with powerful weapons in their never ending war with the Abyss.

Natlan had always been a reclusive nation for several reasons but ever since Hunahpu rose to power, Natlan started to encourage more frequent diplomatic relations with the other nations and spread word through the adventurers that visited their nation, that all are welcomed in Natlan. The Pyro Archon Haborym had even sent out invitations to the Archons for the continuation of the Gathering of the Seven once the nations had started to recover from the Cataclysm, offering to host the gathering at his nation. The Cryo Archon never replied to his invitation and the same was said for the Dendro Archon. However, that invitation was received by the Anemo, Geo, Electro, and Hydro Archons and Natlan extended their most passionate and warmest regards.

"Natlan's wine is perfect!" Barbatos couldn't help but shower Natlan's unique alcoholic beverage with his praise. Beelzebul remained silent, her mannerisms demure and immaculate as she sipped on her beverage, while Morax indulged himself in appraising the fine unique gems of Natlan that were on display in this meeting room.

"Only five of us, huh," Furina de Fontaine remarked as she indulged in her sweet tooth and popped chocolate treats into her mouth, looking every bit calm and regal as she should be. Inwardly, only she understood how much she's panicking on the inside as she is the fraud among gods.

She really shouldn't have answered the invitation, these people are literal gods while she's only a human masquerading as one. What if one of them sensed that something was wrong with her and it affected Focalors' plan? Argh… too late for regrets now. She came here in hopes that one of the Archons might have a way or possess some form of knowledge that allowed her to avert Fontaine's prophesied fate. She really hoped that her journey here would bear some fruit.

"The Tsaritsa… well, can't blame her," Barbatos shook his head with a sigh upon the mention of the newly ascended Cryo Archon who had cut all ties with the other Archons. "I'm not too sure about the Dendro Archon though. I hadn't even heard of her name until a single breeze spoke to me about it when I asked."

It was then that Hunahpu recalled that Nahida must have been imprisoned by those hypocritical sages of the Akademiya around this period.

"The speed in which Natlan was rebuilt was a surprise. How did you do it?" Beelzebul cannot help but inquire once she's finally in a talking mood. Natlan was constantly under siege of the Abyss but for the nation to be rebuilt so swiftly meant that Hunahpu must have led them in the right direction. Beelzebul understood that she had always been more of a warrior than a leader, so she came here with hopes that one of the more experienced Archons, namely Morax, would be able to advise. The evidence of Hunahpu's effective leadership was a pleasant surprise, but not an unwelcome one for the former kagemusha since it might answer some of her queries.

Information and knowledge were being exchanged among the Archons. Without a doubt, their foremost concern would be how they should lead the rebuilding efforts of their respective nations and have them recover from the wounds inflicted by the Cataclysm as fast as possible. Each Archon that attended the gathering learnt a little from the other Archons by the time the gathering ended and were satisfied at the fruitful discussion, agreeing that they should hold the gathering regularly not just for the sake of upholding diplomatic relations, but also for the sake of their respective nations.

"One last thing," Hunahpu said, garnering everyone's attention. "What I will be suggesting next might be a little out of line but… if the Dendro Archon's currently imprisoned… I propose we should bust her out. What do you guys say?"

Hesitant glances were exchanged between the Archons at this outlandish and absolutely preposterous suggestion. It's taboo for Archons to meddle in other nation's affairs, but at the same time they could understand why Hunahpu brought it up nonetheless. The Dendro Archon held a unique and important responsibility among The Seven because the Dendro Archon is the individual responsible for protecting the World Tree. When put it that way, it definitely felt unwise to have the Dendro Archon imprisoned behind bars.

"... Might be fun," Barbatos was the first to give his tacit approval.

"It would be detrimental to the whole of Teyvat if Irminsul came to harm and its caretaker could not run damage control because she's being imprisoned," Morax agreed and turned to the Electro Archon, who merely voiced her agreement with a soft grunt and her arms crossed.

"H-H-Huh?" Only the Hydro Archon looked startled and at a complete loss at this sudden turn in events. Wait, what's happening? Why are they all suddenly marching into battle? T-T-That cannot happen! She barely knew how to swing a sword! Much less undertaking a self-imposed mission to save the Dendro Archon. She would be immediately exposed as a fraud!

"A-A-Ah, that's right! I totally agree! But having all of us come to her rescue would be a complete overkill and Sumeru might not be able to withstand the combined presence of our divine might! I shall sit out on this one–"

"The strongest bonds are forged in moments of hardships," Furina's excuse was cut short when the Pyro Archon slung his arm across her shoulders like they are best buddies that had known each other since time immemorial. "No need to be humble about your strength, Focalors, this will be over in the blink of an eye."

"T-T-Think about the welfare of the innocent people of Sumeru! What if they crumble under our power–"

"Nah, we are too good for that to happen," Hunahpu dismissed Furina's concerns with a wave of his hand and the mischievous glint in his eyes went unnoticed by the flustered actor masquerading as an Archon. The Pyro Archon blew a sharp whistle and a giant winged creature answered his summon, landing gracefully before him.

"Holawaqa Ngoubou will bring us to Sumeru," Furina felt herself helplessly pulled along to play her role in this madness as Hunahpu loaded her up onto the back of the scary looking dragon that could eat her for a midday snack. Her world twisted as Holawaqa Ngoubou took flight in a not-so-gentle takeoff as she suddenly found herself in a situation that's far beyond her means to handle.

"I didn't take you to be someone who has a fear of heights," Beelzebul remarked in genuine confusion and also concern when she spotted Focalors shivering like a leaf, stubbornly refusing to open her eyes while clinging tightly onto Holawaqa Ngoubou's back as if fearing that she might drop off its back.

"M-M-My authority is ruling over the seas! What's wrong with having a fear of heights?! I'm the Hydro Archon, not the Anemo Archon!" Furina snapped back, past caring about her fear of her fellow passengers at this point. Barbatos strummed his lyre, redirecting the winds sweeping at them such that their ride would be a little more pleasant while also helping to speed up the journey by creating favourable updrafts for the saurian.

Holawaqa Ngoubou swiftly arrived at Sumeru with Barbatos' blessings. The city of Sumeru got clearer and bigger as Holawaqa Ngoubou approached the city. People were scrambling in fear, eremites were being mobilised, and even arrows were being shot. Holawaqa Ngoubou released a roar that conveyed its clear irritation for being attacked but refrained from retaliating per Hunahpu's wishes.

"Fly forward. You won't be harmed."

The promise given by the Geo Archon was the assurance that Holawaqa Ngoubou needed to continue to forge ahead. A jade shield protected Holawaqa Ngoubou as it made its eventual landing at the front of the Akademiya, arrows and swords bouncing harmlessly off the protection bestowed upon it by Morax himself. Beelzebul was the first to disembark, her steps light as she landed on the ground and her stoic yet powerful gaze swept across everyone present. The eremites all instinctively took a few steps backwards because while they didn't recognise who she might be, they all instinctively understood that she must be unbelievably powerful.

