"Are the enemies here really that dangerous?" Paimon asked, her voice filled with concern. She had been so focused on worrying that she hadn't fully grasped the danger Inazuma was facing.
Lumine pulled Paimon toward the Teleport Waypoint, explaining the true identity of the attacker who had targeted Yuna.
"It's that guy again! Weren't Zhongli and the others supposed to have taken care of him?" Paimon stomped her foot angrily, her small face flushed with fury.
"Exactly! If Zhongli and Venti knew the black-robed figure was still alive, they'd definitely intervene. That figure is incredibly strong—Ei might have a hard time dealing with it alone. And those despicable Abyss Monsters!"
Now fully informed, Paimon urged Lumine onward.
The pair vanished through the Teleport Waypoint in a flash.
Itto, panting heavily, had climbed to the Grand Narukami Shrine just moments after Lumine and Paimon left. Ignoring his exhaustion, he burst into the courtyard and saw Yuna standing and chatting with someone. The breath he'd been holding finally escaped him, and he collapsed onto the ground, gasping like a bull.
Yuna and Kuki Shinobu rushed over and knelt beside him.
"Boss, are you okay?"
After several ragged breaths, Itto managed to rasp out a few words: "Yuna... are you... all right?"
Yuna shook her head vehemently, while Kuki Shinobu helped Itto sit up.
Itto continued to pant for a long moment, then slowly stood, his voice suddenly stern as he demanded: "Yuna, tell your Boss who hurt you! Boss will make them pay!"
Itto's words carried unusual weight. Normally, when Arataki Gang members were bullied, he would investigate the situation and personally settle the score. But this was Yuna, whom he'd always treated like a younger sister.
With no need for secrets now, Yuna decided to reveal everything. "It was the Abyss..."
-
Liyue.
When Lumine and Paimon needed help, Zhongli was the first person who came to mind.
They immediately went to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
But Zhongli wasn't there, and neither was Hu Tao.
So Lumine and Paimon searched for Zhongli in his usual haunts, but still couldn't find him.
"Lumine, where do you think Zhongli could have gone?" Paimon asked.
"Let's check Tianheng Mountain," Lumine suggested.
"Right! Why didn't I think of that?"
By the time they reached Tianheng Mountain, Lumine and Paimon were almost certain Zhongli would be there. But to their surprise, he was nowhere to be seen.
This time, they were completely stumped.
"Lumine, maybe we should ask Xiao," Paimon suggested.
Lumine called out several times, and Xiao appeared as promised.
"Xiao, do you know where Zhongli is?"
"I don't," Xiao replied. "The Geo Archon didn't tell me explicitly. He only said he'd be away for a few days."
Lumine rubbed her temples in frustration.
"What brings you to seek the Geo Archon?" Xiao asked.
Lumine explained the recent events in Inazuma to Xiao.
Upon learning that the Abyss had discovered the Person of Pure Soul in Inazuma and nearly succeeded in capturing them last night, Xiao's already cold expression grew even colder.
"With the Geo Archon absent, it is my duty to protect Liyue. I regret I cannot accompany you both."
"It's okay, Xiao. We'll go look for Venti next."
Xiao glanced in the direction of Inazuma before departing Tianheng Mountain.
Lumine didn't want to waste any time. Since they couldn't find Zhongli, they decided to look for Venti first.
The two teleported to Windrise in Mondstadt.
Venti wasn't in the tree, but they weren't worried.
Lumine cleared her throat and shouted, "Venti! Venti! Venti!!!"
Her shout shook several leaves from the Windrise tree, sending them fluttering to the ground. Even as the leaves settled, Venti remained absent.
"Lumine, what's going on? Even Venti's nowhere to be found!"
Lumine calmed down and thought it through. Given Venti's abilities, he should have heard her shout if he were still in Mondstadt. Since there was no response, he must be elsewhere.
Remembering Xiao's earlier words, Zhongli was likely not in Liyue either. Could they be in Sumeru?
Rukkhadevata had previously offered to heal Zhongli, but he had been too busy with other matters at the time, and the treatment had been postponed.
Could they be in Sumeru now?
The moment this possibility crossed their minds, they knew they had to investigate. So they teleported to Sumeru.
Inside the Sanctuary of Surasthana, Nahida was delighted by Lumine and Paimon's arrival.
Lumine knew the urgency of their request for aid. The Abyss could attack Inazuma at any moment.
"Nahida, are Zhongli and Venti in Sumeru?"
Nahida tapped her chin with her index finger. "Are you referring to the Gods Morax and Barbatos? They are indeed in Sumeru right now, but..."
Paimon: "But what?"
Nahida: "Both Gods sustained injuries in the previous battle. Divine wounds are notoriously difficult to heal. My mother is currently treating them."
Nahida now freely referred to Rukkhadevata as "Mom," no longer feeling awkward since both Rukkhadevata and she had embraced their familial bond.
Lumine's eyes widened. "Venti was injured too?"
But he always acted so carefree...
Nahida: "Yes, both Gods are wounded. Mother has taken them into Irminsul. I will govern Sumeru during this time."
"Ah?"
Lumine and Paimon exclaimed in unison. Lumine pressed on, "Then can you contact them, Nahida?"
Nahida: "Of course I can, but I advise against it unless it's absolutely urgent. Forcibly interrupting Mother's healing process within Irminsul would not only harm her but also worsen the Gods' injuries."
Nahida solemnly laid out the consequences, then left the decision to Lumine and Paimon.
Lumine: "..."
Paimon also fell silent.
They were indeed close friends with Zhongli and Venti, but interrupting their healing...
Lumine knew Nahida's personality well; she wouldn't joke about something like this.
Venti and the others aren't the gods of Inazuma. Would she really interrupt their healing for Yuna's sake?
-
Player World
The choice Lumine faced now appeared before the players as well.
Chen Xiyao froze when she saw the option, her thoughts mirroring Lumine's.
She desperately wanted Yuna to be safe and wished Zhongli and Venti could go to Inazuma to help. But...
This was a critical stage in their treatment. Forcibly interrupting them felt like an impossible decision.
In the end, Chen Xiyao chose to give up.
With such a massive player base, there were bound to be those who tried to interrupt Zhongli and Venti's treatment progress.
However, after players clicked "Confirm Interrupt," the Travelers on their interfaces would say, "That's not appropriate," and then present two new options.
Clicking "Interrupt" again would reveal another pair of options.
Eventually, the players realized there was only one possible outcome!
-
Inazuma.
Yashiori Island.
The black-robed figure, sharing Jiang Mumu's perspective, learned that Lumine and her companions had sent for help.
This time, Zhongli and Venti wouldn't be part of the show.
Did they really think It had been waiting all this time to prepare an attack on Inazuma?
No, no, no. Such a thing wouldn't even take half a day.
What It had been waiting for was the moment when Zhongli and Venti were unavailable.