[Topaz]: Huh???
[Aventurine]: What just happened?!
[Asta]: Why is it Lady Herta all of a sudden?
[Xiangling]: I'm lost—what's going on?
The viewers were completely baffled.
Wasn't Jade the prime suspect just a moment ago?
How did it suddenly turn into Herta?
[Zhongli]: It seems Lady Jade obtained a decisive clue.
[Dr. Ratio]: A pity—we didn't get to hear the contents of that clue.
[Argenti]: Ohhh—such confidence. It seems victory is within her grasp.
[Ruan Mei]: Herta… doesn't feel right.
Inside the Game Arena.
As Jade raised her hand, the others froze.
"…Herta?"
"What?"
"You're framing me!"
Herta snapped instantly.
She was furious.
You're the biggest suspect here—and you dare point at me? Where's your shame?!
But when she noticed the others hesitating—clearly tempted—the anger in her chest turned cold.
"Are you seriously letting yourselves be led by the nose like this?"
She hadn't even finished speaking when Raiden Ei calmly raised her hand.
"I vote for Herta."
She didn't bother hiding her reasoning.
Just as Furina had said—
If Herta wasn't the killer, they could always vote Jade out tomorrow.
Simple.
"Wait."
Seeing Furina and Xiao about to follow suit, Herta cut in sharply.
"I'm buying clues too."
She refused to accept this quietly.
She wanted to see exactly what kind of information made Jade so confident.
"Of course," Valerius replied cheerfully. He was practically glowing.
"Which tier?"
"All of them. One, two, and three points."
"Deal."
Valerius beckoned her closer and whispered each clue in turn.
"One-point clue: The public storage room contains something valuable."
"Two-point clue: Beware of a non-existent profession."
"Three-point clue: 1-3-4-2-6-5."
Herta's lips twitched.
…Damn it.
The clues were good—very good—but none of them actually helped her refute Jade's argument.
Still, backing down wasn't an option.
Returning to her seat, she glared at Jade.
"You're really something."
Then she raised her voice.
"Everyone—vote for Jade."
She had no choice but to resist.
From the clues, she already knew Jade couldn't be the killer—but she wasn't about to get voted out without a fight.
If she survived today, she'd head straight for the public storage room afterward.
The clue explicitly said there was something valuable there.
It would be foolish to ignore it.
Livestream Chat
[Sampo]: Ohhh~ now this is interesting.
[Sparkle]: Heehee—fight! Fight harder!
[Kaeya]: There's still a reversal?!
[Guinaifen]: This is getting good.
"Uh… this…"
Now Furina and Xiao were completely stunned.
How did the situation flip again the moment Herta bought clues?
Even Jade felt something was wrong.
Her mouth twitched slightly.
This has turned into mutual destruction…
She turned to Valerius.
"Can we cancel the vote?"
"No."
Valerius shook his head calmly.
"Once a vote is initiated, it cannot be stopped. The initiator also forfeits their right to make a solo accusation."
"And one player must be eliminated."
Jade's heart sank.
It's over.
She finally understood.
She'd been baited—completely and utterly.
After a brief pause, she looked at Herta.
"…Lady Herta. Would you be willing to visit the company sometime in the future?"
The situation was clear.
Even if Herta were eliminated here, Jade would almost certainly be voted out tomorrow.
But Herta was different.
She'd purchased a one-point clue—and if she survived, there was still a chance for a reversal.
Better to sell a favor now.
After all—
A favor from Herta was worth far more than a few points.
"…Fine," Herta replied.
What choice did she have? Mutual destruction?
Receiving her answer, Jade turned to the two still hesitating.
"Vote for me," she said calmly.
"Herta is not the killer. The killer is still among you."
"What?!"
Furina was completely thrown off.
How did this end with them reconciling—and worse, implying the killer was among the remaining three?
Her gaze slid toward Raiden Ei.
The one who'd voted fastest.
Too fast.
Could it really be her?
That kind of decisiveness… felt dangerous.
Still, the vote had already been initiated.
It couldn't be stopped.
Someone had to go.
After a moment's hesitation, Furina nodded and raised her hand.
The final tally—
Three votes to two.
Jade eliminated.
"…Sigh."
With a quiet exhale, Jade's figure dissolved into motes of light and vanished from the space.
She hadn't even considered voting for the three from Teyvat.
The vote had been initiated by her—and they held the numbers.
Switching targets would only doom both her and Herta.
[Jade eliminated. Game continues.]
"Alright," Valerius said lightly. "Free activity."
Today's vote had concluded.
But no one felt relaxed.
If anything, the atmosphere had grown heavier.
They were completely in the dark now.
Especially the three from Teyvat.
At this point, everyone looked suspicious.
Furina stole another glance at Raiden Ei.
Too proactive.
Too eager.
Then her eyes moved to Xiao.
His suspicion was even worse.
He claimed he'd guarded the door all night—
But who could prove that?
What if he was lying?
And Jade's final words echoed in her mind.
The killer is still among you.
Heart pounding, Furina quietly edged away from the others.
If she accidentally offended the killer…
Tonight, she might be the next one to disappear.
Meanwhile—
Herta had already headed straight for the public storage room.
She had a clue.
And she wasn't about to waste time.