Fischl had seen guns before in Fatui hands. But the Immernachtreich's blackshirt guards wielded firearms more intricate than anything made in Teyvat, and Fischl never let her guard down around them. Having sortied in a landing craft, the gunmen had stolidly guarded the diplomats talking to Jean and Lisa for half an hour, leaving Fischl and Outworlder to mull over the multiversal phenomenon.

"Mein Fräulein, are you still shaken by the presence of your doppelganger?"

Fischl thought to brush him off, but eventually reconsidered. "Yes." Oz, as Fischl's familiar, knew to withdraw into silence after such uncharacteristic terseness.

Finally, Jean rejoined them.

"That went better than expected, considering we didn't have plans for first contact." Jean heaved the great sigh of an overworked adult. "We've agreed to their terms. In exchange for knowledge on our world, they'll allow a party to meet the Kaiserin. Their only condition is that you two Fischls are included. Let's see: Traveler, Paimon, Mona, and…"

"I'll go." Kaeya piped up. "You want to send Eula. But you never know what might happen on that flying ship, and after Varka's taken the cavalry, I'm the more expandable one here, hm?" Fischl's expression scrunched up in distaste at Kaeya's cavalier attitude towards his own life. And Jean hit him with a glare so withering, even Kaeya had to raise his hands as though shrugging off his own faux pas. "Chill out, I'll take care of myself up there."

"Fischl…" Jean's gaze roamed over them both. "Be careful up there, you two."

"The Prinzessin shall watch over herself and her royal entourage." Fischl withheld her flowery speech, for the situation's severity struck her hard enough to read the atmosphere a little. Jean's face softened, a welcome sight after today's events thus far.

Led into a box of a ship which looked like it could weather a beating, the door closed behind the boarding party. The last thing Fischl saw was Jean donning her Dandelion Knight persona to address the Immernachtrerich's diplomats.

"Now, honored diplomats, allow me to escort you to…" was all Fischl heard before the doors closed upon Teyvat.

Aether planted his hands on his hip, "Time to face down another Electro empress."

Paimon said,"Yeah! Now that you mention it, sure feels like déjà vu, doesn't it? Like that time where we met the Raiden Shogun in the Tenshukaku!"

Kaeya purred, "Oh, sounds like you had quite the adventure after leaving Mondstadt. You'll have to tell us all about it sometime, once you blow back into town."

Mona folded her arms. "Still, since we're dealing with visitors not of this world, I won't be able to read their fates. It was one thing with the Traveler, another with these armed visitors from other worlds…" She fidgeted, a picture of anxiety compounded by going into a situation as blind as a hydromancer ever could.

Paimon cut in, "Oh, don't worry, Mona! Their greeting party didn't seem to want to pick a fight, and think about it. They're alone in another world. They'll want to make friends, so don't feel too bad about going into this meet-and-greet blind!"

"I suppose…"

Fischl watched on, herself too consumed by difficult emotions she couldn't immediately diagnose nor untangle. Her silence didn't go unnoticed by Aether.

He stuttered, "Fischl and Outworlder…" " … You two have been quiet for a while."

Fischl gathered her thoughts before responding with a pose. "The Prinzessin is conserving her indefatigable strength for the showdown of sovereigns! My esteemed self's eminence may eclipse Mondstadt, but the Prinzessin der Verurteilung is the true ruler of eternal night!"

Outworlder posed. "Verily! Silence is but a sign of our gathering wrath, slow but sure! The 'Kaiserin' as blasphemed by her dark envoys shall know her place before the Prinzessin!"

Kaeya glanced at Aether and Paimon. "She seems eager enough."

Paimon nodded. "Of course! Even if the Prinzessin is beaten down, she gets back up! A little multiversal shenanigan isn't enough to get Princess Fischl down!"

Only Mona seemed to have anything to say about that. But before she could speak up, a voice blared from the grate above their seats.

"We're here."