"Focalors, Focalors," Hunahpu gave Furina a few shakes and the Regina of All Waters finally was able to open her eyes.

"W-W-We… landed?"

"Yep, time to get down. You look like you need a hand though," Furina barely registered Hunahpu's words before she felt her world spin once more and the next thing she knew, she was suddenly on her feet and standing alongside the other Archons.

Wait, why are they being surrounded? These eremites don't look too friendly… Oh shoot, is a confrontation going to be inevitable? Those swords looked rather sharp, it would definitely hurt if… why was she even here in the first place?! She doesn't even know how to properly swing a sword!

Very subtly, so very subtly, Furina inched herself a little closer to Morax. It's simply logical to assume that if a confrontation was inevitable the safest place to be at would be where the Geo Archon stood. She put up a brave front, looking all unaffected as if she was dismissing the eremites around her as mere ants and small inconveniences. Only she knew how much she was inwardly praying for a peaceful reconciliation beneath her false bravado as some of the braver eremites started to inch closer and closer with their weapons drawn.

D-D-Don't come any closer!

"We are the Archons," Hunahpu's voice was projected to the entire city of Sumeru under his divine might, his body and hair alighting in flames. "It has come to our attention that the Dendro Archon had been wrongfully imprisoned by her people against her will. The Dendro Archon plays an irreplaceable role in ensuring Teyvat's continued safety and existence and as Archons, we cannot turn a blind eye to this transgression. Sages of the Akademiya, we suggest that you release the Dendro Archon immediately, or else…"

A large flaming greatsword appeared in Hunahpu's hand as Holawaqa Ngoubou roared in promise of a painful retribution if the demands of his new sworn companion were not answered.

"We shall have to resort to force."

---

"I don't think a simple thank you would ever suffice, but I would like to convey my thanks to everyone all the same."

"Don't sweat it, we didn't even do anything. Those sages caved even before we could do anything," Furina stuck true to the character she was masquerading as and assured the young Dendro Archon, who replied to Furina with a sweet smile. Hmm, these Sumeru snacks sure are delicious, would Nahida give her the recipes if she asked?

"It's as Focalors said, we barely did anything," Morax added.

"More like Haborym made everyone submit to his demands by igniting himself in fire," Barbatos joked as he predictably began to sample Sumeru's alcoholic beverages. Mmm, delicious.

"Disappointing," Beelzebul shook her head, appalled at the lack of bravery or fighting spirit displayed by the Akademiya sages. People who lack even the courage to stand up against the first signs of danger have no right to call themselves a warrior. These sages are not the kind of people who should lead a nation. It was the right call to free Nahida from her cage.

"I am very young and have a lot to learn, but please take care of me," Nahida said and the Archons parted once they ensured that Nahida would never be harmed by her own people.

"Need a lift?" Hunahpu offered when Furina looked visibly lost as to how she should make the long return trip to her nation. Furina took one look at the scary looking saurian, thought back to the long impossible trip that she had no means of making back if she were to be left to her own devices, and resigned herself to her fate.

"Y-Yes please."

The screams of the Hydro Archon could be heard trailing across the sky that day, but it was something only heard by the Pyro Archon who swore that he would keep her "un-Archon-like" behaviour a secret.

---

"A puppet with emotions?"

"Yes, it shouldn't have happened. A puppet possessing emotions is supposed to be impossible so… I have decided. I will let him go after I return to Inazuma."

The Gathering of the Seven continued to be a regular and yearly affair, where six of the seven Archons would gather at Natlan to simply take a long awaited break, relax, or exchange information that only the other Archons would know. Halfway through this year's gathering, Beelzebul shared about her inner conflict of creating a puppet using Khaenri'ah technology.

Beelzebul's foray into utilising the technology of that fallen civilisation was due to a multitude of factors but ultimately, the key driving factor was to create a safeguard for her nation in the event she was unable to act as its protector any longer. Seeing Natlan being gradually armed to the teeth with new weapons and technology gathered from the relics of countless ancient civilisations gave her the inspiration to take her steps in a similar direction. Haborym had claimed that he had travelled to many places in Teyvat, scavenging technology from lost civilisations before he ascended and became the Pyro Archon, which was why he was able to assist Natlan in such a manner.

Beelzebul seeked their advice on what she should do about the puppet and while nobody else was privy to what was discussed during that year's gathering, it wasn't long before the Dendro Archon was often seen in the company of a certain wayfaring figure whose identity is a mystery. He dresses like a mountain ascetic, but he certainly does not act the part. However, the Dendro Archon trusted him enough to have him represent her in many matters in her stead, and Sumeru soon accepted the enigmatic stranger as a spokesperson for their Archon.

"Hello, Junjou. What brings you here today?"

"Tch, as if I want to be here," the puppet who found a heart and who had become the First Sage of Buer clicked his tongue in annoyance, but dutifully carried out what his Archon wanted him to do anyway. He handed over the object that she entrusted him to deliver to the Pyro Archon, a branch that was carefully cut off from Irminsul.

"Thank you. Fancy a drink?" Hunahpu shook his cup and the wanderer declined. He should hurry and return to Sumeru before those darn bullheaded sages start to bully his naive Archon again.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I have to return to Sumeru because my Radish Archon couldn't accomplish anything without me. I wouldn't even be surprised if I found her trapped within that sorry excuse of a bird cage again when I returned…" Junjou grumbled the last sentence inaudibly under his breath as he took his leave. A letter of apology delivered from Sumeru came in several days later, a letter personally penned by Nahida who had profusely apologised to Hunahpu about the rude behaviour that Junjou displayed during his last visit.

Hunahpu had never taken Junjou's "rude" behaviour to heart. In contrast, he's more concerned about the favour he had asked from Nahida and what she had given him in return. Natlan never had stable and deep-rooted ley lines and instead, had the Night Kingdom act as a substitute. However, the corrosion of the Night Kingdom brought about by the Abyss' influence was something that he still could not resolve despite all of the knowledge that he gained in his previous cycles. He would personally head into the Night Kingdom at regular intervals to cleanse and curb the Abyss' influence on the Night Kingdom, but he had never been entirely successful.

That's where Hunahpu started to make a bold attempt to remedy things. He asked Nahida for a branch from Irminsul and he intends to "graft" it into Natlan's ley lines, strengthening its existing network and hoping that over time, Natlan will have a stable and stronger network of ley lines that could work in conjunction with the Night Kingdom. Of course, it goes without saying that he will have to work doubly hard to ensure that this new network of ley lines will not be corrupted by the Abyss' influence.

Will this succeed? Hunahpu does not know, but he's willing to try.

"An international agreement between our nations to aid each other in times of crisis?"

Another historic event that would shape the course of history in Teyvat was brought up in another Gathering of the Seven. Not everyone was convinced at the idea when it was first brought up but there were a few who were onboard with the plan. The Hydro Archon was exceptionally vocal about her support for Hunahpu's suggestion, recognising the worth of this proposed international agreement and how it could possibly be the only hope left to save her nation when the prophecy inevitably fulfils itself.

