EBE Chapter 731 - 731: 731: The Vanguard from the Abyss
Chapter 731 - 731: 731: The Vanguard from the Abyss
"Exactly, a liaison force," Ryen said with a nod, a faint smile playing on his lips."The Lantern Rite Bedwars tournament is an annual tradition, and an event of this scale deserves a full assembly. Everyone has worked tirelessly this past year; it wouldn't be right to force half the world to sit outside in the gallery as spectators during the real showcase."
"If there's a way to get everyone on the board, we should take it. If we wait until next year, heaven only knows how many new factions will have integrated into the system by then."
He leaned forward, tapping the map. "Liyue's Adeptal roster is simply too massive. If they deploy their full strength, the playing field loses its integrity. Look at Snezhnaya, even with their full focus, they can only muster four combatants of that tier."
Hearing his words, the Tsaritsa and her remaining Harbingers lowered their eyes, a quiet weight settling over their benches.
"Which is why," Ryen summarized, "bringing in an external reinforcement pool is the logical path forward."
No one voiced a dissent. Even the Liyue delegation remained silent, offering quiet nods of agreement.
In truth, with Zhongli and the core leadership involved, Liyue had already enjoyed a massive head start. If the regulations permitted a total deployment, the Adeptal assembly alone would field over thirty veterans, at least a dozen of whom operated at the absolute peak of martial comprehension.
Figures like Madame Ping were forces of nature, whose raw martial intent could only be reliably checked by individuals like Zhongli or Ei. If a line of that caliber marched together, the other four nations combined wouldn't possess the leverage to halt their advance.
An unfair contest carried no value for anyone involved.
Furthermore, even under perfectly balanced conditions, the Millelith didn't believe they could lose. They had spent millennia navigating the crucible of the Archon War when the plains of Liyue were crawling with hostile gods. If they could carve a nation out of a landscape populated by dozens of independent deities, they had no reason to fear the armies of the four nations. Even with Zhongli legally bound to the base as a status beacon, Liyue still possessed Azhdaha, Xiao, and the rest of the mountain lords.
"An external reinforcement pool... what does that look like in practice?" Nilou asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.
Ryen turned his head, his gaze landing squarely on Aether.
The Traveler's posture straightened instantly, an intense, focused light kindling in his eyes as the implication took hold.
Ryen chuckled softly. "If we're looking for a faction with a deep roster of seasoned veterans and raw physical output capable of filling those slots, Khaenri'ah is the obvious choice."
"They aren't officially registered to compete as an independent nation this season, but that doesn't mean their people lack teeth."
"As a historical empire built entirely on iron and blood, their tactical instincts are second to none. Furthermore, Aether, if my memory serves, your Abyss Order commands a significant number of specialized Abyss Lectors, alongside several Iniquitous Baptists whose raw output can match high-tier elemental beasts."
Aether nodded, a look of distinct pride settled over his features. "Naturally. The Iniquitous Baptists represent the absolute pinnacle of our combat vanguard outside of my own position. To say their destructive capacity matches that of an Archon's primary familiar is a fair assessment."
"Additionally, the Order maintains a stable of Abyss Heralds who excel in close-quarters blade metrics, supplemented by Lectors who control long-range elemental suppressions. The elite units among them are fully capable of trading blows with Adepti."
"By a conservative estimate, I can field several hundred combatants of that caliber."
Aether gestured broadly. "Even within this world, stripped of their connection to the terrestrial ley lines, their raw physical conditioning translates perfectly into high-tier combat metrics here. Khaenri'ah was shaped by the laws of total war; every citizen understands the geometry of a battlefield. If they are deployed strictly as tactical reinforcements to equalize the numbers, they will perform flawlessly."
Ryen clapped his hands together. "Then the matter is settled. Khaenri'ah will serve as the universal auxiliary force, ensuring each participating nation maintains an identical count of elite-tier combatants. It keeps the tournament clean."
The room fell into deep, calculating silence as the commanders weighed the math.
Aether shifted in his seat, his voice cutting through the quiet. "I will also be entering the field personally. Unlike Zhongli or Venti, I don't possess a large-scale structural buff to anchor a base, but my memory recovery has progressed significantly further than my sister's current metrics. My martial comprehension has firmly stabilized at the level of true intent."
