"Now it's too late for regrets!"
Lightning of five colors flashed in Diluc's eyes.
"Too late?"
"True enough."
Dottore tilted his head slightly, the half of his face that was visible twisting into a frenzied smile. He sounded oddly thrilled as he asked, "But are you sure you want to make a move against me here of all places?"
He spread his arms, admiring the vast Ormos Port.
"What a fine stage this is… Look around you. So many innocent people. Once battle breaks out, how many will be caught in the crossfire? The number would be… impossible to calculate."
Diluc's expression darkened.
He wasn't the kind of man who let hatred cloud his judgment.
If his revenge were to drag innocent lives into it… he hesitated.
Though confident he could slay Dottore in short order, who could say whether the man hadn't left behind some insidious trap? This was, after all, Dottore—schemes and vile tricks were his expertise.
"Judging from your face, you've already guessed it?"
Dottore's tone carried a touch of admiration. "To be frank, it pains me too. Poisoning this entire port cost me far too many precious materials."
Diluc's pupils contracted.
Of course.
That was Dottore's style.
But never had he imagined the man would poison an entire port!
"Now then—time for your choice."
Dottore's smile widened. He raised a single finger.
"Option one: kill me. Take your revenge. But with my death, the entire port dies with me. I sincerely hope you choose this one. Even in death, to have so many experimental subjects join me—what a splendid funeral it would be."
"Option two: save them."
He trailed off as if recalling something.
"Oh right, the Cavalry Captain's heart is full of kindness. I suppose you'll lean toward the second choice. How very dull. What a shame."
His laughter was manic, but underneath it was desperation. Dottore didn't want to die.
He was a genius, destined to drive the world forward. How could he perish here, before witnessing more "miracles"?
"You finished?"
Diluc's voice was cold as steel.
"Have you made your choice?" Dottore's eyes gleamed. He delighted in these moments. Human nature itself was one of his experiments. In a no-win situation, what decision would a man like Diluc make? He could hardly wait to see.
At that moment, a teleportation array flared nearby. Figures stumbled out, their bodies still reeling from the disorienting transit.
Forcing herself steady, Collei caught sight of Dottore facing off against Diluc upon the ship. Her face hardened into ice. If she could, she would have already thrown herself at him in a suicidal charge. But she restrained the impulse, forcing herself to remain calm.
"Be careful. He's poisoned Ormos Port," Diluc warned, his eyes never leaving Dottore.
The others' expressions tightened instantly.
Tighnari rushed forward, seizing a passerby at random, urgently checking his condition. After only a few breaths, his face turned grim.
"What is it?" Cyno demanded, tension in his voice.
"It's bad," Tighnari said, shaking his head. "There's a latent virus in his body. It's breaking down his blood structure!"
The startled man tried to laugh it off. "What? Impossible! I feel perfectly fine—"
But Tighnari ignored him, addressing the group gravely.
"Feel carefully. The very air is tainted with the virus."
Everyone spread their senses—and their faces changed at once.
For them, shielding themselves was trivial. But for ordinary folk? This was a nightmare. The virus was invisible, silent, entering without resistance, and once inside, it rewrote blood itself. Cells began to dissolve.
Soon, people across the port noticed changes. Itching spread across their skin. They felt their veins swell as though insects crawled within, gnawing at them. The sensation was unbearable. Clear, undeniable proof—they were dying.
"You have twenty minutes," Dottore announced, raising his hands. His voice carried across the whole port. "Is killing me more important… or the lives of a hundred thousand souls?"
Panic rippled through the city. And with every passing second, the infection worsened. In truth, they didn't have twenty minutes. At best—three.
"Maybe… maybe we should let him go?" Paimon whispered, turning toward the others. Her back to Dottore, she pointed upward with her finger. They still had the Sky-Mirror. Even if he escaped, they could hunt him down again.
"Traveler, do you have purification abilities?" Childe asked.
"Purification…" Lumine thought a moment, then nodded. "I do. Not as strong as Klee's skills, but it's there."
"That's enough. Speaking of Klee—it reminded me, this isn't as complicated as it looks." Childe shrugged. "Dottore just wants to toy with us one last time before dying."
