Near the waters outside Liyue Harbor
The Crux FleetThe Alcor
The flagship of the Crux Fleet, the Alcor, commanded by Captain Beidou.
The Alcor roamed freely across the seas, capable of sailing even through unrestrained thunderstorms. When not at sea, it was often anchored near Guyun Stone Forest.
"Hey! Boss! We're almost at Liyue Harbor!"
From the crow's nest, Xu Liushi, a sailor, lowered his spyglass after spotting the outline of Liyue Harbor and shouted down to the deck.
"Well done! Brothers, push a little harder—we're almost there!"
Beidou stood at the bow of the Alcor, issuing commands to her crew. Afterward, she quietly gazed toward Liyue Harbor—her place of birth.
In past years, the Crux Fleet was often out at sea during the Lantern Rite, missing the festivities and fireworks entirely.
This time, she had deliberately returned early—not only to give her crew a chance to rest, but also to finally enjoy the Lantern Rite celebrations herself.
"Once we dock at Liyue Harbor, food, and drink for today and tomorrow are on me!"
Beidou threw her head back and laughed heartily, her voice bold and carefree.
Her personality alone had once made countless admirers utterly helpless—after all, few could resist a woman this cool.
"Woo!!!"
"Long live the Captain!"
"Move it, everyone!"
Hearing that Beidou was treating them, sailors like Haisheng and Furong were instantly fired up. After spending so long at sea, they were determined to eat their fill once ashore.
Ginkgo, the ship's medic, nodded happily as well. Returning to Liyue meant restocking medical supplies—and perhaps taking Xiaoyue to visit that little girl again. Xiaoyue must already be excited.
Of course, not everyone was celebrating.
A woman named Qianyan'er, the fleet's accountant, covered her face—whether laughing or crying was unclear.
The Captain was at it again! Even if their voyages were profitable, this kind of spending would ruin them sooner or later!
"Hahaha! Looks like the Captain's wallet is going to suffer this time," Zhongzuo, the first mate, laughed as he walked up beside Beidou with his arms crossed.
"Oh? Want to take over the bill yourself?" Beidou rested a hand on her hip, smirking. "I wouldn't mind."
"Ah—uh—" Zhongzuo scratched the back of his head awkwardly."If I had that kind of money, I'd buy hundreds of crates of fine wine and store them on the ship."
"Careful—you're starting to sound like Qianyan'er," Beidou said, patting him on the back.
Qianyan'er (Accountant): This fleet is going to go bankrupt one day…
The Crux Fleet was always energetic, and today was no exception.
However, that lively atmosphere was abruptly interrupted by an unwelcome presence.
Having spent so many years at sea, Beidou was extremely sensitive to changes in weather—and to danger beneath the waves.
The previously clear sky suddenly darkened. Storm clouds gathered, rain began to pour, and massive waves rolled across the once-calm sea.
"Everyone! Full speed ahead—dock immediately! Something's wrong!"
Beidou's brow furrowed deeply as she barked orders.
Her crew had followed her across countless seas; they, too, sensed the disturbance beneath the water.
"Another intruder…?" Beidou narrowed her eyes.She needed to reach shore quickly and warn Ningguang.
---
Liyue Harbor
The people of Liyue—and its leadership—soon noticed something was amiss.
A sudden downpour without warning was hardly a good omen.
The bustling streets quickly emptied as citizens retreated indoors or sought shelter under eaves.
---
Wanmin Restaurant
Chef Mao looked out at the storm and frowned slightly before turning to the diners inside.
"This weather looks bad."
He was familiar with these customers—they came almost every day—so casual conversation came naturally.
"A clear sky turning into rain like this… I left my clothes hanging outside!" complained a young man gnawing on a chicken leg, oblivious to any danger.
"Could it be some kind of evil spirit?" a middle-aged man muttered uneasily.
"Oh, come on," the younger man waved him off.
"This is Liyue Harbor—we have the protection of the Geo Archon. Who'd dare cause trouble here?"
"…Let's hope so."
"Granny Jiangshi, what do you think?" Mao asked, turning to an elderly woman with snow-white hair.
Granny Jiangshi was a regular at Wanmin Restaurant. It had been here even when she was a child—though the one standing behind the counter back then wasn't Mao.
"A sky that shows no sign of rain suddenly pouring like this…" she said gravely.
"I believe danger is approaching."
She shifted uneasily in her seat. As a child, she had lived through many life-threatening disasters—saved each time by a young man. That experience left her with a keen sense of unease.
"Dad! I'm back!"
Before the discussion could continue, Xiangling and Guoba came running in through the rain.
"My girl's soaked! Quick, get inside—both of you! Dry off before you catch a cold!" Mao hurried them in.
"Dad…" Xiangling and Guoba took the towels and vigorously dried their heads.
Afterward, Xiangling frowned and pointed toward the sea.
"I think I saw something really big… coming toward Liyue from the ocean."
---
Liyue Harbor – Seaward Gate
Keqing stared at the turbulent sea, her brows tightly knit.
Thousands of Millelith soldiers had already assembled along the harbor, spears in hand, eyes locked on the water.
The killing intent radiating from the sea was unmistakable.
"Lady Keqing," a Millelith captain reported, "Aside from patrol units, external garrisons, and soldiers currently on assignment, all available forces have assembled."
Keqing rested one hand on her hip and stroked her chin with the other, nodding cautiously.
"Tell the soldiers to stay alert. Something dangerous is coming."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Not only Keqing—Ningguang and Ganyu had also mobilized.
Ningguang stood beneath an umbrella, her secretary at her side, as the Jade Chamber hovered above the sea near the harbor.
She could feel the threat as clearly as anyone.
"How are preparations below?" Ningguang asked.
"Reporting, Lady Ningguang—the teams are still preparing."
As for Ganyu, she had already sensed the danger at the earliest moment and rushed toward Jueyun Karst to seek the aid of the adepti.
If nothing unexpected occurred…
This battle was unavoidable.