That statement caught the room's attention.
No one questioned the Traveler's baseline capacity. A traveler of the star ocean who had begun to reclaim his ancient memories would be a terrifying force on the front lines.
The Tsaritsa didn't hesitate. Her invitation was immediate and sharp. "In that case, would you consider aligning your personal deployment with Snezhnaya?"
Aether didn't care about the relative strength of the Fatui ranks; his only priority was securing an active slot on the board. He was entirely confident that with his personal leadership and a detachment of his own veterans, Snezhnaya's final placement would be secure.
He nodded once. "Agreed."
"Wait a moment," Diluc interrupted, his brow furrowed as he leaned over the table. "If Aether aligns with Snezhnaya, where does that leave the rest of us? Mondstadt's elite count remains significantly below Liyue's baseline."
"That is easily resolved," Aether said, waving a dismissive hand. He turned to his lieutenant. "Enid, return to the staging grounds. Recall all active Iniquitous Baptists and select the most disciplined cohorts among the Lectors and Heralds."
"Have them shed their corrupted visages to assume their human forms, then distribute them among the remaining national rosters to fill their vacancies."
Enid's face lit up with a raw, unbridled excitement as she bowed.
As a survivor of Khaenri'ah's military elite, watching the five nations lock blades during the exhibition had triggered a fierce restlessness in her blood. The opportunity to enter the arena ahead of schedule and display the old martial lineage of her kingdom was a prize she wasn't about to waste.
"Hold on," Venti said, his eyes narrowing as he looked across the table at Aether. "There's a glaring logical flaw here. If these Khaenri'ah veterans enter our ranks while their Prince is leading a rival nation, what's stopping them from intentionally throwing matches or feeding intelligence to secure your victory? They would make the ultimate sleeper agents."
Aether let out a short, mocking scoff. "You are free to question our current resources, Bard, but you will not question the military code of Khaenri'ah."
"When it comes to the execution of a war, our people treat the discipline with absolute sanctity."
"The moment a citizen is assigned to a national roster, they answer to that command structure for the duration of the engagement. We achieve victory through raw metrics, not through low-tier subterfuge or broken matches. Such methods are beneath us."
"Once they cross that threshold, they look at the opposing line and see only targets, even if that target is me. That is the fundamental conviction drilled into the bone of every child of the eclipse."
Enid and the surrounding Khaenri'ah attendants raised their heads, their expressions rigid with pride. Aether spoke the absolute truth. If they were assigned as auxiliaries to Mondstadt or Inazuma, they would target Aether himself without a single breath of hesitation. To do otherwise would be an insult to his strength and a violation of their own honor.
On a battlefield, there were no princes, no bloodlines, and no history. There was only the objective and the entity standing between you and its completion.
"Lord Venti need not concern himself with such whispers," Enid stated coldly. "The moment we take the oath as your auxiliaries, we will employ every asset at our disposal to eliminate the Prince should he cross our vanguard. To offer anything less would be an act of supreme disrespect to his station."
"Within the arena, a Khaenri'ah soldier sees only the target. Private sentiment does not exist. I give you my solemn word: if any auxiliary displays a divided loyalty on the field, our internal tribunal will execute the judgment before the match concludes. Such an act violates the foundational laws of our state."
Aether nodded, and to ensure the other nations fully accepted the arrangement, he added a final incentive. "I will place an internal wager to guarantee their performance. Any Khaenri'ah auxiliary who secures a championship placement for their assigned nation while delivering a critical tactical contribution will be granted the hereditary governorship of the second city established upon our reclamation."
The atmosphere among the Khaenri'ah attendants shifted instantly.
The raw martial energy in the room spiked. Attendants who had been standing shoulder-to-shoulder in perfect unity a second before now cut their eyes toward one another, their postures stiffening with sudden, fierce rivalry.
The first city of the restored kingdom would inevitably be the capital, administered by Aether himself, that was an established reality. But the governance of the second territory represented absolute historical honor and concrete political authority. To an immortal god, such things were trivial, but to humanity, the pursuit of legacy and power was the ultimate driver.
