"Why is this so different from the plan? This opponent is way beyond our level..." Even from afar, the Millelith captain stationed to suppress Wangsheng Funeral Parlor could see the towering beast rising from the sea.
"Captain… what should we do?"
Everyone understood that this was no longer a situation that could be resolved by just handling Wangsheng. The previously assigned duties had become completely meaningless...
"Ergou, go to the Ministry of Civil Affairs and request instructions. The rest of you, hold your positions!"
"Yes, sir!"
"No matter who awakened me—Morax! It's time to settle this once and for all!" Even from hundreds of li away, Osial's deafening voice pierced directly into Liyue Harbor.
"Damn it! If the Archon were still alive, he would never allow a defeated enemy to act so arrogantly!" Gritting their teeth, the Millelith glared up at the colossal shadow above.
"Wait—look! That's the Jade Chamber!" A Millelith soldier pointed toward the sky, where a floating island was flying toward the battle.
"What is Lady Ningguang planning?"
"The Jade Chamber is heading toward Osial! They're going to fight a god!!"
"But that's the Archon's enemy. Can the Qixing really win?"
The strength disparity was too large—many Millelith privately doubted the odds.
"Maybe they can!" The Millelith captain, privy to certain insider details, held onto hope. The Jade Chamber should now be carrying the forces originally prepared to deal with Childe, as well as the Adepti invited by Lady Ningguang. If they unite, there was still a chance!
Soon, Ergou returned from the Ministry of Civil Affairs. "Captain! They ordered us to head to the docks to help citizens resist the tidal waves and stand ready to support the Jade Chamber!"
"You heard him! We head to the front lines—maybe we can still contribute, even if only a little. To the docks! Even if we face a god, the Millelith do not retreat!"
"Yes, sir!" The Millelith quickly moved out.
Before leaving, the captain turned to Zhongli and declared, "When this is over, I'm going to confirm this with Lady Ningguang."
Zhongli responded with a calm nod, quietly hoping Ningguang had understood the dream message he sent last night… if not, he'd just have to send it again.
Nearby, five young people were deep in discussion.
"Can the Qixing really defeat Osial? I'm worried…"
"Are we just going to sit and watch?"
"Osial is at Guyun Stone Forest. The Jade Chamber's already airborne—we won't make it in time. What else can we do?"
"You're right… but Osial's behavior is strange. Why hasn't it attacked Liyue Harbor?"
Since Osial didn't come, the Jade Chamber had gone to meet it. The floating island now hovered, facing off with the god from afar.
Taking advantage of its recent awakening and sluggish movement, the Thousand-Miracle Core and Immortal Talisman Arrays activated. A massive platform constructed itself from thin air, summoning several Guizhong Ballistae. The Adepti each piloted one and poured in their power—launching a barrage of attacks at Osial.
Osial was painfully aware of its limitations. Though unsealed, the release wasn't complete. Only its head had surfaced—it couldn't even move.
It sensed Morax's aura in Liyue Harbor, yet he refused to show himself. Full of wrath, it saw only insects in his place. Insects, perhaps, with Morax's friends among them. Nothing more to say—Let's begin.
When the Jade Chamber came to a halt, Zhongli closed his eyes, silently releasing the last of the pressure he'd been holding in. From this point forward, he only needed to watch closely.
But the young ones beside him weren't content. They were still eager to act.
"Why don't we check out Northland Bank? Didn't Mr. Zhongli say they were involved in the Archon's incident? Maybe Osial has something to do with them too."
Recalling intelligence from the North Wing about suspicious movements at the bank, Xingqiu casually raised the suggestion to investigate.
"Right, those Fatui bastards are always up to no good."
"And now our full Liyue Curiosity Squad is here—if anything happens, we can definitely fight."
"Zhongli, want to come too? Time to get revenge on Childe!" Hu Tao still hadn't let go of that whole 'coerced by Childe' thing.
Zhongli: "…I'll go."
Geo Archon Zhongli, Hydro god Xingqiu, Pyro god (fake) Xiangling, five-star Hu Tao, plus Chongyun and me… this lineup's actually pretty solid. Victor Wang silently noted.
But Hu Tao didn't seem to include him in her plan. "This trip might be dangerous, Victor—you stay here."
"Uh, actually, I'm a pretty good fighter too."
