"Ah!" "Damn it..." "Monster! Monster!"
Gorou's Elemental Burst didn't last long. Soon, the malevolent lightning struck the resistance soldiers, clinging to them like a persistent curse.
"Damn it, I won't let you take another step toward the Sangonomiya Shrine! Charge!" Gorou engaged Scaramouche in close combat, wielding his bow with skill. While his archery was impressive for an ordinary soldier, it was no match for a powerhouse like Scaramouche.
After just a few exchanges, Gorou was already at a disadvantage. A few more clashes, and Scaramouche found an opening, grabbing Gorou by the neck and lifting him off the ground.
"Hahaha! Little dog of the resistance, struggle a bit more! Hahaha..."
"General Gorou!" The fallen soldiers were furious. In their eyes, Gorou was invincible, a match even for Kujou Sara, the Shogun's top general.
But now, their beloved General Gorou had fallen into the hands of a Fatui Harbinger.
"Hey, hey, hey! Isn't there a Immortal Phoenix on Watatsumi Island? Bring him out to fight me! What's wrong, is he hiding like a coward? Hahaha..." Scaramouche laughed maniacally, his pent-up frustration from the past few days finally released. Once he defeated the so-called Immortal Phoenix, he would...
Just as Scaramouche was lost in his fantasies, a mocking voice reached his ears.
"Well, well, well, look who's here? Oh my, isn't this our dear Kunikuzushi?"
"Who?!" The moment he heard the name Kunikuzushi, Scaramouche bristled. He flung Gorou aside with a forceful throw.
"General Gorou!" The soldiers below cried out in panic, but there was nothing they could do. They could only watch as Gorou was sent flying toward the edge of a cliff.
Just as Gorou closed his eyes in despair, he felt a gentle force cushion his fall, slowing his descent. Then, the force lifted him back up and over the cliff.
"General Gorou, thank goodness you're alright!" Seeing their general unharmed, the soldiers breathed a sigh of relief. Then, they turned their attention to the silver-haired young man who had suddenly appeared on the battlefield.
Could this be... the Immortal Phoenix?
"You! You're the Immortal Phoenix?!" Scaramouche stared in shock at the familiar yet unfamiliar silver-haired man. Wasn't this the Divine Lord of Liyue? How had he become the Immortal Phoenix?
Though Scaramouche was confused, he quickly considered retreating. Since Yun Fan wasn't actively suppressing his aura, Scaramouche could sense the immense energy radiating from him.
Just that faint trace was enough for Scaramouche to realize that this man was at least on par with his creator, the Raiden Shogun.
'As the saying goes in Liyue, "As long as the green hills remain, there will be no shortage of firewood." It's best to retreat now!' Scaramouche decided, then clenched his fist, Electro energy crackling as he slammed it into the ground.
Boom! A deafening explosion shook the earth, and a cloud of dust erupted, enveloping Scaramouche.
"Cough, cough..." The thick dust made it hard for the resistance soldiers to see, and they coughed uncontrollably.
This was Scaramouche's plan—to use the dust as cover to escape Watatsumi Island.
If he were dealing with ordinary people, this tactic might have worked. But his opponent was Yun Fan, a being on par with the Heavenly Principles.
No, after obtaining the "Path of Causality," Yun Fan was, in essence, a nascent Aeon.
However, the laws of this world couldn't fully support this concept. Only by traveling to the Honkai: Star Rail universe could Yun Fan fully ascend to the status of an Aeon, unlocking the remaining seals on his character cards.
"Ugh!..." As Scaramouche tried to flee through the dust, a powerful blow struck his chest, sending him flying backward. He crashed through several coral trees before finally coming to a stop.
"Kunikuzushi, my dear, where are you off to?" The dust cleared, revealing Yun Fan, who looked at Scaramouche with a mocking smile. He crouched down and lightly patted Scaramouche's head.
"I'm not Kunikuzushi! Don't call me that!" Even in his dire situation, Scaramouche remained defiant. It was clear how much he hated the name Kunikuzushi.
"You're not Kunikuzushi? Then what should I call you?" Yun Fan scratched his head, pretending to be confused.
"How about Scaramouche?"
"Hmph! Whatever!" Scaramouche snorted coldly, about to say something when a sharp pain shot through his cheek, followed by a wave of dizziness.
"So you're Scaramouche, huh?" Yun Fan slapped Scaramouche across the face.
"You..." Scaramouche stared in disbelief, as if saying, 'You're cheating! You sneak-attacked me!'
Slap! Yun Fan struck again. "You what you? Can't even speak properly at your age?"
"I—!"
Slap! Another slap. "I what I? You're such a big kid, yet you can't even form a proper sentence?"
Scaramouche, dazed, covered his cheeks with his hands, tears of frustration welling up in his eyes.
Yun Fan: ???
Yun Fan was just getting into the rhythm of slapping when Scaramouche's reaction left him baffled. What was going on? He'd only slapped him a few times. Why was he crying?