『 Stelle opened her group messages once more.
⚠︎, 1111111
" /Topaz: The IPC's special investigation team has wrapped up its search."
" /Topaz: A total of 329 dolls were found. No bombs. "
" /Topaz: Just keeping you all updated. "
" /Boothill: Even you guys couldn't find anything? "
" /Boothill: Son of a nice lady, this is getting pretty dicey. "
" /March 7th: Don't give up! We're so close to 999. "
" /March 7th: The Express crew is about to finish up too! "
" /Topaz: I'll leave it to you all. I'm going to take over the evacuation team now. "
" /Topaz: Good luck, everyone. " 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Even the IPC's professionals couldn't find it?"
Stelle: "This is getting really tricky!"
March 7th: "We've got over eight hundred dolls in total now."
March 7th: "Still no sign of the bomb."
March 7th: "Could it really be this much of a coincidence?"
March 7th: "Could it be… this is just a bluff?"
March 7th: "What if there isn't actually a bomb at all?"
Lumine: "I think there is…"
Lumine: "Do you all remember?"
Lumine: "Miss Hotaru said… the script isn't over yet…"
Paimon: "Ah?!"
Paimon: "Lumine, you mean!"
Hotaru: "Yes… my final script, or rather, my final death."
Hotaru: "Perhaps it will happen right here."
Hotaru: "But don't worry…"
Hotaru: "Behind death, there might just be a new birth."
Hotaru: "I think… maybe this is also an opportunity?"
Furina de Fontaine: "But it could also mean eternal damnation!"
Mavuika: "Like a moth to a flame, living towards death."
Mavuika: "I believe that even if the path ahead is a known dead end, Miss Hotaru's will and conviction, as brilliant and dazzling as the sacred flame, will make her March forward without looking back."
Paimon: "Uh…"
Paimon: "Who is this now?"
Paimon: "Is it someone from another major faction in the universe?"
Mualani: "Pfft—!"
Mualani: "Hahaha, now we've got our own people not recognizing our own!"
Lumine: "What do you mean?"
Lumine: "Oh, I think I get it!"
Lumine: "You guys are from Teyvat, too?"
Mavuika: "Indeed, we are from Natlan."
Mavuika: "Almost no one from Natlan ever leaves, so it's normal that you haven't heard of us."
Qingque: "I knew it, there are still plenty of lurkers in here."
Silver Wolf: "Not surprising. Even in a group chat of several thousand people, aren't more than half of them just lurking and watching silently?"
Mavuika: "Haha, it's not that we didn't want to speak."
Mavuika: "It just so happened that there's been some turmoil recently that we had to handle."
Mavuika: "So we didn't have the time to talk. Please understand."
Zhongli: "Hmm… Natlan is a nation of war, needing to resist invasions from the Abyss at all times."
Zhongli: "It is understandable."
Stelle: "Tsk tsk tsk, sounds like you're in deep water and scorching fire!"
Stelle: "In desperate need of a hero like me to save the world!"
March 7th: "The problem is, we can't get there… we literally can't get there!"
March 7th: "From what we've heard, the strength of the Teyvat continent isn't weak."
March 7th: "Why can't you even break out of your planet?"
March 7th: "If you could rush into the universe, maybe you'd have been discovered by now."
Lumine: "That's a long story…"
Lumine: "In short, the continent of Teyvat seems to be shrouded in a massive web of conspiracy."
Lumine: "Not only can the people of Teyvat not get out, but even a Traveler like me is trapped here!"
Silver Wolf: "Interesting… is it possible that Teyvat also has a Stellaron?"
Venti: "Ah, well…"
Venti: "There shouldn't… be one, right?"
Mavuika: "Although I've learned about the existence of Stellarons from the videos."
Mavuika: "I still don't quite understand what form it actually takes."
Mavuika: "But then again, it's hard to say… could the Abyss be a Stellaron?"
Mavuika: "In any case, the power of the Abyss is extremely bizarre and vast, a power capable of destroying the world."
Mavuika: "Our nation has been fighting against it constantly."
Stelle: "Capable of destroying Teyvat? That does sound a bit like a Stellaron's style."
Stelle: "Oh, I get it!"
Stelle: "Maybe the reason Teyvat's people can't get out is that a Stellaron is blocking them?"
Stelle: "After all, Stellarons are top-tier road blockers!"
Stelle: "Once the Express does a few more jumps, maybe we'll find some anomalies."
Stelle: "For now… I can only pray for you guys!"
Stelle: "I hope you hold on!"
Mavuika: "Haha, thank you very much for your blessings, Miss Stelle."
....
『 Stelle wandered around for a bit and found the fifth doll.
[ Hello, I am a bomb! ]
[ There is still some time before I explode, you can go wander around somewhere else first! ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Boothill: "Son of a nice lady, the moment this doll opened its mouth, I couldn't hold it in anymore!"
