"Thank Babatoras," Rosaria takes the goblet from Kaeya's gentle grip, and greedily gulps down the strong alcoholic mix swirling within, some of the blood red liquid trailing down the corners of her pale lips..
"Barbatos, Bacca," Eula corrects before accepting her dandelion wine and taking a sip.
"Grape juice for our cunning international spymaster," Kaeya offers Diluc his cup. His brother accepts with eyes more on the drink than on the server.
"This is the last review of the plan before deployment, so ensure at least enough sobriety to understand and remember all of this. My concern for your consciousness ends with the conclusion of this discussion," Diluc says sternly.
"Understood, Captain. Onto the plan," Kaeya takes his drink off the platter, then sets the platter aside before returning to the central table occupied by portions of gear resting on the corners of a large map of Liyue which extends to Inazuma and all of its islands.
"All the pieces are now in place. Yesterday, we received word from the Yashiro Commission's Shuumatsuban that Captain Beidou's Crux Fleet is leaving the island of Ritou in Inazuma and heading back to Liyue Harbor today. She has been cleared by the Liyue Qixing to provide escort for the Fatui as they make their way back…" Diluc begins explaining as his finger traces the path of events across the map.
"Bacca, are you listening?" Eula asks under her breath, her eyes on Rosaria and the burgundy staining her lips
"If it wasn't for this, I wouldn't be," She responds curtly, gesturing towards the goblet balanced in her hand. Eula rolls her eyes back to the map.
"Why are we so interested in this again?" Rosaria asks after finishing another gulp.
"Special request from the Knights' Librarian," Kaeya answers.
"Ah, right, something about a Harbinger sinning against a god," Rosaria vaguely recalls.
"In a way, yes. We would like to recover her remnants. We have it on good word that the Fatui would like to revive her with what little was left behind," Kaeya continues.
"Revival? I understand that for people of our status, ridiculous occult projects are all too familiar, but just what are the Snezhnayans thinking?" Eula asks.
"Theories and processes for the revival of the dead have been around for a long time now, and though it has yet to be perfected, academics are close and only get closer day by day. It doesn't help that there is no shortage of demand for this knowledge either," Diluc explains, though a low breath almost obscures the last sentence.
"And we are all too familiar with that, aren't we?" Kaeya challenges with his own chilling whisper before raising his voice to meet the topic once more. "Suffice to say, our local librarian, being as smart as she is lovely, is aware of some of these death-defying methods and reasons that if any of that business would be done, it would be best if it is under Mondstadt's care as opposed to Snezhnaya's."
"Especially considering the history of our target," Diluc adds.
"The legendary Crimson Witch of Flames…" Eula's voice trails off, her disbelief hardly dispelled on any end of this situation. Although none of this information is new at this point, a palpable discomfort filled the air. They were risking a large international incident, something that could begin a war of the likes never seen before, over the belief that they were indeed intercepting the transport of one of the most controversial legends of Mondstadt, one which dated to a bygone era of destruction on a mythical scale. Though not all who are in the room hold their silence in the grip of ignorance and doubt, he who is keenly aware of history is also aware of how unnecessary it may be to shed any light on it. He bothers his brother with history enough already.
"Any more questions before we move on?" Diluc asks finally.
"You made mention of a large Fatui force being the escort detail, besides whatever extra the Qixing assigns. How is this mass of Fatui not at all suspicious to anyone?" Rosaria asks.
"Through the Shuumatsuban and the Crux Fleet, we were able to convince the Kamisato Clan and the Divine Priestess of Watatsumi Island justify their large presence in Inazuma to the Shogunate, and take responsibility for any trouble that might happen as a result…" Diluc begins.
"Lucky for us and them, the Fatui decided not to overplay their hand. So, the Shogunate let them smoothly sail…" Kaeya continues.
"Finally, the Qixing, wanting nothing more than to see the Fatui quickly pass through their region without any trouble, employed the legal oversight of an old friend of mine to help facilitate their passage out of the Harbor, and out of the region," Eula says.
"I see. It's less that it isn't suspicious, and more that you've covered it in so much external support that there's little that can be done," Rosaria decodes. Kaeya responds with a thumbs up and affirming grin.
"Exactly. Eula's old friend is convenient in this situation because she is also with the Vigilantes of Liyue. Yanfei will spring the trap on the convoy as they attempt to exit Liyue, giving ample cover for her group to rush in and secure the target…" Diluc says as his finger points at the path by Qingxu Pool which exits out to The Chasm.
ⳮⷤ ── ⲇ ── ⳮⷤ
"Why are they going through The Chasm again? Isn't this area particularly dangerous for travel, considering the hilichurls and accidents? I mean, not that I mind the potential business venture of an international funeral parlor," Hu Tao giggles as she and Chongyun sneak their way through the mining area and follow the convoy of Fatui. Taking advantage of the cover of the night, the many piles and cartfuls of iron chunks, and the darkness of their special ninja gear from the Shuumatsuban, the pair rush over to a hiding spot ahead of the convoy. They duck behind the black metal monstrosity of a mining crane, and lay in wait.
