"Have you found the answer?" Nahida asked with a gentle smile as Lumine and Paimon approached.
Lumine nodded solemnly, then prompted Paimon to share the conclusion they had reached.
Given that the problem originated with the Akademiya and the Akasha Terminals, and considering Dehya's sudden collapse from mental exhaustion...
...the final answer was obvious: what they were experiencing wasn't an illusion, but a dream.
Everyone in Sumeru City wearing an Akasha Terminal was trapped in a dreamscape, endlessly reliving the day of the Sabzeruz Festival.
"Nahida, do you know why the Akademiya is doing this?" Paimon asked after explaining their theory.
"I'm sorry... I don't know that either." Nahida's eyes dimmed with sorrow.
"While the Akasha Terminals provide convenience to the people, they also harness their collective thoughts to perform complex calculations for research," she explained. "But the sheer scale of this computational power... even I don't know what the Akademiya is researching. To go so far as to..."
Her voice trailed off as crystalline tears welled up in her eyes again.
Seeing this, Lumine and Paimon grew flustered once more. A terrible premonition settled in their hearts—the situation was far more severe than they had imagined.
After a moment, Nahida regained her composure and spoke to them.
"To end this dream, you must find the dream's host and make her realize she is dreaming."
"Huh? But there are so many people in Sumeru City! How are we supposed to find them?" Paimon stared blankly at Nahida, completely dumbfounded.
Lumine, however, wore a thoughtful expression. She already had some ideas about who the dream's host might be...
-
Opening her eyes to the familiar ceiling, Lumine sat up in bed.
Paimon woke up too, rubbing her eyes as she floated over to Lumine.
"Morning, Traveler," Paimon yawned.
Suddenly, they locked eyes, stunned for a long moment. Then, they immediately used their Akasha Terminals to check the date.
The day after the Sabzeruz Festival.
They had broken the loop!
"That's great, Traveler! We finally escaped the dream!" Paimon cheered.
Without hesitation, Lumine and Paimon ripped off their Akasha Terminals and smashed them on the ground. Only after doing so did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Their guess had been right. The dream's host was Nilou. Once they made her realize she was dreaming, the loop had ended.
"Traveler, we need to check on Dehya and Madam Faruzan!" Paimon suddenly exclaimed.
Unlike them, Dehya and Madam Faruzan had switched to the Akasha Terminals issued by the Akademiya for the Restricted Zone. Dehya had even collapsed in the dream, unable to hold on any longer. Now back in reality, Lumine and Paimon were naturally extremely worried about them.
Soon, Lumine and Paimon went to check on Dehya and Madam Faruzan. Seeing them still alive and kicking, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Next, Lumine recalled Nahida's strange behavior earlier and immediately led everyone to the Restricted Zone.
With a heart pounding in apprehension, Lumine arrived at the Restricted Zone. The scene before her brought a wave of relief.
The streets were bustling with pedestrians, gathered in small groups, chatting. Although everyone was constantly yawning, looking as if they hadn't slept well, their expressions showed that the situation wasn't nearly as dire as they had feared.
"Dr. Edward, you're here!"
Suddenly, the crowd noticed Lumine's group. Their faces lit up with excitement as they swarmed over.
"And the Traveler and Paimon, too!"
After the last incident, Lumine and Paimon had also earned considerable renown in the Restricted Zone. The crowd greeted them with equal enthusiasm.
Soon, Dr. Edward's inquiries allowed them to compile a detailed report on the situation in the Restricted Zone.
A dozen or so people had brushed with death, but all were ultimately saved.
The person responsible for this wasn't from the Restricted Zone; in fact, no one even knew how they had appeared there.
This morning, some families woke up to find members missing. Everyone searched together and eventually found the missing people lying in beds in a small courtyard. A strange figure was tending to them.
After some questioning, they learned that this person had brought the missing individuals there for treatment. They had all been in critical condition, and it was only thanks to this stranger that their lives were saved.
Hearing this, Lumine had already guessed the stranger's identity.
Sure enough, as the residents led the way, Lumine soon saw the familiar, large shuttlecock-like figure again.
"Nahida? What are you doing here?!" Paimon exclaimed, her face lighting up with excitement, just like Lumine's.
The others, seeing Lumine and Paimon's reactions, stared in utter astonishment.
