Chapter 45.
Bosacius had awakened. As Rex Lapis's first Yaksha, everyone was very happy now that he was conscious.
Shenhe could already envision her master's happy expression in the future, due to all the past dangers and difficulties.
The loss of so many Adeptus friends had left a lasting mark. Cloud Retainer, already known for her fondness for speaking, now carried an air of distant aloofness.
Yet those who remained by her side long enough would come to understand the truth beneath that demeanor.
Every word she spoke circled back to the past—old companions, shared battles, fleeting moments of warmth. Memories, preserved and retold again and again, as though refusing to let them fade.
It was precisely because of this that Shenhe knew so much about the Adeptus of bygone days. There was no mystery to it. Her master had spoken of them too often, and the other Adeptus, too, would occasionally lose themselves in reminiscence.
And so, in Shenhe's eyes, the revival of Bosacius would inevitably become the second great shock to Liyue.
The first—had been the return of Guizhong, Demon God of Dust.
After her revival, the truth had been sealed tightly.
Only the Adeptus and the Liyue Qixing were permitted to know. The resurrection of a fallen Archon was not merely shocking—it was destabilizing. Until her strength returned to its former peak, no one dared allow such knowledge to spread.
Now, though Guizhong had recovered seventy to eighty percent of her power, the secret remained buried.
This was Liyue's highest confidentiality, no different from the matter of Azhdaha beneath Mt. Hulao—truths that could not be brought into the light.
"It's just…isn't his condition somewhat strange?"
Tartaglia narrowed his eyes, fingers idly brushing his chin as he studied Bosacius. His tone carried both curiosity and suspicion.
"Why does it feel like his strength has diminished?" A brief pause followed, then he corrected himself with a faint frown. "No…not just a little. It's dropped drastically."
Having crossed blades with Bosacius before, Tartaglia's judgment carried weight. The once-overwhelming Yaksha now seemed… hollowed out.
In this state, even Yelan or Kuki Shinobu could likely defeat him with ease.
Of course, if he were to burn his life away in a final struggle, he might still erupt with his former might—but only for an instant. A fleeting blaze, doomed to vanish.
"Indeed." Yelan's gaze lingered on Bosacius, her voice low.
The contrast was unmistakable. The oppressive presence he once exuded had all but disappeared. Now, there was even the unsettling impression that a few decisive strikes might be enough to end him entirely.
"Bosacius…"
Xiao called out, unable to conceal the tension in his voice. Beneath his composure lay fear—raw and unspoken. He feared that this reunion was nothing more than a fragile illusion, that Bosacius would soon scatter like the Millelith and Exorcists before him.
That outcome…he could not accept.
He would take Bosacius out of this cursed place. He would bring him before Rex Lapis.
No matter how weakened he was—so long as Rex Lapis saw him, everything could still be set right.
In Xiao's heart, Rex Lapis remained absolute.
"There is no need to worry, Alatus."
In contrast, Bosacius himself remained composed. He reached out and gently rested a hand atop Xiao's head, his voice steady and reassuring.
"I am fine now. You need not trouble yourself."
A faint sigh followed, quieter this time. "It is only that I will likely be unable to take part in the coming battle. I must leave it to you all—a rather shameful thing, for an elder brother."
Xiao's grip tightened around his spear, killing intent flickering in his golden eyes.
"Do not concern yourself with that. I will take you out of here."
"Yes, yes, don't move recklessly!" Paimon hurried closer, waving her hands anxiously.
Nearby, Futsu Mitama gave a small nod, his gaze passing between the two Yaksha.
"I'll leave this to you. Once you find the Fantastic Compass, escape should be within reach."
His tone shifted, turning more serious.
"But before that—Xiao, you must place Bosacius within this soul-nurturing vessel. Otherwise, the moment he leaves this space, his soul will disperse. At that point…not even Rex Lapis or I will be able to save him."
As he spoke, he turned his hand, revealing a stone mask—the likeness of the Thunder Yaksha—its surface faintly aglow with Geo light.
Prepared in advance.
Though Guizhong had spoken of creating such an artifact, Rex Lapis had already anticipated the need. Whether it would be required or not was irrelevant. Preparation, in his eyes, was never wasted.
And now, that foresight proved decisive.
Bosacius's condition was far worse than it appeared.
