Chapter 210: It Won't Hurt to Try
Zhongli stood silently just outside the swirling energies of the array, his golden eyes reflecting the incredibly fierce battle raging within. A faint, draconic glow flickered in their depths as he observed the chaos.
He raised a hand, his voice echoing not in the air, but across the dimensions of the chat group.
[Genshin Impact · Zhongli]: "@All members. It seems Nikador's soul has converged within the divine body at the Suspended Edge Colosseum. His power has increased dramatically. Phainon and Mydei may not be able to hold on much longer. I request immediate assistance."
At that moment, the teams in the other three battlefields had already finished their work. The 'empty shells' they had been fighting were now little more than inert stone statues, allowing the group a precious moment to rest and recover.
Zhongli's message was the signal. Without a word, they sprang into action.
One by one, figures materialized in flashes of light on the outskirts of the Suspended Edge Colosseum, arriving via the Domain Anchor Stelle had planted earlier.
"Whoa! So this is what Nikador looks like when he's almost complete? The pressure is intense!" March 7th exclaimed, but the wide grin on her face betrayed her words. Her eyes sparkled not with fear, but with pure, unadulterated excitement.
Lumine and Paimon, floating beside her, wore far more solemn expressions.
"We're going too!" a new voice declared. Ling drew Hyōrinmaru from her waist, and the blade instantly radiated an aura of absolute zero. "This is a good chance to test it out."
"Exactly! My thoughts exactly!" March 7th chirped, eagerly drawing her own blade, Sode no Shirayuki. "A target this good is hard to come by! And..."
Her gaze flickered from the legendary Hyōrinmaru in Ling's hand to her own Zanpakutō, hailed as the most beautiful of its kind. A spark of friendly competition ignited between them.
"...Let's see whose ice is stronger!"
The two girls exchanged a knowing smile, a shared, unspoken challenge passing between them. In the next instant, they were gone, two blurs of motion vaulting into the arena. A biting, soul-deep chill immediately permeated the battlefield, intertwining with Nikador's wild, untamed energy and Mydei's crimson blood crystals.
The others—Dan Heng, Lumine, and Wise—wisely chose to hold the perimeter. The battlefield was already cramped, and four primary attackers were the absolute maximum. Any more would only lead to friendly fire and getting in each other's way. Their duty was clear: stand guard, watch for any unexpected developments, and provide support at a critical moment.
...
Meanwhile, in the Soulforging Zone.
The four fragments of the soul—Glory, Courage, Sacrifice, and Resilience—had finally and completely merged into the colossal, illusory outline hovering above the platform. The ambient energy had reached a terrifying crescendo, a storm on the verge of breaking.
Gnaeus stared blankly at the gradually solidifying figure, a being carefully and spiritually linked to his very essence. "It is time," he murmured, his voice hollow, "to end all of this."
Castorice couldn't help but ask, her voice trembling slightly, "Lord Gnaeus... you..."
Gnaeus's gaze hardened, becoming incredibly firm, resolute. "I will... return to the origin."
He spoke slowly, each word delivered with a chilling calm. "Once this final re-forging is complete... I will most likely be utterly eroded by the black tide and the madness that has accumulated over countless years."
He paused, his gaze falling upon Stelle and Castorice, stating his fate as if it were a foregone conclusion. "At that time, what you will face... will be a Titan of Strife with a complete soul and power restored to nearly its peak. And with that, the glory of god-slaying will finally bloom before you."
As if on cue, the complete soul phantom of Nikador above the ritual platform let out a silent, psychic roar. The pressure it exerted was so immense it felt as if the very air was turning to lead.
Gnaeus—the last vestige of 'Reason'—took a determined step toward the center of the light, preparing to complete his final fusion, his final sacrifice.
Castorice watched his resolute back, her eyes swimming with sorrow and a desperate reluctance. She opened her mouth, wanting to offer some words of comfort, of protest, but nothing came out.
