Takeda Shingen personally led five hundred thousand Red Armor Iron Cavalry to trample Dawn Winery Lake; his Twenty-Four Generals tore through Mondstadt's city walls like phantoms.

 

Diluc's great flaming sword snapped asunder; Kaeya's frost melted into mist at last.

 

As Albedo's alchemical matrix crumbled, Yamagata Masakage loosed an arrow that struck down the stubborn crimson figure soaring in the sky.

 

When Amber plummeted into the icy lake with her Windrise Wings on her back, the sigh of Barbatos, God of Wind, faded away on the breeze—

 

On this day, the City of Freedom lost its dawn forever.

 

 

 

The once tranquil, sweet-scented winds of Dawn Winery Lake were torn to shreds in an instant.

 

The earth rumbled—not an ordinary roar, but a dull thunder rolling over from another world, pierced by the shrill screech of grinding metal. Five hundred thousand Red Armor Cavalry surged forward like a boundless, blazing crimson tide, wrapped in the cold glint of armor and the stench of warhorses. They swept across the green plains, charging straight for the gates of Mondstadt. At the vanguard fluttered the war banner emblazoned with Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain. Beneath it, Takeda Shingen sat calmly atop his steed, his gaze still as an ancient well, fixed upon the delicate, almost fragile city before him.

 

There was no negotiation, no declaration of war—not even a moment for the hastily assembled Knights of Favonius atop the walls to ready themselves. The vanguard of the crimson tide, Yamagata Masakage’s feared Oni Mino unit, drove forward like a red-hot blade, piercing the scattered peripheral resistance with ease. Arrows descended like a swarm of raging locusts, blotting out the sky. Empowered by otherworldly martial arts, they slammed into the ancient city wall, gouging craters of varying depths. Muffled groans echoed from behind the battlements as knights fell, struck down by the volleys.

 

"We cannot hold! The wall stretches too far, and we are far too few!" Acting Grand Master Jean stood on the balcony of the Knights of Favonius headquarters, her voice hoarse from shouting. The Favonius Sword in her hand blazed with pure anemo power, barely dispersing a wave of incoming arrows—yet countless more slipped past, streaking into the city and sparking panicked screams.

 

Diluc was already outside the city. Towering flames and plumes of black smoke rose from the direction of Dawn Winery, his final battlefield. At that moment, he wielded his massive, wolf-themed greatsword wreathed in searing fire, carving whirling cyclones of flame through the ranks of the Red Armor Cavalry. Every swing sent riders and horses tumbling. Fire devoured flesh and steel, hissing as it burned. He stood like a silent god of fire, upholding his oath of protection with unbridled fury. Yet the enemy numbers were overwhelming, despairingly so. A mighty general clad in dark Nanban armor—Baba Nobuharu—charged forward on horseback. His heavy iron spear cut through the wind, clashing again and again with Diluc’s greatsword, sending sparks flying. Diluc’s assault was stalled dead in its tracks. Wave after wave of Red Armor Cavalry streamed past his flanks, rushing toward the city gates.

 

Clang!

 

A deafening clash of metal rang out. Infused with elemental power, the blade of the Wolf’s Gravestone finally snapped clean in two after countless brutal collisions with Baba Nobuharu’s spear, honed with fierce spiritual energy. The half-burned blade spun into the enemy ranks, igniting cries of agony. Diluc froze for a heartbeat, clutching his broken sword. Baba Nobuharu gave him no chance to recover. His spear lunged forth like a venomous dragon. Diluc twisted aside, but the spear tip still tore through his pauldron, drawing a spray of blood. He let out a low groan, staggering backward. The fire in his crimson eyes still burned bright, yet it reflected the cruel glares of the enemy closing in all around him.

