While Hu Tao was fighting the Fatui, out on the turbulent sea, Osial's furious roars echoed across the water. After failing to break through for so long, he was finally enraged. He had realized the seal wasn't completely broken. If he didn't escape the sea within a certain time, he would be trapped again.
Worse still, some force seemed to be accelerating the seal's closure. Though he couldn't tell who was behind it, he could sense it belonged to a god.
Even knowing this, Osial could do nothing. Most of his power had been worn away by erosion. He couldn't break past the adepti on the Jade Chamber. And his weakened senses couldn't locate the one speeding up the seal's restoration.
Gazing at the Millelith soldiers defending Liyue Harbor, Osial made a ruthless decision. A surge of divine power spread toward the city once more.
The monsters attacking Liyue Harbor shuddered. A dark energy flooded into their bodies, transforming them completely. Many grew significantly larger under its influence.
The sudden boost in power turned the battle, which had been somewhat stable, into chaos. The Millelith's defensive lines began to shrink.
"Have these monsters gone completely mad? They seem to have lost all reason!"
A Millelith soldier thrust his spear at a Hilichurl's head. The creature, which should have dodged, instead let itself be struck, landing a heavy blow on the soldier's arm with its club. His arm immediately began to swell.
This scene played out across the battlefield. The Millelith were momentarily stunned. Facing such frenzied monsters, they displayed unparalleled discipline. Though not yet adapted to the new attacks, not a single soldier retreated.
"Brothers, I won't say much more. Behind us are our wives, our children, our parents, our elders. If we falter, they will be the ones to suffer."
Fengyan raised his White Tassel, making his final rallying call. As the chief instructor of the Millelith, even if the gods had never blessed him, he was willing to give everything for the Liyue that Rex Lapis had created. Unnoticed, a Delusion had found its way into his hand.
He no longer cared about the cost of using it. If Liyue Harbor fell to the monsters, he would have failed the Qixing's trust, even if he somehow survived.
"Today, we fight to the death. No retreat!"
Fengyan took a deep breath. His craving for power made the Delusion in his hand glow with an unsettling light. An indescribable force surged through him.
He had never felt anything like it. In that moment, he was confident he could take down that Frostarm Lawachurl.
"Yah!"
Several crazed Hilichurls charged at Fengyan with their clubs. With a casual sweep of his spear, he sent them flying as if struck by a heavy blow.
"Steadfast as the rocks, unmoved as the mountains. Armor of the bulwark, bane of evil and demons!"
Shouting the oath, Fengyan charged into the monster horde with his White Tassel. Through his actions, he showed Liyue the spirit of the Millelith. To all of Teyvat, he showed that a Liyue without its god would fear no hardship. For the word "Liyue" was not merely written by Rex Lapis. It was forged in flesh and blood by countless souls of conviction.
"Liyue" could withstand any test, any erosion. Even time itself, which even gods could not stop, would leave no cracks on these two syllables.
"Steadfast as the rocks, unmoved as the mountains. Armor of the bulwark, bane of evil and demons!"
Under those sixteen words, the Millelith's resolve reached its peak. Behind the lines, those they protected began to weep in silence.
"Damn it! Anyone who wants to fight, come get your weapons! I'm putting my finest steel on the line today!"
Old Zhang, Liyue Harbor's blacksmith, saw the Millelith's fearless charge and his eyes reddened. He brought out all his best weapons, which he had planned to sell at high prices.
The weapons glinted in the light. Within moments, they were all claimed. A few young men were even trying to snatch the blade right out of Old Zhang's hands.
"Old Zhang, you're too old for this. Let me go instead. You stay behind and keep making weapons."
"Nonsense! I'm not the kind to sit still. Liyue Harbor's future belongs to you young folk. Today, I'm going out there and fighting those monsters myself!"
One Millelith soldier felt his body weakening. Seeing civilians taking up arms and charging into battle, he silently tightened his grip on his Delusion. He had used it when the fighting began. As time passed, he grew increasingly uneasy. This thing seemed to be draining his life force.
"Xiao Ling, forgive me. Looks like your father is going to break his promise. You'll have to light the Lantern Rite lanterns alone this year."
Thinking of how he had boasted to his daughter that morning about adding another story to tell her, the soldier's eyes held a flicker of reluctance. From now on, only her mother would tell her stories about him. As he looked ahead at the charging monsters, that reluctance vanished, replaced by the resolve of a man prepared to die.
"Charge!"
A surge of dark power engulfed the soldier. With a sweep of his spear, he pointed straight at the Frostarm Lawachurl. In his final moments, he would help his comrades eliminate this threat. Even if he couldn't finish it, he would at least hold it back.
"Brothers, don't forget to bring me some good wine at next Lantern Rite. I'll take care of this big one."
"It seems a new protagonist for a ballad has appeared. Don't worry. If I have time next Lantern Rite, I'll personally bring you a bottle of fine wine."
On Wangshu Inn's rooftop, Venti felt the news carried by the wind. Having witnessed countless partings, he resolved to pick up his quill, unused for many years, and compose a poem. He would call it "Hero." Though the word was common, the weight it carried was anything but.
"I never expected someone to push a Delusion this far. Is it their willpower or their physical strength? I'm sure Il Dottore would find this fascinating."
"But before that, let this touching drama unfold for me. Though... it seems the protagonist has run into a bit of trouble."
On a mountain peak, Scaramouche watched the figure on the beach with interest. From the glint of silver, he could tell Su Bai was drawing some kind of talisman, oblivious to the chaos in Liyue Harbor. And he had suddenly come up with a brilliant idea.