What I think happened to Ronova in 7.1 (SPOILERS FOR 7.1 STORY)

Hi if you're here you probably want to inhale the insane copium (or maybe its not copium?) just like me. This story quest did not go like how I expected it to at all and the very last cutscene + fight sort of implied Ronova... died? HOWEVER LET ME COOK, SHE DID NOT DIE AND HERE IS WHY:

Okay so firstly, Pierro's dialogue post-fight quite literally spelt out Ronova's scenario. Everyone there seemed convinced she had been annihilated on the spot, but Pierro said that the only way she could have survived was by escaping the battle through means undetected by everyone (which is exactly what she did!!!) and that she would have been left with fatal and irreversible damage (but likely not lethal). This whole dialogue already implies Ronova had just been injured really badly, but not going to die.

Next, Ronova's whole cutscene reserved just for her. Her wording was quite specific. "She who controls death cannot know the experience of dying" and "So this is what death feels like". Of course this could be the highest levels of copium I have ever achieved, but I believe Ronova is talking about the pain/feeling of a lethal wound, but not actually dying. In essence, I think Ronova was saying she felt like she was dying (it might not even have been a feeling close to death, but just extreme pain), but she wasn't actually dying.

Lastly, her whole 'death' was very ambiguous. 'Parting gift' doesn't necessarily mean death. She also seems to be falling after destroying the Nail, but we don't even see where she lands. In fact, her 'last moments' are covered by clouds, so Hoyo literally means to make this very ambiguous. Sandrone had a much more confirmative scene but her death wasn't even permanent, so I really doubt this is Ronova's 'death'.

I honestly also doubt a Shade dies that easily. Besides, I don't think the Heavenly Principles/Celestia would be too happy with Ronova dying. I mean, who else is going to make sure the rules are followed? Asmoday is missing, Rhinedottir spared the Tsaritsa even when Naberius told her to punish the Cryo Archon, and Istaroth is most certainly not going to punish the humans. I suspect what is more likely is that Ronova simply went to recover from the fight, but she'll definitely be out of commission for a while.

Or she's actually dead and my copium is too high oh well.

Not related but: I find one of Ronova's line in her cutscene interesting. Right after she comments about how this is how death feels like, she gives a very small laugh + smile, and then says 'Humans... Gods... Even [CENSORED] (likely the Heavenly Principles)... I need not despise you no longer.' and then destroys the Nail. Ronova showed mostly indifference/irritation to humans, so to hear that she 'despised' them is surprising. This makes me think that maybe Ronova was jealous of everyone else being able to experience death, even the gods, while she couldn't while she had the Authority of Death. My poor girl did not deserve this treatment at all.