Episode 187: The Time Loop Occurs Again, The Script Has Been Altered
『 ——" Phase runtime has exceeded its expected length. At this rate, there may be casualties! "——
——" But we can no longer accept all our efforts going to waste! "—— 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Oyama Mahiro (Onimai): "Casualties?" ]…
[ March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail): "No, it wouldn't be Ms. Dunyarzad, would it?" ]
[ Dunyarzad Homayani (Genshin Impact): "My, ending, then," ]
[ Kiana (Honkai: Impact Third): "No, that can't be, there must be a way." ]
[ .....]
『 "I heard it too just now! It wasn't an illusion, there was a 'beep' sound, it seemed to come from inside my HEAD!!" Dehya also claimed to have heard it, "We clearly removed the Akasha Terminal, didn't we?"
In a blink, before everyone's eyes, like a movie replay, scenes from the Sabzeruz Festival surged forth again.
In an instant, Lumine and Paimon found themselves once again standing before Nahida.
"I, I remember everything!" Paimon's eyes widened suddenly after a moment of realization.
That series of experiences just now vividly replayed in their minds; the familiar plot meant that their attempt had once again ended in failure.
And Nahida still wore that gentle smile, encouraging them as usual: "Very good, you adapted much faster this time than last."
Compared to "last time," they indeed integrated into the state faster after receiving the memories this time.
Lumine's expression was solemn as she slowly asked, "Then what happened last night at the very end…"
The conclusion of last night, everything became even more elusive, full of mysteries.
Paimon unceremoniously threw out the question:
"Yeah, we did take off the Akasha Terminal yesterday, but how could we inexplicably hear its sound again later? What exactly is going on?"…
Lumine's single sentence hit the nail on the head:
"It seems we only thought we took off the Akasha Terminal; in reality, it never left us?"
"In that case, one thing is certain: we're trapped on the same day and can't get out, and the culprit is this Akasha Terminal!" 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Tighnari (Genshin Impact): "Could this be in a dream? No, Sumeru people don't dream, it's been hundreds of years, it can't be the Grand Sage's plan," ]
[ .....]
『 Paimon on the screen became confused again after hearing this sentence:
"But, if the Akasha is trying to steal everyone's wisdom, then what exactly caused the current situation?"
At this moment, Nahida leisurely offered a metaphor:
"It's quite difficult for the little mice on the experiment table to understand why they are being treated this way."
How could the little mice in the lab have the right to understand the reasons behind the experiment?
Paimon's eyes lit up, her inner curious child taking over:
"You mean, we've become the little mice in the experiment? What about you, Nahida? Why are you hiding and not revealing your true self?"
For so long, the two had no idea of the exact identity of this mysterious Nahida.
She seems so familiar with us and knows so much,
Her background must be significant, right? 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Looking at us in the Lightscreen, we're so silly, we can't even tell Nahida's identity as a god." ]
[ Nahida (Genshin Impact): "Hehe, that's a very normal situation, I suppose." ]
[ .....]
『 "If you put it that way, I'm probably like the moon." Facing Paimon's continuous questions, Nahida vaguely described her identity.
"The moon?" Paimon seemed to recall a fragment from a divination: "Wasn't that the result we divined?" 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Kimiya (Genshin Impact): "God of Wisdom, please let the revelations of divination illuminate our path like a beacon!" ]
[ Kimiya (Genshin Impact): "I'm confident in this divination, it won't be wrong!" ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Oh, you just flipped through a book." ]
[ Kimiya (Genshin Impact): "..." ]
[ Kaeya (Genshin Impact): "If Nahida symbolizes the high-hanging bright moon, then our little Klee in Mondstadt is the one hailed as the runaway sun, right?" ]
[ Klee (Genshin Impact): "Big Brother Kaeya, are you talking about Klee?" ]
[ Albedo (Overlord): "Kaeya is praising your cuteness." ]
[ Kaeya (Genshin Impact): "That's right, Klee is the cutest treasure in the world." ]
[ Klee (Genshin Impact): "Thank you, Big Brother Kaeya! Want to go blast some fish with Klee?" ]
[ Jean (Genshin Impact): "Albedo, you need to keep a close eye…" ]
[ Albedo (Overlord): "Leave it to me, rest assured." ]
[ .....]
『 "Hmm, even knowing who I am won't help much in solving the mystery." Nahida gently refused their inquiry: "You two should focus on other things for now."
At this moment, she had not revealed her true self.
She just wanted Lumine and Paimon to continue looking for new clues.
"Alright, yesterday we asked Dehya for help. How about we meet up with her again today?" Little Paimon suggested.
"Let me think, at this time, the kidnappers should be appearing soon, right?"
Having slept a little late, time had quietly passed to the moment Dehya was fighting the kidnappers.
