Lumine landed on an island a hundred li away and came to a halt.
The aura she had sensed earlier seemed to have vanished from this very area.
Aside from this island, the surrounding area was entirely sea, which was why Lumine had come here, looking around in search of clues.
Older brother, are you here?
Lumine's eyes were filled with anticipation and apprehension. It had been far too long since their second separation, and so much had happened to her during this time, making her desperately want to pour out her inner bitterness to Aether.
Furthermore, she had encountered many interesting events on her journey and met many distinct characters, and she also wanted to share these with him.
However, much to Lumine's disappointment, the island was too small and simple. Its edges were visible at a glance, and there were almost no places to hide.
A wave of immense disappointment washed over Lumine's heart. Did I sense it wrong? Or has my older brother already left?
Lumine tried to sense Aether's aura carefully once more, but in the end, she still found nothing. She bit her lip in frustration and prepared to leave, feeling deeply crestfallen.
But just at this moment, Lumine saw a familiar hand rest on her shoulder, and a wave of excitement and joy nearly overwhelmed her.
"Older brother!"
The moment Lumine turned around, she saw the face she had longed for day and night, and her vision blurred.
After seeing Aether, Lumine, as if a seal had been broken, actually spoke!
Even if Baizhu were present, he would have declared it a medical miracle.
"Lumine, it's been a long time."
"Older brother, I've been looking for you all this time."
"Why, why do you still refuse to see me?"
Tears shimmered in Lumine's eyes as she finally couldn't hold back and rushed forward to hug Aether tightly.
Aether was surprised at first, then hugged Lumine back tightly, his gaze incredibly gentle, a look the Abyss Order's monsters had almost never seen in all these years.
"I'm sorry, but now is not the time."
"The current you cannot understand everything I've done, so I want you to personally walk the path I once walked, and then make your choice."
"No, I already understand."
After hearing Aether's words, Lumine struggled out of his embrace, staring at him blankly, and spoke with a very firm tone.
She had previously been unable to understand why Aether would borrow the power of the Abyss and become the leader of the Abyss Order, but now that the Dark Apocalypse of Teyvat had been laid bare by that mysterious faction, she could naturally deduce that this was Aether's only choice.
Emily (No. 8) had once calculated that without introducing other variables, Teyvat would simply be unable to survive this crisis.
Perhaps the variable Aether chose was the power of the Abyss.
Although Lumine wasn't very clear on Aether's specific plan, it didn't matter.
"No, you don't understand!"
After hearing Lumine's words, Aether frowned and spoke with a very serious expression.
How could Lumine possibly understand and make her choice so quickly, when it had taken him traveling through the Seven Nations to realize the truth? She was likely pretending to understand, thinking she already did, when in fact she didn't understand much at all, like a child pretending to be grown.
"Older brother, I really do understand!"
Lumine raised her voice, feeling that Aether was looking down on her.
After all, what kind of hellish experiences had she endured to finally awaken her heart and understand everything?
The memories starting from Sumeru were all so unbearable to recall!
"No, you don't understand!"
Aether was a little angry. He never expected his sister to be so stubborn.
Listen to your older brother, Teyvat's waters run deep, and you can't handle it right now, little sister!
"I feel like I really do understand!"
"I feel like you don't understand!"
After arguing for a long time, Aether finally gave in. He had no choice, after all, he was the older brother.
"Fine, we'll talk about this later."
"Lumine, leave this place with me now. It's just too dangerous here."
After speaking, Aether tried to grab Lumine's hand, but he only grasped at empty air.
"Lumine?"
Aether watched as Lumine took half a step back, a look of deep astonishment flashing in his eyes.
"I can't leave right now. I can't go with you."
"Lumine, don't do anything rash. Don't you know how dangerous this place really is?"
Hearing Lumine's words, Aether immediately grew anxious and hurriedly tried to persuade her.
"That person is simply not someone you all can defeat, not even if all of you combined!"
"Then older brother, you stay here and help us."
Aether: "???"
Aether was about to vomit. It was bad enough that Lumine refused to leave with him, but now she was trying to drag him down with her.