A long discussion followed. Generally speaking, it's taboo for a nation to interfere with the affairs of another but a precedent had already been established when they freed Nahida from her imprisonment in consideration of the larger picture at hand, which was the necessity to have a Dendro Archon to look over Irminsul. A long debate took place between the Archons but by the time the gathering ended, each and every Archon who participated in the yearly gathering had signed their pledge under the authority of the God of Contracts. The knowledge of the signing of this agreement that would eventually be known as the "Archons' Pledge" will be arranged to be disseminated to the rest of Teyvat via The Steambird.

Focalors looked particularly pleased at the outcome, even singing a soft merry tune under her breath as she bade them farewell and made her return trip to Fontaine. The First Sage of Buer that often followed the Dendro Archon around rolled his eyes when he learnt of the news, but he couldn't deny how Sumeru might benefit from this agreement too as his Archon is not one whose powers are combat-oriented. Beelzebul had no strong opinions about the agreement but since its presence might one day protect her nation if she was somehow unable to protect her nation for whatever reasons, agreed to having such an arrangement. Barbatos and Morax viewed the existence of this agreement as a means to foster better working relations with the other nations in the name of peace.

Buer gave each of the Archons a small device, an invention that borrowed the technology that once powered the Akasha. This device, in Buer's words, is the "get-help-button" where if any of them were to press the button on their respective devices, all of the other Archons would instantly be alerted through their own devices. The activation of the device would mean that an Archon's nation had been plunged into a crisis that might very well threaten its continued existence and per the agreement signed in the Archons' Pledge, the other Archons are obligated to immediately head to the affected nation and lend them their strength.

The friendly relations between nations and the increased connectivity between them fostered and encouraged exchange between their people. Many years passed and Hunahpu slowly counted down to the era where he knew Teyvat would finally arrive at its historical turning point. Living a long life will affect his perception of time to a certain degree but he knew that the era that he had patiently waited for finally arrived when Mavuika finally re-emerged from the Sacred Flame. Another sign of the coming era was the fact that he came across a Natlan branch of Chioriya Boutique, obviously newly opened from the look of things. This was something only made possible by the unprecedented rate of globalisation in Teyvat that arose from the signing of the Archons' Pledge. Hopefully, this was a sign that he's doing something right.

He always knew that Chiori had dreamed of spreading her brand throughout the whole of Teyvat but this was the first cycle where he witnessed it actually happening, or had lived long enough to see it happen.

He also cannot help but wonder who will be the "Traveller" in this cycle? Aether or Lumine?

"Something caught your eye?" Mavuika inquired when she noticed that the man whom she had entrusted the divine throne to before she enacted her plan had stopped and stared at a newly opened boutique. Hmm, a fashion label from Fontaine, interesting.

"Yup, cannot help but be drawn to the cutting edge of fashion," Hunahpu replied as he continued his stroll with the former Pyro Archon who had returned to Natlan incognito. The promised time definitely was drawing near, the signs were all there.

"You have no idea just how close I was to pressing the get-help-button," Hunahpu welcomed an unexpected guest not long after. Venti emphasised his point with how close the tips of his thumb and index finger were, but not touching each other.

"That traveller you talked about, can you tell me more about him or her?"

"Sure!" Venti readily obliged, singing tales and songs of the outlander's bravery and how Dvalin was stopped. It would seem that the traveller in this cycle would be Aether.

"Can I ask for a very small favour?" Venti asked right before he took his leave and Hunahpu replied with a flat stare.

"You know the way to my wine cellar. Take whatever you fancy."

"I know there's a reason why you are my best pal!" Venti gave the Pyro Archon a thumbs up and Hunahpu half-heartedly shot a fireball his way, only for the wandering bard to cheekily duck it with an "ehe". The Pyro Archon's wine cellar ended up being totally wiped clean of its contents.

"Damn bard," Hunahpu cannot help but swore but made no real moves to follow up on the Anemo Archon's thievery.

The visit by the Anemo Archon was shortly followed up by a visit from the Archon who had gone incognito to allow his nation to finally be governed by humanity instead of gods.

"Some of your favourite tea leaves, freshly plucked from Chenyu Vale, old friend."

"Thank you. It's been a while, Morax. I heard that Osial was sighted recently but I received no notification from the get-help-button. How's things?"

"Liyue is doing fine, thank you for your concern. Also, Morax no longer exists in this world. Now, I'm simply Zhongli," the consultant of Wangsheng Funeral Parlour replied. The consultant had a leisure tour around the Tequemecan Valley after his meeting with the Pyro Archon, appreciating the unique gems of Natlan and added some to his collection, placing the bill under the tab of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlour before making his return trip to Liyue.

"He had a strong mental fortitude that made me reevaluate if my ideal of eternity was correct," Ei conceded when she made a personal visit to Natlan to pit her skills against the God of War to ensure that her blade would never go dull. The Shogun puppet will temporarily rule over Inazuma in her absence.

"I plan to revisit and adjust the Shogun's programming accordingly after I return. You should beware of the Fatui, their actions have gotten bolder as of late. If left unchecked, they might leave problems for your nation," Ei left Hunahpu with one final piece of advice before departing in a flash of lightning.

"I told you, my Radish Archon cannot do anything without me. The Doctor would have dissected her and placed her in glass jars if it wasn't for me," Junjou grumbled and was promptly rewarded with a smack to the back of his head, courtesy of Nahida.

"Manners, Junjou!"

"Tch, who are you? My mum? Ow!"

"So what happened to the Doctor?" Hunahpu inquired curiously, ignoring how Nahida was disciplining his very first friend in Teyvat for his manners, or lack thereof.

"Deader than a doorknob. What else were you expecting when I'm around?"

"Beelzebul's assistance in creating the Shouki no Kami was a great help in repelling the Doctor's attempt to infiltrate the Akademiya to sow discord," Nahida helpfully informed Hunahpu and filtered the lies from Junjou's mouth. "The Doctor and I came to an agreement once we made him open to negotiations–"

"You mean I beat him into submission."

"Junjou, don't interrupt others when they are speaking. That's rude," Nahida looked at her sage with a frown but Junjou simply turned his head away with an annoyed huff.

"Anyway, the Doctor and I came to… an understanding, and I allowed him to take my Gnosis. I had no use for it since a very long time ago anyway, so I milked the greatest worth out of it by exchanging the Gnosis for certain information from the Doctor–"

"If I were you I would have extracted all of his knowledge and keep both the Gnosis and the Doctor's knowledge–"

"Junjou! Manners!" Nahida admonished when Junjou interrupted her again before looking back at Hunahpu apologetically. "I'm very sorry about his rude behaviour. I had no idea what made him turn out this way, he used to be such a sweet and polite child–"

"Sweet and polite? Me? Who are you kidding–"

"Junjou!"

"A lively pair, aren't they?" Mavuika cannot help but comment as she and Hunahpu saw them off as the Dendro Archon and her chosen Sage took their leave to return to their nation.

"You can say that again."

