Seeing the three already dive underwater, Albedo immediately paddled forward, preparing to help.
"Wait."
At that moment, Kamisato Ayato grabbed him. "Let Freminet eliminate them first. Then we move in. There are points at stake."
That reminder clicked.
There were still five players left. If the other two were eliminated, they would at least secure points no matter what.
And after taking out two people, Freminet would definitely be exhausted. If they struck then, they could easily pick up the win.
"No problem."
So the two of them circled around the area, deliberately refusing to help.
"Heh… everything's going perfectly."
Ayato's eyes gleamed. The situation couldn't be better for him. As long as he seized the right moment, Albedo wouldn't stand a chance. His magic was Weakening Debuff—one hit at the critical moment, and victory would be his.
"Wow… that's so dirty! They're not helping!"
"I told you those two were suspicious!"
The audience erupted in protest. They had agreed to cooperate, yet now they were backstabbing at the crucial moment.
"Heh, strategy. It's all strategy."
Meanwhile, the Mondstadt and Inazuma players were thrilled. No matter how you looked at it, the win seemed to be theirs.
Underwater, the two struggling players realized something was wrong.
Why weren't the others helping?
Their legs were locked by Freminet, and they couldn't surface. If this continued, they would inevitably choke on water.
At that critical moment, Maozhe signaled Asaba Harumasa. They had to swim upward together—they couldn't let themselves be dragged down.
The two exerted all their strength at once.
But to their horror—
They couldn't break free.
No matter how hard they struggled, their bodies were still sinking.
Moments later—
[Notice: Player Maozhe has been eliminated.]
[Notice: Player Asaba Harumasa has been eliminated.]
As the announcements rang out, Albedo and Ayato's eyes lit up. They took a deep breath and dove simultaneously.
Now—it was time to decide the winner.
Underwater, they quickly spotted Freminet trying to surface. Without hesitation, they grabbed him and forced him downward.
Their hearts surged with excitement.
Out of oxygen, aren't you? Now you'll learn what it means to be outplayed.
Freminet's resistance grew weaker and weaker.
Victory seemed imminent.
"Weakening Debuff!"
Ayato suddenly cast his magic on Albedo.
Albedo, still restraining Freminet, immediately felt a wave of weakness flood his body.
"Heh… time to be eliminated."
One hand held Freminet, while the other reached for Albedo's throat. Ayato could already taste victory.
"Exorcism Art!"
At the critical moment, a ripple spread across Albedo's body. The debuff was instantly dispelled.
Not only that—Albedo twisted around and locked his arm around Ayato's neck.
"This is bad!"
Ayato panicked. He hadn't expected Albedo to have the same idea—and worse, his magic directly countered his own.
He struggled, but with only one free hand, he couldn't break Albedo's hold. Yet he couldn't release Freminet either.
He was trapped.
His mind raced.
Finally, he made a decision.
He would eliminate Freminet first.
If he let go, Freminet would definitely escape to the surface and secure at least third place. But if he finished Freminet here, he could at least guarantee second.
With that thought, his grip tightened.
Meanwhile, in the stands—
"What are they even doing?!"
"Are they blind?!"
The Inazuma and Mondstadt players were on the verge of losing it.
Earlier, when Maozhe and Harumasa were eliminated, Freminet had already activated his Mirror Technique. The one they were holding was just a decoy.
Now, the real Freminet was already at the surface catching his breath—while these two were still fighting each other underwater.
"Gasp… gasp…"
Freminet resurfaced, taking several deep breaths. Once he recovered slightly, he dove back down.
Before the match, Lyney had told him to use his ability when the number of players dropped. It turned out Lyney had been right.
Looking at the two still locked in combat, Freminet smiled. He swam over swiftly, stretched out his arms, and locked both of their necks.
Albedo: "!!!"
Ayato: "!!!"
Shock flooded their faces. They turned their heads with difficulty and saw Freminet—while the one they had been holding began to fade away.
They were done.
The same thought flashed through both of their minds.
At once, they turned on each other again, attacking fiercely.
The intention was clear.
You get eliminated first. I want second place.
Freminet found it almost amusing. At such a critical moment, instead of dealing with him, they were still fighting each other.
Impressive, in a ridiculous way.
In the stands—
"Ayato, hang on! Albedo's going down!"
"No way! Albedo will last longer!"
"Go! Take second place!"
"Second place is ours!"
Hearing the cheers, Valerius was speechless.
Could they be any more ridiculous?
At a time like this, shouldn't they be teaming up against Freminet?
[Notice: Player Kamisato Ayato has been eliminated.]
"Ohhhh—!"
The announcement triggered an uproar from Mondstadt, as if they had just won first place.
Only the Inazuma side looked miserable.
Raiden Shogun frowned. "Only four points this round…"
Hearing that, Yae Miko almost burst out laughing. The match wasn't even over, and she was already acting like victory was guaranteed.
[Notice: Player Albedo has been eliminated.]
Finally, after Ayato, Albedo was eliminated as well.
Freminet took first place.
Thus, the Sumeru–Fontaine alliance gained 3 points, Mondstadt gained 2, and Inazuma gained 1.
Climbing out of the pool, Freminet let out a long breath. Despite his dominance, he had been nervous the entire time. Thankfully, he hadn't let his teammates down.
"Women's division, prepare."
Valerius snapped his fingers. The pool drained instantly, then refilled again.
"Miko, watch closely."
With a confident glance at Yae Miko, the Raiden Shogun stepped to the edge of the pool, arms crossed, calmly waiting for her opponents.
"I'd like to see what you're planning."
Knowing her friend well, Yae Miko was certain Raiden Shogun was up to something. She straightened up, ready to watch the show. If things went badly, she would laugh at her without mercy.
Soon, the women's participants gathered at the poolside.
Mondstadt: Rosaria.
Liyue: Beidou.
Inazuma: Raiden Shogun.
Sumeru–Fontaine Alliance: Lynette.
Xianzhou Alliance: Sushang.
Penacony Coalition: Topaz.
Belobog Alliance: March 7th.
Zenless Zone Zero: Belle.
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