Had it not been for concerns that demon-god remnants would pollute Liyue Harbor, Osial would not have been left for today.
Though Xiao could cleanse the remnants, the filth spawned from a demon god's cadaver carried fierce resentment that gnawed at Xiao's mind. Years of accumulated karmic debt—pain that burned into the bone.
Moreover—
Beyond demon remnants, the land could be tainted, as with the Saltlands of old.
So Osial had been left to this day.
This test of the Qixing was, in a way, also Osial's chance to break free.
Pity… given a chance, and you blew it.
Zhongli's amber eyes were calm and deep, scarcely rippling.
"Klee, want to go to the Jade Chamber for some snacks?"
Ken patted Klee's head and smiled.
Klee blinked. "There are many big brothers and sisters Klee doesn't know… but Big Sister Lumine is there. Klee wants to go play on that palace."
"Go, then."
With Klee by his side, Ken had to be careful. Better to send her to the Jade Chamber and finish the demon god cleanly.
Golden Geo formed a bridge from the clouds to the Jade Chamber.
Seeing this—
Cloud-Retainer was surprised. "Up to now, his aura has revealed Pyro, Electro, Anemo, Hydro, Cryo, and Geo—six elements. Is his strength truly so vast?"
It reminded her of the Archon War.
Even then, no being held so many elements at once.
"No wonder he can break the world's barrier. Even we must look up to such power."
Madame Ping gazed at the rock-solid bridge, full of admiration.
To Liyue's people, she was just Madame Ping.
But she was also one of the adepti—the Streetward Rambler.
According to Ganyu—
Ganyu had once gone to Blue Star, a world quite unlike Teyvat. And now her little disciple, Yaoyao, was a guest in Mr. Ken's home.
With such ties, even had Ken not acted today, Madame Ping's opinion was favorable.
"Traveler, please receive our little guest."
Watching Klee approach, Ningguang smiled.
As Ken's daughter, she deserved good hospitality.
But few here knew her; only Lumine was familiar with Ken. Best to leave it to Lumine.
"Mm!" Lumine waved. "Klee, why are you coming down?"
Even without Ningguang's request, Lumine would have looked after Klee.
After all, she planned to be Klee's stepmom.
"Hello, big sisters and big brothers. I'm Klee from Mondstadt, the Spark Knight of the Knights of Favonius."
After her polite introduction, she ran to Lumine's side and spoke sweetly: "Big Sister Lumine, Daddy wants to kill the big ocean fish to cook, so he told Klee to wait here."
If it were easy to kill a demon god, the Geo Archon would not have sealed him back then.
And now Osial was in the sea—his element, where he could constantly recover. To kill him would be no easy task.
Even if Ken could—what about remnants and pollution?
"I will do my best."
Sensing the gaze of the adeptus, Xiao said evenly.
Even if it meant bearing more karmic debt and suffering worse than death—so long as it protected Liyue, he would never retreat.
"Is everyone unhappy? Daddy said he will handle everything himself—the demon god's… um… Klee forgot…"
Klee knew little about demon gods; she couldn't quite recall the term for residual pollution.
"Remnants?" Moon Carver asked.
"Mhm mhm!" Klee's eyes lit up. "Uncle Deer is right, the demon god's remnants! Daddy said he'll take care of everything, so don't worry. Letting Klee blast fish here already makes Klee super happy—Daddy won't bring disaster to Liyue!"
"Uncle Deer"…
The other adeptus looked at Moon Carver.
Were anyone else to call him that, he might be displeased.
But looking at the porcelain-doll little girl, he only smiled kindly. "So that is how it is… However, even if it's a good thing, Liyue would still be relying on outside aid."
His meaning was clear.
Ningguang and Keqing looked embarrassed. Even if Ken hadn't helped, they could sacrifice the Jade Chamber and reseal Osial—but at great cost.
The adepti's words made plain the Qixing's lack of strength.
"Even if Mr. Ken had not acted, I would have used the Jade Chamber to reseal him."
Ningguang spoke calmly, though her heart churned.
If word spread that Ken had resolved this, the people would revere the great prophet—not the Qixing.
Even if Liyue moved to human rule, if the people did not trust the Qixing, their position would be difficult.
Looking at the figure high in the sky, Ningguang glanced at Keqing.
She remembered what Ken had told her that night.
If Ken was interested in Keqing, and this marriage could be realized, he would be considered a family to the Qixing. Should a crisis arise again, he could not stand by.
The people's faith in the Qixing would rise in turn.
"Keqing, still unwilling?"
Ningguang walked up to Keqing and asked meaningfully.
Keqing, staring at the handsome figure in the sky, trembled slightly.
People admire strength; Keqing was no exception. And that man was about to resolve Liyue's greatest threat. She did not reject Ningguang's hint.
But… she knew Ken's words had been a joke. How could she take them seriously?
She said nothing, eyes complicated.
"Heh…"
Cloud-Retainer sneered, though her view of Ningguang had improved.
For being willing to sacrifice the palace alone, she was worthy of respect.
But… she would not lose an argument.
"We hope the adeptus will grant us a chance to prove ourselves. The Qixing's love for Liyue is no less than anyone's."
"Moreover… this Mr. Ken is interested in the Yuheng. One reason he's helping may well be that. Still, even without his aid, we of the Qixing would give our all to guard Liyue."
Ningguang's voice rang firm as she looked skyward.
Keqing flushed to the ears but didn't know how to refute.
The adeptus' hardened attitude softened.
Truth be told, before Ken helped, they had been moved when Ningguang chose to sacrifice the Jade Chamber. Now, hearing of Ken's relationship with the Yuheng, they felt more at ease.
Liyue no longer had the Geo Archon.
Even if they forced the Qixing to hand over authority, the adeptus, long secluded in Jueyun Karst, could not manage Liyue. rule was inevitable.
