Near her ear, a delicate feather ornament swayed gently, as if recounting the distant lands she had traversed.
Her eyes were a clear golden amber, reflecting the blazing sun, shining even brighter against the backdrop of the storm.
Those eyes held determination and persistence, as if no storm could stop her advance.
Even though the gale hindered her speed.
Even though every step seemed incredibly difficult.
She still ran toward this side without hesitation, her steps steady, her will firm.
She wore an exotic blue and white dress, the hem lifting slightly as she ran.
Golden diamond-shaped decorations were revealed under the skirt, each reflecting light like embedded stars.
Around her neck, a white scarf fluttered in the wind, the forked streamers swaying lightly, hanging down to her legs, drawing elegant arcs in the air.
On her cuffs, white sleeves with rabbit-ear knots trembled slightly, adding a touch of playful agility.
Her boots were white and gold with wooden soles. Every landing carried a light force, as if she could remain calm even running in a storm.
And the transparent diamond decorations on her boots and dress flickered with soft white light.
In this dim and chaotic storm, she was like a firefly in the night, emitting her own unique brilliance.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
At this moment.
The huge figure of Stormterror circled in the air.
Every flap of its wings whipped up a destructive gale.
The wind swept up items on the street.
Houses teetered under the wind pressure. Screams, shouts, and alarm bells intertwined, turning this quiet city into a battlefield at the center of a storm.
However, amidst this chaos, Kael, standing at the entrance of Good Hunter, seemed out of place.
Even though his clothes were lifted by the wind and his black hair rose slightly, he showed no panic.
Compared to the panicked Mondstadt citizens running everywhere, his calmness seemed exceptionally abrupt, even unreal.
While Kael looked at the "Idiot Blonde" with a strange expression...
Lumine, who was running wildly, also caught sight of Kael standing at the restaurant entrance.
"Run!"
Lumine's face was full of urgency. She shouted at Kael while running, "Stormterror is here! Hide quickly!"
Her voice was almost drowned in the wind, but it still reached Kael's ears clearly.
"What are you standing there for? Run! The tornado has started sweeping the inner city! It'll be trouble if you get sucked in!"
Lumine said while rushing toward Kael, trying to pull him to run together.
At this time, the virtual panel suddenly floated up in front of Kael.
Lines of text appeared.
[You are preparing to meet with Seele when you suddenly encounter the Nameless of the Astral Express — Trailblazer (Stelle). At this moment, she is troubled because she cannot find March 7th who went out shopping. Facing the Trailblazer's plea for help, you choose...]
[ OPTION 1: LEND A HAND ]
Since you've met this Nameless, you can't stand by. You decide to help find March 7th. After all, you're good at finding people. Besides, who can refuse a request from the Trailblazer? Maybe you can get some intel on the Express or make a friend.
Reward: [Tracks of Destiny] (Allows you to advance significantly on your Path. If you haven't stepped on a Path, it can upgrade Path Skills.)
[ OPTION 2: PLAY IT SAFE ]
Find a lost girl? Not your forte. Besides, you have other plans. It's not that you can't help, but letting the Trailblazer handle it is also a good choice. You know she can find March 7th without you. You wish her good luck.
Reward: [Undying Starlight] (Solidified light that turns into a brilliant gem. Its value is immeasurable.)
[ OPTION 3: TURN A BLIND EYE ]
You pretend not to hear the plea and walk straight to your meeting with Seele. Someone else's trouble is not your business. Besides, this is a member of the Astral Express; any one of them is a battle-hardened badass. How could she really need your help?
Reward: [Undying Embers] (Solidified light that cooled into sighing ash. At least it burned once.)
Kael: "???"
Looking at the three options, Kael sucked in a breath of cold air.
What generous rewards.
Tracks of Destiny!
If he got this thing, he could upgrade the Path Skills he possessed.
Clara's skill, Sampo's skill...
This was good stuff.
As for the other two, although they had no special power...
If treated as gems, they were priceless and very practical.
And they should contain power too.
While Kael was thinking this...
In Lumine's vision, Kael still hadn't moved.
This made the running Lumine burn with anxiety.
Because the tornado behind her was approaching. A strong suction force came from behind, distorting the air and making the stone slabs under her feet vibrate faintly.
"Quick!"
Lumine reached out and touched Kael's hand, wanting to pull him to run.
However, the terrifying storm of the tornado behind seemed to increase in power, changing her expression. She couldn't break free.
