Shadow Mountain, Lei Chi.
"Boom—!"
The long-accumulated divine resentment erupted, its roar echoing far and wide.
Black mist, laced with mournful lightning, surged towards the heavens, as if to devour all creation.
Beneath this apocalyptic spectacle of destruction...
Countless monsters converged, forming a pitch-black tide of beasts.
"Faster! Faster! The mission must be completed!"
In the dense forest on the outskirts of Lei Chi, figures bustled, moving with urgency.
These were members of Arlecchino's special task force, their backgrounds completely unknown.
Every child from the "Fatui Household" orphanage lived incognito, fighting solely for Arlecchino.
And this time, their target, or rather Arlecchino's target.
Was a man named Qin Yu.
She wished to play a game with Qin Yu.
The stakes were...
"The Tenryou Commission and the Oniwabanshu are surrounding us! We need to cloak and retreat!"
A Fatui soldier ran to his captain, shouting into his ear.
Even though the captain was already shouting with bulging veins, his voice was still drowned out by the terrifying thunder.
Individual power was so fragile, so insignificant, in the face of overwhelming heavenly might.
"Protect the device storing the divine resentment and withdraw! This is Arlecchino's dying command!"
"Those so-called ninjas have never been able to track us. There's no need to worry!"
The captain shoved the soldier, roaring back.
A clandestine organization whose footsteps spanned across Teyvat would surely possess extremely potent infiltration and counter-infiltration capabilities.
Moreover, these were all elite Debt Collectors, and cloaking was as simple as drinking water for them.
In direct combat, they also possessed Delusions, granting them immense battle prowess.
They were the "children" from the Fatui Household!
As for why they were taking such a risk this time...
The divine resentment, after being absorbed and purified by the Sakura Tree, was an extremely rare resource.
It was something even gods would covet.
With it, Arlecchino would have a grasp on opening the passage to the Dark Sea!
"Yes! We'll withdraw immediately!"
The captain watched the soldier receive the order and run off, but his expression grew more somber.
For some unknown reason, he had an ominous premonition.
All Fatui agents in Inazuma City had lost contact in a single day, rendering Arlecchino's eyes blind.
Who was operating in the shadows against them? And who would be his next target...
"Boom—!"
The eruption from Lei Chi grew more frequent, illuminating his grimacing face.
Suddenly, he thought of Qin Yu's name.
"Could it be him? This is bad!"
Just as the captain was about to give an order, his pupils constricted.
A verdant divine light suddenly flared in the distance, instantly sweeping across the entire mountain foot.
All the hidden Fatui soldiers were marked, linked together like chains.
In the pitch-black night, they stood out as conspicuously as possible.
They were exposed!
"They've all seen us."
A man's light laughter echoed in his mind, overpowering the thunder.
It was a link through the power of the mind, impossible to evade!
[Combat Talent: Omniscient Perception]
[Selects targets within a certain range and applies a Seed of Sprouting]
[Enemies under the Seed of Sprouting will be linked within a certain distance]
The next moment—
"Boom!"
The forest erupted with a roar, and a golden-haired girl wielding a blunt sword charged out.
In the darkness, the golden light in her clear eyes was exceptionally striking.
Who else could evade the Fatui's sight and excel at evading pursuit and infiltration...
Other than Qin Yu's maid, Lumine, the traveler?
"?"
The Fatui soldiers and Lumine made eye contact, the air freezing for a moment.
The next instant—
Lumine bit her lip, took a deep breath.
"!"
The Fatui soldiers braced themselves, anticipating the attack. What kind of assault would it be?
"Cough...! Listen up, Qin Yu's cute maid-chan... makes her grand entrance!"
Fatui soldiers: ???
Before her words had even faded, Lumine had already charged into the crowd, and the screams of Fatui soldiers rose one after another.
Having declared Qin Yu's chosen embarrassing catchphrase, she was filled with strength, unleashing her unparalleled might.
Damn it, no one who heard it would escape!
The defeated Fatui soldiers were bewildered. Who exactly were the Debt Collectors here?!
...
