As the Poison Dragon Knight, dual swords in hand, tilted its head and paused, the icy aura emanating from the blades suddenly surged.
The sword energy, which should have swept toward the group, abruptly changed course mid-air, crashing violently into the ground!
Boom! The earth trembled slightly as dust and ice mist mingled into an impenetrable cloud, instantly engulfing the entire battlefield.
The group's vision was reduced to a hazy gray expanse, while the grinding of the Poison Dragon Knight's armor echoed through the mist like the footsteps of Death, its source impossible to pinpoint.
"Watch out for ambushes! Don't scatter!" Jean's voice cut through the mist with unwavering authority. She condensed Anemo energy in her palm, ready to respond to any sudden threat.
Diluc held Wolf's Gravestone horizontally before him, flames dancing along its blade as he attempted to dispel the surrounding mist. However, the fog was too dense; it dispersed only slightly before quickly reforming.
Noelle, meanwhile, stood firmly behind Lydia, shielding her. Her vigilant gaze swept the surroundings, her breathing so light it was barely audible.
Swish! Swish!
Two sharp, whistling sounds pierced the mist. Chains of dark energy, controlled by the Poison Dragon Knight, snaked out like venomous serpents, precisely ensnaring Bennett's ankles.
"Ah!" Bennett cried out as the chains dragged him into the darkness, the glow of his Vision vanishing from sight.
Simultaneously, another Poison Dragon Knight materialized into a pale blue afterimage, its Ice Sword radiating bone-chilling cold as it plunged toward Lydia's chest!
"Lydia!" Lumine reacted with lightning speed. Anemo energy exploded around her, and a faint cyan afterimage instantly interposed itself between Lydia and the attack.
Clang!
The Dull Blade clashed violently with the Ice Sword, sparks erupting amidst the swirling dust, their blinding light briefly illuminating Lumine's tense face.
Her brow furrowed, lips pressed into a thin line, and arms trembling slightly from the immense force she was resisting, she gritted her teeth and refused to yield even an inch.
"Wind Sword!"
Sensing the Poison Dragon Knight's attack, Jean's voice rang out again. Anemo energy coalesced at her sword's core, forming a massive wind vortex that surged toward the center of the dust cloud.
The swirling vortex, like an invisible hand, instantly dispersed the dense smoke, revealing a scene that made everyone's pupils contract.
The two Poison Dragon Knights had vanished without a trace, leaving only trails of lingering black mist on the ground.
"Behind us! They've circled around!" Kaeya's urgent voice pierced through the chaos. He channeled ice energy to his fingertips and fired icy projectiles backward.
The moment the ice lances pierced the air, a sharp clang rang out!
Everyone whirled around to see two Poison Dragon Knights had bypassed all their defenses and materialized behind Lydia like phantoms.
A dense Abyssal aura coiled around the pitch-black Poison Dragon Knight's raised fist. The punch, carrying the force to shatter stone, hurtled toward the top of Lydia's head.
Meanwhile, the Poison Dragon Knight with the Vision embedded in its chest slashed out crossed Ice Blades. The poisonous mist clinging to the blades spread through the air, sealing off all of Lydia's escape routes.
Lydia's heart leaped into her throat.
She could hear the pounding of her own blood, mingled with the creak of the Poison Dragon Knight's armor—each sound like the ticking of a countdown clock, striking her nerves like a hammer.
How could this be happening?
I've already grasped the power of Festering Desire...
Lumine and everyone are right here with me...
Yet why am I still cornered?
Am I too weak?
So weak that I can't even protect myself, let alone the others.
[Acknowledge me, accept me, merge with me, unleash my... our true power!]
The Festering Desire floated up from Lydia's palm, its radiance shrinking inward as a dense Abyssal aura surged forth like a tide, forming a semi-transparent barrier around her.
Buzz—!
The Abyssal aura clashed with the Poison Dragon Knight's attack. His fist slammed into the barrier, and the black energy instantly shattered, dissolving into shimmering specks that vanished into the air.
The Ice Blade was deflected by the radiant light, skidding across the ground and leaving a deep gouge. The venomous mist clinging to the blade was instantly devoured.
Next, the Festering Desire slowly floated before Lydia. From its hilt sprouted several wrist-thick black tentacles, their surfaces covered in fine, backward-facing barbs. These writhing tendrils coiled around Lydia's wrist like living creatures.
"Lydia! Watch out for that sword!" Lumine reached out to pull her back, but the Abyssal aura radiating from the Festering Desire repelled her, a searing pain prickling at her fingertips.
