Jueyun Karst
It was the same familiar place. Bonanus didn't need much time to get there.
She sat cross-legged on a rock, propping her chin on her paw, blowing air idly.
Her mind was occupied with one thought. In the original story, Indarias had gone mad and burned herself to death.
She wondered if her big brothers had any plan for dealing with that. Bonanus had no idea. She wasn't even sure if Hydro could put out those flames.
Either way, she would wait until everyone arrived to discuss it.
Speaking of which, after bringing all of Xiao's family back, who else would she use this power to save?
Maybe bringing back Guizhong would be a good choice. Rex Lapis had been alone his whole life. Getting him a wife wouldn't be a bad idea.
After all, he would eventually retire. A peaceful retirement with a loving spouse would be nice. Even though, knowing Rex Lapis, he probably wouldn't be the doting type.
Just as Venti had said, Zhongli was stubborn. Sometimes rigid, sometimes thoughtful, sometimes painfully dense.
"Sigh..." Bonanus sighed and looked up at the tall mountains. She wondered if she would ever realize her dream of traveling all over Teyvat.
She also wondered how Noelle was doing. Probably working hard to become a proper knight.
And Lumine—she wondered how far along the Mondstadt storyline was. She was looking forward to seeing Lumine and Paimon's reactions when they found out who she really was.
That would be fun. Maybe she could tease Paimon a little, let her come up with an embarrassing nickname, then reveal her true identity and scare her.
It reminded her of those "playing dumb to catch the tiger" scenes from stories. It sounded like fun.
She narrowed her eyes, looking forward to that moment. But then, she sensed four familiar presences approaching.
"Looks like everyone's here." Bonanus stood up from the rock, stretched, and prepared for the battle ahead.
The first to appear was Xiao. He materialized on a nearby tree branch, greeting her with a faint smile.
"Alatus!" Bonanus waved, responding with a warm smile.
She could tell that despite his usual blank expression, his heart was far from calm.
A minute or two later, Bosacius, Menogias, and Zhongli arrived as well.
"Hey, Alatus, why'd you run off so fast?" Bosacius said casually, arms crossed.
"You're just slow." Xiao shook his head flatly.
"Alatus's speed has improved again." Menogias said with a gentle smile.
"Rex Lapis." Bonanus walked up to Zhongli, who towered over her, and spoke with respect.
Zhongli nodded at her, then looked at the four of them with a serious expression.
"This journey will undoubtedly be dangerous. I agree that all four of you should go together. You'll have each other's backs."
"I look forward to your triumphant return. In the meantime, I will conceal your presence from the outside world."
With that, Zhongli gave Bonanus a calm look.
Seeing that look, Bonanus, who felt like a child before him, understood instantly.
[System, it's your time to shine. Go!] Bonanus called out.
[System online. Processing. Please wait...]
The system's mechanical voice accompanied the strange teleportation ritual. It was just as eerie and unsettling as before.
Still, despite the strangeness, no one sensed any danger in it.
"What a bizarre teleportation ritual." Bosacius muttered with a frown. So this was how Menogias had been brought back.
"It is a bit strange, but it should be fine." Menogias replied. His gaze unconsciously drifted toward Rex Lapis.
Seeing that the god showed no concern, Menogias relaxed.
"Get ready. We're about to return to that familiar place." Xiao jumped down from the tree, his expression serious as he looked at the scene before him.
In a moment, they vanished, leaving only Zhongli standing watch. He crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and said nothing.
...
The Archon War Era
Somewhere Among the Mountains
"This feels so familiar." Bosacius scanned the area warily. His usual goofy demeanor was gone, replaced by the presence of a seasoned warrior.
"Bosacius, can you sense Indarias's presence?" Menogias frowned. There was no sign of life here. Was this where she had died?
"Search for Indarias's energy. I'll keep watch." Xiao leaped to a high vantage point, using his elemental senses to scan for threats.
"That's strange. I can't feel Indarias's presence at all." Bosacius rubbed his chin, confused.
As the eldest brother, he was intimately familiar with his siblings' energies. If Indarias were nearby, he would sense her.
Which meant one thing: she was far away.
"Could Indarias be in a cave somewhere? Wait—Big Brother Bosacius! Look over there!"
As Bonanus spoke, her eyes drifted toward the dim sky. That's when she noticed a fast-moving target in the distance.
Following her gaze, everyone spotted the object—a massive fireball.
"It's Indarias." Menogias opened his eyes. There was no mistaking it. That was Indarias's elemental energy. But the flames were so violent, so chaotic.
"We can't waste time. Follow me." Bosacius exhaled, then led the three of them racing toward the fireball.
...
The fireball plummeted from the sky. The moment it hit the ground, it crashed into a cave.
Trapped within the flames was a woman's agonized scream—piercing and heartbreaking.
The moment the fireball entered the cave, Bosacius and the others arrived at the entrance. Hearing their loved one's suffering pierced their hearts like knives.
"Big Brother Bosacius, I need you and Menogias to restrain Indarias. I need to extract some of her karmic debt." Bonanus stepped forward and addressed her brothers.
"Got it."
"Leave it to us."
Bosacius and Menogias answered without hesitation.
"Alatus, while my brothers and I are fighting, I'll be completely focused. It will generate a strong energy fluctuation."
"This might attract unwanted guests. I need you to guard the entrance and keep any threats out." Bonanus turned to Xiao.
"Mm." Xiao nodded in agreement.
With Bosacius and Menogias handling the main threat, Bonanus's extraction process would likely go smoothly.
The real danger was outside the cave.
After the assignments were given, everyone exchanged nods.
The operation had begun.