***

Exhaling a weary sigh, Yomite addressed Rosaria to relay the quick game plan. “You, freeze the boar and eliminate it. Hu Tao will handle the crabs, and I’ll tackle the Oceanid once it’s weakened.”

“Hmph, who are you to give me orders?”

“I’m your leader,” he retorted.

“No one is my leader, and most definitely not someone like you, Trisha.”

“Why are you like this!? Could you pick a better time to be a whiny bitc—”

Yomite’s protest was cut short as the Oceanid unleashed a watery torrent upon them, hurling them to the ground.

“Ugh…I despise being wet…” Rosaria groaned, wiping her face.

“Damn it! Will you just listen to me, woman!? What is your problem? I told you to freeze the damn boar!” Yomite shouted after he spat the water that got into his mouth, scrambling back to his feet.

“We’ve been running around in circles trying to figure out what to do against this stupid and annoying flying thing, and all you want to do is fight me!? Just follow a simple plan!”

Rosaria’s icy gaze locked onto Yomite’s furious expression. “Fine,” she spat, “But only because I’m tired of this pointless fight with the Oceanid. Don’t think you’ve won anything else.”

Yomite gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to argue further. ‘Why is she so stubborn all of a sudden? We cleared the other abyss floors with relative ease…so why is she resisting my orders now?’ he wondered as he gathered his composure.

With a twisted chuckle, the words oozed from Hu Tao’s lips, “Hehe! You two are sooo~ baaad~ How can you get hit by an attack so weak~” Her face contorted in wicked delight as she sprang forward, the Staff of Homa pulsating with an infernal pyro energy.

Her movements were fluid, like a predator on the hunt, as she closed in on the watery crustaceans summoned before her.

The air around her shimmered with heat as her blazing onslaught hissed and crackled, reducing the creatures to little more than steam.

Rosaria, a picture of reluctant obedience, focused her icy gaze on the hulking boar.

A frigid aura radiated from her, tendrils of frost snaking their way toward the beast, ensnaring it in a tomb of ice. With a heavy sigh, she brought down a forceful strike, shattering the frozen monstrosity into countless shards.

As each illusion succumbed to their fate, the Oceanid’s once imposing form quivered and faltered.

Its watery essence, drained and diminished, seemed to be fighting a losing battle against the relentless onslaught of its adversaries.

Yomite, his senses heightened in the heat of battle, seized the fleeting moment. His particle cube, once again summoned to his hand, was now far larger than before. The swirling energy encompassed his hand, and he hoped it would be enough to engulf the weakened Oceanid.

With a guttural cry, Yomite pushed the full power of his particle cube at the Oceanid’s vulnerable eye.

The vortex tore through the creature, consuming its essence in a maelstrom of annihilation.

A final, tortured wail escaped the Oceanid as its watery form dissipated, leaving only a few glimmering droplets that lingered in the air before falling to the ground.

Yomite stood there, panting, the weight of the battle pressing down on him.

Under normal circumstances, a boss monster like this would barely challenge them, but with the restraining bracelet, he felt as feeble as a child.

“Well, that was…something,” He muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.

Hu Tao, still grinning from the thrill of the fight, twirled her staff playfully. “That was fun! But we didn’t even get to eat any crabs. Oh well, maybe next time!”

Rosaria’s icy glare was directed at Yomite, her frosty temperament unbroken. “Don’t assume I’ll heed your commands in the future. Fortune simply favored you this time.”

Yomite, rolling his eyes, refused to be drawn into yet another dispute. “Fine, have it your way. I’m far too exhausted to fight you, woman…”

With a fatigued exhalation, he slumped back against the wall.

His thoughts began to drift, settling on Lumine and Fischl, the sudden yearning to embrace them as a means to recharge his flagging energy.

Hugging Paimon was off limits since it seemed to have brought forth a great misunderstanding. Paimon wasn’t a pet or a child, but unfortunately a woman.

“I can only hope all is well on the other side,” he murmured, concern coloring his voice.

A fondness blossomed within him as he envisioned their adorable reaction to an unexpected embrace.

He imagined their cheeks flushing with a rosy hue, and their eyes widening in surprise, only to soften into a look of endearing warmth.

The mere thought of that moment warmed his weary heart, providing a much-needed reprieve from the lingering chill of battle.

One might argue that Hu Tao’s presence provided some solace, but her antics had only served to exasperate him further throughout the day.

Yomite knew better than to spoil her too much; doing so would only fuel her cockiness to another level and she needed to be punished for her constant antics or else she would grow out of control.

***

Meanwhile, on the opposing end of the battlefield, Lumine, Fischl, and Iris were in a fierce struggle against a formidable entity known as the Geo Hypostasis cube.

The monstrous being struck terror into the hearts of any students who had trouble with geometry exams, its very existence a twisted reminder of their academic shortcomings.

Standing several stories tall, its intimidating presence commanded attention and respect. It was composed of various geometric shapes, primarily resembling cubes, that were seamlessly combined to form its imposing structure.

Its body was made from a sturdy, earthen material with an unmistakable hue of deep brown and subtle hints of amber, reflecting the Geo element that it embodied. Intricate, glowing patterns adorned its surface, pulsating with an energy that seemed to come from the very depths of the earth.

These markings, reminiscent of ancient runes or ley lines, hinted at the immense power that the Geo Hypostasis possessed.