Lumine was on her way to Sangonomiya Shrine when she encountered Kokomi and Gorou deep in discussion.
Seeing the group approach, Kokomi asked, "Traveler, how is Teppei doing?"
Lumine replied, "We didn't notice... his condition deteriorated so suddenly..."
Kokomi: "I've already ordered the confiscation of all Delusions within the army."
"While most soldiers are experiencing a gradual loss of vitality, it's not yet severe. Only a small number..."
Gorou: "Lady Sangonomiya, I propose establishing a separate camp for the injured soldiers to monitor their condition."
"The troops are in an uproar. Despite knowing the Delusions are harmful, they still want to continue using them."
Lumine listened silently. Once Gorou and Kokomi paused, she immediately asked, "Where are these Delusions coming from?"
Kokomi: "The Sakoku Decree remains in effect. Our investigation suggests these Delusions are manufactured by the Fatui, and what's more, right here in Inazuma."
"Mobilizing such vast manpower and resources requires the support of a powerful local faction."
Gorou cautioned, "Lady Sangonomiya, our hasty confiscation won't escape the Fatui's informants. We may run out of time."
To completely resolve the Delusion problem, we must locate the Delusion Factory and destroy it in one fell swoop.
"I know... let me think..."
"When we were confiscating the Delusions, I considered that the factory would need to be both massive and well-hidden, yet also near major transportation routes to ensure a steady supply of raw materials..."
"There aren't many places that meet these criteria. Based on where our soldiers recovered the Delusions, the factory is most likely located on the coastal cliffs in the southwestern part of Yashiori Island."
"You mean..."
Lumine: "I'm going to stop them!"
Gorou immediately tried to dissuade her: "No, that's too dangerous! We should wait for the army to move together."
Lumine: "There's no time! I'll be careful."
Kokomi: "I won't stop you, but you must promise to be cautious."
"We've lost too many comrades in battle already. I don't want to lose you too."
Yuna poked Lumine's lower back with her index finger. "Lumine, I'm going with you."
Yuna wouldn't miss such a crucial plot point.
Perfect timing—Second Sister wasn't here. If she were, she might not have let Yuna go.
"Okay!"
Lumine nodded in agreement.
Without a moment to spare, Lumine, Yuna, and Paimon set off immediately for the southwestern part of Yashiori Island.
-
Yashiori Island, Delusion Factory.
Angie sat in a chair, her long legs crossed and propped up on the table. Across from her sat the sixth Fatui Harbinger:
Scaramouche.
It wasn't that Angie had deliberately adopted this pose; Scaramouche had started it, and she was merely matching his posture.
Otherwise, she'd risk being outdone by him.
Though Angie was only a lieutenant, her formidable strength meant Scaramouche wouldn't dare cross her.
"So, you came all the way here just to sit across from me and stare?"
"You could say that."
Angie shrugged, indifferent. She'd come here on a whim, hoping to earn some points for her character arc.
If she needed a reason, it was simply that she was bored and looking for something to do.
But...
While Angie saw it that way, Scaramouche didn't.
Has Her Majesty the Tsaritsa uncovered my secret thoughts? he wondered. Or is this merely Capitano's suspicions surfacing?
Scaramouche couldn't help but ponder if his previous actions had betrayed his intentions. Yet no matter how he replayed the events in his mind, he couldn't pinpoint any missteps.
"If you're just bored, be my guest. I don't have time to play staring contests with you."
A sudden smile curled Angie's lips.
Her luck had indeed been remarkable. From Jiang Mumu's playthrough of the Genshin Impact storyline, she knew that just moments ago, her confrontation with Scaramouche had become part of the game's narrative.
-
Player World.
[Goddamn it, the Fatui again! Why are they so damn persistent?]
[Scaramouche! I've been wanting to beat that punk for ages. Can we finally fight him now?]
[Who's that next to him?]
[Upstairs, did you even watch the "Travail" PV? Even if you don't recognize Angie without her mask, you should at least recognize her outfit.]
[Two Fatui Harbingers? Can we even win?]
[What are you worried about? Yuna's here too! It's a 2v2, we've got this in the bag.]
-
Inside the Delusion Factory, Angie scoffed. "Exploiting ordinary people's yearning for Visions by distributing Delusions? Only you would stoop so low. You're just like the Doctor—utterly disgusting."
"This scheme won't bring you any closer to stealing Inazuma's Gnosis, and it only tarnishes the honor of a warrior."
Scaramouche: "???"
He barely restrained himself from exploding. "What nonsense are you spouting? I've only been here a short time—I'm just overseeing things temporarily!"
Angie shot him a sidelong glance. "Oh? Then you're still an accomplice."
Scaramouche sneered. "Just as they say—big breasts, no brains. In your case, small breasts, even smaller brain!"
"Heh..." Angie grinned, baring her teeth. "Come on out."
"Oh, you want to fight?"
"No, this is called sparring!"
Scaramouche rose to his feet. Though he preferred to avoid conflict, he wasn't one to back down from a challenge.
-
Player World
[Hahaha, I'm dying of laughter! The little one is even dumber!]
[Speaking of which, you really can't see much in the way of curves under Angie's armor.]
[Fight! Fight! Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh!]
[Actually, Angie doesn't seem that bad.]
[Whatever, I'll support whoever beats Scaramouche.]
[Ideally, they'll both be badly hurt. Then we can swoop in like opportunistic fishermen and take the spoils.]
-
Outside the Delusion Factory, a crowd of Fatui soldiers gathered to watch as Ailina nervously observed the scene unfolding before her.
Angie drew her ice-blue longsword and, without a word, charged straight at Scaramouche.
Scaramouche's form flickered, Electro Element Power coalescing in his hands.
In an instant, the two were locked in battle.
Scaramouche moved like a phantom, while Angie continuously conjured ice spikes, launching them in a dense barrage from all directions.
The collision of Electro and Cryo Element Power sent shockwaves that reshaped the surrounding terrain.
The Fatui soldiers watching from the sidelines swiftly retreated.
Angie hurled her longsword into the air, channeling energy into it. As the sword soared, rapidly condensing ice encased it, transforming it into a massive ice Claymore.
Scaramouche countered by condensing a sphere of intensely compressed Electro energy in his hands, preparing to meet Angie's attack head-on.
Clap, clap, clap...
Just then, someone sauntered forward, clapping leisurely.
"You two certainly have plenty of energy... Huh?"
Before the Doctor's segment could finish speaking—he had only just appeared—Angie abruptly redirected the ice Claymore, shifting its target to the segment.
With a thunderous crash, the Doctor's segment and the surrounding hundred-meter radius instantly froze into frost.
Doctor's segment count: -1.
Witnessing this, Scaramouche froze, dispelling the energy gathering in his hands.
Angie glanced disdainfully at the spot where her attack had landed.
Even knowing how much I despise him, he still has the nerve to show up at a time like this.