Immediately after the first bullet lodged deep into the carriage door, Diluc had no time to think. He sensed the second barrage of bullets hurtling towards them like a cold metal rain.
“Get down!”
His voice was a snarl, no longer a warning but a battle command. He forcefully pulled Mei onto the carriage floor, and almost instantly, his tall physique collapsed over her, forming a steel shield to protect her.
Mei felt her body pinned down against the rough wooden floor by an overwhelming force. Diluc lay on top of her, but braced his hands against the floor, creating a slight gap that minimized physical contact. His entire weight and strength were focused solely on sheltering the girl pressed beneath him.
“Clang! Crack! Thud! Thud!”
A volley of bullets embedded into the carriage body, tearing through the wooden walls like paper.
The coachman, before he could even react, took a full burst of gunfire to his shoulder and chest. The bullets ripped through his flesh, accompanied by a piercing “PHUT!” sound. Hot, sickeningly metallic-smelling fresh blood sprayed everywhere, staining a corner of the cabin red and splattering onto the wooden wall behind Diluc’s back.
The coachman slumped down without even a cry, his body sliding off the seat, crashing hard against the carriage door, and lying across the passage exit for Mei and Diluc.
“A...a...”
Mei gasped, too intensely horrified to utter a word, still reeling from the shock. The scent of fresh blood, metal, and gunpowder assaulted her nostrils. A few splatters of blood landed on Mei’s leg, warm and dreadful. Her body felt rigid for a moment, completely paralyzed by the brutal reality.
Although most of her view was obscured by Diluc’s shoulder, she could still sense the horrifying events unfolding. Her hands unconsciously clutched tightly onto the carriage floor.
“Don’t look!” Diluc whispered sharply, his low, furious tone enough to suppress any further reaction from her. He leaned his body closer, completely blocking Mei’s sight, preventing her from seeing the horrific scene.
The silence lasted only for two breaths.
Diluc clenched his teeth, his body trembling not from the cold but from intense rage. He stared intently into the darkness of the forest. A dark streak of memory flashed through his mind... the firelight, the screaming, and the event that had claimed his father.
“Once again... I was too slow.” A feeling of helplessness invaded his thoughts, but was quickly incinerated by fury.
Diluc knew the enemies were still waiting out there. He immediately pushed himself up, moving with the speed of a gust of wind, glanced at the trembling Mei, and commanded.
“Stay put in here!”
The Pyro Vision hanging on his hip flashed a brilliant red light. Diluc launched himself out of the carriage, swiftly snatched the sword stored beneath the carriage, and vanished into the darkness, taking cover behind a large tree far from the coach.
“This... this is no longer a game... he’s truly dead.” A thought flashed through Mei’s mind, causing her to clutch her head, curl up, her body shaking incessantly.
She dared not look at the cooling corpse. A tremendous wave of nausea surged up, making Mei quickly cover her mouth, all alone in the cramped and foul-smelling space.
Diluc had now identified at least three ambush positions of the enemy in the gloomy forest. He tightened his grip on the sword in his hand, but before he could launch his attack, a blade slashed toward his left side, right where Diluc stood, presumably aiming straight for his neck.
His eyes widened, and he quickly dodged the fatal slash. Instantly, three figures in black cloaks, their faces completely covered by masks, with a familiar emblem pinned to their coats, appeared above Diluc, raising their blades, intending to strike him down.
Diluc immediately side-stepped to the right, perfectly evading the three blades poised to strike down. “Clang!” a powerful sound erupted, but none of the unfortunate enemies were cut down as anticipated.
Diluc did not hesitate and began his counterattack. He tightened his grip on the sword once more, charging swiftly toward the enemies at maximum speed. “Clang! Clang! Clang!” Countless clashes between sword and blade rained sparks, as if attempting to illuminate the dark forest.
Hearing the loud noise, Mei carefully peered out through the carriage door, observing the direction of the sound. But all she saw were tiny, fleeting streaks of light, too fast to discern anything, she could not keep up with the speed of the two sides.