After a few landing bumps, the doors opened to a sight Fischl would never forget.

The HEV Immernachtreich's sleek exterior was as earth and sky to its innards, grungy and ominous in all its shadowy glory. All who beheld its high arches and giant machines were curiously suffocated by their magnificence, the intestines and skeleton of a great beast one would never see the whole of. The uniformed crew were its humble tenders, and words failed Fischl to be led through twisting hallways, brutally scrubbed clean of features to better serve its militaristic function.

To enter the throne room was a religious experience in itself, as Fischl stepped from a featureless hallway into a majestic hall highlighted by seams of royal purple, her heart skipping at the Immernachtreich as envisioned. Light, likely by design, guided attention to the throne upon which an adult Fischl sat.

"Her Majesty, Ruler of the Twilight Veil, die Kaiserin der Verurteilung!"

The party knelt, initiated by Kaeya as the team's street-smart member. Fischl got up, and gazed upon her royal self whilst the rest of the party bore the brunt of conversation.

Looking down at the party from up high, the Kaiserin lounged in uncontested and absolute authority wreathed in expensive fabric. Welcoming Vision wilders onboard her ship didn't faze the Kaiserin in the slightest, leaving Fischl torn whether it was due to a lack of understanding of their Visions' powers, or a complete dismissal of their might since the Kaiserin wouldn't leave herself naked to assassination attempts.

The energy humming throughout this room likely wasn't just used to keep the lights on. And the blackshirted guards totted their rifles with a tenser grip than the landing party.

But what sent a stab of cold fear through Fischl's gaze was the Kaiserin's eye. All the mercy and light was beaten out of her as a hammer beat upon iron, producing a mind of steel.

"You two, my selves, step forward." Fischl and Outworlder blinked at all the eyes in the room turning to them. Including the Kaiserin's. "So, you two also bear the namesake 'Fischl' and are either native to this world or an adjacent one. How far have you progressed in rebuilding the Immernachtreich?"

Fischl posed, for it came as easily as breathing. "I, the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, have gathered subjects who shall join my new world, whose prophesied return as described in apocrypha shall be as decreed by the moon and stars!"

"Verily, we hath traversed between worlds, gathering allies to join us at that hallowed eve of the Immernachtreich's second reckoning!"

Oz added, "Mein Fräulein means to say it is a work in progress." The other Oz nodded.

"Foolishness." Fischl flinched at the voice cutting them off like a razor, used only when one was about to get the tongue-lashing of their lives. "Do you mean to tell me you've sat around, prattling on about being the Immernachtreich's Prinzessin while making no tangible progress in building it?" Fischl recoiled, for the throne room now claustrophobically caged in the twin Fischls with the Kaiserin's wrath.

Traveler cut in with his own defense. "Fischl's doing her best to become worthy of ruling the Immernachtreich when it returns."

Paimon nodded. "Yeah. I mean, if its return is 'foretold,' wouldn't it be kinda pointless to hasten its return? I, uh," she turned to Mona, "Mona! Say something! You're a subject of the Prinzessin!"

Much like being called up to answer a question in class, Mona composed herself before answering a question she never expected to answer.

"Um, Her Highness, the Prinzessin, has confronted her demons and wised up to the responsibilities of ruling over her own creations." She deflated. "Is that enough? To sing a friend's praises unscripted is a bit much, even for a genius astrologist."

Kaeya applauded Mona for her troubles, earning the astrologist's blush.

But Fischl paid little heed to these observations. "Though your benevolence is notable, the Prinzessin may speak for herself." She glanced up at the Kaiserin. "The Prinzessin has not made progress in physically reclaiming the Immernachtreich. But the day of reckoning must not be perturbed, and before the fated second advent the Prinzessin must overcome obstacles of the heart - "

"Enough." Fischl was scalded by the Kaiserin's bitter glare. "When reality and imagination meet, reality rarely backs down. I sought to make sure my imagined Kingdom would surpass reality. I fought, murdered and conquered and ruled to make that Immernachtreich a reality. Yet you two brats squawk on, pretending to be royalty. Disgusting." She swatted her hand at Fischl as though shooing away an insect. "I regret stooping to notice you. Leave."

