When the white light faded, the peak of Mont Automnequi had vanished completely, as if a massive chunk had been scooped out, leaving a giant crater in its place.
The Abyss Monsters that had gathered here were gone without a trace, leaving behind an eerie silence devoid of any sign of life.
In the distance, a pile of rubble stirred. Then, an extremely battered figure slowly rose to its feet. Rubble slid off his clothes and clattered to the ground.
Feeling the considerable injuries on his body, Aether surveyed the scorched earth, now vitrified by the intense heat. The silence was absolute; it seemed he was the only living being left. His expression grew distant. It had been a long time since he'd suffered an attack of this magnitude.
What made it even more absurd was that his injuries hadn't come from a battle with a god or Celestia, but from some secret weapon from Fontaine.
And what truly infuriated Aether was the realization that this weapon had likely been dragged through the spatial portal opened by the Iniquitous Baptist.
What an idiot!
If the Iniquitous Baptist hadn't been vaporized at the epicenter of the explosion, Aether would have dealt with it personally for causing him so much trouble.
Most importantly, he had lost a fiercely loyal and capable subordinate—Ziyun.
Even if Ziyun could be reborn, he would have no memory of his past life. To Aether, they would be two entirely different beings.
Fortunately, Aether had heard that Ziyun had a younger brother named Ziyu.
If Ziyu's abilities proved decent, Aether would take him under his wing and give him a key role.
If he wasn't up to the task, Aether would assign him to a safe, rear-echelon position as a gesture of care.
With this thought, Aether took two deep breaths to calm the churning energy in his chest, then slowly turned to leave.
It wasn't that he didn't want to use a spatial portal to depart immediately. The space in this area had become extremely volatile due to the explosion. Forcing a portal open would be unstable, carrying a high risk of getting lost in the spatial turbulence.
So, Aether had no choice but to leave the scene on foot, step by step. He would open an Abyss Channel once he was a safe distance away.
His steps were unsteady, and pebbles continued to fall from his clothes as he walked.
He never expected to suffer such a heavy loss in Fontaine. He would have to deploy more personnel to monitor the nation—and even consider stealing some of their technology.
The Abyss Order had sent personnel before, but Fontaine was too chaotic. Their small force was easily wiped out by the Fontainians.
Later, considering Fontaine was on the verge of being submerged by the Prophecy, Aether hadn't invested more resources, shifting his focus to Liyue and Sumeru instead.
However, he never expected that in just two short years, Fontaine would develop to a point completely beyond his control.
Not long after, Aether emerged from the massive crater on the mountaintop, opened a spatial portal, and vanished.
-
Meanwhile, Lumine slowly opened her eyes, her mind still foggy.
As she gradually regained consciousness, she realized her upper body was dangling in mid-air. Startled, she quickly surveyed her surroundings. The reinforced Aquabus had been blown in two. The front half was wedged in a crack in the aqualine, while she hung from the twisted, deformed railing.
Below her stretched the vast, azure sea.
Enjou's chains were wrapped around her, and her body swayed with the wind, threatening to plunge into the depths at any moment.
And Paimon...
Lumine glanced down, an immediate urge to cook her companion flaring within her.
Lumine opened her mouth wide and bit down hard on Paimon's calf, eliciting an immediate shriek from her companion.
"Traveler, save me! Someone's trying to eat me!"
Paimon wriggled out from inside Lumine's clothes. With teary eyes, she stared at the sight of Lumine biting her leg. Their gazes locked in a bewildered stare, and Paimon was instantly dumbfounded.
Is she finally dropping the act?
She's been calling me Emergency Food all this time... It must have been premeditated!
Lumine, oblivious to the frantic thoughts racing through Paimon's tiny head, kept her teeth clamped on Paimon's leg and tossed her toward Enjou. She then gestured for Paimon to wake him up.
She didn't know why the Abyss Order had targeted this aqualine, but it presented an opportunity.
If possible, Lumine desperately wanted to avoid meeting Neuvillette while trussed up like a zongzi. The embarrassment would be unbearable.
Though her strength paled in comparison to Neuvillette's, she could still fight at an Archon-level if she got serious. To think she'd been caught off guard, captured by his subordinates, and dragged to court for Judgment... Just imagining the scene made her toes curl in mortification.