Suddenly, Mei noticed a dark red figure rushing toward their position. Looking closely again, it was Diluc, with four pursuing enemies right behind him, ready to attack.
“Diluc Ragnvindr, today is your final day!” one of the Fatui members roared.
“Hmph! Nonsense.” Diluc growled each word, his voice concealing seething fury.
Instantly, Diluc spun around, the Pyro Vision hanging on his hip shining brightly, as if answering its master’s call. He swept his hand in an arc, and a fierce flame spontaneously erupted from the void, pushing back all the enemies before him. The four adversaries were knocked down by the fire, the two nearest the flame suffered severe burns and collapsed, howling, while the two farther away only sustained minor burns and were still able to fight.
Mei held her breath, horrified as she looked out. She saw the bright red flame, surging and swirling in the air, it was not the dazzling and shimmering graphic effect she was accustomed to in the game. It was real fire, consuming everything. The acrid smell of burnt flesh and the agonizing screams tore through the night, intensifying her nausea.
This was death, brutal and entirely devoid of any grandeur. Mei knew the power of a Vision was real, but this was the first time she had witnessed Diluc wield it as such a savage weapon of enemy destruction. Mei felt fear toward the very man who was protecting her.
Although the sheer terror was overwhelming her mind, she could not tear her eyes away from that powerful silhouette.
But the fire also alarmed the nearby horse, which panicked and struggled. It violently pulled the wheels, and Mei inside felt the extreme shaking. Moments later, she was thrown out of the carriage, hitting the ground with a thud. The horse dragged the carriage and the corpse deeper into the pitch-black forest.
Mei was flung several times, landing near a secluded corner, a damp spot where gusts of wind circulated, contrasting sharply with the fiery scene outside. She scrambled up, rubbing her head, pain surging through her body. For an instant, Diluc's eyes flickered toward her direction, seeing that Mei was not carried away, he sharply turned back to the front.
Suddenly, her eyes fell upon the two figures who were severely burned and nearly deformed moments ago. She gasped slightly, but quickly regained a fraction of her composure, staring intently at the emblem on their coats.
“This emblem... They are the Fatui!?”
Nearby, the two remaining Fatui members, finding Diluc too fast and formidable, immediately switched to a tactic of neutralization.
They instantly hurled a Poison Gas Container toward Diluc. A pale green mist rapidly spread, enveloping the area where he stood and creeping even into the secluded corner where Mei was hiding.
Before Diluc could react, the poison gas flooded his system via his sense of smell. A terrifying heaviness crashed onto his body, his muscles were nearly numb. He knelt down, his Claymore slipping from his grasp, plunging into the earth, and his Pyro Vision immediately darkened.
“Cough! Cough! Cough!” Diluc coughed violently, only able to cover his mouth, trying not to inhale any more gas.
He used all his strength to grab the sword and leap high, jumping onto a tree trunk, intending to leave the contaminated area. But the two remaining Fatui saw through his intention, rushing forward to attack Diluc, forcing him back to his original spot.
In the secluded corner, Mei was also suffering as the bone-chilling toxic gas invaded her body. Her throat felt scratchy and slightly burned; breathing became difficult. She knew exactly what was happening.
“It’s poison gas! Damn it, I can’t breathe.”
She covered her mouth, looking toward the source of the gas. She saw Diluc kneeling, completely motionless and coughing uncontrollably. Her personal fear was replaced by an extreme necessity.
“I have to do something, I can’t die here!”
She scanned her eyes over every detail nearby, and then a cluster of Anemo Crystalflies caught her attention, hidden in the bushes right beside her.
Mei grit her teeth, using her last ounce of strength to crawl towards it, ignoring the numbness spreading across her body and the foul smell of blood. She picked up a sharp, rocky iron shard nearby, raised her trembling hands, and struck the Crystal Core cluster with all her might.