"Xingqiu said that they want to travel out of the region through a passage as far away from Mondstadt as possible since our target is related to the city," Chongyun's voice has an edge to it, an anger which isn't usually present. "Too bad the bastards are gonna get destroyed before they can even leave Liyu-" Hu Tao pops a popsicle into his mouth and flicks his forehead before he can finish. Chongyun lands on the gravel on his butt, and looks up at the young woman dumbfounded.
"Calm down, loser. I knew you'd flare up during this operation, but not this bad," Hu Tao's smile would be imperceptible if it isn't for the otherworldly glow coming from her fiery eyes through the shadows of her plum blossom-adorned hood. She extends a hand to help him up, and he accepts while chewing on the ice cream with a sullen expression.
"Before we move any further, we will need to fill out some paperwork in preparation. Besides, we have traveled all day, it will be best if we rest now so the journey ahead does not completely wear us down," Xingqiu says from the front of the convoy. Hu Tao and Chongyun stay quiet to listen closely and watch Xingqiu's next actions. Hu Tao's ghostly companion slithers out of her sleeve, and his bubble-like form elongates into her spear. Once the weapon materializes fully, he slithers back up into her sleeve and her hand secures the pole. Chongyun grips the handle of the claymore on the back of his hips, frost threatening to overtake its jade finish. Yanfei, accompanying Xingqiu in the convoy, walks down the convoy from the front with a Millelith escort.
"We should keep moving. It isn't long before we reach the Fatui checkpoint. Then we can keep making the trip without your escort, and you all can rest," strongly suggests one of the leading Fatui of the convoy, a mirror maiden who looks down at Xingqiu with her flanking skirmishers.
"Well, in that case, I suppose we will just prepare the paperwork quickly while-" the center of the convoy, where Yanfei is, explodes. Hu Tao briefly glimpses Yanfei's cheeky smile as the flames which burn away her clothing are sucked, with the rest of her body, into the flood of black smoke. Hu Tao and Chongyun slide out their cover and into deeper darkness.
Hu Tao bursts through the billowing fumes and rushes past Yanfei, who is now in her own ninja suit. As the flaming anvil of the law drops upon surprised riflemen, Hu Tao burns a dash right through the blocking bodies of cannoneers, melting and evaporating their poor guards, and also helping the confused Millelith in their struggle to fight back soldiers equally disoriented foreign soldiers. Glancing towards the right side of the convoy, between two carriages, she sees blades of water cut a landing space for Chongyun's descending claymore. Xingqiu then uses his friend's bent back as a launch pad into the air. Smirking at the assurance that her faith in them isn't misplaced, Hu Tao stays ahead of Yanfei in their advance. Barrels, cicins, and blades quickly deployed from further down the convoy greet their sight, but fireballs keep Hu Tao safe from the butterflies and ammunition. She meets Chongyun at the target carriage, and hurries to take cover in it with him, but just as Chongyun's foot hits the wooden step, that carriage detonates with a force greater than Yanfei's sabotage.
Recovering quickly from her daze, Hu Tao sees that hardly any of the carriage survived the sudden emergence of this strange blend of concentrated cryo and pyro coalescing into a distinct, yet clearly unstable form. Millelith and Fatui alike are being whipped and tossed by tendrils of the elements. Chongyun stands as Hu Tao does, and doesn't hesitate to chomp right through a tentacle of cryo as it descends upon him, his claymore keeping at bay the rest of its power.
"This threat is far more than what meets the eye!" Chongyun warns as Yanfei rolls in front of him to burn away other tentacles going for him. Hu Tao takes a closer look at the fusing hypostasis through the vapor of Xingqiu's defense, and notices the raging soul whose furious scream is expressed in this duality of violence. The woman's spirit, barely holding together like a quaking jelly and spreading like flowing magma, rises from the nucleus of this chaos, and every inch materializes her presence further through the lashing fury.
"A ritual is necessary then!" Hu Tao laughs as the butt of her spear knocks out a Fatui geo mage, and she takes Chongyun's hand to pull him closer to the mutant. Yanfei and Xingqiu turn around now to protect the pair more from the human threat than the transcending one. "Set it up!" Hu Tao yanks Chongyun forward to help launch him.
Chongyun sprints then dives, quick adjustments of his limbs helping him dodge the hold of his foe. He rolls to recover, then leaps forward and slams his claymore into the mushy dirt right below the monstrous amalgamation. The dirty splash is frozen with the expansion of a massive exorcist's circle.
"Keep us covered!" Hu Tao exclaims as she claps her hands together. Xingqiu and Yanfei comply, leaping back to get closer to her. Their bodies freeze in mid-air as the world pulses into a monochrome moment, save for the melting jelly woman and Chongyun.
