[The Hilichurl Brute stood tall amid the encirclement of the Knights of Favonius.]
[Relying on its powerful physique, it swung its arms wildly.]
[After a prolonged standoff, several knights had already fallen.]
[Suddenly, a brilliant emerald light surged upward, gathering along the blade of a knight's sword.]
[Jean shouted sharply and thrust forward.]
[Her sword pierced straight through the Hilichurl Brute.]
[Violent wind pressure blasted the monster several meters away, slamming it heavily into a rock wall.]
[Falling rubble buried its body completely.]
[Only then did the battlefield quiet down slightly.]
["What about that Hilichurl archer?"]
[Jean asked.]
[Seeing the knight's troubled expression—]
[Jean immediately felt a bad premonition.]
["After it shot several of our men… it got away…"]
"Got away?!"
Watching the scene unfold, Jean felt her head spin.
This interception had been a complete failure.
Just one Hilichurl archer and one Hilichurl Brute had utterly shattered the unit she personally commanded.
And in the end, the archer had even escaped.
Humiliation.
Absolute humiliation.
"Jean, are you alright?" Lisa stepped forward to comfort her.
"Don't blame yourself. These Hilichurls clearly aren't something that should exist in Teyvat."
"What exactly is the Fifth Descender…?" Amber said anxiously.
"To make Hilichurls this terrifying…"
Only two Hilichurls had already pushed Jean's squad into a desperate battle.
What about twenty?
Two hundred?
With Mondstadt's current forces—how could they possibly respond?
This prematurely arriving despair hung over every citizen of Mondstadt like a dark cloud.
[However, the reality was far more severe than Jean had imagined.]
[According to reports from the knights on site—]
[The deaths of the fallen knights were extremely abnormal.]
[Their bodies appeared to be eroded by some horrifying power.]
[A strange collapse occurred—until the corpses shattered completely and vanished like fragments.]
["So that's how it is…"]
[Jean felt a sharp pain stab into her heart.]
[The knights who followed her into battle…]
[After sacrificing their lives, not even their bodies remained.]
["Damn it!"]
["Those Abyss Order bastards—"]
["What exactly did they do to the Hilichurls…?"]
["To make them this terrifying…"]
[Jean gritted her teeth and slammed her knight's sword into the ground.]
[The unfamiliar, eerie power filled her with an indescribable fear.]
["Wait!"]
[Suddenly, she realized something even more serious.]
[From the standoff with the Hilichurl archer and Brute until now, quite some time had passed.]
[By normal marching speed, the rest of the Hilichurls should have arrived by now.]
[So why—]
[Was there no sign of them?]
["Acting Grand Master!"]
[A familiar voice called out from not far away.]
[Under the moonlight, a familiar figure stood atop a rock, hands braced on her knees, gasping for breath.]
["Amber?"]
[Jean froze.]
[Judging from Amber's posture, it was obvious she was completely exhausted.]
["Th-those… those Hilichurls…"]
[Amber swallowed hard several times, forcing her voice steady.]
["They suddenly changed their marching route halfway."]
["They're heading straight for Mondstadt City now."]
["What?!"]
[Jean's expression changed drastically.]
But at that very moment—
A massive shadow loomed behind her, blotting out the moonlight.
["Ah… ah…"]
[The knight standing before Jean looked past her shoulder.]
[Terror filled his eyes as incoherent sounds spilled from his mouth.]
[His body trembled as he staggered backward.]
[The Hilichurl Brute.]
[The very Brute Jean had blasted into the cliff earlier—]
[Had stood back up.]
[Its fists clenched and raised high above its head.]
[As if preparing to deliver a crushing blow.]
At this moment, all of Mondstadt held its breath.
The despairing scene sent hearts racing.
The faint-hearted shut their eyes altogether.
No one had expected—
That a Hilichurl Brute which had taken Jean's full-powered strike head-on
Could still stand intact behind her.
With its monstrous strength, if that charged blow landed on Jean's head—
Would blood splatter everywhere?
Or would her body collapse and shatter like scraps of paper?
No one dared imagine what would happen next.
Knights of Favonius Detention Room.
A golden-haired girl with long ears covered her eyes with both hands.
Before the church statue—
A blonde girl with twin tails knelt on the ground, hands clasped together, praying endlessly:
"May the Anemo Archon protect my sister…
May the Anemo Archon protect my sister…"
Knights of Favonius Headquarters.
Jean's eyes were hollow.
The anger on her face faded into numbness.
She knew very well what would happen if that punch landed.
She had just never imagined—
That day would come so soon.
In an instant, memories flooded her mind.
From childhood to now—
Inheriting the will of the Gunnhildr Clan.
To protect Mondstadt forever.
Never allow harm to befall it.
Since birth, she had aspired to become an outstanding knight.
Diligent. Tireless. Never daring to slack off.
Inheriting Vennessa's honor as the Lionfang Knight was the greatest reward for her efforts.
After taking on the role of Acting Grand Master from Grand Master Varka,
Jean worked tirelessly—
From clearing monsters,
To searching rooftops for missing cats.
She guarded Mondstadt's peace day and night.
She guarded the citizens' peace.
Her only frustration was that there were only so many hours in a day.
Even sacrificing sleep wasn't enough to help everyone.
To be someone reliable required effort beyond imagination.
Even now, Jean believed her efforts were still insufficient.
Yet the time left for her to continue striving—
Was running out.
In the near future, she would die at the hands of this Hilichurl Brute.
"Am I… going to die?"
Jean's legs weakened slightly.
"If I die… what will happen to Mondstadt's people?"
"The monsters… are already marching toward the city."
To read advanced Chapters, head over to p@treon:
patreon.com/nani_kaito