Her last word fell like an executioner's blade upon the boarding party. It was one thing to be rebuffed, another to be so venomously shut down. Fischl and Outworlder bristled at her words, perfect retorts composed with hindsight eluding Fischl in part from the emotional hit sustained.

Mona huffed under her breath, "Well, she's got quite the attitude about her."

Paimon nodded along, "You got that right! Did putting down your younger self's dreams make you feel big, 'your Majesty'?" She jeered, though the Kaiserin's lack of response was the brick wall which all disdain bounced off of.

Oz said, "Be that as it may, Lady Megistus and Paimon, it'd be unwise to agitate the political situation. We should take our leave and report our impressions on the Kaiserin to Acting Grand Master Jean."

A hand clapped on Fischl's shoulder, and she turned back along with Outworlder to find Kaeya shaking his head. "We should let the situation cool off. We don't need to start an incident here." He gave the Kaiserin an easy smile. "We'll be taking our leave now, your Majesty." The Empress made a noise in her throat, and Kaeya then guided the team out the way they came.

But the Kaiserin's subject called out from his table of moving pictures. "Your Majesty? Energy readings over that island nation just spiked again."

Paimon turned back. "Huh? Do you mean Inazuma? Is something going on over there?"

Aether stuttered. "I can't bring you all with me, but…" " … I'll be heading out for a bit."

Fischl stepped up. "Traveler! Though the stars and fates may guide you upon your journey, know that with my left eye, the Auge der Verurteilung, which sees the threads of fate, I will surely keep you from harm."

"Make that double!" The Outworlder chimed. "The Prinzessin's immanent veil of protection stretches far and wide, much like how the shadows of our familiar's wings encircle the world!"

"What Mein Fräulein means is - "

"Mein Fräulein means to say - "

"I know." Aether gave a smile which warmed Fischl's heart in ways not unwelcome. To be appreciated as the Prinzessin came as a flood of relief, especially after being put down by the Kaiserin.

Mona gave an understanding nod. "Do what you must. This phenomenon isn't confined to just Mondstadt, and with your particular set of skills you can gather information on other Fischls from other universes."

Kaeya nodded, "Go get 'em, Traveler."

Paimon chuckled, "Paimon and Traveler will grab you all souvenirs from Inazuma! By 'souvenirs' Paimon means lotsa Dango and Matsutake Meat Rolls!" She waved, "See you later!"

Traveler and Paimon vanished in a blink.

Arriving in Narukami Island, Aether and Paimon were greeted by peals of lightning being hurled down upon a burning Tenshukaku. Aether jumped out of the way of Tenryou soldiers and Yashiro firemen, the former armed with buckets whilst the latter was decked in wetted jackets.

Paimon exclaimed, "So this is the full brunt of the Raiden Shogun's wrath! We should've brought a parasol if it was going to be this stormy…"

"I'd be a crispy lightning rod if lightning strikes my parasol."

"Will Paimon's halo get struck by lightning? Ooh, Paimon's gonna hide under Traveler's cloak while you figure out what's going on!" Aether charged into the buffeting heat, following the veins of human activity across the Tenshukaku. Aether's vision whited out, a flash of cold terror stopping his heart while he threw his hands up at the shriek of thunder rumbling past. He shoved through the mass of petrified soldiers, and found the folks in charge.

"Kamisato Art: Suiyuu!" Ayato's Elemental Burst extinguished the flames birthed from that last strike. The Yashiro Commissioner noted their arrival. "Traveler, Paimon! I don't suppose you've anything which could assist in firefighting?"

Aether stuttered, "My Windblade will just fan the flames…" " … but my Geo attacks may slow the fire's spread."

