Although more than just the Goddess's pink energy had descended from the starry sea, only this energy had manifested now...
Lumine: "Did you... win?"
Hearing Lumine's voice, the Goddess turned her gaze toward her. The amusement in her pink eyes faded slightly, replaced by a more complex expression—one that seemed both pleased and tinged with a hint of barely perceptible regret.
She nodded gently, her tone still light, but the words she spoke sent a chill down the spines of everyone listening intently:
"Mhm~ Of course I won! After all, I did say you could entrust it to me, didn't I? The Abyss has been thoroughly disciplined by me. It probably won't have the strength to cause trouble again for quite some time."
Indeed, Jiang Mumu and Chu Xi had been thoroughly disciplined—to the point of raising the white flag and surrendering.
The Goddess paused, tapping her chin with a fingertip as if searching for the most appropriate phrasing.
"However, 'completely destroy' it... um... how should I put it?"
She tilted her head slightly, adopting an expression that was both mildly troubled and utterly candid:
"Just as you can't evaporate every drop of water in the sea, the Abyss itself... its 'scale' and manner of existence are rather... unique."
"Even the most beautiful girl in the world would struggle to completely erase it from existence."
These words, like icy raindrops, quietly extinguished the excessive optimism that had just been ignited by her arrival.
Even the Goddess can't completely destroy it...
But the Goddess's voice immediately lifted with a hopeful lilt:
"That's why I've returned this time—to prepare a 'once-and-for-all' Plan!"
Her smile regained its radiant and unwavering determination:
"Though we can't make it vanish entirely, we can shift our approach—prepare a super grand, super secure 'new home' for it! We'll invite it to stay there forever, so it can never escape to trouble anyone again!"
Her gaze swept across each guardian present, her pink eyes flashing with unshakable determination and divine radiance.
"This sealing will be completely different from the last one."
"If everything goes smoothly... this will be an eternal slumber. It's time to finally bring a truly fulfilling end to this long-standing conflict."
An eternal seal...
The word sent a jolt through everyone's hearts.
They gazed at the Goddess's eyes, seemingly calm but brimming with solemnity and determination, their minds shaken.
The Goddess turned her head, her gaze lifting to the starry sea beyond the shattered void.
There, a layer of pink energy enveloped a mass of purple-black energy. Even in her absence, the pink energy remained diligently at its task.
"The Abyss's existence is a bit too overpowered for Teyvat," she mused. "This beautiful world mustn't be destroyed by that creature. That's precisely why I exist."
Her gaze shifted downward, her pink pupils reflecting the entirety of Teyvat.
Her gaze remained distant, as if piercing through space itself, gently caressing the towering Statue of the Anemo Archon in Mondstadt, the myriad lights of Liyue Harbor, the solemn Statue of the Omnipresent God in Inazuma, the flourishing Tree of Wisdom in Sumeru, the dancing waters of Fontaine, the eternally burning Stadium of the Sacred Flame in Natlan, and the frigid palaces of Snezhnaya...
Those familiar landscapes were mirrored in her shimmering, iridescent pink eyes.
She saw many familiar faces... familiar to her, at least...
The Goddess then turned her gaze toward Nod-Krai, the Traveler's next destination. Assuming everything went according to plan, it would be the setting for their next story.
This almost farewell-like inspection intensified the unease in Lumine's heart. She couldn't resist asking again:
"If you want to seal the Abyss permanently, what... is the cost?"
The Goddess withdrew her gaze, her smile softening as it settled on Lumine's worried face.
"The cost? Oh, it's quite simple, really. Just all the energy I possess right now."
She said it so casually, as if discussing a trivial matter.
"Think of it like gathering all the light to ignite an eternally burning lantern, illuminating and sealing away that endless darkness. As for me..."
She tilted her head slightly, tapping her cheek with a finger, striking an adorable, thoughtful pose.
"I'll probably fade away completely from losing my power, as if I had never been born in Teyvat in the first place."
"But don't worry! My soul won't simply vanish. It will return to every corner of this world, like raindrops merging with the sea, becoming one of the myriad possibilities guarding everyone."
At that moment, Ronova, the Ruler of Death, who had been silently recuperating, forced herself to lift her pale face. Her eyes, long accustomed to the cycles of life and death, were filled with profound confusion. Her voice, though weak, was clear as she asked:
"...Why? Teyvat... why could a being like you be born here? As far as I know, this world... shouldn't possess the power to nurture a being of your stature..."
This was a question that struck at the very core of the Goddess's existence, probing her fundamental nature.
The Goddess turned to Ronova, her smile still radiant, yet veiled by an indescribable, ethereal layer.
Instead of answering directly, she gently raised her hand, as if sensing the faint currents of energy flowing through the air—the very essence of Teyvat itself.
"Hmm... how to put it~"
Her voice carried an ethereal quality.
"A seed needs suitable soil and nourishment to sprout, doesn't it? Perhaps I simply... was fortunate enough to seize a sliver of opportunity, a mere 'possibility,' granted by this land and sky."
Her gaze swept once more across the land she guarded, her eyes filled with tender yet unwavering determination.
"Having bloomed anew by drawing upon the power of this place, wouldn't it be only natural—and indeed, the right thing to do—to protect this beautiful world that granted me 'new life'?"
She didn't explain her origins, but instead emphasized her unbreakable connection to Teyvat and her unwavering determination to safeguard it, born from this very land.
Though her answer didn't fully dispel the god's doubts, it made her will and choice clear to all who heard it.
"Alright, enough with the farewells. I should go do what I need to do now. But before I leave, let me share some good news with you all."
As she spoke, the Goddess's expression softened further, her face radiating the delight of someone who had accidentally stumbled upon some wonderful news.
"During my battle with the Abyss, the leaked energy attracted the attention of an unknown being—a far higher-dimensional entity. I could sense its benevolent intentions."
"Through my deliberate guidance, this being has turned its gaze toward Teyvat. This is a rare opportunity for the entire world. Who knows, all of Teyvat might reap tremendous benefits from this encounter!"
"This is the final gift she's given you," the Goddess said, soaring toward the sea of stars in the heavens.
Lumine reached out, wanting to stop her, but ultimately remained silent.
The Goddess's form pierced through the False Sky. The shattered illusion instantly reformed, now painted with swirling pink clouds.
Boom—
An explosion erupted behind Teyvat, surging with pink energy. Something monumental must be unfolding beyond the sky, but Lumine and her companions could no longer see it.