"Oh, finally decided to wake up? I thought you were dead for good and was about to burn you later."
"Our proud Scaramouche actually playing dead? Heh, aren't you a God? How pathetic..."
Scaramouche showed no reaction to Angie's taunts. Angie, bored, lost interest and stopped paying attention to him.
"Let's go, Traveler. We need to activate that big guy inside. But who's going to control it? Greater Lord Rukkhadevata? Speaking of which, what's the deal with Rukkhadevata? Didn't she disappear five hundred years ago? Could the information be wrong?"
Lumine patiently replied, "The Rukkhadevata situation is complicated. I'll explain later. As for who will control Shouki no Kami..."
Lumine glanced at Scaramouche lying on the ground. Shouki no Kami was powered by the Electro Archon's Gnosis, and Scaramouche himself had been created as a vessel for it. No one was more suitable.
Angie understood Lumine's reasoning. She agreed it made sense.
But... that guy...
"Ah, me? I'll do it! Absolutely! If I pilot Shouki no Kami, I'd be way better than Scaramouche. We beat him easily, after all. He's nothing special."
Angie shouted loudly. Nearby, Scaramouche, who had been pretending to be dead, suddenly sat up.
"What nonsense are you spouting? What right do you have to pilot it? If I hadn't been careless, you think you could have actually beaten me?"
Angie: "Have you forgotten your place? You're a defeated foe now! Keep talking like that and I'll give you a beating!"
Angie could easily handle Scaramouche in his current state.
"You—!"
"Enough, enough! We don't have time for your nonsense. Greater Lord Rukkhadevata is still waiting for reinforcements. Traveler, let's hurry inside."
Lumine nodded and followed Angie into the Workshop.
Tartaglia shot Scaramouche a cold glare, saying nothing. His goodwill toward the man had plummeted after witnessing his attack on his sister. Restraining himself from beating Scaramouche senseless was already a testament to Tartaglia's sense of the bigger picture.
Angie was still getting used to not having the noisy little Paimon by Lumine's side. She asked, "Where's Paimon?"
"Paimon is with Chu Xi right now. This situation is too urgent for me to bring her along."
-
Inside the Workshop, Lumine channeled the energy given to her by Greater Lord Rukkhadevata into Shouki no Kami, the Prodigal. As the green energy enveloped the Prodigal's entire body, its cracks and damage visibly began to heal.
Even the gaping hole Scaramouche had punched into the Prodigal's head closed completely.
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's divine power was truly terrifying.
To wield such power immediately upon Awakening... Sumeru with Greater Lord Rukkhadevata present was a completely different world from Sumeru without her. This sense of security was something Lesser Lord Kusanali could never provide.
"Angie, about Scaramouche..."
"Shhh, look behind you."
The mindset of these self-proclaimed gods is so predictable. A simple provocation is all it takes to get a reaction.
Lumine turned around, puzzled, and saw Scaramouche limping slowly into the Workshop.
Ignoring the trio's stares, Scaramouche approached the Prodigal, reaching out to caress it with a possessive fondness in his eyes.
"Give me the Gnosis. Let me handle this." Scaramouche extended his left hand, palm open. When no one responded, he continued:
"I can feel it—that exhilarating power. Only I can unlock the Prodigal's true potential. Give me the Gnosis, and in exchange, I'll hold them off."
Angie: "Why should we trust you? Who can guarantee you won't turn on us after getting the Gnosis?"
Scaramouche: "You bastard! I keep my word. Don't insult me!" He glared at Angie, finding her even more infuriating than Beelzebul.
Angie: "Tch."
She pursed her lips and fell silent.
Lumine studied Scaramouche intently before handing him the Electro Archon's Gnosis.
Upon receiving the Gnosis, Scaramouche immediately plunged it into the Shouki no Kami's chest. He then soared into the Prodigal's head.
The colossal Shouki no Kami stood up again, its massive fist shattering the Workshop's ceiling with a single upward strike.
After one last glance at Angie, it soared away.
Angie: "..."
Why am I feeling a little envious?
No, wait... what was that look he gave me?
"Come on, Traveler! Let's go see what's happening!"
Angie and Tartaglia ran ahead, only to realize Lumine was still standing rooted to the spot. They rushed back.
"What's wrong, Traveler?"
Lumine's expression turned serious. "Angie, your birthday is November 11th, right?"
"How did you know?"
She couldn't recall ever telling Lumine or Paimon about her birthday. Could it be...?
"Not me! I didn't say anything," Tartaglia immediately shook his head.
Lumine took a deep breath, suppressing the uneasy feeling rising within her.
"Angie, you can't go. You can't let them know you're here, or that you're a Person of Pure Soul."
Others might not understand, but Lumine knew all too well.
Her memories hadn't been lost. The Abyss's true target wasn't Angie this time, but Silaya. They must have sensed Silaya's soul vanishing, hence their urgency.
This meant the Abyss likely hadn't yet realized Angie possessed a Pure Soul. If Angie appeared on the battlefield and was discovered, it would create even greater trouble.
"A Person of Pure Soul?!"
Lumine immediately explained the concept of a Person of Pure Soul to Angie and Tartaglia.
"Traveler, are you saying that Rola of Mondstadt and Qingge of Liyue... their deaths were directly caused by their status as Persons of Pure Soul?!"
Tartaglia's face paled, his expression turning tense.
"Yes, they were targets of the Abyss," Lumine replied. "The Abyss collects Pure Souls for some unknown purpose. Angie, if you go out there now, appear on the battlefield, and are discovered by the Abyss, it could cause even greater trouble."
"Traveler, how can you be so sure I'm a Pure Soul just based on my birthdate?" Angie asked.
"Pure Souls are highly sensitive to the Dendro Archon's dream realms," Lumine explained. "The fact that you so easily sensed our entry into samsara earlier proves it. Plus, you're eighteen now, and you possess a Cryo Vision..."
"But how do you know that People of Pure Soul are sensitive to dreams?" Angie pressed.
She wasn't just being stubborn; this information was too critical to dismiss. She struggled to believe it.
Lumine fell silent, unwilling to reveal Silaya's story.
"Little Sister, listen to me—you can't go," Tartaglia said firmly.
"Brother..."
"Obey me this time! You absolutely can't go!"
Tartaglia made the decision for Angie. He knew the Traveler wouldn't lie about something like this; she must have good reason. Besides, even if the Traveler wasn't certain, he would never let his sister go.
Tartaglia's face was set in unwavering resolve, leaving no room for negotiation.
When Angie saw this expression on her brother's face, she knew her efforts were futile. Normally, her brother was easy to talk to, but on certain matters, he was as stubborn as a bull.