Chapter 40. Rules Are Meant To Be Broken!
"You were deceived?"
Aila looked at Black Aila, who was lying on the bed, and asked with a trace of confusion, "How did it deceive you? Or rather with your level of intelligence, could it even deceive you?"
As herself, Aila understood Black Aila's personality very clearly.
The other party had said that she knew her own personality well. At any time, aside from matters involving young master—
Aila was an extremely rational existence. Anything that posed harm to her—once she became aware of it—she would never touch.
Yes, she would absolutely never touch it. No matter how tempting it was, she would absolutely not touch it.
If that was the case for her, then how could Black Aila—who had experienced so much darkness in Snezhnaya—not understand these principles?
It was not that she doubted Black Aila, but Aila felt that this was entirely impossible.
"..."
Black Aila remained silent for a moment. She lifted her gaze toward Aila and spoke calmly, "What if this space showed you a scene where you married young master and had a child?"
"Then would you be tempted to stop and take a closer look? Like, to see what kind of child would be born."
Aila did not speak. A deathly silence quietly spread through the air between the two of them.
Because they were both 'herself,' there was no need to lie—or rather, when it came to such matters, neither of them had any reason to deceive the other.
Nonsense. Faced with such a scene—even knowing it was false—they would still instinctively come to a halt.
This was a precise grasp of their own psychology. And if they were to stop while being pursued—the outcome would likely not be favorable.
It was just…that scene. Even merely hearing Black Aila describe it caused Aila's heart to stir.
"I have a friend who is very interested in this." Aila looked at Black Aila, her expression faintly complex, and said, "Could you elaborate on the process of the child?"
Because she understood her own nature, Aila knew that Black Aila must have lingered at that moment, fighting desperately against the other side, simply to witness the end of that illusion.
"There's no one else here. You don't need to hide your thoughts," Black Aila replied, her tone carrying a hint of exasperation.
Aila did not respond further. She merely fixed her gaze on Black Aila, silently urging her to continue.
"Sigh." Black Aila let out a soft sigh, appearing somewhat helpless toward 'herself.' Was it truly necessary to act this way when no one else was present?
Yet she could understand. If it were her, she would likely act no differently.
After all, it was not something that could be asked of others—it was a matter of principle.
Moreover, they were about to engage in battle, to determine the ultimate victor. Though they could still converse calmly now, it was impossible for either of them to yield.
Black Aila did not dwell on this point. A faint glimmer surfaced in her eyes as she slowly began, "The child was born. I saw the young master holding a child with black and white hair."
"Impossible!" Aila frowned slightly, her tone turning resolute. "It must be white hair!"
"?" Black Aila also frowned, then corrected herself, "I misspoke. I saw black hair."
Aila and Black Aila fell into silence once more.
"Clang!" Aila drew her tachi, the power of Hydro beginning to circulate.
Black Aila's eyes flashed red, and several dark tentacles emerged from the shadows behind her. Though she was on the brink of death, she was not dead yet.
"This is a matter of principle."
Aila tightened her grip on the tachi, pointing it toward Black Aila as she spoke with unwavering seriousness.
"While black and white hair is also acceptable, I still hope that it is 'me' who bears a child with the young master."
"Heh." Black Aila let out a cold laugh. She did not respond further, the crimson glow within her eyes intensifying.
A fierce battle between the two was on the verge of erupting.
Yet at that moment, Aila suddenly noticed something and quietly sheathed her tachi.
Seeing this, Black Aila immediately understood that the young master had sent them information.
Although she did not know how 'herself' had managed to contact the young master in such circumstances—having never encountered anything similar within her own memories—
She knew with certainty that 'herself' possessed a method of reaching him.
Just as when she had been in the Abyss, she clearly knew that she had kissed the young master, and that 'herself' would inevitably witness it. That sensation was utterly exhilarating.
"Young master is coming." Aila looked at Black Aila, her tone steady. "What do you think?"
"Impossible." Black Aila shook her head, her voice calm. "If you inform the young master of this, this space—"
—
Inside the Chat Group.
