Over a thousand members of the Millelith, spears in hand, marched with resolute steps through the protective barrier, charging straight toward the Ancient Gods in the distance.
They knew this journey might be their last.
Among them were young men barely seventeen or eighteen years old—lives that had only just begun. Now, they would shoulder their spears. To protect the homeland behind them, to safeguard their families and friends, they would unhesitatingly offer their lives.
Among them were the pillars of their households—men who had to care for parents in their sixties and raise children just learning to speak. They were the beams supporting entire families. Yet now, they abandoned everything. For Liyue's peace, for the people's well-being, they stepped onto this road of no return without hesitation.
They believed that His Majesty, the Geo Emperor, would prevail—that he would protect the people of Liyue. Because they believed, they had no regrets.
"Kill!!!!"
"This land shall not be trampled!!!"
"Drive them out!!!"
"We swear to defend Liyue to the death!!!"
"Do not betray the hopes of our fallen heroes! Liyue shall endure for eternity!!!"
The horn of battle resounded. Thousands of Millelith soldiers stamped the earth as they surged toward the Ancient Gods.
Soon, five colossal beings loomed above them, their heads vanishing into the heavens. The staggering difference in size did not daunt the Millelith—it only ignited their reckless resolve. They knew that if even one such monster set foot in Liyue, it would bring endless devastation.
"Hold them back! Even if it costs us our lives!!!"
Before the Millelith could reach the Ancient Gods, torrents of ice spikes suddenly rained down from the sky. In an instant, more than a dozen soldiers were slain, pinned to the ground.
Others, though not impaled, were soon consumed by the corruption of the Abyss through their wounds. One man, still conscious, drove his spear through his own throat—facing death without a moment's hesitation.
After losing dozens, they pressed on, maintaining their ferocious charge until they reached the giants' feet.
Those colossal feet were terrifying to behold—a single stomp could crush them into paste. Yet not one man retreated. One by one, they raised their spears and stabbed wildly at the massive feet. Purple blood splattered everywhere, but the Ancient Gods paid it no mind, continuing their march toward Liyue.
"They don't feel pain!" someone finally shouted.
"They're still moving toward Liyue!"
No one had imagined that these creatures lacked even the most basic sensation of pain. Even as their feet were pierced and torn into bloody shreds, they marched on, unfeeling and unstoppable.
"Climb up! Get to their heads—pierce their skulls!"
No sooner had the words been spoken than a young Millelith soldier flung aside his spear, eyes blazing red as he clamped both hands onto the giant's leg and began climbing at incredible speed.
"Damn it! I'll die before letting you pass! Just you wait!!"
His climbing speed outstripped all others, leaving many behind.
"He's infected!!" shouted someone below. Purple blotches were spreading across the young man's face—the Abyssal corruption had already reached his mind!
At the creature's joint, he used the last of his sanity to pull a bomb from his belt, pressing it against his chest as he locked his arms tightly around the joint.
"Liyue! Unyielding Spirit!!!!"
BOOM!!!!!!
His final roar was drowned in the thunderous explosion. His body was instantly torn apart, blood and flesh scattered in all directions. The blast forced the Ancient God's knee to buckle under the impact.
For a moment, the others froze in disbelief—then joy spread across their faces.
This was hope.
The Ancient Gods might not feel pain, but their joints still functioned. Destroy their legs, and they couldn't walk. Once they fell, they could strike at their heads to finish them off.
"Charge!!!!"
"Blow them apart! This is their grave!!"
"Defend Liyue—until the very last man!!"
"We are the Millelith! Protectors of Liyue!!"
The soldiers charged forward like madmen, each scrambling toward the creatures' joints. They pulled the pins from their bombs, pressed them against their chests, and clung tightly to the giants.
Each Millelith carried only one bomb. They dared not throw them, for there was no room for error—every bomb mattered. No one knew if a single explosive might be their last hope.
By holding the bombs against their own bodies, they increased the explosive force that would tear into the Ancient Gods' flesh.
Boom! Boom! Boom!...
Explosions erupted one after another at the joints of the leading Ancient God. It took three to four hundred detonations to finally cripple its legs completely.
Crash!
The giant fell heavily to the ground.
The fallen Ancient God's gaze shifted to the humans below. Then, massive fireballs descended from the sky, hurling toward the Millelith.
"Quick! Climb onto the others!!!"
They began to scatter and climb the remaining giants.
The first fireball missed. Soon, a second one struck another Ancient God.
As they watched the fireball hurtling toward them, the Millelith realized their plan had worked. They would use themselves as bait to lure the crippled one's attack, forcing it to strike its own kind.
BOOM!!!!
A deafening explosion followed as the fireball struck squarely against another Ancient God, igniting the soldiers clinging to its body.
"Success!!!" someone cried, seeing the impact land directly on the creature's head.
Thud!
But the struck Ancient God continued to advance, unharmed. The enormous fireball hadn't damaged it at all.
Meanwhile, every human on its body was blasted off, their remains crushed into the earth below.
The smiles on the Millelith's faces froze.
"They can't harm each other…" one whispered blankly.
Looking at the rivers of blood below and then up at the towering giants, each soldier could see the inevitable end. Yet they continued, deceiving themselves as they launched suicidal assaults against the Ancient Gods.
...
In time, all fell silent. Only the rhythmic, heavy thuds remained.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
With each step, the corpses beneath were ground into pulp.
Thousands of Millelith had given everything—only two of the Ancient Gods had their legs destroyed. The remaining three continued their relentless march toward Liyue.
Among the fallen, one surviving Millelith soldier lay with both legs broken.
Even so, he clung tightly to one of the giants' legs, tears of despair streaming down his face as Liyue grew nearer.
"Don't go… You can't go… Don't approach Liyue…"
"Your Majesty… save Liyue…"