"...Phanes."
King felt his breath hitch for a moment.
Although he had his suspicions, when the name actually came out of Paimon's mouth, the impact still left his mind blank for a split second.
Phanes?!
The Primordial God? The Creator? The source of all stories in Teyvat?
Paimon... is Phanes?!
"Paimon is... Phanes?"
King muttered. The information was too shocking for him to process for a while.
"Yes, and no."
Asmodeus's voice was soft, as if she were narrating a distant tale.
"'Phanes' is His divine name, His Status as the 'Primordial One'."
"But 'He' has already fallen, in the distant past, in the deepest darkness."
"After His fall, His massive divine body, shattered clearance, lingering will, and the power of prayers of Teyvat's living beings for the 'Primordial'..."
"...gradually settled and condensed over the long passage of time."
"Eventually, 'Paimon' was born."
"Phanes is not Paimon, but Paimon is Phanes."
"I am 'Paimon', but 'Paimon' is not 'Asmodeus'."
"I am 'Asmodeus', one of the Four Shades of Phanes."
"I am the Ruler of the Sky manifested from His 'Aether' clearance, responsible for maintaining the order of space."
"But now, I am simply Paimon's Guardian."
She looked up at King, her gaze clear and candid.
"Phanes is a duty, a shackle, a heavy past."
"And Paimon is the 'new master' of Teyvat, the 'One True King'."
"What I want to protect is this 'new life'."
"This is the reason for Asmodeus's existence."
King remained speechless for a long time.
The setting sun merged their shadows together.
He looked at the familiar little fellow before him and suddenly felt that everything made sense.
Why did the Ruler of the Sky emerge from within Paimon?
Because they were one and the same!
Why did Paimon, seemingly weak, always seem immune to strange influences?
Because he is the 'Primordial' god of this world!
Why did Paimon, clearly silly, reveal wisdom far beyond his appearance at certain critical moments?
Because Paimon was occasionally taken over by Asmodeus!
King never would have expected this.
This little glutton who spent all day saying, 'Let's explore the maggots ahead later.'
To think his background was actually this significant.
Terrifyingly significant.
Asmodeus slowly raised her arm, her slender fingers grasping at the air.
The "lunar cube" slowly rose.
It began to emit a soft, faint glow.
The light was not dazzling, yet it carried a heavy sense of weight.
"King,"
She said softly, her voice carrying an unmistakable exhaustion, "Step back a bit."
King stepped back a few paces as told, his eyes fixed on the glow that was growing brighter and brighter.
"Voom—"
A humming sound rang out.
It didn't travel through the air but vibrated directly on the level of the soul.
Every being on the continent of Teyvat who wielded elemental power.
No matter where they were or what they were doing, at this very moment, their hearts skipped a beat for no apparent reason.
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