"Sword of Promised Victory!
I, Jean Gunnhildr, call upon your strength!
Here I uphold my oath—to protect Mondstadt forever!"
After declaring her vow, Jean inhaled deeply and reached out to grip the sword's hilt.
The moment her fingers touched it, the holy blade burst into radiant light. Golden beams shot outward, flooding the entire Acting Grand Master's office in a sacred glow.
Within that haze of light, Jean felt her consciousness waver.
In her blurred vision, a figure gradually appeared—
A woman with golden hair,
a crown atop her head,
a blue knight's outfit,
and both hands resting solemnly on this very sword.
A King of Knights, dignified and glorious.
And on her head… was a little ahoge, like Klee's.
Jean blinked—oddly, the ahoge didn't diminish her presence at all. Instead, it gave her a strange charm.
"Is that… the previous wielder of the sword?"
Jean whispered.
Before she could linger on the thought, the figure vanished.
And in the next instant—
a torrent of memories, techniques, and the sword's inheritance crashed into Jean's mind like a tide.
She closed her eyes, quietly accepting it.
There, surrounded by golden light, sword in hand, Jean stood like a true monarch.
A presence so commanding one couldn't help but feel moved.
Mondstadt had always trusted Jean, even with their tendency to act like pampered children. After seeing the light curtain's evaluation of her character and ability, that trust had risen even further.
And now—
with Stormterror flying toward the city,
and Jean bathed in holy radiance…
The people felt something deeper than trust.
Reverence.
Admiration.
A sense of belonging.
If Mondstadt were not a nation without kings,
and if Jean had even a sliver of ambition…
Many would have declared her their ruler on the spot.
Even without crowning her, that devotion flooded the public chat:
[Public Chat]
Lawrence: We trust Acting Grand Master Jean! We support Acting Grand Master Jean!
Bruce: Where the Acting Grand Master's sword points, our hearts follow!
Swan: Our hearts follow!
Goodwin: Our hearts follow!
…
Seeing the entire chat filled with the same phrase, people from other nations were stunned.
Jean's charisma was terrifyingly real.
The holy sword's inheritance finished quickly. Soon, the golden radiance faded.
Jean opened her eyes.
Lisa stepped forward, curious.
"Jean? How do you feel?"
"Powerful.
Very powerful."
Jean smiled.
She now fully understood the Sword of Promised Victory.
One technique in particular stood out:
"Ex—Calib—"
—though the sword translated it as "Curry Beam."
The name felt… odd, but the strength was undeniable. A firm, reliable power, perfectly suited for her duty.
Thinking of the knightly figure she saw, Jean gazed again at the sword in her hand.
Were they similar?
Was it fate?
"Jean?"
Lisa softly nudged her.
"Oh—nothing."
Jean returned from her thoughts.
Her eyes sharpened with resolve.
"Let's go. This time, we'll end the crisis. We will save Dvalin."
With her new power, Barbara's new weapon, and the Traveler rushing back—
Jean felt absolute confidence.
"Mm."
Lisa nodded, and they both hurried out.
Westwind Cathedral
"Since big sister gained such power, I can't fall behind!"
Barbara clenched her small fists.
Before, she never had the chance—
but now that chance had come.
She looked at the Enhanced Sky AK-47 floating before her.
Taking a deep breath, she grasped it with both hands.
Golden light surged—
A tide of foreign knowledge poured into her mind, teaching her how to wield the weapon.
When the glow faded, Barbara stood trembling—not out of fear, but excitement.
As a healer without combat talent, she had never felt such strength before.
Her heart felt grounded, confident.
"I knew it… studying medicine won't save Mondstadt!
But my Sky AK-47 can!"
"Forgiving enemies is Lord Barbatos' business—
sending them to meet the Anemo Archon is my responsibility!"
…Of course, Stormterror wasn't counted among enemies.
He used to be Mondstadt's guardian.
She would help her sister purify him.
No—the true enemies were the Fatui.
"I'll become strong enough to knock them flat—just like the me in that video!"
Then she recalled the… other version of herself—huge muscles, violent temper, twisted personality.
A shiver ran down her back.
"Nope. That part needs to be avoided…"
After calming herself, Barbara grabbed her AK-47, eyes blazing with resolve, and dashed out.
[Supernal Chat Group]
Falga: I hope those sisters can overcome this crisis.
Ningguang: A pity to suffer a dragon attack, but… Mondstadt receiving such gifts is a blessing in misfortune.
Ayaka: Yes… with both weapons, plus the Traveler, the odds are much better.
Nilou: Barbara really has chosen… a different path. (laughs)
Alice: Oho? A maiden's killing intent begins to rise~
Navia: I'm honestly curious—how powerful are those weapons?
Chiori: Don't rush. We'll see soon enough.
Abyss Base, Somewhere Near Mondstadt
"What… how is this possible…?"
Aether stared rigidly at the light curtain.
Both Mondstadt sisters received extremely powerful weapons.
What kind of luck was that?
The highest level of European luck?
Completely unreasonable!
He thought back on his confident declarations earlier… and his face stung a little.
One Abyss Mage stepped forward cautiously.
"Prince… shall we recall Stormterror now?"
Aether hesitated—then shook his head.
"No. It's too late by now. Let it continue."
After all, in the original light-curtain future, this plan failed anyway.
Now they were simply… replaying fate.
And besides—
this was a perfect chance to observe the weapons' power firsthand.
If they were truly strong…
Then when his own evaluation comes,
maybe he too could obtain such a reward.
If not…
Lumine visibly trembled.
He did not want to imagine that outcome.
Across Teyvat, everyone watched.
Sensing that shared anticipation, the light curtain shifted.
The screen expanded—
showing a full panorama of Mondstadt, so everyone could witness the coming battle.
Both Jean and Lisa noticed while rushing through the city—
but neither objected.
In fact, Jean almost welcomed it.
A perfect chance to display Mondstadt's newfound strength—
and force the Fatui to think twice.
Then the image changed.
A massive shadow streaked across the sky.
Stormterror—Dvalin—approached at terrifying speed.
Everyone tensed.
The battle for Mondstadt… was about to begin.
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