Paimon stuck close to Chu Xi, who had conjured a shield around herself. In her hand, she wielded the massive club Silaya had once used to knock out the Great Sage.
The Corps of Thirty soldiers were utterly helpless against Chu Xi's shield. Their attacks lacked the power to break through it.
Meanwhile, Chu Xi swung her club, smashing it into the soldiers' heads with resounding thwacks, each blow felling a man.
"Nice work, Chu Xi!" Paimon exclaimed.
Chu Xi's momentary distraction at the compliment left her vulnerable. Several weapons immediately lunged toward her.
"Ah, watch out!" Paimon warned urgently.
Chu Xi dodged the soldiers' attacks and retaliated, knocking each of them unconscious with a single strike of her club.
Lumine had dealt with her pursuers and turned around, her face paling instantly.
"Nahida, watch out!"
Nahida sprinted toward Lumine, several soldiers behind her lunging with spears.
Lumine's resolve hardened. She unleashed her power, moving with astonishing speed to reach Nahida's side. With a swift sweep of her sword, she knocked the weapons from the soldiers' hands.
"Nahida, are you alright?!"
"Traveler, you..."
The faint tears glistening in Lumine's eyes moved Nahida deeply. Why... why are you crying?
"It's okay, it's okay..." Lumine gripped Nahida's hand, then called for Chu Xi and Paimon, urging them to break through the encirclement.
"Damn it, were these guys sent by that Doctor creep?" Paimon grumbled as they ran.
Suddenly, Nahida, still being pulled by Lumine, let out a stifled groan. Lumine whirled around to see Nahida clutching her chest.
"What's wrong, Nahida?"
"Don't worry... this is just a vessel... I..."
Nahida collapsed before finishing her sentence.
Still holding Nahida's hand, Lumine's consciousness plunged into Nahida's mind, revealing Nahida trapped inside a green bubble, and—Scaramouche, encased within a colossal purple construct...
As Lumine fell into a daze, Chu Xi glanced back. The spear that had nearly struck Nahida seemed to have come from behind them.
Chu Xi's gaze fell upon the Doctor standing behind the Corps of Thirty, his hands clasped behind his back, facing their group.
"Entangling Roots!"
Tighnari charged forward. Chu Xi turned her attention away from the Doctor and rushed to Lumine's side, ready to carry her on her back. But at that moment, Lumine suddenly awoke on her own.
"Traveler, are you alright?"
"It's Nahida! The situation is critical, so I had to transfer my consciousness into Lumine's body temporarily. We need to get out of here now."
Nahida, now occupying Lumine's body, stood up.
"Quick, follow me!"
Tighnari sprinted ahead, felling several soldiers as he led the group to escape.
The Doctor watched them leave without attempting to pursue them.
"A Liyuean? Interesting..."
[My Nahida! Aaaah, Doctor!!]
[Thank goodness Nahida's safe! That scared me half to death.]
[Villains with brains like the Doctor are the most disgusting!]
[The Second Seat really lives up to his reputation for treachery. Someone capable of securing his position through sheer strength resorting to a sneak attack?]
"Dendro Archon, are you alright?" Chu Xi asked anxiously as they fled.
"I'm fine," Nahida replied. "I managed to transfer my consciousness to the Traveler just before the puppet was destroyed. I didn't expect the Doctor to personally pursue us..."
"Huh? Are you Nahida? How's Lumine doing?"
"Don't worry, Paimon. The Traveler is fine."
Tighnari, who had been running at the front, slowed down. "Lord Dendro Archon... are you truly Lord Kusanali?"
"Yes, it's me," Nahida confirmed.
"It really is you... Lord Kusanali," Tighnari said in awe. "Is there anything I can do to assist you?"
Nahida shook her head. "When the Traveler wakes up, please tell her this: 'The Doctor has discovered a method to imprison consciousness. I can no longer accompany you... Even without the Moon's light, the collective Starlight is enough to pierce through Illusion and Lie.'"
The group didn't stop running until they reached a relatively safe location.
"...It seems no one's chasing us anymore," Paimon observed.
Paimon turned to Lumine. "Are you okay, Nahida... Wait, that's not right! This feeling... Lumine, are you back?"
"Hmm? Is the Traveler back in control now?" Tighnari wondered.
Paimon explained the recent events to Lumine.
"We still couldn't save Nahida, huh?" Lumine clenched her fists.
Chu Xi: "Traveler, the Dendro Archon's consciousness is unharmed."
Lumine: "I know, it's just..."
Tighnari relayed Nahida's cryptic message to Lumine—a metaphor known only to them and Nahida herself. With her consciousness imprisoned by the Doctor, Nahida could only offer such veiled warnings.
Moon represented Nahida herself. Illusion and Lie referred to the Sabzeruz Festival incident. Starlight alluded to Setaria, the child of the desert...
After Lumine and Paimon pieced it together, they concluded that Nahida was urging them to seek aid in the Desert.
With Tighnari present, Paimon immediately inquired about the Sages' ongoing project. Tighnari admitted he knew nothing about it, except that it likely pertained to the Restoration of Irminsul.
"Restoration of Irminsul?!" Chu Xi exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention.
Paimon immediately pressed her: "Chu Xi, do you know something about this?"
Chu Xi immediately waved her hand. "No, I'm just surprised. Restoring Irminsul is such a monumental undertaking!"
Paimon nodded in agreement.
Lumine: "I just received new information. I think I know what the project entails."
Paimon: "Eh? Did you see something when you swapped consciousness with Nahida?"
Lumine nodded solemnly. "The Akademiya... is helping Scaramouche become an god!"
Paimon recoiled in shock. "What?!"
Tighnari and Chu Xi were equally stunned. Tighnari asked, "What's your basis for this?"
Lumine immediately recounted everything she had seen in their shared consciousness, including Haypasia's demonstration of the "god's Consciousness" (which Paimon had also witnessed) and the "half-finished god" she had glimpsed during her soul exchange with Nahida.
Tighnari: "..."
The information was too significant. Tighnari struggled to maintain his composure.
The Akademiya was actually... creating an god?
"I see now... No wonder Haypasia's symptoms were different from those scholars who went mad before. She must have come into contact with the consciousness of a nascent god..."
Paimon: "Did Tighnari leave Avidya Forest because of Haypasia?"
Tighnari: "Yes. I noticed Haypasia's mental instability, but her symptoms were peculiar. So I secretly brought her to Pardis Dhyai to find a way to help her recover."
"If I hadn't done that, the Matra would likely have exiled her to Aaru Village in the Desert by now."
"Speaking of which, I always knew the Akademiya underestimated Lesser Lord Kusanali, but I never imagined they'd dare to attempt to create a new Archon—such arrogance! It was definitely the right decision to refuse their invitation."