Another pulse fully envelops Hu Tao's senses within the spiritual domain within which her target's soul is burning brightest. With this final wash of atmosphere, Hu Tao is entirely transformed into a form akin to her ghost buddy, though it's distinct in that she wears her harmony hexagram hat and more of a smug expression than the sleepy bliss of her friend. Chongyun is also fully transformed, standing beside her as a massive beast of a brilliant sky blue. They look at the woman in shambles on the burning floor in front of them, her once-elegant dress in pitiful tatters strung about as dying embers. As Hu Tao's integration with the realm completes, the superficial blaze responsible for the battle becomes more obvious to her sight. Its ephemeral form juts out from the woman's back, clawing ferociously at the cold, polluting miasma weighing down the air. The woman looks at them both with a weak hate, tears of lava staining her pale cheeks.
Hu Tao blasts off into the air, slinging herself across the space to dissipate the miasma and form a clear path for Chongyun. The blue beast leaps across the space toward the woman, and she does little more than give a doomed glare. Chongyun collides with the furious front above the woman, and tears it off her back. Hu Tao swoops in and spreads across the woman's body, which threatens to disintegrate into blobs of ash and fire, to stabilize her condition as Chongyun thrashes the demonic entity elsewhere.
"Let me die, you brats… " the woman coughs out.
"Nope! Not until Mondstadt gets ya. Then you can employ my services!" Hu Tao chirps.
"Mond…" the woman weakly gasps before falling silent. The monster stomps its way back to Hu Tao's side, and looks down at both Hu Tao and the woman.
"She is calming down outside," he mutters.
"Then our ritual is done! Let's relieve our friends, I'm sure they're sick of doing all the work by now," Hu Tao sticks out a pair of ghostly hands, makes a symbol between them, and this realm shatters apart, quickly returning her to a scene of burning flakes falling from the sky, the absence of the violent elements, and a crowd of Fatui breaking through Millelith ranks to apprehend the vigilantes in black.
ⳮⷤ ── ⲇ ── ⳮⷤ
"So we expect four children to somehow make their way through two national militaries and steal a highly elementally volatile spirit?" Rosaria asks, snatching a bottle away from Kaeya to commandeer her own refill.
"We used to all be rather strong children ourselves, don't underestimate them~" Kaeya seals the bottle and places it on the platter.
"Yes, I'm sure a lawyer, trust fund baby, ghost hunter, and undertaker have histories comparable to ours to foster such expertise," the sway of Rosaria's cup expresses the dismissal of the vigilantes' skills. Diluc narrows his eyes at the nun in confusion as Eula's arm wraps around Rosaria's hips, and her hand gives a reprimanding squeeze. "Ow!" Rosaria glances at the hand, then looks at the owner, whose face is much closer than she anticipated.
"Bacca, are you alright?" Eula asks as her free hand confiscates the goblet.
"Yes, I'm perfectly fine," She pouts and turns her blushing face away from her friend. "Diluc may continue, and I'll...remain reserved…"
"Thank you," Diluc sighs and his attention returns to the map. "All the four of them must do is have the target in their possession. From there, they can hand it off to Noelle-"
"Another child…" Rosaria spits her whisper much louder than intended. She notices the room staring at her. Between Kaeya's smirk threatening a laugh, Diluc's exhausted deadpan, and Eula's active castigation, Rosaria lowers her head in shame. "Sorry."
"...continuing, hand it off to Noelle and Eula," Diluc finishes his thought as Eula's hand moves up to Rosaria's shoulder, and she brings her over to a couch for them to sit.
"We're sending Eula ahead of us? I forgot that detail," Kaeya picks up Rosaria's goblet from the table, where Eula had set it down, and returns to Diluc's side as he drinks. Rosaria lays her head on Eula's chest as the conversation continues.
"Yes. I agree with Rosaria on this point. Though they may be talented young adults, they could certainly use more protection. I understand Noelle has had her fair share of dangerous missions, but I would feel much more secure knowing one of us is escorting her. This also gives Eula a brief chance to reconnect with her friend," Diluc admits and explains. His eyes lock with Rosaria's for a moment, and although the wine-sucking vampire is still apparently upset, she clearly appreciates the validation.
"Ah, this also allows our vigilante quartet to retreat back to Liyue before any word is sent back to the Qixing about the attack, and they can craft the narrative as they please ahead of Fatui protest," Kaeya discerns. "Our dear maid can also escape the area quickly, amidst the additional confusion, to Lingju Pass. And this is when our unused technology comes into effect," Kaeya holds up the specialized masks of prototype Knights of Favonius dive suits. "How were they during testing?" he asks Eula and Rosaria.
"Be it Cider Lake or Dragonspine pools, the suits are effective at thermal retention and ease of movement," Eula replies.
"The use of my spear wasn't hampered in the slightest. Eula and I could sustain combat for as long as usual," Rosaria snuggles a bit deeper into Eula, and her hand rests at Eula's hip, her thumb comfortably settled into the curve between abdomen and thigh.
"That is wonderful to hear!" Kaeya smiles, and puts the mask down.
"Perhaps after this operation, further use in the Knights can be considered-"
"So cute," Eula whispers. The tease throws off Diluc, so to regain some peace, he takes a deep breath. He successfully reigns himself, preventing his impulses from melting the entire room.
