"ROAR—!!!"
A graceful sword dance unfolded amid Dvalin's anguished cry.
Heavy blade after heavy blade struck the back of the dragon's neck, each blow carving into the black spike embedded there. Cracks spread rapidly across its surface.
Within the flow of Eula's sword dance, the Lightfall Sword that formed behind her grew ever more solid.
When her final strike came down upon the black spike, the Lightfall Sword erupted in a dazzling, blinding brilliance.
"CRASH—!"
The radiant blade shattered.
And with its disappearance, the deeply rooted black spike was destroyed as well.
"ROAR—!!!"
Dvalin's piercing scream shook the air, forcing everyone to clamp their hands over their ears.
Though the dragon's roar made their eardrums ache, they could all hear it clearly—
within that cry were pain, yes, but also release.
Even now, Dvalin's upper body struggled as it lay sprawled across the platform, unable to rise.
Yes—struggled.
Because in the instant the spike at his neck was severed, Dvalin briefly regained a shred of clarity.
Now, with sheer force of will, he was resisting the Abyss's corruption gnawing at his mind.
"Durin's curse has been lifted! Everyone—help Dvalin, now!" Lin Mo shouted, the first to recognize the dragon's resolve.
At his command, everyone charged toward Dvalin's mountain-like body.
"Jumpy Dumpty—!!"
The fastest of them all was Klee.
She flung the bombs from her backpack, sending them bouncing straight onto the Abyssal spikes along Dvalin's back.
"BOOOOM—!!!"
"ROAR—!!!"
Explosions rang out, accompanied by the dragon's thunderous cry.
At the same moment, Noelle wrenched her golden greatsword free from the platform and rushed forward.
"BOOM!"
The blade slammed down.
"CRACK—!"
"ROAR—!!!"
The sound of shattering spikes mixed with Dvalin's agonized howl.
You could tell—this time, it truly hurt.
"Noelle! Take it easy!" Lin Mo hurriedly called out. "Just break the Abyssal spikes—don't hurt Dvalin if you can!"
After all, Noelle now possessed terrifying strength.
She could cleave cliffs in two and smash Ruin Guards apart with a single blow.
Even as powerful as Dvalin was, taking a hit like that could still leave him badly injured.
Just then, Jean and Lumine stepped onto the wind current created by Venti and soared toward the dragon's body.
"Gale Blade!"
"Palm Vortex!"
They shouted in unison.
The scattered mines left behind by Klee's earlier explosions were all pulled toward the fourth Abyssal spike on Dvalin's back.
Boom! Boom-boom!
Boom-boom! Boom-boom!
Explosions detonated one after another.
Jean's Gale Blade and Lumine's Palm Vortex dragged the fire element from the blasts, concentrating it entirely on the spike.
The fourth Abyssal spike began to melt at a visible speed under the roaring flames.
"Everyone—keep it up! You've got this!"
Paimon wasn't idle either, pumping her tiny fist in the air and shouting encouragement at the top of her lungs.
…
…
While everyone fought desperately to purify Dvalin,
at the summit of Stormterror's Lair, a lone figure watched the battle below, eyes burning with unwillingness.
"Damn it…"
"The plan… failed…"
"Eight Apostles lost. Thirty mages gone. So much Abyssal crystal wasted…"
"Lin Mo… I won't forgive you."
Aether stared down at the battlefield, his voice thick with hatred.
"Hmm? You won't forgive who?"
A light, almost casual voice suddenly spoke from behind him.
Aether whirled around in terror.
There stood Lin Mo, smiling calmly at him.
"Y-you… how are you here?!" Aether cried in panic, instinctively backing away.
But the summit of Stormterror's Lair offered little room to retreat.
Behind him lay nothing but a dead end.
"How am I here?" Lin Mo sneered, grabbing Aether by the collar and lifting him off the ground with one hand.
Looking straight into Aether's frightened eyes, Lin Mo voiced the truth plainly:
"The seven new Abyssal spikes on Dvalin didn't just appear by accident. Someone deliberately planted them."
"If I'm not mistaken—"
"First, you wanted to seize control of Dvalin as quickly as possible while he was maddened and mentally weakened."
"And second… you wanted to use a rampaging Dvalin to avenge the Abyss forces you lost—against me."
"The perpetrator always lingers at the scene of the crime, to witness the outcome firsthand."
"And the best vantage point is right beneath our feet—at the top of Old Mondstadt's tower."
…
"You—"
Aether clenched his teeth, his eyes filled with resentment.
Because Lin Mo had read his thoughts perfectly.
"What 'you,' huh?!"
"BAM!"
Lin Mo spoke as he delivered a hard kick to Aether.
Aether endured the pain in silence, refusing to cry out.
"Did you ever think about this?" Lin Mo demanded coldly.
"That your sister, Lumine, could've been hurt in this disaster too?!"
Aether replied without changing his expression, "Of course I knew she might get hurt."
"That's why I stayed here, watching."
"If she was ever in danger, I would step in and save her immediately."
…
"Yes, you could've done that," Lin Mo said.
"But what about your sister's friends? Did you ever think about them?"
At that, Aether lowered his head guiltily.
Clearly, he had no intention of taking responsibility for anyone but his sister.
"You bastard. Get lost. I don't want to see your face," Lin Mo said, releasing his grip in disgust.
"Why didn't you kill me?" Aether asked, confused.
With his back to him, Lin Mo answered calmly:
"Because you're Lumine's brother."
"She doesn't talk much, but she's my friend."
"Her eyes are full of you. Her heart is full of searching for her brother."
"I won't kill you and make her grieve—
or make her hate me."
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T/N:
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