The Cloud Sea churned violently.
The once-azure ocean had been swallowed by the corruption of a demon god's aura, turning pitch-black in an instant and stretching endlessly toward the horizon.
From high above, one could occasionally glimpse enormous, spine-chilling pillars surging beneath the sea's surface.
Each time they swept past, waves dozens of meters high were thrown into the air like tsunamis.
Thankfully, there were no civilians nearby.
Had this occurred at Liyue Harbor, the casualties would have been unimaginable.
"Lumine, look! Ningguang and the others are here!"
On one of the isolated islands of Guyun Stone Forest, Lumine and Paimon were still waiting.
They had already dealt with the three Fatui agents who had released the demon god.
Lumine felt a deep sense of regret.
Had she known things would turn out like this, she would have chosen a more complicated, indirect path—even if it meant directly requesting an audience with Ningguang regarding the Geo Archon's remains.
But now, such thoughts were pointless.
"I see them. Let's go up and regroup with Ningguang!"
Lumine immediately unfurled her Wind Glider, riding the storm winds and thunder stirred by the demon god as she and Paimon ascended toward the Jade Chamber.
At the same time, Ningguang and the others also spotted Lumine approaching.
After about a quarter of an hour, the two groups finally reunited.
The moment they met, Lumine admitted her mistake, acknowledging that it was her actions—breaking the seal—that had led to the demon god's release.
Knowing it hadn't been intentional, Ningguang and Keqing chose to forgive her.
What mattered now was unity.
After all, Lumine was the Honorary Knight who had resolved the Dragon Crisis in Mondstadt.
Ningguang valued her greatly—otherwise, she wouldn't have personally invited her to the Jade Chamber before.
Relieved that no one blamed her, Lumine let out a quiet breath, though guilt still lingered.
She moved closer to the person she trusted most.
"Mr. Luoli… do you have a solution?"
Though she wasn't afraid to charge head-on, Lumine preferred asking when she had the chance.
"A solution?"
Luoli pointed casually toward the deep sea, where golden light flickered faintly.
"Just endure it. Once the effect of the Sigils of Permission expires, Osial will naturally return to the depths."
"Osial?"
"The Vortex Demon God. That's its name."
Lumine nodded in realization.
"Mr. Luoli really does know everything…"
Naturally—after all, he had crossed blades with Osial before.
"But even so," Paimon muttered nervously, "holding it off while the seal is broken sounds impossible…"
"A demon god isn't something you joke around with."
"Do your best and leave the rest to fate," Raiden Makoto said gently with a reassuring smile.
"If it truly becomes unmanageable, someone will step in."
At that, Lumine instinctively glanced at Luoli.
She had long felt that the man who chatted so casually with the Anemo Archon was hiding something deep—his identity was undeniably suspicious.
"Why are you staring at me?" Luoli asked.
Embarrassed, Lumine quietly looked away.
Clearing his throat, Luoli then turned toward Eula, Noelle, and Shenhe.
Each of them looked different.
They had been nervous on the way here—but now, Eula seemed almost eager.
After all, how many people ever got the chance to fight a demon god face-to-face?
She leaned closer to Luoli and whispered,
"If I manage to hold out… what's the reward afterward?"
The ice-blue noblewoman held her greatsword, warm breath brushing close.
Her elegant face was filled with anticipation, icy energy already leaking from her body.
"Uh… well…"
Luoli hesitated.
He knew exactly what she wanted—beneath that glacial exterior burned a fierce passion.
After a brief pause, he finally replied,
"Whatever you want. If I can give it, I will."
"One word—promise!"
Eula answered instantly, not giving him even a moment to reconsider.
Seeing her excitement, Luoli suspected that even if a god stood in her way, she'd swing without hesitation.
Poor Barbatos, he thought silently.
Just then, the Jade Chamber reached its position above Guyun Stone Forest.
Below, the sea was undergoing drastic changes.
Tower-like shapes writhed beneath the surface, repeatedly sending waves tens of meters high crashing outward—as if struggling to break free from restraint.
Before Osial even fully appeared, an overwhelming roar echoed across the heavens.
The dense resentment dispersed the storm clouds themselves.
"Ahhhhhhh!!!"
The crushing pressure made it hard to breathe.
Many aboard the Jade Chamber trembled—some Millelith soldiers could barely hold their weapons.
No one blamed them.
Standing here at all was already an act of courage.
"It's coming," Luoli said calmly.
At last, the being that had been gathering power beneath the sea revealed itself.
In an instant, four colossal serpentine heads burst from the ocean, their necks towering hundreds of meters into the sky.
Brilliant blue light radiated from its massive form.
Despite the terrifying malice it emitted, there was an eerie sense of divinity to it.
"Ahhhhhhh!!!"
Osial's roar shook the world.
Even Liyue Harbor, dozens of kilometers away, could faintly hear it.
The Vortex Demon God whipped up hurricanes and tidal waves, venting the fury and hatred accumulated over thousands of years.
The vast ocean became its playground, warped by divine power into a vision of pure destruction.
Only after releasing its rage did Osial finally notice the Jade Chamber blocking its path.
The floating palace was barely a third of its size.
A flash of disdain and cruelty crossed its eyes.
Osial decided that this would be the first offering to celebrate its rebirth.
But that was only the beginning.
Its gaze soon shifted beyond the Jade Chamber—toward Liyue Harbor, hidden among distant mountains.
A familiar presence stirred its hatred.
That place belonged to Morax… and that man.
In that instant, even the Jade Chamber was forgotten.
Osial swore to destroy everything those two had created.
The rage it carried—thousands of years of accumulated resentment—could not be extinguished even by the waters of all the seas combined.