Chapter 35. Shy Lumine
Inside the different space, Aether held Futsu Mitama firmly under control.
He had to admit that in less than a year, the other party's strength had risen to an astonishing level. Judging from the outcome, it seemed as though he had subdued him with ease.
But that was only the surface.
The reality was far more specific. He had acted at the very first moment—before Futsu Mitama could fully adjust, before any rhythm could be established. Coupled with the overwhelming gap in their current elemental strength and the fact that Futsu Mitama knew almost nothing about him, the result had been decided quickly.
If the distance had been maintained—
If the tempo had been allowed to settle—
Even for Aether, it would not have ended within ten seconds. After all, someone who carried the inheritance of two Archons was never easy to handle.
That was precisely why he had chosen not to give any opportunity from the start. He had used his most direct method, cutting off every possible path before it could take shape, and brought the encounter to an immediate conclusion.
Had the battle dragged on, the situation would have become less controlled.
Although he had a contract with Morax and would not take a life within Liyue's borders, that restraint applied only to himself.
His subordinates—and others watching from the shadows—were not bound by the same understanding.
Inside the isolated space, Aether restrained Futsu Mitama, his expression calm, yet his gaze carried a trace of acknowledgment that could not be hidden. In less than a year, the other party had grown to such a degree that even he had to take him seriously, because this kind of progress was far beyond what ordinary talent could explain.
"Alright, it's just us now."
Aether clapped his hands lightly, his tone sounding almost relaxed, as if the current situation had unfolded exactly as he intended. However, beneath that ease was calculation, because he knew very well that this outcome had not been effortless.
In reality, he had taken advantage of Futsu Mitama's lack of information, combined it with the overwhelming disparity in strength, and struck decisively before the rhythm of battle could stabilize. That was the only reason he had been able to subdue him so quickly.
If Futsu Mitama had been allowed to maintain distance and control the tempo of the fight, then even Aether would not have been able to suppress him within ten seconds. After all, someone who carried multiple Archon inheritances was never an opponent that could be casually defeated.
Because once the battle dragged on, things would become troublesome.
Faced with an existence like himself, those outside would not hesitate.
They would fight to the death.
"…"
Futsu Mitama said nothing, but his fingers moved slightly as he quietly activated the group livestream, transmitting his coordinates without changing his expression.
Even within a distorted space, coordinates were enough.
As long as the location was known, breaking into this place would only be a matter of time. With Shenhe and the others outside, forcing entry into this dimension would not be difficult at all.
This was not only a method of calling for support, but also a form of insurance.
Because even now, Futsu Mitama could not be completely certain of Aether's intentions.
Aether's gaze fell on him again, his expression turning slightly more serious as he spoke in a lower voice, no longer wasting time on unnecessary words.
"Although there's no time—I still want to ask you something."
He paused for a brief moment, as if weighing the importance of what he was about to say.
"That is—"
His eyes locked onto Futsu Mitama.
"Are you in love with my sister?"
"…"
Silence instantly filled the space.
Futsu Mitama's expression froze completely, his mind blanking out for a moment as if he had just heard something utterly incomprehensible.
"What?"
The word slipped out almost instinctively, carrying confusion that he didn't even try to hide.
Love? Lumine?
Those two concepts simply did not connect in his mind.
To him, Lumine was a companion, someone he trusted, someone he could stand beside without hesitation. There was a strange sense of familiarity between them, as if they had known each other for a long time, but that feeling had never once crossed into anything beyond friendship.
"I don't."
Futsu Mitama answered without hesitation, his tone steady and direct, without the slightest fluctuation.
"There's no reason for me to lie about that. My feelings for her are just those of a friend. I just think she's a good person, and she shouldn't be lumped together with you."
Aether did not respond immediately.
Instead, he stared at Futsu Mitama in silence, his gaze unwavering as if trying to read through every subtle change in his expression. Several seconds passed like this, but Futsu Mitama's expression did not change in the slightest.
There was no hesitation. No avoidance. No deception.
"I see."
Aether finally exhaled softly, and the tension in his shoulders eased slightly, a trace of relief appearing on his face.
But that relief did not last long.
Almost immediately, his expression shifted again, and a faint dissatisfaction surfaced in his eyes as he stepped forward.
"Then why?" His voice carried more pressure now. "Why don't you like her?"
He took another step closer, his gaze sharpening.
"Isn't my sister cute?"
Another step.
"Isn't she beautiful?"
Closer still.
"Isn't she—enough?"
"?" Futsu Mitama tilted his head slightly, completely at a loss.
At this point, the situation had already gone beyond confusion and entered a realm that felt entirely unreasonable. He even had the absurd thought that the person standing in front of him did not resemble the Prince of the Abyss at all, but rather someone completely different.
"Are you serious?"
Before he could say more—
"Crack—!"
A sharp fracture suddenly spread across the space, interrupting everything.
Both of them reacted instantly.
Aether's expression changed at once as he moved without hesitation, stepping in front of Futsu Mitama and shielding him completely.
"Stay back."
