Chapter Forty-Five: On the Eve of the Great Battle (Two-in-One)

Late at night.

Despite the lateness of the hour, Chen had not yet fallen asleep. He sat cross-legged on his bed, a strange and mysterious energy pulsating around him.

He was attempting to reawaken his own sealed powers!

Originally, he had been completely unable to sense his sealed abilities. However, earlier today, while attempting to purify the Dragon's Tear, he had felt a faint, long-lost connection to his own power.

It was exceedingly weak—so weak that he had almost doubted whether it was merely an illusion.

It wasn't until he met Venti that evening, when the bard asked for his help in purifying the dragon tears he had collected, that the sensation surfaced once more, confirming to him that it was no hallucination.

Although this only deepened his suspicions regarding the Abyss power that could be cleansed by his own energy, it was undoubtedly good news for him at the moment.

Whether it was to find Xi again or to exact vengeance upon the white-haired deity of the past, he had to find a way to reclaim his strength.

After a long while, Chen let out a helpless, heavy sigh and opened his eyes.

The connection was far too weak—like a dying candle flickering in the wind.

Forget using it to reawaken his power; if he were the slightest bit careless, this thread of connection would likely snap all over again.

"If only I could get my hands on more Abyssal energy..."

In Chen's mind, thoughts arose involuntarily that, to the natives of Teyvat, would undoubtedly seem extremely dangerous, if not outright insane.

Just then, the crisp sound of a lyre interrupted his train of thought.

Chen’s expression flickered. He quietly climbed down from the bed, taking care not to wake the soundly sleeping little Paimon.

Then, he opened the bedroom window, slipped outside, and climbed up onto the rooftop.

Under the moonlight, the bard—as free as a gentle breeze—was plucking the melodious strings of his instrument.

Hearing the movement behind him, he stopped playing and turned his head.

"Haha, I was just trying to get used to playing the Lyre of the Holy Lyre der Himmel. Did I disturb you?"

Chen shook his head, walked over, and sat down beside him. He drew one leg up against his chest while letting the other dangle over the edge of the eaves, gently swinging it back and forth.

"Right on time. I think we need to have a talk. What do you think?"

"Sigh." Venti let out a soft sigh and said frankly, "Go ahead and ask. I will answer honestly."

...

...

"Speaking of which, Lumine, when a normal person wakes up and discovers their powers have been sealed, wouldn't they usually try everything to break the seal? How come the in-game version of you didn't seem to have such thoughts at all?" Aether asked casually.

Upon hearing this, Lumine was visibly startled. She then seemed to involuntarily project herself into the scenario and ponder it for a moment. Immediately afterward, her expression stiffened somewhat, and she stammered, "Uh... well, this, that..."

Seeing the way her eyes darted around evasively, Aether was taken aback as well. He had just asked a casual question, so why was Lumine acting like...

As the thought crossed his mind, Aether seemed to realize something, and the twitching of the corners of his mouth grew even more pronounced.

Knowing her as he did, there was only one truth: she had forgotten...

And it might not just be forgetting to retrieve her powers; if Lumine were actually in Teyvat, she would likely be dazzled by the colorful world for quite some time, completely forgetting even about him, her older brother...

"Sigh... having a sister like you is truly my 'greatest blessing'!"

...

...

The next day, Thousand Winds Temple.

"Bang!!"

Accompanied by a final, fierce strike, the rampaging Ruin Guard collapsed with a resounding crash. Both Chen and Acting Grand Master Jean, who was leading the team, let out collective sighs of relief.

"Everyone, spread out and search. Gather all the scattered teardrops. Be absolutely certain not to touch them recklessly—these droplets are extremely dangerous."

At Jean's command, the members of the scouting party quickly dispersed, searching every corner of the temple ruins for the scattered Dragon's Tears.

Chen and Jean, the two primary combatants, did not join the search. Instead, they remained standing in place, keeping watch while recovering from the exertion of the recent battle, quietly awaiting the team's harvest.

None of the three—Venti, Chen, and Paimon—had anticipated that Jean would join this operation. When they first encountered her at the Angel's Share tavern, they had been genuinely startled, fearing that Diluc had grown suspicious and straight-up sold them out.

Fortunately, Diluc immediately explained to them that Jean was helping out strictly in a private capacity. Furthermore, Jean herself stated that she already understood the ins and outs of the matter and would not pursue the theft of the Holy Lyre der Himmel, causing the three of them to heave sighs of relief.

"Phew—finally settled," little Paimon wiped away non-existent sweat, putting on an exhausted act despite the fact that she had practically done nothing the entire time.

...

"Didn't you do absolutely nothing?" Chen glanced at her, exposing her mercilessly.

"Hmph, mental fatigue is fatigue too," little Paimon declared, placing her hands on her hips with righteous indignation. "Besides, the thought that we're out here searching bitterly while that singing drunkard is slacking off at Dawn Winery makes me so mad!"

