The video continued.
The three in the footage arrived beside a moss-covered building. Unknown plants crawled over its weathered stone walls, and the entire structure exuded an air of wilderness.
Paimon: "Is this the ruin Arlecchino mentioned? It really... looks so scary!"
Navia: "It feels so ancient. Looks like Arlecchino's information was right!"
Paimon: "Mm-hmm, let's go inside and take a look!"
Navia: "Make sure to stay safe!"
The three entered the ruins and were greeted by a long flight of stairs.
Paimon looked down and cried out, "This is... Primordial Sea Water!"
Navia nodded. "That's right. And judging by how concentrated its aura is, if someone from Fontaine fell in, they'd probably disappear the instant they touched the surface!"
Lumine: "Navia, why don't you stay outside? After all, this place..."
Paimon: "Yeah, with Primordial Sea Water this concentrated, you wouldn't be able to help even if you stayed. Your life would be in danger, too..."
[Yelan: When exploring, you can't just recklessly charge ahead. Leaving would be Miss Navia's best option right now!]
[Diluc: Exactly!]
[Silver: The young lady really should listen to the Traveler and Paimon. After all, she's the only one left in our family. If anything else happened to her...]
[Melus: Yes, if the young lady were in danger, we'd be too ashamed to face the master in the afterlife!]
[Ningguang: As the leader of the Spina di Rosula, you mustn't put yourself in danger on impulse!]
[Cyno: If Miss Navia insists on going, tying her up would be a good option!]
[Navia: !? There's really no need...]
Everyone watching the video was worried about Miss Navia's safety. After all, they had already witnessed the terrifying effects Primordial Sea Water had on people from Fontaine, and they were afraid something might happen to Navia in the video!
Paimon in the video then said with chagrin, "Um, I didn't mean anything else by that. Please don't take it the wrong way, Navia!"
Navia smiled. "It's all right. You're right. There's really nothing I can do in this situation, so I'll leave things here to you!"
But the moment Navia turned around, she discovered that the path the three had just taken had vanished at some point, leaving only a sheer drop.
Navia: "This doesn't look good. It seems the only way I can go is forward!"
Paimon: "How about... you wait here for us, Navia?"
Navia shook her head. "No need. This isn't far from Poisson. No one can guarantee that the rising water there won't affect this place. I'd be better off coming with you!"
Lumine: "True. Since you can't leave, staying with us really is the best choice!"
Paimon said worriedly, "Then make sure you're extra careful while you're with us! If there's danger, run right away. Don't worry about us!"
[Xiangling: This doesn't look good!]
[Yae Miko: It's just like a scene from a light novel. A party of heroes sets out to defeat the demon king, only for the gates to lock shut the moment they enter the castle!]
[Nilou: Please let Miss Navia be all right!]
[Melus: I keep having a bad feeling!]
[Silver: Stop jinxing it! The master will surely watch over the young lady and keep her safe!]
[Wriothesley: They should have reported this to Monsieur Neuvillette first. That way, they'd have more people to help!]
[Sigewinne: Monsieur Neuvillette is probably rather busy right now, too!]
[Jean: We should have faith in the three of them. Let's not say anything discouraging!]
[Lisa: Yes, those little ones will certainly protect Navia.]
In the video, the three continued forward.
But the path ahead had broken apart as well, leaving them no choice but to take a detour.
Paimon: "There's no way through here either. What a pain. Let's go around that way!"
Fortunately, the rest of the journey passed without incident, and the three safely reached a stone bridge.
Paimon: "Once we cross this bridge, we should be fine!"
The three headed up, but halfway across, the bridge suddenly began to shake, on the verge of collapse. Navia shouted, "Hurry, the bridge is collapsing!"
No sooner had she spoken than the bridge finally gave way. Cracks spread across its surface, breaking it into chunks of stone that fell below.
[Hu Tao: All these ups and downs are more than my heart can take!]
[Klee: Klee's so nervous, too!]
[Arataki Itto: What a roller coaster. I'm sweating buckets just watching!]
[Sucrose: Run, run, hurry and run!]
There were fewer comments during this stretch. Everyone was nervously watching the race against death on the screen.
Inside the Knights of Favonius headquarters,
Jean gripped the edge of her desk so tightly that her slender fingers had gone faintly white. For the first time, the ever-work-focused Acting Grand Master Jean had no mind for work.
Even Lisa, who was usually so flippant, pressed her hand tightly against her ample chest as she watched the video nervously.
Inside the cathedral, Barbara closed her eyes and clasped her hands devoutly before her chest, praying over and over in her heart, asking only that the people in the video escape danger.
Inside Wanmin Restaurant in Liyue,
Xiangling was also watching the people running in the video intently.
Suddenly, she sniffed, then cried out, "Oh no, the food's burning!"
Guoba: "Hoo-hoo-"
In the Jade Chamber, Ningguang looked just as she always did, except that she was puffing on her pipe far more frequently than usual.
Keqing was watching, too. Though she had never believed in gods or adepti, at this moment she vaguely hoped the Hydro Archon would appear and save them.
Aboard the pirate ship, Beidou shouted, "I really can't take this anymore!"
Then she grabbed a random crew member. "You! Come spar with me!"
"Boss, have mercy!"
Inazuma.
At that moment, Yoimiya silently said to herself, If they can get out of danger safely, I'll... I'll... I'll set off all these fireworks to celebrate.
Inside the Sanctuary of Surasthana,
Nahida sat on her swing. The screen before her brought a little solace to her dull days. Although he did not speak, she really liked reading the comments on it.
They were all very interesting.
But at this moment, the toes of her bare feet were tightly curled, and her large eyes stared unblinkingly at the running figures on the screen.
In the footage, as the structure at the end of the bridge crumbled,
The bridge broke apart faster and faster, and Navia gradually began to fall behind.
Suddenly, the path ahead of Navia was also about to give way.
Navia gritted her teeth and stepped forward with her right foot, trying to leap with all her strength. But she was still a moment too late, and her foot found only empty air.
In an instant, she plummeted straight down.
Seeing this, Lumine leaped after her without the slightest hesitation, trying to catch Navia. Yet that gap, no wider than a single finger, had become a vast chasm at that moment, as though it could never be crossed.
Just like that, Navia fell into the Primordial Sea.
[Silver: No, my lady...]
[Jean: She was so close!]
[Kaeya: I have to say, the Traveler really is brave. She jumped straight down without a moment's hesitation.]
[Melus: For the young lady to have a friend like that is an honor, both for her and for us!]
[Klee: Miss Navia...]
[Kamisato Ayaka: Could Miss Navia already have been... by the Primordial Sea...]
[Arataki Itto: That damned stone bridge, that damned stone bridge! If it had held out just a little longer, this wouldn't have...]
[Kokomi: This is so painful to watch!]
[Navia: Oh, don't be so sad, everyone. I'm perfectly fine, aren't I? But now I know I really need to exercise more from now on!]
[Melus and Silver: Exactly. From now on, we'll supervise the young lady's training every day. That way, even if we're not around, she'll be able to protect herself!]