"I'm about to become a new god, and Ei is also my woman. Naturally, I won't openly disrespect her," Akio said with a smile. "So, it's inevitable that Inazuma will change, but it's not my place to intervene."
"Alright," Kitsune Saiguu nodded. To be honest, she didn't care much about these matters anymore. As long as Makoto was resurrected, all these difficulties would naturally be resolved.
Time passed bit by bit, and soon it was time for the Rite of Descension. Ningguang seemed to sense something and looked up, spotting Akio in the crowd.
Ningguang smiled slightly and nodded in acknowledgment.
Soon, Ningguang looked up at the sky and announced, "The auspicious hour has arrived!"
The attendants on both sides of the Tianquan bowed slightly.
Ningguang formed hand seals, and crystalline gems made of Geo energy began to swirl and fly toward the incense burner.
As the gems embedded themselves into the burner, it emitted a dazzling golden light. Amidst the gasps of the crowd, the light shot up into the sky as a radiant beam.
At first, the sky was filled with a beautiful glow, and clouds swirled around. But within seconds, the glow dissipated, and a strong whirlwind arose. Dark clouds covered the entire sky.
Everyone present looked up in confusion at the sudden change in the sky. Even Ningguang was bewildered—this had never happened before during the Rite of Descension!
Suddenly, a dragon's mournful cry echoed from the dark clouds, and a massive dragon plummeted straight down from the sky.
The enormous dragon's body smashed the altar and the incense burner, scattering offerings everywhere. The dragon's body twitched a few times before falling still.
The dust forced Ningguang to cover her face, while the attendants of the Tianquan were so frightened that they fell to the ground.
When the dust settled, Ningguang quickly ran over and crouched down to examine the dragon's body.
"What happened?"
"What's wrong with the Archon? It looks like…"
"Silence! Do not disrespect the Archon!"
The crowd watching the ceremony buzzed with speculation, unsure of what had just occurred.
After confirming that the Archon's divine form had completely lost its life force, Ningguang was momentarily panicked. However, she quickly composed herself.
"The Archon has been assassinated! Lock down the entire area!" Ningguang stood up and shouted, waving her hand.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Countless Millelith soldiers, armed with white-tasseled spears, rushed into the venue and surrounded all the spectators.
"What… what's going on?" Paimon covered her mouth, staring ahead.
"She said the Archon was assassinated? The Geo Archon… is dead?" Paimon said fearfully.
"The murderer is among us… huh? Lumine, where are you going?" Paimon didn't even finish her sentence before she saw Lumine turning to leave.
"So, she's running after all," Akio, who was in the crowd, watched as Lumine and Paimon tried to escape. She was probably afraid that the Geo Archon might have been an old enemy, and if she were caught, what would happen?
Just as Akio was about to follow, a Millelith soldier approached him for routine questioning.
"He's my friend, not a suspicious person. Go question others," Ningguang walked over and dismissed the soldier.
"Lord Akio! What do you make of today's events?" Ningguang looked at Akio and said, "Forgive my bluntness, but I need to ask."
The Geo Archon was the oldest and most powerful deity. How could an ordinary person assassinate him? Akio was a powerful god and happened to be present at the scene. She couldn't help but suspect him.
"Don't suspect me. I'm not the one who assassinated Morax," Akio shook his head. "Go investigate. Perhaps there's someone else behind this."
Right, Zhongli?
Seeing Akio's response, Ningguang nodded. Although she had her suspicions, there was no evidence. She couldn't just accuse a god, could she? Moreover, with the Archon gone, provoking another deity could lead to a national disaster.
"Then I'll take my leave," Ningguang bowed slightly and retreated.
Watching Ningguang leave, Akio's eyes flickered, and he spotted Zhongli on a distant mountain peak, observing everything.
Well, well! Things are in chaos here, and you, the mastermind, are just watching the show, huh? Zhongli, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, you're quite the jokester!
Feeling Akio's gaze, Zhongli awkwardly smiled and then disappeared.
Akio retracted his gaze, and his figure also faded away. He decided to go check on Lumine's predicament. Poor girl, she gets wanted in every country she visits.
On the other side, Lumine and Paimon were trying to sneak away, carefully moving in the shadows. However, Lumine, being too nervous, didn't notice her footing, and her white high heels stepped on a tile, shattering it with a sharp sound.
The noise alerted the nearby Millelith soldiers, who immediately spotted the suspicious duo.
"They're over here!"
"Capture them!"
The Millelith soldiers quickly gave chase.
"Run!" Lumine panicked and dashed downstairs, stumbling and scrambling as she ran.
"Pfft…" Although it was funny in the game, seeing Lumine stumble and scramble in real life, Akio, who was watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but laugh.
However, Lumine was soon surrounded from both sides. She gritted her teeth and drew her trusty dull blade, ready for a fierce battle.
"Miss! Be careful not to move," a crisp male voice rang out. Several water arrows appeared in the air, knocking the weapons out of the Millelith soldiers' hands.
Tartaglia landed in a cool pose, holding two water-element daggers. He quickly charged forward, using the blunt side of the blades to knock out the Millelith soldiers.
"Follow me!" Tartaglia said, seeing more Millelith soldiers closing in, and ran toward the distance.
"Huh?" Lumine and Paimon exchanged glances, but the situation didn't allow them to think too much. They quickly followed.
After running for a while, the three finally shook off the Millelith soldiers.
Just as they caught their breath, a voice came from behind them: "Hello there, tired from running? Need some water?"
"!!!" This time, even Tartaglia's expression changed. He drew his weapon—there had been no one here when they arrived.
The three turned around cautiously and saw Akio leaning against a pillar by the roadside, watching them with interest.
"Akio!" Paimon, recognizing him, waved happily, and Lumine also lowered her guard.
Only Tartaglia's expression grew even more grim when he saw Akio.
"Don't go near him! He's not to be trusted!" Tartaglia quickly warned as Lumine moved to approach Akio.
"?" Lumine frowned, looking at Tartaglia.
"He's no ordinary person," Tartaglia stared at Akio. "He's a god from Inazuma, a powerful deity who once fought Morax and caused a thousand-meter tsunami."
"!" Lumine's expression changed upon hearing Tartaglia's words.
"Huh? A god? Akio, you're a god? You…" Paimon was about to say something but then stopped herself.
"That's right! How could a mortal assassinate the God of War who swept through armies?" Tartaglia glared at Akio. "In Liyue, only he has the power to threaten the Geo Archon, Morax."
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