"Not... hurting?"
Hu Tao subconsciously touched the blood splattered on her face and slowly opened her tightly shut eyes.
"I shouldn't have been pierced through... right...?"
A hint of confusion flickered in Hu Tao's eyes. Before she could voice all her inner questions, she was stunned to a standstill by the figure before her.
Sharp claws had pierced from her back through her chest, penetrating the small body of the person in front. Fresh red blood continuously flowed from the claws.
*Pfft...*
Seeing that its strike was successful, the Geovishap drew back its claws that had pierced its body, letting out roars as if proud of its own might. The other two Geovishaps also charged onto the battlefield, rampaging as if everyone else were their enemy.
Hu Tao watched helplessly as the girl in front of her, who was about to fall, moved forward uncontrollably, catching her collapsing delicate body.
"Ying... why...?"
Hu Tao's eyes were blank, tears gradually accumulating in them. She wanted to use her trembling arms to cover the girl's profusely bleeding wound, only to find that her hands were so small compared to the wound...
Looking at the familiar face before her, Ying weakly placed her palm on Hu Tao's pretty face, exerting all her strength to curve her lips into a slight smile.
"Sorry... the punishment I owe you... I'm afraid... I won't be able to... fulfill it..."
*Thump! Thump!*
Hu Tao's body stiffened abruptly, a sharp pain spreading through her entire being. Tears uncontrollably streamed from the corners of her eyes. Sensing the weakening grip of the hand on her face, just as it was about to fall, Hu Tao quickly clasped Ying's small hand tightly and cried out.
"No!! No!! You can be saved, you can be saved!!"
Seeing Ying's eyes gradually losing their life, Hu Tao's heart was filled with fear. She constantly shook Ying, trying to awaken her fading consciousness.
"Wake up! Wake up! I beg you! Please don't sleep!!"
Ying's gaze grew hazy, her lips slightly moving as if wanting to say something, but no sound escaped.
Is this where my journey ends... I'm so unwilling... There were so many things I wanted to say to them, so many things I wanted to do with them...
Lumine... I still want to travel this world with you, get stronger together, find your brother with you... I want to be with you always...
I'm sorry... I might not... be able to see your... final... moments...
Ying's mind was a blank, her eyelids growing heavier, her vision becoming more blurred, and finally, it gradually faded into darkness...
"No... don't... don't! Don't go... don't go..."
Hu Tao watched the girl's eyes slowly close and cried out loudly, her voice filled with mournful despair. The foreign energy within her body was expelled by this intense grief and dissipated into the air.
Hearing the cries of the girl beneath her, the Geovishap looked down and let out a series of roars. It raised its foreleg, intending to stomp her into a pulp.
*Boom!*
Just as it was about to descend, a figure suddenly swooped down from the sky, crashing fiercely into the Geovishap. The moment they made contact, an extremely powerful energy erupted, instantly engulfing the entire Geovishap.
*Roar!*
The Geovishap let out an extremely tragic howl. Its massive body was knocked to the ground by this blow, crushing a large area of houses.
"Why are there so many giant monsters here?! Where is Ying?!"
Lumine, after using Geo and Anemo to knock down the giant monster, anxiously looked down, trying to find Ying. Soon, she saw Ying lying in Hu Tao's arms.
"Ying?!"
Seeing the familiar figure, Lumine's heart suddenly rejoiced. Just as she was about to move forward, she noticed a figure in the distance rapidly approaching them, appearing to be hostile.
Looking at its monsters, which had been largely slaughtered, Tian Qing's face was already extremely distorted, wishing he could tear Hu Tao to pieces on the spot. He mistakenly believed that Hu Tao had summoned these giant demonic beasts.
"Damn it! Damn it, damn it! You ruin my plans again and again. If you don't want me to have it good, then you can die with me!"
Tian Qing roared in anger, picked up the Staff of Homa from a distance, and ran quickly towards them, intending to pierce Hu Tao.
"You dare!"
Lumine's figure rapidly appeared in front of Hu Tao. Summoning the Primordial Jade Winged-Spear, she dislodged the Staff of Homa from Tian Qing's hand with a single strike, then fiercely kicked him away.
*Rumble!*
Tian Qing's body slammed heavily onto a dilapidated civilian house. The moment they made contact, the entire building instantly collapsed, turning into a pile of rubble. Dust filled the air, engulfing him.
"Cough... cough... you damned fellow... I want to..."
Tian Qing struggled to climb out of the ruins but was distracted by the sudden darkness. Looking up, he saw a giant foot about to descend.
"What's happening... this?! No... no... no!"
...
Watching the Geovishap charging towards her in the distance, Lumine was about to counter-attack when she was stunned by Hu Tao's cries.
"Wuwu... Ying... Ying, wake up... why... why did you block it for me... don't sleep... open your eyes quickly, don't die... I beg you... please..."
"Ying... is... dead..."
In an instant, Lumine felt a heart-wrenching pain. A tearing sensation spread throughout her body, causing her to tremble uncontrollably. The Primordial Jade Winged-Spear in her hand dropped to the ground.
As Lumine stood frozen, the Geovishap had already reached her side and raised its foreleg, intending to pierce her...
At this moment, a pale green light streaked across the sky, and a long spear flew directly towards the Geovishap, hitting its abdomen fiercely.
*Roar!*
The Geovishap's belly caved in, blood gushing out. Its enormous body rolled to the ground, crushing who knew how many houses. The perpetrator of this attack landed on the ground, looked at the three people behind her, and said softly.
"Leave these monsters to me..."
Then, with a flash, she reappeared in front of the monster she had just sent flying and began to fight it.
At the same time, Childe returned to the battlefield.
Looking at the three dispersed Geovishaps in the distance, Childe clenched his fist.
"Hah... I was chased by you three big guys for so long. Now it's time for my revenge, isn't it?"
He then locked onto a Geovishap and charged towards it...