Above Heaven and Below, One Rider Stands Supreme
The few people still conscious in Sumeru stared at the Shouki no Kami in sheer terror.
The colossal god slowly raised one arm.
In an instant—
The lightning within the storm clouds went berserk.
The entire sky seemed to transform into a sea of thunder, black clouds compressing and fusing at a visible rate.
At last—
They condensed into a purple-black sphere of lightning,
so massive it rivaled Sumeru City itself.
BOOM!
A deafening, world-shaking thud echoed as the lightning sphere descended—
Only to be steadily caught in the Shouki no Kami's hand.
Inside the mechanical god, Scaramouche took a deep breath.
The overwhelming power coursing through him felt intoxicating.
His eyes snapped open.
A twisted grin spread across his face as he hurled the dark thunder sphere downward.
"Witness the true power of a god."
"You insignificant vermin."
The sky above Sumeru was completely swallowed by falling black-violet light.
Even Vision bearers like Alhaitham couldn't endure such violent elemental interference.
Before the lightning sphere even landed—
Their bodies went numb, and they collapsed unconscious.
Yet—
At that very moment of annihilation—
A golden flash pierced through the thunder sphere.
The thunder ceased.
The roar vanished.
The world fell into absolute silence.
Scaramouche froze.
Looking down, he finally noticed—
Standing within Sumeru City was a lone figure clad in radiant golden armor.
The armor gleamed like the sun itself, etched with dragon-shaped totems.
Golden light poured from his body, illuminating the entire night sky.
There was no mistaking his position.
For one of the rare times—
The light screen's narration spoke again.
Imperial Armor.
A suit bestowed by the Heavenly Dao itself.
Dragon body, eagle arms, tiger shoulders, hound's back, rhinoceros legs.
Five-clawed Golden Dragon—
The embodiment of Light.
Possessing power capable of rivaling the will of any planet.
A symbol of absolute kingship.
Paired with the golden blade Xuanyuan,
It commands all things beneath heaven.
"…Im—Imperial Armor…"
Liyue
Xingqiu stared at the screen in a daze.
Drool nearly slipped from the corner of his mouth.
The word "Emperor" ignited instant fervor among Teyvat's youth.
They admired generals who commanded armies.
They revered lords who ruled territories.
But an Emperor—
That was the ruler of an entire civilization.
And yet—
Aerin's Imperial Armor symbolized dominion not over a kingdom—
But over a world.
No—
Over something even greater.
Zhongli's hand trembled as he held his teacup.
"…As expected."
"Every power he reveals exceeds our imagination."
To rival the will of a planet—
Meant Aerin could walk any world unbound by its laws.
And his ever-present Light Sword—
Once drawn, could turn around and dominate the will of a world itself.
"Command… the will of a planet…"
Cloud Retainer was too stunned to speak.
She had barely begun to comprehend the Heavenfire Greatsword—
And now, something that could rule all existence itself had appeared.
Mondstadt
Eula abruptly lifted her head.
"…Now I understand why Master prefers traveling on foot."
"He treats this so-called 'battle for the world'…"
"…like a journey."
She paused, then shook her head with a wry smile.
"Journey? No… beings like him don't qualify as human."
Across from her, Amber stared thoughtfully.
So that's why…
He never restricted them.
If Aerin truly wished to dominate their wills—
He wouldn't need collars or control.
He'd only need to reveal that star-bright sword.
Amber suddenly covered her mouth.
What am I thinking?
The Fifth Descender treasures will above all else.
A puppet has no will.
Back in Sumeru
KRRRK—
The Shouki no Kami's facial plating retracted, revealing Scaramouche inside.
He squinted upward at the suddenly star-filled sky.
The storm clouds he summoned had been erased by that single flash of light.
He frowned and looked down at Aerin—
Confusion mixed with arrogance.
"Hmph. I didn't expect something so small…"
"…to wield such terrifying power."
"Perhaps I underestimated you."
"But let's see how you handle this!"
His voice fell.
The cockpit sealed again.
Behind the Shouki no Kami—
Space itself began to tear open.
Within each rift, seven elemental forces fused, blazing brilliantly.
Then—
As if that weren't enough—
The god's arm trembled.
A Heavenfire Greatsword, blazing with infernal flames, materialized in its grasp.
"It ends here!"
"This strike alone can sink the entire Sumeru continent!"
"Of course—I'll hold back."
"Shattering all of Teyvat would be troublesome."
BOOM—!
Seven-element beams fired simultaneously from shattered space—
While the flaming greatsword fell like a meteor from the heavens.
The people of Teyvat didn't fear for Aerin's safety.
They feared for Sumeru's survival.
They stared at the screen in breathless dread—
Praying he could win without erasing the continent.
BOOM—!
Every attack struck Sumeru City at once.
Yet—
A golden barrier enveloped the city.
