Frost still hung heavy in the air, and the biting mist lingered. Several figures emerged from behind the icy curtain, their footsteps crunching across the frozen path.
Leading the charge was an old acquaintance, the Harbinger Tartaglia, almost sprinting ahead, several paces ahead of the rest.
Tartaglia gripped a spear formed from fused Hydro Element daggers, smashing through frozen monsters as he advanced.
Though he attacked the frozen monsters, his eyes darted about incessantly, his worry barely concealed as he frantically searched the battlefield for a particular figure.
Behind Tartaglia:
The Harbinger Columbina floated with her eyes closed, her ethereal melody clashing sharply with the surrounding carnage, yet strangely soothing.
It was as if she were bidding farewell to the heroic souls buried on this battlefield...
Beside her, "The Marionette" Sandrone sat on the giant automaton Pulonia's hand, her cold gaze sweeping the surroundings as his creations' arms glowed with a dangerous radiance.
"The Knave" Arlecchino's Cleansing Fire danced in her hand, efficiently "pruning" the shattered remains of ice sculptures with a grim expression.
"La Signora" Rosalyne moved swiftly, still wreathed in lingering icy cold and faint embers, her cold, beautiful face tinged with sorrow.
Slightly behind them stood "The Doctor" Dottore.
His head was bowed, his bird-beaked mask concealing his expression. Utterly indifferent to his surroundings, he emanated a disquieting stillness that sharply contrasted with the other Harbingers.
Every Fatui Harbinger was present—except for "The Captain," who was still engaged in battle, "The Rooster" and "The Regrator," who were absent, and "Scaramouche," who had effectively ceased to exist.
-
The Fatui Harbingers' sudden and complete reappearance at this moment stunned Lumine, and the players in the live stream were equally stunned.
["It's the Lord Harbingers!!"]
["Seeing them all together, The Puppet is HUGE!"]
["Wow, we finally get to see La Signora again! I really like her!"]
["Wait... the last time all the Harbingers appeared together was... Oh shit, I almost forgot—it was at Angie's funeral!"]
["Is Angie really going to die here? No way!"]
["With so many powerful figures here—Gods, Dragon Sovereigns... can't they save Angie?"]
-
Natlan Battlefield.
Tartaglia noticed Lumine and quickly rushed over.
"Traveler, have you seen Angie? Where is she?" Tartaglia's voice was urgent, his anxiety palpable.
Lumine pointed behind her. Without another word, Tartaglia dashed off in the direction she indicated, moving with incredible speed.
The other Harbingers also spotted Lumine. Among them were two she didn't recognize: "The Damselette" and "The Marionette."
Arlecchino approached Lumine and nodded curtly.
Lumine had maintained a good relationship with "The Knave" Arlecchino. Though she had clashed with "La Signora" Rosalyne in the past, she let bygones be bygones after Angie rescued her.
"Arlecchino ," Paimon asked, her tear-stained face dry now that Childe had left. "Are you here to help Natlan?"
"By order of Her Majesty the Tsaritsa, all Harbingers have been deployed to assist Natlan," Arlecchino replied.
"If not for Her Majesty's orders, I wouldn't deign to work with these people!" Rosalyne snapped.
Being dragged all the way from Snezhnaya to Natlan by the Tsaritsa... this is truly...
Paimon had gone off to chat with "The Knave" and "La Signora," but Lumine had no intention of joining them. Her eyes remained fixed on "The Doctor," who was walking at the rear of the group, her hatred almost solidifying into a tangible force.
If Lumine had to name the person she most wanted to kill right now, it would undoubtedly be "The Doctor" Dottore.
If not for Dottore, Chu Xi wouldn't have been transformed into what she was now. If Chu Xi hadn't been transformed, she wouldn't have lost control or been possessed by Forbidden Knowledge, becoming the monster she was today.
Chu Xi's current state was entirely Dottore's doing!
"Doctor... Dottore..."
Lumine gritted her teeth, spitting out Dottore's name one word at a time. The Unrelenting Will in her hand began to tremble slightly.
Seeing this, Sandrone distanced herself from Dottore, even pulling "The Damselette" aside. They didn't leave entirely, however, choosing to remain nearby and observe the impending confrontation.
"Hmm?"
Dottore raised his eyes to meet Lumine's gaze. He didn't know the final outcome of the segment of consciousness controlling Chu Xi, but since no news had arrived from that front, it seemed the plan wasn't proceeding smoothly.
He understood the Traveler's hatred for him, but now he had no time to dwell on such matters. He needed to reach the Umbral Scion ahead of schedule and attempt a retrieval.
Faced with the Doctor, Lumine finally struck.
She couldn't suppress the seething fury that erupted within her. Now that she had found him, this segment of the Doctor had to die!
The Doctor hadn't anticipated Lumine's decisive strike, nor had he expected her to possess such formidable power.
With a single collision, Lumine kicked the Doctor's segment flying. It crashed through over a dozen frozen Abyss Monsters before finally coming to a halt.
"Cough~"
The Doctor spat out a mouthful of blood. As he looked up, he saw a golden sword light slashing down at him. Without a moment to think, he dodged to the right.
The commotion quickly drew the attention of "The Knave" Arlecchino and La Signora. Both turned to witness the scene, their initial surprise quickly giving way to detached amusement. They chose to remain spectators.
Paimon clenched her tiny fists in indignation, cheering Lumine on!
Meanwhile, Columbina's lips moved slightly, but she ultimately remained silent.
Sandrome watched with keen interest, even entertaining the idea of joining in—yes, joining Lumine to thoroughly beat down the Doctor.
-
The Doctor had just regained his footing when Lumine, gripping the Unrelenting Will with both hands, slashed down with a ferocious strike.
A brilliant golden light enveloped the Doctor, who could only roar in fury as he was engulfed by the attack:
"Damn you! You'll regret this!"
Knowing escape was impossible, the Doctor's final gaze wasn't directed at Lumine, but beyond her—toward where he sensed the Umbral Scion lurking. There! She's right there!
Damn it! The other segments are too far away to reach in time. And now the only one who made it is about to be destroyed...
Damn you, Traveler!!
Consumed by bitter resentment, the Doctor's body melted away under Lumine's strike.
Sensing the complete dissipation of the Doctor's life force, Lumine finally felt the suffocating weight on her chest ease slightly.
Beside her, Rosalyne's face stiffened, her icy blue eyes widening in disbelief. Though she had lost her earlier clash with Lumine, she had never been so utterly crushed!
In her current state, if she were to face the Traveler again, she wouldn't even be able to withstand a single strike!
This rate of growth was utterly terrifying!
Arlecchino's gaze narrowed slightly as she calmly assessed the power of the sword strike, her Cleansing Fire momentarily faltering.
Sandrone, perched atop the colossal automaton, nearly applauded her "temporary ally," her face radiating undisguised schadenfreude.