Struck by the bullet, Beisht's fury intensified. Several massive water spheres coalesced around her, poised to launch like missiles at Qin Yu and Shenhe with a mere thought.
Qin Yu immediately deployed a Force Field Shield around herself and Shenhe. The water spheres slammed into the shield's surface, detonating in a burst of spray.
Having blocked the initial assault, Qin Yu extended her hand and commanded the Satellite Components to swarm around Beisht, unleashing a barrage of laser beams.
Despite being at the end of her strength, Beisht still writhed in agony from the relentless assault.
"You're already so badly injured, why are you still fighting?" Qin Yu complained. "Why not just tuck your tail between your legs and run away?"
If Beisht hadn't insisted on fighting to the death, neither of them would have ended up in such a sorry state.
Hearing Qin Yu's words only fueled Beisht's rage further.
"You've angered her," Shenhe observed.
"I can see that," Qin Yu retorted, "but what I said was the truth!"
Abandoning elemental attacks, Beisht charged forward with devastating force, aiming a direct headbutt.
But such a straightforward attack was easily anticipated by Qin Yu, now seasoned in combat.
Activating the Planetary Component, she was instantly propelled into the air, narrowly avoiding the bone-crushing impact.
Shenhe also saw through Beisht's attack, but instead of merely evading, she used the momentum to leap forward, plunging her spear deep into Beisht's flank.
As Beisht struggled to rise, Shenhe nimbly vaulted off her back, summoning her Talisman Spirit to cleave the wound with its blade.
The targeted assault on her injury intensified Beisht's agony.
She swiftly plunged into the sea, vanishing without a trace.
Fled?
She seemed determined to fight to the death, but when her life was truly on the line, she still ran... Just as Qin Yu was thinking this, three Beisht heads and bodies simultaneously emerged to her left, right, and front.
Ha?
"So Beisht doesn't just have one head after all..." Shenhe voiced Qin Yu's thoughts.
Qin Yu was undoubtedly astonished, but recalling that Osial had multiple heads, and his wife also had three, it wasn't entirely surprising.
Moreover, while the number of attack targets had increased, the damage inflicted earlier remained unchanged.
Beisht was now critically weakened and couldn't withstand much more.
By doing this, she's truly burning her bridges.
In that case, let's seize this opportunity to eliminate Beisht once and for all!
At that moment, Beisht's three heads converged, each charging a water sphere. Countless spheres surged toward Shenhe in unison.
The Force Field Shield alone won't hold. Realizing this, Qin Yu swiftly flew to Shenhe, scooped her up in her arms, and activated her Causality Calculation Skill.
With a 95% Data Collection rate, every trajectory of the water spheres became crystal-clear in Qin Yu's mind.
Attacks that miss are meaningless!
Clutching this conviction, Qin Yu weaved through the barrage of water spheres.
Perfectly calculated distances, speeds, and angles allowed her to evade every projectile. Instead, the projectiles collided with each other, bursting apart in mid-air.
"Qin Yu."
Qin Yu nodded, knowing what Shenhe intended to do.
She spun around and hurled Shenhe forward with all her might. Shenhe adjusted her posture mid-air and unleashed a powerful kick, striking one of Beisht's heads.
The impact from her superhuman strength reverberated through Beisht's skull.
Qin Yu summoned her Armament Platform, inserted the Secret Key to activate artillery mode, and fired two shots at each of Beisht's remaining heads.
Even with its immense obsession and resilience, Beisht—a follower of a God, possessing colossal size and strength—could no longer withstand the relentless assault.
With a roar laced with fury and bitterness, Beisht's massive form sank beneath the waves.
Qin Yu descended to Shenhe's side and gazed at the fathomless ocean. "Did we... win?" she murmured.
"...No. Her presence is drawing closer."
"Huh? She's still coming?"
"Yes, very slowly, but she's approaching."
This thing is way too persistent!
Shenhe said, "Her resentment runs deep. What should we do, Qin Yu?"
"Even if you ask me..."
This vengeful spirit will probably cling on with her last breath.
Qin Yu thought, We need to deliver the final blow.
Her gaze fell upon the Dimensional Armor still lying on the ground, and an idea suddenly struck her.
