At this moment, the Liyue Expeditionary Force and the Fontaine Expeditionary Force had already landed on Ritou. Seeing the scene before them, where more than half the island had been reduced to ruins, their hearts couldn't help but tremble.
They could hardly imagine what kind of disaster Narukami Island had encountered to become what it was today.
"Help treat the wounded first."
On the Jade Chamber, after Keqing saw the scene before her, she took a deep breath and then issued the order.
However, to everyone's surprise, as they ventured deeper inland, they unexpectedly discovered that there were still quite a few survivors.
Not only that, these people were all glowing with joy, and many even wore satisfied smiles on their faces, looking nothing like they had just endured a great catastrophe.
Seeing this, the Millelith hurriedly stepped forward to inquire, only to learn that the people were happy because the Yashiro Commission would be building them new houses.
After further questioning, everyone learned that although the disaster was severe, the casualties were far lower than they had expected.
Hearing this, everyone's mood calmed down a bit.
"Keqing, there's a problem here!"
At this moment, Hu Tao suddenly appeared before Keqing with a grave expression and spoke in a low voice.
"You know my abilities."
"I took a walk around Ritou earlier, and there are many people whose Deathly Aura I cannot see at all."
"As it stands, at least one-third of the people on Ritou are [Heroic Spirits]!"
Hearing Hu Tao's words, Keqing was utterly shocked, while Hu Tao continued to speak.
"They have likely lost the memory of their own deaths, mistakenly believing they survived this disaster."
"What should we do about these people? Should we send them directly back to the World of Souls?"
Hearing Hu Tao's question, Keqing didn't know what choice to make for a moment.
If they were left alone, the imbalance between the two worlds would accelerate.
But those [Heroic Spirits] were people of Inazuma. Bypassing the Raiden Shogun to deal with them directly seemed somewhat inappropriate.
And if they went to see the Raiden Shogun to ask for a solution, there was the risk of directly facing a god right now.
No matter what choice they made, it could lead to serious consequences!
Keqing was in a dilemma. She hesitated for a long time before finally speaking slowly.
"Let's set those people aside for now. As long as they pose no threat to ordinary people, I will constantly arrange manpower to watch their every move."
Hearing Keqing's words, Hu Tao nodded.
She didn't consider whether this choice was correct. Keqing was the decision-maker for this expedition. As long as it was Keqing's order, they only needed to execute it, even if it was in the wrong direction.
"Alright, Keqing, I will convey your wishes to the others."
After saying this, Hu Tao nodded and left.
Then Keqing found Neuvillette and told him about the matter.
After listening to Keqing's account, Neuvillette fell into thought for a moment before slowly speaking.
"Ms. Keqing's decision is not improper. Before we directly face the Raiden Shogun or find Yae Miko, it is best not to interfere in the affairs of Ritou, in order to avoid creating unnecessary complications."
"In addition, the army should also be stationed outside Ritou to prevent misunderstandings here in Inazuma."
"Perhaps Ms. Keqing did not notice, but a few people left just as we were about to land on the island. I think they should be going to convey the news of our arrival to others."
Hearing Neuvillette's words, a look of surprise clearly appeared on Keqing's face. This was indeed something she had not paid attention to; she hadn't expected Neuvillette to observe so carefully.
"If that is the case, I believe someone who can make decisions will find us very soon. We just need to wait a little while."
Neuvillette nodded, then changed the subject and asked Keqing.
"Ms. Keqing, how are your preparations coming along?"
Hearing Neuvillette's words, Keqing immediately replied.
"We are ready to participate in this battle. Those who are weaker or have no intention of participating have already concentrated their Marks on the Conqueror of Demons. This way, we can be considered to have a chance at winning the final victory."
"However, one of the rules announced by Persephone is something I find rather noteworthy. It seems she only cares about the final result."
"In other words, even if one loses their Mark halfway through, as long as they reacquire it at the very end, can they still continue to compete for the final victory?"
Neuvillette lowered his head and thought for a moment, then spoke.
"I believe this conjecture should be correct. Therefore, we must not only guard against those who possess the Mark, but also pay attention to those who have some strength but have already lost their Mark. Compared to the former, the latter are actually more difficult to guard against."
Keqing nodded, knowing that Neuvillette was right.