Gnaeus seemed to sense her turmoil. His steps faltered for a fraction of a second, but he didn't turn back. His voice, when he spoke, was unusually calm, almost relieved. "Do not grieve for me. I am no mortal, but a part of a god."
"After eons of vigil and countless attempts, my mission is finally complete. This is not a tragedy, but a liberation."
He turned his head just enough for his peripheral vision to catch the young Chrysos Heir. "We have not known each other long, but I have seen many things in you—in all of you—that I never fully understood... So, before I go, allow me to teach you one last lesson."
His voice deepened, gaining a powerful, resonant quality, like a true mentor delivering a final admonition to his student. "Do not despise your talent. Do not hate death. The journey is great, the epic magnificent, precisely because all things must eventually pass away."
"It is the finite nature of the ending that gives meaning to the process of life, and value to the struggle. Accept your talent with equanimity, and wield it as a warrior wields his sword."
Just as Gnaeus was about to take the final step and merge completely into the light, Stelle finally snapped out of her stupor.
"Wait! Wait!" she shouted suddenly, her voice cutting through the somber atmosphere. "Maybe... maybe there's another way!"
Gnaeus froze, his movements halting as he turned to look at her, his expression one of pure confusion.
Stelle spoke in a rush, the words tumbling over one another. "Paimon! That little flying companion who came with us! She's really, really good at clearing up all sorts of messy pollution!"
"Why don't we let Paimon... uh, give Nikador an 'Optimization'?" she blurted out. "Maybe she can clear away all that black tide stuff!"
As it turned out, while Castorice and Gnaeus were having their heart-to-heart, Stelle hadn't been dazing off or lost in sentiment. Her uncharacteristic silence was because she had plunged her consciousness deep into the chat group, urgently pitching this very bold, very Stelle idea to Paimon.
[Honkai: Star Rail · Stelle]: "@Genshin Impact · Paimon Paimon! Emergency! Nikador's last shred of reason is about to sacrifice himself! Can you try using your Optimization Power to give this big guy a full-body tune-up?"
[Genshin Impact · Paimon]: "Eh?! improve... you want Paimon to improve Nikador?"
[Honkai: Star Rail · Stelle]: "It's fine! Just give it a shot! If it doesn't work, we'll figure something else out! We can't just stand here and watch a 'good person' fade away, right? Just think of it like we're helping that Ruta Dragon King again!"
[Genshin Impact · Paimon]: "O-Okay! Paimon will try! But Paimon can't guarantee it'll work! And Paimon needs to prepare a little, and get closer too... (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧"
[Genshin Impact · Lumine]: "Paimon, just do what you can. Please be careful."
In Stelle's mind, it was an opportunity that absolutely had to be taken. If it succeeded, everyone won. They could save both Gnaeus and Nikador.
If it failed... well, it would just return them to the original trajectory, ending the god's suffering. Either way, it was worth a shot.
Gnaeus, however, simply shook his head, his face etched with a weariness born from countless millennia of failure. "It is useless... Even the Titan's own power cannot resist the erosion of the black tide. How could the power of a mere mortal reverse a fate that even gods cannot overcome? I appreciate your good intentions, but..."
"Oh, why are you so stubborn!" Stelle interrupted, a flash of impatience in her eyes. "How do you know it won't work if you don't even try? The worst-case scenario is what you're already about to do! Trying won't cost you anything!"
Before Gnaeus could offer another retort, she was already in motion. She waved her hand decisively and shouted to the little creature hovering beside her. "Mimi! Help us out! Get us back to the Colosseum! Now! Immediately!"
"Mi!"
As if it understood her intent perfectly, Mimi's entire body erupted in a brilliant pink light. The glow connected with the ancient runes of the Soulforging Zone, creating a strange, harmonic hum.
An enigmatic power instantly enveloped Stelle, Castorice, and the still-stunned Gnaeus, who had no time to react.
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