"Anyway, as planned, Bennett's Adventure Team will meet with the duo at this path for escort to the Dunyu Ruins," he concludes, his finger showing the way.
ⳮⷤ ── ⲇ ── ⳮⷤ
"Xiezhi's separated!" Xingqiu kicks off the chest of a Fatui Skirmisher, splitting his mask and knocking him out with a water slash backflip. Hu Tao attempts to get to Yanfei by dashing into a bunch of butterflies, successfully overcoming the hydro cannoneer trying to block her. But, the cryo cannoneer right behind him cools her sprint down, forcing her to re-combine and avoid his spray. Chongyun runs past both Hu Tao and Xingqiu, and summons giant claymores to attempt a breakthrough. This is swiftly countered by a line of anemo boxers, catching the claymores and either absorbing them into their gauntlets or outright shattering them with punches. Walled off, the three Vigilantes can do little but watch as the poor goat's flame is slowly snuffed out beneath the unstoppable flood of opposition. Their breaths catch as an electro hammer jumps to slam crackling thunder upon her.
What Hu Tao can only process as yellow lightning from the ground responding to the aggression brilliantly beams across the battlefield, cutting a path through the smoky air and bluntly colliding into the airborne Fatui, the sharp crack of a decimated skeleton splitting the ears of all around the strike. The skirmisher is flung far away from the fight hardly a moment later, his body lost to the hills and trees. A masked woman, also clad in all black like the Vigilantes, but in a suit much sleeker and skin-tight, embraces Yanfei to shield her as several twinkles coalesce into a massive star-like blade pointing its longest limb downwards. The lightning blade bashes its way through the field indiscriminately, jumbling both Millelith and Fatui up across the mine before it suddenly disappears. Another masked woman, shorter than the first, yet also adorned in a similar suit, dives through to reach the three awe-struck Vigilantes.
"Use your swords," she mutters to Xingqiu as she gathers the four of them, then digs her claymore into the dirt and shields them with geo. Xingqiu forms his rain swords and pierces them through the triangular sections of the geo shield, reinforcing the structure further. Just as the final rain sword slides in, the violent star also plunges into the earth, blinding all with exposed eyes, and blowing away all with exposed bodies. The infiltrators and ninjas quickly leave their opposition in the dust, taking to the hills and phasing into the dark of the wild.
ⳮⷤ ── ⲇ ── ⳮⷤ
"They're clear of the mining area and well on their way to the Harbor. The Millelith and Fatui are recovering. Despite the mess, they seem to be keeping things together, and assessing their situation peacefully," Eula reports, walking over to a crouched Noelle.
"Good to hear! I'm glad the Vigilantes are safe and sound and that the Millelith and Fatui aren't fighting anymore. Just a little more… and… there!" Noelle successfully contains the target within a small geo container. She loops a metal hook through a small hole she made to protrude from it, then pinned it securely to her collar with a rose. "How does it look, Captain Lawrence?" Noelle pops up and shows off the dangerous jewel.
"It's beautiful, Noelle. It appears you're as skillful with elemental jewelry-crafting as you are with swordsmanship," Eula compliments.
"Ah, thank you, Captain. Anyway, onto the swim we go. We don't want to keep the Adventure Team waiting for too long now," Noelle turns her back on Eula, and leads the way over to the cliffs. Their walk transitions into a sprint, and then they dive off the edge and into the water.
They swim quickly, fearlessly allowing a strong flow to toss them down a waterfall, and they easily recover from the fall to keep a good pace. The women soon emerge from the water onto a dirt path, looking at the team of riders on horseback awaiting their arrival.
ⳮⷤ ── ⲇ ── ⳮⷤ
"These are sure to provide great cover for the children," Kaeya holds up Barbara's custom Knights of Favonius cavalry uniform as an example of what Bennett's Adventure Team would be wearing as provided by the Cavalry Captain. "The patches are removed to provide anonymity, and they're all given special helmets for both safety and hiding identity."
"Your aesthetic tastes make them so distinct, however, that it worries me," Diluc says, his eyes focusing on the extravagant frills, sparkling stars, and cutesy religious imagery decorating Barbara's uniform. Needless to say, he holds some concern about the outfits for the rest of the team as well. He takes a sip of his grape juice, and caresses Rosaria's head laid on his lap.
"Though there is distinction between their uniforms, it isn't as if the people of the region will necessarily recognize them anyway… well, for the most part. Barbara certainly hasn't held concerts for the Harbor, and I doubt Bennett, Razor, and Fischl have embarked on ridiculous adventures down there recently," Eula suggests before finishing her glass, which is now filled with some of Rosaria's portion instead of the wine she finished earlier.
"Exactly, so be at ease, Diluc," Kaeya sips from his own glass, which has the part of Rosaria's portion Eula allowed him to retain. "Anyway, although the path is populated by a few hilichurl camps and roaming treasure hoarder gangs, the speed of horseback should allow them to run right through those issues. Should be a run in the park for them," he assures while tracing the path from Lingju Pass to Dunyu Ruins that the Team, Noelle, and Eula would be taking..
