The sight of the monstrous, multi-headed god rising from the sea obliterated all division. The ancient grief of the adepti and the pragmatic pride of the Qixing evaporated, replaced by a single, unifying instinct: to protect Liyue.
"All hands to the balistae!" Ningguang's voice rang out, sharp and commanding, her earlier shock already replaced by a cold, tactical focus. "Activate the Chamber's full offensive capabilities!"
The Jade Chamber was not just a palace; it was a fortress. With a low groan, sections of the elegant verandas retracted, and from within the floating island's structure, massive, intricate crossbow-like machines emerged. They were modern reconstructions of the Guizhong Ballista, the ancient war machines the adepti had once used to defend the Guili Plains.
The adepti, without a word, took their positions. Moon Carver and Mountain Shaper gathered their immense divine energy, channeling it into the ballistae, their horns and antlers glowing with a raw, golden power. Cloud Retainer, her face a mask of cold fury, began to manipulate the targeting mechanisms, her mind a supercomputer of wind currents and trajectories.
Just as they were about to fire, two figures shot up from the harbor below, landing gracefully on the balcony. It was a battered and bruised Lumine, and a grim-faced Yelan.
"Childe has the Sigils of Permission," Yelan reported, her voice sharp and breathless. "He's been mass-producing them. That's what he used to break the seal on Osial. The Traveler and I fought him, but his power was… immense. He's using a Delusion. He kept us occupied while the seal was broken, then fled."
However, there were pressing matters to deal with, the Overlord of the Vortex had fully risen. It was a creature of pure, elemental chaos, its multiple heads roaring a challenge that was a physical, concussive force. It raised a massive wave, a liquid wall the size of a mountain, and sent it hurtling towards Liyue Harbor.
"Fire!" Cloud Retainer commanded.
The ballistae unleashed their power. Massive bolts of pure, concentrated Geo energy, glowing like miniature suns, screamed through the air and slammed into the tidal wave. The impact was cataclysmic, a blinding flash of light and a deafening explosion of steam. The wave was shattered, its force dissipated before it could reach the shore.
But the battle was far from over. Fatui, armed with their own elemental cannons, began to swarm the base of the Jade Chamber, firing upwards, trying to disable the ballistae. At the same time, elite Fatui skirmishers, began to appear on the floating palace itself.
"They're attacking the Chamber!" Keqing yelled, her sword already drawn, crackling with a furious purple lightning.
The division of labor was instantaneous, an unspoken, perfectly coordinated defense.
"The adepti will focus on Osial!" Moon Carver's voice boomed. "We are the only ones who can match its power! Mortals, defend the balistae! Do not let them fall!"
The roles were set. The ancient, divine guardians would face the ancient, divine threat. The new, mortal guardians would defend their fortress.
Lumine, her fatigue forgotten, her golden eyes blazing with a renewed determination, drew her sword. "I'll help," she declared.
Keqing gave her a sharp, appreciative nod. "With me!"
The two of them, the Yuheng of the Qixing and the Honorary Knight of Favonius, became a whirlwind of sword and element. They charged across the area, a storm of lightning and wind, intercepting the Fatui skirmishers who were on the platform. Their blades met in a shower of sparks, a desperate, close-quarters battle for the survival of the ballista and the jade chamber itself.
Ren, Ganyu, Madam Ping, and the Qixing ministers were all huddled near the relative safety of the main office, watching the two-front war unfold. Ren's heart pounded in his chest as he watched Keqing and Lumine fight with a desperate, heroic ferocity, their small forms a last line of defense against the encroaching Fatui forces. He was a spectator in the greatest battle for Liyue in a thousand years, a battle that would decide the fate of the nation his family had sworn to protect.