But what he was doing, and what the Abyss Order was doing, was all to destroy the original order of this world. In other words, he and those people were the enemies. As for Persephone, although they couldn't be called friends, her actions had undoubtedly facilitated the Abyss Order's operations.
"I can't possibly help you."
Aether shook his head.
"And even if I really took action to help you, the outcome wouldn't change in the slightest."
"Persephone (No. 3)'s strength has already reached a higher level, enough to rival the world!" Aether felt that incomparably powerful aura in the distance, and a look of deep apprehension appeared on his face.
"I don't know where her power comes from. There shouldn't be such a level of existence on the Teyvat continent. There are very few beings in all of Teyvat who can contend with her." After hearing Aether's words, Lumine was not frightened, but instead noticed the content of his speech.
"Then there must still be someone who can defeat her!"
Aether looked directly into Lumine's eyes, only speaking slowly after a long pause.
"There are indeed people who can do it, but those few can be called the culprits who caused the Dark Beast Tide five hundred years ago. They have already stood on the opposite side of the world and would never act to maintain the order of Teyvat."
"So, Lumine, do you understand the current situation?"
"Don't be stubborn at a time like this. Before long, they will all die!"
No matter how Aether tried to persuade her, Lumine's heart remained completely unmoved.
"I know Persephone is very strong, but if so many of us join forces, it's not impossible that we might defeat her!"
"Lumine!"
Aether clenched his fists. Seeing that Lumine had no intention of changing her mind, he finally took a deep breath.
"If you don't want to leave, then I'll knock you unconscious and take you away!"
After speaking, Aether immediately attacked Lumine. Because Lumine had not expected Aether to make such a decision, she was at a disadvantage from the very beginning.
"It's been a long time since we last fought. Let me see how much you've grown!"
After giving Lumine a moment to catch her breath, Aether decisively unleashed his full power, and Lumine immediately felt the pressure surge.
At this moment, the five Elemental Powers within Lumine's body were already circulating at their peak, yet the gap between her strength and Aether's was still too vast.
What should have been a joyful reunion of long-lost siblings had unexpectedly devolved into a clash of swords.
After being pressed into a defensive position for a while, Lumine grew angry. Recalling that the Power of Nihility had almost no effect on her, she reasoned it would be the same for her brother, so she decided to use it.
Just then, the speed of Lumine's sword swings suddenly increased severalfold. A layer of grayish-white light coated the Dull Blade, which then carved a brilliant arc from beneath Aether.
However, Aether had no intention of admiring the sight. The scene made the hair on his body stand on end, and cold sweat soaked his back.
He had almost been castrated by his own sister!
"Lumine!!!"
"What are you doing?!"
Fighting was one thing, and they had fought before, but wasn't attacking that spot a bit too ruthless? They hadn't even had a conflict this major yet! Lumine's body stiffened. After seeing the attack miss, she also breathed a sigh of relief in her heart, then explained with a slightly strange expression.
"It was an accident. Maybe the previous dream left too deep of an impression on me, making me act somewhat without restraint."
"I'll hold back a little bit from now on!"
What kind of righteousness-driven fratricide dream have you been having?!
And you're saying you'll try to hold back? What if you don't manage to hold back, isn't it all over then?!
Aether had never felt his sister was so unfamiliar and so terrifying!
Furthermore, there seemed to be a huge problem with her strength. That last sword strike was at least twice as powerful!
Not only that, but at this moment, a Domain with a radius of several meters appeared around Lumine's body. Light passing through it seemed to be left with only black and white colors, as a strange and powerful aura erupted from her body.
What kind of power is this?!
Aether didn't understand. What he understood even less was, wasn't Lumine's current strength just a bit too much?
If he remembered correctly, hadn't Lumine only just arrived in the fifth nation?
What was going on? Why did the world feel more and more wrong?
Aether felt like something had gone wrong, but he didn't know exactly what it was.
The two clashed again. Although Aether was worried that a single lapse in attention would mean saying goodbye to Little Aether forever, his sister refused to leave with him. He couldn't just stand by and watch Lumine go to her death.
So even though he felt extremely endangered, Aether could only steel himself and keep fighting.
And now that Lumine's strength had increased so much, she was already on par with him. Trying to constantly watch out for Little Aether's safety was truly no simple matter.