Before, she'd had no choice. But now that an opportunity had presented itself, Lumine was determined to avoid that path. Otherwise, she might as well have surrendered when she was a wanted fugitive back in Liyue.
Tears welled in Paimon's eyes as she rubbed the neat set of teeth marks on her leg. Just you wait, Lumine, she fumed silently. When you're asleep, I'm biting you back!
Puffing out her cheeks in indignation, she floated over to Enjou and shoved her tiny feet right under his nose.
Enjou's nose twitched first. Then his brow furrowed deeply. Finally, he let out a loud "Blargh!" and started dry-heaving.
"Who—who's releasing poison gas?!"
The smell was like aged, over-fermented pickled vegetables mixed with the pungent stench of the sea. The combination was unbelievably foul.
Seeing Enjou's reaction, Paimon scratched her head sheepishly. "Well, you know, conditions at sea are tough. We were captured as soon as we landed, before we could even find a place to wash up. And there definitely weren't any bathing opportunities in that cage."
Large ships had proper shower facilities, but unfortunately, Lumine's pockets were empty. In the end, they had crammed onto the Waverider they'd "borrowed" from Inazuma to reach Fontaine.
It wasn't that the big ships weren't good enough; the free Waverider was simply more cost-effective.
When Enjou finally focused and realized it was Paimon's tiny feet he'd been smelling, his eyes widened in horror. He immediately started dry-heaving again.
Watching him, Lumine felt a wave of nausea herself. She hadn't noticed when she bit Paimon's leg earlier, but now, recalling the moment, her mouth filled with a distinct seafood taste.
Nope, can't think about this anymore.
Lumine shook her head, then urgently gestured for Enjou and Paimon to jump into the sea and escape.
Understanding Lumine's signal, Enjou glanced down, and his eyes lit up.
That Prince... Enjou thought. He clearly came to rescue us, yet he claimed it was just to bomb the shipping route. I've heard that kind of behavior is called 'tsundere,' and I've also heard it's already fallen out of fashion. Looks like I'll need to advise him to keep up with the times.
Without hesitation, Enjou nodded vigorously. After today's massive incident, he'd likely be blamed for everything. If he didn't run now, when would he?
After a brief, unspoken agreement, the three began to wriggle and squirm in unison, trying to fall into the sea below.
Lumine and Enjou's writhing movements resembled seaweed swaying in the ocean currents...
In the distance, the lava-like shell shattered with a deafening crack, revealing the pale-faced group inside. If Navia hadn't sensed the danger and used all her strength to erect a Geo shield to protect them, they surely would have met a grim fate.
However, a few individuals, moving as swiftly as the wind, pursued the Abyss Monsters. The onlookers could only watch as the monsters, along with the Hilichurls, dissolved into motes of light.
The dull thud of a heavy object hitting the ground snapped everyone back to reality. They turned to see Navia, trembling uncontrollably, using her axe blade planted in the ground to support her weight.
To protect everyone, Navia had pushed herself beyond her limits, completely depleting her strength. Now that the danger had passed, she could no longer hold herself up.
"Demoiselle!"
Melus and Silver rushed forward anxiously, intending to help Navia rest, but she raised a hand to stop them.
"Go check if anyone else is injured. I'll contact Captain Chevreuse."
Just as Navia reached for her mobile phone, it began to ring. She quickly answered the call.
"Miss Navia, we're heading your way now, but the roads have been blown into countless sections. It might take us some time. What's the situation on your end?"
Hearing Chevreuse's voice on the other end, Navia could tell she was unharmed. A bright smile spread across her face.
But Navia's smile vanished as soon as she saw the survivors around her. She let out a soft sigh.
"About thirty people made it... I... did my best."
Chevreuse's heart clenched when she heard Navia's words.
While it was a miracle that over thirty people had survived at the epicenter of the blast, they had left Fontaine with a full sixty—each one an elite operative handpicked from other teams. Now, nearly half of them were gone.
Damn the Abyss Order!
Suppressing her inner rage, Chevreuse comforted Navia.
"Miss Navia, you did exceptionally well. Without you, none of them would have survived."
"On behalf of everyone, I offer you our sincerest gratitude!"
"There's no need for thanks."