She immediately let go of Kael's hand to avoid dragging him in with her.
"Don't worry."
Just then, Kael spoke. As he spoke, he applied Seele's Path Skill [Ripple] to Lumine.
At this moment, the huge suction force was like an invisible giant hand, ruthlessly yanking Lumine from the ground.
Golden hair flew in the wind. Her body instantly soared, swept into the tornado by the gale!
Everything happened too fast. The violent wind current took Lumine directly off the ground, rushing straight into the sky!
High in the sky, the storm raged. Lumine's figure tumbled and rose in the rotating wind blades. She tried hard to stabilize her body, but that terrible wind pressure made it impossible for her to control her movements.
"She... She got sucked in!"
"What to do? Will she be blown to the sky and fall?"
"Stormterror's storm is too terrible, we can't get close!"
At this time, people who had run to safety saw this scene, faces full of horror.
Exclamations rose everywhere. Everyone sweated for the girl swept into the storm.
But in the next second, they saw the girl actually break free from the tornado's aftermath and stabilize in the air.
"My speed... how did it suddenly become faster?!"
At this time, Lumine, having broken free from the tornado, looked at her feet in astonishment.
She knew her body's speed very well.
She had clearly been swept in just now, rising constantly.
But suddenly, her speed increased by a large margin.
The wind pressure that originally felt irresistible suddenly felt manageable. She felt she could move, and broke free directly.
She could clearly feel her speed increase.
This astonished her.
Why did this happen all of a sudden?
Lumine subconsciously looked at Kael, who had spoken earlier.
All these changes seemed to result from contact with that young man.
"Oh? Interesting. Your body actually holds another mysterious power capable of rivaling the Thousand Winds."
"Although this power isn't strong yet, it definitely exists. Its potential seems even greater than the Thousand Winds?"
"Since that's the case, let me lend you a hand."
"Imagine you can harness this wisp of wind. Let it break through the clouds."
Just then, a slightly surprised voice suddenly rang in Lumine's ear.
In the next second, a gust of wind blew, instantly lifting Lumine higher again.
Bang!
Behind Lumine, a pair of imperceptible Anemo wings condensed directly, overlaying her original wind glider.
It instantly took Lumine soaring through the air, making the distant crowd widen their eyes.
"That girl... she... she's flying!"
"Heavens, is she an Anemo Vision holder?"
"I didn't see a Vision on her."
Seeing this scene, the crowd exclaimed again.
At this moment, Lumine felt as if she were being held up by an invisible wind.
She stopped steadily in mid-air.
Wind whistled past her ears. Her hair and clothes were blown by the gale, flapping loudly.
I can move unimpeded in the air?
She blinked, looking at the wind wings unfolded behind her.
They were lighter and more agile than ordinary gliders, as if merged with the Anemo element of this world.
What surprised her even more was...
These wild winds surrounding her didn't affect her flight.
Instead, they seemed to be helping her, allowing her to navigate the high altitude with ease.
She tried to twist her body slightly and found she could adjust her direction freely.
Like the freest falcon in the sky, soaring as she wished.
However, the surprise lasted only for a moment.
In the next second, a deafening roar came from the distance, and violent wind currents surged!
Stormterror!
Lumine looked up.
She saw the behemoth flapping its wings again in the distance, sweeping in with a fiercer gale.
Huge dragon wings covered most of the sky, plunging Mondstadt below into a deeper storm.
Under the sky, people fled in panic. But Lumine was high in the air, facing the Calamity of the Wind.
Stormterror's eyes glowed with a strange light, seeming to sense something. The hideous dragon head raised high.
The next moment, it opened its giant mouth, condensed a rotating wind pressure ball, and breathed it fiercely toward Lumine!
BOOM!
"Crap!"
Seeing this, Lumine moved laterally quickly, dodging the wind pressure impact in mid-air.
However, the aftermath of that gale still set off a strong airflow around her, making her body sway slightly in the air.
At this moment, she realized belatedly.
She hadn't been sucked away by Stormterror's tornado.
Instead, she could hover stably in the storm it created!
Lumine subconsciously opened her palm and clenched it gently.
Whoosh—
Rich Anemo elements flowed in her palm.
Immediately, an arrow formed of Anemo condensed naturally on her fingertip, carrying a sharp aura that seemed capable of piercing the storm!
"...This is stronger than the Anemo I controlled before."
