"Rosalyne, when you were retrieving the Gnosis in Mondstadt, did you slap Barbatos?" Akio asked.
"Yes, he deserved it!" Rosalyne replied through gritted teeth.
After Rosalyne said this, both Raiden Makoto and Raiden Ei, as well as the other women present, looked at her with admiration.
Although the seemingly carefree Anemo Archon was always laughing and joking, he was one of the legitimate Seven Archons, a victor of the Archon War, and an ancient god. To think he had been slapped by La Signora? Raiden Makoto and Raiden Ei couldn't help but marvel at the so-called God of Freedom.
"Perhaps from the very beginning, Barbatos felt guilty toward you. Taking that slap was something he willingly accepted," Raiden Makoto said to Rosalyne.
"…" Rosalyne lowered her head and remained silent. After being forcefully subdued by Akio, she realized how insignificant her power was compared to that of a god. To have slapped Barbatos and even taken his Gnosis—perhaps it really was something he allowed.
Through Akio, Rosalyne also learned that a god's power wasn't derived from faith. The power gained from faith was merely a bonus.
Akio had told her that even without faith, Barbatos would never lack it. Although Barbatos didn't rule Mondstadt with an iron fist, the people of Mondstadt never stopped saying, "May the Anemo Archon protect us." Their faith in him had never wavered.
"Rosalyne-Kruzchka Lohefalter," Akio suddenly called her full name, and she instinctively turned to look at him.
In the next moment, she felt—no, everyone present felt—the world stretching infinitely, as if they had entered another space.
A towering statue of the Anemo Archon stood in the square, and the nuns in front of the church sang hymns praising the god of wind.
The gentle breeze brushed against their faces, bringing a sense of comfort. Everyone in the city wore smiles of happiness and contentment.
A bard happily strummed his lyre, singing songs of adventure, earning applause and cheers from the crowd.
At the central fountain in the square, young couples tossed Mora into the water, praying to the gods for eternal love.
On the benches, elderly couples who had spent their lives together sat, gazing fondly at Mondstadt, as if reminiscing about their lives.
Children ran past, hand in hand, their laughter filled with innocence and joy.
The entire city was filled with the scent of freedom and happiness, like a utopia. Here, it seemed there was no separation, no sorrow. Everyone could live freely, sing loudly, and drink heartily.
"This is… Mondstadt…" Rosalyne stared in disbelief at the scene before her. It felt so real! Could it be that Akio had brought her to Mondstadt? No! This couldn't be the Mondstadt of today.
Even the freest city in Teyvat couldn't be this perfect.
"No… no…" Under the astonished gazes of the others, Rosalyne shook her head, unable to believe it. She turned to Akio, clutching his sleeve in panic, and asked, "Akio… Akio, where is this? This isn't Mondstadt! This can't be Mondstadt! Where are you taking me?"
"Rosalyne, isn't this the pure, flawless world you dreamed of? The most beautiful version of Mondstadt—no nobles, no class divisions, no rulers, no death, no separation."
"A Mondstadt blooming in the song of freedom. Isn't this the city your soul has longed for?"
"Isn't this the home and freedom you've always yearned for?"
Akio's voice echoed in Rosalyne's ears, but it only deepened her panic. She shook her head, her face filled with fear, and looked at Akio helplessly.
This was not the Mondstadt she wanted. This kind of Mondstadt only existed in fairy tales—and fairy tales were the darkest of worlds!
With a soft chuckle from Akio, Rosalyne felt him and the other women's figures stretch and gradually fade away.
"No! Don't go!" Rosalyne tried to grab Akio, but his figure vanished like a bubble.
"Don't leave me, Akio!" Fear filled Rosalyne's heart as she stood there in panic, looking around for someone to rely on.
"No… no…" The once strong and domineering Rosalyne now felt as helpless as a child. The laughter of children and the songs carried by the wind echoed in her ears.
"Dandelions fly far with Barbatos's gentle whispers."
"Sweet springs are blessings on the path to freedom."
"What I yearn for… what I hope for… is freedom…"
The fragmented song, originally light and cheerful, now sounded eerie to Rosalyne.
She covered her ears and crouched on the ground, not wanting to hear these false melodies.
"Big sister, what's wrong?" a child ran up to Rosalyne and asked innocently.
"I… I'm fine," Rosalyne forced a smile and looked up.
But in the next moment, the scenery changed. The once happy and free Mondstadt was now engulfed in pale flames falling from the sky.
In the center of the flames, a girl in a white dress seemed to be singing loudly, as if praising the world's destruction.
"What's happening?" Rosalyne stared in confusion at the scene. Even though she didn't want to see this false version of Mondstadt, she didn't want to see it destroyed either!
"You monster!" Rosalyne shouted at the girl in the center of the pale flames. Her song was loud, and the endless flames consumed everything in Mondstadt.
Rosalyne threw herself at the girl, her body burning in the flames, but she felt no pain. As the Crimson Witch of Flames, she shivered in the heat.
"Damn you! Who are you?" Rosalyne charged into the flames, grabbing the girl's white dress and demanding to know who she was and why she was destroying Mondstadt.
The girl's song stopped abruptly. She slowly turned her head, and Rosalyne was shocked.
It was her own face. Everything about the girl was identical to her.
"I am you~ Rosalyne-Kruzchka Lohefalter," the girl said in a light, cheerful voice, pointing at the burning city.
"Look, Rosalyne! We've done it! We've burned away the old world. We're pursuing a pure, flawless world."
"When we burn away all this falsehood, the pure and flawless world will come." The other "Rosalyne" smiled brightly.
"No… that's not it," Rosalyne shook her head, looking around. This was not the ideal world she sought!
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