Those who possess the Mark can roughly sense the locations of other Mark holders, whereas those who lose it early can easily hide themselves and wait to pluck the final fruit of victory.
Suddenly, Neuvillette's expression shifted slightly as he raised his head to look into the distance.
"What's wrong, Monsieur Neuvillette?"
Keqing noticed the change in Neuvillette's demeanor and asked.
"It seems someone is fighting."
"There is a faint aura of the Abyss, meaning one of the factions is likely the Abyss Order."
"Judging by the positions of the Marks, it should be two Mark holders fighting each other..."
Before Neuvillette could even finish his sentence, the aura of one Mark suddenly vanished. Then, the sounds of the battle instantly surged, so much so that even Keqing could clearly feel it.
"So powerful. Both sides possess strength at least on the level of an Archon."
Hearing this, Keqing's heart grew a bit heavier. In such a critical situation, the Abyss Order had actually deployed such formidable forces to disrupt the game. The subsequent developments and changes would be even harder to predict.
"I will go and take a look."
"Ms. Keqing, I'll leave the defense of this area to you."
Seeing Keqing nod in agreement, Neuvillette's body rose into the air, then he swiftly flew toward the location where the commotion was coming from.
-
Arlecchino had been prepared for Lumine's burst of power, but it still left her utterly stunned.
Compared to Scaramouche's immature mastery of the Power of Nihility, the destructive force Lumine unleashed had multiplied several times over. If Lumine hadn't ultimately pulled the Dull Blade away, Arlecchino would have been completely erased by that single strike, even after activating her Mark in time.
Arlecchino's peripheral vision swiftly swept over Sangonomiya Kokomi and Gorou, her gaze flickering slightly. The next second, she raised her foot and kicked toward Lumine's chest.
Lumine didn't have time to bring the Dull Blade back to block the strike. She could only raise her hand to fend it off, after which her body was sent flying backward like a cannonball from the immense force.
Gorou, who was about to lower his weapon because the battle seemed to have ended, did not hesitate to fire an arrow at Arlecchino upon seeing this.
Seeing the heart-shaped arrowhead flying toward her, Arlecchino noticed its speed was not only slow but the arrow itself was even wobbling. Her lips twitched slightly, and she then stepped aside to dodge it.
However, right after she made this move, she suddenly felt a sense of crisis shooting from the soles of her feet to her head. Without hesitation, she pushed off with both legs and frantically dodged away.
Shortly after Arlecchino had moved from her spot, the arrow plunged straight into the ground. Then, the world seemed to fall completely silent. Under everyone's gaze, the arrow unleashed an incomparably terrifying power, instantly carving a massive crater out of the surrounding hundred meters. This was followed by an explosion of light and heat intense enough to scorch the eyeballs, as a powerful shockwave raged in all directions and a heart-shaped mushroom cloud slowly rose.
Seeing this scene, Gorou's mouth hung open, and he even felt as if he were dreaming.
Could such a world-destroying attack really have come from him?!
Although Daphne was unreliable in almost every other way, she seemed to be far too reliable in terms of strength, giving off a full sense of security!
At this moment, Arlecchino was also somewhat stunned, completely unable to imagine that Gorou's seemingly joke-like attack could erupt with such terrifying power. If her heart hadn't generated a strong sense of crisis, she would have remained within the range of the attack, and even if she hadn't died from taking this hit, she would have been completely stripped of her fighting ability.
Now, Lumine was the first to recover her senses and once again charged toward Arlecchino with the Dull Blade in hand.
Lumine coated the Dull Blade in her hand with the Power of Nihility, which would both enhance her own attack and prevent her from accidentally killing Arlecchino due to the power being too strong.
As Lumine charged, Sangonomiya Kokomi had already used her power to completely heal the minor injuries on Lumine's body, ensuring Lumine remained in peak condition.
Sensing Lumine rapidly closing in on her, Arlecchino also snapped back to her senses, her gaze flickering again. Then, she swung her Crimson Scythe and exchanged blows with Lumine several times in a very short period, the battlefield echoing with the continuous sound of clashing metal.
At this moment, Gorou also gradually calmed down from his extreme inner joy, once again drawing his bow and nocking an arrow, locking onto Arlecchino.
