Dehya, still sitting weakly on the ground with her back against a wooden crate, looked completely exhausted.
"These freakish Fatui… are they even human anymore? They can blow themselves up now? That's insane!"
Seeing that she could still complain, Shao Yun kept his explanation short and clear.
"They're all modified by that madman—the Fatui Harbinger known as the Doctor. He turned them into human bombs. A complete psychopath."
This wasn't the time for chatting. Lumine lifted Dehya's only functioning arm gently, speaking softly. "Save your strength. We need to get out of here. Paimon and I will help you up."
Together, Lumine and Paimon supported Dehya, helping her to her feet.
But as soon as Dehya started to rise, a sharp cry of pain escaped her lips, and she slumped heavily back onto the ground.
She gasped for breath, grimacing. "No… my arm—hurts like hell… and my legs—they're not moving… ahh—it's like I can't walk at all!"
Lumine's heart tightened in alarm. She turned quickly to Shao Yun. "Do you still have any of your healing potions? Can you give her more?"
Shao Yun had anticipated this. Without hesitation, he nodded and pulled a small vial from his pouch, handing it to Dehya's left hand—the only one she could still use.
"Here. Drink it all—it should ease the pain."
Dehya took the vial and downed it in one gulp.
It was horribly bitter—she grimaced—but after swallowing, the effects came quickly. The torn flesh of her right arm began to knit together, and her numb legs slowly regained feeling.
Within moments, strength returned to her body.
With Lumine and Paimon's help, Dehya finally managed to stand. Her steps were shaky, but at least she could move.
Catching her breath, she looked at the others with guilt in her eyes. "I'm sorry… it's all my fault. My mercenaries and I couldn't hold those damn Fatui back. This whole operation must've failed, right…?"
Shao Yun's thoughts were muddled, his mind thick with frustration. Seeing her self-blame, he just said quietly, "Forget it. We need to get out of here—now."
The group hurried out of the Bazaar—only to run into more of the mutated Fatui soldiers.
Their movements were stiff, mechanical. Upon spotting the group, they droned in unison, "Target… detected…"
Before they could rush forward and explode, Shao Yun raised his cowboy revolver and fired clean shots into their heads.
The instant their hearts stopped, their modified bodies erupted in explosions.
Watching the gruesome scene, Dehya clenched her teeth, her voice trembling with anger. "Several of my comrades died like that… blown apart by these monsters. Cough, cough…"
The violent emotion triggered another coughing fit.
Lumine held her up and whispered, "Now's not the time to talk. We need to find somewhere safe."
Dehya nodded weakly and suggested, "I told my people to scatter and regroup near Pardis Dhyai. We could head there—"
Lumine agreed immediately. "Good idea! Let's go to Pardis Dhyai!"
She took out a small whistle and blew it.
Moments later, her ivory-gold Dutch Warmblood, Buell, galloped up.
Shao Yun took Dehya carefully from her arms and lifted her onto the horse.
Trying to sound composed, Dehya forced a faint smile. "I'm feeling better already. That potion really works wonders."
"I remember Candace saying the medicine doesn't act that fast…" Shao Yun muttered, then whistled for his own Andalusian horse, Carrot.
Mounting up, he loaded his Litchfield repeater rifle and called out, "Lumine, stay behind me. We're breaking out of Sumeru City!"
…
There were so many of the Doctor's modified bomb-soldiers—it was impossible to clear a path without triggering explosions. If you didn't shoot, they blocked your way. If you did, they blew up.
Thankfully, they moved slowly—shambling like mindless corpses.
Thanks to their horses, Shao Yun, Lumine, Paimon, and the injured Dehya finally broke through the chaos and escaped the city.
…
Under the shroud of night, they rode through the silent rainforest. Only the soft rustle of leaves and the chirping of insects accompanied them.
Shao Yun's expression was heavy—the plan had ended in failure.
Noticing his silence, Lumine guided Buell closer and spoke gently. "Shao Yun… thank you for helping me save Dehya. Without you, things would've gone much worse."
He looked up slightly, meeting her gaze. "I made a promise—to your brother. Once I give my word, I keep it."
Lumine could tell he was far from calm inside. She offered a reassuring smile. "Even if the plan failed, it wasn't for nothing. We learned a lot—and saved lives. Once we rest, we can talk with Nahida and come up with a new plan."
Her voice eased his tension. Shao Yun nodded. "You're right. For now, let's focus on getting somewhere safe. And… watch Dehya—make sure she doesn't fall off."
Dehya, resting her head on Lumine's shoulder, managed a faint chuckle. "Don't worry… I'll be fine. Just a little weak, that's all…"
But her pale, blood-drained face told another story.
Shao Yun glanced at her—guilt flickered briefly in his eyes. Maybe it's because I almost left her behind at the Akademiya gates…
"I'll give you another vial later," he said quietly. "Two doses should be enough to keep you stable."
Just then, a crisp alert tone sounded from their Void Terminals. Nahida's gentle voice followed.
"How is everyone holding up?"
Paimon frowned. "Not great, Nahida… things are pretty bad."
Nahida sighed, guilt seeping into her tone. "I'm sorry. My plan wasn't thorough enough. I didn't foresee the Doctor using human bombs…"
Shao Yun exhaled. "Forget that for now. What's your situation?"
After a pause, Nahida replied, "It's… mixed. The self-detonating Fatui are still rampaging through Sumeru City, causing massive chaos. And though you destroyed one of the Doctor's fragments… I sensed another. There's still one more Dottore in Sumeru."
Shao Yun's face hardened. "I see. So, he can split himself. Doesn't matter—he can multiply all he wants. I'll kill every last one."
Nahida gave a small, weary laugh. "Even so, you've caused serious trouble for the Akademiya. They think the Doctor's dead. So at least we've gained some ground."
Lumine cut in. "What about the citizens, Nahida? Are they okay?"
Nahida's voice softened. "Don't worry. The illusions in their minds were only temporary—I've already dispelled them."
Then she continued, calm and measured. "Here's the current situation: we've eliminated one fragment, the other won't act for now, and we still have time to regroup and plan."
When she finished, Shao Yun asked tonelessly, "Anything else?"
There was a brief silence before Nahida spoke again. "Yes. I searched the Akademiya—but found no trace of the Grand Sage. However, I did discover a note he left behind for you."
Shao Yun's lips twitched. So, Azar pulled a disappearing act, huh? Good thing I didn't waste my time storming that place…
He chuckled dryly. "Let me guess—just another insult?"
Nahida sighed. "Exactly. Even if you'd gone there, you wouldn't have found anything useful."
"Oh," Shao Yun muttered flatly.
Sensing his indifference, Nahida added quickly, "I'm telling the truth, you know—"
But Shao Yun interrupted her gently. "I believe you. I'm just thinking about what comes next."
Nahida's tone steadied. "Let's regroup first. I still need time to neutralize the Doctor's creations—otherwise, more people in Sumeru will be in danger."
Shao Yun nodded. "We're heading for Pardis Dhyai to meet up with Dehya's scattered mercenaries. We'll plan from there."
"Good," Nahida replied with a note of relief. "Then we'll meet at Pardis Dhyai."