"What do you mean?" Paimon blinked.
"Simple."
Diluc stared down Dottore, lightning sparking in his fists. "Even if we let you go, the Sky-Mirror will find you again. Isn't that right?"
"Sharp." Dottore laughed. "But I've still bought myself time, haven't I?"
"You're the most selfish man alive!" Paimon shouted.
"Fools," Dottore sneered.
Lumine's eyes narrowed. "He knows he can't escape. Even if selfish, he'll still think of his other clones. They're all still him."
"I see!" Paimon gasped.
"I thought you might have some grand scheme," Diluc muttered, shaking his head. Power surged around him, five-colored lightning bursting to life.
"You miscalculated."
At his feet, a magic circle spread outward, in seconds covering most of Ormos Port.
Blessing of the Goddess of Life.
A field of ceaseless healing. Within its bounds, wounds and toxins alike were endlessly purged.
"Today is the day you die."
Diluc's eyes burned with conviction. He understood now—Dottore had never truly hoped to live. He only wanted to drag countless others with him into the grave. That was his spiteful wish. But it would not succeed.
He clenched his fist.
Lightning roared.
The air cracked.
Charged Fist.
This wasn't just the skill of a card. This was years of hatred, loss, and vengeance, focused into a single strike.
The fist came down.
Before it even reached him, Dottore's body began to unravel—like paper set aflame, like sand swept away by the tide. Space itself shattered under the blow, exposing raw void. The ship tore apart into dust.
Diluc slowly drew back his fist, standing amidst the circle of light.
"The one who lured the dragon, the murderer of my father… I have struck him down." His voice was a quiet vow to the man he had lost.
The Sky-Mirror quickly revealed Dottore's hidden labs and stockpiled toxins. Tighnari and Cyno sealed them away. The virus, deprived of its source, weakened. Lumine's cleansing light washed over the people, hundreds freed with each wave.
"Orderly lines! Orderly lines!" Paimon shouted through a conjured loudspeaker. "If you've already been purified, leave the circle! Don't just hog the healing field!"
Her words—and Kaeya's looming presence in his dark knight form—kept chaos at bay. The crowd disciplined itself, fear of being left untreated outweighing panic.
"Collei!" Tighnari brought the Sky-Mirror to her. "Give it the commands directly."
"No need to use it here anymore," Cyno said, striding past. "We'll help with the crowd. You—hunt down Dottore's other clones. Order the mirror to strike."
"Yes!" Collei's eyes lit with fierce joy. Finally—her turn. She would be the one to bring justice to the rest of Dottore's fragments.
Elsewhere, Lu Heng sat at home, phone in hand, watching Lumine's live broadcast from start to finish. He let out a long breath, feeling refreshed.
Shenhe, ever calm and early to rise, leaned against him. She too had watched the whole thing, her expression thoughtful.
"How can someone be so vile?" she murmured.
Lu Heng shook his head. "Human nature is complex. Most people carry both kindness and malice, little things that mean nothing. But Dottore… he's pure evil."
Shenhe's eyes chilled. "Such a man should be chained to a wall and beaten with a hammer, endlessly."
Lu Heng chuckled. "You're too merciful."
Soon after, he rose to meet the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, now in the form of a grown young woman, her features wise and gentle. Together, they prepared to set out for Sumeru.
Meanwhile, in Ormos Port, the crisis was easing. Paimon, empowered by her divine cards, cleansed the afflicted with ease. Lumine, freed from the pressure, couldn't help boasting to her viewers.
"Of course Diluc ended it in one punch. What did you expect, some long drawn-out duel? He's almost at Zerrakus's level—of course Dottore stood no chance!"
Then the chat erupted, urging her to look behind her.
Confused, Lumine turned—only to see Lu Heng and the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata smiling at her side.
Her face flared crimson.
"N-no, I… I was just…"
"I understand," Lu Heng said gently. "Purifying so many people—are you holding up alright?"
"I'm fine!" Lumine stammered, shaking her head furiously.
And for the first time since the chaos began, her heart was racing not from battle—but from something far more disarming.
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T/N:
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