Before Jia Changjiang had even finished speaking, his body was already in motion.
Ever since inheriting the legacy of the Weapon Master, how to use weapons was no longer a limitation for him. As his physical strength steadily caught up with that vast well of experience, Jia Changjiang knew one thing clearly—
He might not be able to wield the elements, but in pure, element-free combat, he would not lose to anyone.
The moment he discarded the battle axe and switched to dual daggers, Jean felt it immediately.
The opponent before her had changed.
Compared to the heavy axe—whose movements were obvious and powerful—the nimble, concealed twin daggers were far harder to deal with. Time and again, just as Jean's sword deflected one blade, the other would slip toward her blind spot.
She could only focus completely, relying on Anemo to barely hold the assault at bay.
As the battle heated up, Jia Changjiang stopped caring about the minor wounds on his body.
After gaining Grandmaster's Might the night before, he had clearly felt it—
his resistance to elemental damage had increased across the board.
It wasn't absolute immunity like a Slime's affinity, but at the very least, he would no longer be so easily burned by Pyro like he had been against Diluc.
That resistance gave him the foundation to push through the wind surrounding Jean.
Outside the field, Klee and Amber watched nervously as Jean was gradually forced back.
Especially Klee—she had never imagined that someone could press Jean to this extent.
In a child's eyes, the person who constantly locked her in solitary confinement had to be incredibly strong.
Now, facing two daggers that could strike from anywhere at any moment, Jean's focus reached its peak.
She swung her sword, deflecting attacks.
She guided the wind around her.
Tiny tempests began to gather at her side—
the same wind that had always stood with Jean, the protective breeze that drove danger away from her companions.
In this city of freedom, Jean had chosen—by her own free will—to become Mondstadt's sword and shield.
She upheld a strict and disciplined way of life, holding herself to the harshest standards, always living by the Gunnhildr family creed:
"For Mondstadt, as always."
The Vision she received was Anemo—light, free, unrestrained.
Yet Jean herself was earnest, upright, meticulous to a fault.
As if responding to the ancient chivalric spirit she had inherited, the wind she commanded mirrored her resolve—
A benevolent gale, blessing the land, forever guarding Mondstadt.
Jia Changjiang's movements slowed.
He could not see the wind's path—but his fingertips told him everything.
The wind around Jean… had changed.
Far outside Mondstadt, at Windrise, atop the great tree that symbolized Vanessa, a figure leaned against a thick branch, fingers plucking gently at a lyre.
Windrise—the final destination of the first Dandelion Knight's journey.
Records say that Vanessa, founder of the Knights of Favonius and rebuilder of Mondstadt, came here at the end of her life. She bade farewell to the city she had protected, leaving behind her legend—and a single sapling.
That sapling, nurtured by the Thousand Winds and the passage of ages, had grown into a towering tree.
"A wind born to protect… a knight born to guard Mondstadt…"
"Mmm… that could make a fine new poem~"
Perched upon the sacred tree, Venti let a gentle melody flow from his fingers.
"The still-young lion, and the pure martial artist from afar… What will the cub learn from this battle, I wonder? Ah~ what an exciting tale."
Back at the training grounds, the wind now howled loudly.
Klee had to hold onto her hat with both hands to keep it from being blown away.
From above, one might have seen it clearly—
A growing wind eye had formed over the field, and at its very center stood Jean, wholly focused on Jia Changjiang.
Sensing the change, Jia Changjiang adjusted his rhythm, subtly guiding Jean forward.
He wanted victory—but he didn't mind forging a stronger opponent in the process.
Jean was a lionfang knight yet to fully mature,
a dandelion knight at the very start of her path,
one of the Four Winds' guardians of this era.
Kaeya and Lisa, watching from the sidelines, had clearly understood his intent.
"Grow stronger… become even stronger…"
Jia Changjiang darted through the gale, exhilaration blazing in his eyes as the small storm around Jean swelled into a raging wind.
The moment he felt her presence reach its peak—
He laughed.
He truly couldn't hold it in any longer.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
The wind carried his laughter far and wide as he discarded the daggers and leapt back.
Once more, he grasped the haft of Eikthyr's Axe, lifting the monstrous weapon into his hands.
"Yes—exactly like this! Hahahaha!"
Watching the faint breeze transform into a roaring storm, his excitement overflowed.
This—
This was the battle he wanted.
This was the opponent he sought!
He tightened his grip, staring straight into the wind eye at Jean, feeling the overwhelming will contained within the tempest.
When a mortal's desire reaches its absolute peak, the gaze of the gods descends.
That is a Vision—
an external organ of elemental power, bestowed upon those acknowledged by the divine.
It is a medal of belief and resolve.
Jia Changjiang acknowledged that resolve.
But more than that—
He wanted to witness it personally, with the weapon in his hands.
"Come on… come on!"
He took a deep breath, aligning himself with the storm, locking eyes with Jean.
"Now—it's my turn!"
He launched forward.
The stone tiles beneath him cracked from the recoil as his body shot forth like an arrow.
Grandmaster's Might awakened the weapon's inherent attributes—
And the axe in his hands was a blade that had once severed the heads of ascended beings.
The gleaming edge rose high, tearing through air and storm alike, carrying Jia Changjiang's fighting spirit straight toward Jean.
Jean did not retreat.
Condensed gales surged along the spine of her sword as she unleashed her full power in response.
Compressed wind exploded in a split second, sand and stone blasting outward, forcing all spectators to shield their eyes.
And when the storm finally dissipated—
The outcome of the duel
had already been decided.
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