That's... Primordial Sea Water?!
In a daze, Lyney imagined Lynette gradually dissolving within the Primordial Sea Water, and a surge of panic overwhelmed him.
No! You bastard, No. 6! Come after me instead! Let Lynette go!
Lyney wanted to roar at the girl, but all that escaped his lips was a muffled whimper.
Lynette seemed to sense the commotion. Her vacant gaze flickered with renewed awareness as she lifted her head toward Lyney.
Lyney's eyes lit up instantly, and he struggled even harder against his restraints.
Run, Lynette, run!
Lyney conveyed this message to Lynette with his eyes, but she simply shook her head gently, giving him a comforting look, as if to say:
Even if I'm gone, you must live on, Brother.
No!
Lyney absolutely refused to accept this outcome. He tried desperately to dissuade Lynette with his eyes, but she lowered her head, hiding her expression from him.
Burning with anxiety, Lyney suddenly remembered something. He raised his hand and began tapping on the armrest of his seat.
Tap-tap-tap. A response came from the other side: Don't worry, everything will be fine.
But when Lyney received this reply, a chill ran through him, and goosebumps erupted across his skin.
Because the message hadn't come from Lynette. It had come from the girl with the radiant smile.
The girl placed her hand on the massive glass case and tapped again.
You're all so lively! I've been wanting to join you for ages.
"Whispering secrets in front of others is terribly rude!"
A wave of despair washed over Lyney. So, the girl had known their secret code all along. For weeks, she had stood silently on stage, watching his pathetic attempts to communicate like some kind of joke, all while wearing that smile...
Stunned by this revelation, his only thought now was saving Lynette. He pounded furiously on the armrest.
"Release Lynette! I'll cooperate with your magic trick!"
"That won't do. You're the Great Magician, while Miss Lynette is the magician's assistant."
"We're both magicians. Aren't you sabotaging my performance by doing this?"
"Only Miss Lynette is suited for this role!"
The girl responded to Lyney's words using the same coded language.
"No! Release her!"
"If anything happens to Lynette, I'll make you pay!"
Lyney's eyes blazed with fury. If he could move, he would gladly break every bone in his body just to sink his teeth into the girl's throat and tear it out.
This time, however, the girl didn't respond. Instead, she continued preparing for the magic trick.
Lyney's pounding grew increasingly frantic, his words shifting from threats to desperate pleas. He knew this was exactly what she wanted—to revel in his suffering and take pleasure in his anguish. But Lynette's perilous situation had completely stripped him of his composure and reason.
At that moment, Lyney was nothing more than an older brother desperately trying to save his sister's life.
For that, he would give up everything he had!
Yet the girl's aim was precisely to take everything from him!
Soon, the magic setup was complete. Lynette showed no signs of struggle, merely gazing calmly at the Primordial Sea Water suspended in a transparent tank above her head, as if she had already given up all hope.
Even as Lyney repeatedly sent coded messages urging her to make one last attempt, Lynette remained motionless.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the grand finale is finally about to begin!"
"Let us witness how the lovely Miss Lynette will vanish from this sealed tank!"
"If you want to escape from this glass box, turning into bubbles might be the only way!"
As soon as the words left her lips, the girl waved her hand without hesitation.
With a deafening BANG, the glass box imprisoning Lynette slammed shut. Immediately afterward, the valve of the tank containing Primordial Sea Water opened, and countless gallons of the viscous liquid surged through the pipes and poured downward.
No!!!
Lyney mustered every ounce of strength left in his body and let out a desperate wail, his eyes widening in agony as he watched the impending catastrophe unfold.
But just then, a flash of sword light slashed open a massive gash in the pipes. A torrent of the viscous liquid rained down, dissolving the Masked Men below who hadn't even registered the danger before being utterly consumed.
The girl, however, nimbly evaded the deluge, her smile growing even more gleeful.
Just as the Primordial Sea Water threatened to spread further, countless flames suddenly erupted from the ground, instantly vaporizing every last drop.
"It seems my children have suffered quite the ordeal!"
Crisp footsteps echoed from the distant shadows, gradually approaching the girl.
Lyney froze, stunned by the sudden turn of events. He took several deep, hurried breaths, his face betraying the relief of one who had narrowly escaped death.
"Father!"
Lyney's cry of "Father" carried more heartfelt emotion than ever before.
The newcomer was none other than Arlecchino, her eyes burning with murderous intent as she scrutinized the girl's every move.
"Lyney, how could you be so careless? You even allowed your sister to be placed in such grave danger. You've truly failed your duty."
"Moreover, I warned you that she couldn't be trusted."
Hearing Arlecchino's accusations, a look of shame crossed Lyney's face.
Indeed, if only he had been more cautious, Lynette would never have faced such peril.
Noticing Lyney's remorse, Arlecchino turned to the girl and continued.
"But when my children suffer injustice, I, as their guardian, cannot stand idly by."
"Miss No. 6, let's call you that for now."
"Your magic games are over. Now it's time for bloodshed."
The words had barely left her lips when Arlecchino vanished, a blade of light slashing toward the girl.
The girl casually conjured a longsword forged from black flames in her hand, parrying Arlecchino's attack. But immediately afterward, scorching flames erupted from Arlecchino's blade.
With a light leap, the girl completely evaded the fiery assault, her smile unwavering.
"It seems we both wield the same kind of Elemental Power."
Arlecchino felt the searing heat on her skin and grinned.
"Intriguing. This battle won't be dull after all."
With that, Arlecchino raised her sword again, launching an attack several times more ferocious than before. Her slashes rained down like a tempest, yet the girl parried every blow.
Witnessing this, the remaining onlookers stood frozen in shock.
