The battlefield instantly split into two groups.
Diluc and his allies besieged the Poison Dragon Knight without a Vision, weaving a dazzling yet lethal net of Anemo, Pyro, Cryo, Electro, and Geo elements. The black miasma was suppressed, forced to cling to the monster's body like a suffocating shroud.
Meanwhile, Lydia and Lumine teamed up against another Poison Dragon Knight. With each clash, the Abyssal aura of Festering Desire dimmed the glow of the opponent's Ice Sword.
"Now!" Lisa's voice suddenly rang out.
Her Electro orb, condensed to its limit, struck the weakest point in the Poison Dragon Knight's armor with pinpoint accuracy.
Electricity surged through the black miasma, instantly freezing the knight's movements. Even the miasma's flow stilled.
"Freeze!"
Kaeya circled behind the knight, his sword tip piercing through a gap in the armor. The ice element instantly froze the knight's heart, halting its beating.
Diluc seized this fleeting opportunity. Flames from Wolf's Gravestone coalesced into a massive firebird, which, propelled by Anemo, slammed into the knight's heart on his left chest!
"Flames, burn it all away!"
The firebird exploded, its flames spreading along the heart's crimson veins, searing the dark-red organ with a hissing sizzle.
Boom!
The Poison Dragon Knight's body crashed to the ground, its dark aura dissipating like a support structure had collapsed, leaving behind only shattered armor and a still heart, which landed with a dull thud.
Meanwhile, Lydia and Lumine's coordination grew increasingly seamless.
Lumine cornered the "monster," relentlessly attacking the knight's limbs to prevent it from launching a full-strength assault.
Lydia raised Festering Desire, its Abyssal aura surging violently. She thrust the sword toward the knight's left chest, aiming for its heart!
Just as the sword's tip was about to pierce the heart, a sharp, stabbing pain suddenly shot through Lydia's hand.
The pain surged up her arm and into her brain!
A crimson light flashed in her eyes as her wrist tensed involuntarily. The sword, originally aimed at the heart, deviated slightly but still pierced through the Poison Dragon Knight's chest with tremendous force!
Blood dripped down the blade, sizzling as it struck the ground and corroded small pits into the earth.
The knight froze instantly, its twin swords clattering to the ground as its body slowly collapsed.
"We did it! We won!"
Bennett stared at the fallen Poison Dragon Knights, his face breaking into a wildly jubilant grin. He pumped his fist in the air, shaking with excitement.
Completely forgetting the terror of being dragged away moments earlier, he skipped and hopped toward Lumine and Lydia.
The flames on Wolf's Gravestone gradually died down as Diluc sheathed his weapon.
Looking at the shattered remains of the Poison Dragon Knights on the ground, the tense line of his mouth finally relaxed slightly.
Kaeya sheathed his weapon and walked over, clapping Diluc on the shoulder with a grin. "Who would've thought? We actually took down these two troublesome fellows. Looks like Mondstadt's combat prowess hasn't declined after all."
"Don't get too complacent," Diluc replied coolly, his gaze sweeping toward the distant Dragonspine mountains. "We still haven't dealt with that Demon Dragon. These bizarre creatures... I have a feeling they won't be so easily eradicated for good."
Jean approached them, letting out a soft sigh as she brushed a strand of windblown hair from her face. "Master Diluc remains as cautious as ever."
"Enough about that for now. Let's check on Lydia and Lumine first."
Noelle and Lisa slowly made their way over.
Lisa leaned against Noelle's shoulder, her languid eyes tinged with weariness. "Aiya, I'm exhausted. If I'd known these monsters would be so stubborn, I would've stayed in the Library for a longer nap."
"Still... Lydia's power just now was truly astonishing."
"..."
As they spoke, the group began walking toward Lydia and Lumine.
Lumine was supporting Lydia, gently touching the newly healed wound on her shoulder, her eyes filled with concern. "How are you feeling? That sword... didn't hurt you, did it?"
Lydia shook her head. The Abyssal aura emanating from Festering Desire gradually faded, and the tendrils that had been coiled around her wrist vanished, leaving only faint black patterns on the hilt.
She looked at Lumine, the crimson in her eyes receding to reveal a hint of clarity. "I'm fine. In fact, I feel... much lighter than before."
"That's good." Lumine let out a relieved breath, a smile spreading across her face. "When you blocked the Poison Dragon Knight's Ice Blade earlier, you were amazing! I was worried you'd be overwhelmed."
"It was our teamwork that made it work." Lydia smiled, turning to face the approaching group, warmth flooding her heart.
Bennett rushed to the front, exclaiming excitedly, "Lydia! You were so cool earlier! The power of that sword is awesome! And Lumine, when you kicked the Poison Dragon Knight flying, you were absolutely badass!"
"Bennett, calm down," Kaeya said with a smile, his gaze fixed on the Festering Desire in Lydia's hand. "Honestly, Lydia, the power of this sword is truly remarkable."
"I was worried it might backfire on you earlier, but it seems my concerns were unfounded."
Jean approached Lydia, scrutinizing her carefully. After confirming she was unharmed, she nodded reassuringly. "Mastering such power is no easy feat."
"Still, you must be cautious when using it in the future. The Abyss's power is never easily tamed."
"I will, Acting Grand Master Jean," Lydia nodded earnestly, tightening her grip on the Festering Desire.
Diluc watched the pair, then spoke slowly, "Now that we've dealt with these two Poison Dragon Knights, we need to reinforce Venti and Dvalin as quickly as possible."
"The dragon's roar has vanished from the sky. I wonder how they're faring."
"Oh yeah! Venti and Dvalin!" Paimon suddenly popped up from behind Lumine's shoulder. "We have to check on them right away! We can't let them be in danger!"
The group nodded in agreement, about to turn and head back toward Mondstadt.
Suddenly, Bennett stumbled, nearly falling to the ground.
Steadying himself, he glanced down at the ground, puzzled. "Huh? Why hasn't the black miasma dissipated yet?"
Following his gaze, the others saw that the black miasma surrounding the Poison Dragon Knight's remains hadn't dispersed. Instead, it was slowly writhing, as if alive, and gathering around the corpse.
Diluc's expression darkened instantly. He raised a hand to stop the others. "Something's wrong!"
No sooner had he spoken than two streams of black miasma erupted from the remains, instantly engulfing the entire battlefield.
Before anyone could react, they heard a familiar creaking sound.
The next moment, something bizarre happened.
Thick black miasma began pouring from the two fallen Poison Dragon Knight corpses. The miasma coiled around the shattered armor and bones like living tendrils, pulling them back together!
The once-still hearts reignited with a dark crimson glow within the miasma, even brighter than before.
The shattered armor pieces automatically reassembled, and bones reformed within the swirling black miasma. In mere seconds, two perfectly intact Poison Dragon Knights stood before the group once more!
The eerie flames burning in their eye sockets burned with an even more terrifying intensity than before.
Diluc stared at the Poison Dragon Knight reforming behind Lumine and Lydia, while Lumine stared at the Poison Dragon Knight reforming behind Diluc.
Their pupils constricted in shock, their voices filled with unprecedented urgency: "Watch out behind you! They're reforming!"
Before the warning could be fully uttered, the smaller, reconstituted Poison Dragon Knight conjured another Ice Blade, now wreathed in an even denser cloud of poison mist, and slashed viciously across Lumine's arm!