#3.8 update

"I'll go," Lumine dutifully raises her hand. As the token Knight of the group, she has plenty of experience fighting through hordes of enemies, and she reckons she has the highest endurance of anyone in the group. "If it's enemies that need wiping out, then I'm fit for the job."

"Agreed," the General says, summoning one of her water fish and colouring it golden. It appears on the map, directly in front of the Veluriyam compound. "Swordmaster Eula, perhaps you would deign to lend your strength to our Knight of Honours?"

The General has dodged a bullet— despite having met the Swordmaster mere minutes ago, she has already accurately tuned herself to the aristocrat’s wavelength. 

"You need my help?" scoffs Eula, but Lumine can see the faintest trace of a smile across her lips, and hurries to say yes before the General is too confused by their Swordmaster's perpetual shield. Hm... with that kind of shield, perhaps she'd be better known as the Tank, except Tanks don't exist in this universe, do they? Well, she hasn't been to Fontaine yet, and the Ruin Guards come pretty close...

"You two are the Cryo Squad, and will be attacking the compound head on." Kokomi's voice drags Lumine out of her thoughts. "Collei, do you have enough material for three vulneraries each for them?"

Their Healer squeaks, not used to the direct attention. She nods hesitantly, though, and whips out her cauldron immediately, muttering under her breath as she counts out the thirteen-and-a-half cups of Nilotpala concentrate needed for each vulnerary.

"Good. Next, we need two people to enter the compound after its defenses have been drawn away," General Kokomi says. "It probably requires lockpicking and a good knowledge of dismantling elemental mechanisms, so Kaeya, you're up."

The Rogue sits up straighter, although the lazy glint in his eyes doesn't go away. "Aye aye, captain," he drawls.

Although Kokomi turns her head for a moment, Lumine can still catch the roll of her eyes. "Anyway, Idyia, you should go with Kaeya."

"Me?" Idyia squeaks, suddenly looking around frantically. "What use am I in infiltration? I'm not a thief, and I don't have the skills to fight off enemies."

It's true— this team is in deep trouble if they have to fight, but the General doesn't have much of a choice, since all their hard-hitters have to go front stage. Kaeya is owns way too many knives for his own good, anyhow, and Idyia has a strange connection with water that perhaps their Master Thief could coax out with his signature snark.

"Idyia, your skill specifically lies with the Veluriyam Mirage contraptions within the compound," the General expounds, ever-patient. "Kaeya may have generalist knowledge in all types of traps and mechanisms, but you are the only one of this group who knows how to handle the Veluriyam contraptions."

This seems to mollify Idyia, who nods with more confidence, and the General places two more fish at the side entrance of the Veluriyam compound, dark and light blue, labeled Hydro squad: no doubt something about the poetics of water being formless, changing shape and entering cracks and crevices.

"Now comes bombardment," and the General's sigh is audible, given that everyone gathered immediately turns their eyes to Klee. The girl in question jumps a little at all the attention, but quickly gives a big smile and thumbs-up. 

"General Fish-Lady wants me to use my bombs?!" She squeaks in delight. "Klee will be sure to deliver!"

Klee is... technically their Mage. Lumine wishes she could introduce her companions to the concept of artillery, though, because that suits Klee far better.

All Kokomi does is sigh and pull Klee over for a private talk, which leaves Lumine some time to converse with her designated squad member.

"Swordmaster Eula?" Lumine addresses respectfully, if not a tad cheekily, saluting her as well. "We may as well discuss tactics while the General schools our Mage on acceptable levels of bombardment."

Eula nods stiffly, stifling a smile at their youngest member's antics. "Very well. Have you any ideas?"

"Well, I must warn you that no plan survives contact with the enemy," Lumine says, hoping she sounds sagely instead of pretentious. "But if you'll take no offence to it, I suggest using me as a shield, while you deal out strikes safely from behind."

Eula scoffs, but she doesn't immediately shut Lumine down, so that's a win. "An insulting offer," she tilts her head haughtily. "One is very much capable of attack without your protection."

"I make the offer not to insult you, Swordmaster Eula, but to increase our chances of success," Lumine consoles, trying to match the aristocrat's respectful and dignified air. "We will be fighting for as long as the other groups need to pull off their plans. There will be no opportunity to pull back and regroup, nor to lick our wounds. Minor injuries, therefore, may become deadly as well— therefore we must minimise damage to ourselves more than maximise damage to the enemy. It does the team no good if we are both fall before the objective is achieved."

