[Teyvat, near Stone Gate]
Looking at Lumine's back as she muttered to herself in a low voice, Paimon tilted her head in confusion, then turned to look toward Liyue Harbor.
And at the scorching sun hanging high overhead.
She raised her small hand over her head, trying to block as much sunlight as possible.
"Lumine, we… huh?"
Paimon turned back to look at "Lumine," only to find that the Lumine who had been standing not far away just now had mysteriously disappeared.
Leaving her alone, standing by herself in the wilderness.
She glanced at the backpack lying on the ground, her expression instantly turning panicked.
"H-H-H-Hey!"
Her voice came out flustered as she quickly flew to the spot where "Lumine" had just been standing. The soft grass still showed traces of being stepped on.
Clearly, the other party had been standing here just now, so why had she suddenly vanished?
Paimon looked puzzled. She crouched down and carefully examined the footprints on the ground.
Trying to find the reason for "Lumine's" disappearance.
In the end, in a patch of grass not far away, she found a note left behind by "Lumine."
'Got something to take care of, leaving for a while. Find somewhere safe to rest, or take the luggage and continue on your own.'
"Why is it like this again!", Paimon complained.
She tossed the note aside, her face full of resentment, and dragged the luggage as she flew toward a shaded spot nearby.
Last time, carrying this big bag had nearly exhausted her to death. This time, no matter what, she was going to wait for the other person to come back before setting off.
———
[Herta Space Station]
The blonde girl crouched on the ground, letting out a creepy old-man laugh.
A real girl's voice sounded by her ear.
'I thought you'd come straight over. Didn't expect you'd actually leave Paimon a note.'
"I'm not like you, always bullying the weak."
Lumine froze when she heard that. If she could control the body, she would definitely be pointing at herself.
'Me, bullying the weak?'
'How is that possible!'
Across all of Teyvat… no, she hadn't traveled all of Teyvat yet.
Let's just say all of Mondstadt.
Who didn't know that she, Lumine, was a great and kind person, always either helping someone or on her way to help someone.
Strong, hardworking, never complains.
Where else could you find such a pure workhorse?
'Wait, wrong topic, but it doesn't matter.'
Across all of Mondstadt... From seventy-year-old grannies to five-year-old kids, who didn't smile when they saw her?
So how did she become some tyrant who bullied the weak in Levi's mouth?
Levi slightly raised his head toward the smooth wall.
Because it was made of metal, Lumine's round face was clearly reflected in it.
"So, the one who bullies Paimon, scares her by calling her emergency food, and makes her carry luggage ten times her size… that's not you?"
'Uh, well, that… of course not me!'
Levi didn't speak, just quietly looked at the reflection in the wall.
Facing her own face and her own eyes staring back at her, a bit of guilt surfaced in Lumine's heart.
'Did I go a bit too far with Paimon?'
Seeing Lumine fall silent, Levi lowered his head and said with a grin, "Hehehe, let me check if your development is normal!"
"No!"
Asta couldn't help it and cried out, covering her mouth.
Not far away, a Herta puppet suddenly moved. A flash of light appeared in her hand, and a giant hammer was tightly gripped.
Moving toward the source of the sound, when Herta saw Asta's hair, her gaze sharpened.
She pushed off the ground, leaping high into the air.
Her arms swung back, her eyes fierce. "Get away from Asta!"
The giant hammer came crashing down.
The obstruction that had blocked her view disappeared as Herta jumped into the air.
The previously hidden scene was fully revealed before her eyes.
Seeing what was in front of her, the fierceness on Herta's face froze. Her small mouth opened slightly, letting out a confused sound that shouldn't come from a genius like her.
"Huh?"
"Hm? Is Miss Herta back?"
Hearing the commotion, Asta turned her head toward Herta, only to see a giant hammer that could smash her into paste.
The joy on her face froze.
'What's going on?'
Asta's mind raced, one possibility after another appearing.
Could it be that Miss Herta was dissatisfied with her recent work…
"Asta! Move!"
Herta's voice came from above. Seeing Asta still standing there blankly, a rare look of urgency appeared on Herta's face.
Even a genius couldn't defy the laws of the world. Suspended in midair with no ground to support her, and with no thrusters installed on this puppet, Herta had no way to stop the hammer from falling.
BOOM!
The hammer still came down, and from the feedback in her hands, it had clearly hit the target.
But…
Landing lightly on the ground, Herta looked ahead.
The blonde girl who had been crouching earlier was now standing in front of Asta, her slender arm easily blocking the falling hammer.
The chill radiating from the hammer was dispersed by flames rising from her body.
Those unusual golden eyes stared straight at her.
A faint smile curved her lips. "You must be Miss Herta?"
Coming back to her senses, Herta put away the hammer, and the flames on the girl's body disappeared right after.
'Damn!'
A very unladylike curse burst out, showing just how shocked Lumine was right now.
'So I'm actually this strong!'
Blocking a giant hammer with her bare body.
Even the floor beneath her feet had cracked, yet her body was completely unharmed.
Even Levi's expression hadn't changed at all.
"Sorry, the one who's strong is me, not you."
Lumine retorted, 'Nonsense! If you can do it, that means I can do it someday too!'
Elysia in the group was the best proof.
She had already started showing the power Levi used when possessing her.
Give her a year or two at most, and she'd be able to do the same things.
If she could do it, then Lumine definitely could too.
Levi shrugged at that.
Her reasoning wasn't wrong. This kind of logic applied to people like Kiana, Elysia, and Asta.
But it didn't really apply to her.
For example, Levi could currently use Lumine's body to unleash the Raiden Shogun's ultimate.
Pulling Musou Isshin straight out of his chest.
Just try answering this, how long would it take Lumine to learn that?
Obviously, she couldn't.
And based on that, possessing Stelle, another protagonist like Lumine, probably worked the same way.
"Raiden Ei, Diona, Sucrose, plus Lumine as the main character… what kind of team is this?"
Having never played the Spiral Abyss, Levi admitted he couldn't understand this team composition at all.
But with Lumine able to use all elements freely without switching, she could probably clear the Abyss by herself.
Herta clapped her hands and walked closer, sizing up the girl who had been laughing like a creepy uncle. She nodded.
"I am. Alright, I've answered your question. Now it's my turn."
"Who are you?"
She remembered very clearly that her space station absolutely did not have this blonde girl.
On the ground, Peppy saw that no one was paying attention to him. He glared fiercely at Levi's back, then dashed off into the distance.
Snapping out of her shock, Asta closed her mouth and looked at Levi in front of her.
'So he's actually this strong?'
'Or was it Miss Lumine who was this strong?'
Her eyes shifted toward Herta.
"Let me explain, Miss Herta."
"..."
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
[email protected]/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining P@treon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 40 advance chapter through P@treon.