Green vines firmly gripped the small purple sphere thrown by the Intellitron. Just as the vines tried to pull it back, dark matter from the other side of the rift began to erode them, creating a powerful suction force at the fissure.
The vines dissolved rapidly as if drenched in concentrated acid, disintegrating and being sucked into the rift.
Swish, swish, swish—
More vines snaked in from the distance, each new vine replacing the one that dissolved, but the rift's immense suction made it impossible for Rukkhadevata alone to retrieve the purple sphere.
"Morax!"
Morax conjured a wall of rock, positioning it between the rift and the purple sphere.
The rock wall crumbled under the rift's assault, but the brief delay allowed Rukkhadevata to reclaim the purple sphere.
At that moment, the Intellitron lunged behind Rukkhadevata, its massive iron fist swinging down to strike her.
"Bedrock Steadfastness."
Just before the Intellitron's fist struck, a golden-yellow shield materialized around Rukkhadevata. Immediately afterward, a Geo Spear pierced the air, lunging straight for the Intellitron.
The Intellitron swiftly dodged, the tip of the Geo Spear slicing past its throat.
Rukkhadevata retreated quickly, the purple orb now safely in her possession. Her primary mission was to protect this orb.
Without the orb—without the Pure Soul—the Intellitron was like a bandit without a hostage, facing War God Morax, who no longer needed to hold back.
The Intellitron glanced toward Rukkhadevata just as a Geo Spear crashed down overhead.
Clenching its fist, the Intellitron met the spear head-on with a powerful punch.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted, the shockwave blasting sand into the air and obliterating visibility.
The Intellitron was hurled backward, half its body sinking into the sand.
It wrenched itself free and charged toward Morax, its colossal frame tearing through the sandstorm. Its right fist, imbued with the force of ten thousand tons, struck straight for the God's crown. Even before the blow landed, the shockwave had already carved a ten-meter-deep ravine into the sandy sea.
Morax's robes fluttered gently as Geo Element energy coalesced in his palm, instantly materializing into a crystalline Geo Shield.
CLANG!
The Geo Shield shattered, having sacrificed itself to block the Intellitron's punch.
His right fist rebuffed, the Intellitron's left fist followed in swift succession. High-pressure air surged from the joints of its iron arm, increasing its speed by another 30 percent!
Morax inhaled deeply and sidestepped, narrowly evading the blow.
The Intellitron unleashed a storm of steel fists, each strike generating a sandstorm vortex.
Morax moved through the fist shadows like a golden dragon, striking the Intellitron's fist with his palm before retreating to land.
The instant his toes touched the ground, jagged rock spikes erupted from the sand!
The sharp rock peaks slammed into the Intellitron's chest armor, sending sparks cascading like a waterfall.
The Intellitron staggered backward, but its back armor suddenly unfolded into a diamond-shaped shield, forcefully blocking the rock spikes' piercing thrust.
Just as the Intellitron regained its balance, Morax descended like a falling star, his right foot wreathed in Geo Element divine runes. Like a Celestial Nail piercing the heavens, he viciously kicked the Intellitron's faceplate!
BOOM—!
The Intellitron was struck squarely by the kick, sending it flying backward for miles.
"Heavenly Principles' Drive!"
A colossal Planet Befall hurtled toward the Intellitron's crash site. This celestial body was even larger than the one Morax had used to subdue Azhdaha. Plunging from the sky, it resembled the end of the world.
Rukkhadevata swiftly activated her divine power to contain the shockwaves...
-
In the Desert, several kilometers from the battlefield...
Dehya was escorting a group of Scholars on an expedition when the shockwaves from Morax's battle with the Intellitron terrified them.
When they saw the massive Planet Befall hurtling down, Dehya's jaw nearly dropped open wide enough to swallow an egg!
"Quick, everyone! Take cover!"
Dehya led the Scholars into an abandoned building.
"Get down! Don't look up!"
Dehya threw herself over a female Scholar from Kshahrewar. After what felt like an eternity, when the tremors finally subsided, they dared to rise.
"W-what was that just now?!"
An elderly Scholar, his voice trembling with lingering fear, said, "That was the Geo Archon Morax's attack! What exactly is happening over there?!"
Dehya: "A battle between gods is something we mortals can't afford to even brush against. Let's get out of here. This place is no longer safe for research!"
Given the Planet Befall's destructive range and power, Dehya had been convinced they were doomed. She couldn't believe they'd survived.
It seemed someone—no, some god—had contained the energy from spreading.
Clinging to this newfound life was no small feat. Lingering so close to the battleground would be a death wish!
And Dehya had no intention of dying so soon!
Though the Scholars were disappointed, they valued their lives too much to protest. None refused to leave.
For mere mortals like them, approaching a divine battle meant certain death!
-
Jiang Mumu watched from within her spatial realm, her eyes wide and unblinking. Thank goodness I got back first, she thought. Otherwise... I really didn't want to experience death firsthand.
Honestly, the Abyss Faction I'm with is way better, she mused. Look at this—you die, you die, and that's it. No messy Abyss residue to clean up later.
Even though the Intellitron lost, it seemed to fight better than she did. When she was controlling it, all she knew was how to throw punches.
That makes no sense!
Each of the Intellitron's strikes carried tremendous force, while Morax resonated with the very earth, his attacks shaking heaven and earth with overwhelming power.
A massive crater had been blasted into the desert.
Too lazy to think about it further. The Intellitron is gone, and that's that. The real focus now is that rift.
-
In the Desert.
After obliterating the Intellitron, Morax noticed the rift hadn't vanished. He exchanged a glance with Rukkhadevata and cautiously approached it.
The closer they got, the stronger the rift's pull became.
Yet the greatest threat wasn't the suction, but the dark, foul aura emanating from within. This miasma caused Morax immense discomfort, immediately corrupting his spirit upon contact.
Forced to retreat swiftly, Morax warned, "Rukkhadevata, it's expanding!"
Rukkhadevata had discovered another critical, and potentially fatal, characteristic of the rift.
"Fall back," Morax ordered.
Once Rukkhadevata had retreated, Morax conjured Geo Crystals around the rift, attempting to seal it.
But the moment the crystals touched the rift, they were instantly sucked in, proving utterly ineffective.
"Planet Befall!"
Morax summoned another Planet Befall, aiming it directly at the rift.
Boom!
Another earth-shattering roar filled the air as yellow sand swirled into the sky, thick dust billowing across the landscape.
Yet when they looked back at the fissure, it remained unchanged.
"This..."
A gust of wind swept past as Barbatos materialized beside Morax. "Old Man, what's going on? Couldn't even handle two Planets Befall?"
Venti was accompanied by Ei, Neuvillette, Nahida, and Skirk.
Skirk's presence was entirely due to the All-Devouring Narwhal's impact on Fontaine. She intended to stay in Teyvat for some time and had no desire to antagonize the local gods.
Barbatos: "This fissure... did that guy open it?"
Rukkhadevata: "Yes, and it can't be closed. The aura emanating from within is... peculiar and dangerous."
Ei: "Does it lead to the Abyss?"
Skirk: "It is the Abyss, but there's more to it. I can sense that the being on the other side is incredibly dangerous... I've only felt this kind of dread once before, when facing my master."