"Huaiyan! Huaiyan—!"
Stelle, once again possessed by Cirrus, stood on a high point and shouted.
"The duel with the General is still far off. How about you and I settle this first?"
At that moment, a faint response came from the distance.
"You are... Cirrus? You little thing, what makes you think you can compete with me?"
"I have turned the garden into my stronghold, and made the hounds of the Ten-Lords Commission my puppets! I only await the General's arrival to restart our battle from back then. Why should I fight a fellow kin now?"
Stelle smiled slightly. Using Stelle's body as bait, they quickly lured Huaiyan into taking the hook.
Once all preparations were complete, Xueyi brought out a artifact crafted by the Artisanship Commission, the 'Hidden Moon Gourd', which could be used to control the Sentient Flame.
"And also..." Xueyi said earnestly.
Stelle immediately understood. "I will protect Huohuo."
Xueyi nodded with relief. "She has not been a Judge for long and still needs experience. Besides, please be merciful towards those Helmsmen who have fallen under Huaiyan's control."
At this moment, the camera focused on Huohuo's upper body. She looked determinedly at Tail.
"Tail, next we have to face a very dangerous enemy together. Please lend me your strength too."
Tail looked quite pleased. "Oh~ I didn't expect you to sound quite formidable when you talk tough."
In the next moment, his tone changed. "I'd believe it if your legs weren't shaking so badly!"
Immediately, the camera very appropriately shifted downwards,
showing Huohuo's legs shaking like a sieve.
[Hahaha, I'm dying of laughter. Isn't it time for the final battle? Why are they still making jokes?]
[I just want to laugh when I see Huohuo's legs shaking there. Really, this kind of contrast is so hilarious.]
[Tail is also a pro at exposing people!]
——
Scolded by Tail, Huohuo's spirit deflated again.
"P-please don't expose me! I... I finally mustered up just a little bit of courage! As a Judge, I haven't been of much help this whole journey, always hiding behind Miss Stelle..."
But Huohuo clenched her fists. Though terrified in her heart, she remained determined to move forward.
"Miss Xueyi said that those possessed by a Sentient Flame cannot be possessed a second time. Right now, I'm the only one who can help everyone!"
"Ah yaya, this old man feels like a balloon being inflated, pumped up by this little coward! What are we waiting for? Let's go?"
According to Cirrus's plan, once its wager with Huaiyan began, Stelle and Huohuo should seize this fleeting opportunity,
defeat the hosts possessed by Huaiyan, and collect all the scattered Sentient Flame fragments into the gourd.
And so, the two began their operation.
Although Huohuo wasn't very brave, she still had some skills as a Judge. With the help of her talismans, she greatly suppressed the Sentient Flame's energy.
Stelle was no less capable, directly using the Hidden Moon Gourd to collect them.
Before long,
the tactic of defeating them one by one was a great success, and Stelle and Huohuo immediately returned to Qingqiu Terrace.
However,
on their way back, they saw someone unexpected.
Huohuo looked over. "It's Miss Xueyi and... Miss Guinaifen! Great, she's okay..."
Then she observed the surroundings. "There are many Helmsmen lying on the ground!"
Guinaifen turned her head and saw the returning Stelle and Huohuo, happily waving,
"Family! Huohuo! Thank heavens, you're safe and sound. That's wonderful!"
In the shot, Guinaifen seemed perfectly fine, except for a fleeting green flame in her eyes.
[No way!]
[I knew it was impossible for Guinaifen to appear on her own.]
[Oh ho, I get it!]
[Damn, they're not going to pull a Tingyun, are they?!]
[Dammit, no! Xiao Guizi! You have to hold on!]
[MiHoYo probably wouldn't dare, right? Guinaifen plays a key role in the story.]
——
Xueyi looked at the returning two and said, "I have defeated all the Helmsmen manipulated by Huaiyan... It was quite troublesome, needing to hold back yet still subdue them."
"How did your task fare?"
Huohuo took out the Hidden Moon Gourd and shook it. "Mhm, we've almost sealed all of Huaiyan's fragments."
Xueyi nodded.
"Next, we should seal the fragments collected in the Hidden Moon Gourd into the 'Form-Restraining Evil-Warding Array'. With its power stripped away, Huaiyan will no longer be able to influence people and events in Fyxestroll Garden."
Suddenly, Guinaifen took two steps towards Huohuo. "This gourd is so beautiful. Is this a magical treasure from the Xianzhou?"
Huohuo subconsciously took a step back. "Miss Guinaifen, please be careful... Getting too close to the array might make you feel a bit dizzy..."
"No worries, no worries." Guinaifen's tone grew increasingly strange.