 

Kaeya darted like a shadow amid the enemy horde. He pushed his Cryo Vision to its limit, conjuring sharp ice lances that bloomed and stabbed outward, striving to slow the cavalry’s charge. His sword struck like a viper’s tongue, slipping through gaps in armor to claim life after life. His usual carefree smirk was long gone, replaced by icy, unwavering focus. "Really now… so many guests, how am I to entertain them all…" he muttered to himself, freezing a charging ashigaru commander with a sweep of his blade. In the next instant, a forest of spears jabbed toward him from all angles, forcing him to spin back and retreat. A razor-sharp flash of steel sliced through the air, faster than the eye could follow. Naitō Masatoyo appeared beside him like a ghost, his katana carving a perfect arc. Kaeya’s ice-forged parrying sword shattered instantly. The cold blade cut unimpeded through his chest, soaking his blue formal attire in crimson. He glanced down, almost in surprise, then his limbs went limp and he crumpled to the ground. The spreading frost at his feet was soon trampled into dust by endless hooves.

 

With a thunderous crash that shook the air, the city gate—and the barricades behind it—were blown open into a massive gap by sappers under Oyamada Nobuari, wielding specialized explosive cylinders. The crimson tide finally flooded into Mondstadt.

 

"For Lord Barbatos! For freedom!" Noelle roared, hefting her massive white iron greatsword as she stood firm as a boulder, guarding the street leading to the city square. Her Geo shield stood thick and unyielding, sheltering the remaining knights and adventurers behind her. Ordinary blades left only faint white scratches on its surface; arrows bounced off harmlessly time and again. She swung her sword relentlessly, sending charging foot soldiers flying shield and all. The young maiden stood with the unshakable resolve to hold back a thousand troops. Yet among the Takeda Twenty-Four Generals, Tsuchiya Masatsugu, famed for his brute strength, advanced with a cruel grin. His weapon was a terrifying giant cross-headed spear, its gusts carrying the power to crush all before it. The cross spear collided with Noelle’s greatsword in a deafening detonation. The stone paving beneath her feet cracked inch by inch. Gritting her teeth, she endured the blow, yet her shield’s light flickered violently. Roaring with laughter, Tsuchiya Masatsugu unleashed another surge of strength, driving his spear downward with crushing force. Crack— A crisp shatter. Noelle’s Geo shield finally faltered under the overwhelming pressure, dissolving into flecks of golden light. At the exact same moment, another general, Hara Torashin, charged in from the flank. His katana sliced horizontally like lightning, grazing Noelle’s waist. The young knight froze. Her greatsword crashed heavily to the ground. She stared down at the blood soaking her grey-white armor and gown, regret flickering in her eyes for failing her duty. Slowly she knelt, then collapsed face down into the dirt.

 

In the center of the square, Albedo wore a grave expression. Beneath his feet lay a vast, intricate alchemical matrix glowing with blinding white light. Golems of stone and earth rose one after another, swinging rocky limbs to stem the crimson flood of cavalry. It was his ultimate gambit—centering the matrix on himself to channel the ley line energy. The golems sowed chaos, felling countless riders, yet their movements felt sluggish to true masters of combat. From Takeda Shingen’s main camp, Amari Torayasu and Suwa Katsuyori charged forth in unison. Blades and sword energy crisscrossed the air; the sturdy stone golems were reduced to splinters like rotting wood, swiftly cut down. Beads of sweat formed on Albedo’s forehead. Sustaining the matrix drained his mind and body to the extreme. He tried to rearrange the formation, summoning stronger constructs—yet a cold gaze locked onto him. Beside Takeda Shingen, Yamagata Masakage had already nocked his massive Japanese bow. A chilling glint coalesced on the arrowhead, aimed straight at the chalk alchemist at the matrix’s core. Whoosh— The arrow left the string—not aimed at Albedo himself, but at the critical energy node at the heart of the matrix beneath his feet. The destructive power sealed within the arrow surged forth in an instant. The alchemical matrix’s light flickered madly, then burst in a series of strained cracks. The glowing lines of the formation snapped and faded away inch by inch. The matrix had crumbled! The violent energy backlash sent Albedo coughing up a mouthful of blood. He swayed and dropped to one knee, his golden eyes dimming instantly. He struggled to rise, yet countless spears—once held back by his golems—pierced his body without hesitation.

