Night.
Inside Yuna's room.
Yuna was already asleep, her even breaths audible in the quiet room.
She wore shorts, the blanket covering only her head and upper body, leaving her fair, slender legs and delicate feet exposed.
In her sleep, Yuna's delicate brows furrowed slightly, as if she were having a nightmare.
Suddenly, Yuna's eyes snapped open, and she bolted upright, gasping for air.
Seeing the familiar surroundings, her panic gradually subsided.
I haven't dreamt in ages, and when I finally do, it's a nightmare...
Startled awake, Yuna lost all drowsiness. Just as she was about to get up and head to the kitchen for a snack, she sensed something amiss and swiftly turned to look out the window.
Something seemed to have flashed past outside.
Still shaken from the nightmare, Yuna initially felt fear, but the sight outside banished it entirely.
"Who's there? Who's out there?!"
Yuna cautiously approached the window, completely unaware of the presence behind her.
As Yuna's full attention remained fixed on the window, the black-robed figure materialized silently behind her. A large, black blade materialized in its left hand, its edge gleaming with a chilling light.
-
Player World
The players, who had initially wondered why the perspective had suddenly shifted, now understood—and they were going berserk.
[Another ambush! These guys are so strong, why do they keep resorting to sneak attacks?!]
[It's him! I knew he'd cause trouble! We're doomed! This guy's way too strong!]
[No! My Yuna!]
[Turn back—no, run!]
[Nooooo! ! !]
-
Inside Yuna's room, the black-robed figure had already raised its blade.
It was summer in Inazuma, and the sky was mostly clear that night, leaving it less dark than usual.
Under the faint moonlight, the greatsword in the black-robed figure's hand suddenly glinted.
Yuna noticed the flash just in time, her heart leaping as she realized someone was behind her.
The whoosh of the blade slicing through the air followed immediately, giving her no time to turn.
In a panic, Yuna barely managed to summon her Whatever Claymore, gripping it backward and bracing it behind her.
Bang!
The Claymore collided with the black-robed figure's blade in a deafening clash.
Before being wounded, the black-robed figure had been capable of battling the Three Gods themselves. Though wounded and diminished now, it still far surpassed the capabilities of an ordinary Vision wielder.
The sheer disparity in their weapons alone was enough to overwhelm Yuna.
A single, effortless strike sent Yuna flying, shattering the wall and sending her skidding over a dozen meters before she came to a stop.
Yuna scrambled to her feet, recalling her Claymore. A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth, which she casually wiped away.
The strike hadn't dealt a fatal blow. Besides her own resilience, the key factor was the Talisman given to her by her Miko Sister.
The Talisman had already shattered, its fragments coalescing into an Electro Element shield around Yuna.
In the adjacent room, Kuki Shinobu was jolted awake by the thunderous crash. She bolted out of her room and saw her sister standing guard, Claymore raised, glaring at her door.
"Yuna!"
Kuki Shinobu noticed the devastated scene and the blood at the corner of Yuna's mouth. Her expression turned icy.
"Second Sister, be careful! It's incredibly strong!" Yuna warned. One strike from that thing's blade carried such devastating power. My sister and I can't possibly defeat it.
Chu Xi also ran out and stood beside Yuna.
"Yuna, are you alright? Are you badly hurt?"
"I'm fine."
While they spoke, the black-robed figure remained hidden inside. Meanwhile, Yuna's parents, alerted by the commotion, hurried out of their rooms.
"What's going on?!"
"What happened, Shinobu, Yuna?"
"Mom!"
Yuna's face was etched with panic—more terrified than she had been facing the black-robed figure itself. Her parents were ordinary humans; while she and her sister might stand a chance against the black-robed figure, her parents would be completely helpless.
"Chu Xi, can you protect my parents?"
"Got it!" Chu Xi agreed, sprinting toward the elderly couple.
-
Inside Yuna's room, the black-robed figure wasn't refusing to leave; the little thing before It was simply too bothersome.
A purple egg of unknown origin had suddenly sprouted arms and legs. Though initially tiny, it had transformed into a creature half Its height.
The little thing possessed considerable strength, actually managing to stall the figure for a while.
The black-robed figure couldn't fully unleash Its power, as this was within Inazuma City, and It didn't want to attract the Electro Archon's attention.
Bang!
With a kick, the figure sent the little thing flying and immediately pursued it outside.
In that brief moment, thunderclouds had already gathered in the sky.
Several thunderbolts crashed down upon the black-robed figure!
It teleported aside to evade them, glancing upward.
So I've been discovered after all...
That's to be expected. If the Electro Archon hadn't noticed by now, she wouldn't deserve her title.
The little thing, unfazed by being kicked, charged back and latched onto the figure.
The black-robed figure glanced at Yuna, slashed a rift in the air with Its blade, and stepped through.
The Thunderbolts missed the black-robed figure, and the little thing, having lost its target, reverted to its egg form and flew back to Yuna's side.
The entire sequence—from the black-robed figure kicking the little thing away to it slicing through space and disappearing—occurred in a mere instant.
Kuki Shinobu had already committed the figure's features to memory, especially that final, lingering gaze.
Though the figure had no eyes, Kuki Shinobu keenly sensed the deep malice and hunger radiating from it.
She turned to her sister, her eyes filled with deep worry.
"Yuna..."
"Cough, cough."
Yuna coughed up a mouthful of blood, her small face pale.
Kuki Shinobu rushed forward to support her, asking anxiously, "What's wrong? Where are you hurt?"
Yuna waved her hand weakly. "It's nothing, Second Sister."
Kuki Shinobu's tone sharpened. "Spitting up blood and you say it's nothing? Come on, I'm taking you for treatment."
"No, wait. That creature might still be around, or it might have accomplices."
Yuna glanced around warily.
"Accomplices?"
Kuki Shinobu frowned. "You know that thing? Are you hiding something from me? What was that... thing just now?"
Yuna remained silent.
"You are hiding something! Get your wounds treated first, and we'll settle this later!"
Shinobu knew her sister all too well and was growing increasingly irritated.
Yuna was at a loss. Just as her Second Sister understood her, she understood her Second Sister.
But more pressing than her sister's anger was the question of what that creature was.
The Abyss?
Was she truly the possessor of this "Pure Soul"?
Yuna's mind raced. She knew the Abyss's history well, and the calamities they had wrought in Mondstadt and Liyue.
To them, a Pure Soul was paramount—something they would obtain at any cost!
Damn it! she thought. I haven't even left Narukami Island! How could the Abyss have found me?!
Shinobu noticed Yuna's distressed expression and gently patted her sister's shoulder.
"It's alright, don't worry. We're all here for you."