"I'm not sure if it's just me, but their interactions remind me a little of the relationship between Kinich and Ajaw."

"Uh…" Hunahpu stopped to think, but found nothing to refute Mavuika's comparison. There are some uncanny similarities.

"This traveller that the other Archons have been talking about, he had been creating quite a stir wherever he went, didn't he?" Mavuika said with a hearty laugh. "It would seem that Fontaine will be his next stop. Wonder what Focalors would say about him?"

"I don't know, but her descriptions would be punctuated with exaggerated gestures, I presume."

Hunahpu and Mavuika continued to govern Natlan together. Publicly, he had already announced to the nation that Mavuika would be his proxy in the event that he's not around. This wouldn't be the first time he appointed an assistant to assist him in governing Natlan during his reign, he had several helpers during his reign as the Pyro Archon over the past five hundred years. It also helped that Mavuika had quickly earned the respect and admiration of the nation with her skills, power, and humility as a warrior.

"How's Kongamato?" Hunahpu inquired. Both Holawaqa Ngoubou and Kongamato were saurian companions of the former six heroes that had pledged Mavuika their assistance to carry out her plan. It took him much effort, but he was able to relieve the suffering that came with Holawaqa Ngoubou's Flamelord Blessing and also purify the abyssal corruption in Kongamato's body. Holawaqa Ngoubou had pledged to be his saurian companion thereafter, while Kongamato and Mavuika had formed a partnership very recently. Mavuika was from the Huitztllan tribe, a Scion of the Canopy, and was also a very good friend to Kongamato's previous companion, Burkina. Hunahpu wasn't surprised that Kongamato had entered into a partnership with Mavuika in preparation for the tribulations they all knew would one day befall Natlan in the near future.

"Still as gluttonous as ever!" Mavuika stated with a laugh. "How about a short trip to his lair? He would love to see you again."

Days passed and Hunahpu secretly kept tabs on Aether's whereabouts as the promised time drew closer and closer. He and Mavuika began to run more and more frequent checks on the six tribes and the defences mounted in their respective lands. Already, there were signs of increased abyssal activities slowly sprouting all over the nation and while nothing too serious had happened yet, it's still a cause for concern.

The branch of Irminsul that Hunahpu grafted into Natlan's ley lines had grown into an extensive network over the centuries. Natlan's ley lines are now more stable and deep-rooted than he remembered it to be in his thirty-first cycle and was starting to intertwine more intimately with the ley lines of the other regions. He supposed he could call his attempt a success, although he wondered if the power of the Night Kingdom could now extend beyond the land that Natlan was built upon to the other nations due to the presence of the branch which he grafted to Natlan's ley lines, which unexpectedly began to serve as a transit between the Night Kingdom and the ley lines of Irminsul. Memories of Natlan had started to flow interchangeably between the two mediums and a bold idea started to take root in Hunahpu's mind as he investigated deeper and deeper into the implications of such a finding.

Could the Ode of Resurrection be used outside of Natlan with the increased connectivity between the Night Kingdom and Irminsul?

He started to devote more time to this research. He briefly lost track of time and was rudely interrupted when his get-help-button started to ring for the very first time since Buer gave it to him centuries ago.

Hunahpu froze for a split second in disbelief, almost as if trying to ascertain that he was not hallucinating, but quickly recovered and departed from his residence in a blazing comet in the direction of Fontaine where the distress signal was sent from. It would seem that it's time. The pledge that the six Archons agreed upon had to be fulfilled.

Hunahpu wasn't the first to arrive on the scene. Venti was already in the process of splitting the sea with his power over wind to prevent Fontainians from being drowned, while Ei had just drawn her blade and slashed it at the giant narwhal. She seemed briefly surprised that she was unable to cut the whale into two halves with a single slash and the whale retaliated with great fury, but a second swing of the sword from the Electro Archon ended the whale's futile resistance and also its life.

She had cut a giant snake once, cutting a whale wouldn't be much harder.

"Unexpectedly durable," was Ei's assessment of the narwhal as she sheathed her blade, sparing the Chief Justice of Fontaine only a passing glance as she opened a rift in the sky to return to Inazuma. She's only good at swinging her sword so her job here was done, seeing as how Barbatos, Morax, and Haborym had arrived to help save Fontaine from being submerged in water. Her assistance would no longer be needed.

Ei paused in her steps when she spotted the First Sage of Buer arriving onto the scene while carrying Buer on his back. Ei hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should approach them, but ultimately decided against it and stepped through the rift to return to the Tenshukaku.

"Hmph," Junjou softly snorted when he spotted his "mother" making her departure. Good riddance.

"Everyone, hold hands!" Nahida raised her voice in order to be heard as thick roots started to rise to bring people out from underneath the raging tides. Junjou grinded any dangerous debris floating on the water surface into dust with his power while stone steles began to rise to create spots of dry land for people to escape from the flood. Wind howled and ferried the stranded to safety while the warmth of the flames protected them from the freezing cold rain.

The flood eventually receded and a miracle was witnessed by the whole of Teyvat that day. The prophecy had been averted, and Fontaine was saved by the collective efforts of the Archons who had pledged their assistance in times of crisis based on an agreement that was signed centuries ago.

"So the real Focalors had sacrificed herself?" Venti hid his weary sigh after he learned of the truth from the Hydro Sovereign. To think that Focalors and Furina had put on such a convincing act that only lasted through sheer will in order to save the nation… what unimaginable willpower.

"Let me try something," Hunahpu suggested as he took out an obsidian feather-shaped stone from his pocket, which was engraved with the Ancient Name of "Justice". He did not have the time to fully investigate the effects and implications of his actions of grafting new ley lines that now connected Natlan's Night Kingdom more closely to Irminsul, but the only thing he could do now is to try.

The Ode of Resurrection, if it could truly work outside of Natlan… it might provide an alternative to break the curse afflicted onto Fontaine just like how Xbalanque had done for him.

---

"Welcome to Natlan, traveller. We had been expecting your arrival for a very long time."

"Eh, you are the Pyro Archon? I thought…" Paimon was taken aback when the Pyro Archon who greeted their arrival was a woman instead of the man they remembered meeting for a brief moment at Fontaine.

"Hunahpu handed over the authority of the Pyro Archon into my hands after the conclusion of the prophecy at Fontaine. He had lived a long life due to his immense power but at the end of the day, he's only human. He was weakened after resurrecting Focalors with the Ode of Resurrection and decided to retire," Mavuika gave Aether and Paimon the official explanation of why Hunahpu relinquished his position of Pyro Archon and handed it over to her.

Her words had a mixture of truth and lies. It's true that despite having lived a long life and looking seemingly immortal, Hunahpu was still only human and would reach the end of his life one day. However, he's still far from reaching the end of his mortal lifespan.

As to being weakened after resurrecting Focalors? Totally untrue, but Hunahpu saw that as the perfect excuse to finally retreat from the spotlight so that Mavuika can finally step up to start preparing for the enactment of her plan to save Natlan. He still needed a convincing excuse to hand over his position of Pyro Archon, however, so they both agreed to go with the explanation that he had been "weakened" after he assisted Fontaine in saving the nation from a great flood.