He had never expected the power obtained by sacrificing Little Gorou to be so formidable. To prevent his attack from being ineffective, Gorou had used his strongest power before. This time, he only used thirty percent of that previous power, ensuring his attack posed a sufficient threat to Arlecchino without accidentally harming his allies.
Sure enough, after being targeted by Gorou, Arlecchino's movements noticeably became hesitant, as if she were very wary of Gorou finding the right opportunity to land a blow on her.
Seeing this, Lumine seized the opportunity and launched a more fierce attack on Arlecchino.
The subsequent battle was so intense that even Arataki Itto and his group found it difficult to intervene, and could only surround the battlefield and wait for the right moment to strike.
After the Dull Blade and the Crimson Scythe collided violently several times, visible cracks actually appeared on the Crimson Scythe, and each clash of blades made the cracks more numerous and more obvious.
Finally, after Arlecchino and Lumine exchanged blows several more times, the blade of the Crimson Scythe in Arlecchino's hand shattered with a bang, and in the next second, the Dull Blade was steadily held against Arlecchino's neck, making her dare not move lightly.
"Arlecchino, you lost."
Sangonomiya Kokomi kept a wary posture as she looked at Arlecchino and spoke.
Although Arlecchino had already been subdued, one could never completely let down their guard against someone of her strength.
Otherwise, if she found an opportunity, there was a great chance she could completely reverse the situation.
Arlecchino looked at Sangonomiya Kokomi in silence, and only after a long time did she slowly sigh.
"I have indeed lost."
"Though I am confident that in a one-on-one fight, none of you would gain any advantage against me, a loss is a loss. Making excuses for failure is not my style."
"It is yours now."
After saying this, Arlecchino raised her right hand and showed the Mark on the back of it to Lumine.
"I hope to see you stand as the final one."
Lumine glanced at the Mark on Arlecchino's hand but did not immediately transfer it to her own.
At this moment, Sangonomiya Kokomi also spoke to Arlecchino.
"You misunderstand. We do not want the Mark in your hand, nor do we even intend to provoke a conflict."
"Rather than falling into Persephone's trap by attacking and fighting each other, we would prefer to find more allies to completely thwart Persephone's conspiracy and restore peace to Inazuma."
"Arlecchino, we need your strength."
Sangonomiya Kokomi looked at Arlecchino with an expectant gaze. After the previous battle, she had fully recognized the other's strength. If she joined them, their chances of victory would also increase significantly.
"Say no more. We will never understand each other."
Arlecchino rejected Sangonomiya Kokomi's invitation.
"Unless you are willing to give up the final opportunity."
Hearing Arlecchino's words, Sangonomiya Kokomi fell silent.
If it were just her, she would be more than willing to trade this opportunity for Arlecchino's formidable strength. But Kamisato Ayaka, a member of their team, also needed it to revive her friend.
If she unilaterally made the decision to have Kamisato Ayaka give up this chance to favor Arlecchino, who had lost to them, their team would quickly fall apart.
"It seems you also know very well that there is no way to satisfy everyone. So, perhaps those words from before should have remained unsaid."
Sangonomiya Kokomi sighed, then spoke.
"I understand."
"Traveler, transfer her Mark to yourself."
Hearing this, Lumine nodded, then reached out and pressed her hand against Arlecchino's, successfully transferring the Mark from her hand to her own.
Then, Lumine moved the Dull Blade away from Arlecchino's neck, and the other immediately retreated a great distance, her eyes filled with intense resentment as she looked at everyone.
"Let me heal you."
Sangonomiya Kokomi stepped forward a few paces and spoke to Arlecchino.
In the previous battle, Arlecchino had also sustained some injuries, but relying on her rich combat experience, she had avoided all vital areas, resulting in only minor wounds.
"No need."
Arlecchino gave Sangonomiya Kokomi a deep look, then vanished from everyone's sight after a few flashes of movement.
Only after seeing Arlecchino depart did everyone finally breathe a sigh of relief.
For most of them, the pressure Arlecchino exerted was simply too overwhelming.
"Everyone, let's rest for a bit. Then we must face Persephone."
Hearing Sangonomiya Kokomi's words, the slight joy everyone felt from defeating Arlecchino vanished instantly. They then found a cave that could shelter them from the lightning falling from the sky and began to recover the energy spent in battle.