"Shenhe, help me lift this over here," Qin Yu said, running to the side of the mecha.
"Alright."
Once Qin Yu had climbed into the cockpit, Shenhe effortlessly hoisted the mecha into the air and carried it step by step to the edge.
Seated in the cockpit, Qin Yu activated the control panel.
With this, I can definitely defeat Beisht once and for all, ensuring she never rises again.
She entered the self-destruct code and adjusted the detonation timer.
"Done..."
Confirming the self-destruct sequence had initiated, Qin Yu climbed out of the cockpit and lifted the mecha from the other side.
"On the count of three, we'll throw it down together."
"Understood."
Qin Yu nodded and counted: "One, two, three!"
With all their might, the two hurled the mecha downward.
In the murky underwater realm, driven by vengeful resentment, Beisht continued her ascent, her mind consumed by a single thought: Make the people of Liyue pay.
Then, she saw something rapidly descending toward her.
A deafening explosion followed.
The instant the self-destruct sequence completed, Qin Yu felt the ground beneath her feet tremble, and the underwater domain created by Beisht seemed on the verge of collapse.
"We can't stay here any longer. Let's go back," Shenhe urged.
Qin Yu took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah, let's go back."
Soon, the two of them returned to shore.
To say they "returned" was a bit of a stretch; it was more like swimming.
While swimming back to shore, Qin Yu nearly drowned from exhaustion, but Shenhe's assistance ensured her survival.
"Ugh, I'm soaked..."
Midway through the swim, Qin Yu deactivated her Dimensional Armament to conserve energy. Without the armor, her clothes became completely soaked, leaving her thoroughly uncomfortable.
So uncomfortable. So tired.
Qin Yu grumbled inwardly as she sat on a rock, trying to recover her strength.
But when she gazed up at the Jade Chamber soaring in the sky, she realized that her discomfort and exhaustion had been worth it.
At least Ningguang would no longer grieve over the loss of the Jade Chamber.
Her gaze shifted to Shenhe beside her.
Shenhe, naturally, was just as drenched. Her clothes clung to her body, accentuating her near-perfect figure.
Qin Yu's face flushed crimson.
"Qin Yu."
"A-ah, what is it?" Qin Yu stammered, noticing Shenhe's unwavering gaze.
Shenhe leaned forward and pressed her hand against Qin Yu's cheek.
"Your face is very red and hot."
Qin Yu panicked even more. "M-maybe it's just the cold water? It's probably making you feel like I'm hot."
"But your face is very red."
Why do you keep pressing me about this?
Qin Yu stammered, "It's because..."
I can't possibly say it's because seeing Shenhe like this made me blush, right? That would make it sound like I have impure thoughts about her.
As if!
Seeing Qin Yu's hesitation, Shenhe thought for a moment and asked, "Is it because you're cold?"
"Ah, um... sort of."
Yes, that's a good explanation.
Just as Qin Yu breathed a sigh of relief, Shenhe pulled her into a tight embrace, her body heat radiating through even more clearly than usual, bringing a steady stream of warmth.
"Are you still cold?"
Qin Yu's face flushed even deeper as she whispered, "No, I'm not cold anymore. What about you, Shenhe?"
"...I'm a little cold, so please hug me too."
Shenhe's voice murmured softly in Qin Yu's ear, and Qin Yu recalled Shenhe's earlier words:
Even if I can't protect you, I want to die with you. Shenhe had said those words, and recalling them now still stirred a violent storm in Qin Yu's heart.
Shenhe's feelings were undoubtedly pure—pure to the point of being scorching and heavy.
Far from feeling uncomfortable, Qin Yu cherished them. Though she would never say it aloud, it was the truth.
In fact, she wanted more.
Just as Qin Yu embraced Shenhe, she sensed someone approaching.
"Qin Yu!"
It was Keqing, Ganyu, and Ningguang.
"We're so relieved you're safe..."
Their hearts, which had been suspended in worry, finally relaxed. The anxiety and tension vanished completely, replaced by overwhelming joy and relief at Qin Yu's safety. Yet what the three women saw...
Qin Yu and Shenhe, both drenched, were locked in a tight embrace.
Qin Yu let out a small "ah."