"Alright, Venti has his own difficulties to deal with." Chen couldn't help but put in a good word for him.

After last night's conversation, he had gained a comprehensive understanding of Venti's situation.

How should he put it? The experiences of this Anemo Archon since waking up could only be described as supremely unlucky.

The current Anemo Archon, Barbatos, had just awakened from a five-hundred-year slumber. Before he even had a chance to recover his divine power, the chaotic gales of Mondstadt brought him the harrowing news that his familiar was being corrupted by the Abyss and stood at death's door.

With much difficulty, he evaded the gaze of the Abyss Order and found an opportunity to soothe the Dragon of the East. However, his hard-won timing was ruined by a stray traveler. Not only had he failed to help the Dragon of the East, but he had also unfortunately been contaminated by the Abyssal energy himself.

Then, before he could even catch his breath, his familiar—tormented by toxic blood—launched an attack on Mondstadt. Venti was once again forced to grit his teeth against the corruption, straining to use the meager divine power he had just recovered to help the traveler beat back Dvalin.

After this whole series of twists and turns, his divine power hadn't recovered at all; instead, it had bottomed out completely. So much so that the mighty Anemo Archon had to travel all the way to Windrise just to cleanse a tiny bit of his own corruption by borrowing the power left behind by an old friend. Even repairing the Holy Lyre der Himmel required exhausting efforts to collect Dragon's Tears everywhere.

One could say that ever since Venti woke up, one bout of bad luck had followed another. It was the epitome of absolute misfortune.

It had even prompted Chen to pat him on the shoulder in comfort.

This fellow truly was remarkably unlucky.

Yet at this moment, while Venti appeared to be loafing around, he was actually just trying to seize every spare moment to recover a sliver of divine power in order to handle the crisis that might soon arise.

Venti might act unserious on ordinary days, but at a juncture where his familiar's life hung in the balance, how could he possibly have the heart to slack off?

"Hmph! And you're still defending him." Little Paimon crossed her arms over her chest, looking rather displeased. "When we first met that guy, we almost... Anyway, Paimon doesn't like him."

Chen shook his head helplessly and had to switch tactics to coax the fussy little creature.

Watching the two interact, a soft smile unconsciously bloomed on Jean's face, accompanied by a faint trace of envy. Having an inseparable companion who could talk to you at any moment was indeed admirable.

Seeing that it would still take some time for the team members to finish their search, Jean hesitated for a moment before speaking up, "Traveler, may I ask you a question?"

Chen was slightly surprised, but seeing Jean's serious expression, he hesitated briefly before nodding. "Go ahead. I will answer earnestly."

Jean gave a slight nod and asked softly, "Could you tell me why you are willing to go to such lengths to help Mondstadt?"

This was indeed a puzzle in her heart. Although everything Chen had done thus far served to help Mondstadt resolve its crisis, she simply couldn't fathom why Chen—who wasn't even from Mondstadt—would exert himself so thoroughly to lend a hand?

Was it merely because of Amber?

It wasn't that she was unwilling to trust Chen; rather, as Acting Grand Master, she bore heavy responsibilities and had to maintain a high level of vigilance regarding anything concerning Mondstadt's safety.

Jean's question did not catch Chen off guard. He weighed his words for a moment, met Jean's gaze directly, and replied, "There are two reasons. First, once this is over, Venti will definitely have the means to pay me the reward I want. As for the second reason..."

He turned his gaze toward the wispy clouds in the distant sky, saying wistfully, "Perhaps it is because I, too, am unwilling to witness a scene where dearest friends and companions, heroes and citizens, are forced to turn against each other..."

Companions who had once shared life and death ultimately forced to fight to the bitter end—he vaguely remembered that he, too, had experienced something like that once before...

Chen's answer caught Jean somewhat off guard. If viewed purely from the perspective of interests, the first reason he gave was undoubtedly the more believable one. Yet her intuition told her that the latter reason was likely what truly drove the young man to action.

Gazing at the youth's still somewhat youthful yet near-flawless profile, Jean felt as though she caught a glimpse of a profound age and vicissitude—utterly mismatched with his tender appearance—hidden within those clear eyes.

For a inexplicable moment, Jean felt her heartbeat skip a beat, and she hurriedly averted her gaze. For a time, she simply didn't dare to look directly at the young man before her...

...

According to the arrangement agreed upon before setting out, the scouting parties split up, each taking charge of a designated sector, with plans to rendezvous at Dawn Winery afterward.

The group consisting of Chen, Jean, and the others had been assigned to the furthest and relatively most dangerous region. Consequently, by the time they arrived back at Dawn Winery, the other squads had basically already returned.

Jean and Paimon exchanged warm greetings with the members of the other teams, but Chen kept his head slightly lowered, his brows knit with a hint of anxiety.