Sensing the sudden, icy tension rippling through the Khaenri'ah ranks, Venti let out a dry laugh. He didn't fully comprehend their internal politics, but the raw hunger in Enid's eyes was enough to satisfy his tactical doubts.
"There remains one detailed operational constraint," Alhaitham noted quietly. "Your people have only recently integrated into this world. They lack an intuitive grasp of the unique mechanical constraints, the building, the spatial limits, the physics."
"You don't need to worry about their comprehension," Aether replied. "They will be instructed to defer entirely to your strategic command. Think of them as high-output executors; your leaders will remain the architects of the strategy. I assure you, if your scribes determine that a suicidal frontal assault is the mathematically optimal path to victory, a Khaenri'ah soldier will leap into the void without a single backward glance."
The description left a slightly bizarre impression on the room. A cohort of flawless, high-grade muscle. But looking at the numbers, having such an asset attached to their commands was an undeniable boon.
Ryen smiled, leaning back in his chair. "I didn't foresee Khaenri'ah acting as an international mercenary guild before their foundations are even laid, but the arrangement works."
He clapped his hands, concluding the session. "Then the framework is fixed. The numbers will be balanced across all fronts."
"Upon adjournment, Aether, see to the distribution of your forces. Bring the cohorts into the training grounds early so the nations can begin integration and mechanical drill."
Aether nodded, thoroughly satisfied with the outcome.
To his side, Lumine had watched his entire self-marketing sequence with a thin, mocking smile. She let out a light laugh as he finished his notes. "So, the Prince has officially committed to Snezhnaya's line?"
Ryen shrugged. "That's the agreement."
"Perfect!"
Lumine threw her chin up, her voice ringing with clear, malicious intent. "I'm registering with Mondstadt. I don't care about the rest of the board, the moment the gate opens, I am hunting Aether down."
Aether cast a flat, unbothered glance at his sister. He had fully anticipated her reaction; she had spent the entire season looking for opportunities to disrupt his plans. But it suited his purposes perfectly.
Lumine had spent the last few months running wild under Ryen's protection, and it was time to re-establish the traditional family hierarchy. If he didn't deliver a decisive correction on the field, she was going to forget who the elder sibling was.
He looked her dead in the eye, his voice dropping into a calm, chilling register. "You will suffer an exceptional execution..."
"Hah? Big talk! We'll see who's begging for mercy when I have you pinned to a wool block. You'd better start hoovering up every Totem of Undying you can beg from Liyue; you're going to burn through your inventory in the first five minutes."
"A verbal exchange carries no structural weight, sister. Try to preserve your saturation; it would be a shame if you starved out before I can properly clear your health bar."
"Please! I'm going to personally dismantle your structural integrity, crack your skull open, and feed the remains to the wolves of Wolvendom!"
The two glided their glares into a fierce, unyielding locking of eyes, the raw intent of their rivalry charging the air between them.
The surrounding delegates looked on with a mixture of amusement and mild horror. To an outside observer, it was impossible to discern any trace of familial bond between the two; they looked like ancient enemies locked in a blood feud.
Ever since the introduction of the Totem of Undying, Lumine had abandoned all pretense of restraint. She routinely targeted Aether with high-yield TNT arrays and heavy automatic fire during their private skirmishes, finishing him off the moment an opening materialized. The second his totem shattered in a flash of gold, she would simply hand him a fresh one with a bright, cheerful smile before tracking him down to start the process over again.
And Aether repaid the courtesy in full. Their constant domestic wars had already consumed dozens of high-tier totems.
It perfectly illustrated Ryen's frequent observation: Once you remove the structural reality of permanent death from an equation, siblings become the single greatest threat to your physical well-being.
For reasons he couldn't quite define, Ayato suddenly felt a cold sweat breaking out along the nape of his neck.
He looked out of the corner of his eye, noticing that Ayaka was watching Lumine's fiery declaration with a look of distinct, quiet fascination. A drop of cold perspiration rolled down his temple. His sister was a model of perfect grace and clan discipline; it was absolutely vital that she stay as far away from Lumine's behavioral influence as humanly possible.
He had zero desire to spend his remaining years checking his hallways for tripwires and TNT blocks because his sister had decided to "evolve" their family dynamic.