Sure enough, in a moment of distraction, the Dull Blade grazed past his lower body again.
"You really are my good sister, aren't you!"
Aether spoke through gritted teeth.
Lumine felt a bit wronged. This couldn't be entirely blamed on her. Her hand had a mind of its own, and she couldn't do anything about it.
She still wanted Aether to find a sister-in-law for her!
Thinking of a sister-in-law, Lumine suddenly remembered that previous dream again. In the dream, Aether was a super-big simp.
Thinking of this, Lumine couldn't help but aim her sword at Aether's lower body again.
With Little Aether in such a perilous state, Aether was already heavily exhausted and hadn't fully recovered. With Lumine's strength being so great, the tide of battle was actually starting to turn, and now she was the one pressing Aether on the defensive.
Suddenly, Lumine's eyes lit up.
Since things had already developed to this point, why not just knock Aether unconscious and take him away!
To tell the truth, Lumine felt that Aether's plan might be even less reliable than those of the Numbered Members. Rather than letting him continue to collude with the Abyss Order and become an enemy of the world, it was better to forcibly abduct him and then find a way to change his mind.
If his resolve remained firm even after that, she would use Little Aether to threaten him. This time, she believed he would definitely understand which side he should stand on!
Thinking of this, Lumine's heart was filled with excitement. The day their siblings would completely reunite might very well be today!
Praise Dr. Edward!
If it weren't for him, how would she ever have the chance to knock Aether unconscious and take him away!
Feeling Lumine's eager gaze, Aether's body suddenly trembled, and an ominous premonition filled his mind.
For some reason, Aether felt as if he were lifting a stone only to drop it on his own foot.
But Aether quickly shook his head. No matter what, he had to knock Lumine unconscious and take her away this time. He couldn't let her continue to stay in such a dangerous place!
Both siblings held the idea of knocking the other unconscious, and then the intensity of the battle further escalated, quickly reaching a white-hot state. The surrounding environment was severely damaged, the seawater exploded into huge splashes, and even space itself produced strong distortions. The curtain of rain and lightning in the sky actually could not enter at all under the impact of the battle and were forced to yield to other places.
The commotion on Lumine and Aether's side was not inferior to that of Zhongli and Raiden Ei's at all, which naturally attracted the attention of others.
Neuvillette actually knew about the matter of Lumine secretly leaving, but he never expected that after Lumine had only been gone for such a short time, such a terrible commotion would erupt in that direction, and a look of deep worry immediately appeared in his eyes.
Immediately after, Neuvillette went to Paimon and Enjou's side and asked.
"You two, do you know where the Traveler is right now?"
"The direction she headed in earlier has now erupted with the commotion of battle, I am a bit worried about her."
After hearing Neuvillette's words, Paimon's heart filled with alarm.
"The Traveler is fighting? How is that possible? Isn't she meeting her own flesh and blood?" Paimon then turned her gaze to Enjou, making him feel a wave of tension.
"It's, it's perfectly normal!"
"Isn't it reasonable for siblings to bicker and fight?"
Enjou explained with some difficulty. In truth, the reason he had stopped Paimon was because he had received orders from Aether.
And if Lumine had not noticed the aura he deliberately released, he was to inform her of this matter himself. In short, he was to let Lumine go there alone.
Although Enjou also did not understand why a battle would break out over there, after all, the two of them were biological siblings, so how could any serious accident happen? Therefore, Enjou could only do his best to cover up Aether's arrangements, though he was a little clumsy at it.
"Paimon, when you and the Princess met the Prince before, didn't a battle break out then too?"
"Oh, so that's how it is!"
Paimon nodded, accepting this explanation, because the two of them had indeed had a conflict before, although they had not fought directly, but had fought against each other's subordinates.
But Neuvillette still felt that Enjou was hiding something, and his gaze remained fixed on him until Enjou broke out in a cold sweat.
However, after a moment of thought, Neuvillette decided not to pursue the matter further. Enjou's loyalty to Lumine was unquestionable; at the very least, he would never harm her.
Then, Neuvillette turned his gaze back to the battlefield high in the sky. At this point, Raiden Ei was already showing signs of fatigue again, and the outcome should be clear soon.