"Hunahpu spends most of his time wandering around Natlan nowadays, it's not going to be easy to catch him, but you can try your luck at Huitztli Hill. That's where people tend to run into him."

"Whether I spotted Lord Hunahpu?" Kinich fell in thought when Aether asked him if he had spotted the former Pyro Archon recently. "Unfortunately not, I'm afraid, but he should return to observe the upcoming Pilgrimage as an audience. He had never missed a single Pilgrimage."

"Or if you spot a giant qucusaur going whoosh as it soars the sky, then you know Lord Hunahpu's definitely nearby!" Mualani added. "Anyway, it's next to impossible to locate Lord Hunahpu when he doesn't want to be found; he's someone who had been the Pyro Archon for the past five hundred years. So just take Kinich's advice and wait for the upcoming Pilgrimage, we will help you keep a lookout for Lord Hunahpu then!"

---

"Things really panned out in almost the same way in your thirty-first cycle."

"At least we now know that this particular development is difficult to be rewritten, a fate that's hard to change," Hunahpu replied to Mavuika as he continued to sit and stare into an offshoot of the Sacred Flame burning in the centre of the room. Kachina's failed return from the Night Kingdom in her first Pilgrimage and Mualani's awakening– it all happened in almost the same way it did in his thirty-first cycle.

The only thing they did differently this time was Mavuika's insistence that he should not be heading to the Night Kingdom, extracting the Kachina Retrieval Team, and then purging the corruption from the Night Kingdom which had led to his death previously. This time, Hunahpu listened to Mavuika's advice and trusted her to be able to save Kachina and those who had volunteered to retrieve her from the Night Kingdom. Mavuika had gone through with her promise and everyone had returned safe and sound, which was good news.

Now, everything that will happen henceforth will be unknown territory for Hunahpu, for he had never lived long enough in his previous cycles to know what will happen to Natlan after this important moment of history. He never knew if Mavuika's plan that involved the six heroes had ever come to fruition in his previous cycle, but he liked to believe that it had indeed happened and that they had succeeded.

All he could foresee for certain in this cycle is that war will engulf Natlan once more, very soon, where night will consume day as the nation marches to war into the eternal night. He had been preparing for this day for five hundred years and while he knew he had done his best, only time will tell if his best was enough.

"How about The Captain?"

"We had a talk. Currently, we have just entered into an alliance. It will be reassuring to have him as an ally."

"Huh, that's unexpected," Hunahpu was genuinely surprised at this turn of events, but it's a good kind of surprise that he welcomed. The former and current Pyro Archon continued their discussion of the situation at hand within the privacy of the Speaker's Chamber until it was interrupted when a frantic runner came banging on the door.

"A-Archon! E-Emergency! A-Abyss! The Abyss–!"

Both Mavuika and Hunahpu ran out and their hearts dropped when they saw the sky being painted black in almost the same disgustingly horrid manner five hundred years ago. It had begun.

War had broken out across Natlan.

"Go and take command over the tribes, I will run damage control," Hunahpu told Mavuika before shooting into the sky as a blazing comet. Hope was briefly ignited when Natlan caught sight of a rising sun ascending into the sky, glowing brighter and brighter until it hovered high above the nation. The man who once played a pivotal role in saving the nation five hundred years ago raised his right arm and fire bloomed under his might.

"Burn to cinders, rekindle in ashes."

Fireballs began to rain down upon the nation, swiftly assisting the worst-hit parts of Natlan. Hopeful cheers echoed when people understood that their former Pyro Archon had risen to assist the nation in their time of need.

However, Hunahpu had a worried frown on his face in contrast to the hopeful expressions of his people. This is not enough. If his experience from five hundred years ago was anything to go by this wouldn't be enough. Too many people will still die despite his best efforts to save as many as he could, no matter how fast he pushed himself to be.

In that case…

Hunahpu descended back into the stadium. A huge black hole had opened up in the sky as the Abyss formally declared war upon Natlan. Emergency wartime measures that had been repeatedly revised and practised for five hundred years were swiftly put into motion under Mavuika's orders so while the nation had been taken by surprise, they were not panicking yet. Warriors of Natlan were swiftly split into organised groups, Scions of the Canopy dutifully played the role of messengers to bring back the latest updates of the war, and the stadium was swiftly fortified and became a bastion of hope where people who had been evacuated from their homes can take refuge from the Abyss.

"Buy time for me, partner, don't let the monsters through the doors of the stadium," Hunahpu told Holawaqa Ngoubou, who sealed the promise with a determined roar and headed out to fight on the frontlines. Hunahpu quickly reached the Sacred Flame burning at the centre of the stadium and pressed the get-help-button to request for external assistance on his way there. Mavuika still needed more time; her six heroes had not yet fully awakened and until then, it will be his responsibility to keep the death tolls to a minimum as the former Pyro Archon, the shadowfire of Natlan.

The former Pyro Archon strode into the Sacred Flame, intending to use his power to fuel the dying Sacred Flame and to forcibly invoke the Ode of Resurrection for the entire nation for as long as he can until Mavuika's plan could be rolled out. It's the only way he could think of to protect as many as possible because even he cannot be everywhere at once.

At the end of the day, he's only human, one single man. But if he had help, if Natlan could receive help…

Then things wouldn't be so bad.

---

"Chuychu, stay behind me! Don't get too far ahead!" Chasca yelled while ferociously defending their home. Her sister had been rash, desperate to save as many as she could but it's too dangerous out there! Even for Chasca, there's a limit to how much she could do while trying to ensure her sister's safety.

"I will be fine!" Chuychu yelled back as she swiftly performed first-aid for a fallen warrior before trying to drag him back to safety. She had to quickly draw her weapon to block a strike from a hilichurl who had tried to clobber her with a wooden club, and Chasca had quickly arrived to put an end to the hilichurl's life with extreme prejudice.

"We need to retreat!"

"But there's still people out there–"

"I know!" Chasca roared but even Chuychu could hear the growing desperation in her sister's voice. "But we are being severely outnumbered! Listen to me, Chuychu! And don't get in front of me! Let me clear the way for you before you– Chuychu!"

More monsters of the abyss had suddenly started to spawn in even greater numbers and Chasca could only helplessly watch as her tribesmen were being cut down in droves. The sight was so despairing, as if anything they did was predetermined to be futile. Yet, Chuychu had fearlessly charged ahead to the frontlines where she intended to give immediate medical assistance to the fallen, disregarding Chasca's warning.

A hilichurl sent Chuycu flying with a swing of its club and Chasca screamed when she saw her sister being flung aside like a doll. She finally was able to put down the monsters that were hindering her steps and catch up to Chuychu, putting a clean hole into the hilichurl that had dared hurt her sister in the meantime.

"Chuychu, Chuychu!"

