Rover tightened his grip on the hilt of his blade, twisted it slightly to find the optimal leverage, and with a sudden burst of force, deflected Diluc's slash.
He had faced all kinds of opponents—those with claws, those who alternated between greatswords and blades, even those who fought with cards. No matter how fierce their techniques were, he could always find the right moment to parry and disrupt their momentum.
But now, flames slowly wreathed Diluc's blade, and a wave of scorching heat rushed toward Rover. Instead of charging in recklessly, Rover held his ground, locking eyes with Diluc in a tense standoff.
When Diluc swung for the first time, flames shot from his blade like tongues of fire. Rover's eyes narrowed as he sidestepped the attack, then swiftly closed the distance.
The next instant, Diluc's second slash came in an upward diagonal arc. Yet, in that moment, Rover saw an opening. Just as the attack was about to land, Rover—still with his blade sheathed—merely thrust the scabbard forward. A sharp metallic clang reverberated through the tavern as the weapons collided, forcing Diluc to stagger back several steps, his eyes wide with shock.
Seeing that Rover hadn't even drawn his blade yet, Diluc gritted his teeth and brought his sword down in a heavy overhead strike. But this kind of telegraphed swing was child's play compared to the delayed slashes Rover had faced from certain enemies in Jinzhou.
Rover stepped forward, his blade finally unsheathed, intercepting the greatsword at its weakest point—like a gear precisely jammed. Diluc nearly lost his grip on his weapon, and before he could adjust his stance, the edge of Rover's sword was already at his throat.
It left Diluc with a suffocating sense of powerlessness, as if all his strength had been rendered useless.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
The sound of slow, deliberate applause broke the silence. Kaeya stood at the doorway, smiling as he surveyed the scene. Venti, who had been sneaking a bottle from the wine rack, nearly dropped it in fright. But upon recognizing the newcomer, he immediately crouched back down, his eyes scanning the selection as if deciding which bottle to pilfer next.
"To think I'd see the day my dear brother gets humbled like this."
"I don't need the Knights' interference."
Kaeya shook his head, signaling Rover to lower his weapon. He righted a chair that had been knocked over by the shockwave and began tidying up the mess.
"No, no, I'm here to clear up the misunderstanding. This is Rover, an honored guest of the Knights. As for why he's with Mr. Venti… well, perhaps Rover should explain that himself."
Kaeya, ever the smooth talker, effortlessly defused the tension with just a few words. Rover gave him a measured glance.
His timing was too perfect. He must've been watching from behind the door, gauging my strength before stepping in to mediate.
"Ehe~ My turn now, I suppose?"
Venti squinted mischievously, pouring drinks for everyone. Just as he reached for his own glass, Abby snatched it away.
"You drunkard. I knew you were slacking off during the fight."
Venti simply picked up another glass and took a leisurely sip.
"Ah, well, Rover wasn't going to kill anyone. Besides, what better way to bond than through a little sparring?"
Diluc raised an eyebrow at the bard's words. Was he implying that Rover was stronger than him?
But recalling the exchange just now… if Rover had been serious from the start…
Diluc only let out a cold snort and resumed polishing an empty glass from the counter.
"I was going to waive your tab because of the misunderstanding, but it seems unnecessary now. The drinks you owe—"
"W-Wait! Master Diluc, you're plenty strong yourself!"
Venti clung to his bottle, looking utterly heartbroken. Meanwhile, Rover, after organizing his thoughts, explained the situation with Venti's tacit approval.
...
Diluc and Kaeya's expressions gradually darkened.
"Lord Barba—"
"Shhh~ That's a secret, okay?"
Venti pressed a finger to his lips, signaling Kaeya to keep quiet. Everyone present was sharp enough to drop the subject immediately.
"So it's true… The Abyss Order has set their sights on Stormterror."
Diluc recalled earlier that day, when he and Aether's group had ventured into the three temples to sever the source of the dragon's corrupted power. Deep inside, they had indeed found traces of the Abyss Order.
"Sir Venti, the Knights of Favonius are at your disposal."
The moment Kaeya spoke, Diluc scoffed.
"Putting aside how pathetically weak those Knights are, according to my intel, the Fatui have already infiltrated your ranks. If they decided to launch an attack right in front of the Knights' headquarters or the cathedral, I doubt you'd even react in time."
Kaeya choked on his words at the blunt insult. Though Diluc had never let go of the past, Kaeya hadn't expected the resentment to run this deep.
Still, would the Fatui really be that bold? Provoking an international incident would be disastrous—could they afford that?
But one thing was undeniable: the Knights couldn't be relied upon. What if the Fatui interfered during their attempt to communicate with Stormterror?
"Then how about this—I'll bring the Traveler and Jean here. With the rest of us present, we should be able to handle any complications."
Kaeya proposed a compromise. After all, there were far too few capable of resolving the dragon crisis.
All eyes turned to Venti, who pointed at himself with an expression that seemed to say, Why look at me? I'm just here to vibe.
When Venti remained silent, Kaeya took it as agreement and promptly vanished from sight.
"You're the Anemo Archon—why aren't you doing anything?"
Abby muttered through a mouthful of snacks, but Venti just grinned.
"Mondstadt is the city of freedom. If I micromanaged everything, where would the freedom be?"
Before long, two figures appeared before them.
"Rover! Abby! It's great to see you're okay!"
Paimon's voice rang out the moment she entered. Rover nodded at Aether in acknowledgment.
"We've been briefed on the situation. Venti, Senior Diluc, I'll be participating in this operation in a personal capacity. Additionally, I've officially revoked your wanted status and issued a public clarification to the citizens."
Jean's efficiency was truly commendable—she had considered every angle.
After all… having their own people issue a warrant for their god? How absurd would that be?
Jean stated her intentions, but Diluc remained silent, though a flicker of something unreadable passed through his eyes.
"Bar—ahem—Venti, what's that crystal left by Dvalin?"
Paimon nearly slipped up before correcting herself, prompting Aether to pull out the red crystal they had found in the woods that morning.
"That's a tear shed by Dvalin in its suffering."
Before Aether could fully present it, the crystal was already in Venti's hand. But when Aether finally revealed his, everyone gasped.
Because the red crystal in his palm had turned blue.
"The power of purification… As I thought. You truly are the protagonist of this story. It's only right that you be the one to write its conclusion."
After a moment of contemplation, Jean spoke up.
"Mr. Venti, what do you propose?"
"We'll use the Holy Lyre der Himmel to reach Dvalin and heal its wounds."
Diluc added coldly,
"But we must also prepare for the worst. If Dvalin loses control and we're forced into a life-or-death battle…"
Rover stepped forward, reaching out to grip the red crystal in Venti's hand. With a clench of his fist, the power of Havoc reduced it to dust.
His sharp gaze swept over the group as he spoke slowly, deliberately.
"If it comes to that… I will take command of the battlefield."
"And ensure the dragon's demise—sealing this tale in blood and fire."