Teyvat
The Temporal Husk didn't immediately attack. It was captivated by the battle raging far above Teyvat—at an unimaginable distance. Its head tilted slightly upward, and though its expression remained unreadable, its awe and yearning were palpable.
Even across the vast expanse of space-time, the residual power of that conflict sent tremors through the very Laws of this continent.
In contrast to the Temporal Husk's mesmerized state, Lumine flickered into motion, first appearing beside Barbatos.
The once free-spirited Anemo Archon now lay sprawled on the shattered ground, his pair of sacred wings stained with grime. His beloved Holy Lyre der Himmel lay shattered beside him, his aura flickering weakly, as if on the verge of dissipating into the wind.
Lumine condensed a wisp of pure Light Element at her fingertip and gently brushed it across his forehead, stabilizing his fading divine soul.
"Hold on, you lazy Bard," she murmured, her voice firm with unwavering determination. "Your Mondstadt still needs your poetry."
In the next instant, Lumine appeared beside Morax. The Geo Archon knelt on one knee, his spear planted in the ground for support. Golden Divine Blood seeped from his wounds, coalescing into dim, crystalline formations on the earth.
His amber eyes, which usually reflected the mountains, rivers, sun, and moon, now seemed distant and unfocused.
"Zhongli!"
Lumine's voice was low, filled with reverence and sorrow. "This burden... I'll carry it now."
She channeled a surge of pure life energy into his body, stabilizing his nearly depleted Geo Elemental Power.
Finally, she strode swiftly to Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's side.
The embodiment of wisdom leaned against the scorched tree trunk, her beautiful eyes tightly closed, her long eyelashes trembling ceaselessly, as if resisting some insidious corruption emanating from the depths of her consciousness.
Lumine gently took her cool hand.
"You must leave this place immediately!"
Then, Lumine checked on the others: Neuvillette, The Tsaritsa, Ei, Skirk, Apep, Capitano...
The three contemporary gods were also heavily wounded and exhausted, barely maintaining their vigil, watching the Temporal Husk warily, providing a brief respite for Lumine's actions.
The time had come.
Lumine slowly straightened up, turning to face the Temporal Husk, which remained lost in its upward gaze.
A brilliant golden aura began to surge around her. This light wasn't merely Elemental Energy; it also contained the pink energy gifted by the Goddess, and the tangible power forged from the deep bonds she had forged with her companions in this place.
"Hey, trash."
Her voice rang out clearly, not loud, yet possessing an uncanny piercing quality that seemed to explode directly within the Temporal Husk's core consciousness.
The Temporal Husk's blurred head slowly lowered, "looking" at Lumine.
Lumine's gaze was as sharp as a blade as she advanced step by step. With each step, her aura intensified, causing the surrounding space to subtly distort.
"You, and your master," she said, raising her hand to point at the Temporal Husk, as if piercing through it to the high-dimensional battlefield beyond. Her tone was icy and domineering. "Seem to revel in these games of manipulating time and trampling worlds."
Her voice suddenly soared, ringing with the finality of a declaration:
"Make no mistake—I am the 'variable' here and now! The 'nail' beyond your plans, destined to crush your delusions!"
"Your worship and longing are nauseating. Now, avert your gaze from the heavens."
Lumine's sword tip aimed squarely at the Temporal Husk, golden energy erupting around her like a raging inferno: "Your time ends here. I've come to deliver you to eternal slumber."
The moment her words landed, a colossal force erupted from Lumine's center, violently clearing away all dust and debris in its wake.
-
Player World
[ Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit! ]
[ Is that really the Mute Traveler I know?! ]
[ Finally, after being silent for so long, she's finally standing up for herself! ]
[ Who's crying? I'm crying! From Mondstadt all the way here, she's finally fully blossomed! ]
[ Even the Heavenly Principles must be trembling in fear! What a presence! ]
[ "Crush your delusions"—that line is so badass! The Traveler is no longer just an outsider; she's Teyvat's guardian! ]
[ The "nails"—are those the Celestial Nails? ]
[ What are you doing taking screenshots? Snap out of it and keep watching! ]
-
The three gods instantly understood her intent.
Though Mavuika and Aether were deeply worried about Lumine's condition, they had already witnessed the Goddess transferring a portion of her power to her. They now realized that Lumine was the only one capable of facing the enemy ahead.
Their remaining would only burden Lumine further!
Aether cast one last anxious glance at Lumine before hurrying to evacuate the gravely injured Barbatos and Morax.
The Three Gods acted in unison, their gentle yet immense Elemental Energy lifting the critically wounded, unconscious, and immobile. Transforming into three streaks of light, they swiftly withdrew from the battlefield's center, leaving the shattered heavens and earth entirely to Lumine and the enemy from beyond the world.
The battlefield emptied completely, leaving only a silent confrontation.
The wind howled softly, as if playing the overture to the impending life-or-death struggle.
The Temporal Husk finally seemed to focus its full attention on Lumine, the pitch-black longsword in its hand radiating a faint purple-black glow.
Lumine gripped her sword tightly, her gaze as cold as a distant star.
Having received a portion of the Goddess's power, she felt immensely empowered, the Unrelenting Will in her grasp radiating an unprecedented golden radiance!
All seven of her friends had perished in the Abyss... that hatred, Lumine had never forgotten it, nor ever could!
Now, it was time to settle this once and for all!
Lumine tilted her head back, gazing at the sky. Pink and dark purple energies clashed in a stalemate, neither side gaining the upper hand.
She couldn't intervene in the battle above, but here on the ground...
She had to win!
The air seemed to freeze for a split second before being torn apart by violent force!
Temporal Husk struck first, moving with eerie silence, his body distorting space like a phantom. He materialized instantly before Lumine, his pitch-black sword, wreathed in ominous dark purple energy, thrust forward soundlessly. Wherever the blade passed, even light seemed to be devoured and corrupted.
Clang—!
A deafening clash of metal exploded across the battlefield!
Lumine's Unrelenting Will erupted in a soaring golden radiance, firmly parrying the bizarre strike.
The shockwave from the energy collision expanded in a circular blast, instantly vaporizing and repelling the pitch-black seawater that had just surged in from the Dark Sea beneath them, carving out a massive, bowl-shaped crater.
Failing to connect with his initial strike, Temporal Husk's figure blurred, splitting into dozens, no, hundreds of afterimages wreathed in dark purple energy. Each phantom launched simultaneous attacks from all directions against Lumine.
Every afterimage carried a terrifying power capable of eroding both time and space.
"Hmph!"
Lumine scoffed, her eyes gleaming with interwoven golden and pink light.
She held nothing back now. The pink energy inherited from the Goddess fused perfectly with her own golden power, coalescing into a solid shield of luminous flames that enveloped her entirely.
Simultaneously, she swung her longsword and launched a preemptive strike!
Boom! Boom boom boom—!
Golden sword auras and streams of pink light erupted from her like a blossoming flower of destruction, radiating outward from her core.
Each sword strike precisely collided with the Temporal Husk's afterimages, triggering a continuous barrage of energy explosions.
Above the Dark Sea, countless miniature suns seemed to rise simultaneously, bathing the eternally dim realm in a light as bright as day!
The battle quickly intensified to a fever pitch.
Both combatants moved at speeds exceeding the limits of visual perception. Only golden meteors and purple-black shadows could be glimpsed colliding, intersecting, separating, and colliding again in a frenzied dance across the sky.
Each clash violently shook the fabric of space, leaving trails of pitch-black rifts that spread and multiplied along their combat trajectory.