After bidding farewell to Venti, Lumine set off on her journey back to Mondstadt.
She had spent a good amount of time in Mondstadt, making many acquaintances. It was only proper to say goodbye before leaving.
On the way, Lumine asked Bai Yu about the God's Heart again.
"Why didn't you ask Venti earlier?"
Bai Yu, who had taken partial control of Lumine's body and was soaring through the air on a sword, asked.
Paimon, who was nestled in Bai Yu's arms, also tilted her head curiously.
Lumine grunted and mumbled, "Isn't it easier to ask you?"
Bai Yu chuckled.
While Lumine didn't say it out loud, her thoughts were clear – due to Bai Yu providing her with information about the Traveler, in Lumine's mind, Bai Yu had somehow become a Doraemon or a search engine figure.
Or, to put it more bluntly, a walking grandpa.
This naturally made Lumine instinctively turn to Bai Yu for help whenever she encountered a problem.
"To understand the God's Heart, you first need to understand the 'Descenders,' as the God's Heart is crafted from the 'bones of the Third Descender'…"
Right then and there, Bai Yu explained concepts such as the 'Descenders,' the 'Seven Elemental Powers,' 'Celestia and the Sky Island,' and more to Lumine.
"What I can't understand is that you and your brother both traveled across the stars, but only Lumine, you are the Fourth Descender, while your brother is recorded by the World Tree of Teyvat, making him a Teyvat native, in a way. There must be other reasons I don't know about."
The overwhelming information took Lumine and Paimon a while to digest.
When they came to their senses, they realized they were not heading towards Mondstadt!?
"Huh? Wait! Where are you going, Bai Yu?"
"Look ahead first."
Bai Yu's words made Lumine turn her gaze forward in confusion.
On the hill in the distance, they could faintly see a familiar figure.
The girl's pupils shrank abruptly: "Brother!?"
"W-What?! Is that your brother, Lumine?" Paimon also leaned forward from the girl's arms, peering around.
On the hill, Aether clearly noticed Lumine descending from the sky. He had originally intended to leave, but after a moment's hesitation, he stopped and stood silently, watching his sister descend from the sky.
"Brother…!"
After landing, Lumine let go of Paimon and looked at Aether, who she hadn't seen in a long time, with a nostalgic expression.
Aether sighed inwardly. Although this wasn't the right time for a reunion with Lumine, he had long grown accustomed to various deviations from his meticulously crafted plans during execution.
Besides, he had something he wanted to ask his peculiar sister.
"Lumine, what was that sword technique you used against Dvalin that day?"
Lumine opened her mouth, "—?"
We haven't seen each other for hundreds of years, and the first thing you say when we finally reunite is this?
Not even a perfunctory "Long time no see" or "How have you been"?
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. The girl crossed her arms, puffed out her cheeks, and hummed, "Brother, is that really the first thing you say to your sister after hundreds of years?"
Aether closed his eyes, then opened them again and smiled, "You're right, Lumine. Long time no see. What happened to you that day?"
My fists are clenched!
Enraged by Aether, Lumine gritted her teeth, "That's none of your business, brother!"
"Is that so…" Aether shook his head, as if thinking of something, and chuckled, "It seems like you have had your own adventures, which is great."
"Lumine, I don't know what you went through specifically. But this isn't the time for us to reunite."
"Go travel, Lumine. You need to have your own experiences on this continent. As for me, I still have an unfinished war with Celestia before the abyss consumes the throne…"
Aether's riddle-like attitude made Lumine furrow her brows.
(What is this? What's with all the riddles? Compared to Bai Yu, this stinky older brother's riddle-like nature is truly annoying!)
(Bai Yu! Grant me power! I'll teach this stinky older brother a lesson!)
『…I'm not a walking grandpa. Fine, call me senior for now.』
(Sen-i-or~)
『Here you go, have some fun.』
"We'll reunite at the end of your journey. Finally, Lumine, what was that sword you used that day – wait, why are you drawing your sword? What are you doing pointing it at me? You're swinging it! Lumine, why are you attacking me!?"
BOOM—!
On the once peaceful hill, dust suddenly swirled.
The green mist swirling around the girl transformed into twelve flying swords. The shimmering cold light of the blades left no doubt about their sharpness.
Lumine, mimicking Bai Yu, wielded the nameless sword with one hand and made a sword-pointing gesture with the other, trying to control the elemental swords with her mind.
The flying swords, like beams of light, charged towards Aether, forcing the Abyss Order prince to dodge clumsily.
The continuous barrage of flying swords, stabbing from unexpected angles, forced Aether to constantly weave and dodge, as if he were dancing.
Lumine beamed with delight, her playful nature ignited.
(Good Bai Yu! I love you!)
『Hah! Your love is cheap.』
(Shut up! I'll treat you to Honey Roast Carrots when we get back to Mondstadt!)
『Considering our current state, I suspect you just want to eat them yourself.』
(If I eat them, you eat them too~)
While bickering with Bai Yu inwardly, Lumine controlled the flying swords to torment her brother.
Anyone with a younger sibling knows that they're only cute and cuddly, calling you "big brother" while following you around, when they're little.
Once they grow up, they'll become a nightmare for nine out of ten older brothers!
Knowing Aether's true strength, Lumine held back no punches – though this was also because Bai Yu had informed her beforehand that these elemental swords were a weakened, monkey-version – what was even more outrageous was that, considering she was using flying swords for the first time and wasn't very skilled, Lumine decisively called out to Bai Yu in her mind for backup.
In simpler terms, Bai Yu temporarily acted as Lumine's 'tactical plugin', responsible for fine-tuning the flying swords' flight path and attack methods.
Though it was their first time cooperating, they were remarkably in sync. As a result, after barely holding on for a few moves, Aether had his clothes sliced by the elemental swords...
A group of Abyss Order members trembled in the distance, staring at their prince's embarrassed state, exchanging puzzled glances.
"I say… Your Highness seems to be in danger? Should we go help?" an Abyss Pyro mage asked the Abyss Cryo mage beside him.
The Abyss Cryo mage closed the tome in his hand and glanced at the Pyro mage as if he were an idiot, "Don't you see that's His Highness's blood relative? Why are you interfering in their family affairs? You're asking for death?"
"Since time immemorial, how many subordinates have died meddling in the affairs of their superiors?"
"So we just do nothing?"
"Of course not." The Abyss Cryo mage spread out the tome in his hand again, his expression solemn. "Come, let's all together, feel~ the~ grace~!"
The Abyss mage stared blankly for a moment, then joined the Abyss Cryo mage in putting their hands together—
"“Praise the Abyss!””