Burning with rage, Lumine hadn't even charged toward Malice before the creature vanished into stealth.
Her fury, which had been building for half a day, now had nowhere to vent, driving Lumine into an even more hysterical state.
"Bastard! Damned beast! Show yourself!"
Lumine slashed wildly in all directions, her sword qi tearing through the air, leaving jagged gashes in the stone walls.
But these attacks were completely ineffective against Malice in its hidden state. The creature crept closer, raising its greatsword for a devastating strike.
Lumine erupted into action, swiftly blocking Malice's blow. Just as she prepared to counterattack, her opponent vanished without a trace.
Damn it!
Lumine was helpless against Malice's cowardly tactics. Each time she sensed the creature's presence, its attack was already upon her. After blocking the blow, Malice would immediately retreat into stealth again.
What a scoundrel!
Bang!
A heavy blow from Malice sent Lumine flying. Just as the creature prepared to strike again, Tartaglia finally arrived.
"Traveler, what's going on?"
Lumine scrambled to her feet and shouted to Tartaglia, "Be careful! That thing's been hiding nearby the whole time. It's incredibly strong!"
Tartaglia, with his extensive combat experience, surveyed the area but found no signs of hidden enemies. Nevertheless, he remained on high alert.
With a warrior's instinct, Tartaglia barely managed to block the strike with a whoosh, the force of the blow sending him staggering backward. By the time he regained his footing, Malice had already vanished into concealment.
"Hiding in the shadows, you cowardly rat!"
Even the fiercely competitive Tartaglia found himself helpless in this situation. He quickly moved to stand back-to-back with Lumine.
"Traveler, have you found Qingge yet?" Tartaglia asked, his eyes scanning the surroundings vigilantly.
Lumine: "I... I haven't..."
She glanced at the severed arm she had placed aside, still unable to believe what had happened.
Bang!
Malice kicked Tartaglia, sending him flying through the air before he crashed heavily to the ground.
This time, Malice didn't immediately vanish. He raised his greatsword and slashed at Lumine.
Prepared for the attack, Lumine immediately parried with her sword.
After the clash, both combatants retreated. Malice vanished again, but this time he didn't wait. He reappeared behind Lumine and, before she could react, slashed his greatsword down.
Clang!
Malice's greatsword was blocked by a golden longsword. Aether had stepped forward at the critical moment.
Knowing Malice's abilities, Aether didn't dare lower his guard. He seized Malice's hand, preventing him from slipping back into concealment.
Lumine and the recovering Tartaglia swiftly reacted, unleashing their most powerful attacks in unison against Malice.
Malice grinned malevolently as it was struck, two hideous wounds tearing across its body. Lumine and Tartaglia's combined attack had slammed it deep into the earth.
It broke free from Aether's restraint and vanished into concealment once more.
This time, it didn't linger. Instead, it fled.
Aether immediately gave chase. Under his leadership, the Abyss Order had been tirelessly working to uncover a way to pierce Malice's concealment, and they had finally found a glimmer of hope. He had to test if it would work.
No one who dares harm my sister will ever be forgiven!
"Aether!"
Lumine barely managed to call out before Aether was already gone. She didn't chase after him; more urgent matters awaited.
"Are you alright, partner?" Tartaglia asked, rubbing his aching back. Malice's kick had hit him hard.
Lumine shook her head slightly.
"We need to find Qingge quickly, even if..."
Tartaglia frowned, puzzled. Even if what?
Then he saw Lumine dash toward a nearby spot and pick up a... severed arm.
With a swift motion, Tartaglia snatched the arm from her grasp. His mouth fell open, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"No, impossible... That monster was impossibly strong! How could this be?!"
Though his words denied the possibility, his fists clenched so tightly they trembled.
This is her arm. I can't be mistaken!
Why? What exactly happened here?!
The corner of Tartaglia's eye suddenly turned red. He immediately sprang into action, rushing inside with lightning speed.
-
Deep within The Chasm.
Qingge stood atop a massive pile of monster corpses, her right hand weakly gripping her spear.
Before her, only a handful of monsters remained alive, scattered remnants of the once vast, endless horde that had been utterly broken by this woman with a severed left arm and grievous wounds.
Qingge's lips were stained crimson—the color of her own blood.
The Vision at her waist, far from dimming after the battle, glowed even brighter now, a stark beacon in the monster-infested darkness.
What had been her wish when she first received her Vision?
She remembered a starry night when she was three years old, still nestled in her mother's arms.
Her mother told her stories of the Geo Archon, the Millelith, and the Adepti. The little girl, her eyes wide with innocent wonder, declared to her mother that when she grew up, she would become one of those legendary figures in the tales.
Her mother smiled, praised her ambition, and then produced Qingge's own Vision from beneath her robes.
She still vividly remembered her parents' joy and excitement back then. Her cheeks had been kissed so hard they turned red.
When her mother first held her in her arms, she could never have imagined that Qingge would become the person she was today...
Qingge had never regretted choosing this path, never regretted it for a moment.
She was a General, and she would fight to the death, never retreating.
The remaining few Abyss Monsters roared as they charged forward, driven by primal instinct, devoid of reason or mercy, knowing only slaughter.
Vortex pierced through one Abyss Monster's skull, swiftly withdrawn and thrust into another.
This spear, gifted by the Geo Archon, was impossibly sharp, having aided her in slaying countless foes.
She had, at least, not tarnished the spear's glorious reputation.
The final Abyss Monster lunged. Qingge, already drained of strength, could no longer defend herself. The monster tackled her, sending them both tumbling down the mountain of corpses.
Having reached her limit, Qingge could only watch helplessly as the creature's razor-sharp claws plunged into her chest.
Just then, the Vision at her waist flared to life again, injecting a sliver of Elemental Energy into Qingge's battered, near-death body.
Drawing on this last vestige of power, Qingge swept her spear through the air, decapitating the monster with a single strike.
The chamber fell utterly silent. The Vision dimmed, flickering as if about to extinguish.
Slowly, Qingge pulled the sharp claws from her chest and began to crawl atop the mountain of monster corpses.
Her consciousness had already slipped into a haze, her pupils dilated and unfocused.
Yet she clung to the memory that she had won.
After struggling to reach the crest of the monster pile, Qingge propped herself up with her spear, leaning heavily against it.
"I... didn't... let Liyue... be destroyed..."
The vision from the depths of The Chasm had haunted her for so long. Now, she could finally let go.
That nightmare hadn't come to pass.
"...I'm... sorry..."
As the last words escaped her lips, Qingge closed her eyes for the last time.
The Vision at her waist flickered once more, then went dark...