Mavuika steadied herself with Xilonen's help. "Xilonen, everyone, quickly retreat to the Stadium of the Sacred Flame to avoid unnecessary sacrifices!"
Seeing the Pyro Archon and the Captain both giving the order, Mualani, Iansan, and the others swiftly moved into action. Thanks to Nahida's earlier healing, everyone was still able to move.
"Everyone, retreat to the Arena!" Iansan shouted, then sprinted to other locations to spread the word.
Angie pulled the Captain out of the crater and immediately directed all Fatui forces to the Stadium of the Sacred Flame.
Just then, La Signora, The Knave, The Damselette, and The Marionette finally arrived, only to be immediately ushered toward the Stadium.
The four Harbingers wore bewildered expressions. Weren't they here for a battle?
They soon noticed the heavily injured Captain and Pyro Archon amidst the crowd, as well as the Traveler, who looked unscathed but was covered head-to-toe in mud.
Sandrone: "Captain? Who did this to you?"
Columbina: "You're badly injured. You need to rest properly."
Arlecchino: "Is this related to the Doctor you were looking for earlier?"
The Captain: "Our enemy's power surpasses even the gods. The Hydro Dragon Sovereign of Fontaine, Her Majesty the Tsaritsa, the Electro Archon of Inazuma, and the Lesser Lord Kusanali of Sumeru joined forces, yet they still fell into a disadvantage..."
"What?!" Sandrone's voice rose sharply. Such a formidable alliance being forced into retreat?!
The Captain: "The enemy's body is flesh and blood, but its head is a mechanical construct. We found a unique mark belonging to Dottore on its head."
The Captain's words struck like icy daggers, piercing the ears of everyone present.
A deathly silence fell over the scene, broken only by the distant rumbling of the battlefield and the heavy breathing of those present.
Lumine froze, stiffly turning to look at the Captain.
A flesh-and-blood body, a mechanical head...
A monster created by the Doctor!
Paimon seemed to realize something as well, turning to lock eyes with Lumine. In each other's gaze, they saw the same answer: Chu Xi!
Chu Xi had once been subjected to the Doctor's experiments, her body almost entirely replaced, leaving only her head truly her own...
After Chu Xi's disappearance, Lumine had suspected her body might be in the Doctor's hands, and that he would likely use it for experiments. But she never imagined he would be so brazen!
Even with only her head remaining, Chu Xi had been able to decisively defeat Rukkhadevata after being corrupted. How powerful would this complete body be?!
Damn it!
Lumine's breath caught in her throat, her blood seeming to freeze instantly.
A bone-chilling cold gripped her, instantly transforming into a rage that burned away all reason.
This wasn't the frustration of defeat, but the deepest revulsion and fury at the desecration of life, at her friend's body being turned into a weapon of slaughter, and at Dottore for unleashing such a catastrophic threat!
-
After a brief silence, Rosalyne erupted first.
The icy aura surrounding her sharpened abruptly, as if freezing the very air. Her ice-blue eyes blazed with fury, yet the flames burned cold.
"Dottore... that arrogant madman!"
Her voice trembled with rage, each word squeezed out like ice from a frozen cellar. "He'll never learn to be satisfied! He always believes his intellect surpasses all rules and dangers! He toys with forces he can't possibly control!"
"And now look what he's done! He's created a monster that can tear apart even the gods! It's absurd! It's tragic! It's unforgivable!"
Arlecchino's expression remained cold and resolute, but her gaze sharpened like a blade.
Calmly analyzing the situation, her voice steady yet carrying an unmistakable chill, she said, "This wasn't an accident, but an inevitable consequence. His self-dissection and creation of 'segments' stemmed from a pathological pursuit of 'perfection' and 'omniscience'."
"Each successful experiment only fed his arrogance, eroding his reverence for power. He treated the Abyss as a tool to be dissected and manipulated, forgetting its true nature—an all-consuming void. Losing control was always the predetermined outcome."
Arlecchino paused, noticing Lumine's grim expression. She turned to The Captain and the others, her voice resolute as steel: "We must find him. No matter which segment he's hiding in now, he will pay for this catastrophic disaster."
Lumine now understood why Dottore had warned her she would regret it. His demeanor had been odd at the time, and in hindsight, he must have already known the monster he created had gone out of control.
Just as Dottore had predicted, a sliver of regret stirred within Lumine's heart.
But it was only a sliver. She and Rukkhadevata had discussed the bodies shaped by Forbidden Knowledge—such things, once fully unleashed, were nearly impossible to contain.
Lumine doubted even the Doctor himself could control it now.
Columbina spoke softly, her voice ethereal and carrying a prophetic weight:
"...A discordant symphony... will ultimately devour its composer... He reveled in conducting his overture of destruction, yet failed to hear... the death knell tolling for him, echoing throughout time..."
Sandrone sat on the palm of the colossal automaton Pulonia, swinging her legs. A faint smile, tinged with both mockery and a hint of "I knew it," played on her lips.
"Heh... looks like our dear 'Doctor' has finally overplayed his hand this time. Always boasting about how his creations surpass even divine craftsmanship, and what's the result? The very things he created have now made him their primary target for elimination. How... ironic."
She tilted her head, gazing toward the source of the terrifying energy in the distance. "Still, to have disrupted the 'script' to this extent is a kind of twisted 'talent,' even if... it's a destructive one."
The Doctor's colleagues had all offered their evaluations, all converging on the same inescapable truth:
Dottore's incurable arrogance and hubris had unleashed a cataclysmic disaster threatening all of Teyvat.
His creations had become the most terrifying enemy everyone—including himself—now had to face.
Regardless of the outcome of this battle, Dottore would inevitably pay the price. And that price... would be his life!
-
After a moment of contemplation, Lumine finally slipped away from the crowd, unnoticed, and left the Stadium of the Sacred Flame.
"Lumine, where are you going?"
Others might not have noticed, but Paimon had been watching Lumine intently. The moment Lumine left, she immediately followed.
"Paimon, stay here. I need to go check something out. That monster is too dangerous. I can protect myself, but I might not be able to protect you."
Paimon tilted her small head, surprisingly not protesting or making a fuss.
"Okay, Lumine. Be careful."
"Mm-hmm." Lumine turned and strode away resolutely.
Paimon obediently waited where she was. Once Lumine was far enough away, she changed direction and followed at a distance.