"It seems we were too late. He's dead. And from the state of the body, he's probably been dead for about three days," Clorinde said, standing over a corpse in simple clothes. "Though we've found the missing person, we should investigate who did this."

"The fatal wound was a slash to the chest. It was these stone statues," she said. "Shall we continue?"

"Mm."

They went up a flight of stairs and, at a corner, came to a sudden stop. Before them stood a masked figure with pale, stone-like skin, clad in a long robe.

"To think you would track me here... a pity. My plan is not yet ready. But no matter, dealing with you barbarians will be a pleasant diversion," the masked man said with a snap of his fingers. The stone statues lining the corridor came to life and charged.

"Did you kill the person back there?" Clorinde asked, her eyes fixed on the man.

"He was like you, curious. He found his way here and discovered my presence, so I had to execute the pathetic barbarian."

"'Barbarian'... as I recall, only the remnants of the Remurian dynasty speak like that," Lu Li said calmly. "Relying on a god-king to conquer the high seas of Fontaine, only to be crushed in a real battle and left to be purged."

"What did you say?!" the figure hissed.

"Am I not speaking the truth?" Lu Li sneered. "Defeated by the Scarlet King of Sumeru, fled to the high seas of Fontaine, and in his humiliation, turned his people into monstrous golems, calling it 'evolution.' If it was an evolution, why didn't your god dare to face the Scarlet King again? He could only bully the powerless humans. Your king, Remus, was a pure coward."

The stone man began to tremble with rage.

"I'm not making things up. This is just a deduction from historical facts," Lu Li continued. "In the end, due to his own incompetence, he was betrayed by his allies, betrayed by his own people, and defeated by Egeria, sinking with you trash into the deep sea."

The stone man was shaking with fury. "You... you even know about the Vishaps... As for my king's defeat... it only shows his magnanimity..."

"Since you know so much, I can't let you live, you insolent barbarian." At his words, the stone guards charged.

"BOOM!"

A storm of Electro and Pyro phantoms and slashes erupted. In a flash of light and thunder, as the stone man realized things were going south and tried to flee, a flaming sacrificial knife and a lightning-infused longsword sliced him into three pieces.

"Fool..." the severed head sneered. "What you see before you is merely a soul phantom... But since you have come this far and insulted the supreme god-king, we will have one final battle. If you have the courage, meet me in the Sea of Bygone Eras. Come, if you dare—"

Before he could finish, Lu Li stomped on his head, crushing it. The three pieces of the body dissolved into light.

"You could have at least let him finish," Clorinde said.

"No need. But I know how to find him. Clorinde, are you still planning to continue?"

"Of course. This is my responsibility. And Lu Li, you seem to know a lot of things?"

"Mm, a lot. So, for the sake of love and peace, this guy must be dealt with."

"In that case, let's go. You lead the way."

Lu Li's eyes flickered. "...You trust me that much, Clorinde? I shouldn't know this much."

The strongest Champion Duelist paused, then said, "I know. But I won't ask. And trusting you... requires no reason."

His eyes widened. He then felt her gently take his hand.

-------

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