With Lumine joining the fray, the balance of power tipped instantly, and the battle concluded swiftly.
The Fatui had intended to disperse and retreat, but they were caught red-handed by the samurai and ninjas waiting outside.
That verdant mark could even reveal them while cloaked, how could they fight?!
Even more terrifying was the Dendro element power contained within the mark.
When one Fatui soldier was attacked, the mark would act like a true chain, guiding the Dendro element's power to strike all of them.
One takes a hit, everyone gets beaten.
There was no way to dodge!
[When enemies under the Seed of Sprouting trigger an Elemental Reaction, they unleash a Purification of the Three Jewels on all linked enemies, dealing Dendro DMG.]
Of course, Qin Yu had retracted most of his power.
Otherwise, with the authority of the Dendro Archon, these people wouldn't even leave a speck of dust.
In summary, Qin Yu was slacking off, yet he dealt the highest damage output.
"Behave!"
After the battle, Lumine kicked a captured Fatui soldier, pouting.
She instinctively touched the cat-ear hair accessory on her head.
It was fluffy, and it hadn't been lost.
Wait, why was she thinking that?
The maid-like Lumine, the little cat, paused, a terrifying thought flashing through her mind.
Could she have...!
"Damn you, don't think we'll spill any information, Qin Yu's cute maid-chan!"
The captain remained defiant, but only earned himself a beating.
"You keep saying it! You keep saying it!"
Lumine used her memory-erasing technique, physically.
"Well done, my cute maid."
Qin Yu appeared silently, watching Lumine with a smile.
As expected of his maid, he was more satisfied the more he looked at her.
A beautiful girl, capable of fighting, cooking, and warming his bed with meows... the last part was absent.
He waved his hand, and the samurai led the captives away.
They, along with the device storing the divine resentment, would soon become bargaining chips in negotiations with Arlecchino.
"..."
Lumine turned her face away, not wanting to engage with Qin Yu, who had peculiar hobbies.
"What an peculiar ability."
Yae Miko and Columbia, two elegant ladies, arrived together, each with their own unique charm.
Indeed, with Qin Yu, there were always new surprises.
"Low profile."
Qin Yu smiled faintly, gesturing for the women to rest here.
Next, they would need to deal with the tide of monsters that had gathered due to the divine resentment.
"This is the final location of the ritual."
Yae Miko approached Qin Yu, gazing at the distant Lei Chi, she spoke softly.
The lazy and alluring fox was uncharacteristically silent.
"..."
Qin Yu followed her gaze.
In the distance, a shrine maiden wearing a mask was engulfed in darkness.
She lowered her head slightly, as if on the verge of being completely consumed.
"Stubborn fool, you fought the Abyss alone, and your final memory is probably just like this, being swallowed by the darkness."
Yae Miko murmured, a slight curl at the corner of her lips.
It was as if she were mocking Kazari's overestimation of her own strength.
...Or perhaps, she was mocking herself for not realizing Kazari's resolve back then.
At that time, she was still immersed in the joy of eating sweet tofu.
"Kazari's soul memory?"
Qin Yu asked.
Yae Miko nodded, then lifted her chin.
"If I help you save her, how about I reward you, little one?"
Qin Yu smiled upon hearing this.
"Deal."
Simple words, yet they held an exceptionally reassuring power.
Yae Miko looked at Qin Yu's serious profile, ripples appearing in her eyes.
Perhaps, she could rely on you a little more.
She gently turned her face away.
"...Thank you, Qin Yu."
"You're being so serious all of a sudden, it's a bit disorienting, Miko."
Qin Yu teased.
"My cute little one?"
"I'm not little, alright."
"Well, that's something I'll have to confirm with Ei first."
"?"
Just as the two drew closer, their gazes becoming increasingly intimate.
"Qin Yu."
Columbia linked her arm through Qin Yu's, her posture elegant.
It's time for a magic replenishment.
With that, she pulled Qin Yu a little further away from the fox-eared woman.
Sorry, but I came first.
Declaring ownership.
"?"
Yae Miko's smile faded slightly, a dangerous glint in her purple eyes.
These two "bad women" were due for a clash.