Itto lowered his head deeply as he finished speaking.
Yuna's Mom, who had been comforting him just moments before, collapsed in front of him the instant she heard the news.
"You... you're joking, right?"
Itto pressed his head even lower, his silence answering her question.
Pain enveloped him completely. His heart felt as if it were being torn apart a thousand times, each wound bringing an unbearable, soul-searing agony.
"You... you..."
Yuna's Mom couldn't speak, utterly unable to accept this sudden, devastating news.
"What did you say?!"
Yuna's Dad roared, rushing forward to grab Itto by the collar. But Itto's upper body was already stripped bare. He forcibly yanked Itto's head up, glaring intently into his face.
Itto averted his gaze, unable to meet Yuna's Dad's furious stare.
"Tell me clearly, boy! What happened to my daughter?"
"Little Yuna... she was... killed by the Abyss!"
Itto repeated the words, his voice clear enough for everyone in the courtyard to hear.
The light in Yuna's Dad's eyes vanished instantly. Broken sobs choked his throat, his shoulders heaving violently with each sob.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
Itto frantically apologized, a grown man crying so hard tears streamed down his face.
Yuna's Mom, already frail, was curled into a ball from the extreme grief. Her hysterical sobs shook her chest, causing her pain.
Kuki Miyuki's chest was already soaked with tears. She knelt beside her mother, trying to soothe her breathing, but her heart had long been overwhelmed by despair.
"Where is she?! Where's my daughter?!" Yuna's Dad roared at Itto, startling him.
"Little Yuna's remains are at the Arataki Gang..." Itto stammered.
Yuna's Mom struggled to her feet with her eldest daughter's help. Supported by Yuna's Dad and Kuki Miyuki, she hurried toward the door.
Itto scrambled to his feet as he jogged after the three figures ahead.
Itto dared not run too fast, keeping several steps behind Yuna's parents.
The state of emergency in Inazuma City hadn't been lifted, and few people were out on the streets.
-
Player World
Every image of Yuna's remains was shrouded in blinding light, making it impossible to see clearly.
However, the accompanying text provided a stark explanation.
The text left players reeling, and Mihoyo's official website once again crumbled under the backlash.
This time, Mihoyo didn't play dead. They issued a statement:
[Due to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control, the storyline of Genshin Impact cannot be altered. We appreciate your understanding. Additionally, the Genshin Impact development team has relocated from Mihoyo's corporate headquarters. We urge players to direct their actions toward the proper target and avoid harming innocent parties.]
This message only intensified the players' fury, unleashing an even more relentless torrent of vitriol.
-
Arataki Gang Headquarters.
Yae Miko had arrived, along with Thoma, who had come to see the Young Miss, and Sayu, remarkably awake.
Everyone remained silent, suppressing their grief and tears, unwilling to disrupt the solemn atmosphere.
Mamoru and his two companions had cried themselves weary, now sitting listlessly on the ground, tears still streaming down their faces.
Kuki Shinobu was still struggling with how to tell her parents about her sister when she suddenly heard frantic shouts in the distance. Her heart lurched.
Yuna's Mom and Dad, along with Big Sister, rushed over, panting heavily and weeping as they ran.
Everyone parted to make way for them.
"Mom..."
Slap!
Since Shinobu had been old enough to understand, her mother had rarely struck her. Even when Little Yuna, the youngest and most mischievous, misbehaved, her mother had only ever scolded her verbally. But now, driven to fury by grief, she lashed out.
Her youngest daughter was dead, and Shinobu had tried to hide it from them!
Not letting Yuna come home, leaving her with that damned Arataki Gang—had that gang really become everything to her?!
The slap was slow and weak. Shinobu didn't flinch, nor would she ever.
In fact, she wished her mother would hit her more, hoping the physical pain might somehow ease the ache in her heart.
The faint sting on her cheek jolted Shinobu's frozen mind back to life, just a little.
Big Sister Kuki Miyuki, seeing her Second Sister's distress, gently touched her face before rushing with Mom and Dad toward the figure covered by a white sheet in the center of the room.
As Dad reached out to lift the sheet, Kuki Shinobu instinctively moved to stop him. But she froze...
Shinobu knew she couldn't stop them; Mom and Dad had the right to know. She watched her mother anxiously, fearing she wouldn't be able to bear the sight.
The moment Yuna's Dad lifted the sheet, the terror, anguish, and despair etched on Yuna's face were laid bare before everyone present.
Yuna's Dad flinched violently, stumbled backward several steps, and gasped for breath.
Yuna's Mom's mouth gaped open, tears surging forth uncontrollably. She nearly choked on her own sobs.
Yumemizuki Mizuki rushed to her side, struggling to stabilize her mother's emotions.
The grieving mother pressed her face against her daughter's cheek, her right hand gently stroking Yuna's eyelids, and broke down into wrenching sobs.
What had her precious Yuna endured before her death, to wear such an expression?
Astonishingly, Yuna's eyes, which had remained stubbornly half-open, gently closed beneath her mother's soothing touch.
The room filled with renewed sobs.
Yoimiya, Ayaka, and the others, who hadn't seen Yuna's face before, were equally horrified, unable to contain their grief.
-
In the live stream chat:
[Ugh, Yuna... I feel like I won't be able to get over this for months.]
[I'm such a masochist. I know Mihoyo's stories are brutal, but I still play them! The more painful it is, the more I want to play!]
[Yuna finally found peace in death. Was it because of her mother?]
[A mother's embrace is always the warmest, no matter where you are.]
[Despair, agony, terror... What the hell did that damned black-robed figure do to my Little Yuna?!]
[Ugh, she wasn't sacrificed alive, was she? If so, that bastard died way too quickly!]
[Damn it, Genshin Impact is getting more and more popular lately. They treat players like trash, yet so many people willingly flock to be abused.]
[Heh, aren't you one of them, upstairs?]
[What can you do? The scale is so grand, the character models are so stunning!]
-
Chu Xi's emotions had stabilized considerably. She sat silently to one side, not speaking to anyone.
"General!"
"Lady Raiden Shogun!"
Ei approached, and the crowd parted to make way for her.
She slowly walked behind Yuna's Mom and placed a hand on her shoulder.
Yuna's Mom turned, saw the Raiden Shogun, hastily wiped the tears from her eyes, and stood up.
The Kuki family was a lineage of miko. In her youth, Yuna's Mom had served as a miko at the Grand Narukami Shrine, her loyalty to Inazuma and the Shogun absolute.
Ei softened her voice, saying, "Yuna's constitution is extraordinary. This Abyss invasion of Inazuma targeted her specifically. I will remember this grievance and personally avenge her in due time."
Yuna's Mom offered a grateful bow.
Lumine and Paimon moved closer, completely unaware that Chu Xi had vanished.