Lydia offered no resistance to the Festering Desire. An icy power surged into her through the tentacles, the Abyssal aura rushing through her veins like a raging river, scouring her organs.
The initial stinging pain forced a muffled groan from her lips, but it was quickly replaced by an endless torrent of power.
Her body, previously on the verge of collapse from exhaustion, instantly surged with vitality. Wisps of white steam began to rise from the deep, bone-revealing wounds on her shoulders and waist.
The skin around the wounds healed at a visible rate, even the bloodstains on her clothes gradually faded.
She slowly stood up, her snow-white hair swaying gently without a breeze, its tips entwined with a faint black-and-white glow.
Her clear eyes began to redden from the depths, gradually staining crimson, yet her expression remained serene.
Turning to Lumine, she offered a reassuring smile, her voice soft but firm: "Don't worry, I'm fine. I've simply... accepted the sword's original power."
Everyone watched the scene unfold in stunned silence.
The Anemo Vision at Lydia's waist suddenly blazed with a dazzling azure light. Anemo energy coalesced and swirled in her other hand, gradually forming a transparent Wind Blade.
The Wind Blade shimmered with a faint cyan glow, its edge humming as it sliced through the air.
Grasping Festering Desire in one hand and the Wind Blade in the other, Lydia stood tall as a pine, her figure wreathed in dark energy and swirling Anemo elements.
Compared to the Poison Dragon Knight nearby, who wielded twin swords wreathed in icy mist and dark miasma, there was an eerie similarity between them—like a stark contrast between light and shadow.
The two Poison Dragon Knights clearly didn't understand the situation.
Seeing their attack miss again, they let out low, guttural roars and charged at her with unrestrained fury!
Their twin swords slashed out a dense barrage of Ice Blades, each blade carrying a trail of poisonous mist, which rained down on Lydia like a violent storm.
Simultaneously, a dozen black energy chains snaked out from all directions, coiling around Lydia's limbs in an attempt to bind her firmly.
Lydia's eyes sharpened, and she swung Festering Desire and the Wind Blade in unison!
Festering Desire parried each Ice Blade with precision, while the sword qi unleashed by the Wind Blade blew the black energy chains off course.
Clang! Clang! Clang! The dense metallic clashing rang out as sparks erupted before her.
Her movements were now several times more agile than before. Not only did she effortlessly evade the Poison Dragon Knight's treacherous Ice Blades, but she also seized a critical opening in that very instant!
With a swift, crisscrossing strike of her twin blades, she dented the knight's armor, leaving a fissure in the metal.
The attack struck true!
Lydia turned to Lumine, the crimson in her eyes receding slightly, and gave her a reassuring look, easing the tension in Lumine's taut nerves.
But before she could speak, the Poison Dragon Knight suddenly erupted in a surge of dark energy, instantly teleporting to her side!
It clenched its fist, dark energy coalescing into sharp bone spikes that jutted from its knuckles, and slammed its fist toward Lydia's shoulder—precisely where Albedo Jr. had slashed her earlier!
"I'll help you!" Lumine's voice rang out as she raised the Dull Blade horizontally to block the fist.
Bang!
The massive impact forced Lumine to stumble back several steps, her arm going numb from the force.
Gritting her teeth, she seized the moment the knight paused and delivered a fierce kick to its abdomen, sending the slightly weakened Poison Dragon Knight flying toward Diluc and the others.
"Commander Jean! This one's all yours!"
Diluc had already prepared himself. The flames of Wolf's Gravestone erupted tenfold, the blade's fire nearly solidifying. He charged forward, his fiery sword driving the knight into their encirclement.
Lisa's Electro orb exploded in mid-air, sending arcs of electricity coursing through the dark miasma. The Poison Dragon Knight's body instantly stiffened, paralyzed by the surge.
The five warriors, working in perfect synchronization, trapped the Poison Dragon Knight in their midst. The dark miasma recoiled under their relentless assault, retreating step by step until even the knight's heart began to tremble faintly beneath his left breastplate.
Lumine swiftly returned to Lydia's side, gripping the Dull Blade tightly, her eyes resolute. "From now on, we'll fight together," she declared. "I won't let you take risks alone anymore."
"I failed to protect you before. This time, I won't."
Lydia paused, staring into Lumine's earnest gaze. A wave of warmth flooded her heart.
She nodded, her crimson eyes softening. "Alright, let's fight together."