Boothill: "I mean, are the Fool's dolls really this abstract?"
Aventurine: "Friend, if they weren't abstract, would they be the Fool's dolls?"
March 7th: "I suggest Hanabi go see Dr. Edward to get her mental state checked."
Stelle: "Director Hanabi's mental state is perfectly fine, isn't it?"
Stelle: "Just keep it up."
Qingque: "Tsk, get a number ticket for Stelle too!"
Hu Tao: "This doll says it's a bomb."
Hu Tao: "Could it be real?"
Mualani: "I think it's fake."
Mualani: "This is definitely another distraction!"
....
『 [ Alright, then I'll go wander around elsewhere. ]
Stelle looked at the doll and nodded along smoothly.
[ All right. I'll go take a look around then. ]
[ But if you don't want to go too far, I can also sing a soft, soothing song for you so you don't get bored! ]
[ Now playing 'Never Give Up, Never Surrender' by the trending superstar Ast Rickley from the Epsilon XII System...]
[ …Oh, wait, Penacony's Family didn't buy the copyright for this song, so it can't be played here. ]
[ How about this, I'll recite it for you — next up, please enjoy a recital of 'Never Give Up, Never Surrender'! ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "???"
Stelle: "Please, you're just a doll!"
Stelle: "Is there really a need to care so much about copyright issues?"
Hanabi: "Little gray hair, you're looking at this the wrong way~"
Hanabi: "Protecting copyright is everyone's responsibility!"
Hanabi: "Even though Hanabi-sama is a Fool, she still has professional integrity~"
Stelle: "Then couldn't you play 'If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking' for me?"
Stelle: "There's no way that one doesn't have copyright, right?"
Hanabi: "Oh my, your little girlfriend isn't even here."
Hanabi: "If I play that song, do you think it fits the mood?"
Hotaru: "Oh, what little girlfriend?!"
Hotaru: "We're clearly just friends! (Blushing.jpg)"
Stelle: "Exactly, exactly, Hanabi, don't talk nonsense."
Stelle: "Hotaru is just my girl friend. (Smirk.jpg)"
Qingque: "By 'girl friend', do you mean a female friend, or a girlfriend?"
Stelle: "Take a guess?"
....
『 [ O Aha! If you ask me how I feel about you, don't tell me that you pretend not to see! ]
[ THEY will never give you up, never make you sad! THEY will never give you up, never make you cry! ]
[ THEY will never say goodbye to you, never tell lies to hurt you — praise Aha! ]
After the Hanabi doll finished its highly emotional, almost tearful praise of Aha, it directly glitched out and died.
Seeing this, Stelle stepped forward to inspect it, only to find it was just a modified, old-fashioned antique tape recorder. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Guinaifen: "Oh my god!"
Guinaifen: "That was a poetry recital?"
Guinaifen: "Wasn't the emotion a bit too… uh… hysterical?"
Yunli: "I can attest that was not a poetry recital at all!"
Yunli: "That was howling like a banshee!"
Hanabi: "That's enough. Hanabi-sama's poetry recital was plenty full of emotion."
Hanabi: "And you're still not satisfied!"
Hanabi: "What exactly do you want from me? (I'm crying, just kidding.jpg)"
Stelle: "Ahem… with all due respect, Director Hanabi's poetry recital was like demonic music piercing the ears. You need more practice."
Stelle: "Otherwise, it's easy to drive people to a breakdown."
March 7th: "But looking at you in the video, your expression didn't change even a bit?"
Stelle: "To me, this is just an avant-garde form of art."
Stelle: "Of course I can appreciate it with a straight face!"
Silver Wolf: "Tsk tsk, aren't you just amazing?"
....
『 Stelle's phone vibrated, and new group messages arrived.
⚠︎, 1111111
" /March 7th: Good news! "
" /March 7th: We found the remaining 172 dolls on our end. "
" /March 7th: But… "
" /Dan Heng: They are just dolls. "
" /Boothill: What's going on? Did that girl play us? "
⚠︎, "From Where to View Fireworks" has joined the group chat.
