"Huh?"
Lumine, Paimon, and Xilonen turned in confusion toward the direction Citlali had pointed. Around the corner, Angie emerged with Ailina and Vanyeliya, followed by Ororon.
"Angie?!"
"Ororon?" Xilonen's confusion deepened.
Seeing Angie, Lumine and Paimon lowered their guard. They had spent considerable time with her in Sumeru and knew her well.
Most importantly, Angie was a Pure Soul!
How could a Pure Soul possibly be a villain?
Angie greeted Lumine and Paimon with a warm smile as she approached the group.
"Long time no see, Traveler, and you too, adorable little Paimon."
Paimon: "I never expected you'd come with Citlali, Angie, especially after your Captain just fought the Pyro Archon!"
Angie smiled wryly. "I'm here to explain everything to you. The Captain has his own reasons."
She sat down and recounted the same explanation she had given Citlali earlier, though she only shared the bare essentials, omitting the more detailed parts.
If Lumine ultimately sided with the Pyro Archon, the Fatui wouldn't risk revealing all their cards.
When Angie finished speaking, all eyes turned to Lumine.
Traveler, do you have a plan beyond these two options?
Under the intense gaze of the crowd, Lumine finally broke her silence. She nodded firmly, confirming that she did indeed have a plan—one that, if successful, would surpass both of Angie's proposed choices.
Simultaneously, Lumine couldn't shake the feeling that neither the Pyro Archon's nor The Captain's plans would ultimately prove effective. In the end, everything would likely hinge on her own plan.
With Angie and Ishkab already in Natlan, Lumine could gather them at any time. All that remained was to find Fidelle, the seventh Pure Soul, to complete the collection.
However... Natlan already possessed two Pure Souls. Through her perception of the Unrelenting Will, Lumine knew that a full-scale Abyss assault could erupt at any moment.
She had a premonition: once three Pure Souls were gathered, the Abyss would launch a full-scale offensive!
And this wouldn't be like the Abyss's recent skirmishes in Natlan. This was precisely why Lumine had been hesitant to gather all seven Pure Souls, despite knowing that doing so would unlock the Goddess's hidden aid.
She was stalling, buying time for Natlan, waiting for the final two Heroes to appear!
Lumine: "I do have a plan, but it's best executed after the Pyro Archon's plan. Once my plan is set in motion, it will trigger a full-scale Abyss invasion..."
Xilonen knew about Lumine's plan—gathering the seven Pure Souls...
But Angie remained unaware. Since the Traveler's plan hinged on the outcome of these two choices, it meant neither option could be bypassed; the Traveler still had to choose one.
Noticing Angie's gaze, Lumine shook her head in resignation.
Compared to The Captain's plan, Lumine still sided with the Pyro Archon for now.
"Sigh..." Angie sighed. "It's regrettable that we're temporarily on opposing sides. My thinking aligns closely with The Captain's. After all these years, Natlan's Six Heroes have only managed to gather four. With the Abyss invasion imminent, I believe The Captain's plan is more reliable than the Pyro Archon's unproven strategy."
Hearing Angie's words, Lumine immediately revealed her entire plan, pointing out that both the Pyro Archon's and The Captain's strategies against the Abyss were highly likely to fail.
Angie remained seated, deep in thought for several minutes before finally asking, "Traveler, if we were to follow your plan, how confident are you of success?"
Lumine: "I don't know."
Angie fell silent again before saying, "I understand. The Captain is unaware of this information. I will inform him, and he will reassess the plan accordingly."
Paimon: "Angie, you must persuade The Captain! You know better than anyone the immense cost of his plan."
"Yes, of course," Angie said, rising to her feet. "If that's all, I must take my leave now. The matter is urgent; I need to return and inform The Captain as soon as possible."
"Wait!"
Lumine called out to Angie and sent her a small flower.
Angie: "???"
Lumine explained the flower's purpose. Angie glanced at Lumine in surprise before carefully accepting it.
Before leaving, Angie glanced at Ororon, who was about to follow behind. But he suddenly yelped in pain as Citlali pinched his flesh from behind.
"Where do you think you're going, you little rascal?" Citlali glared fiercely at Ororon, her face stern.
Ororon immediately cowered and obediently sat back down.
Seeing this from afar, Angie shrugged helplessly before departing with Ailina and Vanyeliya.
Xilonen: "We need to tell Mavuika about this as soon as possible."
Citlali: "We also need to be wary of the Fatui. Angie seems to have been convinced by us, but it's hard to say what exactly The Captain will do. If they really intend to carry out this plan, we must find a way to stop them!"
After discussing the matter for a while, their gazes inevitably drifted toward Ororon.
Citlali: "Ororon, I need you to tell me exactly how you got entangled with the Fatui. Every detail, no matter how small—be as thorough as possible!"
Since Angie's departure, Ororon had remained silent, still analyzing the plan Lumine had mentioned.
Ororon originally aided the Fatui because he sensed the Night Kingdom growing increasingly fragmented, while the Pyro Archon's plan showed no signs of progress. Seeing the Fatui's determination to save Natlan, Ororon decided to assist them.
But now... after evaluating Lumine's plan, Ororon concluded that the Captain's plan was indeed too radical.
Without further hesitation, he revealed everything: how he had encountered the Fatui and why he had chosen to assist them.
-
That evening, Angie returned to the Fatui encampment and noticed a significant reduction in personnel. The Captain was also absent.
After making inquiries, Angie learned of the Captain's whereabouts, but it was too late to seek him out that night. She resolved to find him the following day.
The following day, Angie located the Captain in a mountain cave.
Upon seeing her, the Captain asked, "What's the situation?"
Angie replied, "The Traveler has chosen to follow the Pyro Archon and execute her plan."
The Captain's face was obscured by his mask, making his expression impossible to discern. Yet Angie could sense his regret.
"In that case, we may very well find ourselves at war with her..."
Angie interrupted him before he could finish. "Captain, I have some intelligence that I believe will change your perspective once you hear it."
"Oh? Tell me," the Captain said.