Ayato was about to say more, but dived towards Aether, and the trio tumbled away in a mess of limbs and dirt while energy roared past them. Once the blast died down, Aether poked his head out from Ayato's hug to find the Tenshukaku's walls eviscerated.

"Traveler, are you alright? Paimon was under your cape, yes?" Paimon's white hair peeked out from under Aether, earning Ayato's chuckle. "Just like Ayaka was as a child - hrngh." Aether winced at Ayato's crumpling expression. "Must've landed on my shoulder too hard."

"Uh," Paimon cried, "not to alarm anyone, but something coming!"

"The Raikou Shogun," Ayato grunted.

The woman approaching them bore an uncanny resemblance to an aged up Fischl should she wear clothes similar to the Shogun's, but her calm mask and lack of an eyepatch marked her as a completely separate existence from their Fischl. Blonde ox-buns trailed down her back in twin tails, wielding a bow which crackled and sparked with an Archon's power.

"Curiouser and curiouser," Raikou's tone was a well-worn blade, authoritative and to the point. Just like the Raiden Shogun…

As if on cue, the Raiden Shogun leapt behind Raikou with a decapitating strike. Raikou ducked and took the chance to disengage. But Raiden was no longer alone, as snow fluttered into Aether's field of vision.

"Sakura Swirl!" However Raikou tried to elude the snowstorm, she weathered hits Aether knew nobody could shrug off immediately. Despite Raiden rushing in to press the attack, she was rebuffed by a thunderous clap of purple wings sprouting from Raikou's back.

Raiden exclaimed, "Those are the Thunderbird's wings. How…?"

"I purified its regrets on Tsurumi Island, but some of its power echoes within me."

While both Shoguns resumed their duel, Ayaka turned her attention to the slumped Ayato.

"Brother!" She wasn't alone in joining the huddled trio.

"Captain of Swordfish II, we meet again."

Paimon popped out of Aether's cape. "Huh? Kokomi? I thought you were busy being the head honcho of Watatsumi Island?"

She worked with Ayaka to dig them free from debris. "We were invited to trade talks. And Commissioner Ayato, I took the liberty of cutting down trees on the way here to limit the fire's spread. The wind direction and dry spell won't bode well if we leave them up to burn."

"Lady Sangonomiya, losing a few trees is far preferable to losing lives - " Ayato bit down on his pain, and Aether's heart sank at the sight.

Ayaka cried, "Brother!"

"Uh, Paimon thinks you should take it easy for a bit…"

Kokomi cut in, "Allow me. Rest and rebuild!" Summoning her Bake-Kurage, her jellyfish bled the pain from Ayato's grimace, putting Ayato back together in all the ways that mattered to let him pick himself up.

Aether gave Kokomi a relieved grin. "It's like they say, 'Never fear, Her Excellency Sangonomiya is here.'"

But Aether would look back upon this moment and curse his big mouth, for the Raikou Shogun's head snapped to them mid-duel.

"Sangonomiya?"

Sparks flew from Raikou's figure, dematerializing into streams of lightning which petered out into thin air in thunderous chirps. She'd vanished before their eyes.

Paimon cried, "Uh, Paimon didn't know the Shogun could do that!"

"Ayaka, defensive positions!"

"Yes, Brother!"

Aether's sword flashed into his hand, poised to meet any attack. He spun towards the sparking chirps behind him, Ayato and Ayaka's blades already squealing from their sheathes.

Their blades were blocked by Raikou's wings. Her bow, now a blunt instrument, swung towards Kokomi in an executioner's blow. Aether had to throw his entire weight behind his sword to meet Raikou's strike, halting it inches from Kokomi's skull.

Raiden's incoming lance sent Raikou skidding back.

And not a moment too soon, as archers filed into the Tenshukaku with Sara at the helm. "Lay down your weapons, intruder, then step away from the Raiden Shogun and her company!"