The two immediately set off for the small house, hoping to meet Dehya, who had greatly helped them before, again.
By the time they arrived, Dehya's battle had already ended.
"So you two are here. I've already dealt with the kidnappers." Dehya, holding her greatsword, wiped away sweat and said casually, "My lady, did you get hurt?"
Lumine carefully observed Dehya as she approached, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes: "No, something feels off this time."
Dehya, who had just finished fighting, was exceptionally skilled with her new greatsword.
At the end of the last battle, her arm was injured from the fight.
But this time, her arm was clean and unblemished, showing no scars at all.
Paimon, also noticing the anomaly, her eyes suddenly lit up.
"Huh? Dehya, you!?…"
Dehya, who was resting, was drawn by their actions and turned to them curiously, looking puzzled:
"What's wrong with you two? Why are you staring at me like that?"
The two had disappeared for a long time,
And suddenly appeared and stared straight at her?
Could it be that she made a mistake during the battle? 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Dehya (Genshin Impact): "This time, no injuries?" ]
[ Dehya (Genshin Impact): "Could this be the last time?" ]
[ Xingqiu (Genshin Impact): "I don't think so." ]
[ Beidou (Genshin Impact): "It's probably from using the new greatsword too many times; she's gotten used to it." ]
[ .....]
『 As her thoughts drifted, Paimon finally couldn't hold back her curiosity and blurted out, "Hey, why are you completely unharmed this time?"
"Huh?" This sudden question startled Dehya, and she quickly checked herself, "What do you mean by that? This time? Is there another time? Do I have to get injured? Those were just some incompetent bandits."
Dehya's eyes were full of doubt; as the Blazing Lioness, dealing with these low-level mercenaries should be effortless, shouldn't it?
"But it's strange, your newly replaced greatsword shouldn't be easy to use, right? Normally, you should have suffered some minor injuries." Paimon stared at the greatsword in Dehya's hand, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
To ensure the smooth running of the Sabzeruz Festival, Dehya resolutely sold her old greatsword to raise funds.
Thus, the new greatsword would naturally not feel comfortable immediately.
From past experience, every time Dehya switched to a new weapon, she would inevitably suffer some minor injuries due to the uncomfortable feel.
But the situation Paimon mentioned was another mystery to Dehya.
"Shh!" Dehya quickly interrupted the two who wanted to continue discussing, lowering her voice, "How did you know about my greatsword? I haven't told anyone about it. Please don't tell Miss Dunyarzad!"
She had intended to quietly provide some support, but unexpectedly, this secret was inadvertently revealed by the two.
How could this surprise not be baffling?
However, what was an ordinary action for Dehya held a different meaning in Lumine and Paimon's eyes.
"It seems Dehya's memory still hasn't recovered this time."
Thanks to Nahida's power, the two could retrieve lost memories, thus realizing that others were indeed still trapped in oblivion.
"Did you notice anything particularly unusual during that battle?" Lumine still didn't give up, pressing on.
"Did you feel anything strange during the battle?"
"Huh? Are you talking about a strange feeling?" Dehya pondered for a moment, her gaze turning to the greatsword in her hand, with a hint of confusion:
"If I had to say, you might have noticed that I've switched to a new greatsword."
"But for some reason, this new one feels exceptionally comfortable to use."
"It feels like I've fought countless battles alongside it, even though logically this is my first time using it—at least, that's what I remember."
Paimon, hearing this, became curious and asked in return: "Although you don't remember fighting with this sword, your body seems to have retained the combat experience. Is that the feeling?"
"Precisely." Dehya nodded solemnly, "Whether mercenary or warrior, body memory is the most crucial; merely remembering moves in your head is just for show." 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Beidou (Genshin Impact): "Miss Dehya is already very skilled with this new greatsword, even though she's only fought a few small kidnappers." ]
[ Beidou (Genshin Impact): "This requires a lot of practice, especially with a new weapon." ]
[ Xingqiu (Genshin Impact): "Does this outcome mean that after this time, we can return to the real world?" ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Dunyarzad is saved!" ]
[ Dunyarzad Homayani (Genshin Impact): "….." ]
[ .....]
『 Paimon, hearing this, turned to Lumine: "Traveler, what do you think about this?"
"Could it be because we removed the Akasha Terminal last night? This is the first time such a change has occurred?" Lumine guessed that all these changes might be related to their removing the Akasha Terminal from their ears.
"Hmm, I feel like I've seen a glimmer of hope," Paimon said with a touch of melancholy.
They were so close to breaking the cycle, hope was within reach, but reality slapped them hard; everything seemed to be reset, completely changed.
However, this sudden twist gave Lumine a novel idea.
"Don't you think, maybe we've already escaped that strange loop?"
