The frontline fighters in this defensive battle were three Yakshas: Bosacius, Menogias, and Alatus.
Their primary task was to draw Osial's attention and buy enough time for the Guizhong Ballistas to charge. In simpler terms, they were the bait.
Since Tartaglia had forcefully dragged Osial out of his seal at Guyun Stone Forest, the god hadn't had time to fully recover.
Thankfully, Osial wasn't at full power, so the three Yakshas could still hold their own.
Still, it was best not to get too close. Even a weakened god was extremely dangerous to adepti.
As for Bonanus and Indarias, Bosacius had stationed them on the Jade Chamber, ready to provide support, backup, and long-range assistance.
He had his reasons. It was just a big brother looking out for his little sisters.
Even though Bonanus and Indarias were no pushovers, Bosacius didn't want them taking unnecessary risks. That's why he kept them on the Jade Chamber.
Ganyu was also on support duty. If needed, she would use her Qilin blood to heal the three Yakshas fighting the god head-on.
The main attackers were the three adepti controlling the Guizhong Ballistas. They would focus all their power on dealing a heavy blow to Osial and forcing him back into his seal beneath Guyun Stone Forest.
Granny Ping would adapt as needed. If things went wrong, she would step in.
And finally, there were the outlander traveler, the Qixing, and the Millelith soldiers brought up on floating stones.
Their role was simply to protect the formation. They had no effective means of fighting a god.
The battle began!
The three lead Yakshas on the Jade Chamber swept their hands across their faces.
In an instant, fierce masks appeared on their faces.
They leaped forward. Bosacius and Menogias landed on the water, their adepti energy radiating outward, but without the killing intent of the battlefield.
Perhaps the reduced karmic debt had made the Yakshas stronger. Bosacius's four hands now held two greatswords and a spear.
Menogias's right hand held a sharp shard of rock, his left hand behind his back as he charged toward Osial alongside Bosacius.
Alatus advanced using the rocky outcrops in the sea. If you looked closely, you could see his Primordial Jade Winged-Spear in his right hand and a stack of talismans in his left.
These were highly offensive elemental talismans, carried by all the Yakshas and crafted by Menogias.
Osial wasn't about to just stand there and watch as three Yakshas closed in.
He roared, and his five heads reared up, unleashing devastating elemental orbs.
They screamed through the air toward the three Yakshas.
BOOM! CRASH!
The orbs struck rocks and water, exploding violently.
The shockwaves sent waves crashing against Liyue's harbor.
Osial's attacks were fast and powerful, but the agile Yakshas dodged and weaved, making sure not to get hit.
Soon, the three reached striking distance.
At that moment, Menogias clapped his hands together. A massive golden formation appeared above Osial's head.
It was larger and stronger than the one Ningguang had used earlier.
Osial raised his five heads to break the formation, but Bosacius wouldn't let him.
Multiple giant Electro hands appeared before him.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The Electro hands punched Osial like a boxer, each blow sparking with lightning.
No one knew how much damage they were doing, but they were enough to momentarily stun him.
DING!
Bosacius's attack gave Menogias's formation time to activate. A deafening chime rang out as the formation erupted with blinding light.
A massive, translucent bell enveloped Osial. This was a new formation Menogias had created in this peaceful era.
Its first form was [Trapping Bell].
It trapped the enemy, disrupted their mind, slowed their attacks, weakened their power, and boosted the caster's strength.
The second form was [Spear of Geo's Wrath].
Seeing the formation succeed, Menogias roared:
"With the fury of Geo's spears, strike down the evil!"
As he spoke, countless Geo spears materialized from the formation and rained down on Osial.
Bosacius and Alatus shouted in unison.
"Thunder! Manifest! Primordial War God!"
Bosacius was surrounded by purple light. Soon, a massive purple figure appeared behind him.
It looked like a seasoned war god, fierce and imposing, with four arms each wielding a weapon.
The Primordial War God swung at Osial with such force that it seemed ready to sever all five of the serpent god's heads.
"Evil be gone! Wind that sweeps the clouds!"
Alatus hurled his Primordial Jade Winged-Spear with all his might. The spear flew with devastating force, surrounded by a massive tornado.
The wind and rain twisted together, as if even space itself could be warped by the attack.
Even Bonanus on the Jade Chamber could feel the power of the wind.
She was stunned. This wasn't just distraction. The three of them were practically beating Osial into the ground.
When had they gotten so strong? Had they been training behind her back? Damn tryhards.
She glanced at the three Guizhong Ballistas still charging.
Did they even need these things anymore?
"Wow! They're so strong!" Paimon said excitedly.
It looked like the three adepti alone could handle this god. So this was what a god was like? Not that impressive.
"No. The battle isn't over yet." Indarias said without turning.
Paimon was confused. From what she could see, three powerful adepti were fighting a weakened god. The advantage was clearly on their side.
"Why not, Indarias?" Bonanus asked, just as curious.
"Are you getting dumber? What's going on in that head of yours?" Indarias smacked Bonanus's head. Her little sister was getting slow.
"Get ready for support. Menogias is running out of steam. His stamina and elemental energy are draining fast."
Ganyu explained. Fighting a god required everything they had, and the price was rapid depletion.
Bonanus frowned and looked toward Menogias, but the battlefield was too chaotic to see clearly.
"The formation's power is fading."
Lumine narrowed her eyes. Even with the rain blurring her vision, she could see the formation flickering.
...
Back on the Water
The ferocious onslaught seemed capable of tearing everything apart. But gods weren't so easily defeated.
As the formation's power waned, Osial seized the moment. He gathered his strength and struck the formation with a massive blast.
The formation, still raining spears, began to crack and slowly dissipate.
"Cough!" Menogias spat blood the moment the formation broke. He quickly retreated from the battlefield.
ROOOAR!
Osial roared in fury, as if unleashing all his power.
Even though Bosacius kept his distance, Osial's five heads managed to bite down on his manifested form.
With a deafening explosion, Osial fired something like a laser from his mouth. It detonated directly on Bosacius's avatar.
The massive war god shattered in an instant.
Alatus's thrown spear was scattered by the blast's shockwave. Before he could react—
BOOM!
Another elemental orb struck the rock he was standing on. The usually swift adeptus didn't dodge in time.
The young adeptus was sent flying. His vision went dark, and his consciousness began to fade.
No one expected this. The Conqueror of Demons, known for his speed, had been hit.
"Alatus!" Bonanus's eyes went wide. She couldn't hold back her shout.
At that same moment, the Fatui had used some means to board the platform. Their target was clear: destroy the Guizhong Ballistas.
Looking at the approaching enemies, then at Alatus falling from the sky, Bonanus gritted her teeth and dove toward him.
Damn butterfly effect! Alatus, please don't die!