Accompanied by piercing screams, Bosacius and Menogias led Bonanus quickly toward the cave entrance.
The moment they stepped inside, a wave of scorching heat hit them. It was so hot it felt like it could cook them alive.
"Little sister, use your elemental energy to protect yourself. We can handle it, but you might not." Bosacius turned to warn her.
"Got it." Bonanus didn't hesitate. She wrapped herself in Hydro energy immediately. It was so hot that her Hydro felt like it was evaporating.
They pressed deeper into the cave. The heat grew more intense. Soon, they reached the center of it all.
Inside the massive fireball, they could vaguely see Indarias kneeling on the ground, clutching her head and screaming.
Without hesitation, Menogias made the first move. He clapped his hands together, and Geo energy surged up from the ground.
It rushed into the flames, forcibly binding Indarias's limbs.
The enraged Indarias struggled with all her might. Even the solid rock couldn't withstand the extreme heat—some of it actually melted.
After the first wave of rock broke apart, a second followed immediately. Menogias didn't let a single failure discourage him.
Meanwhile, Bosacius took action. Ignoring the searing heat and the risk of burns, he thrust his hand into the fire and grabbed Indarias by the neck.
None of them dared use their full strength, afraid of causing further harm to Indarias. In Bosacius and Menogias's minds, they only had one chance. They couldn't afford any mistakes.
Bonanus didn't just stand by either. Throughout the process, she continuously shielded Bosacius with Hydro barriers.
Even though they kept evaporating, it at least eased some of the discomfort for her big brother.
She was waiting for an opportunity—a moment to use her Hydro energy at full power to carve a "path" forward.
With a sudden lurch, Indarias lost her balance as Bosacius pinned her to the ground.
Menogias's Geo energy followed immediately, enveloping Indarias's body.
"Little sister! Now!" Bosacius shouted without turning back. Indarias was fully restrained—this was their best chance.
Bonanus, who had already gathered her Hydro energy, charged forward. The collision of water and fire sent clouds of steam billowing outward.
It was remarkably effective. Bonanus's right hand pressed directly against Indarias's abdomen. It was difficult, but she managed.
The moment she made contact, the Hydro Moon Ring activated instantly. The doubled absorption function began draining Indarias's karmic debt at full speed.
Time passed. One minute. Two minutes. Three minutes...
Under their combined efforts, a full ten minutes went by. Indarias, who had been thrashing violently, slowly calmed down. The massive fireball gradually began to die out.
After that ordeal, Indarias's body was completely exhausted. The moment the danger passed, she fell into a deep sleep.
Her entire body was covered in burns—caused by her own elemental power.
Bonanus used Hydro to cool all three of them down while retrieving burn healing pills from the system shop for everyone.
The effect was immediate. Everyone's burns began to heal at a visible rate.
Seeing how smoothly things had gone, Bosacius and Menogias let out a collective sigh of relief.
"I have to say, Indarias was seriously impressive. She even gave me burns." Bosacius said flatly, feeling the healing burns through his tattered clothes.
Menogias wiped the sweat from his brow, looking a little drained.
"A Yaksha driven mad will unleash elemental energy recklessly, and we couldn't go all out. It wasn't easy."
"Still, we got it done. Even if it cost us a little."
Bonanus nodded. She could feel a stinging sensation on her exposed skin, but the healing pills should fix it soon.
During the rescue, everyone had been affected by the fire to some degree.
Fire spread fast, especially in an enclosed space like a cave.
Only adepti could accomplish in minutes what would take mortals a lifetime.
"It went pretty smoothly." Bosacius sat down cross-legged to catch his breath.
"We couldn't have done it alone."
Menogias's eyes narrowed again as he crouched down. He pulled out a cloth from somewhere and gently wiped the sweat from Indarias's face.
"Hehe, now we're finally all together." Bonanus gave them a bright smile.
Seeing that, Bosacius and Menogias's lips curled upward. They couldn't hide their joy.
"By the way, little sister, where did you get those pills? They're amazing." Now that the tension was gone, Bosacius asked casually.
Hearing that, Menogias's curious gaze also turned to his younger sister. Clearly, he was interested too.
"A girl's secret." Bonanus wasn't about to explain—it would be too complicated.
Not getting an answer, the two brothers just shook their heads and didn't press further. It was normal for girls to have secrets. They wouldn't pry.
They trusted Bonanus unconditionally.
After a bit more rest...
Once everyone had recovered enough, Bosacius scooped up the unconscious Indarias in his arms. He looked at Menogias and Bonanus, flashing his signature grin.
"Let's go. Don't keep Alatus waiting too long."
Following Bosacius's lead, they made their way out of the cave. On the way, Menogias asked casually,
"Indarias's return is a joyous occasion, but how should we explain this to the outside world?"
"Rex Lapis will handle it!" Bonanus gave a thumbs up, grinning.
Whatever the problem, trusting Rex Lapis was always the answer.
"True." Menogias nodded. Rex Lapis certainly had the ability.
"Don't forget who handled things when you came back." Bosacius said to Menogias with a smile. Rex Lapis had done quite a bit of groundwork for his return.
Chatting among themselves, they emerged from the cave. The moment they stepped out, Xiao appeared before them.
His face, clothes, and weapon were covered in blood. Everyone froze. What happened? Had danger arrived?
"Alatus, are you hurt?" Bonanus rushed over to check on her little brother. After a quick look, she realized he seemed uninjured.
"I'm fine. A few idiots came sniffing around with hostile intent. I took care of them."
Xiao said calmly, though a hint of killing intent slipped through his words.
"I'm glad you're not hurt. We managed to save Indarias!" Bonanus patted Xiao's shoulder. Everyone was safe—it was perfect.
"Mm." Xiao nodded in response. His gaze fell on the unconscious Indarias, and a slight smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Finally, the demon that had haunted him for years was laid to rest. Everyone could go home. Their contract to protect Liyue would continue, and they could be together forever.
"Hehe, let's go back." Bonanus took Xiao's hand, looked at her brothers, and gave them a sweet smile.