After entering the Chat Group, the corruption within him—karmic debt and Abyssal energy alike—had been completely purged, as though erased by an unseen force. Freed from that influence, he had also broken away from the control of the strange spatial consciousness.
But that same corruption had been the source of his ferocity.
Now, stripped of it, what remained was a soul on the verge of collapse.
If he fought in this state, it would not be battle—it would be self-destruction. A single strike, paid for with his very existence.
"Understood."
Xiao accepted the mask without hesitation.
"Do not rush to use it," Futsu Mitama added, his voice softer now. "If there is anything left unsaid—speak it now. Once he is inside, there is no telling when you will meet again."
Silence lingered for a moment.
Xiao lowered his gaze to the mask in his hand, then gave a small nod.
When he looked up again, his expression had steadied. "No matter what—thank you."
He was not one for words. Yet this time, the sincerity in them was absolute. If required, he would give everything—even his life.
Futsu Mitama only smiled faintly in response.
To him, this was simply what needed to be done.
"I'll be going."
The Geo-forged spear in his hand dissolved into light. In its place, he drew forth the Seven Thunder of Retribution: Narukami.
With a single slash—
Space shattered.
A rift tore open like fractured glass, and from within surged a violent, howling current.
"Spatial turbulence?!" Bosacius's expression changed instantly. "Don't enter it! Even Archons avoid such chaos!"
His warning came sharp and urgent.
Within that void, direction itself lost meaning. One misstep, and even the strongest could be lost forever—worse still, unseen threats lurked in the darkness, waiting to strike.
Futsu Mitama, however, remained unmoved.
"It's fine."
His answer was simple.
Coordinates—he had them. Clear and absolute.
And strength—more than enough.
With that, he stepped forward, a jade-like shield manifesting around him as he vanished into the rift.
The space sealed behind him.
Bosacius stared, momentarily stunned.
"That shield… Rex Lapis's power?"
His thoughts churned. Then, almost involuntarily, he turned to Xiao.
"Alatus—could he be—Rex Lapis's son?"
The speculation hung in the air, half-serious, half in awe.
Xiao paused—then quietly shook his head.
Before he could answer, Tartaglia stepped in with a grin. "You're thinking too much. He's from Inazuma—the next Electro Archon, if things go as expected."
A brief silence followed.
"I see."
Bosacius exhaled, a trace of regret slipping through his tone. Then, supported by Xiao and relentless story, he straightened slightly, his gaze distant.
"The era of Adeptus…has it passed?"
His voice carried no resistance—only quiet acceptance.
"That may be for the best," he murmured. "It would lighten Rex Lapis's burden."
A pause.
"But…it will make things heavier for the people of Liyue."
At those words, Yelan's eyes flickered faintly.
Nothing needed to be said. Some truths were better witnessed than explained.
"Let's move." Shenhe's voice cut through the stillness, calm and decisive. "Find the Fantastic Compass. Then we wait for their return."
Only then could they leave this place.
Paimon scratched her head, expression troubled. "But we've already searched everywhere—"
Beside her, Lumine gave a silent nod.
For hours, they had explored every inch of this space.
And yet—
There was nothing. No path forward. No hidden passage.
Only the suffocating certainty that this place was a cage and they were trapped within it.
On one hand, the Fantastic Compass suspended above them clearly indicated that something remained hidden within this space. On the other, every corner had already been explored—there was nowhere left to search.
"No matter."
Shenhe shook her head faintly, her expression as calm as ever. A talisman slipped into her fingers, its paper surface already humming with restrained power.
"Futsu Mitama said it himself—if there is no path here—then we will carve one out."
A faint, icy-blue glow rose from her Vision, spreading along her arm and into the talisman. The air itself seemed to tighten.
"I will force a passage open."
With a flick of her wrist—
"Swish—!"
The talisman shot forward.
The next instant—
"Boom—!!!"
A violent detonation tore through the stillness. The force of it drove everyone back several steps, sleeves and hair whipped by the shockwave. When the dust settled, the space ahead had been ruptured—revealing a newly opened passage leading deeper within.
Silence followed.
Tartaglia, Yelan, Lumine, and Paimon all stood there, wordless.
No one spoke.
Yet the same realization surfaced in all four minds—
They had spent seven to eight hours searching and not one of them had thought to simply break the space apart.
If they had done so earlier—would they have already reached the next area long before this?
