"One punch to end it? That's no fun at all—there'd be no room for showing off!"
Ryen rubbed his chin thoughtfully, eyes narrowing in serious contemplation.
"If it were up to me," he began, "the best version would be this: Zhongli and the others can't defeat Azhdaha. They're pushed to their limits, on the verge of being completely overpowered…"
"Then suddenly, Zhongli brings up their shared past. The last trace of goodness in Azhdaha's heart awakens."
"Azhdaha regains control for a moment—and asks Zhongli to kill him himself. It's tragic, emotional, and beautifully dramatic."
"This chapter's title would be 'Zhongli's Tearful Strike — The Fall of Azhdaha!'"
Hu Tao rolled her eyes and groaned,
"What kind of twisted script is that? Come on—Zhongli, Venti, and the Cryo Archon together? Even if Azhdaha hadn't weakened, he'd still be doomed!"
"This is art!" Ryen shot back indignantly.
"Or," he continued enthusiastically, "we could write it like this: Zhongli's group defeats Azhdaha. Azhdaha's conscience awakens. Zhongli can't bear to deliver the final blow, but Azhdaha accepts his fate and sacrifices himself to help Zhongli continue protecting Liyue."
"That's even worse!" Yae Miko sighed in exasperation.
Ryen looked genuinely shocked.
"You call that not artistic enough?!"
He slammed a hand into his palm dramatically.
"A real fight isn't just 'whoosh! bam! ouch!' and done! That's boring! True artistic combat needs verbal sparring!"
"That trope went out of style decades ago!" Miko retorted sharply.
"A fight without verbal battles—how's that even a real fight?"
Just as Ryen said that, three massive elemental projectiles hurtled toward them—each the size of a mountain.
If those hit anywhere in Teyvat, they could probably level half of Liyue Harbor.
Before anyone could panic, Ryen turned around impatiently and flicked his hand.
In an instant, a storm of pure energy erupted, dispersing the three elemental blasts like dust—
and the same wind sent Azhdaha himself flying, slamming straight into the walls of the domain.
The great dragon's head spun, his vision blurry.
Everyone stood frozen in shock. Zhongli and the others stared blankly at Ryen.
Ryen gave a sheepish laugh.
"Oops, my bad. You guys carry on—don't mind me."
Then, turning back to Miko with a perfectly serious expression, he said:
"Miko, you just don't understand the essence of light novels! Every battle needs special effects—tons of them! The more adjectives, the better!"
"And there has to be emotional dialogue and flashbacks—otherwise, where's the drama? The art?"
"And finally—either both sides reconcile with a handshake, or one dies beautifully for redemption. That's the only proper ending!"
Yae Miko glanced at the dazed Azhdaha stuck in the wall, then back at Ryen's completely earnest face.
She was silent for a long moment—then forced a faint, helpless smile.
"You're right…"
"In a way, you really do need all that flashy stuff…"
Ryen clapped his hands gleefully.
"See? I told you! My idea of battle is the most accurate!"
Yae Miko had no words for that.
But then, thinking about it—if the protagonists in her light novels were like Ryen,
who ended every battle with a single casual slap that sent enemies flying…
Well… there really wouldn't be much of a story to write, would there?
In a strange way, she suddenly understood why Ryen was so obsessed with "flashy" moves.
This guy's fights were all over in one hit—clean, effortless, and utterly lacking in suspense.
Sure, he was overwhelmingly strong… but it wasn't entertaining.
Once he threw a punch, the outcome was already decided.
No tension, no buildup, no drama.
If every light novel worked that way, what would be left to write about?
Ryen grinned and said cheerfully,
"How about this—let me be a consultant for Yae Publishing House! I can help train your writers."
"Trust me, back in my world I watched tons of anime"
"Whatever kind of battle style you want, I can describe it! I've mastered the art of verbal dueling too. I guarantee I can bring glorious change to Yae Publishing!"
Miko forced a polite smile and murmured softly,
"Let's… talk about that another time…"
"Look—Zhongli and the others are about to finish off Azhdaha!"
That immediately caught Ryen's attention.
He turned toward the battlefield—where, during Azhdaha's dazed confusion from being smacked into the wall, Venti and the Cryo Archon had combined forces to restrain him temporarily.
Zhongli had already placed the Totem of Undying upon him.
Now he stood before Azhdaha, spear in hand, gazing down with a complex expression.
Ryen clapped excitedly.
"Yes! That's the right setup! Next, Azhdaha should say, 'Morax… do you truly mean to kill me?!'"
"And then Zhongli replies, 'I'm sorry, my old friend… for the sake of the world, for Liyue—I must!' Then, tears in his eyes, he delivers the final blow!"
"At that very moment, Zhongli should recall their days of fighting side by side.
If this were an anime, now would be the perfect time for the flashback sequence!"
Ryen's eyes gleamed with a storyteller's passion as he clapped again—
But before he could continue, under everyone's watchful eyes, Zhongli suddenly drove his spear straight into Azhdaha's body.
A surge of divine energy erupted—Azhdaha froze for a split second—
And then…
Azhdaha exploded.
Ryen stood frozen in shock.
"…Wait—this isn't how it was supposed to go!"
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