"Chuychu?" Paimon flew toward her.
Chuychu's eyes lit up instantly upon seeing Lumine and Paimon. "Traveler and Paimon! Did you find their Ancient Names?"
Paimon: "We did! But only Kachina and Ishkab's Ancient Names. Since they were a team, they should be together in the Night Kingdom, right? Let's try it anyway!"
Lumine: "What just happened at the Stadium of the Sacred Flame?"
The explosion they had heard earlier had been incredibly powerful, sparking Lumine's curiosity.
Mavuika: "Well, the full story is quite complicated. I'll give you the gist of it."
Mavuika recounted her battle with the Captain, and how she had sacrificed her power to keep the Sacred Flame burning.
Paimon: "The Fatui again! But that person the Pyro Archon mentioned... Lumine, doesn't she sound familiar?"
Lumine: "No need to wonder. It's them—the Fatui Harbinger First Seat, the Captain Capitano, and his adjutant Angie."
If Angie was also in Natlan, did that mean there were now two Persons of Pure Soul in the region?
The Abyss had spared no effort to dispatch top-tier God-level combatants for even one Pure Soul. With two...
Moreover, why had Angie and her companions come to Natlan in the first place?
Based on Lumine's understanding of Angie, she wasn't the type to go around causing trouble. Having already achieved Pure Soul status, Lumine had absolute faith in her.
It seemed she needed to find an opportunity to talk to Angie.
With the Abyss looming, Natlan and the Fatui should unite against the common enemy, not fight to the death.
Mualani: "Lord Pyro Archon, you've lost your power. If the Fatui were to discover this..."
Mavuika: "Ha ha! That's why this must remain our little secret. Don't breathe a word, or I'll be in grave danger."
Mualani nodded, understanding.
Mavuika turned to the group: "Though I'd like to reassure you, given the current situation—being hunted by various factions—there's no way to feel at ease."
"Leave the complicated matters to me. You only need to focus on what you want to accomplish."
Kinich and Mualani then produced the Ancient Names of Ishkab and Kachina, which Mavuika solemnly accepted.
Afterward, she led the group to a room where she stored commemorative items.
After sharing the stories behind these relics, Mavuika instructed Mualani and Kinich to place the Ancient Names at the center of a magical array.
First, they placed Kachina's Ancient Name.
Mavuika: "The echoes of Life resonate through Heaven and Earth, and the threads of our story remain unbroken."
"Ancient Name, heed our call! May the chosen of Fate respond to this summons."
From the gray mist at the center of the formation, Kachina's figure slowly materialized.
Kachina rubbed her eyes, staring in astonishment at the scene before her.
"Ugh... another illusion?"
Mualani: "Kachina, are you all right?!"
Kachina: "Huh?! I... I'm not seeing things, am I? This... this can't be another trick of the Abyss, right?"
Mualani: "You're not mistaken, Kachina. It's us. We used your Ancient Name to find you in the Night Kingdom. We're working on a way to bring you back. How's the situation there?"
Kachina: "Really? That's wonderful! All four of us are fine here, we're all together!"
Four of you?!
Kinich: "Wait, Kachina, you said four people. Where's my sister? Where's Ishkab?!"
"Ishkab? Didn't she already succeed?" Kachina seemed confused.
Ajaw: "Impossible! Sister didn't make it out either! You didn't meet her? What kind of joke is this?!"
The other three, who were also in the Night Kingdom but couldn't see Lumine and the others, were equally puzzled.
Their ability to briefly remain in the Night Kingdom indicated that they had ultimately won the Night Warden Wars.
But if they had won, why was Kinich asking such a question?
Kachina's confusion made Kinich panic even more. He pressed her further, "Kachina, isn't Sister with you?"
"No," Kachina replied. "Maybe we just haven't found her yet. Everyone, since we arrived here, we've been investigating this place. We now know—the Great Spirit has been corrupted by the Abyss!"
"The Abyss has grown even stronger, and we encountered a terrifying monster. All four of us nearly died fighting it."
Mualani urged, "Kachina, we'll come find you soon. Be extremely careful. And if you can, look for Ishkab while you're at it."
"Okay, we'll wait for you here," Kachina replied.
As she spoke, Kachina's figure gradually faded until she vanished completely.
Immediately after Kachina disappeared, Kinich stepped into the center of the formation, holding his sister's Ancient Name.
"Pyro Archon, everyone, I apologize for the trouble."
Mavuika nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
The ritual continued, this time requiring an even longer wait. Everyone present stared intently at the center of the formation.
Ishkab's figure gradually materialized, but...
She was sprinting frantically in a specific direction, glancing back repeatedly as if some terrifying entity were pursuing her.
Kinich's eyes lit up. "Sister!"
Ishkab's expression changed noticeably, but she didn't break her stride.
"Ishkab, it's us! We found you using your Ancient Name. What's wrong? Who's chasing you?" Lumine called out.
Ishkab turned her head and saw Lumine, Paimon, Mualani, Mavuika, and... her younger brother Kinich, all running alongside her.
"Kinich," she demanded, "answer me this: What did you do when you were six that got you kicked out of the house for a day?"
Having been deceived by Abyss Illusions countless times, Ishkab wanted to confirm whether this was truly her brother.
Kinich froze momentarily, his face flushing crimson. But seeing his sister being chased by something, her face etched with exhaustion, he felt a pang of sympathy. Gritting his teeth, he blurted out:
"I wet the bed that day... and refused to wash the sheets. Sister punished me by making me stand outside the door."
Pfft—
Ajaw couldn't suppress a burst of laughter, but immediately realized the inappropriateness of his amusement and stifled it.
"I'm sorry, I deserve to die!"
Ishkab: It's definitely you. I'm being chased by a monster right now, too strong to fight, so I'm just running for my life. Phew~
Ishkab, panting heavily, asked, "I haven't found Kachina and the others. Do you know where they are or how they're doing?"
Kinich: Sister, they're fine, don't worry. Just hang on a little longer, we'll come for you soon.
Ishkab: Come for me? No, it's too dangerous! Don't come! This thing isn't something you can handle—it's incredibly strong!
Lumine: Ishkab, forget about us! I'm strong too. Just hang on a little longer, wait for us!
"Traveler..." Ishkab started to say something, but suddenly sensed danger and lunged forward.
Kinich cried out in alarm, "Sister!"
Ishkab: Everyone, I have to run for my life now. Let's talk again when I get the chance.