Raikou's glance now shifted from Ayato, to Ayaka, then to Sara, confusion lining her face.

"Traveler," the Raiden Shogun addressed Aether.

"Who is this 'Traveler'?" All eyes turned to Raikou, whose curiosity had boiled over to nail Aether with a scrutinizing glare.

Paimon asked, "Huh? You mean, you've never met the Traveler?"

Aether said, "There'd probably exist Teyvats out there which didn't have a Traveler and Paimon. But that doesn't explain why you lashed out at Kokomi."

Raiden interjected, "Why does the name 'Sangonomiya' affect you so?"

"After slaying Orobashi for its insolence, I pressed the assault upon Watatsumi Island, as punishment for the actions of their god. In my Inazuma, there is no more Watatsumi Island. There is no more Sangonomiya." That statement's implications silenced Raiden's company at the lengths a ruler would go to enforce their rule.

Raiden continued. "Then, If you are indeed the Shogun of your universe, it must be a very different Inazuma."

Raikou's gaze roamed over the Tri-Commission members. "Kamisato Ayaka, earning the title 'Demon of Amakane Island' after slaughtering a hundred Fatui soldiers riding in on Black Ships. Kamisato Ayato, having lost an arm quashing the rebellion of rogue converts to the Snezhnayan faith, currently wielding a prosthetic arm. The Nameless Tengu, the Tenryou Commission's chained menace loosed upon their enemies.

"And you," Raikou's gaze turned to Raiden, "the two Electro Archons before me died in the Cataclysm, so you are the most perplexing presence of all. But perhaps my assumptions were in error, and this is not the Tenshukaku I knew and ruled over."

Aether cut in, "You were brought in from another universe. I'm here to tell you that."

"Yeah! Paimon and Traveler met another three Fischls, you're the fourth! So while we get to the bottom of this multiversal shenanigan, could you two Shoguns, like, stop fighting?"

Raikou's gaze fell. "This is not my Inazuma. This is not the Pure Land to be preserved in my Reality Bubble, as bugs are petrified in amber. I must prune the root of this phenomenon, and return to my world…"

Raikou's killing intent vanished while she walked out the Tenshukaku, the crowd of archers backing away to be replaced by a battalion of spearmen. Aether rushed out to find the spearmen forming a black mass of bodies, shuffling around the Raikou Shogun while she descended the Tenshukaku's stairs without a care.

Only when Raikou reached the bridge leading into Inazuma City did the spearmen break off, and the Raikou Shogun would stare back at a formation of archers, with bows drawn.

Sara yelled, "Loose!"

The collective release of bowstrings echoed across Inazuma City. Their arrows blotted out the sun and fell upon the Raikou Shogun in a shroud of death. Yet purple wings enclosed Raikou's figure and disintegrated projectiles upon contact, leaving a spot of pavement not buried under a black field of arrows. Raikou raised her hand towards the sky, where a swirl of black clouds had gathered. In another dematerializing flash, the lightning which struck Raikou became the purple streak which Raikou rode up into the sky.

Her theatrical exit struck Aether with familiarity, Fischl's own flamboyance coming to mind. Aether's expression soured at the thought of having to decide what to leave out in his recount to Fischl and Outworlder.

"Uh, Traveler? The Shogun and Sara are walking towards us. They seem scary!"

Raiden halted before Aether. "At ease, Traveler and Paimon. I see you are but another leaf in the wind, engulfed by a storm not of your own making. But you arrived in Inazuma because you knew what was going on?" Aether nodded. "Then elaborate."

"I see…" The Raiden Shogun nodded at the end of Aether's relayed story.

Indignation colored Sara's scowl. "But, saying the Raiden Shogun perished is blasphemy!"

Ayaka turned to the tengu. "Steady yourself, Lady Kujou. In the infinitude of the multiverse, no one is immune to a twist of fate. Not even me, who…" The conversation died there, both women pondering over what might've been.

