In the livestream:
[Yukong: Why are they still discussing alliances? Run already!]
[Lingsha: If they wait any longer, they're all going to be eliminated.]
[Sushang: Miss Yunli, run! Stop worrying about forming a team!]
The entire Xianzhou was getting nervous.
Yunli herself might not know how Yanqing had been eliminated, but everyone watching had seen it clearly.
Miyabi had already caught up to Yanqing.
Then she happened to run into Acheron, who was taking what looked suspiciously like a random stroll.
The two of them worked together effortlessly, and both Miyabi and Yanqing were eliminated.
More importantly, everyone had realized just how terrifying Acheron was.
Miyabi had been utterly powerless against her.
And Acheron was an Archer.
If everyone kept clustering together like this, one arrow could spell disaster.
[Herta: Impressive. Acheron's instincts are sharper than I thought. She managed to find them so easily.]
[Seele: I thought Silver Wolf would be the first to go. Who would've guessed it would be Yanqing and Miyabi?]
[Sunday: Hmph. Victory is ours.]
At this point, Acheron had already demonstrated her overwhelming strength, and Asta remained hidden.
Sunday simply couldn't imagine how they could lose.
[Robin: With Miss Acheron's keen intuition, she'll definitely notice the people over there. We've won.]
[Aventurine: That's battlefield instinct at work. Absolutely unbeatable.]
[Valerius: Has it occurred to anyone that Acheron might've simply gotten lost and wandered into them by accident?]
Valerius nearly laughed.
Battlefield instinct?
Keen intuition?
Maybe he would've believed it if he hadn't already watched Acheron spend half the day wandering around the outskirts.
No.
This was just a blind cat stumbling into a dead mouse.
[Ruan Mei: …]
[Jade: …]
After Valerius pointed it out, many people began to suspect that was the real explanation.
Acheron's terrible sense of direction was already legendary.
[Aventurine: Well… strong luck is also a form of strength.]
[Qingque: Ah, yes. Of course.]
[Gepard: Wait—Miss Acheron really is heading their way!]
[Yukong: …]
[Feixiao: Don't panic. Acheron might not necessarily win.]
[Zhongli: Since she is an Archer, does Miss Acheron possess some sort of long-range attack?]
[Valerius: Oh, she definitely does.]
[Natasha: Then it looks like more people are about to be eliminated today.]
Natasha was actually pleased.
The more players that were eliminated, the better Silver Wolf and Kafka's chances became.
Who knew? They might even make it to the end.
Inside the game world:
After eliminating two players, Acheron continued toward the location where the others were gathered.
It didn't take long for her to spot the group locked in a tense standoff.
As an Archer, her eyesight was extraordinary.
At such a distance, the battlefield might as well have been right in front of her.
"So many?"
After a brief moment of thought, she leapt onto a large tree, drew her bow, and began gathering magical energy.
Her entire body surged with power as she took aim.
In the livestream:
[Sushang: Oh no, oh no!]
[Guinaifen: It's coming! Noble Phantasm incoming!]
[Jing Yuan: It appears to be an area-of-effect attack.]
[Kamisato Ayato: Go, Miss Acheron. Eliminate them all in one shot.]
[Kuki Shinobu: Let's go! This should take out a lot of people.]
[Valerius: Watch closely. This person is named Xiao Mei. She is drawing her bow and aiming at the crowd in the distance…]
[Bronya: Can you stop messing around?]
This was a dramatic moment.
Valerius's commentary instantly destroyed all of Acheron's imposing aura.
Whoosh!
Once her magical energy reached its peak, Acheron released the arrow.
A streak of white light tore across the sky so quickly it was nearly invisible.
"Hm?"
"What was that?"
Everyone in the confrontation shuddered simultaneously.
An icy sense of dread gripped them.
It felt as if death was descending.
The sound of something cutting through the air reached them.
Barbara caught sight of the incoming projectile out of the corner of her eye.
Her expression changed.
Without hesitation, she spun around and threw herself over Jean, shielding her with her own body.
"Get behind me."
Yunli also reacted instantly, dragging Yanagi behind her.
Only Ningguang remained calm.
Watching everyone scramble, a subtle, amused smile curved her lips.
Then the arrow arrived.
A flash of white.
A mushroom cloud erupted into the sky.
A deafening explosion followed.
Everything in the surrounding area was annihilated in an instant.
The shockwave surged outward, carrying with it a wall of dust and debris.
In the livestream:
[Herta: Heh. And this is supposed to be an arrow?]
[Topaz: That looks more powerful than a missile.]
[Aventurine: I was prepared, but even this exceeded my expectations.]
[Zhongli: Such power… the Masters on the field likely have no chance of survival.]
Many viewers were utterly stunned.
The attack resembled a miniature nuclear blast.
Then the elimination notices appeared.
[Attention: Player Jean has been eliminated.]
[Attention: Player Barbara has been eliminated.]
[Attention: Player Yanagi has been eliminated.]
Everyone was astonished.
Jean and Yanagi were Masters.
Their elimination was understandable.
But Barbara?
She was a Heroic Spirit.
Yunli had survived, so why had Barbara fallen?
Even more shocking, Ningguang—who looked far more fragile—had somehow remained in the game.
A short while later, the dust began to settle.
A massive crater marked the site of the explosion.
Yunli knelt in the center.
Her body was scorched and battered.
Her injuries were severe.
"So… my Master is gone again?"
Her heart cried out in despair.
Why was everyone so obsessed with targeting her Master?
She staggered to her feet and glared in Acheron's direction.
"You just wait."
Once again, she was without a Master.
Her eventual disappearance was inevitable.
But she refused to accept this outcome quietly.
Everyone kept resorting to underhanded tactics.
Ignoring her injuries, Yunli kicked off the ground like a cannonball and charged straight toward Acheron.
"Die!"
Acheron hadn't expected Yunli to be this resilient.
Seeing the spear-wielding warrior hurtling toward her, she raised her bow to block.
Clang!
The impact sent a tremendous force coursing through her body.
Acheron was blasted backward.
"What incredible strength."
The first exchange alone made her realize how dangerous Yunli was.
She immediately abandoned any attempt to confront her head-on and began circling instead.
As long as she could stall, Yunli would eventually dissipate on her own.
But what frightened her was that the enraged Yunli was not only overwhelmingly strong, but astonishingly fast.
Even with Archer-class agility, Acheron struggled to keep up.
A single misstep.
The spear swept across her.
Acheron was sent flying again, blood spilling from the corner of her mouth.
In the livestream:
[Sushang: Wow! Miss Yunli is amazing!]
Sushang was completely awestruck.
Yunli was actually chasing down an Emanator.
That was enough to make anyone proud.
[Lisa: Well done! That's exactly how it should be done.]
[Rosaria: Finish her off.]
[Kaeya: Exactly! That's what she gets for sniping people from afar.]
The people of Mondstadt had instantly switched sides and started cheering for Yunli.
A moment ago, they'd wanted her defeated.
But after Jean and Barbara were eliminated?
Everything changed.
[Aventurine: You people have no principles.]
[Topaz: Seriously. How can you switch sides that fast?]
Just moments ago they had been trying to take Yunli down.
Now they were rooting for her wholeheartedly.
And Jean's body wasn't even cold yet.
But then again…
The one who attacked them was Acheron.
In that case?
Fair enough.
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