"Uh… I'm fine," Chuychu tried to hide a painful groan and tried as she might, she could no longer stand up on her feet. Objectively speaking, the physical wounds that Chuychu suffered were not life threatening and could be easily recovered from. What had Chasca truly gripped in fear was the obvious signs of abyssal corruption that had started to infect Chuychu's body like a stubborn plague.

"Chuychu, stay with me, you hear me?! I will get you to safety, so hang in there!" Chasca did her best to protect her sister as she eradicated the monsters in their vicinity in unrestrained rage. Chasca did her best but their allies started to quickly thin in numbers, despair began to grow when Chasca understood that this battle was lost. There were simply too many monsters.

Chasca fired another powerful anemo-infused arrow with a vengeful cry, piercing through several monsters with pinpoint accuracy. That however left her wide open to a mitachurl's charge and Chasca was only alerted to the danger by Chuychu's weak cry.

"Chasca… run!"

Chasca could have evaded the attack, but doing so would leave Chuychu at the monster's mercy and that was something she would never ever do. She stood her ground and began to fire powerful blasts of anemo but her attacks bounced off harmlessly for the mitachurl's base capabilities had been greatly enhanced from the power of the Abyss. So focused was Chasca in trying to defend her sister from harm that she did not notice that her tribe's Wayob had set their sights on her, nor did she notice that memories from an ancient past had filled her mind.

All that she was concerned about at the moment was trying to save her sister.

Just when all seemed lost, hope arrived in a gentle swirl of wind and the melodious strum of a lyre. The mitachurl was swept off its feet and thrown helplessly into the air where it was then mercilessly grinded by a violent vortex until nothing remained.

"Yoohoo~ Not too late, am I?"

A young man dressed in green landed next to the sisters with a cheeky smile. He took one look at Chuychu and a frown marred his face when he noticed the corrosion. He made another strum of his lyre, invoking a mystical power that gently enveloped her in a brief glow. Chasca was never a believer, but that day was the first time in her life where she fell to her knees in gratitude and relief when Chuychu emerged from the light, unscathed and untainted by the Abyss.

"Thank you… Thank you…"

"Now, now, there's no need for tears, for the end is far from near. Raise your head, take your bow and take your aim. A song of wind and fire shall guide you today," the bard pointed in another direction and the sisters bore witness to a second miracle when the tribesmen which they believed to have fallen in battle suddenly reappeared in blazes of fire, having been reborn anew.

"The… Ode of Resurrection…?"

"Haha… HAHAHA! I'M BACK! I'M BACK!"

"The Pyro Archon! The Pyro Archon is protecting us with the Ode of Resurrection! It's not just those who bear an Ancient Name, everyone is being revived!"

"It takes more than just monsters to put us down!"

"HELL YEAH!"

"Save our celebration for later! Tonight, we feast in the blood of the Abyss! Charge!"

"CHARGE! FOR NATLAN!"

"FOR NATLAN!"

The warriors of the Flower-Feather Clan renewed their resistance with stubborn vigour once they understood that their Pyro Archon had blessed them with divine protection. Warriors fell and were reborn continuously in an eternal cycle as the wandering bard strummed his lyre and played his songs. The odds were still stacked against them, the Flower-Feather Clan were still being hopelessly outnumbered.

"Oh my, Hunahpu will definitely be chewing my head if I continue to hold back," the bard said with a dramatic sigh. His fingers started to strum a different tune and the winds grew violent, singing a grand ode as it sucked the monsters from the ground and into the air right into a rapidly expanding vortex.

A foreign roar shook the skies and the warriors of the Flower-Feather Clan yelped in shock when a dragon– a real dragon– descended from the dark sky and started to fire unimaginably powerful bullets of anemo. Their fear quickly dispelled after they realised that the dragon was on their side.

"About time you start doing some real work, Bar-"

"Venti! The name's Venti!" The bard quickly corrected the dragon before he could give his identity away. "It took you long enough, Dvalin! Where have you been?"

"W-Who are they?" Chuychu cannot help but whisper her question in awe at the sight of how the unassuming and unserious bard was quickly demolishing the abyssal monsters while having a playful squabble with a dragon. Chasca slowly shook her head from side to side, equally confused, but she's not going to question her good luck. Already, the Abyss was beating a hasty retreat. Victory was already certain.

"Alright, gather up! The evil might have sounded a retreat, but it's just a matter of time before they come back with a bigger stick. To the stadium we go, for staying here any longer is a bit no-no."

"R-Right!" The chief of the Flower-Feather Clan agreed to the bard's proposition and quickly organised the tribe to help move the wounded and those who cannot fight. The trip to the stadium will be a long one, but–

"Wait wait wait, are you all intending to walk?"

"How else are we going to get to the stadium?"

"I mean, wouldn't flying be faster?" Venti pointed to the very big and eye-catching dragon standing right behind his back. "Come here, don't be shy! Dvalin and I will give everyone a ride!"

"The… The tribe is flying," Chuychu cannot help but state the obvious when commonsense had been defied once again. She looked at the bard who was seated on the head of the great winged dragon and leaned in closer to whisper into Chasca's ear.

"He… He has to be the Anemo Archon, right?"

"My dear lady, you might want to practise some tact, for I can hear you from way back," the bard turned to speak to her despite how certain Chuychu was that she couldn't possibly be heard given the distance between them. This bard is not normal.

"And I'm just a wandering bard! Barsibatos? Who's that? I don't know him, not at all! Me? The Anemo Archon? No way!"

"R-Right…" Chuychu shrunk and hid herself behind Chasca's back, getting steadily convinced that she had to be in the presence of a god and it would be unwise to displease him. Still, he had saved her life, and she found it fitting to convey her gratitude.

"Um… thank you for saving me earlier. Is there… anything I can do for you once the war is over? Maybe I can… treat you to a drink…?"

The sisters swore that Barbatos' eyes sparkled at the mention of a drink.

"Drink? How could I refuse, the offer of a promised brew!"

---

The warfront at the Tequemecan Valley where the Children of the Echoes lived was besieged by monsters with numbers so large that they appeared as a never ending black tide. Thankfully, the geography of their homes made it a natural fortress that's easy to defend and hard to siege, but there's only so much they could do in the face of such impossible odds.

They did their best to evacuate the tribe and shift their people to the stadium per wartime protocols. Even so, shifting the wounded and the non-fighters to the stadium was proving to be an increasingly difficult task in itself because these monsters were everywhere.

"E-Everyone! Get behind me!" Kachina stood steadfast and beat the monsters back with her spear, trying to clear a path for the last group of refugees to be sent out of the valley and towards the stadium. Xilonen was also doing her best, her kicks crushing skulls of monsters with both brutality and beauty but this time, it didn't feel like they were able to escort this group of refugees out like how they had done with the others before this.

"Kachina, duck!"

Kachina evaded the ambush of a hilichurl and ran her spear through its head. Another hilichurl tried to take this opportunity to bring her down and Kachina did a backflip, expertly kicking the hilichurl away in the process and expertly resolved the crisis.

A boulder was thrown at the group and Xilonen shattered it with a kick. Mitachurls and abyss mages had started to appear in droves and it would seem that they had grown smarter, choosing to opt for attacking from a distance than getting up close.