And with the Yuheng's tie to Mr. Ken, they felt more assured of Liyue's future.
Some important judgments quietly shifted with Ningguang's words.
Only Keqing and Lumine felt conflicted.
Keqing was troubled that, in the blink of an eye, her life's most important matter was being decided—one she could not deny now, lest the adeptus and people lose faith in the Qixing.
But as for Ken… he didn't seem truly serious.
Lumine was troubled that in so short a time, the Yuheng and Ken had… that kind of relationship?
She'd better hurry up.
Everyone, with their own thoughts, looked to the sky.
Up above, Ken rose, energy surging wildly around him—terrifying to behold.
...
"Planet—"
In the sky, Ken gathered Geo into a spear, ready to try Planet Befall… when he felt Zhongli's cool gaze.
Zhongli: "??"
Mid-sip, Zhongli's eyelid twitched.
Why did Ken's power feel so much like his own Planet Befall at his peak?
Before he could think further, he saw the Geo spear in Ken's hand slowly turn into a huge slab of brick.
Not that he feared Zhongli noticing—but if he used Zhongli's move openly, onlookers would assume the Geo Archon had acted, defeating the purpose of the Archon's false death.
If Liyue's people believed the Archon lived, they would depend on him.
Ningguang and the others would keep the secret, but there were many Millelith present. So Ken, halfway through, chose not to use the move.
"Awroo!!"
Before the stunned crowd, Ken slammed the huge "brick" down on Osial's skull.
Vast Geo power, laced with Electro, made the newly recovering Osial shriek.
He struggled, trying to smash the barrier.
Then Ken produced a radiant chain. It whistled in the wind as six elements flared, lengthening and thickening, binding Osial tight.
Then—
The massive Geo brick rose and fell, hammering Osial.
Unlike the ballista and bombs—
Ken's power made every blow agony.
"…"
Everyone watched Ken whack-a-mole the demon god, their mouths twitching like crazy.
They could sense he was strong enough to kill Osial in one strike—yet he chose to torment him.
The brutality made Childe, watching secretly, tremble.
Had Osial violated some heavenly law?
Was he really going to torture him like this?
And Osial had been cursing Morax, not Ken…!
Why so cruel, bro?
Childe felt a chill. Thank goodness he hadn't offended Ken—otherwise he might be the one getting pounded.
...
On the open sea—
Once-mighty Osial, beneath that force, was at death's door.
The hurricanes he'd raised were turned to Ken's use.
Gales laced with thunder circled him, making the Hydro demon god wail.
Osial was enraged.
Even in the sea, where he could heal—
The grievous wounds made living worse than dying.
"About enough?"
Ken looked toward the hidden Zhongli and said gently, "I'm usually a kind person—rarely this cruel. This is payback for insulting you."
Though Osial had cursed Morax, his real target had been Ken and Klee.
Ken had a good temper—until he didn't.
He would not let Osial die easily.
"Ahem… enough."
Zhongli eyed Osial's wretched state. He guessed Osial's greatest regret would be trying to break free today.
Had he stayed sealed, he wouldn't have suffered like this.
"Mm. No need to waste more time."
At his words, elemental power exploded from Ken. The cloud-choked sky seemed to split as Geo tore a hole through it.
Countless Geo motes gathered like a second sun, condensing into titanic boulders that plummeted toward the sea with irresistible force.
Only—
As they touched the clouds, the power transformed into six revolving elements.
To those on the Jade Chamber, this was a six-element finisher.
But Zhongli, in the clouds, saw clearly…
Before it split, the power had been his very own Planet Befall.
How did Ken know it?
Zhongli's eyes flickered as he stared at Ken's bleak, majestic figure, more and more puzzled.
For he also sensed Barbatos's aura.
He didn't know why—but now wasn't the time to ask.
Empowered by two archons—how could Osial resist?
Rumble!!
With six elements converging, and Osial bound by the barrier, he was obliterated.
At the instant of his destruction, a corrosive resentment spread from his remains, quickly tainting the sea.
Demon-god remnants!
They carried strong curses and corruption, and polluted the waters in a blink.
All on the Jade Chamber felt the chilling malice.
Before they could act, Ken's radiant chain swelled, spanning nearly the whole coast.
Pure Hydro purification rippled outward from the chain.
Its source was Ken.
High above, robes billowing, eyes like torches, a colossal manifestation appeared behind him—identical to him, brimming with an unyielding power, revealing itself over the sea.
Holy and inviolable, it gazed down upon the ocean.
It was a self-wrought manifestation after gaining divine power—usually kept hidden.
Endless cleansing surged like a boundless sea, purging Osial's remnants and malice in an instant.
Even the tainted fish returned to pure life.
All in a flash.
The storm-ravaged Liyue returned to a clear blue sky. The sun hung high, white clouds drifting apart, as if nothing had happened.
That terrifying pressure vanished. People crept out of their homes and looked toward Guyun.
The familiar stone pillars still stood.
And many recognized the giant manifestation in the sky.
"It's Mr. Ken!"
"Did he save Liyue Harbor?!"
"I, Tian Tiezui, will write this tale down, reciting it in the storytelling houses, so Liyue remembers both the Archon and Mr. Ken's grace."
"I was at Heyu Tea House—Master Yun Jin said she'd make it a play upon seeing the manifestation."
"I wonder what role the Qixing played."
"…"
The people of Liyue gazed up and sighed.
Even the adeptus were astonished by Ken's might. Such world-shaking power had only been seen in the Archon War.
Much as they hated to admit it, times had changed. Even if the Geo Archon were here, he might not display such force now.
"Child, who is your mother?"
Madame Ping looked at Klee, curious.
With such a powerful father from another world, the mother would hardly be ordinary.
...