"And you believe yourself capable of sustaining the damage meant for two people?" Eula asks, but there it is, that slight tone of concern that simultaneously makes Lumine want to crawl into a hole and die and also puff out her chest in pride.

"I mean not to boast, Sir Eula, but I am a Knight of the Cosmic— well, Knight of Honours now, well-versed in defensive tactics," Lumine puts her arms on her hips. "With me as a bulwark, you may freely dance without fear of being injured."

Eula narrows her eyes, but acquiesces with a slight nod. Perhaps the word 'dance' helped win her over— only Lumine knows, after all, that their Swordmaster's deadly weapon is not her strength or speed, but the unyielding grace with which she weaponises the Dance of Aphros.

"Alright, you are Pyro Squad,” the General huffs as Klee, who has been appropriately schooled, goes back to join the group. “To keep up our Archmage’s strength, Collei, you should join her.”

“...Archmage?” Collei blurts out, and Lumine sympathises with her confusion. Even if she did know what the word meant, it’s impossible to understand why the General promoted Klee— maybe that was the reason for the private talk? Promotion in exchange for not causing collateral damage? But Klee doesn’t seem the type to want to have a higher class than anyone else, given her nature, so maybe it was to boost her stats? No wait, hold on, wrong world...

“Yup! I’m Archmage Klee now, da-da-da!” Klee gives an adorable grin that doesn’t quite mesh with the number of explosives clutched in her hands. Only ever-observant Kaeya is quick enough to react, tapping her on the shoulder, a silent signal: explosives away. She stows them away reluctantly. “What was it that Mom said? Pleasure to be working with you, Miss Collei!”

Collei flushes red, but the General cuts in with her command before Collei can bury herself in shame. “Collei, it’s not a very glamorous job, but bombardment requires incredible physical and mental endurance. Once the signal is given, your medical knowledge will be invaluable to make sure our Archmage doesn’t run out of strength halfway.”

“Right!” Collei snaps to attention, seemingly calmed by being given direct instructions. “I suppose I’ll need to prepare mana tonics? Perhaps some fireproof elixirs, too... ah, but Master Tighnari always said elemental elixirs need their opposing reagents for maximum effectiveness, and there won’t be any Cryo Whopperflower nectar nearby...”

“Well, I can simply donate some of my elemental powers,” Kaeya says, drawing an icicle with his fingertips idly. “And as I understand, you wield the power of Dendro, correct? Our little Archmage’s bombs do quite a lot of damage, but wouldn’t it be more efficient if you could combine your elements to trigger widespread Burning?”

“An excellent idea, Master Thief,” the General pointedly says. Lumine gets the feeling she doesn’t like being superceded, even though Kaeya’s suggestion was fairly reasonable. “You’ll need some time to get ready, so Pyro Squad, go work on your preparations now.”

Klee and Collei dutifully disperse to one of the campfires. With a nod from Kokomi, Kaeya also leaves, generating icicles on request from an emboldened Collei.

“Now, as for me... I thank you for appointing me the General, but what use is a General if they do not fight with their team?” Kokomi smirks, a flicker of pride making its way to her usually serene countenance. “I alone will take charge of the fourth job: sabotage.”

Idyia is the first to raise an objection, surprisingly. “With respect, General... isn’t that Hydro Squad’s job? The Master Thief and I are due to switch off all their defenses and turn the Veluriyam Mirage contraptions to our favour.”

“You are correct, Idyia.” Kokomi nods, once again mollifying the anxious woman. “My sabotage will not be conducted on the compound itself. If I had to summarise it...”

The General smiles, and this time, it is a terrifying visage— the teeth of an anglerfish, the predatory yawn of a tiger. 

“Let’s say our enemies are going to be... excessively inconvenienced.”

~~

Not sure if I’m going to continue this, but this idea possessed me in the middle of the quest and I had to write it down before I forgot it all.

As a side note, I imagine Lumine is like the “pre-promote” unit from FE (think Seth or Frederick). That’s the Knight: tanky and good at offense. Ignore the fact she looks like a teenage girl, because Lumine could probably pull off some extremely dextrous and impressive tactics if the game would let her wield more than two elements at the same time, hello.

Eula as “Swordmaster” (she’s called Magic Knight for some reason in CN?) would fit more into the Critical Hit Beast archetype. High ATK and Crit, but relatively low defense (despite her metaphorical shield). She’s analogous to characters like Lyn, Catherine, Lucina, and Say’ri from Fire Emblem. (Perhaps Dancing = Critical Hit?)