"L-L-Look out!"

Boulders were hurled in rapid succession by the mitachurls. Elemental attacks rained down upon them by the abyss mages. Pacal immediately instructed everyone to take cover as quickly as they could, hoping that this would be able to minimise the death toll of his people.

"Solidify."

The deep baritone of a voice that the Children of the Echoes had grown to be very familiar with in recent years reverberated across the valley like a steady promise. The Children of the Echoes suddenly found themselves under the protection of a solid shield of jade, untouched and unharmed by the attacks of the Abyss.

"O-Over there!"

Standing right above them on a piece of rock that jutted out from the face of a cliff was a Liyue man. They recognised him to be a frequent patron of the gems mined by the Children of the Echoes whenever he made a trip to Natlan, and then placed his bills under the tab of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlour.

"Mister… Zhongli? Is that you?"

Zhongli gave them a curt nod when he spotted their gaze before redirecting his attention back to the matter at hand. He raised his right arm horizontally to the ground and a spear appeared at his command.

"Go forth, you shall not be harmed."

"But…" Kachina turned back to look at the unending tide of monsters that littered the path ahead.

"You shall not be harmed," the promise the consultant gave was as steady as the element he wielded. "The contract forged from fire and rock shall be upheld today. I give you my word: Natlan will win this war."

"Let's just go," Xilonen suggested, choosing to place her trust in one of her most generous clients who had a history of spending millions of mora at her forge. It wasn't like the Children of the Echoes had any other choice either way; it was either meeting certain death by staying here or trying to make a breakthrough. Pacal immediately gave the order for everyone who remained to regroup before they made one final charge in a desperate attempt to break through the ranks of the monsters that stood in their way. The monsters answered their attempts with their own bestial bellows and charged ahead as well.

"There will be order."

Meteorites larger than beyond their wildest imaginations descended from the heavens, pulverising the monsters at the centre of the impact where they landed and petrifying everything else that had the unfortunate luck to be in the vicinity. Lances of spear burst forth from the ground to impale monsters in places that the meteorites cannot reach. The shield of jade that encased them was so sturdy that none of them suffered even a single scratch on their way out.

"We… We did it?"

"Wow, was he always that powerful? It feels almost like…"

"... like I'm standing face to face with Lord Hunahpu when he's still the Pyro Archon."

"Yeah, that."

"I am just a consultant who happens to be skilled at manipulating the geo element," the conversation was cut short when the Liyue consultant made his sudden appearance. "Let us make haste, it wouldn't be pleasant if more monsters were to spawn while we waited needlessly."

"R-Right!"

---

"Now, perish!"

The pulsating power of electro tore through the black tide of abyssal monsters without discrimination. All fell before the might of the Musou Shinsetsu. The glow of Narukami gazed down upon the Collective of Plenty, protecting them under the shine of eternity.

"W-What was that…"

"Who is she?"

"Is that the power of an Inazuman samurai?"

"B-Beautiful… Her swordsmanship made the muscles that I tried so hard to build feel so… worthless."

"Hahaha! Did you hear that, Ei? You are making them doubt their self-worth!" The Guuji Yae of Narukami Shrine burst into peals of giggles while lazily raining retributions of lightning down on their foes. The Almighty Narukami of Inazuma habitually ignored the youkai's words as she surveyed this battlefield, now void of abyssal monsters. Perhaps it was because the Collective of Plenty was located far from the mainland of Natlan, but the situation here wasn't as bad as she imagined it would be.

"Escort them to the stadium."

"Huh? Where are you going? Hey wait! Ei! Don't leave me behind~ Eiiiii!"

Ei vanished in a bolt of lightning and reappeared in the sky, gazing down upon the Nation of Oaths with a stormy eye. She spotted the traveller assisting the Masters of the Night-Wind, so her presence wasn't needed there. She continued to survey the nation from her unobstructed vantage point and she got a little worried when she spotted Nahida assisting to defend the Scions of the Canopy from the invading forces of the Abyss all alone.

Where's that wayward "son" of hers? Wasn't he never far from Nahida?

Ei blinked and reappeared among the Scions of the Canopy with another flash. Her sudden presence startled the Natlanese presence but they didn't even have the time to react before the pulsing electro that she wielded tore through every and all enemy in sight.

"Ei?"

"It's me," Ei nodded. "You shouldn't be alone here, your powers are not combat-oriented. Where's Junjou?"

"Over there," Nahida pointed at a far distance ahead, so far that even Ei had to squint a little to take a better look. From the looks of it Junjou was busy clearing the path that Scions of the Canopy would need to take to evacuate their people to the stadium, although he was too busy laughing maniacally while doing so. It made the Electro Archon wonder if she had screwed on some parts erroneously when she was creating him.

"AHAHAHA! BOW YOUR HEAD! KNOW YOUR PLACE! YOU DARE TO GAZE UPON ME?! DIE, INSECTS! DISAPPEAR LIKE THE WRETCHED VERMIN THAT YOU ARE!"

"Had he… always been like this?"

"I'm so sorry. It's just…" Nahida sighed and hung her head defeatedly. "I… I don't know what I did wrong in raising either! He was so sweet and polite but somehow… he… turned out like this…"

"Maybe I had made an error in his programming. I can look into it and fix his mannerisms if you like."

"Huh? N-No! That wouldn't be necessary–"

"CRY LOUDER!"

"... Maybe just a little…"

"BOW BEFORE YOUR KING! BURN IT ALL! SUBMIT YOUR SOULS IN SACRIFICE AND FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE!"

"That dragon is a bad influence," Nahida said with a pout with her hands on her hips as both Archons observed Junjou working hand in hand with the human who commanded the power of a mysterious dragon to lay waste to their foes. "Don't worry, I will give Junjou a stern talking to about his choice of friends after we return to Sumeru."

"Understood. Feel free to look for me if you ever need a more permanent fix."

---

"Settle down."

The waves of Toyac Spring surged and consumed the monsters of the Abyss to enact judgement upon injustice. The Hydro Sovereign never had a favourable impression of Archons but Fontaine was indebted to the Archons who signed the Archons' Pledge and had come to Fontaine's aid in her time of need.

Hence, it's only fair that he repaid that debt in Natlan's time of need. Furthermore, objectively speaking, Natlan had historically served as the buffer to the Abyss' continuous invasion upon Teyvat and it would be disastrous if Natlan were to be consumed by the darkness. If Natlan fell, it wouldn't be long before Fontaine would be on the receiving end of the Abyss' invasion.

Or at least, that's what Neuvillette tried to rationalise to himself.

"M-Monsieur Neuvillette?"

"Manaia?" Neuvillette was surprised to spot a melusine here at Natlan. He recalled that Manaia had taken an extended vacation, but it was only now that he remembered that Manaia had told him that she would be travelling to Natlan.

