Ei's gaze swept calmly across the gathered crowd.
She didn't know Ningguang and the others, but the familiar divine presences stood out instantly.
"Morax, Barbatos it has been a long time. And…"
"A pleasure to meet you, Nahida."
Aside from herself and the Dendro Archon, every god present had ruled since before the Cataclysm.
They were all beings she and her sister Makoto had once known well.
Only Nahida was a new face to her.
Still, Ei sensed in her the faint, gentle aura of the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata,
and though she didn't ask, she already suspected the truth.
"Ehe! Long time no see, Baalzebul!"
Venti waved cheerfully, tone light as ever.
"Heard you locked yourself up and even made a puppet to run your nation for you?"
Ei's eyes flickered, but she didn't reply.
Zhongli, serene as ever, took a sip of tea and said evenly:
"Letting a puppet govern in your stead , that is folly. Compared to Makoto, you have failed in your duty."
Ei said nothing in return. Now that her sister was back, she no longer denied it.
Even she understood how much she had lost herself in her pursuit of "eternity."
Kujou Sara clenched her fists, finally speaking up to defend her Shogun.
"Lord Ei acted out of necessity. Against the power of Celestia, and taking command of Inazuma so suddenly,
her choices were made under great pressure…"
Zhongli merely shook his head.
"That is no excuse. A ruler's duty does not allow for hesitation.
No matter the reason , failure in governance is still failure."
No one could argue with that.
For all his calm gentleness, Morax treated the art of rule with absolute seriousness ,
except, perhaps, for that one incident during the Rite of Parting,
when he had quite literally jumped from the heavens without a warning.
Ryen, seated casually at the edge of the table, rolled his eyes.
"You're still so stiff, old man.
Can't you let Inazuma handle its own affairs for once?"
"Why don't you focus on something actually important , like reviving Guizhong?"
At that, Zhongli fell silent.
Reviving Guizhong…
He could, right now.
Just a few days earlier, he had discovered a lingering fragment of her soul ,
a faint remnant nestled in a single Glaze Lily blooming upon the Guili Plains.
Though the remnant held no consciousness, it was enough.
He had already taken it into the Minecraft world, leaving a mark there.
And he still had several resurrection points left unused ,
he could bring her back at any moment.
But the truth was…
Zhongli hesitated.
He knew Guizhong far too well.
If she returned, peace would be the first thing he'd lose.
The day she awakened, he could already hear her voice ,
teasing, relentless: "Morax, have you finally learned to open your heart?"
And what would he say to that?
He barely had any Mora left , let alone a heart to spare.
Worse, her revival would hand Ryen and the others a lifetime of gossip.
Guizhong was every bit as mischievous as Miko ,
if she started talking, she'd add her own embellishments until the whole of Liyue knew the story.
What would Ningguang and the rest think then?
The proud, stoic Geo Archon, undone by a single woman from six millennia ago?
He only had to look at Moon Carver and Mountain Shaper to see the outcome.
When Cloud Retainer's old companion, Xiao's predecessor, had been resurrected,
Moon Carver had rejoiced , only to regret it ever since.
As Zhongli recalled, "that sharp-tongued immortal's every word could cut stone."
He sighed inwardly, turning away.
"I have my own plans," he said quietly.
Ryen snorted.
"Plans, huh? You mean you're scared. Admit it.
What's wrong , don't want to see her again?"
"That's not it," Zhongli replied firmly. "She will be revived , eventually. But not now."
Ryen exchanged a knowing glance with Cloud Retainer and Moon Carver.
They didn't need to say a word.
They all knew exactly what Zhongli was afraid of.
But in the end, it wouldn't matter.
Sooner or later, he would revive Guizhong.
And if he kept delaying?
Well , Ryen was more than happy to help move things along.
He could already imagine the scene:
"Oh, by the way," he'd say casually to Guizhong, "Zhongli could've revived you a month ago…
but he didn't, because he was too afraid to face you."
Just thinking of Guizhong's reaction made Ryen grin.
After all, what in Teyvat could be more entertaining
than watching the unflappable Rex Lapis squirm in the face of love?
Six thousand years of stoic composure , undone by a single woman.
The thought was delicious.
Ei, meanwhile, was quietly relieved that Zhongli's attention had been redirected.
Taking a breath, she spoke softly:
"Thank you , all of you , for helping bring my sister back."
"We owe you much, Morax. I'll see that the resurrection points we used are repaid in full."
Zhongli inclined his head.
"There's no rush. How fares Inazuma now?"
Before Ei could answer, Miko interjected with her usual lazy smile:
"Much better, thanks to Lady Makoto. She's far more suited to ruling than Ei ever was."
"The Vision Hunt and Sakoku Decrees are gone, the war's ended, the Tri-Commission's been purged."
"All in all, Inazuma's people are recovering quickly."
"We came this time," Miko added, "to sign the final alliance pact."
Her tone was bright, but her eyes gleamed with quiet pride.
Inazuma had suffered, yes , but at last, it stood beside the other nations once more,
not as a broken land bound by lightning,
but as a nation reborn.
~~----------------------
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