"Tear apart~ the heart~ the sea~ the shoulders~"
As the seawater churned, a grand piece of music suddenly began echoing throughout Scalegorge Waterscape.
Even Dan Heng, who had only just opened the sea passage and arrived outside the area, looked bewildered.
The others were no different.
"Why does this battle come with its own BGM?"
March 7th, who had only just caught up with Dan Heng's group, couldn't help but complain.
"This is the theme music of a powerhouse. Dan Heng already got his own character song, but I still don't have one..."
Stelle looked at Dan Heng with obvious envy.
"At least it fits the atmosphere."
Welt actually thought the music was quite appropriate.
In games, adding background music during moments like this significantly improved the experience.
"Mr. Yang, great minds think alike!"
Stelle felt absolutely no generation gap between herself and the bespectacled older man.
"..."
Dan Heng could only remain silent.
Was nobody going to point out how abnormal it was for music to suddenly start playing throughout Scalegorge Waterscape?
"Looks like Phantylia is quite excited for our crusade as well."
Jing Yuan interpreted it as a provocation.
After all, she'd been injured recently and had even lost a portion of herself to Su Ran last night.
This dramatic music was probably just a bluff meant to intimidate them.
"..."
Jingliu listened to everyone chatting and joking with a slight frown.
Did nobody suspect that this was Su Ran's doing?
Had these people somehow convinced themselves that he was a serious and reliable person?
For a moment, she felt completely out of place among them.
"Since Phantylia is extending such an enthusiastic invitation, how could we possibly retreat?"
Jing Yuan raised his weapon.
The Tsaritsa listened to the music echoing around them and found the situation increasingly strange.
The volume was so loud.
Why wasn't the thing below reacting at all?
Su Ran's answer remained simple:
"The power of Remembrance."
"My honored benefactors have arrived so quickly?"
At last, Phantylia reacted.
"Please wait a moment while this humble lady finishes preparing herself."
The moment she noticed the group arriving to hunt her down, she finally spoke.
Stelle immediately pointed at her and shouted:
"Auntie! Of all people, who are you trying to imitate? Miss Tingyun calls people 'Benefactor.' Do you think your voice is as sweet as hers? As gentle as hers?"
Phantylia, who had been in the middle of constructing a new body using the Ambrosial Arbor, froze.
For a moment, she couldn't process what she'd heard.
Auntie?
Was she talking about her?
"Impudent!"
Phantylia exploded with rage.
Watching from afar, the Tsaritsa's mouth twitched.
Even someone like her, who didn't fully understand the concept of Paths, could feel how terrifying the power contained within those golden flames truly was.
How did that woman have the courage to say something like that?
The moment Phantylia spoke, the Tsaritsa realized one thing:
This so-called "Big Thunder" was horrifyingly powerful.
Far beyond the Heavenly Principles.
Powerful enough to erase Teyvat itself with a casual gesture.
The Tsaritsa didn't even dare breathe too loudly.
Yet that gray-haired girl had just called her Auntie.
Or perhaps...
That gray-haired girl was equally terrifying?
"Exactly! If your voice isn't as sweet or as gentle as Miss Tingyun's, then don't copy the way she talks!"
March 7th planted her hands on her hips and joined in.
They were fighting the final boss.
No need for manners.
No need for diplomacy.
"Very well."
Phantylia laughed coldly.
"I shall turn the two of you into Voidrangers first."
Stelle and March had successfully pushed her over the edge.
She barely even bothered talking about Jing Yuan or Jingliu.
As the power of Abundance surged, a colossal figure manifested before everyone.
"B-B-Big Sister?"
Stelle slowly raised her head.
She could take back everything she'd said.
But first—
Could she please drown in those enormous thunderous mountains?
"That is... way too huge..."
March 7th was genuinely startled.
Unlike Stelle, she wasn't distracted.
She was terrified by Phantylia's sheer size.
This was far larger than the Doomsday Beast they had faced before.
"Today is the day I obtain the power of Abundance."
Phantylia's voice echoed across the battlefield.
"And the day the Luofu is destroyed."
"Though before that, none of you will live long enough to witness that beautiful moment."
With the power of Abundance flowing through her, the void left by her earlier losses was slowly being filled.
She might have sacrificed some offensive strength.
But in return, she had gained immortality.
And that immortality would be more than enough to deal with the people before her.
The BGM shifted into another track.
"It changes music too?!"
Stelle immediately felt uneasy.
"This really does feel like a final boss!"
The current soundtrack was clearly favoring the enemy.
Did that mean they were entering the phase where they got beaten up first?
Jingliu swept her gaze across the surroundings.
Eventually she spotted a tiny figure sitting atop a distant stone pillar.
The Tsaritsa, meanwhile, was completely speechless.
As Phantylia's massive body emerged and her power surged without restraint, the shock became overwhelming.
Her posture had long since changed.
At first she'd been sitting sideways on Su Ran's shoulder.
Now she had practically curled up in his arms.
Unintentionally providing quite a generous amount of fanservice.
Inwardly, Su Ran gave Phantylia a thumbs-up.
When he captured her later, perhaps he wouldn't erase her consciousness after all.
This battle was difficult.
Very difficult.
Not only was Dan Heng present as the inheritor of the Imbibitor Lunae's power.
Not only was Jing Yuan here.
Jingliu herself had joined the fight as well.
Phantylia had already suffered multiple setbacks.
Dan Heng's water-manipulating abilities.
Jingliu's sword energy.
Again and again they carved into her newly formed body.
Before long, she was forced to unleash even greater power.
Su Ran watched helplessly as Phantylia skipped directly from Phase One to Phase Three.
Even the BGM transition got skipped.
How unfortunate.
The cyber-Buddhist chanting phase was gone.
Phantylia was far less durable than he'd expected.
She didn't even bother showing off Phase Two.
Instead, she jumped straight to her final form and prepared for a fight to the death.
"She can become even stronger?"
The Tsaritsa couldn't describe the shock she felt.
"Of course."
Su Ran nodded.
"This battle includes Jingliu."
"How could Phantylia possibly have an easy time?"
Did Jingliu's strength need any explanation?
Even if she wasn't technically an Emanator, she was already frighteningly close.
And unlike Shuhu, Phantylia's regeneration wasn't truly impossible to overcome.
She could recover quickly.
But she was far from unkillable.
—------------------------------
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