Fontaine's Grand Stage: Come If You Dare! (Genshin Impact)

After a long wait, the explosion still hadn't occurred. Relief quickly turned to frustration and anger on the faces of the four onlookers.

Lofan casually tossed the detonator aside and remarked calmly, "Didn't I tell you? Never trust a word from a madman."

"Grett, you tricked us!" Navia couldn't contain her anger any longer. She lunged forward and grabbed Lofan by the collar.

To her utter astonishment, she actually managed to seize his collar and yank him forward, something she hadn't expected to succeed.

Lofan began coughing violently, seemingly in response to Navia's sudden movement.

Dark red blood splattered onto Navia's hand, then dripped down her arm and onto the floor.

Navia trembled at the sight, but she quickly regained her composure and snarled, "Grett, what trick are you trying to pull now?! I won't fall for your lies again!"

Lofan didn't respond to Navia's words, only continuing to cough, as more and more blood dripped down her arm.

Finally, Navia ripped the mask off Lofan's face, and what she saw stunned her into silence.

Lofan's face was flushed with an eerie crimson glow, the kind typically seen in patients experiencing a terminal surge of vitality—a clear sign that his body was nearing its end.

He had already severely strained this vessel during the battle against the Clockwork Meka. To withstand Lyney and Navia's attacks, he had pushed it even further, setting its life force on a countdown. Only Lofan's complete mastery of the body had kept it from collapsing completely.

That was why he needed the props: a mask to conceal his deteriorating state and a chair to buy him a little more time.

This was the first time Lofan had deliberately maintained his body in this state of slow decline toward death. The experience was strangely fascinating—his eyes remained open, yet his vision grew increasingly blurred.

"Miss Navia, something's wrong. Put him down now," Lyney said, snapping out of his shock first and immediately warning her.

Lyney knew all too well the signs of impending death. Lofan was on the verge of passing.

They couldn't quite understand why Lofan was in such a precarious state after removing his mask.

Hearing Lyney's warning, Navia instinctively released her grip on Lofan's collar. The next moment, he nearly collapsed back into his seat, coughing up another large mouthful of blood.

As if to expel all the blood he had been suppressing, the crimson tide completely soaked his white shirt, staining it black.

However, after coughing up all the blood, Lofan felt his chest ease considerably, though his body felt strangely weightless, as if he might float away at any moment.

"It seems my time is running out," he said, his voice reverting to Grett's mature tone, tinged with a hint of relief, as if shedding a disguise.

Though Navia desperately wanted to harden her heart, seeing Lofan in such a pitiful state caused a sharp pang in her chest.

Immediately afterward, she grew angry at her own weakness and averted her gaze. Haven't I been deceived enough? This man doesn't deserve my sympathy!

"Navia, you have some remarkable companions."

"I've witnessed rare and precious qualities in them."

"They stand up for the weak, remaining calm and composed even under unimaginable pressure."

"And then there's Melus and Silver. I'm glad you have so many reliable people by your side, people you can trust and support each other."

A faint smile played on Lofan's lips as he spoke calmly, his voice as light as a wisp of smoke.

"Enough! I don't want to hear another word from you!"

Hearing Lofan's tone, as if he were settling his affairs, Navia's hard-won composure crumbled once more. It was the first time she had ever seen him so vulnerable, as if he might vanish into thin air at any moment.

But Navia quickly regained her senses. Realizing she was softening again, she covered her ears and retreated to a distant corner, unwilling to be swayed by Lofan's words any longer.

For a fleeting moment, a look of helpless pain flickered across Lofan's face. But it vanished almost instantly, leaving no trace. Had Lyney not been watching him so intently, he would have missed it entirely.

Lyney froze, a shocking realization slowly dawning in his mind. He stared at Lofan with disbelief, his lips trembling slightly.

"Monsieur Grett, so this was your true purpose all along."

"Mr. Lyney, you're quite perceptive," Lofan replied, regarding him with mild surprise.

"Let me guess—you wouldn't happen to be from the Fatui, would you?"

Lyney was stunned that Lofan had seen through his disguise so easily.

"Looks like I was right," Lofan said with a hint of triumph, though it wasn't exactly a brilliant deduction, given the Fatui's extensive presence across the Teyvat Continent compared to other organizations.

Now that his identity had been exposed, Lyney made no further attempt to conceal it. Instead, he pressed Lofan with a question.

"Monsieur Grett, there's something I don't understand. Did you really have to go this far?"

"Of course."

Lofan nodded at Lyney. "This all started because of me," he said. "Only my death will truly resolve it."

Charlotte stared blankly at their cryptic exchange, completely bewildered. Fortunately, Lynette, who knew Lyney well, sensed something amiss. After a moment of contemplation, she explained the situation to Charlotte.

Charlotte's body stiffened at Lynette's explanation, and disbelief washed over her face. She turned to Lofan, her voice trembling. "Why would you do this? Is dying in disgrace what you truly want?"

"The answer is simple, Miss Charlotte," Lofan replied. "I don't care about my reputation, and frankly, I don't have much of a choice."

Lofan smiled faintly and shifted his gaze to Lyney. "Mr. Lyney, do you really think that the disappearance of such vast quantities of Pneumousia Energy could go unnoticed even by the Fatui? Surely the higher-ups in Fontaine are aware, especially after the recent series of major incidents that shook the city!"

"No, they know," Lyney replied grimly. "They're perfectly aware this was murder!"

Before Lyney could elaborate, Lofan continued, "Yet almost no one tried to stop it!"

"Whether they're the parasites infesting Fontaine or those who genuinely care about its betterment..."

"They're all complicit in this murder. Every single one of them is..."

"...a murderer!"