"How will we evacuate the six of them? Their destination in the Ruins is a pool," Rosaria asks while her hand imperceptibly tugs at loose strings she found in the hem of Diluc's coat. He perceives it eventually, however, and swiftly gives her hand a punishing crush with his own to prevent her from doing any more damage.
"I've prepared transport," he hisses down at her. Rosaria scrunches her face back at him. Diluc looks up at Kaeya and Eula, who are sharing looks of amused confusion. "So, don't worry about that."
ⳮⷤ ── ⲇ ── ⳮⷤ
"Many hili… but, we are fast. We run past," Razor says after sniffing the air a bit, and piercing through the night with his keen eyes. Barbara finishes putting Razor's hair up into two tails, then slides off his horse and remounts her own.
"Getting here wasn't too bad, thankfully! Hopefully the way back'll be just as smooth, but-"
"Do not doubt your change in fortune, my knight of calamity. As the stars light a clear, illuminated path, so clearly, and therefore surely, will our fates be toward an uneventful rendezvous," Fischl cuts off Bennett.
"Ahem, what the Prinzessin means is-"
"I have full faith in your confidence and foresight, noble Princess. Lead the way to victory," Eula says, interrupting Oz's translation and apparently giving Fischl a welcome boost. Barbara giggles at the exchange.
"And this is why royalty has deemed you the Captain of company; your unwavering loyalty is much appreciated. Take point, my keen Cerberus, and lead our chthonic escape," Fischl sends Oz ahead of them as Razor nods and kicks his horse into a sprint.
"Cerbus go!" he exclaims, galloping up the path, beginning the rushing cacophony toward Dunyu Ruins.
ⳮⷤ ── ⲇ ── ⳮⷤ
"So many more hilichurls than before!" Barbara gasps as a thrown club just barely misses her head. Fischl changes targets from the hilichurl that was threatening the priestess to snipers on raised platforms.
Noelle and Razor lead the squad, one jousting straight through mitachurl shields with a claymore-turned-geo-lance, the other slashing electro claws through samachurl barricades and hazards.
"Jeez, I guess my luck's turned finally… Woah!" Bennett ducks to let Eula bat a leaping hilichurl out of the air. Seeing a large assembly of wooden shields far ahead, Bennett begins charging his fist.
Barbara begins singing euphoric verses to Barbatos, uplifting the spirits of the horses so they sprint faster beyond their limits. The music surrounds the whole team as they tighten formation to fit within the scope of her talent. Between the twirling blizzard Eula is calling forth with her blade, and the thunderstorm Fischl and Oz are bringing upon the sides of the path, the hilichurls are too busy being frozen or paralyzed to prevent Bennett from taking the lead and launching himself off the back of his horse to slam his blazing fist right through the assembly. Razor catches Bennett before he hits the ground, then tosses him right back onto his horse before overtaking Bennett once more.
"Prinzessin, we appear to be cle- oh my!" Oz does a hard roll into a lower elevation as multiple shots of pyro attempt to bring him down.
Razor struggles to dodge shards of geo coming his way, but in doing so his horse gallops right into the trajectory of a treasure hoarder's arrow. It sinks into the chest of the horse and it collapses front legs-first, launching Razor's head into the swing of a hoarder's shovel. Barbara attempts to get closer to Razor and carefully dismount to attend to him, but a charging hoarder forces her to bail early. She bounces and rolls across the dirt, but is able to scramble to her feet and help Razor recover fast enough to send a slash through the belly of the shovel-wielder.
Fischl gracefully ejects from the seat of her horse into an airborne twirl, her arrows landing true upon flanking Fatui skirmishers before a charged shot strikes a swooping Oz and blasts apart a geo skirmisher's protective dome. Eula and Noelle's claymores shred his body apart upon passing.
From the back, Bennett releases yet another charge of pyro, now both from a fist and a sword. Like Fischl, he performs a twirling ejection, making him a wheel of destruction incinerating the night and anything more solid than that. Upon hitting the dirt, he rolls, then does one more leap to slam his fist into the ground in the middle of his comrades, boosting their power to new heights. Backs to the pool of the Ruins, the melee fighters play defense as Barbara tries her best to drown her enemies and refresh her friends, and Fischl lobs lightning against anything moving toward them.
"Razor scared!"
"I feel ya, buddy!" Bennett clasps Razor's shoulder to take him out of the way of an electro hammer's smash, interrupting its devastating force with a greater explosion with his sword, blasting both himself and the Fatui back.
"Go, Noelle!" Barbara's cheer rounds up a mix of Fatui and treasure hoarders, putting them perfectly in the way of Noelle's titanic slash. Barbara uses bubbles to bless her teammates with the leftover elemental crystals as shields.
"In defense of the Princess!" Eula stabs a cryo cannoneer right through the chest, exploding the charge pack on his back.