After multiple blows, the Anemo Crystal Core only showed a few cracks. A dull, throbbing pain continuously radiated through Mei's hands, the sharp edges of the iron shard had covered her palms in blood from the cuts. Mei’s body was almost completely numb, but she gritted her teeth and delivered one final forceful strike.
“Whoosh!”
Immediately, a dazzling, jade-green light burst from the Crystal Core as it shattered. A powerful, small vortex swirled, emitting a clean, pure current of air that pushed everything around it away.
Mei’s long hair was swept backward by the gust, her clothes flapped hard against her body, and she had to tightly shut her eyes. She felt her lungs being cleansed, the toxic gas was instantly expelled from her throat and chest. The sensation of numbness gradually vanished, replaced by an intense refreshment and an inexplicable coldness.
This powerful gust swept away the pale green poisonous mist, carrying it away like a foul smoke. Dry leaves and damp earth nearby were lifted high and then settled back down. The area was completely purified from the poison gas and contamination, restoring fresh air, a stark contrast to the bloody battle scene outside.
Diluc witnessed everything, his breathing had returned to normal. Seizing the opportunity, he lunged toward a nearby Fatui member. His movements were not only swift but also decisive, creating almost no sound on the damp forest ground. He closed in on the enemy, raised his claymore, and thrusted straight toward the man's heart.
But at that very moment, a pillar of ice shot out from behind him. Diluc gave a sharp "Tch!", summoning his strength to leap high above. “Boom!” The block of ice slammed forcefully into the ground, spreading chilling frost all around.
Diluc cast his cold, razor-sharp gaze around. He knew there were still many enemies lying in wait. He began moving in a diagonal path, evading all the icy, sharp arrows aimed at him.
Diluc glided to the left, used the force from a tree trunk, and quickly charged toward the enemy who had just narrowly escaped, swiftly sweeping a precise sword-strike across his carotid artery, taking the enemy's life.
“You bastard! How dare you!?” A furious roar erupted.
The Cryo-wielder and the others hiding in the shadows were now fully exposed. It was a young woman, clad in a pale blue coat, her face contorted with anger behind her mask. She relentlessly summoned thick waves of ice, assaulting Diluc.
He did not hesitate, swinging his arm to summon his fierce flame, blocking the chilling mist. “Sizzle! Sizzle!” The two elements clashed, radiating a thick steam that seemed to warm the entire forest.
“Crash!” A fierce bolt of lightning struck a nearby tree, causing Mei to startle violently, hastily ducking her head and covering her ears.
“Stray shot, is it?” She gasped, still reeling from the shock.
On this side, Diluc was vigorously dodging the Fatui attacks. His eyes scanned every corner, he had nearly identified all enemies engaged in the fight: five Fatui Agents ahead, three gunmen, one hammer-wielder, and finally, two Cryo and Electro Cicins.
Lightning bolts relentlessly pursued Diluc, followed by heavy blocks of ice crashing down, obstructing his path of movement. Diluc could only retreat, quickly spinning around and raising his sword to block an attack from two other Fatui members.
“Tch! He’s too fast,” the Electro Cicin could not help but exclaim.
Diluc spun around, put all his strength into his leg, and forcefully kicked one man into a large tree trunk. “Thud!” a dry sound rang out, his bones nearly shattered. The remaining unfortunate Fatui was incinerated by the flame from his Vision.
Without a moment of delay, Diluc charged toward the nearest Fatui gunman, leaning his body to evade the bullets. He tightened his grip on the sword and powerfully thrusted straight forward a perfect execution of a Knights of Favonius sword technique. “Pfft!” blood sprayed from the man, splattering onto his face and body, chillingly hot.
Before he could catch his breath, a sledgehammer-wielder rushed at him, his large body tensing, using an Electro Delusion, and unleashing a strong blow toward Diluc. The moment the Electro-infused hammer crashed down, Diluc channeled his strength, enveloping himself in fire.
“Boom!” The Electro Element met the fierce flame, instantly creating an Overloaded reaction. Debris scattered everywhere, nearby small trees were utterly destroyed by the pressure from the two elements. Sharing the same fate, both Diluc and the Fatui were violently thrown in opposite directions. He slid backward, his head still reeling from the explosion, his throat briefly burning, but he quickly composed himself.
