After the double shock of Rex Lapis' "assassination" and Raiden Ei's "Divine Punishment Feast," Teyvat fell into an eerie silence.
On the screen, the Shogun's disastrous kitchen livestream slowly faded.
[System]: Punishment complete.
[System]: Returning tasters to original locations.
A flash of light—
Yae Miko, Dottore, Azar, and Kujou Sara vanished.
Within the Plane of Euthymia, the kitchen utensils disappeared as well.
"…Crack."
A soft sound echoed.
Raiden Ei had unconsciously crushed the teacup in her hand.
She stared at her slightly trembling fingers.
Not from anger.
Not from fear.
But from…
…the aftereffects of cooking?
She attempted to reenter meditation.
Yet the memory of that soul-shattering flavor—and Kujou Sara's tearful, distorted smile declaring it "delicious"—left behind a lingering…
…variable.
One that even "eternity" could not immediately erase.
Sumeru – Akademiya
Azar jolted awake, drenched in cold sweat.
"…Knowledge… it's slipping…"
He clutched his head in panic, feeling as if entire theses had been wiped clean.
"No… no…"
"The old gods… are unstable. Flawed. Uncontrollable."
His fear of Raiden Ei transformed into fanatic urgency.
"Perfect… controllable… a new god must be born."
He slammed a communicator.
"@Dottore. Accelerate the god-creation project!"
[Chatroom – Dottore]: …(User unconscious. No response.)
The chat exploded.
[Chatroom – Paimon]: T-That was cooking?! That was a weapon!
[Chatroom – Itto]: I suddenly respect tofu a lot more… (retching)
[Chatroom – Venti]: Ehe~ @Zhongli, your neighbor's hospitality is… unforgettable.
[Chatroom – Zhongli]: …By universal reason, eternity can carry unexpected costs.
[Chatroom – Kaeya]: Making four major figures faint in seconds… The Shogun may have created something surpassing the Musou no Hitotachi.
Just as the jokes resumed—
The System spoke again.
[System]: Liyue incident confirmed as option D.
[System]: Initiating secondary linked question.
[System]: Was Rex Lapis' "assassination" a conspiracy orchestrated by the Fatui Harbinger "Childe," Tartaglia?
[A]: Yes.
[B]: No.
Instantly, focus snapped back to Liyue.
Yujing Terrace.
Lumine and Paimon were still surrounded by Millelith.
[Chatroom – Keqing]: I knew it! Such blasphemy must trace back to Fatui!
[Chatroom – Ningguang]: @Tartaglia. The Northland Bank owes Liyue an explanation.
All eyes turned to him.
[Chatroom – Tartaglia]: Now that's slander.
[Chatroom – Tartaglia]: I enjoy battle—but I wouldn't dishonor a worthy god like that.
[Chatroom – Tartaglia]: I choose B.
[System]: @Tartaglia selected B.
[System]: Judging…
[System]: Correct.
Silence.
Keqing froze.
"…Not him?"
[System]: Reward granted — "Foul Legacy: Untainted."
[System]: Effect: Activation of Foul Legacy will no longer drain life force or cause backlash.
Northland Bank.
Tartaglia felt the familiar abyssal power rise—
But without pain.
Without erosion.
Old scars faded.
He laughed.
"Perfect."
His eyes burned with excitement.
"@Lumine. Next time we meet—let's have a proper fight."
[Chatroom – Paimon]: That reward is way too strong!
[Chatroom – Ningguang]: Not the mastermind… perhaps. But not innocent.
[System]: Question concluded.
[System]: Returning to live broadcast.
The camera refocused on chaos.
The Exuvia lay still.
Millelith formed ranks.
Ningguang's voice rang clear:
"Seal the area!"
"No one leaves!"
"Find the assassin!"
Then—
Soldiers turned toward Lumine and Paimon.
"They're outsiders!"
"They were closest when the Exuvia fell!"
"Seize them!"
"W-Wait?!" Paimon squeaked.
Lumine grabbed her hand—
But spears already surrounded them.
"Stand down."
A calm voice cut through the tension.
Zhongli stepped forward.
"They are not the culprits. I will vouch for them."
Keqing hesitated.
Ningguang studied him carefully.
After a moment—
"She will assist the investigation."
Lumine nodded.
"We'll uncover the truth."
Meanwhile—
Tartaglia considered the wording of the System's question.
"Not a conspiracy…"
He smiled slowly.
"Then it's something bigger."
Inazuma.
Raiden Ei opened her eyes.
"The world line is shifting."
"This is not mere observation."
"It is interference."
If gods themselves were pieces—
Then someone was moving them.
Back in Liyue—
As tension thickened—
The System flickered once more.
[System]: Hidden prompt unlocked.
[System]: If the assassination was not external—
[System]: Who benefits the most?
Across Teyvat—
Silence.
Zhongli looked up at the sky.
Golden light dimmed in his eyes.
The faintest smile touched his lips.
The true game—
Had only just begun.