The black-robed figure was initially stunned, never imagining that the opportunity to approach Furina would come so easily.
Without hesitation, It rose and pursued Furina. Even if this was a trap, It believed that uncovering Furina's true identity was worth any subsequent sacrifices.
The kitten Furina had been chasing stopped, allowing Furina to finally stroke its soft fur to her heart's content.
But before she could pet it for long, the kitten suddenly bristled all over, as if it had seen something terrifying.
"Wah!"
The commotion behind her startled Furina, and she landed hard on her bottom, staring in terror at the clearly sinister black-robed figure.
The black-robed figure frowned, concealing its right hand behind its back, where a faint stinging pain radiated.
Upon closer inspection, a faint circle of water flowed around Furina's body. The circle was so faint it was nearly invisible unless one looked very closely.
The black-robed figure sensed no Gnosis aura within Furina. Instead, It detected a faint aura... akin to a curse.
Furina scrambled backward, her legs churning as she retreated, muttering,
"Who are you? W-what do you want? Don't kill me, please... M-my guard is right nearby! She'll be here any minute to protect me. She's really strong!"
The black-robed figure's brow furrowed even deeper. It first stared intently at the water circle, then glanced at Furina, before turning and slowly walking away.
It had already obtained the information it needed, and had no intention of truly harming Furina. Lingering here would serve no purpose.
Besides... the water circle around Furina was strangely eerie. Could it be Furina's ability?
Yet the expression in Furina's eyes seemed genuine—she appeared completely unaware of the circle's existence...
The investigation would have to continue.
Furina knelt on the ground, clutching herself tightly, her eyes wide with terror. A single tear trickled down her chin.
Waaah...
Furina whimpered softly, stifling her sobs for fear the black-robed figure might return.
Meow~
A small cat nudged Furina's slender leg. Jolted back to her senses, Furina sprang to her feet and sprinted back to her residence with all her might.
That night, Furina lay face-down on her quilt, sobbing.
"Waaah... Fidelle, why aren't you back yet...?"
Furina was utterly terrified. Today, she hadn't even eaten her favorite little cakes...
-
Far away in Liyue, Fidelle remained completely unaware of the chaos unfolding in Fontaine. Had she known, she would have rushed back to Fontaine that very night.
At that moment, however, she was merely sitting on her balcony, pondering how she would explain her less-than-stellar performance at the Summit to her God.
Moments later, an official from the Liyue Ministry of Civil Affairs knocked on her door. Fidelle rose to answer it.
"Good evening, Miss Fidelle. I hope my unannounced visit isn't disturbing your rest."
"It's no trouble at all. I wasn't resting yet."
The official, carrying a tray, handed it to Fidelle. "This is your reward for reaching the Top Twelve at the Summit."
"A reward?" Fidelle asked, puzzled. "Aren't rewards usually given after the entire Summit concludes?"
"That's right. We issue prizes to participants whose rankings have been confirmed in advance. This allows those who wish to return home early to do so more conveniently."
Fidelle nodded in understanding.
"Since the prize has been delivered, I'll take my leave."
After the Ministry of Civil Affairs official departed, Fidelle lifted the red cloth covering the tray and found only a pendant inside.
She picked it up.
In that instant, the pendant's purpose flashed into her mind.
This is actually a defensive treasure, and its defensive capabilities are incredibly strong?!
Could even the Top Twelve contestants possess such a treasure?
Holding the pendant in her hand, Fidelle frowned slightly at its bright yellow color.
Rummaging through her Vision Space, she pulled out a jade bottle.
This was a rare elixir she had obtained through several near-death experiences, brewed by that guy.
Carefully, she dripped a single drop of blue liquid onto the pendant. The blue droplet swiftly fused with the pendant, gradually transforming its bright yellow hue into a shimmering aquamarine.
Now that's fitting! I'll take it back and give it to Lady Furina!
Fidelle still felt uneasy about the water she had left on Furina earlier.
-
The next day, the final battles of the Kaiyang Martial Summit unfolded in Kaiyang Town.
The matchups were set: Cyno vs. Vanyeliya, Chasca vs. Lumine, and Angie vs. Qingxu.
As soon as the match list was announced, Qingxu knew her journey would end here. She had watched all of Angie's previous fights and found her completely unstoppable—victory was utterly impossible.
But Qingxu was not one to surrender, even in the face of certain defeat!
First up was Cyno against Vanyeliya. Vanyeliya proved to be a formidable opponent, giving Cyno considerable trouble. However, she ultimately fell short, failing to advance past the Round of Six.
Next came Lumine's match against Chasca.
Chasca's expression was unusually grim. She had been watching Lumine closely, and every time Lumine faced an opponent, she won with remarkable ease.
As the battle began, Chasca soared into the sky atop her massive cannon.
Lumine: "..."
Chasca's black-and-red leather coat billowed in the wind, her eyes burning like torches beneath the brim of her hat. She swiveled the cannon toward Lumine and unleashed a barrage.
Shadow Tracer Shots tore through the air, crashing down upon Lumine in the center of the arena.
Lumine's figure blurred amidst the rain of projectiles, her golden bob tracing streaks of light as she deflected Chasca's elemental blasts with her Dull Blade.
Yes, she wielded the Dull Blade—Unrelenting Will held extraordinary significance, and Lumine would never use it in ordinary combat.
Chasca swiveled her cannon again, unleashing the devastating Assault.
The shot split in mid-air, unleashing twelve glowing projectiles that sealed off all of Lumine's escape routes. Gasps of shock rippled through the spectator stands.
Lumine slammed her foot down, leaping into the air. Her blade, wreathed in white light, cleaved through the wind pressure as she lunged at Chasca.
Clang!
The Dull Blade struck the cannon's barrel, the metal screeching in protest as Chasca lost her balance and plummeted to the ground.
Without propellant, even if Lumine hadn't intervened, Chasca couldn't have remained airborne for long.
Lumine closed the distance swiftly, unleashing three Electro Sigils that surged toward Chasca.
Having endured this long, Chasca naturally had more than one trick up her sleeve. As she fell, she swiftly drew back her bow and fired an Anemo-infused arrow at Lumine.
"Wind Blade!"
Lumine deftly caught Chasca's arrow in her hand, spun around, and hurled it back at her with borrowed momentum.
Chasca swiftly loosed another arrow, the two projectiles colliding in mid-air.
Lumine stomped her right foot down, sending Geo Crystals surging toward Chasca.
Simultaneously, she unleashed a Cross Slash with the Dull Blade, while Electro energy crackled above Chasca's head.
"???"
At that moment, Chasca felt as if she were being ganged up on. She desperately dodged Lumine's relentless assault, but inevitably faltered, leaving Lumine's Dull Blade pressed against her throat.
A thunderous cheer erupted from the spectator stands, and Little Paimon clapped her hands wildly in excitement.