It was plain as day!
Asmoday hadn't even noticed that the Heavenly Principle standing before her had changed hands.
Though she was puzzled about how the Heavenly Principle had managed to recover so completely, the previous Phanes had always treated the Shades as mere tools—no questioning permitted, no unnecessary words allowed.
Asmoday was accustomed to following orders: speak little, act much.
And so, she remained quietly on one knee, waiting for Kiana to speak.
Kiana seemed to grasp the situation too.
It felt a little awkward, if she was honest.
But since she was wearing Phanes's identity now, she might as well act the part.
"Asmoday."
"Yes."
"Go to Teyvat and summon the Seven Archons to me."
Kiana had originally planned to head straight to Sumeru and start tackling its problems.
But then it struck her—she was the Heavenly Principle now!
Didn't she have any dignity to uphold?
Since when does an emperor personally run around putting out fires and handling trivial tasks?
Even if Kiana did go, it would definitely be for fun. Wasn't it just common sense to get work done before play?
So she decided to call everyone up first.
Maybe… it could even be something of a "Banquet"?
Of course!
Asmoday had no objections whatsoever.
"Understood."
From her perspective, the Heavenly Principle had not only recovered its former power but grown even stronger.
Calling the Archons together to make an announcement to the world was only natural.
But just as she rose to descend to the lower realm, Kiana called out to stop her.
"Wait."
"?"
"Hold on a moment, no need to rush just yet."
Kiana mused to herself—if Asmoday made an appearance, it would surely throw the entire continent of Teyvat into turmoil. Those with guilty consciences would definitely panic, wouldn't they?
But then—on a whim, feeling a little mischievous…a different idea came to her.
Why not have a little fun?
Ignoring Asmoday's confused gaze, Kiana raised her hand slightly.
In an instant, a shimmering, almost illusory light rippled outward—spreading, sweeping, and saturating everything.
It was like a flood swallowing all in its path, covering every corner of Teyvat almost without resistance.
As beautiful as the aurora, yet utterly terrifying in reality.
Because…with zero start-up frames, this was a Domain of Binding!
Happy now?
Kiana loved the Authority of Binding more than anything.
She could pardon whoever she wanted, bully whoever she pleased.
Rather than outright killing her targets, wouldn't it be more entertaining to strip those with supernatural powers down to mere mortals?
Especially those steeped in sin.
Did you think you could escape through death? Not a chance!
"My Lord, this is…?"
Though not directly targeted, Asmoday still felt the terrifying weight of the Binding Authority.
She felt unbearably weak, unable to even stay aloft in the air.
She dropped straight down, landing hard on her backside.
Her delicate form nearly crumpled to the ground as she gasped in pain, struggling as if gripped by a heart attack, completely helpless.
"I am cleansing Teyvat of what should not exist."
Kiana hadn't expected that even after deliberately holding back her power, Asmoday—one of the Four Shades—still couldn't withstand it.
She couldn't help but feel a little exasperated.
So weak…
So she adjusted the output slightly.
Only then did Asmoday begin to recover, panting as if she'd just run a marathon of dozens of miles in one go, relieved to have survived.
If even Asmoday was affected this badly, the people of Teyvat probably weren't faring much better.
Even though Kiana had consciously calibrated the strength of the Binding Domain based on individual power levels, hoping they wouldn't die instantly, it seemed she had overestimated them after all.
They probably wouldn't die, but they couldn't be far from it.
Sigh…
So weak…
Kiana let out another soft sigh.
Although she intended to intimidate the whole world to smooth her path forward, still, as she had said earlier, purging what shouldn't exist was also one of her goals.
To be specific—
Yes!
It was the Abyss, and the Forbidden Knowledge.
More precisely, the Abyssal creatures, the Abyss Order, the Six Sinners, and the remnants of Khaenri'ah.
"With me in this world, there is no more need for the existence of the Abyss."
"The previous Phanes could not purge the Abyss, nor erase the influence of the Second Throne."
"But I am different."
"The Abyss is nothing but a stain accidentally smeared upon this world—hardly something to make me hesitate."
"The era where it rooted itself in Teyvat, using this world as its host, ends here."
"Nothing could better celebrate my rebirth than the eradication of the Abyss."
"Don't you agree, Asmoday?"
Asmoday stared blankly at Kiana.
She knew well that this was not the same Heavenly Principle, and yet it was.
Now, she understood clearly: the most important thing she must do was pledge her loyalty to the new Heavenly Principle.
As for everything else—that was not her concern.
"Yes, You are supreme. It is only fitting," she replied reverently.
Kiana smiled, gentle yet regal.
And at the same time, in the world of Teyvat below Celestia, in just an instant, almost simultaneously, every nation, every region was engulfed by the Binding Domain.
Chaos descended, utterly unforeseen.
It came like a tidal wave.
Even if one realized what was happening, there was no resisting it.
Because—all power had completely failed.
In fact, the stronger the individual, the more they suffered, struggling even harder to maintain themselves.
No one knew what was happening.
But like a dinosaur extinction, it had arrived—real and abrupt.
"I feel so weak… my body has no strength…"
"I can't sense elemental energy anymore…"
"Lord Barbatos, please save us!"
Mondstadt, Liyue, Inazuma, Sumeru—
Fontaine, Natlan, Snezhnaya…
Every nation was seized with panic, misery and cries echoing everywhere. If not for their inability to move, the chaos would have been even worse.
"What in the world is happening?"
"Has some demon god attacked?"
"O' Rex Lapis, why did you leave us?"
"Your Excellency the Shogun…"
"Lesser Lord Kusanali, save us!"
"Chief Justice! Lady Furina, help me…"
Before long, even the strength to cry out in distress began to fade.
Power gone, energy sapped, as if on the brink of death, like fish suddenly thrown onto dry land.
And that wasn't even the worst of it.
Many regions, shaped and sustained by the mighty power of deities, once stripped of that enduring divine support, began to crumble as a matter of course.
Like fragile sandcastles struck by a tsunami—nothing to do but collapse and wash away.
No one could have imagined such a thing.
No one had ever thought a day like this would come.
A sudden apocalypse, a sudden catastrophe.
Humanity, how small.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
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