"Morax, you must kill them," Elliot said in a low voice.
Morax paused, his tone faintly surprised. "Why?"
"Their eyes—they are filled with nothing but rage toward you."
"So what? I don't care." Morax cast a glance at the humans below.
"They know your name. If you don't kill them now, they'll eventually find Liyue. When that happens, the trouble will be far greater."
"Then I'll kill them when that time comes. What trouble is there in that?"
Elliot let out a long sigh. "Morax… the human heart is a frightening thing."
"You cannot watch over Liyue's every move day after day. And now, the situation is only growing more dangerous. One careless mistake, and it could all end in ruin."
"A few humans—what waves could they possibly stir up?" Morax was unconvinced, even feeling that Elliot was making too much of this.
Elliot's brow furrowed sharply. He suddenly grabbed Morax by the collar.
"Never underestimate humans. Never." His voice was deep and severe.
The abrupt change left Morax startled. He couldn't understand why Elliot had shifted so suddenly.
Seeing the bewilderment in Morax's eyes, Elliot realized himself and released his grip.
"Morax, it's not that I'm overly sensitive, nor that I'm cowardly. It's because I've lived through too much. I know humanity better than you."
"This race should never be underestimated. They can be noble enough to sacrifice themselves for a stranger, yet vile enough to commit atrocities for the sake of gain."
"Perhaps you've only seen their noble side, never their darkness. I don't want you to ever see that darkness either—because the human heart is the last thing one should stare into."
"I've lived through it. I don't want you to walk the same path I did."
"Trust me, Morax."
Once, Elliot himself had thought, 'It's only one person—what trouble could they cause?' That single moment of naivety had led to disaster.
"Brother, I trust you. But…" Morax looked down at the humans, his voice heavy. "Must they really be killed?"
To Morax, they were innocent. No—he even thought all gods were innocent. But gods had reasons that bound them to die, while these people did not. At least for now, Morax saw no need to kill them.
"Morax, humanity's greatest weapon has never been their forged weapons—it's information.
"There are too many down there for you to remember each face. Even if you did, you couldn't keep your eyes on Liyue at all times.
"They will find ways to slip into Liyue. With their anger, they won't start riots here. Instead, they'll spread rumors, sowing panic and chaos.
"That kind of hidden danger is like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows. You won't know when it strikes—or even if it's already there."
Morax fell silent.
He looked down at the humans below, their curses ringing out, and remembered the final words of the god he had just slain.
"I could issue an order forbidding the sheltering of refugees. No one else would be allowed into Liyue."
After long thought, Morax clung to that as a sliver of hope for the humans.
But Elliot shook his head.
"Morax, the people of Liyue are as kind-hearted as you. They might turn away young refugees, yes…
"But what if it's a mother carrying her child?" Elliot's gaze shifted to the children below.
"Or what if it's an old man on his last legs?" His eyes fell on the frail elders in the crowd.
"And besides, Liyue has no training or systems for such choices. Who knows the hearts of those guarding the borders? Could someone soft-hearted truly drive away children and the elderly?"
Elliot's words crushed Morax's final hope.
He looked down at the humans with anguish.
Though they bore only hatred toward him, Morax was still trying everything he could to spare their lives.
But Elliot struck down every argument without mercy.
"Does it… truly have to be this way?" Morax's heart wavered.
He could cut down gods without hesitation, for he knew if he didn't kill them, they would kill him. This was a war where only seven victors could remain—there was no other choice.
But these humans were different. They weren't bound to die with their god.
It was as if, on a battlefield, after killing enemy soldiers, you still had to kill the civilians—simply because those civilians might someday become a threat.
"It must be done."
"You carry Liyue's hopes. You must protect them. And to do that, you must destroy anything that threatens Liyue."
"War is that cruel." Elliot lightly patted his shoulder.
Morax looked at the children. At the elderly. Slowly, he closed his eyes.
With a wave of his hand, the ground heaved upward. Massive stone slabs rose and came crashing down, crushing the crowd into nothing but flesh and blood.
From behind his closed eyes, a single clear tear slid down Morax's cheek.