Boom!
A deafening explosion suddenly erupted from the northern defense line of the Stadium of the Sacred Flame, its towering flames visible even from Lumine's battlefront.
"It's the Pyro Archon! The Pyro Archon has intervened!"
"Charge, brothers! Crush these Abyss scum!"
"For Natlan!"
After a brief glance, Lumine refocused on the battle before her. Golden sword beams cleared a wide swathe of monsters, creating an opening. Seizing the opportunity, she climbed to a higher vantage point to survey the battlefield.
An endless horde of Abyss Monsters stretched before her, their sheer numbers overwhelming. These creatures were far more formidable than the ones that had attacked Natlan earlier, forcing Lumine to fight with considerable effort.
Some larger monsters required seven or eight ordinary Natlan warriors to merely restrain them!
Judging by the numbers, the monsters far outnumbered their defenders.
Without hesitation, Lumine crushed the flower Venti had given her and plunged into the monster swarm.
The more monsters I eliminate, the less pressure there will be on Natlan's forces.
Yet even as she fought with all her might, inflicting massive damage on the relentless tide, her impact on the overall battlefield remained limited.
-
In Chen Xiyao's live stream:
The screen shook violently, the explosive flashes of elemental power and the abyssal corruption's dark hues merging to nearly fill the entire frame.
Deafening roars, monstrous howls, and the battle cries and agonized screams of warriors poured clearly through the microphone.
Chen Xiyao herself hadn't spoken for a long time, her tense breathing the only sound audible.
Suddenly, a blinding golden lightning flashed across the screen. Lumine descended like a celestial deity, her sword clearing a vast swath of monsters in a single strike. Yet, almost instantly, more black shadows surged in to fill the void.
The chat went completely berserk, scrolling at an unreadable speed:
[ HOLY SHIT! THIS IS WHAT WAR ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE?! ]
[ HAS MIHOYO GONE INSANE?! THIS GRAPHICS! THIS NUMBER OF ENTITIES ON SCREEN! MY COMPUTER IS GOING TO EXPLODE! ]
[ AAAAAH! PRECIOUS LUMINE! SHE'S SO BADASS!!! THAT SWING WAS SO SATISFYING! ]
[ Satisfying? What satisfaction?! Look, they're never going to clear them all! There are just too many! ]
[ Holy crap! That Natlan warrior just got... (chat protected) ]
[ This blood and severed limbs... will this even pass censorship??? ]
[ This is too realistic... my palms are drenched in sweat... ]
[ Paimon's still screaming! She's driving me crazy! ]
[ How can they possibly win? This overwhelming numerical disadvantage is utterly hopeless... ]
[ @Heavenly Principles @Cryo Archon @Rex Lapis @Electro Archon! Help us! ]
[ I'm maxing out her constellations right now! Precious Lumine, slaughter them all! ]
-
On the battlefield, the monsters that had been surging toward one side suddenly shifted their frenzy toward another direction. Soon after, their agonizing shrieks echoed across the field.
Whoosh!
Dozens of dark-tinged ice pillars tore through the Monster Tide's ranks, carving a path through the chaos. Along this path, Angie led the Fatui Soldiers in a direct charge, bisecting the monster swarm's formation.
Razor-sharp ice spikes erupted from the ground, impaling Abyss Monsters one after another.
The Electro Hammer's massive hammer sent smaller monsters flying, only for the Anemo Boxer to yank them back with his wind fists, smashing them into the ground along with a swarm of smaller creatures.
The Fatui Soldiers displayed astonishing tactical prowess.
The Electro Hammer spearheaded the assault, blasting a path through the enemy ranks. The Anemo Boxer controlled the crowd, gathering monsters into tight clusters. The Pyro Gunner Skirmishers and Cryo Gunner Heavy Guards provided overlapping fire cover from the rear, while the Geo Skirmishers swiftly erected makeshift elemental barriers, granting the team brief moments to regroup and catch their breath.
Their intervention was like a red-hot blade slicing through grease, cleaving the surging Monster Tide in two and dramatically relieving the pressure on Natlan's frontline defenses.
Though all were part of the Fatui Vanguard, Angie knew firsthand that the troops under The Captain's command far surpassed those led by other Harbingers in both skill and discipline.
[For more details, refer to Natlan's Local Legend: Polychrome Tri-Stars.]
The Captain emerged after Angie, having shed his long robe. His presence radiated overwhelming dominance—unmatched, absolute dominance!
"All soldiers! Use every ounce of your strength to keep the Abyss out of the Stadium of the Sacred Flame!"
"Yes, sir!"
A resounding chorus of resolute roars echoed from all directions, Angie among them.
The Stadium of the Sacred Flame housed not only the wounded who had accumulated in recent days, but also many elderly, women, children, and refugees who had recently sought sanctuary. Most importantly, the Sacred Flame of Natlan still burned within its heart!
If the Sacred Flame were extinguished, even finding the final Hero or Ishkab's return would be futile.
The Captain understood this perfectly. After issuing his command, he transformed into an icy whirlwind and plunged into the thickest part of the battlefield.
He eschewed flashy elemental techniques. Every punch he threw, every step he took, carried the weight of extreme power and battlefield killing skills honed through relentless training.
His swordless left hand continuously conjured razor-sharp, unbreakable ice that exploded outward with each punch, effortlessly piercing the hard carapaces of monsters. Wherever he struck, shattered ice crystals and monster remains littered the ground.
Angie's combat style was savage, all-out offense. She believed that if she could kill her enemies before they could attack, defense would become irrelevant!
Ororon's arrows struck with the precision of lightning serpents, relentlessly picking off monsters attempting to breach the defensive line.
Yet the battlefield was ever-shifting. Just as he focused all his attention on sniping a massive Abyss Monster in the distance, the shadows beneath his feet suddenly writhed!
Several Riftwolves, previously concealed beneath the corpses of their fallen comrades, burst from the earth with a rancid gust, lunging at his unguarded lower body.
"Wh—!"
Ororon's pupils constricted, leaving him no time to draw his bow in his haste.
He leaped backward with all his might, desperately trying to summon an Electro Shield around himself, but he was a fraction of a second too slow.
One Riftwolf's claws tore viciously across his calf, sending searing pain through his body, while another lunged to bite his bow-wielding arm!
"Ugh... ah!"
He grunted hoarsely as the agonizing pain disrupted his Electro Elemental Energy, nearly causing him to drop his longbow.
At this critical moment, Angie charged forward, her longsword sweeping in a swift arc, sending the monsters plummeting down into the battlefield.
"Are you alright?!"
"I'm fine!" Ororon gritted his teeth, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead.
Angie stared at the wound still seeping black mist.
"Prohibition!"
With that, Angie crouched down and placed her hand on Ororon's calf. The black mist dissipated instantly, and she then used her Ice Elemental Power to freeze the blood in his leg. She repeated the process on the wound on his hand, and Ororon's expression instantly relaxed.
"Thank you, Grandma."
Pfft—!
Angie nearly choked on her own spit. Grandma?!
Wait, what have you been up to since we last saw each other? We were friends before! How did you suddenly start calling me 'Grandma'?!
Ororon didn't notice Angie's stunned expression, already fully focused on the battle. Angie decided to save her questions for later.
-
Though the Captain's clearing range was vast, watching his soldiers fall one by one only intensified the fury in his eyes.
Observing the endless tide of Abyss Monsters, the Captain knew that unless they struck at the source, this battle would be futile.
Yet no Abyss Realm Gate could be seen in the vicinity. After a brief moment of deliberation, the Captain turned his gaze toward the Pillar of Light piercing the heavens.