From the crack opening in space, a blade of frost shot forward.
"Swish—!!"
An ice construct followed immediately, spear thrusting forward with deadly precision, while streams of water condensed into spheres and shot toward them from another direction.
Three different attacks converged at once.
Aether frowned slightly.
"So they found it."
He raised his sword without hesitation, his movements precise and efficient as he blocked every incoming attack in a single motion, dispersing them completely.
At that exact moment—
"Buzz!"
A faint green light flickered behind him. Aether's pupils contracted slightly as he turned his head.
"The Dendro Archon's power—?"
The seal had been broken.
Futsu Mitama did not hesitate.
Lightning surged violently around him as the authority of the Electro Archon descended once more, and the Omnipresent God's Wheel unfolded behind him, stars lighting up one after another as countless threads of devotion converged upon his body.
At this moment, his presence rose sharply.
"Then try this."
Futsu Mitama's voice was calm, yet carried undeniable weight.
"Musou Shinsetsu—!!!"
A dazzling purple light instantly filled the entire space as the strike descended toward Aether.
Aether's expression turned serious as a pair of wings manifested behind him, his figure retreating rapidly, yet he quickly realized that there was no room to evade within such a confined dimension.
"Tch."
He raised his sword, power condensing along the blade as he prepared to block.
Before the collision—
"Tell her—" He spoke in a low voice. "we'll meet again."
A brief pause followed.
"At the end of the journey."
The next moment—
"Boom—!!!"
The two forces collided, and terrifying destructive energy spread in all directions as the entire dimension began to collapse, cracks spreading like shattered glass.
"Crack! Crack! Crack!"
Within the collapsing space, Aether disappeared without a trace.
Futsu Mitama did not hesitate. Taking advantage of the instability, he forcibly tore open a passage and stepped through it, returning directly to The Chasm.
"Phew…"
As his feet touched the ground once more, he finally let out a breath, the tension in his body easing slightly as he saw Aila and the others standing before him.
"Young Master!"
Aila rushed forward immediately, her voice carrying clear concern as she looked him over, confirming that he was unharmed.
Only then did Futsu Mitama truly relax.
But even so—he couldn't help it.
"He dragged me into another space—" He rubbed his temple slightly, his expression turning strange. "just to ask that?"
No matter how he thought about it—a powerhouse like this—it still made absolutely no sense.
Even the Ei might not be able to take him down quickly one-on-one, and the Geo Archon didn't even make a move against him, merely intimidating him.
"Whoosh!"
As if sensing Futsu Mitama's presence, Xiao, who had disappeared, now returned.
Seeing Futsu Mitama safe and sound, Xiao's previously grim expression softened a little.
—
On the other side, Lumine's face was flushed, and she looked particularly awkward.
Inside the depths of The Chasm, the last traces of that chaotic confrontation had already been swallowed by darkness and thunder alike. What remained was an uneasy calm—one that felt more like a pause than an end.
Lumine stood there, her posture visibly stiff, her fingers unconsciously tightening around the hilt of her blade. The lingering embarrassment hadn't faded in the slightest. If anything, recalling that absurd "interrogation" only made it worse.
Paimon hovered beside her, arms crossed, her expression still tangled between disbelief and secondhand embarrassment.
"Traveler… your brother really—went all the way just to ask that? Isn't that a bit too much?!"
Lumine didn't answer immediately. Her lips pressed into a thin line, her cheeks still faintly flushed. When she finally spoke, her voice carried a restrained frustration.
"He didn't even listen. Not properly and then he just left."
Her gaze dropped for a brief moment before she forced it steady again, though the irritation simmering beneath was unmistakable.
Nearby, Kuki Shinobu stepped forward, folding her arms as she gave Lumine a measured look. There was sympathy there—but also a trace of amusement she didn't bother to hide completely.
"I get it," she said evenly. "That kind of situation—it feels completely out of your control, doesn't it?"
She tilted her head slightly, tone turning more pointed. "But you'll have to get used to it. Family has a way of doing things like this—good intentions, terrible execution."
A faint exhale escaped her.
"If anything, the problem isn't you. It's that self-appointed guardian of yours deciding what matters without asking."
"Thank you," Lumine replied after a pause, though her voice carried a complicated mix of gratitude and lingering irritation.
At that moment, Yelan and Tartaglia finally descended with the elevator, arriving just in time to catch the aftermath rather than the cause.
Yelan's eyes swept across the group—Lumine's expression, Shinobu's subtle smile, the tension that hadn't quite dissipated. Her brows lifted slightly.
"Something happened."
It wasn't a question.
Tartaglia, on the other hand, looked far more intrigued. His gaze flicked between them, then toward Futsu Mitama in the distance.
"You all jumped down at once earlier," he said, curiosity barely restrained. "That doesn't happen without a reason."
Paimon reacted instantly, waving her hands a bit too quickly. "N–Nothing! Really! Just a small thing!"
That overreaction did more harm than good.
Yelan's eyes narrowed just a fraction. Tartaglia's smile deepened.