"Storm!" Fischl strikes Oz, who then expands to three times his normal size, and like heavenly punishment, plummets with full scorn into the icy fog to electrify all caught within.
"Benny, no!-" Razor is unable to prevent his friend, who completely missed his charging slash against his intended target, from expending that built-up energy upon the supercharged crowd, detonating the entire fog.
ⳮⷤ ── ⲇ ── ⳮⷤ
"-ke, up! Pt-n, wa- up!" Eula hacks up water, coughing and spitting as she struggles to respirate and hear the voice smothered by rolling waves and flooded ears. She finds her legs with the help of the uncomfortable grips around her waist, belly and head.
"Captain, wake up!" exclaims Bennett, his pleading breaking through the water in her head. Eula takes a deep breath of smoky air, and spits out the taste of pool water as best as she can while her wet hands wake her up and take liquid out of her eyes.
Razor holds her on one side, and Bennett holds her on the other, helping her stand in the shallow water. She tries to stabilize herself more with her hands on the shoulders of the boys, but as soon as her hands rise above the water, an excruciating sting overtakes them. Her hands had been badly burned through her gloves. She puts her hands back into the water for whatever relief it can provide, and turns her newly-awoken attention to the path she was on before everything exploded. She watches the burning shore fill with black figures, all carrying bright, threatening colors aimed at them. Without any decent light to pierce the water, she can hardly find her sword. She checks on the conditions of the boys beside her. Besides his clothes being in tatters, a thick gray bang of hair covering the half of his face now uncovered by his torn mask, Razor is fine. Bennett, however, is in a horrifying state. Half of his body is either blood or charred skin. How the boy can still stand and be concerned for anyone besides himself is beyond her. Barbara, her sparkling tears clearly distinguished from the water running down her ruined blonde curls, tries her best to wade over to Bennett and heal him. Bennett gives her an encouraging, hopeful smile and thanks her as she sobs and applies care.
"Say behind me!" Noelle commands from ahead, trying to hold Fischl back as the latter tries to claw her way through the former's geo-enhanced claymore's flat side.
"M-mein Prinzessin, you are in no shape to continue figh-"
"I DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT A BROKEN ARM," Fischl suddenly exclaims as her nails break and her fingers bleed. "I'LL GIVE UP MY ENTIRE BODY IF IT MEANS KEEPING THEM SAFE. OZ, FUSE," she demands, pounding and scratching harder on the geo blade. Though she is causing considerable harm to herself, each subsequent attack is charged with more and more electro.
"I will not allow you to kill yourself over a fight that has clearly been lost, Mein-"
"IF YOU WON'T HELP ME, THEN I'LL DESTROY YOU AND DO IT MYSELF," Fischl takes her Vision off from her uniform and puts it in between her teeth.
"Don't be silly, Fischl, you can't just-" Noelle is interrupted by a strong shockwave of electro knocking everyone off-balance originating from Fischl's mouth. Even the Fatui on the shore are knocked down here and there. Oz cries in agony over Fischl's fierce, desperate roar.
"Prinzessin, p-please-" Oz falls into another cry, almost plunging into the water alongside everyone else, another shock of electro emitting from between Fischl's jaws. "F-Fine. If this is the royal sacrifice you wish to make...so be it…" Oz regains stable flight then swoops down and takes away the Vision. On his flight up, he swallows it entirely, and in the midst of his curve back down towards the water, he grows to ten times his normal size.
"I WILL PROTECT YOU ALL, PROTECT MY KINGDOM," Fischl swears as the raven-turned-thunderbolt strikes Fischl, and the energy lifts her right up out of the water. The power conforms to the shape of her body, highly condenses, then extends jagged flashes of electro from the beam bonding with the Princess.
Once the excess energy is expelled, Eula's eyes adjust to this new form Fischl has acquired. A blood red crown crackling with electro hovers just above her blood-extended blonde hair. Oz himself serves as a long dress and cape which compliments her glittering suit of black gems and red electro. Faster than Eula's eyes can track, Fischl shatters the shore, leaving behind nothing but a flickering image of scarlet and violet light. Any Fatui and treasure hoarders who aren't instantly disintegrated are flung across the landscape and Ruins in pieces. Only a crater remains after the dramatic blast which wrecked this end of the path, one much larger than that left from Bennett's mistake. Eula can't see Fischl anymore, but as the chaos of hilichurl, Fatui, and treasure hoarder combat threatens to come closer from further down the path, a figure emerges from the black, concave earth. A silhouette of electro struggles to drag a body out of the crater, and Noelle and Barbara immediately struggle to run forward. Eula tries wading herself, but immediately falters.
"Big cut, do not go," Razor informs her. His free hand points toward her belly. Eula looks down and finally notices the ugly gash that has been numbed by the cold water this whole time.
"Hurry! Hurry!" Barbara trips as she uses her vision to rejuvenate herself and Noelle as best as she can. Pyro rifles dot the hill, charging and shooting. The initial few shots miss, but the barrage gets closer to the cratermates quicker than Barbara and Noelle can. Barbara can hardly make any decent hydro defense for the retreating pair, and Noelle's attempts at re-empowering her claymore end in the shadow of a geo layer hopelessly sputtering, then dying, never to return.
