Mu Yang, who witnessed the punch firsthand, remarked,
"Not bad, kid. Pretty cool."
Kuki Shinobu brought Itto back. "Sigh, always like this…"
She carried him to the campfire, where Ushi looked after him.
Then she approached the group, who had stopped arguing because of the punch.
"That punch from the boss used up all his strength. Maybe that's why… it tore open that passage."
Everyone present could see it.
After all, aside from Yanfei, they were all battle-hardened.
How could they not recognize the weight of that strike?
Shinobu said it deliberately to keep Mu Yang and the others from continuing their argument.
Yelan turned to walk away. "…I'll go see if there's a way to stabilize that passage."
"He did this because he overheard our arguing, didn't he?" Yanfei asked.
Having spent a few days with him, she had a rough sense of Itto's personality.
"The boss absolutely hates it when comrades fight among themselves."
Kuki Shinobu glanced at the unconscious Itto.
"Back when the Arataki Gang got into spats, he'd do something earth-shattering to shut everyone up."
"Today, he did the same. You haven't known him long, but when he says he sees you as comrades, he means it."
Yanfei believed her, and so did Mu Yang.
Itto didn't have any ulterior motives.
He was a straightforward guy.
When he pulled out his club, saying he'd go beat up Clarisse,
he was dead serious.
Even if Mu Yang had told him Clarisse was a demon god,
he'd have charged in just the same.
Once he decided on something, he did it.
[Now I want to pull for Itto, just because of that punch.]
[No surprise, he's got a Geo Vision.]
[Hates others fighting, sacrifices himself, and throws a maxed-out punch.]
Kuki Shinobu, lost in thought, suddenly chuckled.
"Speaking of which, the boss hates it when others make sacrifices, but he'll unconsciously do something similar himself…"
"But there's one difference."
Even with her mask on, the group could tell from her eyes
that she was smiling.
"He does these things not to give up on himself but because he believes he can overcome any challenge."
That was Itto's charisma.
Kuki Shinobu gave up being a shrine maiden to be his second-in-command,
likely drawn to this very trait.
Optimistic, brave, full of confidence, and acting on his impulses—
that was the freedom Kuki Shinobu sought.
Compared to the rigid rules of being a shrine maiden,
the Arataki Gang was far more comfortable.
"You don't want to stop him?"
Lumine asked because, from Shinobu's words, this wasn't Itto's first time doing this.
"The boss isn't one to listen to advice. Besides, he always acts before thinking. He probably thought he could easily solve everything just now."
"Not just him—the rest of the Arataki Gang has this habit too, to some extent. That's why someone like me is around to clean up after them."
At this, Shinobu seemed a bit proud.
Since she couldn't stop him, might as well let him swing first.
"A dummy's sixth sense is often spot-on, and that punch wasn't fruitless, right?"
The group had no comeback.
Mu Yang and Xiao quietly apologized.
But Shinobu felt apologies weren't necessary.
Everyone's actions stemmed from their own experiences.
It wasn't a simple matter of right or wrong.
But every person here was important.
If everyone could leave safely, that would be ideal.
"Everyone, do your best to find a way out. There's still a chance… we'll definitely get out."
Shinobu patted her chest, assuring them Itto was in her hands.
The others just needed to focus on finding the passage.
[Shinobu's so great!]
[That's a reliable second-in-command.]
[I want to join the Arataki Gang!]
[Brother, calm down. They work one day and rest three, but those three days you're starving for nine meals.]
[That's rough.]
At this point, Yelan returned from the passage.
It seemed the group had gotten their hopes up too soon.
The passage didn't lead to the outside but deeper into the domain.
"How could this be… Then Itto's efforts were…"
Though Paimon often bickered with Itto,
seeing his efforts potentially wasted made her feel bad.
Mu Yang comforted her. "Going deeper isn't necessarily a dead end. It could be a chance to turn things around."
"Better than sitting here waiting to die."
"Yeah… we can't let Itto's efforts go to waste."
Yelan and Lumine spoke up, but Yanfei was still deep in thought.
Suddenly, she shouted, "…That's what it means! I get it now."
"What do you mean?"
Yanfei began to explain. Everything related to the event had surfaced,
except for the artifact she was searching for—the Fantastic Compass.
"If this domain projects what we imagine or seek into reality…"
"We might be able to use that to find it."
Paimon caught on. No wonder Yelan kept saying to keep going—there'd always be a way.
Since it's an artifact, it must be powerful.
By this time, Yelan had already slipped into the passage alone after speaking.
"Got it. I'll figure something out."
Xiao put on his Yaksha mask and set off alone…
Lumine's "Wait" barely left her lips before Xiao vanished.
Helpless, Lumine turned to Mu Yang. "You stay here and rest. You're our trump card."
Mu Yang hadn't expected to get a free pass to slack off.
This was great—Lumine really knew how to care for him. (lol)
Yanfei leaned in. "Then it's just the two of us."
She dropped the act and laid it bare. "I'm not exactly great at fighting, hehe. We'll be safer together."
[Yanfei's pretty strong.]
[My only Pyro C. Never even pulled Diluc.]
[I want to team up with Xiao.]
[I want to rest in Mu Yang's arms.]
[You're the one with ideas.]
Before entering the passage, Yanfei apologized to Mu Yang and Lumine.
She was apologizing on Yelan's behalf.
After all, Yelan's words earlier were a bit harsh.
"From what I know, she lost comrades in past missions."
"She was the survivor who was saved. Maybe that's why she's so against others sacrificing themselves."
Mu Yang understood and said neither he nor Xiao held it against Yelan.
Then, Yanfei set up a small barrier at the site
to protect the unconscious Itto.
This way, Mu Yang could conserve his strength and avoid acting.
After that, she, Lumine, and Paimon entered the new passage,
ready to explore the domain.