The seven-element beams struck it—
Causing nothing more than faint ripples.
Their energy didn't even disperse.
It was completely absorbed.
The Heavenfire Greatsword slammed down—
And merely made the barrier tremble.
No matter how Scaramouche forced it—
He couldn't push further.
His eyes widened in panic.
His arms went numb from the backlash—
Yet the barrier remained unmoved.
"How is this possible?!"
"You're so small—how can you contain such power?!"
Scaramouche's furious voice echoed through the sky.
Aerin looked up calmly.
"I see."
"In your mind, the bigger something is…"
"…the stronger it must be."
"If that's the case—"
"I'll satisfy your curiosity."
"And show you exactly how wide the gap between us truly is."
His voice passed through the barrier—
Through the god's armor—
And into Scaramouche's ears.
The golden light intensified.
Suddenly—
Aerin's body dissolved into pure radiance.
A pillar of light surged skyward like a fountain.
Scaramouche instinctively followed it with his gaze—
Only to be blinded by cascading fragments of light.
Before he could process what was happening—
A vast golden plane, flat like a heavenly slab,
came crashing down from above.
"…What—?!"
He spread his arms instinctively.
BOOM.
Sound vanished.
His consciousness was instantly snuffed out.
Mondstadt Cathedral
Venti jumped to his feet.
"Why did the screen go black?!"
"What just happened?!"
Outside the window—
Dvalin slowly lowered his massive head.
"…No idea, Barbatos."
"That light—what was that?"
Snezhnaya
The Tsaritsa trembled.
"When he spoke of the gap…"
"…was he referring to size?"
She watched carefully.
If Aerin believed Scaramouche equated size with strength—
Then to demonstrate superiority…
He would do so in scale.
Yet—
Before Aerin's size was revealed—
The screen went dark.
Leaving room only for terrifying speculation.
[Hu Tao]:"Can someone explain what just happened?!"
[Hu Tao]:"Rex Lapis? Rex Lapis?!"
[Morax]:"Director Hu… I understand Teyvat, not beings who traverse star seas."
[Eula]:"Easy. Master said he'd compare 'size', so he did."
[Lisa]:"Eula, please stop and think about what you're saying."
[Amber]:"She's probably drunk…"
[Paimon]:"I think she means that falling golden light was part of him—maybe a hand? Or a foot?"
[Lumine]:"…Huh?"
[Yae Miko]:"Paimon… that's a little…"
[Childe]:"Little Paimon, do you hear yourself?"
[Rosalyne]:"…"
Grand Narukami Shrine
Yae Miko suddenly stood up.
"…This isn't a joke."
"That golden light covered the entire sky above Sumeru."
"And that's only what the screen could show."
"If we viewed it from all directions—"
Her expression went hollow.
"…Don't tell me."
"That ancestor… didn't become larger than Teyvat itself?"
Scaramouche — Awakening
The roar of battle jolted Scaramouche awake.
He opened his eyes from within the Shouki no Kami.
"…The Millelith?"
"I was fighting Aerin in Sumeru—how did I end up—"
The sounds below intensified.
He looked down.
Mountains collapsed.
Seas raged.
Across Liyue's land strode colossal beings like walking mountains.
The ocean churned with massive multi-headed horrors.
"Dominus Lapidis—Heaven and Earth!"
Stone spears rained from the clouds, plunging into the sea.
Scaramouche's pupils shrank.
"…The Archon War?!"
The screen showed the ancient battlefield.
Towering gods.
Humanity reduced to ants.
Yet—
Scaramouche and the Shouki no Kami were excluded.
Unable to interfere.
Like outcasts rejected by the world.
The scenes accelerated—
Mondstadt's rebellion.
Osial sealed by Rex Lapis.
Orobashi struck down by Raiden Ei.
"Barbatos—!"
Scaramouche roared—
But the scene shifted again.
Darkness.
Floating debris.
Vast golden light ahead.
Two golden pillars stood in the distance.
Aerin's whisper echoed—
"You wanted to see how large I can become."
"I've granted your wish."
"Where are you?!" Scaramouche screamed.
"I'm right in front of you."
He stared—
Only the two golden pillars remained.
"There's no one there!"
Suddenly—
His perspective changed.
The Shouki no Kami appeared—
Tiny.
Like dust.
The floating debris around it dwarfed the god.
His gaze snapped back to the pillars.
And in that instant—
His mind went blank.
Those pillars—
Were Aerin's legs.
"If you're wondering how large I am now…"
"I can only tell you this."
"I am larger than Teyvat itself."
Clad in Imperial Armor—
Aerin stood in the void like a primordial giant.
Behind him burned a colossal flaming star.
"This is—"
ULTRA—HEAVEN-PIERCING BREAKTHROUGH!
Above heaven and below—
One rider stands supreme.
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