Just as he glanced up, a block of ice was descending from above, but this time, he did not dodge. Instead, he glided quickly toward the Cryo Cicin. Knowing she could not escape, she raised her weapon, activated her Delusion, creating a thick layer of Cryo element to envelop her body.
“There are surely more hidden enemies... I must deal with this one first.” Diluc calculated silently in his mind.
To waste no strength, instead of thrusting straight, he executed a high-speed rotating sweep, turning his attack into a low, fiery, deep-red arc. His Claymore’s blade did not aim for the center of her armor but swept closely past the armor covering her hip and shoulder.
The Bloodfire flared up more fiercely and intensely than in the previous clash. This flame was the absolute release of his fury.
“Screech! Sizzle!”
The thick layer of ice was not given time to melt; instead, it was torn away from her body along the blade's trajectory and instantly vaporized into the air, creating a dense cloud of steam and the sound of metal tearing into flesh and bone. The fiery sweep completely shattered her Cryo armor, causing the female Cicin Mage to stagger from the loss of balance and protection.
Diluc did not stop. Seizing the moment the opponent's flank was exposed, he forcefully drove his knee into her abdomen, then thrust his Claymore straight into her heart a cold, decisive motion, devoid of any mercy for the enemy.
The young Cicin female shrieked in vain agony. The light from her Delusion extinguished, and her body collapsed instantly, utterly ravaged by the flames.
Diluc looked down at the corpse of the Cryo Cicin. The fire from his Vision had subsided, but the anger still surged, making his breath visibly heavy. He turned around, preparing to confront the final Electro Cicin and the remaining enemies lurking in the shadows.
Mei’s breathing had now returned to normal. She stood not far from Diluc, tightly covering the bleeding cuts on her palms. Directing her gaze toward a subtle, fleeting light streak emerging behind Diluc's back, she shivered slightly, realizing something horrific was about to unfold.
The exact moment Diluc ran toward Mei, intending to deal with a Fatui behind her, a thin, brilliant red streak of light tore through the air from a high and distant position.
It was the shot fired by an elite sniper. The enemy had patiently waited, calculating Diluc's exhaustion and the exact moment his field of vision shifted, right from the start of the battle. He had used his sniper rifle, which was equipped with a Pyro Delusion, compressing the element into a single, absolutely precise bullet, moving at a speed that made evasion impossible at that range.
This Delusion bullet carried an incredible amount of heat, designed to instantly burn through and destroy internal organs. It was aimed directly at Diluc's heart.
Diluc only managed to hear the dry, sharp sound of the firing mechanism. He did not have enough time to activate his Vision for protection, or even to step back.
Mei’s eyes widened in ultimate horror. In her blurred vision, she saw the deadly light streak hurtling towards him. She recognized this was absolutely a finishing blow aimed directly at Diluc.
Everything slowed down agonizingly. She knew clearly: if Diluc died, everything would collapse. She would be permanently trapped in this world, with no chance of ever returning home.
Mei clenched her lips, tasting the metallic tang of blood and damp earth. She screamed a silent cry in her throat, a combination of despair and instinct.
“No! He can’t die here! I still have to... go home!” she shrieked internally.
Mei used every ounce of her remaining strength, lunged forward, and forcefully shoved Diluc out of the bullet's path.
“Crash! Thwack!”
The sound of the impact was more terrifying than the gunfire itself. Diluc only felt a violent collision on his back, followed by a burning, chilling sensation spreading through his coat. Everything before his eyes was instantly stained the deep crimson of fresh blood.
Mei collapsed to the ground, her body contorting. The bullet lodged in her shoulder, but a searing pain, like molten lava, instantly spread from the wound, suffocating her chest and causing her breath to seize for several agonizing seconds. Everything in her vision gradually dimmed; before fainting, she only managed to see Diluc's startled and utterly horrified face.