"You know her?"
-
Soon, Lumine and Paimon introduced Nahida to the others.
"Hello, everyone. It's a pleasure to meet you," Nahida said with a bright smile, and the crowd responded warmly.
After getting a better understanding of the situation, Paimon quickly turned to Nahida. "Nahida, seeing your reaction earlier, the Traveler and I thought the situation was completely hopeless! You really scared us!"
"I'm sorry," Nahida said, shaking her head. "At the time, I was distraught because my leniency had allowed the Akademiya to commit an unforgivable act, regardless of the consequences."
She continued, "But that won't happen again. I will never forgive them for what they've done."
"Nahida," Paimon asked after hearing her explanation, "are you actually Lesser Lord Kusanali?"
The clues were obvious enough. Even Lumine had been trapped in the time loop for so long, yet Nahida seemed completely unaffected. No matter how you looked at it, her identity had to be extraordinary.
"Paimon, you've guessed correctly."
"I am the Lesser Lord Kusanali you've been searching for."
"What?!"
Nahida's words stunned everyone present.
"Lesser Lord Kusanali?!"
Even though Lumine had mentally prepared herself for this possibility, she was still deeply shocked.
"Traveler, Paimon, I am deeply grateful for everything you've done," Nahida began.
"If you hadn't solved the puzzle and uncovered the truth in time, freeing everyone from the dream, I fear many people would have died."
"This is all the result of the Akademiya's reckless actions. I hope you will help me one more time—to overthrow the Akademiya and establish a new government."
"Leave Dottore to me. You only need to focus on dealing with the others."
"As a reward, I can answer the questions you seek."
Lumine's heart stirred at Nahida's words.
Without Dottore in the picture, Lumine was confident she could cut a swath through the Akademiya's forces. The others were hardly a threat.
Moreover, Nahida was Sumeru's Dendro Archon. The moment she took a stand, the vast majority of people would rally to her side, leaving Lumine with very few opponents to handle.
"Traveler, what are you hesitating for? Hurry up and agree!" Paimon urged. "If we just ask Nahida, I'm sure we'll find your brother in no time!"
Hearing Paimon's plea, Lumine looked at Nahida and slowly nodded.
"Trouble! The Akademiya's forces are at the gates!"
Just then, a panicked shout echoed from the entrance.
Perfect timing!
Upon hearing the news, the last trace of hesitation in Lumine's heart vanished completely.
They hadn't even gone to settle the score with the Akademiya, yet the Akademiya had come knocking on their door first.
Lumine grabbed her Dull Blade and stormed out, with a frantic Paimon scrambling to keep up behind her.
"Wait for me, Traveler!"
Lumine reached the entrance to the [Restricted Zone]. The gate had already been blasted open by powerful Pyro attacks. There, she saw the troublemakers who had come to the [Restricted Zone].
To her surprise, there were only two Matra. The rest were all Fatui.
The moment she saw the Fatui, there was nothing left to say. It was time to kill.
Lumine immediately cast aside all restraint, raised her Dull Blade, and charged into the crowd...
"Overthrow the Akademiya's tyranny! Sumeru belongs to Lesser Lord Kusanali!"
"Overthrow the Akademiya's tyranny! Sumeru belongs to Lesser Lord Kusanali!"
-
After defeating the Fatui soldiers heading to the [Restricted Zone], Lumine rushed to the Akademiya without stopping. To her surprise, she found the area already surrounded by an enraged crowd.
Lumine paused for a moment, then shook her head and walked straight into the throng.
It seems the people of Sumeru have suffered under the Akademiya's rule for far too long!
She raised her Dull Blade. The elemental powers of Anemo, Geo, Electro, and Dendro surged within her, converging entirely into the sword. In an instant, the Dull Blade extended to a length of forty meters.
With a single downward slash, accompanied by the crowd's gasps of astonishment, the Akademiya's tightly sealed gates were shattered.
"Everyone, charge! After today, we'll all have a new future!"
"Overthrow the Akademiya's tyranny! Sumeru belongs to Lesser Lord Kusanali!"
Lumine led the charge, her Dull Blade now restored to its original length, as she stormed into the Akademiya. Several Matra quickly appeared to block her path.
"Who goes there?!"
Without wasting words, Lumine charged straight at them.
