"Guizhong!" Yoimiya could already see her from a distance—on a mountaintop, Guizhong sat slumped with her arms around her knees, completely drained of power. Her body was slowly turning into a sculpture of dust.
"Akio!" Yoimiya shouted in panic.
Suddenly, the entire world froze—as if time itself had been paused. Flowing water, flying birds, fleeing beasts… everything came to a halt. Even the retreating Chi was suspended mid-air.
Akio appeared beside Guizhong, gently caressing her cheek as he smiled. "At last, I can finally take you with me."
Life energy began to flow into Guizhong's body. She slowly opened her eyes, confusion flickering in them as she looked at Akio.
"Akio…?"
"You're mine from now on." Akio grinned.
"I… I'm not dead?" Guizhong suddenly widened her eyes in surprise.
"You are. The Guizhong of this era has died. In the eyes of the world, the Dust God, Haagentus, is no more." Akio lifted her small, delicate body into his arms and rose into the sky.
At the spot where Guizhong had been, a dust statue of her now stood—a divine remains forged by Akio using the power of the Herrscher of Reason. When Morax and the others arrived, it would naturally disperse into the world. Beside the statue lay a Memory of Dust, though inside it was only sand imbued with Guizhong's power.
Not a single thread of history had been altered.
"Akio." Yoimiya ran up to him, smiling as she looked at Guizhong.
"What's going on?" Guizhong asked, still confused and uncertain.
"No time to explain." Akio waved his hand. "Guizhong, come with me—to a world thousands of years in the future. Be with me, forever."
"…All right." Guizhong took one last look at her "divine remains," took a deep breath, and nodded. With Morax's protection, her people would surely live on in peace.
"Let's go." Akio unleashed the power of the Herrscher of Time. A wormhole opened, and after sending Guizhong into the Imaginary Space, he picked up Yoimiya and vanished from the scene.
The moment Akio disappeared, the frozen time resumed. The distant Chi screamed in agony, fresh wounds opening across its body. It collapsed helplessly to the ground, Chi-blood spilling everywhere.
Not long after, Morax arrived with the other adepti. Aside from the wounded Chi and the divine remains of Guizhong on the mountaintop, nothing else remained.
"Guizhong…!" Cloud Retainer and Streetward Rambler's eyes widened in disbelief as they looked at the statue.
They couldn't accept that Guizhong was truly gone. She had always been kind and sociable, and naturally, the adepti under Morax had become close friends with her.
"How could Guizhong… especially with him around…" Morax frowned slightly. With the sheer power Akio had displayed, there was no way he would allow the Chi to kill Guizhong.
"There's no trace of divine resentment in the remains, and both Akio and that goddess are gone. Could it be…?" A shiver ran through Morax's heart, but he didn't voice the thought. Instead, he stepped forward and picked up the Memory of Dust.
He took a deep breath and turned to the Chi in the distance. Though still a god, its wounds could not heal.
Morax's gaze sharpened, and a razor-sharp blade of Geo energy formed in his hand.
Later, the historical records would write:
The Dust God fell at the Guili Plains. From that day forward, the people of dust and the people of stone united under the faith of the Lord of Geo, receiving his protection. To avenge his fallen friend, the Lord of Geo shattered the Chi into five pieces, sealing them across Liyue.
———
In present-day Liyue, at Guili Assembly, a wormhole opened, and Akio and Yoimiya stepped out.
"Whew… we're finally back!" Yoimiya stretched with a sigh. The old world might've been beautiful, but it didn't feel like home the way this one did.
"Heh, looks like an old friend is coming," Akio said with a faint smile.
No sooner had he spoken than Zhongli appeared before them.
Zhongli had just noticed that some of his memories had changed. While the course of history was mostly the same, now he had memories of two individuals from thousands of years ago.
When he arrived at Guili Assembly and saw Akio and Yoimiya, their appearances matched those in his memory.
"So it really was you—Akio and Yoimiya?" Zhongli murmured. "I was wondering why I suddenly remembered people from thousands of years ago, even though we've only just met."
"You…" Zhongli frowned. The theory forming in his mind was all but confirmed, but he didn't say it aloud.
"Even so," Akio nodded.
"I knew it…" Morax gave a wry smile. "That Memory of Dust you asked me for before—that was your creation, wasn't it?"
"It was." Akio nodded.
"History is what it is… Your power is astonishing." Zhongli nodded. "Guizhong was happy with you. I suppose this ending is perfect for both of you. Farewell, old friend."
With that, Zhongli nodded at the two and turned to leave.
"Looks like Morax figured everything out," Yoimiya said in surprise.
"Yeah," Akio replied with a nod. "Let's go—back to Inazuma."
"Good! I've missed Sister Makoto and the others so much," Yoimiya said, eyes sparkling.
The two turned into streaks of light and soared toward Inazuma City.
Though centuries had passed in the old world, only a moment had gone by in the present. No one had noticed Akio and Yoimiya's absence.
When they returned to Tenshukaku, they were immediately surrounded by the others.
"Little Yoimiya, how was it spending the night alone with Akio?" Yae Miko teased, eyes gleaming mischievously. "Didn't think you had it in you—you actually handled him solo! I usually have to tag-team with Saiguu!"
"Sister Miko!" Yoimiya's face flushed bright red. It wasn't just one night! She'd spent hundreds of years with him!
"Eh? Yoimiya… did you become a god?" Raiden Ei suddenly asked in confusion.
She hadn't noticed it at first, but now that she looked more closely, she could sense an immense divine power within Yoimiya. Though it wasn't quite at her level, it was comparable.
All the women stared at Yoimiya in surprise.
Yoimiya gave a small nod, and the divine aura around her subtly flared. The gathered women were visibly stunned—especially Yae Miko and Saiguu.
The two instantly clung to Akio, their soft, foxy bodies pressing against him.
"Husband~ I wanna become a god too~" Yae Miko purred, her eyes full of longing. It wasn't about power—it was about lifespan.
Though she and Saiguu were celestial foxes with long lifespans, it still paled in comparison to a god's. The thought of Akio remaining youthful and radiant while they aged terrified them.
"Don't worry, my darlings. You'll all become gods," Akio said with a warm smile.
Conveniently, during his centuries of sign-ins, he'd obtained two Celestial Fox bloodlines. If the two of them absorbed and merged with those, they'd easily break through their limits and ascend to true divinity.
A/N: Enjoying the story? Read 60+ chapters ahead on Patreon! Your support helps: Patreon.com/nneol