" /From Where to View Fireworks: Long time no see, everyone~ "
" /From Where to View Fireworks: Hanabi-sama saw how busy you all were running around for her, and she says she's very satisfied! "
" /From Where to View Fireworks: So, Hanabi-sama asked me to pass a message to you all. "
" /Stelle: ??? I didn't invite you into the group? "
" /From Where to View Fireworks: Well, Hanabi-sama's specialty is arriving uninvited. "
" /From Where to View Fireworks: Alright! Joking aside, Hanabi-sama says this information is very important, so listen up. "
" /From Where to View Fireworks: Actually, there are 1, 000 dolls on the Feldspar—to reward your hard work, Hanabi-sama has decided to be merciful and send you the coordinates of the final doll containing the bomb! "
" /From Where to View Fireworks: Although the time left for you is much more than ten minutes, you still need to hurry, okay? If you don't make it, things will get really bad! "
" /From Where to View Fireworks: Robin, after all, you wouldn't want everyone to know that the Family's protection over Penacony has failed… "
" /From Where to View Fireworks: Go on, great heroes who save the world~ "
⚠︎, "From Where to View Fireworks" has left the group chat
" /Robin: Everyone, don't let her malicious joke distract you. "
" /Robin: Let's meet up at the coordinates. "
" /March 7th: Once we catch her… we're definitely going to teach her a good lesson! "
" /March 7th: (Angry.jpg) " 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
March 7th: "I knew things wouldn't be that simple!"
March 7th: "Those 999 dolls were all a decoy!"
March 7th: "She didn't even put the real bomb out just now!"
Boothill: "Son of a nice lady, we got played like fools!"
Paimon: "Uh… regardless, we got the exact coordinates of the bomb now."
Paimon: "That should be a good thing, right?"
Lumine: "A good thing?"
Lumine: "Those are coordinates deliberately given out by Miss Hanabi."
Lumine: "Why do I feel like… something really creepy is going to happen once we get there?"
Qingque: "IT'S OVER, I HAVE A BAD FEELING!!"
Qingque: "THE ANGST IS COMING AGAIN!!"
Furina de Fontaine: "NO!!"
Furina de Fontaine: "I REALLY CAN'T HANDLE ANY MORE ANGST!!"
....
『 [ Time is running out… Hope we make it in time. ]
After putting her phone into her pocket, Stelle began running toward the coordinates of the bomb.
But on the way, she saw another doll.
[ Oh, by the Laughter, to think you've seen through my disguise this quickly! Honestly, my dear Miss Gray Hair, you're just like that ferocious pangolin in Madam Susan's bedroom! ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Wait, didn't they say they found all of them?"
Stelle: "Why is there another doll here?"
Aventurine: "You actually believe the words of a Fool?"
Aventurine: "Who knows how many dolls she placed just because she had nothing better to do?"
March 7th: "So many dolls, just custom-ordering them must have cost a lot of Credit Points, right?"
March 7th: "Spending so much money and effort on this."
March 7th: "I really can't understand the thought process of a Fool!"
Seele: "Compared to her, I actually feel like Sampo is quite normal."
Sampo Koski: "Of course!"
Sampo Koski: "Old Sampo here is a man of culture and integrity!"
Sampo Koski: "I don't do those kinds of deceptive tricks."
Stelle: "LMAO, if Sampo doesn't do deceptive tricks, pigs will fly starships!"
Hanabi: "Mhm, mhm, I agree with the little gray hair on this!"
Sampo Koski: "Sister, there's something wrong with that statement."
Sampo Koski: "Old Sampo only does mutually agreeable business, how can you call it deceptive?"
Stelle: "Deep down, you know exactly what you are!"
....
『 [ Wait, why does she have a pangolin in her bedroom? ]
Hearing the doll's words, Stelle asked with a slight frown.
[ Hmph, how shameful! ]
[ Hmph, how shameful! Did Uncle Parker not teach you properly? One must pose appropriate questions at the appropriate time! ]
[ I'm on to you! You're here because you accepted bribes from the duplicitous and corrupt leader of that Sparkle Gang, the scoundrel who wants to become mayor of Sparkle City — Blazin' Bro! ]
[ This evil city has fallen into depravity! As the Sheriff Doll, I cannot idly stand by and do nothing! And now, only this imaginary neutron bomb can completely cleanse Sparkle City of your ilk! ]
[ If you wish to defeat me, you'll have to face off against the great Hanabi'sdogs — they're my fiercely loyal companions, and you'll never defeat them! ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Furina de Fontaine: "Uh… that is so abstract!"
Qingque: "I mean, isn't this a bit too crazy?"
Qingque: "Does being a Fool require this kind of mental state?"
Qingque: "The bar is pretty high, isn't it?"
Stelle: "I think I can meet the bar."
March 7th: "Ahem… indeed."
March 7th: "After all, you can converse so passionately with these dolls."
Sampo Koski: "Don't misunderstand, everyone. Not all Fools have a mental state as outstanding as Hanabi's."
Sampo Koski: "She is the Fool among Fools, a standout!"
Hanabi: "Oh my, Sampo, you've finally said something Hanabi-sama likes to hear~"
Mualani: "So… is Miss Stelle going to get bitten by Miss Hanabi's dogs next?"
Hu Tao: "Probably… not, right?"
....
(Ohhh, Mavuika and Mualani joined the chat. I'm not too familiar with the Genshin version timeline, but yeah, Mavuika and Mualani are part of the club.)