Whoosh—
Lumine accelerated towards the Floating Rock. Angie's mangled body lay there, a gruesome sight.
Such horrific injuries—the gruesome holes across her body... It's like she was chewed up and spat out...
Lumine's breath caught in her throat, her pupils shrinking to pinpricks.
The mangled, barely human form burned into her retina like a red-hot brand, crushing the last flickering ember of self-deception in her heart.
"Ugh— ARRGH—!!!"
A primal roar, a blend of unbearable pain and fury, erupted from the depths of her throat.
The golden aura around her instantly transformed into a malevolent crimson, like boiling magma.
She collapsed to one knee beside Angie, reaching out but unable to touch the ravaged, almost completely torn-apart body. Her fingertips trembled violently, stopping an inch short. Finally, she clenched her hand into a fist, her nails digging deep into her palm, drawing beads of blood that dripped between her fingers. Yet she felt no physical pain.
Far more agonizing than any physical wound was the feeling of her heart being ripped apart.
The despair of a broken promise, of failing to protect what mattered most.
She had watched her Trusted Friend die in such a horrific way, utterly powerless to save even a shred of her.
Gosoythoth!!!
Lumine immediately knew the answer. She sprang to her feet, her crimson eyes scanning the surroundings, but Gosoythoth was nowhere to be seen.
Just then, the Goddess approached the Floating Rock. Angie's body slowly levitated upward before being placed into an exquisite box—a coffin.
"The Abyss here has been purged."
Hearing this, Lumine, Mavuika, and Aether turned to the Goddess, but she shook her head. "Not by me."
The Goddess offered no further explanation. Since she wished to maintain her anonymity, it was not Lumine's place to reveal her involvement.
Before they could react, the Goddess added, "Let us go. This must end."
The coffin floated before Lumine. As Lumine met the Goddess's gaze, her fury gradually subsided. She carefully placed the coffin into her Serenitea Pot.
As Lumine retrieved the Serenitea Pot, the Goddess's gaze pierced through the vessel, spotting Paimon lying unconscious on the floor before the house within the Serenitea Pot's inner space.
Paimon's small face was deathly pale, a thin line of blood tracing down from the corner of her mouth. Her clothes were disheveled, and the tiny crown atop her head had fallen to the ground.
It was now undeniable who had dealt with Gosoythoth.
In that unnoticed moment, a wisp of pink energy silently seeped into Paimon's tiny body, and her breathing gradually steadied.
-
The group set off again and, after a few seconds, arrived at the space where Fidelle had previously fought the Abyssal Black Shadow alone.
The Goddess had already arrived, merging the numerous corpses scattered across the area into a single one—the one with its head crushed underfoot.
After a quick cleanup, the Goddess fashioned a box (coffin) using the same method as before and placed the body inside.
Lumine then stored it in the Serenitea Pot.
With these preparations complete, the Goddess prepared to head to the battlefield.
They had always been the weaker side before, but now things were different. With such immense power at their disposal, it was time to make that guy who always sat in the rear suffer a little!
Moreover, according to the plan, the battle there should already be reaching its climax.
If she didn't go now, the situation would be difficult to resolve!
-
Natlan.
The war here continued to rage. Though the Natlan warriors and Fatui Soldiers fought valiantly, they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of monsters.
Moreover, the battle lines were stretched thin, with Abyss Monsters appearing in nearly every corner of Natlan.
Even with aid from various nations and the presence of Shouki no Kami, the Prodigal, a God-level combatant, it would still take considerable time to completely end the war here.
Although they had temporarily pushed back the Abyss on this front, no one could find cause for celebration.
The repercussions from that unknown war, happening somewhere else, were too great. The outcome of that battle would determine the fate of the entire war!
When Xianyun and the other Adepti came to Natlan to provide support, the Geo Archon had warned them of the unprecedented strength of their foe—a threat unheard of even during the Archon War!
They had never seen the Geo Archon wear such a grave expression. With the fate of all of Teyvat at stake, they couldn't help but feel anxious!
Unfortunately, their strength wasn't even sufficient to join the war. All they could do was help defend against Natlan's Abyssal invasion to the best of their abilities.
Kabukimono piloted the Shouki no Kami, the Prodigal, guarding the densest concentration of Abyss Realm Gates. His colossal form utterly crushed the lesser Abyss Monsters!
His gaze occasionally drifted toward a particular direction.
Unlike others, he could sense the intensity of the battlefield there. Based on his calculations, he wasn't even qualified to participate in that theater of war.
This realization fueled his deep concern for Rukkhadevata's safety.
And of course, there was the Electro Nation's God to worry about too!
Nahida currently stood beside Yohualtecuhtin, Lord of the Night. She had originally stayed in Natlan to help Lumine and the others awaken the Goddess, but upon Lumine's return, she realized her abilities were utterly useless to them.
Considering the need to fight the Abyss, Nahida ultimately chose to remain.
Working together, Nahida, wielding Irminsul's Authority, and Yohualtecuhtin, harnessing the Lord of the Night's Abyssal Power, mapped out the precise locations of every Abyss Realm Gate.
-
Tartaglia, clad in his Foul Legacy Transformation armor, was locked in fierce combat with the Abyss.
A short distance away stood Ailina. Before departing, Angie had solemnly asked Tartaglia to watch over her, a request he had taken to heart.
The clamor from the main battlefield filled him with anxiety. He wondered how his sister was faring—had she succeeded in awakening the Goddess?
Unable to get news, Tartaglia channeled his worry into fury, unleashing it upon the monsters before him.
-
Beyond the Dark Sea.
The battle here had long surpassed the realm of mere brutality. The battlefield had shifted to the skies, tearing the False Sky completely asunder.
The Temporal Husk's power defied imagination.
Its Abyssal Power could withstand the Authorities of Death, Time, and Life.
These Authorities had no effect on it; only pure Ability-based attacks could harm it. Yet this creature was nigh-indestructible, and its offensive power was devastating!
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, the Cryo Archon, the Anemo Archon, the Dendro Dragon Sovereign Apep, and Capitano had all fallen into deep comas.
Morax, Skirk (who had rushed to the scene), Raiden Ei, Neuvillette, Alice, Barbeloth, Nicole, and the others had also been rendered combat-incapable.
Now, only the Three gods remained to continue the fight against the Temporal Husk.
Even so, the situation remained dire.
Boom!
Ronova was once again slammed down from the sky, her fury boiling over.
"This thing is unkillable! Only He can deal with it!"
Naberius & Rhinedottir: "He can't come. You know that."
Istaroth: "If we keep fighting like this, this place won't hold."
The trio were frantic, a first for them.
Fighting the Temporal Husk was mostly defensive, an utterly stifling ordeal!
And with the Heavenly Principles unable to intervene, their frustration only deepened.