At the thought of seeing Xiangling soon, Nekomata couldn't help but think of her dishes—boiled fish, grilled fish, braised fish… The anticipation made her restless.
Amid laughter and casual chatter, everyone boarded the Astral Express.
Worried he might be left behind, Arataki Itto hurriedly dragged Kuki Shinobu along as they climbed aboard.
"Ayato, Yoimiya, Kazuha—hurry up! We're about to depart—"
"I still have some matters to take care of at home. You go on ahead. If anything happens, be sure to notify us."
"Itto, you go first. With my dad not around, I need to watch the fireworks shop. Once he's back, I'll come find you."
"I need to make a trip to Watatsumi Island…"
…
Ayato, Yoimiya, Ayaka, Kazuha, and the others all declined Arataki Itto's invitation.
They waved goodbye to Arataki Itto, Sam Li, and the rest.
Ei added calmly, "Once I've finished handling matters in Inazuma, I'll go to Liyue and meet up with you."
Venti smiled. "No problem. We'll be waiting for you in Liyue…"
Seeing that no one else was boarding, Dan Heng immediately closed the doors of the Astral Express.
At the same time, Pom-Pom and Himeko had already activated the train.
As the engines rumbled to life, the Astral Express suddenly lurched forward, charging along the temporary tracks the group had hastily assembled.
With materials in short supply, the makeshift tracks were extremely short, placing enormous demands on the driver's skill.
Fortunately, Pom-Pom was highly experienced. After racing across the beach for a short distance, the Astral Express lifted off in the next instant, soaring straight into the sky.
It pierced the clouds, flying toward Liyue.
As the Astral Express gradually disappeared into the cloud cover, Yoimiya, Kazuha, Kirara, Yae Miko, Ayato, Ayaka, and the others all stared in astonishment.
A train like that was simply too convenient—far more so than Inazuma's cargo ships.
Only after it vanished completely did Yoimiya exclaim excitedly, "If only we could build a train like that!"
Kazuha said thoughtfully, "I've seen trains in New Eridu, but those can only run on the ground—they can't fly…"
Kirara chimed in excitedly, "I heard these trains can even break through the sky and travel beyond the world!"
Ayato said solemnly, "The people aboard that train are no ordinary individuals."
He had noticed it long ago.
Though they possessed no Visions, each of them harbored remarkable abilities—certainly no weaker than his own.
In fact… they might even surpass Ayato.
Some were interested in the Astral Express itself; others were interested in the people aboard it.
But they had no idea that the world of Teyvat was on the brink of dramatic change.
As Sam Li, Venti, Nicole, Hu Tao, March 7th, the Trailblazer, and Arataki Itto departed Inazuma aboard the Astral Express, heading for Liyue—
On the opposite side of the continent of Teyvat, somewhere within the borders of Natlan, under the guidance of the Pyro Archondess Mavuika, the Traveler, Xilonen, Paimon, and the others had arrived at Natlan.
There, they saw a vast expanse of pitch-black ahead. Within that inky abyss, countless monsters churned and surged, as though they might tear open the world's barrier at any moment and descend upon the Natlan, invading Natlan itself…
At that sight, Mavuika, the Traveler, Xilonen, and Paimon were all utterly shocked.
What was going on?
Hadn't the Abyss just been defeated?
Hadn't the crisis of its invasion just been resolved? Why was the Abyss returning again in such a short span of time?
Mavuika couldn't understand it.
Yet the scene before her left her deeply shaken.
The situation now was even more dangerous than Natlan's previous crisis. At any moment, the Abyss could launch a massive invasion, just as it had five hundred years ago.
If that happened…
It wouldn't be just Natlan.
Sumeru, Fontaine, Liyue, Inazuma, Mondstadt, Snezhnaya—no nation would escape the impact of the pitch-black calamity.
It was clear that what was unfolding was no longer something Mavuika alone—or even Natlan as a nation—could handle.
After a brief silence, Paimon snapped back to her senses and hurriedly said, "Traveler, Mavuika, what do we do? If we don't act quickly, at this rate the entire Natlan will fall before long, and the Abyss will invade Natlan in full force…"
The Traveler frowned deeply. "This situation is even more dangerous than before. Relying solely on our strength and Natlan's power may not be enough…"
Paimon asked anxiously, "Then what should we do?"
They couldn't just stand by and watch the Abyss descend, devouring the entire Natlan—devouring Natlan itself.
They had just won a hard-fought victory, just protected Natlan.
She couldn't accept seeing it swallowed by the Abyss.
At that moment, Mavuika furrowed her brow and said gravely, "Traveler, Paimon, I ask you to go to Liyue, Sumeru, Inazuma, Mondstadt… Inform the other Archons of what's happening here and invite them to Natlan."
In the past, Natlan's situation had been dire, but through the resilience of its people and generations of effort, they had still managed to overcome the Abyss.
This time, however, it was different.
If Natlan were to face the Abyss alone, history would likely repeat itself. By the time the pitch-black spread across Teyvat, it would already be too late.
And so, Mavuika finally made her decision.
In the name of Natlan's Pyro Archon, she would invite the other six Archons to gather in Natlan.
To use the power of the Seven to suppress the pitch-black.
This was Mavuika's final option—her last line of defense.
Upon hearing her request, the Traveler hesitated only briefly before setting off at once with Paimon for the other nations.
"Mavuika, take care of yourself—"
"Don't worry. I'll be fine until you return. I'm counting on you, Traveler…"
…
Immediately afterward, Mavuika sent Xilonen back to reorganize the tribes and prepare their forces for the coming war.
Once the Traveler, Paimon, and Xilonen had departed, Mavuika resolutely walked alone toward the pitch-black ahead.
Until the Traveler and Paimon returned, she would do everything in her power to hold back the Abyss, guarding Natlan in the name of the Pyro Archon.
…
As upheaval struck Natlan, at this very moment, various omens were also appearing across the other nations.
In Fontaine, Neuvillette stood by the sea, gazing into the depths with a furrowed brow.
He could already sense it—the primordial sea beneath Fontaine was undergoing subtle changes, as though heralding something to come…
In Sumeru, the Lesser Lord Kusanali pressed her palms against the great tree, drawing upon the power of the Irminsul to glimpse the omen of the pitch-black calamity's descent.