Bang, bang, bang—
"Aether, you bastard, stop running and come at me!"
Lumine condensed a boulder of Geo energy and hurled it straight at her blood-related brother, her face twisted in rage.
What do you mean, "cradle-robbing"? Is your little sister that old in your eyes?
"I already admitted I was wrong, isn't that enough?!"
Aether ran with his head in his hands. Even though he was stronger than his sister, he had absolutely no intention of fighting back. Fortunately, his movement speed wasn't bad.
"Heh, too late for that!"
A few minutes earlier—
Aether had been asking Koji how old he was. The moment he heard Koji wasn't even thirty yet, he blurted out, "So my little sister's really robbing the cradle, huh."
It was hard to blame him. Outsiders might not know his sister's real age, but as the blood relative who had traveled across countless worlds with Lumine, how could he not know?
Still, the instant the words left his mouth, he knew he was done for. Unfortunately, what's said is said; you can't stuff it back in.
The killing intent pouring off Lumine made his back go cold, and he turned tail and ran. If he didn't, he'd be in for an inhumanly brutal beating.
This was the classic "if you don't look for trouble, you won't find it."
By the time Koji arrived, this was exactly the scene he saw—and he had zero intention of stopping it.
For the Traveler siblings, this kind of chase-and-beat probably counted as everyday routine, so there was no need to worry about anyone getting seriously hurt.
Lumine normally didn't fight much. All the elemental power she accumulated, she was now pouring entirely into her dear big brother.
She really "loved" Aether too much—every attack other people would never get to experience, she happily gave to him.
"Aether's so miserable…" Paimon couldn't even bear to watch.
"Standard stuff. I bet their travels in the past were the same—bickering and brawling their way through world after world," Koji said with a laugh.
This was just play-fighting. At worst they'd take a few hits; their lives were in no danger.
No one knew how much time passed before the sounds of battle finally died away.
Tsurumi Island was a wreck. Even the Rifthounds passing by had been casually blasted to pieces by Lumine.
Aether looked equally miserable—his clothes were in tatters, covered in scorch marks and blast scars from elemental attacks. He was one step away from streaking.
"Brother-in-law, you're here." When Aether saw the figure behind Lumine, surprise flashed across his face.
"Aether, how many times have you tried this act already?" Lumine curled her lip. Did he really think she didn't understand anything?
"Ahem, looks like you've all been having fun," Koji coughed lightly three times.
"!"
Lumine whipped around and saw that familiar figure.
Her brother hadn't been lying to her after all.
"Koji, how come you're here?" Lumine hurried over to his side and wrapped herself around his arm, all soft and clingy.
"Paimon said you two siblings were bonding, so I came over to take a look," Koji said with a smile.
"Lumine, your brother says you're planning to have a baby. Seems like he's really put some thought into it," Paimon added with a cheeky grin.
Koji glanced at Paimon, then at the pathetic-looking Aether. This guy was really "pitiful." He could only sigh silently for him.
"Brother-in-law, long time no see."
Aether nodded. "Long time no see. I heard you resolved Fontaine's crisis."
"By the way, have you two taken proper safety measures? Don't tell me you're going to suddenly present me with a little niece or nephew?" Aether joked.
Thud!
Lumine's mouth twitched. Without hesitation, she gave her dear onii-chan a full-force punch right in the eye socket.
Aether went flying, tracing a graceful parabola across the sky.
The injury wasn't much to him, but it did leave a vivid bruise around his eye, giving him a perfect panda-eye look.
"Brother-in-law, we aren't ordinary people. It's not like we'd get pregnant that easily," Koji said helplessly, shaking his head. Asking that kind of question with Lumine standing right here—he totally deserved that punch.
Even for normal people, getting good news like that often took more than one or two tries, never mind people as strong as them.
"If Lumine ever wants a child, I can just grant myself the corresponding blessing and we'll get it in one shot," Koji said seriously.
Whatever blessing he wanted, he could obtain—so that kind of blessing was perfectly possible in theory.
"I don't want that yet, so don't give me any weird blessings," Lumine said, exasperated.
It wasn't that such a blessing had no use; it was just completely unnecessary right now.
She had no intention of walking around with a big belly just yet.
At the very least, that would have to wait until they finished traveling across Teyvat.
Aether was speechless. His brother-in-law really was outrageous; he admired him from the bottom of his heart.
"Brother-in-law, if you're ever in danger, just contact me. I'll definitely help you out. Your sister specifically asked me to," Koji said.
Aether felt both moved and a little bitter as he shook his head with a wry smile.
"Lumine, for the time being we can't leave this world. How are we supposed to decide where to go next?"
He was shouldering too many burdens. If he left without resolving them, he would definitely carry regrets.
So even if Lumine wanted to drag him away from Teyvat right now, he would resist.
"I get it. Aether, you can leave Teyvat for now," Lumine nodded.
"Got it."
Aether helplessly opened an Abyss portal. After getting beaten up by his sister, the prince of the Abyss Order didn't have the slightest bit of dignity left.
…
Koji finished telling Lumine everything that had happened here on Tsurumi Island.
"How could those people be so awful?" Paimon was indignant on the young boy's behalf.
"Paimon, those people aren't evil; they're stupid. And stupidity is even more disgusting than evil," Lumine said calmly.
Purely evil people were one thing, but when idiots made a move, they made your teeth itch with rage.
"Yeah. Put bad guys and idiots together, and the bad guys actually look more tolerable," Koji agreed.
"Let's take that boy to see the thunderbird. When you see injustice on the road, you draw your sword to help. I'm a champion of justice," Lumine declared, thumping her chest.
Now that she knew about this, she didn't mind lending a hand to settle a regret and put an end to a nightmare.
Koji and the others found the boy, explained the truth to him, and then took him to find the Thunder Manifestation.
Once again, the boy's singing moved the thunderbird. The misunderstanding that had lasted for so many years was finally cleared up today.
"That was really pretty. A song without any impurities," Paimon said, savoring it.
No wonder it could move the thunderbird. It truly was something special, carrying a pure, cleansing feeling.
"Tsurumi Island is really remote out here in Inazuma. It's hardly connected to the outside world."
"Koji, later on I'm going to hunt for treasure chests all over Tsurumi. Do you want to come with me?" Lumine sent out her party invitation.
"I'll pass. I'll head back to Inazuma City and wait for you."
"You can bring Paimon with you. Just be careful of the Rifthounds."
Koji shook his head. He had already picked open treasure chests here before and satisfied his curiosity. Once the novelty wore off, opening chests just wasn't that interesting anymore.
Opening one or two every now and then was fine, but as someone at his current level of strength, he cared about other things.
"Fine. I'll come find you later then," Lumine nodded, not pushing the issue.
As for Rifthounds—at her current strength, they were nothing more than strays by the roadside, something she could cut down with a casual swing of her blade.
(End of Chapter)
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