Overwhelmed by the sheer disparity in power, the Matra could barely resist before Lumine struck them down. The enraged crowd then swarmed them, kicking and punching, their agonizing screams echoing through the air.
Lumine pressed on, but before long, she felt a powerful aura lock onto her and immediately stopped in her tracks.
She saw Dottore standing ahead, her grip tightening on the Dull Blade as her face filled with vigilance.
Just then, countless vines surged toward Dottore, followed by Nahida's voice.
"I'll hold him off!"
Seeing Nahida engage Dottore in battle, Lumine didn't waste the perfect opportunity Nahida had created for her. She resumed her search for Great Sage Azar, following the path deeper into the Akademiya.
Finally, at the very top of the Akademiya, Lumine found Great Sage Azar and the other Sages.
"You?!" Great Sage Azar gasped in astonishment when he saw Lumine clearly.
Lumine's only response was the cold glint of the Dull Blade in her hand...
-
"Victory!"
The war was over the moment Lumine pressed the Dull Blade to Great Sage Azar's neck.
Upon learning the outcome, Dottore immediately fled, not even bothering to take his subordinates with him.
Finally, with Great Sage Azar as her captive, Lumine led the massive crowd on a tour of the Akademiya's and the Fatui's wicked research, igniting widespread public outrage.
If Nahida hadn't been standing by, the furious populace would likely have torn Great Sage Azar to shreds.
Even so, a grim fate awaited Great Sage Azar and all others involved in the incident.
-
"Traveler, thank you for helping me regain control of Sumeru."
"Now, it is time for me to fulfill my promise."
Hearing Nahida's words, Lumine's heart pounded with excitement.
Soon, Nahida revealed the final answer.
"Traveler, your brother is currently within Sumeru's borders, not far from Sumeru City."
Lumine's body jolted. She hadn't imagined her brother was so close.
"He seems worried about your safety, so he's been hiding and watching to see if you'd encounter any danger."
"If you remain unharmed, he likely won't appear before you."
"But... I have a way to make your brother come to you willingly..."
-
Space suddenly distorted, then tore open into a large rift.
A young man with striking golden hair emerged from the spatial passage, closely followed by two Abyss Heralds.
The newcomer was none other than Lumine's brother, Aether. He had received news that Lumine was gravely injured and still unconscious, prompting him to reveal himself and investigate.
However, when he saw Lumine standing before him, completely unharmed, he realized he had been tricked.
But the one who had tricked him was his own dear sister—how could he bring himself to blame her?
After Lumine's patient persuasion, Aether had a sudden epiphany. He took her Dull Blade and, with two swift strikes, cut down the Abyss Heralds accompanying him. Then and there, he swore a solemn oath: he would fight the Abyss Order to the death for the rest of his life...
It seemed all the good news had converged on this single day. Since Aether said he still had things to pack, the siblings parted ways for now. Lumine decided to use the time to share the good news with Dunyarzad and Dehya.
And Faruzan! Nahida had promised to make her the new Great Sage. Lumine had to hurry and deliver this wonderful news to her as well.
Soon, Lumine arrived at the Homayani residence. However, the first person she saw was Dr. Edward.
"Perfect timing! The medicine is ready. Drink it while it's hot!"
Upon hearing Dr. Edward's words, the smile on Lumine's face instantly vanished.
Yet, when Lumine mustered her courage and drank the medicine, she smacked her lips and found the taste surprisingly tolerable this time.
"I've adjusted the flavor slightly," Dr. Edward explained. "This way, it won't be such a psychological burden for you to drink."
Hearing this, Lumine was so moved she nearly burst into tears. She immediately drank ten full pots of the medicinal soup, feeling an overwhelming sense of happiness in that moment...
Lumine opened her eyes and stared at the familiar ceiling. As she recalled the scenes from her memory, a radiant smile spread across her face.
She hadn't had any strange dreams. Her illness was cured!
The Akademiya had been overthrown, and she had found her brother!
"Traveler, what's wrong? Why are you grinning like a fool? Did something good happen?" Paimon asked, slowly floating over with a yawn.
Suddenly, Paimon remembered what had happened earlier and exclaimed excitedly.
"That's right! We... Lumine... finally escaped the dream! This is great!"
Hearing Paimon's words, Lumine's mind exploded with a boom...