While Cloud Retainer, Keqing, Hu Tao, Xiangling, and the others followed Nicole and Sam Li to Hare's House before strolling through Sixth Street...

At that very moment, on the distant continent of Teyvat—

Arataki Itto, Kuki Shinobu, Sayu, and Kazuha had boarded that day's merchant ship and successfully arrived at Inazuma's port.

The moment they stepped ashore, Kuki Shinobu noticed Sayu was gone. She had likely rushed off immediately to report everything about New Eridu to Yae Miko.

Meanwhile, Kazuha said his farewells to Shinobu and Itto before leaving on his own.

That left only Arataki Itto and Kuki Shinobu together.

"Boss," Shinobu reminded him, "we've been away for a long time. Who knows how the Arataki Gang is doing? Let's go check on them."

But Itto seemed not to hear. He sat at the bow of the ship, sighing dramatically.

"Brother Billy... wait for your big boss..."

Shinobu frowned and nudged him again.

"Boss, we should be heading back."

She even patted his shoulder for emphasis.

Itto suddenly snapped out of it and jumped up.

"Right, right, right! Shinobu, let's go see how the boys are doing!"

No sooner had he spoken than he bolted ahead, eager to reunite with his gang.

Before long, he jogged all the way to the Arataki Gang's base. From the outside, it looked the same as always—dilapidated, like a run-down shelter.

The next instant, he pushed through the doors impatiently and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Brothers! Your big boss is back!"

The moment he entered, he spotted several of his men.

Hearing his voice, the Arataki Gang members scrambled to their feet, their faces lighting up in joy.

"Boss, you're finally back!"

"Haha! Let me see if you lot have starved yourselves thin while I was gone!"

Itto looked each of them over, one by one. Not only had they not wasted away, they seemed to have put on weight.

Then one of the younger members stepped forward.

"Boss, we heard you ran into trouble out there. Take this money."

Itto blinked in surprise as he accepted the pouch—inside was more than two hundred thousand Mora.

Completely stunned, he asked, "Where did you all get so much Mora?"

The subordinate replied seriously, "When we heard you were in trouble, we started working as dock laborers every day. We saved this much together..."

Itto was deeply moved. But what nonsense rumor was this—that he had run into trouble?

Throwing his head back, he laughed loudly.

"Hahaha! How could your boss ever be in trouble? There's no one in this world who can beat me!"

With that, he handed the Mora back to them.

"Go buy food. Tonight, we celebrate!"

"Right away, Boss!"

Seeing him safe and sound, the gang members couldn't have been happier.

After they left, Shinobu turned serious.

"I need to head out as well."

"Where?" Itto frowned. "We just agreed to celebrate tonight."

"To Narukami Shrine," Shinobu said firmly. "I'll be back by evening."

With that, she departed the gang's base.

...

Meanwhile, at Narukami Shrine.

Sayu had already finished reporting everything she had seen and heard in New Eridu to Yae Miko—its advanced technology, its looming crisis, and its new alliance with Liyue.

After listening, Yae Miko tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"So... that land never truly belonged to Liyue?"

Sayu nodded. "Exactly. Even the Liyue Qixing don't know why those two Statues of the Seven appeared in New Eridu..."

Her words immediately piqued Yae Miko's interest.

An entire city bargained away to secure the help of Liyue's Adepti—this was getting more and more entertaining.

Sayu yawned, then added, "The people of New Eridu said the Liyue Qixing promised that if divine intervention is ever needed, the gods of Liyue would step forward to suppress the Zero Hollows..."

At that, Yae Miko raised an eyebrow.

"If the Geo Archon were willing to act, things would be much simpler."

From Sayu's report, it was clear the crisis facing New Eridu was urgent and formidable—so difficult that even the Adepti could not guarantee victory.

But if the Geo Archon of Liyue still wielded the same power he had in the Archon War a thousand years ago, then suppressing the Hollows disaster that Sayu described would hardly be an issue.

Miko suspected that the Geo Archon already knew of the alliance between Liyue and New Eridu.

Perhaps it had even been orchestrated by him from the shadows.

Beside her, Sayu yawned again and muttered, "But... isn't Liyue's Archon already dead? They also mentioned another god. How could one nation have two gods? That has to be a lie."

Sayu wasn't from New Eridu or Liyue; everything she knew came from what its people told her.

In her memory, the Geo Archon of Liyue had died three or four years ago.

The news of his assassination had spread across Teyvat like wildfire, shocking the entire world.

Even for someone as perpetually sleepy as Sayu, that wasn't something she could possibly forget.

Yae Miko, however, only smiled faintly.

"A god revered as the God of War would not fall so easily."

Sayu's eyes widened. "He isn't dead?"

"Of course not," Miko said with a smile.

Just then, a shrine maiden entered to report that Kuki Shinobu had arrived.

"Let her in."

Moments later, Shinobu entered, glanced at Sayu, then turned to Yae Miko.

"So you already know about New Eridu."

Miko chuckled lightly. "Some of it. But Sayu sleeps too much and can't explain everything clearly. I need you to fill in the gaps."

Without hesitation, Shinobu reported everything she knew—the properties of the Hollows, their battles with High-Rank Ethereals, and details of New Eridu's official organizations.

She came quickly and left just as quickly.

After relaying the information, Shinobu departed Narukami Shrine at once, returning to the Arataki Gang for the night's celebration.

Once both Shinobu and Sayu had gone, a woman's voice came from behind the screen.

"Miko, what do you make of this?"

Yae Miko answered with a soft laugh.

"According to Sayu and Shinobu, New Eridu has already allied with Liyue. With the Adepti and the Geo Archon there, I doubt Inazuma's intervention will be needed. However..."

Raiden's voice followed from behind the screen.

"However what?"

Miko's tone grew serious. "However, the Hollows might be connected to the Abyss. We haven't seen it ourselves, so we don't know how far it has progressed. If it's anything like what happened five hundred years ago, it could be disastrous."

That calamity of five centuries past was something Yae Miko still remembered vividly.

Raiden's voice came again.

"Very well. Then you should go to New Eridu and see for yourself."