"Let's go."
Shenhe's voice remained level, as though nothing unusual had occurred. To her, this solution was entirely natural.
If there was no road ahead—then one simply created it.
Nearby, Kuki Shinobu and Sangonomiya Kokomi exchanged subtle glances. Neither had expected such a straightforward, almost brutal method to succeed so effectively.
They had been prepared to carefully analyze clues, to reconstruct logic step by step—
Only for Shenhe to resolve everything in a single strike.
Fortunately, they had not begun their own search.
Both quietly let out a breath of relief.
Without further delay, the group moved into the newly opened passage, pressing onward in hopes of locating the Fantastic Compass and escaping this suffocating domain.
—
Elsewhere, within the chaotic expanse of spatial turbulence—
Futsu Mitama encountered resistance.
Invisible enemies surged toward him through the distortion, their presence masked by the instability of space itself. Yet through the perception granted by his Chakra Desiderata, every anomaly was laid bare.
The moment an attack approached—
He struck.
Lightning split the darkness as the blade of the Seven Thunder of Retribution: Narukami carved forward. In that instant of illumination, the enemy's form briefly surfaced—
A Rifthound.
But not an ordinary one.
Its size exceeded anything he had previously encountered—one, perhaps two times larger than those lurking within the Abyss.
For most, such an encounter within spatial turbulence—vision obscured, direction lost—would mean near-certain death.
But Futsu Mitama was not "most."
His strength, his perception, his defenses—combined with the precise coordinates guiding him forward—rendered even this hostile void navigable.
Even when combat forced slight deviations, he corrected his trajectory almost instantly.
This was capability.
This was confidence.
And it was precisely why he had entered the turbulence without hesitation.
—
After roughly half an hour of traversal, he briefly checked the Chat Group.
Progress had been made.
Lumine's side had advanced close to the Fantastic Compass, though the spatial consciousness seemed intent on obstructing them. Yet with Shenhe and Xiao acting as overwhelming offensive forces, even the waves of controlled monsters proved ineffective.
After all—
The strongest entity within that space, Bosacius, had already been removed from play.
The Millelith and Exorcists had dissipated under the influence of Geo authority. What remained were little more than scattered remnants.
The only true threat left was the heavily injured Black Aila—and the Abyssal Beasts sealed for five centuries.
Everything else—was inconsequential.
—
"Crack—!!"
With a sound like shattering glass, Futsu Mitama tore through space once more, emerging near the region closest to Aila and Black Aila.
The environment here resembled the depths of the Chasm—desolate, fractured, and steeped in ruin.
He exhaled slowly.
Half an hour of traversal, combined with intermittent combat, had taken its toll. Yet even as he steadied himself, he could feel it—
His stamina recovering at an accelerated rate. The effect of the Chat Group's advancement.
Still, his attention did not linger there. His gaze locked onto a singular point—Aila's coordinates.
Not far ahead, through the distortion, he could see it—an image of Inazuma City, suspended within a raging snowstorm.
The fusion had begun.
Aila and Black Aila's spiritual domains were already intertwining, expanding, transforming—corroding the surrounding space itself.
"A Demon God"
The thought surfaced unbidden.
He recalled Black Aila's earlier words—her reluctance to fuse due to Aila's previous weakness.
But now—that gap had nearly vanished.
At the peak of the Adeptus realm, their convergence could very well give birth to something unprecedented.
A manufactured Demon God.
It was precisely for this reason that Il Dottore had once sought to divide Aila in the first place.
Left unchecked—this fusion might reshape everything.
But Futsu Mitama had no intention of allowing it to proceed freely.
He wanted both.
—
"Persistently Annoying."
He turned.
Behind him, darkness surged.
A mass of creatures—countless, seething, advancing beneath a sky of gathering storm clouds. Their forms twisted, their bodies radiating a suffocating aura.
Abyssal Beasts.
The very same entities that had ravaged the world five hundred years ago.
Their numbers were overwhelming.
Their nature—relentless.
Even after centuries of sealing Abyssal Beasts they endured.
"In that sense," Futsu Mitama murmured, violet lightning flickering in his eyes, "your vitality is impressive."
His grip tightened on Narukami.
"But it ends here."
He could not allow them to advance further. The battlefield ahead—the spiritual domain of Aila and Black Aila—was too fragile, too volatile. If these creatures entered that space, the consequences would spiral beyond control.
