A decisive battle in Sumeru.
That alone meant the coming chaos would far surpass anything Mondstadt, Inazuma, or even Liyue had experienced before.
Was Bella the true cause?
No.
The root of the disaster lay in the Akademiya's collusion with external forces—
the God Creation Project itself.
The attitudes of Dottore and Scaramouche could not have been clearer.
They worshiped power from beyond the world.
They reveled in it.
They willingly allied with Bella like vultures circling a corpse.
Bella's arrival merely accelerated their plans.
She did not create their madness—
she empowered it.
[Collei]:"Why does Sumeru have to become the battlefield? So many people will die…"
[Nilou]:"It must be those two Fatui Harbingers… but Bennares said the Akademiya voluntarily cooperated."
[Alhaitham]:"Tampering with human will is unforgivable."
[Lumine]:"Even I'm not allowed to directly use the wishes of Teyvat's people. They chose to exploit consciousness itself—are they tired of living?"
[Cyno]:"..."
[Sethos]:"Why are the Fatui Harbingers always this awful?"
[Tartaglia]:"All for Her Majesty the Tsaritsa!"
[Rosalyne]:"Are you insane? Her Majesty never ordered Dottore and Scaramouche to run a god-making project in Sumeru."
[Arlecchino]:"The Tsaritsa seeks the Dendro Archon's Gnosis. The god-creation scheme was never officially sanctioned."
[Furina]:"If not for the Fifth Descender's deterrence, how many more people would have suffered at your hands?"
[Rosalyne]:"The Tsaritsa is one of the Seven. She would never tolerate an unauthorized god appearing in Sumeru."
[Neuvillette]:"That reasoning holds. A competing god would be counterproductive."
Nahida watched the debate silently.
Her chest felt as though it were pierced by countless blades.
As a god, she had failed to grant her people the wisdom they sought.
As a god, she had failed to grant them protection.
"Azar was right," she whispered.
"I can do nothing."
"My own ideals… might even lead my people toward ruin."
"If… if Greater Lord Rukkhadevata were still here…"
Her nose stung.
She knew it.
In the hearts of Sumeru's people, the one they longed for was never her.
Deep Night — Sumeru
A shadow appeared silently within a room.
Bella glanced down at the sleeping figure.
"Another soon-to-be husk?"
She raised her hand.
Black energy bloomed, engulfing the body.
The person's eyes snapped open—
crimson light flashing within.
Bella studied the Sumeru citizen before her.
Their mind was hollowed out.
Dreams overharvested.
Consciousness overexploited.
"…Even worse than me," she muttered.
She had merely provided Dottore and Scaramouche with methods.
They had taken it to excess.
"They don't even care if people live or die."
She shook her head, amused.
"One's a puppet. One's a man made of fragments."
"Neither qualifies as human anymore."
With a wave of darkness, the citizen vanished.
Space tore open.
Bella stepped through—
Reappearing inside Dottore's laboratory.
"How's the experiment?" she asked.
"Smoothly progressing," Dottore replied. "And you?"
"I collected some… resources."
Dottore chuckled.
"Mind control, hm? You enjoy that too?"
"There's no need to wait for minds to collapse," he continued.
"The Akasha System connects every citizen. Control it, and you control them."
Bella ignored the bragging.
She already knew.
Scaramouche spoke coldly from the side.
"One question matters more."
"Will Beelzebul come?"
Bella smiled.
"Even if she doesn't… won't you go to Inazuma yourself once Aerin falls?"
"With our power, the Shouki no Kami will exceed all expectations."
She paused, then added lightly:
"Still… keep an eye on Azar."
"That old fox plans to overwrite you once the god is complete."
Scaramouche sneered.
"Vermin."
"This god is forged with power beyond the world."
"You doubt yourself?"
Bella shrugged.
"Then all that matters is my revenge."
"Sumeru's god or not—what concern is it of mine?"
The words struck Sumeru like a humiliation carved into history.
Their Akademiya had sacrificed their own people.
For an experiment.
For vengeance.
For ambition.
To Dottore, Sumeru's people were disposable test subjects.
To Scaramouche, they were fuel for revenge.
Collei trembled.
Dottore's name alone reopened old scars.
Amber immediately spoke to calm her.
[Jean]:"Years ago, Dottore used the excuse of hunting Ursa the Drake to abduct children from Mondstadt. None were ever seen again."
[Furina]:"How can such a person exist…?"
Meanwhile, in the Void Space, Kamisato Ayaka halted mid-step.
"Heart…?"
"Perhaps some truly don't have one."
She stared at the dimming projection.
Compared to Dottore and Scaramouche, even Bella felt less detestable.
At least Bella was a calamity from beyond.
Those two were born of Teyvat.
That made it worse.
Outside Aerin's Room — Inazuma
Ayaka approached quietly—
only to hear raised voices inside.
"Still making puppets?!"
"Do you dare do it again?!"
Her heart skipped.
"…Puppets?"
She peered through the door crack.
And froze.
Raiden Ei was pressed against the wall.
Her strength had completely failed her.
If not for Aerin's grip behind her, she would have collapsed.
Ayaka covered her mouth.
"Lady Shogun…?"
She turned to see Skirk standing there, equally stunned.
"What did she do?" Ayaka whispered.
Skirk lowered her voice.
"She entered Makoto's sealed consciousness."
"Came back claiming she 'understood everything.'"
"And demanded to resume governing Inazuma."
Ayaka frowned.
"But… why the puppets?"
Skirk smirked.
"Scaramouche."
"The puppet she abandoned."
Ayaka went pale.
So that was it.
No wonder Aerin was furious.
One puppet had nearly destroyed Inazuma.
Another was now ravaging Sumeru.
"Good thing he's using his hand," Ayaka muttered softly.
"If he used the ruler he taught Nahida with…"
She shuddered.
Just then—
Aerin's voice rang out calmly.
"You two enjoyed the show long enough."
"Get in here."
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