After a great deal of effort, the group finally rescued Nahida from the Sanctuary of Surasthana and rushed to the God-Making Workshop. When they arrived, they were utterly stunned by the scene before them.
Great Sage Azar, the man they despised with every fiber of their being, was lying there with his face swollen beyond recognition—so much so that even his own mother wouldn't know him.
The only reason they could identify him at all was because he kept shouting the same things while being relentlessly slapped:
"I am the Great Sage!"
"You will regret this!"
Seeing Great Sage Azar's wretched state, the group even felt a flicker of pity.
Just then, a young man approached them slowly. Lumine immediately drew her Dull Blade, her eyes fixed on him with intense vigilance.
"Welcome, Lesser Lord Kusanali, to this humble place!"
The young man's shout was echoed by the surrounding crowd, their voices rising in unison.
"Welcome, Lesser Lord Kusanali, to this humble place!"
"What is this...?" Nahida asked, utterly bewildered, staring blankly at the young man.
"Lesser Lord Kusanali, allow me to introduce myself first," he replied smoothly. "As for my credentials, I won't bore you with details—I trust you are already well-acquainted with them."
"I am the new Great Sage, elected unanimously by all the Sages. Not a single voice opposed my appointment—a clear testament to their confidence in my abilities!"
The elder Sages were left speechless by his audacity. They had never encountered such brazen shamelessness. He claimed to convince people with reason, yet spun his words so smoothly.
"In truth, the dozens of us gathered here are all Lesser Lord Kusanali's most loyal devotees!"
"But the tyrannical Great Sage Azar wielded immense power. To find an opportunity to overthrow him completely and rescue Lesser Lord Kusanali, we endured humiliation and hardship, biding our time...
"Finally, we have fulfilled our mission. We have completely seized control of this place, and the criminal Azar has been captured!"
"Lesser Lord Kusanali, I now deliver this criminal into your hands for you to dispose of as you see fit!"
With a dramatic flourish, he gestured toward the elder Sages and declared, "As for them, though they once colluded with Azar—birds of a feather, despised by all—they have now seen the light under my... friendly persuasion."
"That's right, Lesser Lord Kusanali!" The Sages immediately nodded, their aged faces creasing into obsequious smiles like blooming chrysanthemums.
They're putting on quite a convincing act, the group thought. If they didn't know the man intended to exploit Nahida's group's complacency to unleash the Shouki no Kami's full power and obliterate them all, they might have almost believed he had truly defected to Nahida.
Yes, these individuals might not be as powerful as the Shouki no Kami individually, but if they weren't eliminated all at once, even a few survivors could still cause significant trouble. While they might not pose a serious threat to the Shouki no Kami, they could easily take down several "lucky" audience members with them in their dying moments. Unlike the Shouki no Kami, they lacked the means to ensure their own survival.
Moreover, with the Dendro Archon Nahida present, their chances of escaping unscathed were even slimmer.
Though Nahida's strength might pale in comparison to the Shouki no Kami, defeating her would still be no easy task. If thoroughly provoked, she might even drag them all down with her.
Given these considerations, they naturally cooperated fully with the young Sage's act.
However, their uncharacteristic expressions seemed strained, giving off an unnatural air.
"Lesser Lord Kusanali, we have repented and turned over a new leaf! Please forgive us!"
Nahida was utterly bewildered. Out of nowhere, she had gained a horde of devoted followers, all of whom held high positions—they had even won over the Sages who had once opposed her.
If these Sages are truly her devoted followers, then all her efforts over the years haven't been in vain. A significant portion of the population must already acknowledge her!
Nahida felt a surge of emotion.
"A-are you really my followers?"
"Don't trust him so easily, Nahida!" Paimon exclaimed, darting over to warn her, alarmed by how easily Nahida was being swayed.
