Venti fell silent for a long time. He knew the man before him meant every word—that strength, which even he could not afford to underestimate, was truly capable of slaying a dragon.
Gazing at the dim, yellowish light in the tavern, Venti's vision gradually blurred, as if he had returned to that vast azure sky once more.
When did His child, the Sky Dragon of Freedom, become like this?
When Venti snapped back to reality, he noticed all the Mondstadters present were looking at Him, just as they had back when he followed that young boy in rising against the Tyrant of the Storm. They were waiting for His decision. He lowered his gaze, forcing a faint smile.
"Of course. Mondstadt's future should be decided by its people. My interference is only to ensure the wheel of history does not veer off course."
"Acting Grand Master Jean, could you retrieve the Holy Lyre der Himmel for me tomorrow?"
Jean was taken aback, flattered by the request. It took her a moment to regain her composure.
"If Lord Barbatos wishes for it, I will ensure it is done."
With that, she turned to leave and make arrangements, but the next second, Diluc set down his wine glass.
"Watch out for the Fatui."
The night stars were dazzlingly bright, and Teyvat's sky was breathtaking—a river of stars stretched far into the distance, so beautiful that Rover found it almost surreal.
Yet he averted his gaze and continued listening to the melodious strumming of a bard beneath the great tree.
"You came after all."
Venti sat on the tree roots, staring off into the distance for a long while. Rover slowly approached and took a seat beside Him, enjoying the breeze against his face—though this time, the wind carried a hint of bitterness.
"I once witnessed a girl named Jinhsi make an equally difficult choice. To secure Jinzhou's future and save the Sentinel, she staked her own life as a pawn, throwing herself into the game."
"Did she succeed?"
Venti reached out, the wind tousling His hair and the hem of Rover's clothes.
"She did. The ending was joyous for all. So, I believe many things won't escalate beyond redemption—but I'm accustomed to preparing for the worst."
Venti pursed his lips together, silent for a long moment before finally looking at Rover.
He understood the meaning behind the other's words—this was a last resort, a measure only to be taken if all else failed.
"Thank you. Would you accept a blessing from a god of another world?"
Rover was stunned. Before he could react, countless particles of Anemo gathered in the air, surging toward him as if eager to merge with his body. But in the next instant, Abby appeared.
Abby's eyes lit up as if he had spotted a feast, eagerly absorbing the energy.
"Such pure power! Tastes even fresher than an Anemo Slime. Delicious!"
Rover glanced at the Anemo sigil now etched onto his arm, an odd sensation stirring within him.
"Want to try it out?"
Venti chuckled with an "Ehe." Rover nodded and walked toward a nearby Hilichurl camp. A Mitachurl raised its shield and charged straight at him.
But Rover reacted swiftly, adjusting his stance to sidestep the charging Mitachurl before slashing at its back. The Mitachurl, however, was no pushover and immediately raised its shield to block.
The longer the battle dragged on, the more Anemo particles gathered in the air, thickening visibly. Then, an arrow came streaking toward him. Rover focused, dodging at the precise moment of contact.
That familiar slowing of time returned—but unlike before, the Anemo particles in the air all surged into Rover's blade. He sheathed his sword, then drew it again in an instant, unleashing a storm of wind blades that shredded the surrounding Hilichurls to pieces.
To an outsider, it appeared as though Rover had released countless Anemo slashes in a single moment, tearing his enemies apart.
"Seems this power is quite something, doesn't it?"
Venti smiled as he watched Rover effortlessly clear out the Hilichurl camp.
After absorbing the Mitachurl's Echo, Rover grew familiar with this newfound power. As long as he met two conditions—successfully dodging and fighting for a certain duration—he could enter another mode. Rover dubbed it Light Blade Mode.
"What about me? Why don't I feel anything?"
Abby raised his hand, but nothing had changed. Venti shrugged, feigning ignorance.
"Maybe you ate too much and absorbed all the power?"
"Venti!!"
"Due to the dragon crisis, for safety reasons, the Knights of Favonius and the Church have unanimously decided to relocate Mondstadt's precious artifacts and treasures."
Rover crossed his arms, reading the Knights' announcement. The reasoning was airtight, leaving no room for suspicion.
"The Knights are a bunch of overgrown babies—only Jean could put up with them."
Diluc leisurely handed Venti a glass of fine wine, not missing the chance to mock the Knights' conduct.
No sooner had he spoken than Kaeya pushed the door open, bringing the Holy Lyre with him.
"Relax, no one followed me. The dragon crisis is in your hands now."
