Chapter 198.
"Uh... it's a bit late."
Nahida scratched her head, gently pointing out that Futsu Mitama had arrived a bit too late. She had already met Mona, and judging by the astrologer's expression, Mona was clearly hooked on trying to figure her out. But that was to be expected—in Mona's original divination, Nabiya was supposed to win the semifinal and face her in the finals.
"A bit late?"
Mitama blinked, momentarily confused by the phrasing.
"Met? And now she wants to keep playing?"
Rukkhadevata, however, read Nahida's expression instantly. As an older sister figure, she could see right through Nahida's innocent little thoughts.
"Mm~~"
Nahida nodded sheepishly. She knew it would cause complications, but Mona was someone she already "knew" from the Chat Group. Even if Mona figured out her identity as the Dendro Archon, it wouldn't ruin Zhongli's grand plan for the Rite of Descension. After all, a Sumeru delegation was arriving in Liyue today anyway; the Dendro Archon making a diplomatic appearance was entirely reasonable.
"Nahida, can you voluntarily withdraw? Just tell them you have an urgent matter and need to leave Liyue Harbor immediately."
Mitama urged, looking helpless. He knew Mona's personality all too well after a month of association: when it came to astrology, she possessed an unshakeable, stubborn streak. Once she got serious, she would push herself to the absolute limit, ignoring physical harm—just like she had done when helping The Knave divine Fontaine's prophecy. If she started scrying Nahida, she wouldn't stop until she hit a brick wall and passed out.
"No problem."
Though reluctant to throw away the match, Nahida agreed to Mitama's request for the sake of caution. She turned back toward the tent.
"Sigh, I feel like I've become the bad guy."
Mitama muttered, watching her walk away. Nahida had just wanted to have fun at the festival, and now he was forcing her to give up an easy championship and twenty million Mora.
"No, I don't think so." Rukkhadevata smiled softly, shaking her head. "This is also part of her training."
"Huh? Training?"
Mitama stared at her in disbelief.
"Yes. Having been confined for five hundred years, she still doesn't fully grasp the vast gulf of power between herself and mortals, nor does she realize how overwhelming her existence is to a mortal astrologer."
Maha Rukkhadevata explained, gazing after Nahida.
"If it weren't for Mona, she could have won this effortlessly without consciously limiting her power. Then I'll show her the difference between humans and Archons."
Maha Rukkhadevata murmured.
While Archons loved humanity, their compassion was rooted in an insurmountable power gap. Mortals flickered like candles, while Archons endured like mountains. Futsu Mitama was a unique exception because of the Chat Group, but Nahida still needed to understand how truly special her existence was.
Mitama, however, just threw up his hands mentally.
Why do all the original Archons love scheming so much?
Whether it was Barbatos, Morax, Baal, or Rukkhadevata, they all enjoyed playing 4D chess.
—
Meanwhile, Nahida returned to the tent, looking a bit crestfallen.
Mona and the referee immediately noticed her dejected aura.
"What's wrong?" the referee asked gently.
"Ah..." Nahida looked up with a small sigh. "I forfeit. I'm withdrawing from the competition."
"What?!"
Mona and the referee gasped in unison.
"Why?!"
Mona demanded, crossing her arms in frustration. She had been mentally prepping for an epic astrologer duel! Reaching the finals and defeating her peers was supposed to be the highlight of her trip. Why was her opponent suddenly quitting?!
"It's an urgent matter." Nahida said softly, offering an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry I won't get to compete with you, Miss Mona. I need to go."
She turned to leave, but Mona slammed her hands onto the table and stood up.
"One minute! Just give me one minute! We can't end the tournament like this!"
Urged on by the referee, who was desperate to see a master-level showdown, Mona refused to let her walk away. Seeing Mona summon a shimmering water mirror and chant, "Fate! Manifest here!",
Nahida paused.
The referee instantly slammed the sand timer down, officially restarting the match.
"Let's see who you really are."
Mona declared, pouring her full Hydro energy into the scryglass to uncover Nahida's name, identity, and recent activities.
Buzz—!
In Mona's vision, the world warped, and she stepped onto a giant ethereal mirror. But when she peered into the reflection to read Nahida's fate—
Nothing.
"How is that possible?!"
Mona's eyes widened in shock. The opponent was standing right in front of her! How could she yield zero results?
Is she actively blocking my scrying using her own divine techniques?
Mona had heard tales of such barriers from her master, the "Old Hag." If an existence was powerful enough, trying to scry them was like opening Pandora's box.
"You're even more troublesome than I thought!"
Mona's eyes lit up with fierce determination. A challenge like this was worth every Mora!
"Stop it." Nahida warned gently, sensing the danger. "Don't continue the divination."
"No way! Today, I'm going to figure you out so you lose fairly!"
Mona insisted, her Hydro Vision blazing with blinding light as she pushed her astrology to the absolute limit.
Flash—!
Suddenly, Mona's consciousness was violently jerked away from the tent.
When she opened her inner eyes, she wasn't looking at a water mirror anymore. She was standing before an unimaginably massive, towering tree of infinite light and ancient wisdom. The sheer, overwhelming weight of the knowledge radiating from it made her soul tremble.
"This is bad." a gentle, helpless female voice echoed nearby.
Mona turned her head and saw a small girl standing quietly beside her, offering a soft sigh.
You... you're Sumeru's Lesser Lord Kusanali?!
The realization hit Mona like a freight train.
"Mm." Nahida smiled warmly in the mental space. "My name is Nahida. It's a pleasure to meet you. You truly are remarkable. However, this is as far as you go. Your spirit can't handle any more."
Snap.
Mona's consciousness was violently shoved back into her physical body.
Her eyes rolled backward, white foam bubbled at the lips, and she crashed face-first onto the table with a heavy thud.
The psychic backlash of trying to read the fate of a sovereign Archon—one of The Seven—was entirely too much for even a genius astrologer to bear.
"Ah?!"
The referee stood frozen in utter terror, completely paralyzed by the sudden medical emergency unfolding across the table.