"Oh! Before, in the Sabzeruz Festival loop, how could there be any major changes?" Paimon's face also broke into a brilliant smile upon hearing this.
With this thought, Lumine and Paimon began to eagerly anticipate the end of this day.
"Alright, let's patiently wait until today ends, and perhaps the mystery will be revealed."
Only when this day truly passed could they determine if they had really escaped their predicament.
If they still woke up from that memory, it would only mean they were still trapped in the endless loop of the Sabzeruz Festival.
But their actions made Dehya, not far away, feel very strange.
She glanced at Dehya and said worriedly, "Although I don't quite understand what you're whispering about, but..."
Before Dehya could finish speaking, clever little Paimon quickly helped her finish the sentence.
"But the danger hasn't passed, right? So you want us to take Dunyarzad to rest over there, and you'll go investigate if those kidnappers have accomplices, right?"
Little Paimon suddenly revealed her thoughts, which surprised Dehya.
"How did you know what I wanted to say? Is it… mind-reading?" 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Dehya's expression is also the same as Faris before." ]
[ Dehya (Genshin Impact): "No choice, anyone would think that way." ]
[ Faris (Genshin Impact): "+ 1" ]
[ .....]
『 To this question, Paimon mischievously winked and did not answer.
"Alright, alright, you go do your thing, leave this to us."
Despite being full of questions, Dehya decided to temporarily put aside her doubts and proceed with her plan to investigate the surroundings.
After all, these Travelers were indeed a bit unusual today, but no matter what, she chose to trust them.
As time quietly passed, Lumine and Paimon continued to accompany Dunyarzad by the roadside, enjoying this moment of tranquility.
Subsequently, they headed to the bustling Grand Bazaar to look for Nilou, but unexpectedly witnessed the Grand Sage's mischievous behavior again.
It wasn't until Dunyarzad reluctantly left that the two slowly returned to the familiar small house, finally stopping before Nahida.
"Phew… It's finally night, aside from that one thing, nothing else seems to have changed today." Although Paimon was full of doubts, she still chose to share the day's experiences with Nahida, especially that extraordinary discovery.
"Nahida, you have to hear this, we encountered something super weird today!"
"Normally, Dehya would get injured every time she chased away bandits, but today she was completely unharmed. Isn't that strange?"
"Do you think this could be a sign that the Sabzeruz Festival loop is about to end? Is Dehya about to have a turning point?"
Paimon gazed at Nahida expectantly, her anticipation overflowing.
"Oh? Have you made such a discovery this time? Very good, very good, in that case, you two should rest well today." Nahida did not give a clear answer to this sudden discovery, only gently suggested they rest.
However, this response left Paimon utterly confused.
"Hey? What kind of answer is that, so ambiguous!"
To this, Nahida parted her cherry lips, uttering a profound statement:
"Tomorrow will come, this is common knowledge for everyone. But whether tomorrow will truly come, only the you of tomorrow will know."
"How many times has today passed? After today, is there a possibility that it was yesterday? Has the word 'tomorrow' always been a fabricated concept?"….
"Or perhaps, the entire world is false, and the history of this continent is a long Sabzeruz Festival?"
Nahida's words were like the brightest star in the night sky, inviting contemplation, yet distant and unreachable.
"Alright, alright, don't say anything more, my head is already suffering enough." Little Paimon quickly stopped Nahida, who was still eager to speak: "If I listen any longer, I'm afraid I'll just faint at Dunyarzad's feet."
For her, a little one whose brain capacity was not abundant, so much information was pouring in all at once, it was simply a brainstorm, and the pain index soared.
Faced with this indigestible information, little Paimon adhered to the life philosophy of "if you don't understand, just put it aside."
Unwilling to let her little head suffer any more.
And Lumine, who was standing by, after hearing little Paimon's words,
The expression on her face subtly changed, from an initial gentle smile to a hint of imperceptible disdain, but quickly returned to normal.
After all, having been together for so long, they thoroughly understood each other's temperaments.
"Hehehe! So, tomorrow's matters will be known tomorrow, don't bother thinking about tomorrow's matters today, it will only be a meaningless consumption of brainpower."
Just as the two were immersed in their own thoughts, Nahida suddenly threw out an unexpected remark, "Rest well, perhaps go to the restroom for a good, satisfying pee or something?" 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Xingqiu (Genshin Impact): "Is this the wisdom of the God of Wisdom?" ]
[ Xingqiu (Genshin Impact): "What kind of statement is that?" ]
[ Nahida (Genshin Impact): "Is there a problem with that?" ]
[ Nahida (Genshin Impact): "Isn't going to the restroom very refreshing?" ]
[ Umaru Doma (Himouto): "It is comfortable, yes, but saying that at this moment might not be normal." ]
[ .....]