In one last effort, Noelle and Barbara join hands and cast their elements to spawn from the air raw. An unstable barrier of geo and hydro erects, negating the first round of fire. The clash exhausts the last bits of energy the girls had, and they collapse onto their knees. The dark figure drags Fischl to them as well, and, noticing the second round of fire getting ready, struggles to shield them with wings which simply refuse to sufficiently extend. The second round rings out from the firing squad.
The gunshots are overwhelmed by the roar of the sky itself splitting apart. A spear of pure ice plunges into the firing squad, scattering their ranks all over the place. A phoenix of pure flame whisks all it catches away through the air. Eula's line of sight on Noelle and the others becomes abruptly obscured by the landing beast whose winds brought life to Mondstadt, and whose gusts now provide personal protection for them.
"Come on, let's get moving!" Kaeya leaps off of Dvalin and runs an ice bridge over to Eula, Bennett, and Razor. He crosses it to get them up out of the water. "We're not frozen in time, you know."
"Captain Kaeya! You guys really turned our luck around!" Bennett gets onto the ice with Razor's help, then rests on Razor as they walk ahead of Kaeya supporting Eula.
"This won't be as easy to cover up as Carl…" Eula groans as they walk.
"You're right. It will be even easier. The fact that the Fatui had to reveal their hidden forces in the region, despite their official front stating that they aren't here, makes it all too simple to divert all attention to them," Kaeya explains as they reach Dvalin. "Ah...poor girl…" Kaeya frowns, seeing Rosaria carry a bloody and broken Fischl on her back.
Razor and Bennett help get Eula onto the back of the dragon as Diluc helps Barbara and Noelle climb up. Kaeya and Diluc finally mount, and give Dvalin the signal to finally take off, leaving the ancient, chaotic landscape behind in its eerie orange glow.
ⳮⷤ ── ⲇ ── ⳮⷤ
"Apologies for our tardiness. I understand the collected intelligence here would rather not have time delay innovation," Kaeya greets as he walks into a tent with Diluc, escaping the blazing sun bearing on Dadaupa Gorge.
"Hello, Captain~" Lisa responds, waving her fork-wielding hand before taking another bite of her salad.
"Welcome to the research base, Captain Kaeya and Master Diluc. Noelle has briefed us well, so there is not much more to do beyond showing you both our work here," Jean says, finishing her glass of water before rising from the bench she sat on.
"Welcome, Captain Kaeya and Master Diluc!" Noelle parrots in a chirpier way despite her condition. Before she can say much more, Diluc walks up to her and brushes her bangs aside to get a good look at the facial damage Noelle sustained. The bandages concealing half her face bring a frown to his.
"Do not be so grim, Master Diluc, I am sure Noelle is in the best care. Besides, now we match!" Kaeya says optimistically, giving a broad smile to Noelle, who, though only being able to see out of one eye, still appreciates with a full intake of ocular joy.
"Captain Kaeya is correct, Master Diluc. I will recover well, so do not worry," Noelle's hand touches the back of Diluc's and gently removes his caring hold on her cheek. "I notice neither Sister Rosaria nor Captain Lawrence came with you. Are they doing well?" She peeks beyond the two men to check for the women they are usually accompanied by.
"No," Diluc takes his hand from Noelle's appreciative grip and folds his arms. "Captain Lawrence is still recovering from her injuries, and Sister Rosaria is helping the deaconess take care of her, as well as the rest of the Adventure Team."
"You would think Fischl was her daughter, the way Sister Rosaria tends to her so closely," Kaeya lightly chuckles. "I do not think I have seen her so attendant to the Church in a long while. This has brought a certain...maternal air to her I did not know she had."
"Oh, I do hope they are all doing well. Barbara should not overextend herself, especially with her own injuries, so I am happy the Sister is there to assist," Noelle says.
"They will be fine, let us see the progress on this project we sacrificed so much for," DIluc leads the group out of the tent and to the primary research tent.
The candlelights responsible for lighting the tireless work of the many scholars and soldiers here have their job stolen by the chamber-like device which glows bright with green anemo light. The main chamber keeps the swirl stable while excess elemental energy is filtered through smaller off-shooting chambers and tubes. In the middle of the vortex is the geo-contained ever-burning embers which now burn much brighter than when they first arrived.
"I am glad to see my protective shell proved sturdy," Noelle expresses happily.
"It is impressive, really, Noelle. Have you ever considered joining the Investigation Team as opposed to one of the more combat-oriented Companies?" Albedo asks, walking up from behind the group. "Your containment methods would be most useful for our purposes of preservation."
"Captain Albedo! A-and, Captain Kaeya, Acting Grand Master Jean, and Master Diluc, and Miss Lisa, a-and Noelle..." Sucrose's exclamation turns inwardly shy the more and more she realizes just how many people she showed her loose excitement to.