He would stop them here.
"Buzz—!!!!"
Lightning erupted.
With a single motion, he unleashed it—a slash carrying the essence of the Musou no Hitotachi.
"Boom!!!"
The strike tore through the advancing horde, annihilating swathes of Abyssal Beasts instantly.
Yet still they came.
Endless.
Unyielding.
Winged variants surged forward, diving toward him at terrifying speed.
Futsu Mitama rose into the air, expression unchanged.
Then, calmly—
"Planet Befall."
Above him, the sky fractured.
Not one—
But four colossal meteors condensed, each infused with the authority of Geo.
Twice the size of any previous manifestation.
An overwhelming spectacle—one that would shatter the morale of any ordinary army.
But these creatures knew no fear.
Only destruction.
"Boom—!!"
"Boom—!!"
"Boom—!!"
"Boom—!!"
The meteors fell.
The earth convulsed.
The Abyssal Beasts resisted—and were erased.
—
Within the group livestream—
Azhdaha clicked his tongue in apparent amusement. "His strength has grown considerably."
His tone carried a trace of curiosity. "So this is the calamity from five hundred years ago? It seems—underwhelming."
A pause.
"Bosacius—were you truly brought down by this?"
Bosacius hesitated.
"This is difficult to explain."
Kamisato Ayaka spoke thoughtfully, "These should be Abyssal Beasts, correct? Yet they seem far weaker than expected."
Paimon nodded vigorously. "Yeah! They're getting wiped out so easily!"
Lumine, however, shook her head. "They've been sealed for five hundred years. It's only natural their strength declined. And…they're not weak."
Her gaze turned serious.
"The problem is their numbers. Against a swarm like this—most of us would only be able to run."
A brief silence. Then—
Eula exhaled sharply. "Half a year—he's already this strong." A faint pause, then with a cold huff— "I'll remember this."
She folded her arms, gaze distant. "If such a force appeared in Mondstadt—even the Dragon of the East would need to intervene. The Knights alone would not suffice."
At the edge of the feed, Shenhe simply watched. "He is too strong."
Kuki Shinobu folded her arms, her tone steady yet carrying unmistakable certainty. "It's not that the Abyssal Beasts are weak; it's that Futsu Mitama is too powerful. This guy is a monster himself."
She paused briefly before continuing, her gaze fixed on the unfolding battle.
"Even before reaching the Demon Gods Realm, he already possessed the strength to contend with an Demon Gods. Now that he has truly stepped into that realm, his power has become even more outrageous."
Venti let out a long sigh, tilting his head with exaggerated lament.
"Ah~ the Futsu Mitama I once toyed with can now toy with me. It seems I might as well hand over the position of the next Anemo Archon."
From afar, Guizhong's voice drifted in, sharp and amused.
"I can hear your scheming clearly all the way from The Chasm."
"Ehe~!"
Venti merely laughed it off without the slightest embarrassment.
Klee bounced excitedly, eyes sparkling.
"Big Brother Futsu Mitama is so amazing!!! Klee wants to become that amazing too!!"
Cyno narrowed his eyes slightly as he observed the livestream.
"Is this the might of an Archon—Even the mere projection of this battle carries an indescribable pressure."
Meanwhile, Albedo was visibly agitated.
"Damn it!!! I'll arrive in Liyue in half a day. Wait for me."
His voice grew sharper with excitement.
"I need to see whether Aila's mental space can evolve into a Demon God's consciousness domain. And a human ascending into the Demon Gods Realm—that alone is invaluable research material."
He exhaled, clearly frustrated. "I should never have delayed."
Yae Miko smiled faintly. "Albedo is on his way~~~"
Keqing watched the scene with a thoughtful expression. "Futsu Mitama is already this strong—It feels as though I'm witnessing the birth of the next Archon."
"Hmm?" Kamisato Ayaka tilted her head slightly.
Floating nearby, Paimon crossed her arms with confidence. "Right now, Futsu Mitama probably has about seventy percent of the Geo Archon's strength."
Bosacius stiffened slightly. "This…little one, such words should not be spoken lightly."
"Seventy percent?" Raiden Makoto echoed, brows faintly raised.
"An ignorant claim." Raiden Ei's tone was blunt, cutting straight through the conversation.