Lumine's pupils contracted slightly.
Although she had touched Anemo power before (at the Statue of the Seven).
But at this moment, the Anemo power she felt was far more majestic and direct than what she could mobilize in the past!
It was as if—the Anemo elements between heaven and earth were responding enthusiastically to her!
Lumine hesitated no longer. She quickly drew her bow, aimed at Stormterror, and released the string—
Twang!
The arrow condensed with Anemo power broke through the air, penetrating layers of wind barriers, and shot fiercely at Stormterror's huge body!
However, Stormterror's scales were extremely hard.
When the arrow hit its body, although it brought up a storm-like impact, it failed to cause much damage.
"Roar!"
Stormterror roared and dived abruptly!
Seeing this behemoth approaching rapidly, Lumine immediately swung her sword horizontally.
In an instant, the power of Anemo flowed along her blade.
A half-moon wind blade flew out, meeting Stormterror head-on!
BOOM—!
The shockwave of the wind blade and Stormterror collided in mid-air, scattering the gale!
This sword strike actually successfully forced Stormterror to stop its dive!
But only "forced to stop."
The next moment, Stormterror flapped its wings furiously, preparing to launch a stronger offensive again.
However, just as it raised its dragon head violently, the faint sound of a lyre suddenly rang out in the distance.
Stormterror froze abruptly.
Then it flapped its dragon wings, let out a final roar...
And actually turned around, soaring into the sky.
Watching the suddenly departing Stormterror, Lumine was stunned.
Before she could react, she saw Stormterror disappear into the gale, leaving only the raging tornadoes.
...Why did Stormterror leave?
Lumine frowned, stabilizing her body, her heart full of doubt.
At this moment.
In Mondstadt City below.
Countless people saw Lumine's heroic figure fighting Stormterror in the sky. They were dumbfounded, discussions rising one after another:
"Who is she?! She can actually fly in Stormterror's storm?!"
"Heavens, is she an envoy of the Anemo Archon Barbatos?"
"She's fighting Stormterror? She actually successfully forced Stormterror back?!"
The residents of Mondstadt exclaimed repeatedly.
Seeing the tornadoes still in the city below, but much smaller, Lumine also landed quickly.
In front of the shattered plaza of Mondstadt.
Amber ran over hurriedly.
Seeing Lumine land, she quickly said, "Are you okay?"
She had been evacuating the crowd and didn't understand why Lumine suddenly flew up.
Now that Lumine landed and Stormterror left, she waited for Lumine on the spot.
"To possess the power to fight a dragon..."
At this time, a voice of amazement rang out: "I didn't expect to witness this scene as soon as I returned. Are you our guest... or a new storm?"
With the sound of the voice, Kaeya walked over.
He looked at Lumine with amazement.
"Kaeya, you're back."
Seeing Kaeya return, Amber looked happy.
Then she looked up at the sky without Stormterror, holding her head. "Stormterror... actually started attacking the inside of the city directly!"
"Kaeya, Traveler, you came just in time. Let's hurry..."
"Wait, Amber. There are still people here who haven't introduced themselves, right?"
Kaeya shook his head, interrupting Amber.
Amber froze.
Scratching her head, looking at the sky where Stormterror left, knowing the biggest disaster was gone.
She immediately introduced Lumine and Kaeya: "Ah... Right. This is Kaeya, our Cavalry Captain."
"These two are travelers from afar, Traveler and Paimon."
"From afar? Is that all we know..."
Hearing Amber's words, Kaeya narrowed his eyes.
Amber continued, "It's like this..."
As Amber briefly explained her meeting with Lumine, Kaeya realized. "I see. Welcome to Mondstadt. But regrettably, at such a bad time..."
"I understand the pain of being separated from family, Traveler."
"Also, although I don't know why you are looking for the Anemo Archon..."
"But everyone has their own secrets, right?"
"Haha, I won't pry."
"In short, first I want to thank you on behalf of the Knights."
"You're welcome."
Hearing Kaeya's words, Lumine shook her head.
She could repel Stormterror... apart from that mysterious power increasing her speed...
There was also that very gentle voice.
She was still a bit dazed.
"Anyway, you repelled Stormterror. I believe the Acting Grand Master is also very interested in you two."
Kaeya continued, "I hope we can have a chat at the Knights Headquarters later."
"Ah? Okay."
Hearing Kaeya's words, Lumine was stunned, then nodded immediately. "I can leave anytime."