"Really? That's great! Then let's form a new Bubblegum Squad and pull you and Zhongli in!"
Zhongli: "…"
Victor tried to pitch in. "If we're forming a team, how about calling it The Six Tiger Generals or The Six Valiant Sons?"
"What kind of lame name is that? It has nothing to do with us."
Hu Tao flatly rejected it, then explained how the Liyue Curiosity Squad got its name:
"See, Xiangling explores weird foods, Xingqiu chases strange stories, Chongyun hunts down weird demons, and I'm just plain weird. It's perfect!"
"Aren't you supposed to be exploring ghost stuff? Why'd it change again?"
Only Xiangling ever bothered to question that, and the answer was always the same.
"Ah, that's not important—'weird' is still the theme!
"So, since we're all chewing bubblegum, of course we should be called the Bubblegum Squad~! And it also makes up for the regret of not including Zhongli last time for not being 'weird' enough!"
Zhongli: "…"
"Then should you be the team leader?"
"Ah, you hit the mark… I'm not fit to lead this squad. Victor invented the bubblegum, so he's the team leader. You're the vice-leader."
Xingqiu cut in, "I don't care what we call it, but we're not doing those old rules again, right?"
Victor, the only clueless one, asked, "What rules?"
Chongyun let out a heavy sigh. "It means… when Xiangling creates new dishes, we have to taste-test them… you get it."
"Why so reluctant? I thought everything except that one dish with Mushroom Slime Stew was pretty tasty?" Hu Tao shrugged.
"That's because you only tried it once! Since then, the only testers left are me and Chongyun!" Xingqiu was at his breaking point.
Now it dawned on Xiangling. "So, you've been making up excuses every time since then? Skipping on purpose?"
Hu Tao insisted, "No way! I really was busy—Wangsheng work is endless. And hey, I showed up for the bubblegum tasting, didn't I?"
"Heh. Bet it's because the name didn't sound dangerous this time." Xingqiu jabbed again—he and Chongyun had borne the brunt of the past.
"Ugh, Liyue Harbor is in danger right now… Let's stop chatting and head to Northland Bank!" Before anyone could argue, Hu Tao blinked away with a Butterfly Step. "Bubblegum Squad—move out!"
…
When the sea monster appeared, Vlad's face went pale. This was the signal he never wanted to see… but now that it had come, he had a duty to fulfill.
Worried the people inside hadn't noticed, he shouted loudly, "There's a giant monster in the sea!"
Ever since the Millelith arrived, Northland Bank's doors had remained open. Hearing his cry, many rushed out to look.
Nearby, the Millelith also sent a report to the Ministry. Unlike with Wangsheng, even in this crisis, the Qixing decided to leave half their forces behind to keep the bank in check.
Once the signal had been triggered and the other half still refused to withdraw, Ekaterina, the bank's receptionist, tapped her boot's heel softly against the floor. Though faint inside the hall, it echoed clearly below.
Immediately, the temperature began to drop. The bank's doors slammed shut. When The Fair Lady reopened them from within, all the Millelith inside had been frozen.
"My Lady!" Vlad bowed low with reverence.
"Childe, that useless brat. So, it's come to this after all."
Gazing at Osial, The Fair Lady uttered her scorn, not caring whether Vlad dared respond. Then, she turned her lush figure back into the bank with elegant steps.
The bank's level and the two floors beneath it had all been purchased by the Fatui—officially for asset storage, but the truth was these floors served as their major base in Liyue Harbor.
The Qixing knew this well. So did The Fair Lady.
As long as the exits were sealed at critical moments, it didn't matter how many people were inside. The trap was already sprung—no one could leave.
She smirked, imagining the Qixing's reaction if they discovered a teleportation array here personally built by the Geo Archon for the Fatui.
In the floor below, a magic array created by the Geo Archon awaited activation. Dozens of fully armed Fatui vanguard troops stood ready, waiting to be transported to a 'suitable location' to die… or win.
Outside, other Fatui agents hidden across Liyue Harbor were converging, having received the signal. They all knew their fate. Far from home, they fought for homeland. Away from family, they found comrades worth dying for. They had entrusted their lives to their commander, to Snezhnaya, and to the Tsaritsa.
"For the Tsaritsa! For the Tsaritsa! For the Tsaritsa!"
The teleportation array suddenly lit up, and one after another, they passed through it—emerging aboard the Jade Chamber…