 

"Amber! Run! Flee at once!" Jean spotted the stubborn crimson figure amid the chaos and shouted herself hoarse. She too was locked in a desperate battle, surrounded by Takeda samurai. Though the Favonius Sword was sharp, she could not break their coordinated formation. Fresh wounds marred her body, her movements growing slower by the moment.

 

Amber did not run. With her beloved Windrise Wings strapped to her back, she darted nimbly across rooftops and crumbling walls, knowing every corner of Mondstadt by heart. With every leap, she drew her bow, loosing volleys of Pyro arrows into the sea of enemy soldiers below. Her aim remained unerring—each shot igniting leather armor or piercing unprotected faces. To the massive Takeda army, her attacks were little more than mosquito bites, yet she persisted, an unyielding flame dancing across the battlefield of despair.

 

"That red-haired girl is a nuisance," Takeda Shingen frowned slightly, his tone calm and unemotional.

 

"As you command." Yamagata Masakage drew his bow once more. This time the arrowhead was strange and otherworldly, wrapped in swirling gusts of wind. He narrowed his eyes, calculating the path Amber would take on her next glide with her wings.

 

Amber leaped from a tall broken wall. Her Windrise Wings snapped open, carrying her gliding toward the shores of Dawn Winery Lake. She drew her bow to the full once more, aiming straight for Yamagata Masakage below. The moment she released her arrow, Yamagata Masakage’s arrow also took flight.

 

The arrow flew faster than natural law allowed, defying distance to strike true and hard into the joint of Amber’s Windrise Wings. The specialized arrowhead unleashed a miniature cyclone on impact, tearing through the tough wing membrane and shattering its delicate framework.

 

A powerful jolt slammed into Amber’s back. Her Windrise Wings let out a mournful creak, losing all buoyancy in an instant. Like a bird with broken wings, she plummeted helplessly from the sky, her bow slipping from her grasp. She had no time to scream. The last sight in her eyes was the glistening surface of Dawn Winery Lake rushing upward.

 

Splash—

 

Water exploded upward. The bright splash of crimson was swallowed instantly by the icy lake. Only faint ripples spread outward, fading slowly into silence.

 

Almost the instant Amber fell into the lake, Jean’s Favonius Sword was knocked flying by the combined assault of Hara Masatsugu and Oyamada Nobuari. Thick ropes snared her body moments later, binding her tight. Elsewhere, toward the library where Lisa stood, the elemental turbulence unleashed by the collapsing alchemical matrix overwhelmed her already exhausted form, drained from overexerting her Electro power. She collapsed to the ground, roughly pinned down by ashigaru soldiers, her elegant mage’s hat rolling into the dust. Eula cut down more than a score of Red Armor Cavalry with her masterful swordplay in the alley fighting, until exhaustion overtook her. She was tripped by chains set by Anayama Nobukimi, and multiple blades pressed instantly to her slender throat. She stared unflinchingly at her foes, icy blue eyes blazing with unyielding wrath, whispering lowly: "I shall remember this grudge…"

 

The city fell. Its warriors perished. Its people lay slain.

 

The raging winds died away at last. The air hung thick with the stench of blood and smoke, mixed with the muddy reek of the churned-up Dawn Winery Lake. Upon Mondstadt’s broken city walls, the banner bearing the symbol of the Anemo Archon was roughly torn down by a Red Armor cavalryman and cast into the muck, trampled under countless muddy hooves.

 

On this day, the City of Freedom lost its dawn—and lost its wind. Far in the distance, a long, sorrowful sigh seemed to drift unheard, fading away on the lifeless air.