"Jean… Sister, Lumine—you're all back!"
Barbara spotted the group and immediately ran over, excited.
"Is the Stormterror problem resolved?"
Jean had mentioned it before, so Barbara had been worried.
"It's handled. Stormterror won't be troubling Mondstadt again."
Jean smiled warmly.
This whole ordeal had weighed heavily on her.
Even worse, the Fatui had used it as leverage in diplomatic negotiations—
an internal and external crisis all at once.
But now, it was over.
Finally, she could breathe.
Aside from the Traveler, the one she was most grateful to…
was Boss Han.
Thanks to the powerful ability she gained from him,
she'd had the strength to face and resolve this crisis head-on.
"That's wonderful!"
Barbara beamed with joy.
Actually, the entire city of Mondstadt would be thrilled to hear it.
No more sudden aerial assaults.
No more hiding indoors, fearing windstorms.
"Barbara, your combat just now was amazing! You froze those Hilichurls in one go!"
Paimon flew up excitedly.
If only she had that kind of power…
Just imagine freezing every enemy into an ice sculpture.
Functional and aesthetically pleasing!
"I'm not that amazing,"
Barbara scratched her head, a little embarrassed.
"It's really all thanks to Boss Han's manga."
Sure, she'd been the one to fight, but—
If she hadn't received the Frozen Fruit power,
there was no way she could've handled that many Hilichurls.
She'd have had to run.
"Boss Han's manga? You mean your powerful ability came from there too?"
Diluc couldn't believe what he was hearing.
He had watched the entire battle from beginning to end—
Barbara's Cryo powers weren't just strong offensively—
they also allowed her to create defensive ice armor.
Versatile, powerful, and elegant.
And this was all from a manga?
Jean and Lumine had also said they got their abilities that way…
Could the shop really be that extraordinary?
Diluc was genuinely shaken.
"Mm-hmm! The manga is called One Piece – East Blue Arc.
The ability I received is the Frozen Fruit power,"
Barbara explained with a nod.
"Frozen Fruit… sounds like another Devil Fruit,"
Lumine murmured.
No wonder it had felt so familiar.
It was from the same system as her Wind Fruit.
"So that's how it is!"
Jean now fully understood as well.
If Barbara got her powers by reading manga—then it all made sense.
Because that manga shop…
Was a place where miracles happen.
"So you came here to try out your new ability?"
Jean asked with a knowing smile.
She understood her little sister.
Barbara had always wanted to venture outside the city,
but her lack of strength made it impossible before.
Now that she was strong, of course she'd want to explore.
"Not really,"
Barbara shook her head.
"Boss Han said the wildflowers and fruits outside have elemental energy,
so they might help Snowball evolve. That's why I came."
As she spoke, Barbara gently showed off Snowball's new form after evolution.
"A little kitty?! So cute!!"
Lumine and Paimon lit up instantly and both rushed over to pet it.
So soft, so warm, so fluffy—perfect.
"…Why is it another cat?"
Venti's expression darkened, and he hurriedly took several steps back.
He was starting to feel like he was cursed.
These past few days, he'd run into cats everywhere—
First a Meicoomon-type Digimon that now followed him around nonstop…
He had finally managed to trick that Meicoomon-like Digimon into staying at Diluc's tavern for the day…
And now he'd run into another feline Digimon!?
Venti was starting to wonder if this was karmic retribution.
Maybe I've conned too many people in my time, and now fate's turning on me…
"Hahahaha! The street singer's luck really is trash!"
Paimon, well aware of Venti's fear of cats, was laughing so hard she could barely breathe.
"An evolving Digimon, huh?"
Diluc studied Snowball thoughtfully.
A creature from a manga world, brought into reality.
A creature that could evolve, even.
Powers from manga. Creatures from manga.
All these incredible abilities…
made Diluc even more curious about that mysterious manga shop.
"Let's go. I want to read a manga right now!"
Paimon was the first to get pumped up. She gave Snowball a few final pats, then jumped excitedly.
She hadn't had the chance to read anything that morning, what with dealing with Stormterror and her wanted status.
But now everything was settled—
and she had the whole afternoon free!
Time to indulge!
Everyone else smiled and nodded in agreement.
But just as they were about to leave…
A breeze passed through.
Crack!
Crack!
Crack crack crack...
A series of shattering sounds echoed behind them.
They all turned around in surprise—
The Hilichurl ice sculptures that had been standing tall just moments ago…
were now shattered, broken into icy shards scattered across the ground.
Barbara stepped forward and calmly explained:
"Once frozen, if a target can't break the ice in time, they lose consciousness.
Their bodies also become brittle, like frozen glass.
Even a light impact can cause them to shatter—instant death."
Boss Han had mentioned this side effect when he explained her ability,
so Barbara had been prepared.
The others said nothing.
But the looks in their eyes said it all:
Shock.
At first, they had assumed the freezing effect was temporary.
The ice would melt, and the Hilichurls would wake up.
But now they realized—it was far more lethal than they imagined.
Their understanding of Barbara's Frozen Fruit power deepened considerably.
And so too did their awe and reverence for that mysterious shopkeeper—Boss Han.
~~--------------------------------------
To read 65+ future chapters head over to patreon:
patreon.com/YonkoSlayer