A Lethal Invitation

Is this Ardashir's power... The color is just so weird... And is that ... a rift?

Wait! Don't get any closer —

YSTF. We'll handle this.

A way to contain the rift must be found.

Tianshi Pillar? It can keep the rift contained — Err, I mean, if it still works...

I, I know a way to restart the Pillar —

Get back to the city.

Direct contact with the rift is too dangerous for you.

...Much appreciated. Thank you.

If the commander's aim is to keep them safe, then they should leave. It's as simple as that.

......

Anyway, restarting the Tianshi Pillar can be achieved with just Chen and I.

I hope you have not forgotten the training you had.

Hey, stop saying that! My grades were just as good as yours!

Seems like it... Depth readings are extremely abnormal. When the Tianshi Pillars were damaged, rifts began to appear. This is definitely the power of Æther.

Is this the work of Ardashir's Arts...? Is he now capable of tearing new rifts?

Sorry about this. We wanted to help too.

I know the dangers of the rift ... too well, in fact. The disaster from the past must not strike again.

Wha?

I'll handle the rift.

YSTF is your go-to specialist for handling Ætherside disasters... This should be a piece of cake for her.

It's Ardashir's Arts—!

I'll break it.

...It's done.

No matter. Just move fast and neutralize Ardashir. That will help Wuling regain the initiative.

Let's go to the Lake Islet.

Hmm. If this is his attempt to delay us...

Then perhaps Tianshi Zhuang and I made the right guess. This is just an obvious feint to lure us to this place.

But his feint hit the Marker Stone and made a rift. We can't just ignore it...

...I have a feeling that he's doing it to get the Endmin to come here.

Hold on. Contact.

You are here.

This thing...?! It talks?!

Just as I've said at Qingbo Stockade. We meet again.

Endministrator—

Quiet.

I'll lead the way.

An impatient one...

The Æther has acquired a visible form... It has become "sword" and "wall"...

These phantoms are closing in on us!

You should have guessed that my objectives are the Very Large Rift ... and you, Endministrator.

Come and face me. Accept our inevitable battle...

Or head back to Wuling, and bring the innocent away from the vicinity of the Rift.

...Then I shall patiently wait for you at the Marker Stone.

That being said ... I have yet to personally assess the extent of your vestigial powers.

Forgive my trespasses, Endministrator.

If you comply, I shall persuade Nefarith to abandon violence. Killing the Terrans will only impede our enterprise.

Endmin!

I say we should keep hiding in the water...

We can't hide forever! The entire thing blew up in our faces. Wuling is gonna make us pay —

Cangzei pirates? Up to no good again.

HOLD ON! We're just trying to help!

Hmm. You look familiar... Oh! It's you! The pair of sneaks who ran away from Qingbo Stockade!

Working for Ardashir?

Huh? Arda who...?

Got no time to question them. I'll just eliminate the risks.

Just, don't! They're definitely not working for him!

Yeh-YEAH! We're trapped here too!

We sneaked through the secret tunnel to find our grampa's stuff...

Ahem, yeah, we, uh, dug that tunnel back when the Stockade Fam planned to raid Wuling...

Err... Hah... It's hard to believe, but I can't do nothing about it...

We were trying to visit grampa one last time ... before we hightail out of this place. Curse our luck...

So you were trying to activate the auxiliary pillar?

And I saw Tianshi fiddling with something similar! If we switch it on, a path will definitely appear!

Did you... just let them go like that? You used to be way less forgiving...

I do not question the Endmin's orders.

Ahem. Endmin, let's activate the auxiliary pillar.

Wait, wait, wait!

We gotta make it work or there'll be no way out!

...Head down the way we came from. There will be a raft station. The raft should still be there.

Oh, thank you so much! We mean it!

Once again you've saved our lives!