[Topaz: Huh?!]
[Aventurine: What just happened?]
[Asta: Why is it suddenly Ms. Herta?]
[Xiangling: I don't get it. What's going on?]
Everyone watching the livestream was confused.
Wasn't Jade the prime suspect just moments ago?
How did it suddenly turn into Herta?
[Zhongli: It seems Ms. Jade obtained a crucial clue.]
[Dr. Ratio: Unfortunately, we cannot hear the exact contents of the clue.]
[Argenti: Oh~~~ Such confidence from Ms. Jade. It must be almost certain.]
[Ruan Mei: Herta… doesn't seem like it.]
Inside the Arena
As Jade raised her hand to vote, the others were stunned.
"Huh? Why Herta?"
"You're slandering me!"
Herta was furious.
You're the biggest suspect — and you're accusing me?!
But seeing the others looking tempted to follow, her mood worsened.
"Are you seriously going to get swayed that easily?"
Raiden Ei didn't hesitate.
She immediately raised her hand to vote for Herta.
Just as Furina had reasoned:
If it wasn't Herta, they could eliminate Jade tomorrow.
"Wait."
As Furina and Xiao were about to raise their hands, Herta interrupted.
"I'm buying clues too."
She refused to accept this.
What kind of clue made Jade so confident?
"Certainly."
Su Ze was practically glowing with delight.
More points.
"1-point, 2-point, and 3-point clues. I'll buy all."
"Very well."
Su Ze leaned close.
"1-point clue: The public storage room contains something useful."
"2-point clue: A nonexistent profession. Be careful."
"3-point clue: 1 3 4 2 6 5."
After hearing everything, Herta's expression fell.
This was bad.
The clues she received didn't help her refute Jade's accusation.
But she wasn't going to surrender.
Returning to her seat, she looked at Jade.
"You've really outdone yourself."
"Everyone… vote for Jade."
She had no choice.
From the clues, she already knew Jade wasn't the killer.
But she wasn't going to be eliminated quietly.
If she survived today, she could investigate the public storage room tomorrow.
The clue clearly said there was something valuable there.
Livestream Chat
[Sampo: Oh ho. Now this is interesting.]
[Sparkle: Hehe. Fight! Fight!]
[Kaeya: There's a reversal?!]
[Guinaifen: This is getting good.]
Inside the hall, Furina and Xiao were bewildered.
How did everything flip the moment Herta bought clues?
Jade also felt something was wrong.
This had turned into mutual destruction.
She looked at Su Ze.
"Can we cancel the vote?"
"No."
"Once voting is initiated, it cannot be stopped. And you lose your independent accusation right."
"And one player must be eliminated."
It was over.
Jade realized she had fallen into a trap.
She looked at Herta bitterly.
They had walked straight into it.
After a moment of thought, she spoke calmly:
"Ms. Herta… would you be willing to visit the company sometime later?"
Under the current situation—
Even if she eliminated Herta now, she herself would be voted out tomorrow.
But Herta had also purchased the 1-point clue.
If she survived, perhaps she could flip the game later.
Better to leave a good impression.
Herta's favor was valuable.
"…Fine."
Herta agreed.
What else could she do?
Mutual destruction?
Jade turned to Furina and Xiao.
"Vote for me."
"Herta is not the killer."
"The killer is still among you."
"…What?"
Now Furina was stunned.
They just reconciled?
And now she's saying the killer is among us?
Her eyes slowly drifted toward Raiden Ei.
She had been very eager to vote earlier.
Suspicious.
Then Xiao—
He claimed he guarded the door all night.
But was that true?
What if he lied?
Jade had said the killer was among the three from Teyvat.
That made Xiao even more suspicious.
Furina quietly distanced herself from the others.
What if she offended the killer and got targeted tonight?
But the vote had already begun.
It couldn't be undone.
Someone had to be eliminated.
Reluctantly, Furina raised her hand and voted for Jade.
Final result:
3 votes to 2.
Jade eliminated.
"…Sigh."
With a soft exhale, Jade's figure dissipated from the space.
She had considered switching targets to one of the Teyvat trio—
But since she initiated the vote, and they had majority numbers—
If she changed targets, both she and Herta would likely be eliminated.
A system prompt echoed:
[Jade eliminated. The game continues.]
"Alright. Free activity."
Today's vote had concluded.
Su Ze signaled that they were free to move.
But none of them looked relaxed.
They had no clear idea who the killer was.
Especially the three from Teyvat.
Now, everyone looked suspicious.
Furina's gaze lingered on Raiden Ei.
Too eager earlier.
Suspicious.
Then Xiao—
His suspicion might be even greater.
He claimed he stood guard all night.
But who could verify that?
And Jade's final words—
"The killer is among you."
That only heightened her unease.
She subtly edged away from the group.
Better not anger the killer.
Meanwhile—
Herta had already rushed to the public storage room.
She had a clue.
And she wasn't about to waste time.