Navia quickly waved it off. With so many casualties, she felt she didn't deserve such gratitude.
"Captain Chevreuse, what's the situation on your end?"
"We're fine here. Everyone just has minor injuries. The Clockwork Meka was completely destroyed shielding us from the blast."
"I'll go check on the suspects first. Miss Navia, please get some rest."
After exchanging a few more words, Chevreuse hung up the phone and turned to the others.
"You all take the long way around. I'm going to check on the suspects."
"Also, contact headquarters and have them check Mont Automnequi."
With those words, Chevreuse suddenly accelerated, then leaped forward, continuing along the shattered remains of the Aquabus line.
The others didn't try to follow her lead; they chose to take the detour.
While many of them could have performed the same feat as Chevreuse, it was far too dangerous. A single misstep would mean a disastrous fall.
They didn't want Chevreuse to take such a risk either, but they knew that once she made a decision, it was nearly impossible to change her mind.
Chevreuse quickly reached the vicinity of the Aquabus. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the three suspects were still there, not rescued.
However, the trio was far from compliant, writhing desperately in an attempt to fall into the sea and escape.
"Traveler, hurry! That woman is coming!"
Paimon spotted Chevreuse's figure and immediately cried out urgently. Hearing this, Lumine and Enjou thrashed even harder.
Suddenly, the chains wrapped around Lumine slipped and tightened directly around her neck. Lumine began to choke, her eyes widening in shock.
Enjou, however, completely missed this small incident. He knew Chevreuse's identity: she was their Captain.
With so many people dead this time, she must hate him with a passion.
There was no one else around. If he fell into her hands, he might be officially recorded as "killed in the explosion" while she secretly took him away to torture him!
Escape! I must escape!
Enjou strained with all his might, which only caused the chains around Lumine's neck to tighten further. Paimon froze in terror at the sight.
From a distance, Chevreuse saw this unfold but didn't rush. She even slowed her pace. Catching Paimon's gaze, she gave her a thumbs-up gesture as if to say, "You can do it!"
"Traveler!"
Paimon shrieked and immediately flew over, trying to loosen the chains around Lumine's neck. But she quickly realized it was futile. So, she flew up and grabbed Lumine's legs, pulling with all her strength.
At this moment, Lumine's eyes were already rolling back into her head.
Seeing this, Chevreuse quickened her pace again.
Although No. 2 deserves to die, she thought, he shouldn't die here.
Just as Chevreuse was rapidly approaching, Lumine briefly regained consciousness. A powerful survival instinct surged through her. With all her strength, she violently whipped her head, flinging Enjou's entire body upward into the half-wrecked Aquabus wedged above.
Enjou's head struck the hull with a sickening crack. The impact dislodged the Aquabus significantly, finally freeing Lumine's legs. She, Enjou, and Paimon plummeted toward the sea below.
Paimon let out a series of terrified screams before realizing what had happened. Then, she excitedly exclaimed to Lumine, "That was amazing, Traveler! We got away!"
All three of them breathed a sigh of relief. Although their movements were still restricted, escaping in the sea would be much easier. Even if their pursuer followed them into the water, they had a good chance of getting away.
The trio glanced back toward Chevreuse and saw she had no intention of jumping into the sea. They breathed another sigh of relief—their escape was now all but guaranteed.
But they failed to notice the knowing smile that spread across Chevreuse's face.
She watched as they hit the water, sending up three distinct splashes. Then, she slowly pulled a button from her pocket.
How could we have overlooked the possibility of a sea escape? she mused. No. 2 used this tactic all the time. We prepared plenty of "gifts" in the water just for him—a little surprise.
Without hesitation, Chevreuse pressed the button.
The next second, the sea erupted with countless explosions, each one a hundred times larger than the splashes from their fall. A series of deafening booms echoed across the water.
BOOM! BOOM!
The waves churned violently, rising and falling in a chaotic symphony.
Listening to this beautiful sound, Chevreuse finally felt some of her burning anger dissipate.
The symphony raged for a full seven or eight minutes before finally subsiding. Then, Lumine and Enjou's bodies floated to the surface, belly-up.
Chevreuse slowly pulled out her mobile phone and contacted Navia again.
"Miss Navia, could I borrow a fishing boat from the Spina di Rosula...?"