"Wow, this space is huge," Angie remarked as they arrived at Scaramouche's location. "How big of a hole did they dig under Sumeru?"
"Eek! It's Scaramouche!" Paimon exclaimed in alarm.
In the center of the vast chamber, Scaramouche floated within the open head of the colossal God of Justice, multiple tubes connected to his back. His eyes were closed in peaceful repose.
Nahida stepped forward, past the others, and extended her hand, unleashing the Dendro Archon's authority.
Sensing this power, Scaramouche's eyes snapped open. The sudden burst of energy sent everyone reeling backward.
Scaramouche spread his arms wide, as if welcoming a new world.
"...This world... is so eager for my birth."
"I remember you all—the God of Wisdom, Buer, the Traveler, and... my two former foolish colleagues..."
Angie: "..."
Paimon clenched her tiny fists, visibly nervous. "H-Has he become omniscient and omnipotent like Greater Lord Rukkhadevata now?"
Nahida: "No. I don't sense any divinity similar to Greater Lord Rukkhadevata within him. It seems the Sages haven't had time to inject the Canned Knowledge of the Divine yet."
Tartaglia spoke casually, "Don't worry, buddy. Just the way he's addressing us proves he's still the same old Scaramouche."
Nahida countered, "But there's no doubt he's now a genuine god."
Tartaglia cleared his throat. "At least his temperament remains Scaramouche's."
Scaramouche gazed down from his towering position. "Heh, 'Scaramouche'? That's an ancient moniker to me now. When my spirit ascended to godhood, it felt like I had lived through eons equal to the cosmos itself. Looking back from this divine perspective, the being called Kunikuzushi appears so insignificant, so wretched..."
Scaramouche's form merged into the Shouki no Kami's head, his consciousness becoming one with the colossal machine.
Chen Xiyao's screen displayed the Shouki no Kami, accompanied by an explanation: "Shouki no Kami, the Prodigal—Everlasting Lord of Arcane Wisdom!"
"Whoa, this giant machine is kinda cool-looking! But why's it only got an upper half?"
The comment section buzzed with excitement.
[Here it comes—the Fatui's first internal war!]
[Did you notice? Scaramouche didn't appear in the "A Winter Night's Lazzo" trailer. Could he die in this battle?]
[Maybe they just ran out of time to include him.]
[Speaking of which, Angie's strength is about the same as Qingge's, right? I'm really looking forward to seeing her fight this Shouki no Kami!]
[Tartaglia, unleash your Foul Legacy Transformation! Hurry, don your Demon King Armor!]
Inside the Joururi Workshop:
"This oppressive aura... it's definitely Archon-level," Paimon remarked, already preparing to hide behind Angie.
"His body, embodying the ultimate concept of Scaramouche as a mechanical puppet, continuously supplied with energy from the Gnosis... I wonder how much effort the Akademiya and the Sages contributed to this creation?" Nahida mused. "From a purely technological standpoint, it's truly commendable—a crystallization of human ingenuity."
"You're still thinking about that, Nahida?" Paimon exclaimed.
"However," Nahida continued, echoing Childe's earlier observation, "from a spiritual perspective, I don't believe he has attained the heights of a true god."
"Every god born into this world, every Gnosis, bears the inscription of 'conflict.' Can't you feel the surging power, the exhilaration that arises from the depths of my being?" the Everlasting Lord of Arcane Wisdom declared.
"Nahida would never share your twisted sentiments!" Paimon stomped her tiny foot in anger, but the voice on the other end seemed even more furious.
"Do you realize... you're interrupting a conversation between gods? Insolent creature, know your place!"
Terrified, Paimon stumbled backward, colliding into Angie's arms.
Angie patted the little one to comfort her, then said, "Enough with the idle chatter. It's time to fight."
The Everlasting Lord of Arcane Wisdom sneered, "And you too! Have some self-awareness! Just because you used to be my colleague doesn't mean you're my equal now. You're still not worthy!"
Angie said nothing, silently drawing her longsword.
Nahida: "The conflict etched upon the Gnosis... Could you be referring to the Archon War? The current stability of Teyvat was hard-won. I didn't personally participate in the Archon War, but in my view... it was nothing more than a pointless waste driven by the principles. What's the point of bringing it up again?"
The Everlasting Lord of Arcane Wisdom: "Heh... Is that so? I, on the other hand, deeply regret missing the true Archon War. It's the first time I've ever encountered a god who doesn't crave power.
"But you should know that wisdom alone cannot solve every problem. Right now, your only choice is to fight me.
"Come... Recreate a fragment of the Archon War here, and justify my birth as a god!"
Hearing Scaramouche's words, Lumine felt a nameless rage rising within her.
"A mere fragment of the Archon War? Why not try Liyue during the Lantern Rite?"
Mondstadt and Liyue—she had already lost two of her closest friends because of these powerful beings. The Archon War was no mere fable; the cost had been immeasurable.
Angie's expression suddenly shifted, her anger replaced by astonishment, her eyes widening in disbelief.
Scaramouche prided himself on understanding Angie to some extent. What could possibly surprise her this much...?
"The Electro Archon? What's she doing here?"
"What?! Beelzebul?!"
Hearing the name of the Electro Archon, Scaramouche whirled around, only to find nothing. He immediately realized he'd been tricked. Before he could fully turn back, a Frost Claymore plunged toward his head.
The blow landed squarely on the back of his skull, leaving him reeling. He lunged to seize Angie, but she had anticipated his move and leaped away.
"So, you resort to ambushes too!"
Another Zero-Frame start? These damned people!
For some reason, this scene felt oddly familiar to Scaramouche. Moreover, even if it had been Angie's full-force strike, striking him defenseless on the back of his head, it shouldn't have hurt this much.
There was no time to ponder further; the battle had already begun.
Nahida and Paimon retreated to the rear, while Angie, Lumine, and Tartaglia charged toward the first-stage Shouki no Kami, the Prodigal.
Lumine, nimble and agile, dodged several of Shouki no Kami's attacks before leaping onto its head and slashing down with her sword.
Shouki no Kami's right arm crackled with Electro energy as it swung a fist toward Lumine.
Lumine's sword slash was blocked by the Prodigal's fist, but the residual force still slammed into her.
"Retreat, comrades!" Tartaglia roared, activating his Foul Legacy Transformation. He braced his spear horizontally to block Shouki no Kami's fist.
The Prodigal wrapped its four arms around itself, while its remaining four limbs unleashed a barrage of Electro bolts downward, forcing the trio into desperate evasive maneuvers.
Angie seized the opportunity to unleash a powerful strike aimed at the back of the Prodigal's head, her target never wavering.