Kaeya left just as suavely as he had arrived, leaving Diluc scowling and letting out a cold snort.
With the Holy Lyre now in hand, Venti plucked its strings gently.
"Not enough. Something's missing."
He stroked his chin, then placed the purified tear from Aether into the lyre. When he plucked the strings again, the melody became light and melodious.
"Ah, much better! Just like the old days!"
Venti happily tucked it away. Seeing everyone gathered, he shared his plan.
"Songs travel farther from higher places—and even better with the sea breeze."
"By then, Dvalin will surely hear my lyre and come. After that, I'll heal it."
"Starsnatch Cliff. It's the highest point."
Diluc added, and everyone nodded in agreement.
Rover, however, remained silent in the corner until Paimon noticed and floated over curiously.
"What's wrong? You're being awfully quiet."
"It's nothing. This plan doesn't require my involvement. I'm just considering the worst-case scenario and possible contingencies."
On the distant horizon, the sun had just begun to rise, its golden rays slowly spreading across the land, dyeing the clouds in a leisurely glow.
"Wow! This place is gorgeous!"
Paimon flitted about, enjoying the fragrance of the grassy fields.
"Once this dragon crisis is over, I'd love to just sit back and admire the scenery!"
Venti walked slowly to the cliff's edge, first gesturing to the group before placing his fingers on the lyre's strings.
"Watch closely—the best bard in all of Teyvat is about to play!"
The Holy Lyre's melody began to spread in all directions. Sure enough, a fierce gale erupted—Dvalin had arrived.
"At this point, there's nothing left to discuss, Barbatos."
Dvalin panted heavily. Venti took a step toward it.
"Is that so? Then why do I see memories lingering in your eyes?"
Dvalin fell silent. Venti continued, motioning for Aether to step forward.
"The curse on you—this traveler can purify it. After this, you won't have to suffer anymore."
Distrust flickered in Dvalin's eyes as it glanced at Aether. But when it looked back at Venti and saw the sincerity in His gaze, it seemed ready to relent—until an ice spike shot toward the Holy Lyre in Venti's hands.
At the same time, a dark figure rushed up the cliff.
The sudden turn of events left everyone but Venti momentarily stunned.
Rover's eyes sharpened. His blade flashed, slicing the ice spike in half before he leaped into the air, using his Grapple to lunge straight at the ambusher.
"Don't interfe—URGH!"
The attacker was a Cryo Abyss Mage. Before it could finish speaking, a razor-sharp edge shot toward it. Sparks flew as it hastily raised its shield.
Rover's blade pressed deeper into the shield. The mage, panicked, tried to chant a spell to escape—but in the next instant, Rover's Spectro power erupted, freezing it in place as if time had stopped.
"Break!"
Rover hadn't switched to Havoc Mode, mainly to avoid accidentally harming Dvalin, who was nearby.
The shield cracked like glass, fissures spreading until it finally shattered.
But the chaos didn't end there. Seeing one Abyss Mage fail, others from the Abyss Order emerged. Diluc unleashed a wave of flames, incinerating the monsters trying to climb the cliff, while Jean summoned gusts to scatter the approaching horde.
"You've already turned against Mondstadt—there's no going back now! Serve our new master!"
"You've done so much for Mondstadt, yet they still see you as an enemy. This is betrayal!"
Another Abyss Mage taunted, swinging its staff and sending flames roaring toward Rover. Frowning, Rover dodged mid-air as Anemo particles gathered around him. Seizing the moment, he sheathed his blade.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl. Suspended in the air, buoyed by the wind, he locked eyes with Venti—whose gaze had turned icy. In this decelerated flow, he saw the god nod unaffected.
The next instant, his blade left its sheath. Countless wind blades surged forth with unstoppable force, tearing through the Abyss Mages in the sky. One slash wasn't enough—two, three, more followed as Anemo particles endlessly poured into Rover's scabbard.
Finally, in that moment, the Abyss Mages knew fear. Not a single one escaped being torn apart. Rover gathered the remaining Anemo energy and slashed at the ground before Dvalin, cleaving it in half.
Gliding back with his Wind Glider, Rover saw Dvalin preparing to leave. He drove his blade into the earth and spoke slowly.
"Either listen to your god, or we fight."
"Dvalin… We don't truly wish to hunt you."
Venti, fearing Rover might actually attack, quickly interjected.
"Barbatos! After all this, you still dare to threaten me?! Boy, if you seek death so badly, then come! I'll show you the wrath of a dragon!"