Futsu Mitama: "@Aila, I'm on my way. Don't engage for now. We can discuss the information later."
Yae Miko: "Is it about to begin?"
Raiden Makoto: "It appears so."
Raiden Ei: "But why is it within a snow-covered Inazuma City?"
Kamisato Ayaka: "Um… Shogun-sama, you might not be aware, but Aila was found by Futsu Mitama on a snowy night. If not for him, Aila might have frozen to death in Inazuma City that night."
Paimon: "Is this space really that incredible?"
Albedo: "On the way, on the way. The Anemo Archon's blessing is remarkably effective."
Klee: "Klee is flying!!! Big sisters and big brothers!!! Wait for Klee!!!"
Maha Rukkhadevata: "At this distance, is Futsu Mitama planning to forcibly break through space? Wouldn't that be extremely dangerous?"
Venti: "It is indeed dangerous. Short distances are manageable, but long-distance spatial traversal carries a high risk of falling into spatial turbulence. However, it should be fine! Futsu Mitama possesses Morax's inheritance and the protection of my Gnosis. Spatial turbulence can be resisted to a certain extent."
Venti: "And as long as the destination is clear, there is no need to worry about getting lost. So go ahead and charge boldly."
Shenhe: "Why do I feel that the Anemo Archon makes it sound simple, when in reality it will be extremely difficult?"
Raiden Makoto: "Remove 'will be.'"
Azhdaha: "It is extremely difficult."
Guizhong: "Exceptionally, exceptionally difficult. Spatial turbulence is no trivial matter. Entering it is akin to being swept away by a waterfall into an unknown destination. And whether there are other 'entities' within that current is an entirely different question."
Zhongli: "Do not act hastily. I advise waiting a moment before proceeding."
Aila: "Young master, do not come. This place—no longer belongs to that space."
Futsu Mitama: "Huh?"
Kuki Shinobu: "Hmm???"
Sangonomiya Kokomi: "This??"
Lumine: "Doesn't belong to this space? How is that possible?"
Paimon: "What does that mean? What does that mean? My head feels itchy, like something is about to grow out."
Albedo: "Doesn't belong to this space? A snow-covered Inazuma City? Could it be?!"
Raiden Makoto: "A mental space? —
Raiden Ei: "Has it materialized? How is that possible…"
Venti: "This is truly…remarkable. Even separated, such talent? What would happen if they were to merge?"
Maha Rukkhadevata: "No, this should be the power derived from her destiny. Black Aila was forced into a desperate situation, and in that despair, she released her latent power. Only then was she able to escape pursuit and temporarily survive within this space. This should be her final trump card."
Maha Rukkhadevata: "However, if Aila enters, then this fusion battle—belonging solely to the two of them—"
Zhongli: "Has already begun. No one can intervene. If they do, and that space is destabilized—"
Aila: "She will die, and I will be severely injured. That is why she does not want us to approach. In her current state—her chances of victory are less than thirty percent. However, I will grant her time to recover. Once we reach a 'balanced' state, our battle will begin."
Paimon: "Eh? Her chances are below thirty percent! Why not attack immediately?! Wouldn't that guarantee victory?!"
Lumine: "Paimon, have you done nothing but eat these past few days?"
Lumine: "It is not that simple. If Aila were to attack now, even if she won, Black Aila would not accept it, and her consciousness would not dissipate. In that case, this fusion battle would restart, and the process would become exceedingly brutal."
Guizhong: "That's true, but— why Inazuma City? Couldn't it have been Liyue Harbor?! You are people of Liyue."
Keqing: "Although that is correct, both Black Aila and Aila seem to prioritize wherever Futsu Mitama is."
Raiden Makoto: "Hahahahaha, this is our victory."
Raiden Ei: "This is indeed something worth celebrating."
Yae Miko: "That's right, this is our victory—Inazuma's victory!"
Aila: "No, this mental space originated from when 'she' obtained a large portion of my memories last time, and that snowy night is my most unforgettable moment."