"What amazing breakthrough have you made, my little scientist?" Lisa asks, setting her empty salad bowl aside and making her way to the front of the group to coax Sucrose to open up again.
"W-well..." Sucrose looks up, clearly combatting a deep embarrassment considering the redness of her face. "We have reached a point of elemental stability and power which may allow access to the inner sanctum of the embers as described by Noelle's report of Director Hu Tao and Master Chongyun's advice," Sucrose says, handing over her clipboard to Lisa. Lisa reads over the information, and smiles.
"Good girl, thank you for your work," she pets Sucrose, then leads the group towards the main chamber.
"Here I thought Kaeya was simply being informal out of his usual foolishness…" Diluc mutters, taking off his long jacket then rolling up his sleeves. "But, I see why you all have decided to arrive at a scientific experiment wearing casual summer clothing."
"Though it is true that our fashion betrays the usual safety procedures for experimentation, I believe, for this particular endeavor, we would sooner expire from heat stroke than from some spilled substance or radiation," Albedo admits.
"Hm, I thought the resident firebird would be able to handle a bit of heat, but I suppose we are all human," Kaeya teases.
"If any of you are in need of water, I have plenty here," Mona announces, coming up to the lot of them with a cooler behind her. She opens the top to let the cold mist escape and reveal the many containers of chilled water. She sets the stacks of disposable cups down on a nearby table.
"Ah! Just in time, Miss Megistus," Lisa says, handing her the clipboard. "We are ready to begin entry into the inner sanctum. I will need your help, as well as that of Albedo and Sucrose, if I am to pull this off. For as experienced a woman as I am, it has been quite a while since I have performed a procedure like this… and never on someone like this."
"Well, for scientists, boundaries like these are meant to be studied and crossed," Mona binds her hands by the fingers, then stretches them to pop the joints. "And I will do what it takes to prove I am the best and most advanced at astrology, even if that means reading the star map of a 500-year-old legend."
"Take a step back, spectators," Albedo motions toward Diluc, Kaeya, Noelle, and Jean. "Setting up the garden stabilizer now," Albedo says, weaving gestures with his hands together to construct a geo structure of petals and vines around Lisa and Mona, who stand side by side.
"Charging anemo fluctuation, applying compound 76," Sucrose pulls a few levers, adjusts some sliders, then places her hand on a panel to apply her own anemo power to the containment chambers and strengthen their containment potential. She also opens a tunnel directly through the wind barrier to the embers within, casting a hot beam out toward the high window set up in the roof of the tent.
"Analyzing celestial relationships… Aligning constellations… the gate is open, Lisa," Mona's hands move swiftly through the watery starscape cast in front of her. The heavens are hers to watch and command, influencing the flow of fate between all in the room, and especially opening the way into the existential heart of her target.
"Thank you all for the assistance. Grab a snack while I am gone, but please do not forget about me. I may take a while," the orb of electro storming within Lisa's palm shifts from violet, to lavender, to light pink, then settles into a distinct crimson red. A liquid electricity spills from it and crawls all over Lisa's body, seizing her body and burrowing deep into her flesh. Lisa lets out a deep laugh as purple roses bloom around her feet, bleeding their color even across Albedo's petals and vines. Soon enough, Lisa falls silent as she seemingly freezes in place.
"So dramatic…" Mona sighs, managing her end of the job as she rolls her eyes at Lisa's apparent pleasure.
ⳮⷤ ── ⲇ ── ⳮⷤ
"I have been passed through many hands, some with traces of familiarity and others being completely unknown. The last two to have become this intimate with this form of mine were strangers. But you...I know you…"
"Well, I would hope my faculty advisor would remember me. After all, you are the one who made the claim that I was… what was it…?"
"The greatest mind to pass through Sumeru in the last two-hundred years… my student, Lisa."
"Professor Rosalyne. Or, really, Professor Lohefalter. I still laugh about it, from time to time, just how poorly you concealed your identity at the Academy."
"Worked well enough over there, those brainiacs would be too stuck up their-"
"Asses and their books to notice."
The two women share a hearty laugh. Lisa wipes tears from her eyes.
"Tell me, Lisa, how goes some of your friends from back then? Don't tell me about the freak, I already know plenty about him since he was my coworker. You really did dodge a bullet there."
"Oh did I? I hadn't realized," Lisa jokes. "I didn't graduate with many of those friends left. We all went our separate ways in some form or another, but I have kept in contact with Baizhu."
"That infamous slacker and party animal. Though he could be some trouble, I was always glad to see that you both stuck close, and I could tell some of you rubbed off on him well."
"Well, he did get smarter over the years. Didn't stop him from opening a floating brothel right next to Liyue Harbor though," the women share another laugh before Lisa continues. "Enough about all that though. Let's see how we'll patch you up, Rose. It was my idea to bring you back."
"Oh was it? Then are you also responsible for this cruel joke of practically resurrecting me on the spot where I truly died all those hundreds of years ago?"
"Mm… you could say some of Baizhu rubbed off on me, too."