Yelan doesn't back down an inch at Itto's words.
"Truly dangerous places don't have signs drawing attention to them."
This warning comes from Yelan's goodwill.
It's born from her experience.
Even before she received her Vision, she was already navigating Liyue's underbelly on Ningguang's behalf.
In that world, once your identity is exposed, it's almost a death sentence.
Back then, Yelan didn't always operate alone as she does now.
She had loyal comrades by her side.
A small few, for various reasons, chose to dive into the darkness with her.
Deceptions, bait, traps…
These are her specialties, and they don't come with warning signs.
Paimon only now realizes that this place does seem pretty important.
Yanfei, aware that Itto came here chasing her, speaks up to explain.
"This really isn't a place you can just wander into. That's why I didn't want you two following me."
She gives a wry smile. "Unfortunately, my refusal doesn't seem to have worked…"
Yelan also voices her thoughts.
She's warning Itto because she doesn't know his strength or what level he's at.
Can he handle the dangers here?
As for Mu Yang, Lumine, and Yanfei,
Yelan knows their capabilities.
Mu Yang and Lumine both fought in the war against the demon god Osial and later trounced Beisht.
They're heroes of Liyue, having helped the nation countless times.
Yanfei is a renowned legal consultant in Liyue.
Yelan trusts the people present, but these two from Inazuma—she can't just ignore them.
Itto's temper flares.
"What's that supposed to mean? You think I'm nobody, or that I'm up to no good?"
Yelan looks down at him. "It's exactly because I don't know your background that I can't let you act freely."
She adds sharply, "Besides, Yanfei's attitude doesn't exactly scream that she needs your help."
Her tone shifts. "Or is it that you have some issue to settle with Mr. Mu Yang?"
Mu Yang says calmly, "I've never met this Mr. Itto."
With that, he shuts his mouth.
Let the clever external brain fill in the rest.
Itto is furious.
Thankfully, Kuki Shinobu lives up to expectations, connecting the "Swordsman Slayer" incident to Mu Yang framing someone.
Itto's anger subsides halfway. "Shinobu, are you saying I got the wrong guy?"
[Oh, so that's what happened!]
[Haha, why does Itto getting played feel so normal?]
[What a sneaky move, definitely not Mu Yang (confirmed).]
At this point, there's nothing more to say.
Yanfei doesn't need help, and Mu Yang isn't the enemy Itto's looking for.
Yelan issues her final warning.
"You two, as guests from Inazuma, it's best to follow local customs and rules."
Itto, who was starting to cool off, heats up again at Yelan's condescending tone.
"You!"
Kuki Shinobu quickly holds back her boss. "Don't be rash—she's telling the truth."
Lumine stands to the side, unsure what to do.
She's good at fighting, but who usually handles mediation?
Paimon?
She looks at Paimon, who shrugs and spreads her hands. "I don't know what to do either!"
Yanfei senses things are about to go south.
Itto's attitude, repeatedly provoking Yelan,
has definitely pissed her off.
He's not going to come out of this well.
Kuki Shinobu steps forward.
"We didn't know this place was special. Since you've said so, we'll leave as soon as possible."
"But if it's really a dangerous area, it'd be best to put up a sign."
She's reliable as always, apologizing while still defending her boss.
Yelan doesn't press further.
But Itto's stubborn streak kicks in.
He plops down on the ground. "What if we don't plan on leaving right away?"
"Boss!"
[Shinobu: Oh, Ameno!]
[All that effort for nothing.]
[I'm so done with this teammate.]
Yelan's voice turns cold. "Then I'm afraid something unpleasant might happen."
Itto laughs. "Ha? You think you can take on both of us? Pretty confident, huh?"
[If it really comes to a fight, what's the deal?]
[Itto couldn't even beat Kujou Sara in the story. Two against one, he's still no match for Yelan.]
[You're joking, right? You think it was Kujou Sara fighting in the Vision Hunt Duel?]
[Didn't Kujou get one-shotted by the Shogun? And you're hyping her up?]
[Isn't Yelan just an ordinary intelligence operative?]
[Can you not see the overpowered guy standing next to her? If a fight breaks out in Liyue, you think he'd just stand by?]
[Mu Yang could probably suppress everyone here with one swing of his sword.]
…
The comments section erupts into chaos over power scaling.
Back in Teyvat,
Yelan puts her hands on her hips. "You may be friends with Lumine and Yanfei, but you'd better heed my warning."
Itto's fighting spirit surges. He stands, stretches,
and gets into a battle stance.
"Haha… interesting. Too bad I don't take orders."
"If you're so tough, let's see what you've got!"
The boss is fired up, and Kuki Shinobu makes one last attempt to stop him.
"Wait, there's no need for a fight here!"
"No way, I'm going in, and what's he gonna do about it?"
Itto's elemental power is rapidly rising.
Yelan narrows her eyes. "Heh… you think I'm joking?"
Yet, amidst all this, Mu Yang doesn't intervene.
His goal lies underground.
For now, it's best to let the original storyline play out.
If he steps in to mediate, what if this place senses foreign energy and collapses?
He's confident he could slice through this cursed place with one sword.
Something Zhongli could do with a flick of his wrist,
he can do now too.
Worst case, he still has a ton of unused popularity points.
That's enough to ensure everyone here stays safe.
He won't let Lumine be put in danger.
But just because he doesn't move doesn't mean others won't.
Yanfei rushes between the two, playing peacemaker.
"Hold on, both of you. This started because of me. How about giving me some face…"
Before she can finish, a loud rumble comes from the ground.
Lumine also senses something's wrong. "Oh no, this place is about to collapse!"
But Itto's too caught up to care.
Yelan, on the other hand, has already activated her Hydro elemental power.
She's even drawn her bow, aiming at him.
Would Itto back down just because of a little tremor?
He pulls out his club. "Don't change the subject! I'm… huh?"
Just as Itto brandishes his club, another tremor shakes the ground beneath them.
This time, it's really collapsing.
Mu Yang, quick as ever, moves to repeat his old trick,
preparing to scoop Lumine up in a princess carry.
But then, as if he suddenly lost his strength,
he steps into thin air and plummets into the bottomless chasm below.
"Mu Yang?!"
"Ahh—!"
Above the chasm, Paimon also loses her ability to fly and falls.
It's unclear which of these two is acting.
Or maybe… both of them are.