Venti chuckled softly. "Careful now, little Paimon. You've never seen Morax at his peak, have you?"
"Of course not!" Paimon retorted, puffing up slightly. "But he has the Geo Archon's inheritance, the Geo Authority, and he's already in the Demon Gods Realm. That makes him a 'little Geo Archon,' right?"
A deep rumble of laughter erupted from Azhdaha. "Hahaha~~ that is quite the amusing statement."
Paimon blinked. "Did I say something wrong?"
The Traveler replied calmly, "Be confident. Don't doubt yourself."
"Traveler!!!"
Shenhe spoke quietly, her voice steady. "The Rex Lapis' might is beyond measure."
A soft laugh escaped Maha Rukkhadevata. "What you said isn't entirely without merit, little Paimon. However…seventy percent is far too generous."
She paused, then clarified, "If we must quantify it—perhaps half of Morax's strength?"
"Still too high." Raiden Makoto shook her head. "He has only just entered the Archon Realm. His techniques remain unrefined. At present, he does not possess even half of Morax's strength."
Guizhong nodded without hesitation. "As Morax's companion, I can attest to that."
Raiden Ei's gaze sharpened slightly.
"If 'Archon' is a realm, then Morax has already stepped far beyond its midpoint, nearing something higher." A faint glint of anticipation surfaced in her eyes. "However, once Futsu Mitama stabilizes his power and tempers his martial skill—when he returns to Inazuma, we shall have a proper duel."
At that moment, Zhongli spoke calmly. "Before that, he must journey to Sumeru. That trip alone may take more than half a year."
"Yes," Maha Rukkhadevata affirmed. "I invited him."
Cyno inclined his head slightly. "For what purpose, Greater Lord?"
Her expression grew thoughtful.
"Sumeru is…abnormal. I wish for him to go there—partly as a display of strength, and partly to observe the condition of my successor."
She added calmly, "After this matter concludes, Cyno, you may brief us on Sumeru's current state."
"As you command."
—
Within the livestream, admiration and astonishment filled every corner.
Yet in reality, even Futsu Mitama himself felt a flicker of disbelief.
The Abyssal Beasts—once regarded as a calamity capable of overwhelming nations—were collapsing beneath his assault with alarming ease. Whether their strength had decayed over five centuries, or whether the strongest among them had already fallen in the past—no longer mattered.
With successive invocations of Geo meteors and the devastating strike of Musou no Hitotachi, the tide had already been decided long before they could even approach him.
"Then…the final blow."
His voice fell, calm and decisive.
The blade, Seven Thunder of Retribution: Narukami, vanished from his grasp. In its place, Geo authority condensed, forming a colossal spear reminiscent of the Vortex Vanquisher.
Power surged into it.
"Buzz—!!"
The spear trembled, radiating overwhelming pressure. His gaze locked onto the remaining Abyssal Beasts.
"Geo Spear! Charge."
With a simple motion, he hurled it.
It was an imitation—an echo of the technique once used by Morax to seal Osial. Imperfect, incomplete—yet undeniably real.
Because it was cool.
The spear expanded as it descended, growing into a colossal pillar that seemed to pierce the heavens themselves before crashing into the heart of the horde.
"BOOM—!!!"
A mushroom cloud erupted.
Shockwaves tore outward, devouring everything in their path.
At the epicenter, space itself fractured—splintering, collapsing, spreading outward like cracks across glass.
Futsu Mitama's expression stiffened.
"That's excessive."
He had expected destruction—but not to this extent. The combined aftermath of Planet Befall, Musou no Hitotachi, and this final strike had pushed the entire domain beyond its limits.
The space was breaking.
A quiet exhale escaped him. "I'll need to restrain myself in the future—"
Because this was merely an isolated domain.
If such force were unleashed upon Teyvat itself, the consequences would not be so easily contained.
His gaze shifted forward.
In the distance, Inazuma City stood buried beneath wind and snow, its outline wavering within a distorted spiritual field.
A soft green radiance emerged from his body—the inheritance of Maha Rukkhadevata.
He stepped forward.
In an instant, his form dissolved into light, streaking across the collapsing space and plunging into that storm-bound city.
As he crossed the boundary into that mental domain, the Seed of Skandha within him shimmered gently—its presence stabilizing his existence, allowing him to enter without rejection.
The stage of the true confrontation—had finally been reached.
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