Genshin Impact: The Gambler of Teyvat

The person beside him immediately responded with respectful urgency. "Yes, I'll notify them right away."

His voice echoed in the empty plaza, laced with nervous reverence.

Every word felt carefully weighed, as if he feared that even the slightest misstep would offend the great sage before him.

The Grand Sage cast a glance at the people behind him—sharp as arrows, as though piercing straight into one's soul. He spoke with implied meaning.

"The Sabzeruz Festival… you all may celebrate the 'birth' of a god however you please."

His voice was low and heavy, exuding a pressure that could not be seen but was deeply felt.

Once the people from the Akademiya left, Paimon and Lumine quickly stepped forward to join Dunyarzad.

Nilou slowly turned back, a look of sorrow in her eyes. Her gaze had dimmed, like stars veiled by clouds, stripped of their usual luster.

"Ah… Dunyarzad, is that you… You saw what happened, didn't you? The Grand Sage has ordered us to cancel the performance…"

Nilou's voice trembled, like a lone candle flickering in the wind, on the verge of being snuffed out.

This performance had been the result of countless days and nights of effort—now, to have it all crushed by a single command, the disappointment came crashing down like a tidal wave.

"Maybe… maybe we can perform somewhere else? Somewhere the Akademiya won't find us?" Nilou tried to come up with a solution. Her brows furrowed tightly, as though untangling a complex riddle. Her fingers twisted together unconsciously, betraying her growing anxiety.

"But… how do we notify the audience? And the atmosphere, the staging…"

Her voice grew fainter and fainter, as if weighed down by reality. Problem after problem loomed before her like immovable boulders, leaving her at a loss.

Lumine rubbed her forehead in frustration, her eyes flashing with anger.

"Ugh! If Shajin were here, I'd say screw the Akademiya—we'd flatten them all!!"

Her voice burned with fury and indignation. The Akademiya's arbitrary oppression filled her with rage.

Dunyarzad shook her head gently.

"Come on now, Nilou, Lumine—it's okay~"

She tried to comfort them, even though she too was filled with regret.

Nilou's eyes widened. "But, Dunyarzad… you've been looking forward to this performance more than anyone. I know how much the Sabzeruz Festival means to you. I don't want you to be left with regrets…"

She knew how deeply Dunyarzad longed to see the Dance of the Sabzeruz. She didn't want her friend to be disappointed because of the Akademiya's interference.

Dunyarzad stepped forward and gently patted Nilou on the head.

"It's alright~ Just knowing you care so much already makes me very happy."

A gentle emotion flickered in her eyes. "But continuing with The Dance of Subzeruz now… would be too risky. I don't want to get everyone involved in trouble."

Nilou lowered her head.

"…Alright. Then… next time. Next year, you'll sneak out of your house again, right? We'll make sure next year's Sabzeruz Festival is perfect!"

Her voice carried a quiet hope—hope that the future might still offer them a chance to make up for today's regrets.

Dunyarzad's eyes dimmed slightly, but she quickly smiled again.

"…Alright. Then next year, you'll sneak out again, won't you? We'll make sure the Sabzeruz Festival goes perfectly next time!"

As they left the plaza, Paimon stomped her foot in frustration.

"I can't believe it ended like this… Those sages are the worst! No appreciation for art at all!"

Her face turned red as she flailed her arms in the air, trying to express her outrage.

Dunyarzad gave a bitter laugh.

"Haha… well, there's nothing we can do about it now…"

She looked up at the sky, her gaze filled with helplessness.

"…Still, it really is a shame we didn't get to see Nilou's Dance of the Sabzeruz."

And so, the Sabzeruz Festival came to an untimely end—shrouded in regret.

…

That night, back at their lodging, Paimon lay sprawled on the bed, completely deflated.

"Sigh… So much happened today, and it all ended in disappointment…"

She stared up at the ceiling, eyes full of sadness.

"Even though Nilou and Dunyarzad promised to make next year's festival perfect… Dunyarzad's time…"

She didn't finish the sentence. A heavy silence settled over the room.

Lumine lay beside her, also staring up at the blank, white ceiling.

"Dunyarzad knows it herself… that this might be a regret she'll never have the chance to mend."

Her voice was quiet, like a whisper to herself. Paimon rolled over.

"Yeah… sigh~"

And just like that, the two of them slowly drifted into a dreamless sleep.

Yet, on this seemingly quiet and peaceful night, deep within a hidden and rarely visited corner of Sumeru City, a mysterious and chilling operation had silently begun—like a ghost in the night, unseen and unheard.

Beep—

A sharp, cold tone suddenly pierced the stillness, shattering the dead silence.

It sounded as though it came from another world, laced with a bone-deep chill.

Then came the words that followed—words that sent a shiver down the spine.

"All connections secured. High-stability framework successfully established."

As the voice echoed, clusters of eerie, blue light began to flicker faintly in the darkness. Like stars scattered across the night sky, yet tinged with a sense of unease.

Upon closer inspection, a complex web of wires and intricate devices could be seen interwoven—like a labyrinth of cold machinery.

"The 'Plan' has now entered its most critical phase. Begin energy extraction from the '——' immediately."

As the command was given, the already tense room became even more frenetic. People bustled around the devices with practiced precision. Their expressions were blank, focused solely on the task at hand—none had time for emotion, only silent determination and palpable tension.

At this very moment, they were conducting an experiment of immense scale. One mistake could lead to catastrophic consequences.

…

"Hey… Shajin, are you okay?"

On the road, Furina couldn't stop glancing at Shajin, her hands as fidgety as ever.

She poked his arm. Then tapped his chest.

Shajin shifted the Masked Fool mask to the left side of his face.

Unlike other regions, the Sumeru forest at night was much quieter than in the daytime.

So, as long as they stayed cautious, they'd be fine.

He reached out and tapped Furina's forehead.

"Relax, Fufu. I'm better than ever. I've got more than enough strength now to help you break that prophecy~"

"No need to worry about me~"

_

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