"It's far too convenient! They only claimed to be your followers after we came to settle accounts with them. They're all high-ranking officials who participated in the Artificial God Project. If they were truly your followers, they would have acted sooner and wouldn't have allowed so many innocent lives to be lost. They don't seem like people who have believed in you for years!"
Hearing Paimon's words, Nahida wavered again.
"They probably knew we were coming and are trying to curry favor, hoping we'll spare them," Cyno added.
"But don't think your sins can be atoned for so easily. Even a small fraction of the ten thousand innocent lives you took is a price you can never bear!"
"I will weigh your sins and assign each of you your due punishment!"
Cyno's cold gaze swept across the crowd, sending shivers down the spines of those he met eyes with.
"Exactly! You can't trust a single word he says—not even a punctuation mark!"
Enjou chimed in, eager to assert his presence. To become Lumine's top lapdog, he knew he had to put on a good show!
"I can explain that!" The young Great Sage hurriedly interjected.
"This was all the Great Sage and these Sages' decision! We had absolutely nothing to do with it!"
"Look at how young we are! We clearly had no authority or say in the matter. They didn't even tell us about it!"
"It was only after what happened in the Restricted Zone that we finally saw their true colors!"
What a pack of dogs!
The older Sages' lips twitched as they watched the youths so readily absolve themselves of blame.
Even Great Sage Azar had hesitated over the decision. But these young Sages, each more ruthless than the last, had pressured them daily to implement the plan sooner and even suggested increasing the output.
If they had gone through with it, even areas outside the Restricted Zone would have suffered casualties. They seemed utterly indifferent to their reputation, claiming that such sacrifices were necessary.
Later, they considered shifting the blame to the COVID outbreak, which led them to abandon the proposal. Even after this explanation, the Sages' faces betrayed deep regret.
Had these individuals not been wearing Sage robes, one might have mistaken them for executioners from a public gallows.
For now, however, the primary objective was to gain their trust. Whatever they said, he would go along with.
As for exonerating themselves?
Hah! They had already revealed their entire plan to everyone here. Now, everyone was merely acting their part in this charade. There was no way to clear their names now!
By choosing this path, they had already forsaken life and death!
They would forge a new chapter in Sumeru's history!
Still, these youngsters were quite convincing actors. Had they not known the truth, they might have been completely deceived. Perhaps replacing the Great Sage wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.
"Please, Lesser Lord Kusanali, believe us! We are truly your devoted followers!"
Seeing their sincere expressions, Nahida's resolve wavered once more.
"If you genuinely stand with Lesser Lord Kusanali, then hand over Azar to us first."
Alhaitham pondered for a moment, then devised a foolproof plan.
Great Sage Azar held the most secrets. Whether he genuinely pledged allegiance or not, securing Azar first was paramount.
Moreover, they still hadn't located the Homayani family or Dr. Edward, both of whom had vanished. When they arrived at Dottore's location, it was already deserted.
Dottore's strength far surpassed theirs, making escape impossible. With Dr. Edward also gone, it seemed likely he was connected to Dottore's disappearance.
"Exactly! Hand Azar over to us first!" Paimon chimed in eagerly, then turned to Nahida. "Either way, let's secure the hostage first. We won't have to worry even if they have ulterior motives!"
Hearing Paimon's words, Nahida nodded.
"Lesser Lord Kusanali, we'll bring Azar to you immediately!" the young Great Sage declared, waving his hand. Matra officers escorted Azar forward.
"Oh, and Lesser Lord Kusanali, I'll compile all the intelligence now and recount every crime Azar has committed during this period in meticulous detail!"
"Very well, proceed."
Nahida harbored no suspicions, her focus entirely on Great Sage Azar—the mastermind behind the deaths of tens of thousands in the Restricted Zone!
The mere thought of that incident filled Nahida's heart with unbearable pain, tinged with self-reproach. If only I hadn't indulged him, she wondered, could this catastrophe have been averted?
As Nahida finished speaking, the young Great Sage turned and strode away.