"After all, it's my first time seeing an exorcism tool of the Ten-Lords Commission up close!"
At the same time, Tail raised an eyebrow. "Huohuo, don't let her get close!"
But it was already too late.
With a crack, Guinaifen smashed the gourd onto the ground without changing her expression. The gourd shattered, and countless Sentient Flame fragments escaped.
Immediately after, Guinaifen fainted.
Countless Sentient Flame fragments floated in the air.
"Cirrus~ It's Cirrus~ You won~ You won~"
"Don't leave us... Help us~ Take us with you~ Let us reappear the majesty of 'Ignamar'~"
At this moment, Cirrus, possessing Stelle, slowly spoke,
"Hehehe, Hahaha~
Thank you, esteemed Judges, for clearing the obstacles for me and gathering the Sentient Flame fragments."
Finally, Cirrus's gaze burned as it looked at Stelle.
"I said I would leave your body, little pawn."
——
Cirrus flew directly out of Stelle's chest, arriving amidst the other Sentient Flames.
Stelle fell to her knees in pain.
"Right, I should also fulfill my promise."
At that moment, countless Sentient Flame fragments converged towards Cirrus.
The surroundings filled with the wails of the Sentient Flames. "Wuu—— Gonna—— Be—— Sucked—— Away——"
Huohuo took out her command flag, her voice trembling with tears. "Oh no! The bad guy wants to devour the other Sentient Flames' power!"
"I feel... unprecedented—"
Cirrus's form grew larger and larger. "Power!"
Then, the previously possessed Helmsmen slowly rose like zombies, also controlled by Cirrus.
"Pawns, care for another round?"
Stelle gritted her teeth, took out her bat, and faced the enlarged Cirrus.
She charged forward to attack Cirrus, but the controlled Helmsmen blocked Stelle's path one by one.
With no other choice, Stelle could only grip her bat and start fighting.
Although aided by Huohuo's talismans, only Stelle and Xueyi were currently fighting.
Even the puppet body was nearing its limit.
"This fiend... is truly troublesome..."
Huohuo: "Is everyone... okay?!"
"If we try to whittle it down bit by bit, we'll be exhausted before we have any chance of winning."
At this moment, Tail drifted out leisurely. "A victory might not be impossible, puppet..."
"As it said itself, when Sentient Flames merge, they form a fragile balance."
"You know what to do, right, Huohuo?"
Huohuo was stunned at first, stammering before squeezing out a few words. "B...but..."
"Afraid of what? If this old man is gone, won't you be able to live the life you want?"
[Ahhhhhh, no way! It's this kind of trope again!]
[Wuwu... Is Tail going to do something stupid?]
[It can't be, right? MiHoYo wouldn't do something like that, would they? After all, Tail is a Sentient Flame, they don't die that easily.]
——
"Bored, bored. These little pawns are too dull. How about you join them too?" Cirrus said sarcastically.
But suddenly, a powerful energy burst forth.
"Abandon resistance, become mine for my use!"
Instantly, both Xueyi and Stelle lost their ability to resist.
As the two floated in the air, about to be absorbed by Cirrus,
Xueyi's body glowed red. At the same time, she threw out chains, pulling Stelle close while securing her own stance. "Resorting to cheating because you can't win?!"
Huohuo, seeing this scene, was completely stunned, only able to hold her head in her hands.
Tail floated in front of Huohuo and shouted loudly, "Useless thing, you... you need to pull yourself together!"
Huohuo knelt on the ground, her face covered in tears.
"Wuwu, this thing just won't die, we're definitely finished..."
This time, Tail didn't choose to scold Huohuo, but said softly,
"Don't you still have... still have me?"
Huohuo's expression froze for a moment. Tail had already returned to her tail.
"You?"
She suddenly understood everything and tore off the seal on her tail.
"Hahaha." Tail laughed wildly twice. "Goodbye, Huohuo!"
Huohuo tried to grab him, but caught only air.
Tail let out a loud shout and charged towards Cirrus...
"You... bastard! Why are you causing trouble! Get... get out!"
Freed from their restraints, both Stelle and Xueyi shook their heads, sharing a single thought: settle old and new scores together!
Cirrus roared madly in the air. The Helmsmen it controlled were gradually losing their mobility.
"You, get out of me!"
From within Cirrus's body came Tail's voice. "Cirrus, why not try absorbing me too?"
"Are you insane? Why help humans?!"
"Reasons? Do I need a reason? If I must have one—it's that I look down on a fool like you who only knows how to play tricks!"
"Wuu ah ah ah ah ah——!!!"