Aila: "And within that fragment of memory, she also fell in love with the young master. Therefore, when the mental space materialized with her as the core, the surrounding scene took on this form."
Kuki Shinobu: "What a profoundly sinful man."
Sangonomiya Kokomi: "Indeed."
Futsu Mitama: "…"
Aila: "Young master, please ensure your safety—and everyone else's as well. I have obtained a considerable amount of information from 'myself,' and I will relay it to you."
Soon, Aila conveyed to everyone the information she had obtained from Black Aila.
She emphasized that this space possessed its own will, and that they must not provoke it. Otherwise, they would very likely attract the deceased Thunder Yaksha, Millelith, Exorcists, and others.
These were secondary concerns; the most critical threat was the Abyssal Tide that had existed 500 years ago.
They were still alive and continued to operate within this space. The reason they had not yet been encountered was because the space itself was consciously restraining them, preventing their appearance.
If the consciousness of this space were provoked—just as Black Aila had done by causing a massive disturbance—
Then the Abyssal Tide, which had once engulfed the seven nations, would reemerge and launch a ferocious assault upon them.
The terror of the Abyssal Tide could be inferred from past battle records: the Nameless Yaksha had been severely wounded, an elite formation of Millelith was unable to withstand them, and the barrier painstakingly established by the Exorcists had been shattered in a single blow.
If not for the unique nature of the depths of the Chasm, along with the decisive actions taken by the Nameless Yaksha and the Millelith at that time—then this Abyssal Tide would undoubtedly have broken through the Chasm's defenses, bringing unimaginable devastation to Liyue.
Everyone within this space acknowledged the information and stated that they would proceed with caution.
Because all of them understood just how terrifying Black Aila's combat strength was—and even she had been gravely wounded here, brought to the brink of death, to the point of manifesting a mental space.
From the astonished remarks of Raiden Makoto, Venti, Maha Rukkhadevata, Zhongli, and the others, it could be inferred that—the mental space created by Black Aila was likely comparable to the consciousness domain of an Archon.
Only under such conditions could she temporarily secure a moment of respite within this space.
As for the others, if they were to provoke the consciousness of this space, their fate would likely be extremely dire.
"Do not provoke the consciousness of that space?"
Futsu Mitama looked at the messages within the group. The Seed of Skandha appeared in his hand. According to Maha Rukkhadevata, if Aila and Black Aila were to begin their fusion battle, he could become an observer through her inheritance, witnessing the final outcome.
But…Futsu Mitama had no intention of being an observer.
Are you joking? One maid was far from enough. He was an adult—naturally, he wanted both.
Having two maids attending to him simultaneously was what truly mattered.
He had come to the Chasm not to watch Aila and Black Aila fight over a single "self,"
But to ensure Black Aila's survival—to prevent her from dying inexplicably in this place.
As for a solution? He possessed the Chat Group as his advantage, and Klee as a sign-in advantage. There was even the possibility that she would obtain useful items in the future.
Before that, however, Futsu Mitama needed to stall—stall until a valuable item appeared, or until he himself became stronger.
Much stronger.
If the Archons could not resolve this problem, then he would become an existence that surpassed them.
With the Chat Group in his possession, Futsu Mitama had both the confidence and the foundation. Given sufficient time, becoming the strongest existence on the continent of Teyvat was by no means impossible.
"Buzz—!!!"
The Seven Thunder of Retribution: Narukami in Futsu Mitama's hand erupted with dazzling purple lightning. He fixed his gaze upon Aila's coordinates, his tone resolute. "Wait for me, Aila."
The Musou no Hitotachi was unleashed in an instant, and the space before him shattered like glass.
"Swish—!"
Futsu Mitama stepped directly into the fractured space ahead. Behind him, the Chakra Desiderata manifested even more vividly, lightning flickering within his eyes.
No matter what enemies lay ahead, he would carve his way through them.
As for the rules of this space? What rules?
Rules were meant to be broken!!!
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