"Azhdaha was once a close friend and comrade of the Geo Archon, Morax. His lifespan far exceeds that of humans."
As Kun Jun spoke, the background music shifted into the solemn instrumental from the Golden House.
"Yet beings born of the earth are like the very rocks beneath our feet…"
"The memory of stone is not long."
"What remains within it are only the most intense emotions."
"The longer time passes, the more blurred those memories become."
"Erosion… is the fuse imposed upon him by the world itself."
Kun Jun explained to Lumine and Paimon.
"Erosion…"
Lumine frowned slightly.
Zhongli had mentioned that word before.
[Erosion… Zhongli said it before too. What does it mean?]
[Dainsleif mentioned it too—said his memories had eroded]
[Is it related to memory?]
"Erosion gradually strips away one's memories and emotions over time."
"It cannot be resisted. It cannot be defied."
"The longer one exists, the more severe the loss on a mental and spiritual level."
Qiu Nian turned toward the sealed Azhdaha and spoke calmly.
"The ley lines run through all of Teyvat."
"Humans are like soil caught within their gaps—short-lived."
"When they die, their memories and emotions are easily absorbed as nourishment by the ley lines."
"They are rich in nutrients, and thus the primary source of absorption."
"But long-lived beings are different."
"Their memories are not so easily taken—like stones wedged within the cracks of the ley lines."
"The ley lines struggle to extract from them."
"Yet as beings of Teyvat…"
"They are still constantly being stripped of memory."
"Like being worn down over time."
"The deaths of long-lived beings are unpredictable."
"So the ley lines slowly extract their memories and emotions."
"This process… is what we call erosion."
"For such beings, it is slow…"
"And cruel."
Qiu Nian turned back to Lumine and Paimon.
"The memory of stone is not long."
"What remains are only the strongest emotions."
"And that… is Azhdaha's erosion."
"As a being born of Geo…"
"Azhdaha is inherently unable to retain memory."
"And the emotions that remain…"
"Are inevitably extreme."
"The stronger they are…"
"The more obsessive they become."
"And the more easily they stray from their original self."
"Azhdaha's erosion comes not only from the Heavenly Principles…"
"But from the world itself."
Qiu Nian explained steadily.
Erosion—
Is a transformation of emotion.
Or rather—
A loss of the soul, reason, memory, and spirit.
This loss is born from experience.
From countless events.
Even if Qiu Nian could suppress the erosion imposed by the Heavenly Principles—
He could not erase the erosion that existed inherently.
In other words—
Even without the influence of the Heavenly Principles—
A being that lives too long…
Will still erode due to its own nature.
Just like Morax and Barbatos.
Even though Qiu Nian had suppressed the erosion imposed upon them—
He could not stop the erosion within themselves.
And Azhdaha—
Was suffering from both kinds.
Part of his erosion came from his inherent nature—
And part from the Heavenly Principles.
Even without the latter—
He would still erode.
Only…
More slowly.
"That sounds terrifying…"
Paimon muttered, even though she didn't fully understand.
"…Erosion…"
"I'm also long-lived…"
"Will I suffer from it too?"
Lumine asked, her expression complicated.
"Of course."
"Though your constitution is special—you are not subject to erosion imposed by the Heavenly Principles…"
"You cannot escape your own erosion."
"Unless you have no emotions or memories at all."
"Which is clearly impossible."
Qiu Nian replied.
"…I think I understand now."
Lumine placed a hand over her chest and nodded.
"Uhhh… what does that even mean?"
"Lumine, don't just understand it for me!"
Xuehua drooled in confusion.
[I didn't get it either (facepalm)]
[Basically there's erosion from Heavenly Principles, and erosion from oneself]
[I kinda get it… but also don't]
[Lumine is from outside this world—does she still get eroded?]
[You didn't understand? Even I did (facepalm)]
[It means even if the world doesn't affect you, your own emotions and memories will]
[Yeah, she won't lose memory to ley lines—but she still erodes internally]
[That's it]
[Uhhh… brain melting]
[Even I got it—how didn't you? (angry)]
[This one's beyond saving (facepalm)]
"What Guixu said is correct."
"That is precisely the case."
Kun Jun nodded in agreement.
"Erosion stripped Azhdaha of his ability to think."
"He gradually forgot the faces of old friends…"
"And the Liyue Harbor he once protected."
"The once-complete Dragon King…"
"Became violent."
"Aggressive."
Kun Jun continued.
"It was humans who attacked the ley lines I depended on!"
Azhdaha retorted angrily.
"That is true."
"And so 'you' attacked the Chasm."
"And fought Morax."
"In the beginning…"
"To expand territory and develop industry…"
"The people of Liyue mined the mountains."
"Excessive mining caused disturbances in the ley lines…"
"Bringing us great suffering."
"And erosion…"
"Turned us into beasts."
"No matter how we struggled…"
"We lost the ability to coexist with humanity…"
"And lost our reason."
Kun Jun turned toward the sealed Azhdaha.
"Morax gave a portion of his power to try and slow our erosion…"
"But it was futile."
"Erosion is the will of the Heavenly Principles."
"It cannot be resisted."
"And so…"
"We became you."
"And from your will…"
"I was born."
Kun Jun continued.
Azhdaha opened his mouth—
But could not refute a single word.
"I am your final contract."
"The witness to the agreement between Azhdaha and Morax."
"You may be angry."
"But you must not deny me."
Kun Jun placed a hand over his chest.
"No… no…"
Azhdaha shook his head.
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