Compared to the other gods, who could effortlessly wipe out entire waves of Ruin Machines, Raiden Makoto was clearly struggling much more.
Because the Electro Archon was a twin—one literary, one martial—Makoto governed affairs of state and was never adept at combat.
Facing the combined assault of multiple Ruin Graders, Makoto was quickly wounded.
Her expression grew solemn as she continuously swung Musou Isshin, launching counterattacks at the surrounding machines. Yet as more and more Ruin Graders converged, the pressure on her intensified.
Gritting her teeth, lightning crackled around her as she slashed outward, forcing the nearby machines back.
Suddenly, a Ruin Colossus locked onto her.
An arm like a mountain came crashing down toward her.
"All things converge!"
A voice filled with reassurance rang out.
Boom!!!
At the same time, the Colossus's arm engulfed Makoto, kicking up an enormous cloud of dust.
Lightning flickered.
The Colossus's arm was cleanly severed by a single strike.
"Thank you, Morax."
Makoto called out toward Morax in the distance.
"It's nothing. Be careful."
Morax replied calmly.
He had already noticed that it was Makoto, not Ei, who had come this time, and thus paid special attention during the battle. After all, he remembered that Makoto seemed to be on good terms with Jiang Yan.
As Jiang Yan's friend, Morax naturally felt obliged to look after her.
At that moment, the Ruin Colossus's single eye lit up, and a beam of light swept straight toward Makoto.
Boom!!!
Dust exploded outward as Makoto was sent flying.
The shield Morax had given her shattered, but thanks to its protection, Makoto herself was not injured.
"Cough… cough…"
Choking on dust, Makoto coughed repeatedly as countless Ruin Machines and Graders surged toward her.
Boom!!!
A massive stone spear crashed down in front of Makoto, shattering most of the Khaenri'ah machines.
Morax frowned as he looked toward her.
But suddenly, his expression changed.
A gigantic fist, like a falling mountain, slammed toward him.
Bang!
Morax was struck by the Ruin Colossus and forced back several steps, barely stabilizing himself in midair.
Deep underground, the Abyss Sovereign was constantly sensing the situation on the Khaenri'ah battlefield.
Suddenly, he noticed a weakness among the six gods.
Raiden Makoto.
The other gods were not twin deities—they were true victors of the Archon War, warriors tempered by endless battle. Against them, Khaenri'ah's machines stood no chance.
But Makoto was different.
Observing her fight, the Abyss Sovereign realized that she possessed little martial prowess.
"Kehehe… looks like I've found a breakthrough."
He let out a sinister laugh.
"Then this time, I'll personally take the field."
"I've never experienced what it's like to kill a god…"
"But the Heavenly Principles…"
"So what?"
"He still doesn't have the power to erase me."
Black mist surged violently around him, and in the next instant, his figure vanished.
At the edge of the Sumeru Desert.
A blond-haired youth was running with all his might toward Khaenri'ah, panic etched into his eyes.
If Jiang Yan were here, he would immediately recognize him.
One of the Traveler twins—Aether.
"Khaenri'ah… Dainsleif… please, don't let anything happen!"
The youth muttered desperately as he pushed himself forward.
On the Khaenri'ah battlefield, the war between the six gods and the nation had reached a fever pitch.
Irmin already knew that Khaenri'ah's destruction was inevitable.
The Heavenly Principles had not even taken action—yet the six gods alone had already halted Khaenri'ah's advance.
Driven by despair, he chose a final, suicidal gambit.
He would completely open the gates of the Abyss, letting its black power flood into the world.
If Khaenri'ah was doomed, if he himself was destined to die, then neither the Heavenly Principles nor these gods would leave unscathed.
Thunder roared across the sky.
A figure with a violet braided ponytail streaked toward Khaenri'ah like a bolt of lightning.
Raiden Makoto stood battered and bloodied upon the earth, gazing at the thunder above with a bitter smile.
So… they finally noticed.
"Makoto!"
Raiden Ei saw her sister—wounded but still alive—and instantly let out a breath of relief, rushing toward her.
At that moment—
Black mist surged up around Makoto.
A pitch-black hand suddenly pierced straight through her body.
"Makoto!!!"
Ei's eyes widened in horror.
Neither Morax nor Barbatos had time to react before Makoto's body was impaled.
In the distance, Phanes abruptly opened his eyes, his gaze locking onto the black figure below.
"Cough…"
Makoto spat out a mouthful of blood, disbelief filling her eyes.
"Kehehe… such a feeble god."
A chilling, venomous voice whispered beside her ear.
Thunder exploded across the heavens as the sky itself裂裂—splintered apart.
A massive arm of lightning, forged from pure thunder and wielding a blade, slashed down at the Abyss Sovereign.
The Abyss Sovereign dispersed into black mist, narrowly dodging Ei's furious Musou no Hitotachi.
"Makoto… Makoto…"
Ei ignored him completely, clutching her sister in panic, helplessness flooding her eyes.
Makoto coughed blood as she gently touched Ei's face, apology written across her expression.
"I'm sorry…"
"No—don't… don't apologize, don't!!!"
Ei frantically pressed her hands against Makoto's pierced chest, as if she could stop her life from slipping away.
"Go find Jiang Yan!"
Barbatos rushed over, his expression grim.
"As long as Makoto still has even one breath left, Jiang Yan can save her!"
He knew Jiang Yan possessed a miraculous pill capable of restoring someone on the brink of death in an instant.
"Jiang Yan… Jiang Yan!"
A spark ignited in Ei's eyes as she tried to stand.
At that moment, Morax arrived. Hearing Barbatos's words, he slowly shook his head.
"It's useless."
"Even setting aside the fact that Jiang Yan is still in slumber—"
"Even if he were awake, by the time you reached Liyue, Makoto would not survive."
"Unless…"
"Unless Jiang Yan could appear before her—right now."
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