Kuki Shinobu stepped in smoothly, placing a hand over Paimon's mouth before she could dig the hole deeper.
"Something did happen," she admitted calmly. "But it's not something for outsiders."
Her gaze shifted briefly toward Tartaglia—clear, deliberate.
Understanding landed immediately.
Tartaglia let out a low chuckle, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Now that just makes me more curious."
Yelan, however, surprised him. She gave a small nod and simply said, "I won't ask."
"You won't?" Tartaglia glanced at her sideways, clearly unconvinced.
But Yelan had already moved on, her attention shifting forward. Whether she truly intended to leave it alone—or simply gather the truth another way—was something she didn't bother clarifying.
At that moment, Futsu Mitama's voice cut through the lingering tension.
"You're all here."
He stood amid faint remnants of dissipating black mist, his expression already returned to its usual composure—as if that absurd encounter had never happened.
"We move on," he continued, tone steady. "Clear the surrounding area first. It won't take long before others inside The Chasm notice the disturbance."
That was all.
No explanation. No elaboration.
Tartaglia's eyes twitched slightly. That confirmed it—whatever had happened, Futsu Mitama had zero intention of sharing.
"What a shame," he muttered under his breath, though he still drew his bow. Curiosity would have to wait.
Yelan had already nocked an arrow, gaze fixed on the creeping black mist.
"This corruption won't disappear permanently," she said. "At best, we suppress it."
"I know," Futsu Mitama replied. "We just need space to operate."
The next moment, lightning surged again.
"—Sizzle—!"
Thunder tore through the darkness as Futsu Mitama swung Seven Thunder of Retribution: Narukami, annihilating a spreading patch of black mud in an instant. The ground trembled, the corruption shriveling under the overwhelming Electro force—yet even then, faint traces lingered, stubborn and unresolved.
Nearby, Xiao moved without a word. Mask on, aura sharp as ever, he swept through the shadows like a phantom, his spear carving apart defiled energy with ruthless precision. For him, this was nothing new—just another extension of a duty carried for millennia.
Shenhe, Aila, Kokomi, and the others followed suit, each using their own methods to suppress the spreading corruption.
Even Tartaglia, despite his earlier disappointment, joined in—though his casual posture made it clear he wasn't exactly exerting himself fully.
Amid the clash of elements and the crackle of energy, Futsu Mitama paused briefly, watching a black mud pit slowly collapse under sustained Electro pressure.
"Still regenerating," he muttered, eyes narrowing slightly.
Then, almost absently, he added, "I wonder if that purification water would work here—"
"Purification water?" Lumine's voice came from behind him.
He turned.
She had approached quietly, her earlier embarrassment not entirely gone, but now overshadowed by curiosity—and something else, something more cautious.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked.
For a brief second, Futsu Mitama simply looked at her.
Then—
"Ohh. Right!"
He suddenly slapped his forehead lightly, as if remembering something obvious.
"I completely forgot—you're here too."
"Huh?" Lumine instinctively took a small step back, caught off guard by the way he was looking at her now.
Her mind, traitorous as ever, immediately dragged her back to that humiliating moment from earlier.
Don't tell me—
Her grip tightened slightly.
"W–Wait," she said, trying to steady her voice. "You're not about to bring up what happened just now, are you—?"
But this was something her brother had fabricated entirely on his own; it had nothing to do with her at all. Or rather—after hearing what her brother said, would Futsu Mitama also start thinking differently?
That wouldn't be right, would it?
For a moment, Lumine's thoughts tangled together chaotically, one after another surfacing without restraint, making her expression grow increasingly unnatural.
"Eh?!"
Paimon, who had been following beside Lumine the entire time, also seemed to realize something at that moment. Her eyes widened in shock as she looked back and forth between Futsu Mitama and the Traveler, her expression filled with disbelief.
Almost immediately, she covered her eyes with both hands, turning her head away as if trying to avoid seeing something she shouldn't.
"I don't know anything! I don't know anything! I didn't see anything at all!"
However, Futsu Mitama only looked at their reactions with a speechless expression. There wasn't even the slightest ripple in his emotions—only a faint sense of helplessness at how off-track their thoughts had gone.
"What exactly are you two imagining?"
He let out a small breath, then shifted his gaze back to Lumine, his tone returning to normal as he continued without hesitation.
"Actually, I just remembered something. You seemed to have said before that you possess the power to purify defilement."
"Hm?" Lumine blinked, the chaotic thoughts in her mind instantly interrupted as she subconsciously returned to normal. "Did I ever say that?"
She did indeed possess the power to purify defilement.
Back in Mondstadt, an Abyss Mage had once used that power in an attempt to control a strange monster. At that time, she had instinctively used her own power to purify it, causing the monster to lose its ability to fight.
The Abyss Mage had been visibly shocked by that scene, choosing to flee immediately without even attempting to continue the battle.
As for that strange monster, after losing its combat capability, it had collapsed to the ground, its fate unknown.
It was just—
If she remembered correctly, she shouldn't have told anyone else about this matter, right?
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