"Y-You are here!" Manaia exclaimed in relief. "I-It was so bad, monsters just kept popping up everywhere and… and… people were d-dying…"

"Not anymore," Neuvillette promised as the tides beckoned upon his summon, drowning the evil and the corrupted under his divine authority as a sovereign. The warriors of Toyac Spring began to renew their assault to defend their home after they realised that they had a powerful ally aiding them. One Natlanese girl in particular struck quite an impression on the Chief Justice with the way she rode the violent waves with her surfboard.

"There's no need to weep, Manaia. Look, the dead had returned," Neuvillette consoled the kind-hearted melusine when the fallen started to rouse and stood back up on their feet. Shouts of confusion, shock, and joy echoed throughout the Toyac Springs. Koholasaurs roared and fought alongside their human companions in delight at their return from the Night Kingdom, using their huge bodies to break through the ranks of the monsters and ride the waves that the Hydro Sovereign summoned with his divine might.

"For Natlan!"

"FOR NATLAN!"

Brave warriors charged forth, fearless of death. Their wish for this injustice to end had been heard.

"Ta-da!"

A huge sword that once split a divine throne enacted judgement upon evil, obliterating monsters in a holy crusade. The sword swiftly shrank in size until a small dainty hand picked it up and gave it a playful twirl. The tainted waters turned pure again as the Regina of All Waters gave her blessings, purifying the land and healing the abyssal corruption that had afflicted the unfortunate. Hydro mimics began to appear rapidly all over the Toyac Springs, fighting great numbers with even greater numbers as the former Hydro Archon joined the battle.

"Take it easy. It hasn't been long since your resurrection," Neuvillette cannot help but caution his recently revived friend.

"Easy? Easy for you to say! How can I take it easy?! Just look!" Focalors replied with indignation, waving her sword in the direction of the growing swarm of abyssal monsters.

"You can perhaps try tasting some of Natlan's hot spring water, although I would urge you to wait for it to cool before tasting it–"

"But Monsieur Neuvillette, why would anyone want to taste hot spring water at all?" Manaia asked in genuine confusion.

"Exactly! Why would you drink what's essentially bathwater?!" Focalors agreed, her disapproval of Neuvillette's suggestion clear and plain for him to see.

Neuvillette released a sigh. It would seem that Focalors would not listen and take things easy unless this war has been quelled. Fine then, he will end this as quickly as possible in the best interest of all parties.

A towering wall of water began to rise, higher and higher, greater and greater, until it eclipsed the entirety of Toyac Springs darker than even their darkest nights. The warriors of the Meztli tribe looked on in awe, yet they did not feel fear for they knew that the ire of the tide of judgement was directed not at them, but at the Abyss.

"Be sanctified."

That was the final sentence the abyssal monsters heard before they were judged for their sins.

---

"... Never would I have thought I would live to see the day where the Archons would gather to repel a common enemy," The Captain watched on from a dark corner of the stadium where the whole of Natlan had gathered to take refuge. Mavuika's plan had worked, as unbelievable as that sounded. The six heroes had been gathered and Ronova's power was channelled to Mavuika. Together, the Nation of Oaths repelled the invasion under the timely assistance of their allied nations and they bore witness to the true power of Haborym, who had punched a hole through the Abyss and into the false sky.

Natlan's victory made The Captain rethink his past choices and of his fallen nation, and he wondered if his nation's fate could have been averted if different choices were made.

Despite the victory, reality wasn't a fairytale. Casualties were still incurred in spite of Hunahpu's and Mavuika's best efforts, but the death toll was unbelievably low since Hunahpu had forcibly invoked the protection of the Sacred Flame to all of Natlan at the expense of his own power. Only 532 people died that day, mostly casualties that were incurred from the very start of the war when it first broke out until the former Pyro Archon Hunahpu could protect the nation with the Ode of Resurrection, buying enough time for Mavuika to finally able to put her plan into action.

"Will you be… alright?"

Gathered in the room were the respective rulers of the allied nations and their followers who had followed them to aid Natlan in her time of need. Lying on the bed was the severely weakened former Pyro Archon, who had used his life and power as fuel to protect the nation down to his very last breath.

"The only eternity of Teyvat is the cycle of life and death. I have lived long enough, I am content that my efforts these past five hundred years were not in vain," Hunahpu replied to Mavuika's concern with a soft smile. "Mavuika, it's time for me to go. I leave Natlan in your good hands. I know you will bring victory back to Natlan."

Mavuika's fists clenched, yet she knew that there was nothing she could do. Not even the Ode of Resurrection could undo the damage that was done to Hunahpu's body when he willingly paid the price for Natlan and her people. Now, the only thing she could do will be to put the last segment of her plan into action, which is to bring the fight to the Abyss and end this war, for good this time.

The allied Archons and Sovereign gathered in solemn silence, understanding that this would be the last time they would ever meet and talk with their old friend.

"Why the long face? Rejoice, for death is but the next great adventure," Hunahpu tried to lift the mood and face death with a smile. "There's no need to weep at my departure. I'm… happy, happy that I was able to make a difference. And, thank you, everyone, for coming to Natlan's assistance."

The former Pyro Archon who had ruled and protected Natlan for over five hundred years passed on peacefully in his sleep. The nation mourned his passing, thankful for everything he had done for the nation. They promised to bring victory to Natlan, to uphold honour and glory in oath of his name.

Death is not the end in Natlan. The Ancient Name of Ujasiri shall never be forgotten, and tales of the shadowfire that ignited the sky and earth with courage will be inscribed for eternity into the Night Kingdom, blazing forever bright like the flames of the sun.

–Tales of a Hundred Cycles, Vol XXXVII

.

.

.

"There, this should do."

"Really?" Nahida tilted her head. She's not doubting the brilliance and capabilities of the Electro Archon but… will this adjustment really make Junjou quit his rude mannerisms?

"What have you done to me?" The First Sage of Buer seethed, but otherwise helpless and at the mercy of the woman who created him.

"Nothing, really. All I did was to install a language filter to your speech module to remove your unnecessary cussing and swearing."

"You–" Junjou wanted to swear, calling her a wretched insect, but all that came out was–

"You lovely butterfly– Wait, what on earth– UNDO WHATEVER YOU DID TO ME, YOU LOVELY WOMAN– Argh that's not what I wanted to say– BEELZEBUL! YOU'D BETTER PRAY THAT I DO NOT GET MY HANDS ON YOU OR I SHALL PRAISE YOUR GLORY– No that's not what I wanted to say! I mean I will kiss your feet– blergh! Undo it! UNDO IT! THIS IS MADNESS! MADNESS!"

Both the Electro and Dendro Archon watched as Junjou resisted in futility where he was strapped on the workbench of Ei's personal forge. This certainly wasn't the outcome that the Electro Archon had in mind when she installed the language filter but the results were… mildly amusing.

Very interesting. Very interesting indeed. This was not the same result she observed when she assisted the Natlanese warrior Kinich with installing the language filter onto Ajaw per Kinich's request. Ajaw had been noticeably quieter ever since then and Kinich was rather pleased with the results last she heard.

As for Junjou, his case is an intriguing one, one that bears further research.