——
Huohuo wiped her tears and ran to Xueyi and Stelle's side. "We can't let Tail's efforts be in vain! Talisman, talismans, heed my command! Talisman, talisman, talisman!"
Countless talismans flew towards Cirrus. Plagued by internal strife and external attacks, Stelle finally delivered the final blow.
With a boom, Cirrus's form exploded.
Huohuo looked at the light dissipating into the air and began to wail loudly.
"Tail!!!"
[See, this is MiHoYo's signature move: stabbing you anytime, anywhere.]
[Dammit, did they really write Tail out? Is MiHoYo even human?]
[You really thought MiHoYo was human on the first day?]
[I'm crying watching this!]
[Oh ho, Huohuo's tail is really gone now. It's over, it's over.]
[I still want that interesting Tail, how can he be gone?]
[Space Comedy!]
Amidst Huohuo's sobs, the screen went black, displaying text.
"An unexpected 'Calamity of the Sentient Flames' turned into a sky full of fiery rain. Cirrus, having seized the chaos to possess a Helmsman child, was promptly subdued by the Ten-Lords Commission. But Tail's whereabouts were now untraceable..."
Watching the weeping Huohuo, the battered Xueyi walked to Stelle's side.
"That one attached to Huohuo... seems to have disappeared. I don't know whether to be happy or sad for Huohuo..."
She sighed quietly. "Forget it, emotional contemplation has never been my forte. Thank you for your assistance. Reinforcements from the Ten-Lords Commission will arrive soon. Guinaifen will also be sent to the medical center for care."
Stelle also felt unsettled. "Did Cirrus die?"
"No, that fiend still exists; it even hijacked the Helmsman child under my command. As embers of the starfire, Sentient Flames cannot be truly extinguished. The records in the Ten-Lords Commission's demon-binding archives are indeed true."
"However, that scoundrel has lost most of the power it gathered and is temporarily not a cause for concern. But as long as it exists for a day, it remains a potential threat for a day..."
[Oh? There's hope?]
[It sounds like Tail probably isn't dead, probably scattered somewhere.]
[Good, good. Guinaifen didn't die, and Tail has a way out. No need to order pitchforks for now.]
——
At that moment, Stelle saw a child-like Helmsman in uniform being escorted away by several people.
She approached this person and heard a familiar voice.
"...Ugh ah ah ah ah, you think you can seal me into the array?!
Bastards, bastards, bastards, bastards! Tail, you, and those Judges, one day...
One day I will find an opportunity, tear you to shreds, gnaw your bones until they crack, drain every bit of your strength, and then spit you into a crevice like phlegm..."
Stelle's mouth unconsciously curled up. "Oh? Isn't this Cirrus? Haven't seen you for a few minutes, how come you've become so trash?"
Cirrus slowly looked up at Stelle. "Can't recognize an old friend so soon?"
Stelle smugly patted her chest. "Want to return to Mommy's embrace?"
Cirrus glared viciously at Stelle. "In terms of venom, humans are no less than Sentient Flames."
[Hahaha, that sounds like something Stelle would say.]
[Laughing so hard, hahaha.]
[Stelle's mouth is plenty sharp too.]
[This is immediately flying a dragon in their face, even making a troll like Cirrus lose his cool.]
[Mommy's embrace.]
[This line made me laugh my head off.]
——
Stelle restrained her smile. "Goodbye."
With that, she turned to leave, but Cirrus's shouts came from behind again.
"Yes, we will meet again."
"Besides the few of us in Fyxestroll Garden, when the Creation Furnace shattered, other Sentient Flames also escaped. Where are they now? What waves will they stir up across the Luofu?"
"I look forward to seeing the Ten-Lords Commission run around in a fluster."
Cirrus stared straight at Stelle, saying nothing more, with gloom and calculation flashing in its eyes.
Stelle sighed and said to herself, "I wonder how Huohuo is doing. I'll go ask."
Soon, Stelle found Huohuo crying alone.
She was wailing Tail's name.
"Tail, Tail, Tail..."
Each cry threatened to break the viewers' hearts.
"Huohuo..."
Huohuo slowly turned her head, her eyes already red and swollen. She said remorsefully,
"Am I really a Judge?"
"If I were more capable, Tail wouldn't have had to sacrifice himself..."
"Even though because of Tail, I've always had to do difficult work, lived a hard life..."
"Countless times I thought about how comfortable my life would be without him... but... but when he really left... I... I feel so empty inside."
Two streams of hot tears once again traced paths down Huohuo's cheeks. "I really am a hopeless case. Something I've been looking forward to for so long has happened, but I can't laugh at all."
Stelle crouched beside Huohuo and patted her head.
"Don't worry. Sentient Flames aren't so easily destroyed."