Decarabian waved his hand, closing the screen. "To think that this kind of—"
"Your eminence, the King of Tempests, in the name of my—"
BOOM!
A powerful gale condensed into a turquoise fist, obliterating the intruder in an instant. Miniature tornadoes swept across the spot where they had stood, erasing every trace of their existence.
"Don't sully my domain with your presence. You are unworthy."
Seated on his throne, Decarabian tilted his head slightly. "Someone actually dared to come, but it seems they weren't up to standard."
"I don't know what schemes you're plotting, but if you wish to see me, send someone worthy of my recognition."
"Only those who earn my approval may stand before me!"
His voice echoed across the domain, carrying to distant shadows lurking in the dark. Those who heard his words couldn't help but curse him as a madman while scrambling to reconsider their plans.
"Send someone of sufficient status?"
The implication was clear: find someone strong enough to fight him. If he was pleased, he'd listen. Otherwise, death awaited.
Against a being of his caliber, even the sturdiest tank wouldn't survive a single Tempest Fist. And high-quality warriors weren't exactly easy to come by.
On the surface, Venti, too, heard Decarabian's declaration. He let out a tired sigh, feeling a headache coming on.
Following his advice, the former King of Tempests could have just stayed put, brushing off any intrusions with a few dismissive words.
But now? This lunatic had issued a bold, unrestrained challenge.
"You've only just begun treading this path, and you already think you're invincible?"
Then again, perhaps such arrogance was befitting of someone titled the God of Tempestuous Whirlwinds.
While not entirely dismissive of others, Decarabian's worldview was hierarchical to an extreme, categorizing beings into rigid ranks and treating those he deemed unworthy with ruthless disregard.
If you lacked strength, no matter how lofty your title...
How dare you stand before me? Die!
Venti wanted to sigh again, or maybe even slap his own forehead, but he had more pressing matters to deal with.
Ahead of him, Aether stood tense, gripping his dull blade tightly as he glared at the silent Lady and Childe, not daring to let his guard down.
Behind him, Paimon trembled, occasionally glancing worriedly at her companion.
"Hey, bard! Things are getting serious here! Why are you just standing around? You're supposed to be Mondstadt's God of Thousand Winds! Get out there and beat them to a pulp already!"
Venti turned to look at her, then lightly tapped his head with his fist, feigning cluelessness.
"Heh-heh~"
Paimon exploded. "What the heck does heh-heh mean?!"
"It means... I can't beat them."
Venti smiled, his gaze shifting to the battle-ready Childe and Rosalyne.
"Those two are just too strong for me. Trust me, little Paimon, I wouldn't lie to you."
"The only thing I trust is that you're full of nonsense!"
Paimon grabbed Venti by the neck and shook him furiously. "If you can't fight, then use your Anemo powers to send a message! Call Gu Sanqiu already and have him deal with this!"
"That won't do. If you rely on him every time something happens, how will you ever grow?"
Venti replied sagely. "Why else do you think I brought you all here? Sometimes, Paimon, growth comes from facing challenges head-on."
"Face challenges, my foot! Their target isn't even us—it's you, you stupid bard!"
Paimon was seething. It was one thing to drag newbies into a high-difficulty dungeon, but for their supposed guide to strip off their gear, sit back, and say, "Carry me!" was a step too far.
If Paimon had combat abilities, she'd have stabbed Venti a dozen times by now.
Wait—if Venti calls Gu Sanqiu "nephew," then he must be really strong, right? Maybe next time, she could ask if he had any weapons suitable for someone her size.
"The Archon of Mondstadt, Barbatos, huh? I never thought you'd be such a character," Childe muttered, momentarily at a loss for words.
It made sense, though. Someone who'd call Gu Sanqiu "nephew" would naturally have a personality cut from the same cloth.
If Childe didn't know better, he'd suspect the Gu family wasn't just a lineage of mortals. Could Archons even have offspring?
"Hmph. It's because of your personality that Mondstadt has grown so weak," Rosalyne said coldly, stepping forward.
"Enough talk. Barbatos, hand over your Gnosis!"
Aether's expression turned serious, the wind swirling around his bracers as he prepared for battle.
He barely knew Barbatos—they'd only met once. When Aether returned to Mondstadt, this so-called innocent bard had come stumbling out of a corner, clutching a wine bottle and diving into his arms without spilling a drop.
Claiming he was an innocent poet being chased, Venti had begged Aether for help. Moments later, the two Harbingers appeared, revealing Venti's true identity as Barbatos, Mondstadt's Anemo Archon.
As Childe raised his bow to attack, Venti had waved a hand, teleporting them all to Windrise. That had led to the current tense standoff.
Aether wasn't protecting Barbatos out of duty—he was simply aware of the Archon's relationship with Gu Sanqiu. If the Archon was a friend of Gu Sanqiu's, that was reason enough to draw his sword.
"Let's be honest. Gu Sanqiu must've taught you a thing or two, but you're no match for us," Childe said, his hesitation evident.
Though collecting Gnoses was their mission, it was hard to ignore the apparent connections between Gu Sanqiu and the duo before him.
The last thing Childe wanted was to provoke Gu Sanqiu into causing more trouble. His operations in Liyue were already hamstrung by constant oversight, and any further complications might lead to delays or worse.
But Rosalyne didn't share his reservations. With fire in one hand and frost in the other, she bypassed Aether, launching her attack directly at Barbatos' chest.
Childe sighed in relief. At least she wasn't attacking the blond swordsman. If she had, Gu Sanqiu would have all the justification he needed to retaliate.
"[Unyielding Stone]."
A calm voice rang out, causing both Harbingers' expressions to change. Even Venti's eyes widened in surprise before he glanced skyward with a wry smile.
"Perhaps I picked too obvious a location this time."
A shield of solid rock blocked Rosalyne's attack. Hovering in the air, arms crossed, Gu Sanqiu smiled enigmatically.
"True, relying on habit can be dangerous. If you'd chosen some obscure corner, I might not have found you."
"My dear uncle, I bet you didn't expect me to return so quickly this time."
Paimon froze, then stole a glance at Venti.
Don't tell me this sneaky bard brought everyone out here because he sensed Gu Sanqiu coming back!
Determined to expose this treachery, Paimon vowed to tell Gu Sanqiu the truth later. A bard with this level of cunning? Unforgivable!