Golden House.
A man in polished leather shoes walked up the steps to the Golden House entrance, unhurriedly approaching the heavily injured Signora.
Signora, leaning against the gate, raised her head and then lowered it again: "No need to go in. The Exuvia of the Immortal Ancestor is fake. The Gnosis isn't here."
"Heh, I knew it. That one wouldn't fall so easily."
Even though the plan had basically failed, Pantalone showed no sign of disappointment.
Pantalone smiled as he looked at Signora: "Can you still get up?"
"If I want my injuries to heal slower, I can." Signora clutched her chest, expressionless.
That last slash in the storm used the back of the blade—whether out of mercy or for some other reason—so she was able to live to see Pantalone.
But even so, she would need a very long recovery time.
At least the next Gnosis wouldn't be her turn to act.
"Then I won't make things difficult for you." Pantalone turned and ordered the Fatui behind him, "Escort Signora back to the Northland Bank to rest."
The clerical staff of the Northland Bank complied and supported Signora as they left the Golden House. Pantalone led the rest inside.
Pantalone did not head straight to the underground area to find Tartaglia but went to the Exuvia of the Immortal Ancestor first.
Looking at the Exuvia of the Immortal Ancestor that Rex Lapis had meticulously prepared for the plan, a trace of fervor appeared in Pantalone's eyes. He reached out a hand and made a grasping motion toward the Exuvia.
From Pantalone's perspective, his palm perfectly held the Exuvia in his grasp.
"Using the entire Liyue as a chessboard, with all living beings as chess pieces—Rex Lapis, playing a one-man game, is it fun?"
"A match needs two people to be interesting!"
Pantalone withdrew his hand, his expression returning to calm, then led his subordinates to the underground of the Golden House and found Tartaglia, who was also resting.
"Looks like this time, you're running a losing business."
This was the first thing Tartaglia said upon seeing Pantalone.
"Doing business naturally means encountering days like this eventually." Pantalone maintained his elegant smile. "But as long as the final goal can be achieved, it's not a loss."
"Oh? You still have a way?"
Tartaglia looked up at the Exuvia of the Immortal Ancestor and said: "This Exuvia of the Immortal Ancestor is fake, the real Geo Archon is missing—who knows where. How are you going to get a Gnosis for Her Majesty?"
"Since we can't find it, then let the Geo Archon come out on his own."
Pantalone took out a stack of talismans from his cloak and handed them to Tartaglia.
"This is... the Hundred Taboos Forbidden Talisman." Tartaglia said as he took the Hundred Taboos Forbidden Talisman.
"Now Osial, even without external interference, will soon break the seal and appear on Yunlai Sea."
"The thoughts of Liyue's rulers are too obvious."
"Before Osial breaks the seal, eliminate his minions so that the unsealed Osial can only fight alone. Then gather all available forces to encircle and suppress the god."
"With Liyue's current strength, even without Rex Lapis and with the Sky Phoenix Marshal's power not yet recovered, dealing with one Osial isn't difficult."
Pantalone said with a slight smile as he opened his eyes: "But all of this的前提 is that Liyue can deal with all the monsters before Osial breaks the seal."
"Now Osial's seal only needs a little external force to shatter—this stack of Hundred Taboos Forbidden Talismans is enough." Tartaglia looked at the talismans in his hand and said, "You want to hold the entire Liyue hostage?"
"Heh, Rex Lapis won't just watch his subjects suffer casualties." After saying that, Pantalone turned with his people to leave.
"You're not going to take action yourself?"
"My target is Morax himself. And..." Pantalone paused, "I'm currently avoiding a dog-skin plaster right now."
"Uh..." Tartaglia silently watched Pantalone hurry away.
It was obvious someone was really chasing behind.
"Although, with my martial virtue, I don't really want to act against innocent civilians."
"But since it's for Her Majesty the Tsaritsa, it seems necessary for me to play the villain."
As Tartaglia spoke, he activated the Hundred Taboos Forbidden Talisman in his hand.
Countless talismans floated up, circling around Tartaglia's body.
"Let me see how Liyue, having lost its pillar, will deal with a god it once defeated."
Pantalone sensed the activity behind him, and the smile in his eyes gradually took on a touch of madness.
...
Yunlai Sea.
Cloud Retainer gathered the monsters together, and a flaming meteor incinerated them all to ashes.
"By the way, where are the Liyue Qixing and the Ziwei Star of Guili Assembly?" Cloud Retainer asked.
The battle had progressed to this point, and the Millelith had gradually gained the upper hand, but the human leaders from Liyue Harbor and Guili Assembly had yet to appear.
"Not sure, but I heard Ziwei took his deputy to activate the secret weapon against Osial."
Indarias removed his mask and adjusted his breathing as he spoke.
"Secret weapon? Ziwei went to ask the Lord to take action?" Cloud Retainer asked.
"Unlikely. Even I don't know where Morax is."
A mechanical verdant luan flew before Cloud Retainer and said: "And as for the Jade Chamber, because the two of us loaded too many mechanical creations on it, the flight speed dropped, and it still hasn't arrived."
"This Adeptus knew human creations couldn't be relied on. Whatever, whatever— this battle will end soon anyway. Whether they're here or not makes no difference."
Cloud Retainer said arrogantly.
As soon as the words fell, an anomaly appeared on the sea surface.
Massive whirlpools emerged one after another, constantly shredding the Millelith warships at sea, while the Red-Eyed Sea Dragons fighting the Adeptuses suddenly surged in momentum.
Their originally somewhat rational fighting style instantly became frenzied, and many were injured in this sudden turn.
"...Cloud Retainer, shut your jinx mouth!"
The mechanical verdant luan instantly raged.
"...Coincidence, coincidence..."
Cloud Retainer said awkwardly.
"This isn't a coincidence... Cloud Retainer, watch out!"
Guizhong was about to explain through the mechanical verdant luan what she had just sensed to Cloud Retainer when she saw a gigantic Red-Eyed Sea Dragon burst through the sea surface behind Cloud Retainer and Indarias.
Cloud Retainer and Indarias reacted quickly—one instantly donned his mask, the other condensed Anemo on her wings.
Both turned at the same time, ready to strike together.
However, someone was faster.
"Ah—"
A storm surged forth. A blonde girl in white foreign traveler attire descended from the sky with a white unidentified flying object.
The Dawn God's Sword wrapped in Geo energy slashed at the back of the Red-Eyed Sea Dragon's head—just once—and sent this gigantic monster crashing into the sea.
Lumine stood steadily on the ground—if one ignored the three furrows plowed into the ground beneath her.
The wind from that storm was truly powerful. Lumine even had to plant her sword in the ground to steady herself.
"...The matter at the Golden House is settled. I've come to join the battle."
Lumine looked toward Cloud Retainer, the mechanical verdant luan, and Indarias, her gaze finally stopping on the only one she recognized—Cloud Retainer.
"...What a unique way to make an entrance."
Under Lumine and Paimon's shocked gazes, the mechanical verdant luan spoke in Guizhong's voice.
"But you've come at just the right time. The current situation is very unfavorable."
Guizhong spoke calmly, stating a shocking fact: "Someone applied external force to the seal. Osial has now broken free."