Ayato mused, "Having intact arms is a mundane luxury I hadn't considered much until today…" He glanced down at a sullen Kokomi. "Ah, but a limb is perhaps trifling compared to your woes, Lady Sangonomiya."

"No, it's nothing."

Paimon said, "Wow! Kokomi, you're taking the thought of being poofed into non-xistence rather well!" She spun to Raiden with a flash of worry. "I mean, uh, you too, Raiden Shogun! Think happy thoughts!"

Kokomi massaged her temple. "No, this calmness you see is the shock of a near-death experience." She turned to Aether. "Thank you, Captain of Swordfish II, for saving my life. I am in your debt."

"Ayato saved my life and you healed Ayato…" " … so I think our debts cancel out nicely."

Paimon nodded. "Yeah! And the Traveler isn't the kind of person to keep someone in their debt!"

"Still," Kokomi noted, "the Raikou Shogun mentioned something about two Archons…"

Raiden clammed up from the various elicited emotions only Aether was privy to, after the incident with the Kagemusha and Makoto's soul. While resolved for the most part, Aether could read Raiden's reticence to incriminate herself by clearing the air.

Ayato coughed into his throat. "If I may, Lady Sangonomiya. We mustn't rashly buy into the unverifiable hearsay of a confused traveler from a radically different Inazuma, even if she is the Shogun of that world."

Paimon asked, "Huh? But weren't we discussing how our lives might've been different?"

"A curious, if sobering thought of what could've been. But one must still be cognizant of our own reality. The one Archon most Inazumans worship stands before us." Aether noted how Ayato sidestepped the statement's veracity and instead focused on reality.

Raiden met Ayato's gaze, translating a hint of gratefulness without need for words.

Kokomi eventually met Ayato's gaze. "A point well made, Commissioner. Such unverifiable matters of another world factor not into my calculus of war and peace."

Sara puffed her chest. "There is only one Almighty Raiden Shogun that I serve!"

"Wowee! Looks like everyone's getting their mojo back!"

"Indeed, Paimon," Ayaka's attention shifted to Aether. "Traveler. You have to leave again, yes?" His nod dampened Ayaka's mood, but she recovered and gave a tight smile. "Then I wish you safe travels, Traveler and Paimon."

"Traveler," Raiden's curt call earned his attention, "watch yourself."

"No problemo!" Paimon spoke in Aether's stead, for he simply gave the Raiden Shogun a nod. "Now, we've gotta go back and tell Fischl what happened here." Aether gave Paimon a nod, and they vanished again.

The Voice observed the events unfolding within the Tenshukaku, a giggle escaping her lips at various points throughout the battle.

The first was when they unleashed their own Musou no Hitotachi, then briefly creased up in shock to see the other survive their strike. The next was the Tri-Commission blanching to hear of their fates in another world.

But what the Voice didn't know was that she wasn't alone.

The Raikou Shogun, now an immaterial and immanent specter, watched the watcher whose giggle was picked up by Raikou at the edge of hearing.

A shroud of discontent hung over Fischl and the Outworlder while they disembarked from the landing shuttle, the Kaiserin a manifestation of every condescending inner voice belittling their way of life. Sure, the Kaiserin had built an empire for herself, but Paimon was right: did she get anything out of putting down the twin Fischls with such vitriol?

But Mondstadt was already buzzing with renewed activity. Fischl met the Outworlder's eye, and found the same thought crossing their minds. This wasn't due to their return. Making their way through Mondstadt, they found Klee next to another Fischl.

Fischl called out, "Lo! Another Prinzessin hath descended upon this land by the call of fate, gracing us with her hallowed presence!"

"The winds of destiny blow through Mondstadt! An auspicious omen foreseen by my Auge der Verurteilung, another honor'd ally against those who profane the Prinzessin's name!"

They met each other's glances, Fischl's own relief shared by the Outworlder. This wasn't all bad, since they understood each other and joined in the other's proclamations.

