Chapter 305

After the Harbinger was momentarily stunned, he quickly regained his senses.

At that moment, his expression darkened. He realized he was in serious trouble.

Seeing the golden chess piece drifting towards Takumi, Childe could no longer hold back.

"Demon King Armament, activate!"

In an instant, he surged forward, his form blurring as he reached for the Heart of God.

"How bold!!" Ningguang's sharp eyes gleamed as she witnessed his audacity.

Without hesitation, she grew furious.

At that moment, Keqing and Ganyu sprang into action.

Ganyu swiftly drew her Amos' Bow, locking onto Childe without hesitation, while Keqing lunged forward, her sword flashing.

Boom!

As Keqing's sword clashed with Childe's weapons, a powerful shockwave sent both of them skidding apart.

Immediately after, Ganyu's arrows rained down, aiming directly at Childe.

The Qianyan Army also reacted quickly, raising their spears and beginning their assault.

"Damn it!!"

The air was filled with the rapid exchange of attacks and the chaos of battle.

Hu Tao, Ayaka Kamari, and the others watching from afar were stunned.

"The Emperor is dead?!" Hu Tao gasped.

Only Yae Miko remained thoughtful.

"The Emperor is dead? Don't be ridiculous."

As someone who understood Morax well, she knew he wouldn't be killed so easily.

This was all just a staged performance.

Thinking of this, Yae Miko turned her gaze towards Takumi.

Noticing the glint of intrigue in Takumi's eyes, she became even more certain of her suspicion.

"Ah, the Emperor wants to use this opportunity to pass the mantle to Takumi," she mused internally.

Meanwhile, Hu Tao finally exploded in anger.

"Childe, how dare you attack the Emperor?! I misjudged you!"

Her fury was evident as she grabbed her polearm and charged forward.

At the same time, Xingqiu, Chongyun, and other Liyue figures possessing Visions also erupted with rage.

"Our Emperor was assassinated by the Fatui?!"

This was unacceptable.

Even Lumine rushed forward, driven by her own feelings for Liyue.

She had her own grudges against the Fatui, remembering how she had been toyed with by one of their operatives back in Mondstadt.

Now was the time for payback.

Realizing he was cornered, Childe cursed under his breath.

"Damn it!! This is a disaster!"

Everything had spiraled out of control.

Originally, he planned to take things slowly, but he never expected Morax to be assassinated—nor that Takumi would be named as the new Geo Archon.

Even worse, the Heart of God was drifting towards Takumi.

"This is ridiculous!"

Childe clenched his fists. The world seemed determined to work against him.

Realizing he had no other choice, he activated his Foul Legacy transformation.

"Tch! In that case..."

With a burst of energy, he unleashed his power, sending out a wave of hydro force that temporarily knocked back his pursuers.

Taking advantage of the moment, Childe bolted towards the Guyun Stone Forest.

However, Xingqiu and the others refused to let him escape so easily, immediately giving chase.

As the Qianyan Army prepared to pursue, Ningguang raised her hand.

"Halt!"

Her commanding voice stopped them in their tracks.

"Cease pursuit. Evacuate the citizens immediately."

Then she turned to Takumi.

"Lord Takumi, please give your orders!"

At her words, everyone turned to look at Takumi.

With Morax's declaration, he was now the Second Geo Archon.

Even Ganyu and Keqing saluted him in acknowledgment.

Seeing their expectant expressions, Takumi felt both exasperated and trapped.

"A bunch of old actors…" he muttered under his breath.

Nonetheless, he made his decision.

"From this moment on, prioritize the evacuation of coastal residents!"

"Deploy the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Fleets! Head to Guyun Stone Forest to engage the enemy!"

Takumi's voice, infused with the power of the Heart of God, echoed throughout Liyue Harbor.

Hearing this, the people of Liyue were shocked.

This power… was it not the Emperor's?

Even Childe, while fleeing, was bewildered.

Glancing at the chess piece in his hand, he frowned.

"No… isn't the Heart of God in my hands?"

"Then why does Takumi still have access to its power?!"

However, there was no time to think about it.

Xingqiu and the others were still hot on his trail.

Zhongli, who was observing from the shadows, chuckled.

Beside him, Venti sighed.

"Morax, are you sure about this? Takumi doesn't even know your full plan, and you just forced him into the position of Geo Archon."

The bard shook his head in amusement.

"You're playing quite the game here."

Zhongli remained calm.

"I have faith in him."

"Although he comes from another world, he has already become a part of Liyue."

"If I retire, someone must take the mantle of the Rock God."

"And he is the best candidate."

He had carefully considered this decision.

If he stepped down, the position of Liyue's Archon couldn't remain vacant.

Takumi had done enough for Liyue to gain the people's trust.

Thus, Zhongli had discussed this plan with Ningguang, who fully supported his decision.

Of course, they hadn't told Takumi in advance, fearing he might reject the role outright.

After a moment, Zhongli turned his gaze toward the sea.

"Now, we watch their performance."

At that moment, the waters of Guyun Stone Forest churned violently.

Even those in Guili Plains could sense the disturbance.

Meanwhile, emergency broadcasts echoed throughout Liyue.

The horns placed around the city blared urgent announcements.

Baiwen's distressed voice resounded across the region.

"Breaking news! Urgent broadcast! The Emperor has been assassinated!"

The entire Liyue was shaken to its core.

Even Mondstadt, upon hearing the news, was left in utter shock.

"What on earth is happening?!"