"Old man... I almost died~" Barbatos had been waiting on the road, and the moment he spotted Morax in his divine attire, he rushed over with tearful dramatics.
"I nearly did as well..." Morax fell silent for a moment before letting out a deep, quiet sigh.
It was clear.
The two of them had arrived the earliest.
Only after did Beelzebul, Nahida, Furina, Mavuika, and Barnabas arrive one by one.
As if by some unspoken agreement, they all gathered first outside Celestia to compare notes.
No matter what... they would definitely stand or fall together.
After all, exchanging information was better than knowing nothing at all.
"?" Beelzebul wore a blank, clueless expression.
Lovely. She knew absolutely nothing.
Furina looked visibly guilty, trying and failing to hide it. Everyone noticed, and though they found her behavior strange, they tacitly chose not to comment.
Barnabas was sullen and clearly in no mood to speak.
Morax and Barbatos were well aware of her situation.
If they were going to face the Heavenly Principles, she would undoubtedly be the first in line for punishment.
But everyone walks their own chosen path.
Leaving aside that they themselves were in precarious positions, even if they had the power, they wouldn't stake themselves and their people on the gambling table for the Tsaritsa.
To bet on the mercy and forgiveness of the Heavenly Principles.
Among the Archons present, Mavuika, the Pyro Archon, was undoubtedly the most junior. She wasn't even part of the second generation—who knew how many generations down the line she was.
She wasn't foolish; she knew how to read the room.
So, keeping her eyes lowered and her thoughts to herself was the best move now.
The Abyss was wiped out in the blink of an eye.
Natlan no longer had to worry about destruction.
She was probably the most at ease here.
As for Nahida, the incarnation of Irminsul, she would inevitably have sought answers within the world tree after the earlier events.
Though the Heavenly Principles, being a Descender, could not be observed or interfered with by Irminsul.
By scanning through Irminsul, Nahida had grasped the situation across the entire continent of Teyvat and had naturally shared her findings with all the Archons.
Barbatos and Morax now had a clearer picture in their minds.
Barnabas was weighed down with anxiety.
Furina grew even more worried, as if heading to her own execution.
Beelzebul and Mavuika remained as they were.
Whether they understood or not didn't matter.
They had nothing to feel guilty about.
"Who would have thought that this time, the Heavenly Principles awakened with even more terrifying power than before." Morax let out a heavy breath.
Natlan, plagued by the Abyss, had been the front line of the invasion.
They had already sensed the air in Teyvat becoming much cleaner.
But to think the Abyss had been completely eradicated.
Could the Heavenly Principles of the past have managed that?
"We both know that suppressing, even stripping, all energy across the entire continent of Teyvat—only the Heavenly Principles is capable of that."
"It could only be her."
Barnabas was utterly despondent.
"No... even the Heavenly Principles we knew didn't possess such power..."
That was the most unsettling part.
It meant the Heavenly Principles had undergone changes none of them were aware of.
They were already unfamiliar with her, harboring a deep-seated awe and fear.
To awaken and instantly unleash such power, scouring the entire continent.
Not as a deterrent, not as a warning.
No one would believe that!
You could say there had never been any room for resistance before.
They had hoped that upon awakening, the Heavenly Principles wouldn't return to her full power, so the situation wouldn't be too dire.
But now.
They might as well just wait for death.
Barnabas fell silent, saying no more.
The heavy atmosphere around her made Furina tremble with fear. Morax wasn't like Barbatos, who could eavesdrop everywhere.
Though he knew the other nations had seen changes in their archons, he studied these younger archons discreetly, then couldn't help but frown deeply.
Especially a few who clearly had significant issues.
He even worried whether their presence before the Heavenly Principles might make things worse. Could it directly provoke her wrath?
He had to consider this.
Barbatos, knowing his thoughts, sighed. "Perhaps the Heavenly Principles already knows. Besides, we're here now. Turning back at this point wouldn't change anything, would it?"
True.
Morax looked them over again.
Mavuika... fine.
Furina...
Is she even an Archon?
The Dendro Archon also seemed a bit... not all there.
But without a doubt, Barnabas had the biggest problem!
"I won't drag you all down with me." Since Barnabas had come, she had no intention of returning alive.
The only benefit of gathering here was probably to thoroughly crush any lingering hope in their hearts.
No use struggling.
Better to get it over with sooner.
Barnabas, clad in her divine attire, looked dignified and majestic.
She had no patience to drag this out any longer. So she soared into the air, heading straight for Celestia.
The others exchanged glances, then followed closely behind.
The journey, never long to begin with, passed in an instant.
Yet, the moment their feet touched the ground of Celestia, an unexpected calm settled in their hearts.
Asmoday had been waiting here all along.
She was fully aware that the Seven had secretly met beforehand.
She didn't mind.
She said nothing.
Simply, after all seven had arrived, she proceeded with official business, leading them toward the central hall.
Here.
The Seven fell silent, no longer speaking, let alone whispering to each other.
Their expressions were solemn, reverent.
Step by step, like mere mortals.
The not-insignificant distance felt endlessly long.
Arriving at the grand hall with its carved pillars, they could see, at the far end, a girl of peerless beauty seated high upon the throne.
Majestic, austere.
Her gaze looked down upon them.
The gap between them was like that between dimensions.
Like a reader looking at characters in a book.
Like the boundless starry sky, all-encompassing.
This was the Heavenly Principles...
Furina was completely stunned.
Mavuika immediately pulled her down, making her kneel.
Now.
It became clearly apparent.
Asmoday had already taken her place beside Kiana's judgment seat.
And Barbatos and Morax, seeing that there weren't even any seats for them, knew exactly what to do.
No room for luck.
Just kneel down properly, no half-measures.
If there had been seats, a half-kneel would suffice, waiting for permission to sit.
But to foolishly half-kneel now?
Wouldn't that be utterly tactless?
Dignity?
Nonexistent.
They weren't afraid of death; they feared what would happen to their nations and their people after they were gone.
Therefore, it was better to be cautious. Being careful rarely led to major mistakes.
Barnabas was practically prostrate, her forehead pressed to the ground, with no intention of rising.
Her graceful figure curved into a prominent, upturned arc.
Her silver-grey hair spilled across the floor, making her look rather pitiable.
The only one who seemed somewhat out of place was probably Lady Beelzebul.
All her colleagues had dropped to their knees immediately.
She was dumbfounded—you all discussed this and didn't include me?!
Though she knelt down quickly.
It was a half-kneel at first.
She glanced around, immediately realized her mistake.
And switched to kneeling fully on both knees.
Frankly.
That single moment was just too silly!
Classic country girl.
Kiana almost lost her composure.
Luckily, she caught herself and didn't break character.
Otherwise, all the effort to keep a stern face would be wasted. One laugh, and the act would collapse, making it hard to play the villain anymore.
That simply wouldn't do!
--+--
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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