[Location: The Skies Above Stormterror's Lair]
[Time: 09:00 AM]
The world turned sideways as Dvalin slammed into the tower. Stone shattered, sending debris raining down into the abyss below.
I didn't wait for gravity to take hold. I kicked off a falling slab of masonry using [Air Step], launching myself like a blue torpedo straight at the massive turquoise dragon.
"ROAAAAR!" Dvalin shrieked, unleashing a torrent of Anemo energy from his mouth. It was a beam of pure destruction, enough to vaporize a hill.
"Great Sage! Angle calculation!"
[Great Sage]
"Got it. [Dragon Scales]—Maximize Density!"
I didn't dodge. I curled into a ball, hardening my scales to the texture of diamonds. The beam hit me. It felt like being punched by a freight train made of sandpaper. My HP bar—if I had one visible—would have dropped by a chunk, but my scales held. I ricocheted off the beam, spinning wildly, and slammed onto Dvalin's neck.
"Gotcha!"
I dug my claws in. Dvalin thrashed, doing a barrel roll to shake me off. The G-force was immense.
"Aether! Now!" I roared telepathically.
Below us, Aether was gliding on his wind wings, Venti buffering him with updrafts. He fired magical Anemo bullets at the purple crystal on Dvalin's back, chipping away at the shield.
"Hold on, Raiden!" Aether yelled, lining up a shot.
"I'm trying! He's slippery!"
Dvalin panicked. He roared, and the sky turned dark. Meteors—condensed Anemo energy—began to rain down around us. The platform where Jean and Diluc stood was being bombarded.
"This isn't working fast enough," I growled. "At this rate, the tower will collapse before we save him."
I looked at the corrupted blood clot pulsing on Dvalin's neck, just a few meters away from where I was clinging. It smelled like rot. It smelled like hatred. It smelled... delicious?
No, that was [Predator] talking.
"Hey, Great Sage. If I eat that, will I die?"
[Great Sage]
"Good enough odds for me."
I released my grip with my hind legs, scrambling up Dvalin's neck while he tried to bite me. I reached the pulsating purple crystal.
"Raiden! Don't touch it directly!" Venti screamed from below, his voice laced with genuine panic. "That poison killed the Falcon of the West! It will corrode your soul!"
"Watch me!"
I unhinged my jaw. [Gluttony Mode: On].
I clamped my mouth over the corrupted spike.
CRUNCH.
Pain.
Explosive, blinding pain shot through my teeth and into my brain. It felt like swallowing a bucket of molten lead mixed with broken glass. The Abyssal energy tried to invade my mind, flashing images of a dark, starless sky and a desire to destroy everything.
Kill them. Kill Barbatos. Kill the humans.
"Shut up!" I mentally roared, slapping the intrusive thoughts away with pure willpower. "Great Sage, isolate it! Now!"
[System Alert]
...Success.
Skill Acquired: [Corruption Resistance].
Skill Acquired: [Abyssal Gaze] (Low-level intimidation).>
I ripped my head back, tearing a massive chunk of the crystal off Dvalin's neck. The corruption shattered.
Dvalin stiffened. His roar of rage turned into a gasp of shock. The murky red in his eyes flickered, revealing the clear white sclera underneath.
"One down!" I spat out the remaining shards. "Aether, hit the other one!"
Inspired by my lunacy, Aether dove from the sky, his sword glowing with Anemo. He slashed through the second crystal on Dvalin's tail with a precise strike.
The corruption shattered into dust.
Dvalin's body went limp. He stopped thrashing and began to fall. The wind storm around the tower instantly died down, replaced by a gentle breeze.
We plummeted.
"I got you!" Venti's voice was soft. A gentle wind wrapped around Dvalin, Aether, and me, slowing our descent until we landed softly on the cracked platform of the tower.
[Location: Top of the Tower]
[Time: 09:30 AM]
Dvalin lay on the stone floor, breathing heavily. The purple veins on his body faded to a healthy blue.
I collapsed next to him, panting. My stomach felt like it was doing somersaults.
"Is... is it over?" Paimon whispered, peeking out from behind a pillar.
Dvalin's giant head shifted. He opened his eyes. They were clear. Tired, but clear.
"Barbatos..." Dvalin's voice was deep, resonating in our chests. "Why...?"
Venti stepped forward, a sad smile on his face. He reached out and touched Dvalin's snout. "Because we missed you, old friend. Because I didn't want you to be alone anymore."
It was a touching reunion. Jean looked like she was about to cry. Diluc crossed his arms, but the tension had left his shoulders.
Then, Dvalin turned his massive eye toward me.
"And you..." The dragon sniffed the air near me. "You are small. Strange. You smell of Durin... but you are not him. You ate the poison."
I pushed myself up to a sitting position, scratching my ear with a hind claw. "Tasted like expired grape juice. 2/10. Would not recommend."
Dvalin let out a sound that might have been a chuckle. "You are a lunatic. But... I thank you. The pain is gone."
[System Alert]
Title Acquired: [Friend of the East Wind].
Relation with Mondstadt Faction: Exalted.>
"That was incredibly reckless," Jean scolded, walking over to me. She placed a hand on my armored shoulder. "But... thank you, Raiden. You saved us all."
"I merely did what was necessary," I said, trying to sound majestic, though my stomach gave a loud rumble.
"I think the little dragon is hungry again," Paimon giggled.
Venti strummed his lyre. "The wind has returned to its proper flow. Dvalin, are you well enough to fly?"
"I am," Dvalin said, rising to his full height. "I will carry you back to the city. Consider it my apology for the trouble I caused."
[Location: Returning to Mondstadt]
We rode on Dvalin's back. The view was incredible. The storm clouds had broken, revealing the bright blue sky and the green plains of Mondstadt below.
I sat near the tail, watching the clouds pass by.
"So," Diluc said, sitting next to me. "You're not an Adeptus. You're not one of the Four Winds. What exactly are you, Raiden?"
I looked at him. I could lie. I could say I was a secret weapon. But looking at the red-haired man who shared the vibe of my Ragnvaldr ancestors, I felt a strange kinship.
"I'm just a traveler," I said, looking at my clawed hands. "Trying to find my place in the food chain. And maybe... trying to protect the things that matter."
Diluc stared at me for a moment, then nodded. "A worthy goal. If you ever need a place to stay... the Dawn Winery has large cellars. We could accommodate a guest of your size."
"Does it have wine?"
"Plenty."
"Then we have a deal."
As we approached the city of Mondstadt, the citizens looked up in fear, then awe, as the Dragon of the East flew peacefully overhead, carrying their heroes.
But in the back of my mind, [Great Sage] pinged me.
[Warning]
Entity 1: Anemo Gnosis (Barbatos).
Entity 2: Cryo Vision... and Delusion. Threat Level: High.>
My eyes narrowed.
"Signora."
The happy ending was about to get interrupted.