The moment the terrifying enemy appeared, everyone on the battlefield was instantly shaken.
In that split second, whether it was the archonss—Sam Li, Venti, Mavuika, and the others—or Zhu Yuan, Nicole, Hu Tao, Xilonen, Tighnari, the countless Abyss monsters, or the vast Antimatter Legion…
Everyone subconsciously stopped fighting and turned their gaze toward the direction of the Mausoleum of King Deshret.
Above the collapsed ruins of the mausoleum, a crimson humanoid figure stood silently in the sky.
Though the figure appeared no larger than an ordinary human, the destructive energy radiating from its body burned like raging flames, condensing into a tangible aura around it. Just looking at it made one's eyes sting with searing pain.
Such a terrifying enemy was something none of them had ever seen before.
Nekomata almost cried out, but under the crushing pressure, she instinctively lowered her voice.
"Is… is that the Lord Ravager you were talking about?"
"A hundred times scarier than Hollow Zero… is that really the enemy we're facing?"
"Can… can we actually win?"
"Don't say stuff like that! With Sam Li here, we'll definitely defeat it—"
…
Although Nicole said that, even she was terrified deep down, uncertain whether Sam Li could truly prevail this time.
If they lost, then all of Teyvat—no, the entire Origin Star—would be completely destroyed.
As everyone stared at the Lord Ravager in stunned silence, it seemed to hear their murmurs. Slowly, it turned its head and glanced in their direction.
In an instant, overwhelming pressure and violent destructive energy surged toward them from afar.
Nekomata's fur stood on end.
"Myaa—!"
Whether it was Nicole, Nekomata, Zhu Yuan, or Xilonen, Tighnari, Collei, and the others, they all felt the threat of death at that moment.
As if the next second could be their last.
At the critical moment, Sam Li waved his hand. Specks of golden light appeared around them, swiftly suppressing the raging destructive energy.
Only then did Nicole, Nekomata, Xilonen, Hu Tao, Tighnari, and the others finally get a chance to breathe.
Mavuika frowned deeply.
"Is this person the true mastermind behind the Abyss?"
Sam Li nodded slowly.
"By general rational standards, yes… but above her, there should be an even more terrifying existence."
An even more terrifying existence?
Mavuika's brow furrowed even tighter.
The pressure from this enemy alone already rivaled the Heavenly Principles of Teyvat. She couldn't imagine what could possibly be more terrifying than this.
Sam Li spoke in a low voice.
"The Destruction Aeon."
But for now, the enemy before them was the Lord Ravager. As for the Destruction Aeon, that was far beyond their current reach.
Nearby, Ei also felt the terror of the enemy and immediately took a stance to strike.
As soon as she found an opening, she would slash at the Lord Ravager without hesitation.
Yet she couldn't find one—
or perhaps she didn't know how to strike in a way that could truly harm it.
Although only two or three seconds had passed, to the archons of the various nations, it felt like an eternity. No one moved.
Then, in the next instant, a flash of crimson light erupted in the distance.
The Lord Ravager vanished.
Before anyone could react, scorching red light exploded right in front of them.
Boom—! Boom—! Boom—!
The sudden eruption of destructive energy shocked everyone. Nicole, Nekomata, Zhu Yuan, Hu Tao, Xilonen, and the others didn't even have time to dodge.
Fortunately, Sam Li, Venti, Ei, and the other archons reacted instantly, releasing massive amounts of elemental power to block the explosion and prevent it from harming those around them.
Before the aftermath could settle, the crimson figure appeared again.
The moment it reappeared, it stretched out a hand toward Ei, firing a terrifying beam of destruction.
The speed was so fast that even Ei was momentarily caught off guard.
Fortunately, she had been prepared to strike from the very beginning.
The instant the crimson figure appeared, Ei swung her blade.
In a flash, lightning exploded around them.
The crackling lightning collided with the beam of destruction, detonating instantly and sending Abyss monsters and Antimatter Legion soldiers flying in all directions.
Even Nicole, Billy, Caesar, and Xilonen were affected by the shockwave.
If not for Sam Li's Geo shield protecting them, they would have been shattered like the Abyss monsters—or blasted hundreds of meters away.
"Don't just stand there—attack!"
"Morax, together—!"
"Its power is probably on par with the Heavenly Principles. Everyone, be careful!"
…
Though the clash had only just begun, the Lord Ravager's power and oppressive presence had already stunned everyone.
Ei, Venti, and Neuvillette all unleashed their full strength without hesitation.
They knew that even the slightest mistake could mean death.
As the words fell—
Sam Li gripped the Vortex Vanquisher and thrust forward with all his might.
Ei held Musou Isshin and unleashed a peerless slash—void of thought, yet unrivaled.
Mavuika swung her greatsword, her strike seeming to cleave space itself as scorching flames dyed the sky crimson.
Venti raised his lyre high, its increasingly urgent melody sweeping across the battlefield as countless blades of wind surged forth.
Neuvillette was even more direct, instantly manifesting his colossal water dragon form.
Earth-shaking attacks crashed down upon the Lord Ravager's position, sealing off every possible escape route.
And yet—
The Lord Ravager had no intention of fleeing.
A faint, sinister smile appeared on her face as she uttered a single word.
"Annihilate."
In an instant, destructive energy condensed throughout the surrounding space, forming one explosive point after another.
Sam Li's stone spear was shattered, Ei's lightning dispersed, Venti's wind blades were blocked, and Neuvillette and Mavuika were forced back head-on.
Facing five archons alone, she still appeared utterly at ease.
Seeing their full-power attacks neutralized so effortlessly, Sam Li, Venti, Ei, and the others were all shaken.
"Don't hesitate—keep attacking!"
"Damn it, she's definitely on the same level as the Heavenly Principles…"
"What is the Tsaritsa doing? Why hasn't she shown up yet?!"
…
The archons didn't hesitate and launched another coordinated assault.
But the Lord Ravager was no passive target.
With a single movement, she dodged Ei's blade and immediately lashed out with her claws, releasing several crimson beams of destruction.
At the critical moment, Sam Li silently invoked the Jade Shield, forcibly blocking the attack for Ei.
But it wasn't over.
Moving at terrifying speed, the Lord Ravager turned and attacked Mavuika next.
For a time, she demonstrated overwhelming dominance—holding her own against five archons while still maintaining the upper hand.
Even so, the archons were no weaklings.
Faced with the terrifying Lord Ravager, they refused to give up, continuing to surround and pressure her without pause.
After several hours of battle, Mavuika and Ei were both wounded.
Sam Li, Venti, and Neuvillette were also clearly reaching their limits.
Then—
The surrounding air suddenly turned bitterly cold.
"It's the Tsaritsa—"
The archons all turned toward the distance, where the figure of the Tsaritsa appeared… and beside her stood a middle-aged man.