"Hm? Chen, is something the matter?"

Noticing his abnormality, Jean asked with concern.

Preoccupied, Chen hadn't noticed that Jean had unconsciously dropped formal phrasing when addressing him. He simply shook his head, offering a light smile. "It's nothing. Don't worry."

In truth, on the journey back, he had vaguely sensed someone lurking in the shadows and keeping watch on them.

The other party had concealed their presence remarkably well; the only reason Chen was able to detect them was because, in order to perceive his own sealed power last night, he had amplified his five senses to their absolute limits.

This kind of sensory amplification was like an inflated balloon; returning to normal levels required a certain amount of time. During this window, his perception remained much sharper than usual.

And if his instincts were correct, the aura of the entity spying in the shadows belonged to the Abyss—they were members of the Abyss Order.

In other words, the Abyss Order had already taken note of their actions, which meant the upcoming operation to awaken Dvalin would likely encounter additional complications.

...

...

Staring-Cliff, under clear skies and a bright sun.

Standing atop the cliff's precipice in this vast and silent expanse of desolation, one could hear only the howling sea wind playing its perpetual background melody for the scene year after year.

This was the location ultimately chosen and agreed upon by Chen and the others to summon Dvalin.

"Well then, are you ready? The best bard in the mortal realm is about to begin his performance!"

Venti smiled lightly at the group, then hoisted the Holy Lyre der Himmel, walked step by step to the edge of the cliff, and—under the watchful eyes of those behind him—began to play.

"Ding, ding, ding—dong! Dong!!"

The music began, ethereal and melodious, like a babbling brook awakening all things in heaven and earth. Gradually, Venti's fingers danced across the strings, the melody growing increasingly passionate, akin to raging waves crashing against cliff faces, echoing out into the distance.

Venti's music was breathtakingly beautiful, but Chen and the others had no leisure to enjoy the performance at this moment. With expressions of worry and vigilance, they stared at their surroundings, remaining on guard at all times against the arrival of Stormterror.

Yet, even as Venti's song came to an end, the sea and sky around Staring-Cliff remained completely tranquil.

Just as Jean and Diluc began to suspect that the summoning had failed, Chen felt a sudden shift in the spiritual atmosphere and instinctively whipped his head toward the edge of the cliff.

The next instant, violent gales erupted atop the cliff. A cyan dragon surged upward from beyond the precipice, the ferocious winds kicked up by its blistering ascent sending little Paimon—who had been craning her neck looking around—tumbling away backward through the air.

"Wuaaaaaah!"

Paimon shrieked in alarm, but fortunately, Chen caught her in his arms just in time, preventing her from being blown entirely away.

Jean and Diluc crossed their arms in front of their faces to ward off the howling gale, their eyes filled with utter astonishment.

They had actually managed to summon the Dragon of the East?!

Until Dvalin appeared, both of them had harbored doubts about Venti's plan. But at this moment, those doubts vanished completely.

"Now... there is nothing more to say..."

"Is that so? Then why do your eyes still retain a lingering fondness for this tune?"

Dvalin: "..."

Behind them, Jean and the others watched the exchange between man and dragon with bated breath. If possible, they all hoped the matter could be resolved peacefully. Mondstadt simply could not endure any more turmoil.

Yet the mastermind behind the scenes clearly had no intention of letting it end here.

Capitalizing on his heightened sensory state, Chen perceived the anomaly instantly. His figure flashed as he rushed directly toward Venti.

"BOOM!!!"

A thunderous explosion rang out near the edge of the cliff. An ice-blasting sphere launched from behind Dvalin struck the wind barrier Chen had erected, and the resulting shockwave caused the cliffside to shudder violently.

"Heheheh, don't be fooled by him, poor dragon. You've already made an enemy of Mondstadt; there's no turning back now!"

The Abyssal mage's staff glowed with an eerie purple light, stirring the toxic blood within Dvalin's body. Under the dual bewitchment of words and magic, ferocious hostility gradually reclaimed the dragon's eyes.

"Dvalin!" Venti shouted anxiously.

Jean and Diluc, who had already reached Venti's side, narrowed their eyes as well, preparing to charge forward and stop the Abyss mage.

However, it was already too late!

"Whoosh—"

Dvalin beat his massive wings, generating a blast of wind that blew the two charging figures back onto the ground.

"Barbatos, are these people... here with you to hunt me down?!"

The dragon's deafening roar shattered the final shred of hope the group had been holding onto.

"It's not like that!" Venti cried out anxiously, but it was already too late.

"Slap!" Chen patted his shoulder, soothing his agitated emotions.

"No matter what, let's keep him here first! We went through all this trouble to draw him out; we can't let him run off again!"

"Right!" Venti nodded and once more picked up the Holy Lyre der Himmel.

At the summit of Staring-Cliff, the winds of the West confronted the winds of the East. A fierce battle had now become inevitable...