"Mondstadt’s territory is huge. Where would be the best place to find him?"
Paimon tiredly rubbed her little legs. She had been flying around all day.
"Starsnatch Cliff."
"The terrain there is wide open, and hardly anyone ever goes there. It’s the perfect place for a ’negotiation.’"
When it came to familiarity with Mondstadt’s geography, there really was no one better than the god who spent his days wandering all over the nation.
"There’s no time to lose. Let’s set out immediately."
Acting Grand Master Jean’s voice carried the firm resolve of someone who could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Only by resolving this problem as soon as possible could she gain even a brief reprieve from her endless hell of overtime.
Late at night, Starsnatch Cliff lay beneath a bright, pristine moon, while a few wisps of cloud drifted lazily across the starry sky.
The grass was as green as expensive silk. The distant breeze carried the delicate fragrance of Cecilia flowers mixed with the salty scent of the sea.
"Wow! This place looks as beautiful as something out of a fairy tale!"
Paimon’s eyes widened as she marveled at the scenery.
"Well, would you look at that? An emergency food supply whose head is usually filled with nothing but Sweet Madame can actually appreciate such sophisticated scenery?"
Kamisato Satoru teased her with a grin.
"How many times do I have to tell you?! I’m not emergency rations!"
Paimon angrily stomped her feet and swung her fists in midair.
Kamisato Satoru stopped teasing her and instead gazed deeply at the mysterious little creature, silently wondering about her true identity.
"All right, everyone. Now, please quiet down and enjoy the greatest poet in Mondstadt’s history as he plucks the strings of fate."
Holding the glowing Holy Lyre der Himmel, Venti lightly stepped onto a massive rock at the edge of the cliff.
"Ting... dong... ting..."
The clear, melodious notes echoed above the cliff.
The melody was like a pair of gentle hands, softly soothing the restlessness of the night.
"ROOOAR!!!"
Without warning, an enormous shadow blotted out the sky.
Six gigantic wings spread across the heavens, whipping up violent waves of wind.
"You’re still spouting this nonsense?! What could there possibly be left for us to talk about?!"
Dvalin unleashed a deafening roar, his voice filled with deep hatred and sorrow.
"Is that so? Yet when I look into your eyes, you still seem attached to this melody you’ve heard countless times before."
Venti’s voice was gentle, as though he were calling out to an old friend.
"..."
The great dragon fell silent for a moment.
His enormous eyes slowly swept across the gathered group.
Then he saw the white-haired, blindfolded Kamisato Satoru standing there with a completely calm expression.
Every scale on Dvalin’s body instantly stood on end.
"You bastard again! Barbatos, did you bring this freakish hunter here so the two of you could slaughter me together?!"
The wind immediately went berserk.
Jean and Diluc were forced to lower their centers of gravity to keep themselves from being blown off the cliff.
Only then, under the moonlight, did everyone finally get a clear look at Dvalin’s miserable condition.
His once-majestic dragon face was swollen like a lump of risen dough, nearly twice its original size.
Even the scales along his back were sparse and patchy.
He looked utterly wretched.
Jean and Diluc exchanged a glance, the corners of their mouths twitching uncontrollably.
You called this "teaching him a little physics"?
This was obviously one-sided animal abuse!
"Dvalin, I asked you to cry last time, but you insisted on saving face. So I had no choice but to help loosen up your muscles a little."
Crack! Crack!
Kamisato Satoru leisurely cracked his knuckles, producing a series of crisp sounds that made everyone’s teeth ache.
"Rrr..."
The instant Dvalin saw that gesture, his previously world-destroying aura shrank by half.
He instinctively flew backward several dozen meters.
It was obvious that his fear of Kamisato Satoru had already been carved into his very bones.
Bang!
At that critical moment, an icicle suddenly shot out from the darkness, knocking the Holy Lyre der Himmel out of Venti’s hands.
The pure Anemo energy gathered within it instantly dispersed.
The priceless wooden lyre shattered on the spot.
"Lord Venti!"
Acting Grand Master Jean cried out and immediately drew her sword, stepping in front of Venti to protect him.
"Poor dragon, open your eyes and see the truth! These hypocritical humans have come to take your life! Destroy them!"
A Cryo Abyss Mage wearing a white fur-trimmed cloak materialized out of thin air, the icy staff in its hand still radiating a ghostly chill.
"ROOOAR!"
"Go do something useful yourself, Barbatos! I’m done with this crap!"
Dvalin unleashed an enraged roar.
Then, without even looking back, he transformed into a streak of light and vanished over the horizon.
All that remained was the Abyss Mage, still holding up its staff with a completely bewildered expression.
Hey, hey! That’s not how the script was supposed to go! Why did that dragon run away faster than a rabbit?!
Meanwhile, Dvalin had only one thought:
You stay if you want! That white-haired monster is cracking his knuckles over there! If I don’t run now, I’m going to die!
"Your verdict is...!"
Whoosh!
Diluc gave the enemy absolutely no time to react.
Blazing flames instantly engulfed his claymore as a gigantic phoenix burst forth across the night sky.
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