BOOM!
An explosion tore through the mist.
Elemental energy churned wildly, obscuring her vision.
Collei frowned, tightening her grip on the bow.
Something was wrong.
If the arrow had hit, the Doctor should've turned to ash like before—no noise, no resistance.
But this chaotic burst of energy…
He must've blocked it.
She drew again, firing three more arrows in quick succession toward his position.
No explosions this time.
Missed?
Then his voice came, drifting through the dark haze.
"How pitiful…"
The tone—mocking, almost amused—was different again from the arrogance before.
Her stomach sank.
Moments later, the swirling energy dispersed.
And there they were—two Doctors, standing side by side.
One was disheveled, uniform torn from the explosion. The other looked pristine, untouched, watching his counterpart with a smirk.
Another segment.
So that blast—he must've stepped in and intercepted the arrow to save the slowed one.
"Damn it!"
"I say," the unharmed Doctor drawled, "shouldn't you be thanking me?"
"Even if you hadn't intervened, I could've dodged!"
"Oh, really? If the experiments here in Sumeru weren't important, I wouldn't have bothered. After all, if too many of us die, I'll have to do everything myself."
"Hmph."
"Anyway, let's deal with this disobedient little mouse first. I'm quite interested in the strange new element she's using."
They exchanged a few words, then both turned their gazes toward Collei—right through the darkness that should've hidden her completely.
Her heart clenched.
They can see me?!
Was Dark Mist useless against them now?
No… that first Doctor she killed had been blind inside it. So how—
Unless…
A chill raced down her spine.
She sank into the shadow at her feet, vanishing just as another Doctor appeared behind where she'd been standing.
Too late. His strike hit only air.
Collei's form flickered back into view beneath a distant tree.
"Impressive reflexes…"
That Doctor turned toward her, eyes gleaming with manic fascination.
"You can even use shadows to escape. I'm dying to dissect you and see how you work."
His gaze made her skin crawl.
Three Doctors now—maybe more on the way. Who knew how many fragments were converging on this spot?
Even if each was weaker than the original, their strength wasn't far below her own transformed state.
One-on-one, she could win.
But against several at once…
Her odds plummeted.
Biting her lip, she forced herself to calm down. She wanted to kill them all here and now—to end it—but she couldn't afford to give in to blind rage.
Her slim figure melted into the shadows beneath the trees and fled deeper into the forest.
She wasn't afraid of dying.
She was afraid of what they'd do to her after. Of being dragged back into that nightmare—to become another slice on a dissection table.
The frenzied Doctor watched her fade into the darkness, lips curling into a cold smile.
"You can't run, little mouse."
---
Inazuma — Grand Narukami Shrine
Inside a quiet room, Xia Zhi suddenly heard the system's voice echo in his mind.
"A prayer from a follower has been detected!
Respond?"
That was odd.
Normally, he only got these alerts when a girl first received her transformation device—her first time becoming a magical girl.
After that, their transformations no longer triggered any notifications.
So why now?
Who could it be?
"Yes."
He accepted the request.
A panel opened before him—Collei's character interface, displaying her transformed magical girl form.
A red exclamation mark pulsed faintly in the corner.
Curious, Xia Zhi tapped it.
Collei's status screen unfolded.
HP: nearly zero.
MP: nearly zero.
Stamina: nearly zero.
Clearly, she was in serious trouble.
"She's in danger…" Xia Zhi muttered, frowning.
Then he remembered something Nahida had mentioned two nights ago.
She'd found traces of the Doctor in Sumeru—records from the Akasha Terminal suggesting the Fatui were collaborating with the Akademiya on secret research.
Given his status as one of the top-ranked Harbingers, Nahida had decided to pass the lead to Collei, letting her investigate personally.
"So Collei's fighting the Doctor right now…"
That must be it.
And it made sense—the Doctor's rumored power could rival an Archon's for short bursts. If even Collei, whose magical girl form was platinum-tier and strong enough to spar with Liyue's Adepti, was this injured…
Well. Nothing he couldn't fix.
"[Grant]."
Xia Zhi raised his hand and cast [Divine Healing] on Collei's avatar.
Her empty HP, MP, and stamina bars instantly filled to max.
Normally, Healing only restored HP—but when infused with divine power, it upgraded into a full restoration spell.
Just like when he'd buffed Shenhe during the fight with Beisht, he began stacking a whole arsenal of blessings onto Collei's image—
[Divine Light Shield], [Divine Clarity], [Divine Levity], [Divine Revitalize], [Divine Angelic Hymn]…
Her stats multiplied again and again, every number skyrocketing into absurd territory.
"Alright," Xia Zhi said, satisfied, looking at the panel glowing bright with power.
You've been buffed. Go get 'em.
---
Sumeru
Collei stumbled deeper into the jungle.
Her mana was nearly gone—she couldn't even cast Shadow Shift anymore.
Fresh wounds crisscrossed her body, crimson soaking through her once-beautiful outfit. She looked utterly battered.
Her strength was fading. Her steps grew heavier.
She gasped for breath, vision blurring.
So tired… I can't keep going…
I just want to lie down… and sleep…
But if she stopped, the Doctor would catch her—turn her back into a lab rat.
No.
I'll never go through that hell again.
"Found you, little mouse."
His voice came from behind her.
Collei braced herself against a tree and turned.
Of the three Doctors who had been chasing her, only one remained—the crazed one, eyes gleaming with manic obsession.
The other two, she had managed to kill.
But it didn't matter. They were just expendable segments.
She glared coldly at him.
There's no other choice.
If she used that forbidden Dark Spell—one that consumed her lifespan—she might be able to end him.
She made her decision.
Then, before she could act, two more Doctors appeared behind the first.
!!!
Her heart dropped.
What now?
In that moment of despair, her mind didn't reach for the God of Wisdom—
but for Xia Zhi.
She removed the Hairpin of Darkness from her head, clutched it between her hands, and prayed.
"My Lord…"
The Doctor tilted his head, amused.
"Praying for salvation from the God of Wisdom? She can barely save herself these days—"
He didn't finish.
A brilliant white light burst from above, enveloping Collei completely. The Doctors' expressions darkened instantly.
Moments later, the light faded.
Collei's wounds were gone. Her outfit had changed, shining anew. Power surged through her like she'd never felt before.
She clenched her fists, feeling that divine strength coursing through her veins, and spoke softly—
"Now it's my turn to say it."
Her gaze sharpened.
"You're the ones who won't escape."
----
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