After a long while, Yae Miko finally regained her senses.
She looked at Qiu Nian, confusion lingering in her beautiful eyes.
"…You're not going to kill me?"
—
"Why would I kill you?"
Qiu Nian smiled faintly.
"Since you know what I did three thousand five hundred years ago…"
"Think carefully."
"Have I ever harmed anyone who wasn't a god?"
—
Yae Miko fell silent.
She began recalling everything she knew.
…It was true.
Though that "God-Slayer" had massacred countless gods in Inazuma—
He had never once harmed ordinary beings.
—
"Then what about Morax… and Ganyu?"
She asked cautiously.
—
"Morax is an old friend of mine."
"He never fell. He merely staged his death during the Osial incident."
"As for Ganyu—"
"How could I possibly harm her?"
Qiu Nian chuckled softly.
"If you don't believe me…"
"Take a trip to Liyue when you have time."
—
"…A staged death…"
Yae Miko murmured, deep in thought.
—
"But there's something I'm curious about."
Qiu Nian looked at her.
"Even Beelzebul herself might not recognize me."
"So how did you?"
—
Yae Miko exhaled slowly.
"…Back in the early days before the Archon War truly began…"
"You emerged from the depths of the sea…"
"And slaughtered your way across gods—until you reached Inazuma."
—
"After arriving in Inazuma, you continued your slaughter."
"One of the gods, before dying, shattered their authority into more than ten fragments…"
"And left behind a message."
—
"The fragments were tainted by your power."
"So whenever you approached a region…"
"They would react."
"And warn the other gods."
—
"That's why…"
"All the gods of Inazuma gathered together to resist you."
—
"…I see."
Qiu Nian placed a hand on his chin.
A faint frown appeared.
So that was the reason.
—
Back then—
He had always wondered.
Why every time he neared one god's territory—
Others would arrive to intercept him.
—
The Archon War descended from the heavens three thousand years ago.
But what he triggered—
Was five hundred years before that.
At that time—
Gods were still relatively… harmonious.
—
"…How ironic."
"The same gods who once united to resist me…"
"Later slaughtered each other for the Seven Seats."
—
Yae Miko shook her head slightly.
"Perhaps that's just what happens when there's a common enemy."
"With your strength back then…"
"No single god could have opposed you."
—
…No single god?
—
Was that really true?
—
Ancient records told a different story.
Eight gods of Inazuma once joined forces—
And barely repelled him.
But the second time—
Four died.
Four fled.
Two were slain in the sea itself.
Even now—
Their massive remains still linger beneath the waves.
—
"…Haha."
"But now, I've been gravely wounded."
"I doubt I could even defeat a single god."
Qiu Nian smiled lightly.
—
"…Gravely wounded?"
Yae Miko froze.
—
This… is "wounded"?
He had just taken her full-powered attack—
Without a scratch.
—
"…There's something else."
Qiu Nian continued.
"If those fragments react when I enter a region…"
"Then why did it take you so long to notice me in the city?"
—
"That fragment has existed for three thousand five hundred years."
"The fact that it can still react at all… is already remarkable."
"As for the others—"
"They've long been lost to time."
—
She raised her hand.
A broken bone fragment appeared—
Faintly glowing with a reddish hue.
—
"This one… was given to Lady Saiguu."
"And eventually…"
"It came into my possession."
—
"…The previous Electro Archon…"
Qiu Nian murmured thoughtfully.
—
Three thousand five hundred years ago—
He had never encountered Baal.
Nor Orobashi.
—
Baal likely hadn't yet risen.
And Orobashi…
Must have come to Inazuma later.
—
"…Why?"
Yae Miko suddenly asked.
"Why did you slaughter the gods?"
—
Qiu Nian fell silent.
He turned away—
Walking a few steps forward.
—
He looked into the distance.
—
His thoughts—
Drifted back three thousand five hundred years.
—
This world…
Compared to the one in the "story"…
What had changed?
—
Nothing.
—
The Seven were still the Seven.
—
Without him—
Those gods he slew might have fled to the Dark Sea.
Or been killed by others.
Or perhaps…
Some would have survived into the present.
—
But his own ending…
Would not have changed.
—
His hand clenched.
Then slowly—
Loosened.
—
"…Their deaths…"
"…were not meaningless."
—
He spoke quietly.
Without turning back.
—
Yae Miko looked at his back.
For the first time—
She felt something she couldn't quite describe.
—
Not madness.
Not cruelty.
—
But…
A weight of time.
—
A kind of ancient loneliness.
—
She still didn't understand his answer.
—
But at least now—
She knew one thing.
—
The man before her—
Was nothing like the legend.
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