The atmosphere in the room instantly tightened, becoming palpable. Many present swallowed nervously, their tension palpable.
Alhaitham noticed the shift in the room's atmosphere and subtly tensed, his senses on high alert.
Lumine, meanwhile, had already silently gathered her energy, her inner unease growing.
Come to think of it, we haven't seen any Fatui agents yet. Could they be planning a surprise attack this time?
Just as most attention remained focused elsewhere, Great Sage Azar, his head bowed so his expression remained hidden, grinned maliciously, the smile radiating a chilling menace.
Die!
The moment the young Great Sage rejoined the other Sages, who had gathered closely together, Great Sage Azar finally issued his command.
In an instant, chaos erupted.
A colossal steel hand clenched into a fist and crashed down upon the Sages with terrifying force. The Sages didn't even have time to cry out before they were reduced to pulpy sludge.
The sudden turn of events left the ever-vigilant Alhaitham and Lumine utterly stunned.
What's going on? Was this not a scheme targeting them?!
Before they could process their thoughts, a terrifying surge of energy hurtled toward the group.
"Danger!" Alhaitham's eyes widened instantly, and he roared a warning to the others.
Lumine reacted even faster. By the time Alhaitham spoke, she had already surged forward, positioning herself directly in the path of the incoming energy blast.
Gazing at the devastating attack, Lumine gritted her teeth and raised her Dull Blade.
Only Nahida and I can possibly evade this. It's already surpassed the level of an Archon, and there's no way we can protect the others from an attack of this magnitude.
I have to block it!
She unleashed her Dendro Elemental Power without reservation, channeling her strongest controlled force—a power that approached the level of an Archon, missing that mark by only the thinnest margin.
Yet even this razor-thin difference meant everything.
The energy blast paused for only an instant against the Dendro Barrier Lumine conjured before completely shattering it and slamming into her body.
Immediately, Lumine felt an agonizing tearing sensation ravage her body as she was hurled backward uncontrollably.
"Traveler!" Paimon exclaimed in alarm.
The brief moment Lumine had bought allowed Nahida to react. Without hesitation, she poured her full power into Lumine, hoping to block the attack. But the reality was that it had little effect. The energy blast far exceeded everyone's expectations.
At that moment, Alhaitham and Cyno also channeled their strength into Lumine, but this only slightly slowed the energy surge.
Boom!
The energy blast engulfed Lumine and the others. Violent energy waves surged through the God-Making Workshop, causing the entire structure to shake violently.
Where Lumine and her companions had stood moments before was now a gaping hole, revealing the complex machinery beneath.
"Ha ha ha ha ha..."
Seeing how he had outmaneuvered both sides, Great Sage Azar finally lost control of his inner glee, bursting into unrestrained laughter.
"A bunch of trash! Ungrateful curs! You think you can pull me down from my throne?"
"Dying this easily is too good for you!"
Great Sage Azar spat at the nearby meat paste. His eyes, burning like a demon's from Purgatory, swept across the Matra and the surviving elder Sages, sending chills down their spines.
"What do you intend to do, Azar?"
"We didn't lay a hand on you!"
One of the Sages, seeing the Great Sage's murderous glare, couldn't help but warn him, fearing he might lose control and attack the others.
"Hmph!"
Great Sage Azar sneered. In his eyes, everyone present was already dead. Even if most hadn't acted against him, they had witnessed his most humiliating moment—and for that, they all had to die.
He would be the first great man in Sumeru's history, and his legacy could not be tainted by a single stain!
"Azar!!!"
"You damned bastard! What have you done to me?!"
An enraged voice reverberated through the God-Making Workshop, followed by a colossal steel fist slamming down toward Great Sage Azar. Yet the fist halted mere meters above his head, unable to descend any further.
This spectacle failed to elicit even a flicker of emotion from Great Sage Azar. His gaze remained fixed on the Shouki no Kami's towering form as he spoke coldly:
"You dare defy your creator?"
"How utterly absurd!"