They had rarely seen Arlecchino engaged in such a fierce battle. Judging by the current exchange, the two combatants seemed evenly matched.
What was even more terrifying was that the girl possessed no Vision!
Finally, the girl leaped back a considerable distance, smiling brightly as she remarked, "It seems my control over the Pyro Element is slightly superior to Miss Knave's."
"But in terms of raw power and combat technique, I hold a clear advantage, Miss No. 6."
Arlecchino glared at the girl, feeling her blood boil.
It had been a long time since she had experienced such an exhilarating fight. The familiar thrill of combat stirred dormant power within her, awakening dormant strength that had long lain dormant within her body.
Arlecchino wanted more!
However, she refrained from launching another attack. She sensed that the girl was at the end of her rope.
Forcing herself to suppress her restless heart, Arlecchino calmly asked, "How much longer can your body sustain this?"
But in response to her question, a peculiar smile crept across the girl's face.
"Indeed, this body can no longer sustain me."
"Then, until we meet again, Miss Knave."
As soon as the girl spoke these words, a massive surge of Pyro Elemental Power erupted from her body.
Arlecchino's expression immediately turned grave. She grabbed the Pyro Element Vision from a nearby table and hurled it toward Lyney.
"Lyney, get everyone out of here!"
With that, the girl's location erupted in an overwhelmingly terrifying inferno. Arlecchino's eyes narrowed slightly before she immediately moved forward to intercept the flames, instantly bearing an immense burden of pressure.
As the Pyro Element Vision drew within a certain range of Lyney, he once again felt the familiar power surge through him, and scorching flames suddenly engulfed his body.
Lyney finally broke free from his restraints and sat up. With a light leap, he perched on the chair's armrest, surveying the chaotic scene.
Roughly half the Fatui soldiers lay dead, while a large number of others had lost consciousness due to the intense mental shock.
There was no time to mourn the dead. Lyney burned the scene into his memory, then immediately freed the conscious Fatui soldiers and ordered them to evacuate without delay. He himself strode onto the stage, heading toward the massive glass tank imprisoning Lynette.
Masked Men stood guard, but Lyney, fueled by rage, dispatched them with swift efficiency.
Soon, he stood before the glass tank, shattering the glass and destroying several chains binding Lynette.
"Older brother!"
"Let's go!"
Lyney grabbed Lynette's arm and urgently pulled her back toward the exit.
Seeing that everyone had evacuated in time, Arlecchino swiftly withdrew as well.
BOOM—
A deafening explosion erupted behind them. Lyney felt the area behind him erupt into a sea of flames, the intense Pyro Elemental Power making even the air they breathed scorchingly hot.
No one dared waste time looking back. They quickened their pace, supporting each other as they fled.
Finally, Lyney, pulling Lynette along, navigated the long corridor to another area. Just as Lyney was about to turn back to check on Arlecchino's situation, Arlecchino's figure appeared in the same area. She immediately raised her hand and detonated the corridor behind them to block the aftershocks of the explosion.
Seeing Arlecchino's arrival, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, their faces lighting up with the exhilaration of surviving a near-death experience.
"Lyney, report the casualties," Arlecchino commanded.
Hearing her words, Lyney's expression darkened. After counting the remaining personnel, he reported to Arlecchino, "Father, we have lost thirty-six members of our Family forever..."
Arlecchino frowned at the casualty figure.
For operational efficiency, Lyney had deployed primarily elite soldiers from nearby units. Each Fatui soldier represented a significant investment of resources and training. Such heavy losses were almost unacceptable to Arlecchino.
However, what puzzled her even more was the sheer number of personnel Lyney had deployed for this operation. Moreover, the fact that the vast majority of them had been captured alive was deeply unsettling.
Arlecchino simply assumed Lyney had deployed so many elite operatives to ensure the plan's thoroughness, and didn't dwell on it further.
The other Fatui soldiers, upon hearing the casualty count, were filled with profound grief and rage.
Though they hadn't known the fallen personally, they were all their comrades—their family!
"Lynette, what about your Operatives?" Lyney turned to her, gently inquiring about their status.
Lynette's face clouded with sorrow as she shook her head silently. Though she didn't speak, Lyney already knew the answer.
Even the elite Operatives—the very best among the best—had been wiped out. Lyney knew these losses had occurred under his command, making him undeniably responsible.
Just as Lyney prepared to step forward and take full blame, Arlecchino spoke first.
"Everyone, rest here and regroup."
At Arlecchino's words, many Fatui soldiers collapsed onto the ground. The earlier ordeal, combined with their desperate flight, had left their legs trembling.
Arlecchino turned to Lyney and Lynette, saying, "Come with me, you two. I have something to tell you."
Without a second thought, Lyney and Lynette followed Arlecchino.
Arlecchino led them to a different location. Though Lyney found it slightly odd that she would be so cautious about whatever she had to say, he didn't voice his concerns. Instead, he gripped Lynette's arm tightly, as if afraid she might vanish at any moment.
"Here will do," Arlecchino said abruptly, stopping. Lyney and Lynette halted behind her.
"Father, may I ask—"
Lyney swallowed the rest of his words. His eyes widened in shock as he watched Arlecchino turn around and, without a moment's hesitation, thrust her arm through Lynette's chest. Lynette's face remained frozen in disbelief.
Time seemed to freeze for a moment. It was only when Lynette choked and spat out a mouthful of blood that time resumed its flow.
Squelch!
Arlecchino calmly withdrew her arm, causing Lynette's body to collapse to the ground, unable to support itself. Lyney still gripped one of her arms, which grew increasingly cold, mirroring the chilling despair in his heart...