Fischl approached the doppelganger, who hugged Klee with the gentleness one afforded one's kin. While an assembly of metal plates formed the adult Fischl's vest, the battlesuit her Electro Vision and a few pistols were strapped to was composed of some thick fabric. This new Fischl carried herself with authority, not overbearing and haughty like the Kaiserin, but of grit now obscured by an outpouring of relieved gratitude.

Jean was their point of contact. "Fischl, Outworlder, this is the Oberstab, um…"

"Oberstabsfeldwebel Fischl, but you may refer to me as OSF." She snapped off a gesture whose crispness likely meant a military greeting in her world. The OSF dropped it to bring the twin Fischls closer. "I'm glad to see you two versions of me got to be happy, living in an intact Mondstadt. Sometimes, it's hard to imagine…"

The OSF's pained relief confounded Fischl, since it echoed the hollowness of what few veterans who'd blown into town, on a never-ending search for that part of themselves they'd lost in some tumultuous corner of Teyvat. The OSF fawned over them with pats, as geriatrics did over their grandchildren.

The OSF's eye froze over upon spotting something behind Fischl, shifting into the persona of a seasoned killer with the disturbing ease of donning a coat.

She glided past them, towards an unguarded Kaeya.

"Just dropped by the Dawn Winery to check on my tab - Oh, another Fischl? Did you need me for something?"

"Die, traitor." She whipped out her pistol.

And pointed it at Kaeya.

Action preceded thought as Fischl shoved the OSF's pistol away. The crack of a gunshot washed over her with a chill while the courtyard exploded in shrieks. While the OSF tried to shake Fischl and Outworlder off, wind slammed into the trio in a buffeting wall and sent the OSF tumbling over the twin Fischls.

Jean's Gale Blade called forth wind to gust around her drawn sword. The Dandelion Knight's blackened scowl was her scariest she'd been since, well, ever.

"Explain yourself, Fischl!"

"What're you doing, Jean?! Kaeya betrayed us! And what's more…" OSF Fischl bit back a swell of difficult emotions, "he killed you!" Yelling that across the courtyard quashed all panic, replaced by the crowd's disbelief that a Knight of Favonius could murder another. OSF Fischl's pain was written across her face, transmuting into a bitter rage. "I saw the bastard put his sword through your chest, the Lionfang Knight! I'll never forgive him!"

Fischl laid on the ground, flabbergasted. Someone she knew being a murderer in another world registered intellectually, but it was the scenario which stuck Fischl dumb: Kaeya's sword planted in Jean's chest. Red bled the life from Jean's increasingly dull eyes, painting her capelet in an omen of inevitable death.

Did it hurt? Even across worlds, Fischl's heart bled for a Jean she'd never met.

She summoned her bow to hand, scouring the courtyard for Kaeya. Gone. Blood trailed off, not so much as to be fatal, but still a giveaway to his pursuer. Knights of Favonius surrounded the OSF, but Fischl's gut sank to see OSF Fischl mentally dismiss them as threats.

Flecks of lightning danced across the OSF's suit, and she tore through the Knights with reflexes Fischl never knew anyone could possess. She withheld her strength but not her skill, as Knights were left floored but alive in her wake.

Fischl raised her bow as did the Outworlder, while Jean gathered the wind for another Gale Blade. But the OSF's tossed container spewed smoke in a violent hiss, obscuring her escape. Inspiration lit up Jean's face, and she unleashed her Gale Blade.

And sent opaque smoke billowing everywhere while the canister bounced about, still hissing from all the spewing smoke.

"That was unwise…" Jean hacked out a cough. "Outworlder! Fischl!"

Fischl reeled from the mild burn in her eyes and throat. "Oz! Let your specter blot out the sun, the mysteries of the world be revealed to thee!"

"Oz! Pierce the veils of ignorance to find the snake which hath silther'd into our Schattengarten!"

Twin Ozs echoed, "Yes, mein Fräulein!"