Xia Zhi looked at the girl in front of him. "You want to become a magical girl?"
Amber nodded earnestly. "Yes. Please, Mr. Xia."
"Your reason."
"I want to protect Mondstadt…"
"Alright."
"Eh?"
"I acknowledge you."
"Really?"
Xia Zhi nodded. "I'll craft a transformation device just for you. Come back tonight to receive it."
Amber's eyes lit up. "Got it!"
"Go on, then."
"Huh? That's it?"
"That's it."
"Feels a little…"
"Too easy?"
"Uh… yeah…"
"Then I could set you a harder trial. Let's say—go slay 1,000 slimes in the wild—"
"See you tonight, Mr. Xia!" Amber bolted before he could finish.
Xia Zhi chuckled. Honestly, her personality suited a magical girl pretty well.
He began considering what sort of device to make for her.
She was an Outrider.
Her style leaned toward agility and mobility.
And her weapon of choice was the bow.
So a ranger-type transformation fit best.
As for the device—her signature red headband, the one that looked like bunny ears, wasn't a bad option.
Pair it with Anemo.
He'd made an eyepatch before, so crafting a headband this time posed no difficulty.
[Headband of Wind]
Quality: Platinum.
Type: Rechargeable Item.
Traits: Divine Blessing, Transformation.
Effect: Absorbs faith power to charge; when fully charged, the wearer can transform into a Divine-Blessed form.
Hidden Effect: The purer the faith in darkness, the stronger the transformed powers.
Recyclable: 1000 points.
After admiring the finished product for a moment, Xia Zhi stored it away.
He already had four magical girls now.
They said the Cryo Archon commanded eleven Harbingers.
Alright, then—he'd set himself a modest goal.
Find seven more.
---
The journey blurred past in a rush.
Kirara suddenly felt solid ground beneath her paws again.
The wind current surrounding her dissipated. The sounds of voices, waves, and the sight of architecture utterly unlike Mondstadt's filled her view.
She'd already arrived in Lumidouce Harbor.
So fast!
Kirara turned excitedly to Xiao. "Thank you so much, Mr. Xiao!"
Xiao gave a small nod. "Miss Kirara, I'll leave you here. Be careful of the waves when you board your ship."
"Mm-hm! I know! I've taken ships plenty of times!"
"Then this is where we part. Farewell."
"Bye-bye!"
His figure vanished into the wind.
Kirara straightened herself, then bounded off toward the harbor.
Halfway there, she stopped, pulled out her phone, snapped a quick "arriving at port" selfie, and sent it to the group chat:
[Kirara]: I've made it to Lumidouce Harbor, so no need to worry about me!
Seeing the flood of replies, Kirara felt her journey was about to get much more interesting.
---
Chenyu Vale, Carp's Rest.
The mountains rose and fell, rivers gleamed jade-green.
Xiao stepped to the water's edge and called out: "Adeptus Fujin. I come on behalf of another. Please grant me an audience."
His words rippled across the water.
The ripples spread outward, the entire valley trembling as if in response.
The scenery wavered—then snapped back into clarity. But Xiao now stood beneath the water's surface.
There before him stood a graceful woman in golden attire, a hairpin shaped like a fishtail nestled in her hair.
Xiao regarded her calmly. "It has been a long time, Adeptus Fujin."
Fujin looked startled, studying his height as if confirming something. After a pause, she answered softly, "It has indeed, Yaksha."
"I was entrusted by Cloud Retainer and Streetward Rambler to bring you these two items."
She eyed the bottle and little block he held, curiosity in her gaze. "And these are?"
"This device is called a phone. Think of it as a long-distance communication tool—its uses are countless. You'll understand once you try. And this bottle contains a divine medicine Cloud Retainer obtained for you. Treasure it well."
"…Alright."
"The items are delivered. I still have matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave. If anything arises, you may contact me via the phone."
"Safe travels."
Xiao vanished.
Fujin turned her attention to the gifts.
She started with the phone. Xiao had already powered it on.
Though she had never seen one before, her keen mind quickly picked up the basics. The variety of entertaining functions within left her amazed.
"It's been years, and Cloud Retainer's mechanical arts have advanced to this degree?"
After some time, she set the phone aside and uncorked the bottle.
A strange aura wafted out.
Just inhaling it, Fujin felt wounds she'd nursed for centuries stir with the faintest trace of recovery.
What divine treasure was this?!
She resisted the overwhelming urge to consume it all at once, closed the bottle again, and breathed deeply of the residual air.
Then she picked up the phone again, searching the contacts.
No "Cloud Retainer."
After some digging, she finally found one labeled [Xianyun].
That must be her?
She dialed.
The call connected.
"Fujin?" Cloud Retainer's voice came through.
"It's me, Cloud Retainer," Fujin replied, steadying her tone.
"It's been ages since I've heard your voice. You figured out the phone?"
"Mostly."
"Then stop calling. Start a video chat instead—let's see each other's faces."
"Video?"
Cloud Retainer guided her through.
Moments later, Fujin's screen lit up with Cloud Retainer's image—looking much the same as always.
"And where is Streetward Rambler?" Fujin asked.
"Ping! Stop playing and come say hello to Fujin."
A few seconds later, Ping's lovely face filled the screen. "Fujin, it's been too long."
"Where are you two now? Mt. Aocang? Liyue Harbor?"
"Neither."
"Then Mt. Hulao?"
"No—we're in Mondstadt."
"…Mondstadt? What are you doing there?"
"The Windblume Festival, of course. We came to join the fun."
"…How enviable. To come and go as you please."
Back in the Archon War, Fujin had spent her very life-force to channel the torrents away from Chenyu Vale, binding herself to these waters ever since. No wonder she sighed so.
"There's nothing to envy. Didn't I send Xiao with that potion? Drink it. See how much strength you can recover."
"That's exactly what I wanted to ask. Where did you get something like this? I don't dare drink it."
"What's there to fear? Would I ever harm you?"
"No—it's just… this looks too precious. Even our Lord never had anything like this, to my memory."
"Don't ask so many questions. Just drink. If one bottle isn't enough, I'll have Xiao deliver another."
"???"
Since when had Cloud Retainer become so extravagant?
Or was it that she herself, stuck underwater for centuries, was simply out of touch?
A treasure like this should be rationed drop by drop!
And she was talking about bottles like they were nothing?!
Fujin prodded a few more times, but Cloud Retainer dodged every question.
Finally, Ping huffed, "Enough fussing. Just drink it. It's nothing more than Cloud Retainer acting spoiled."
"???"
Fujin was stunned.
That one sentence carried so much information!
Especially paired with Ping's expression—Fujin almost thought she was jealous.
"Ping! Don't spout nonsense."
"Heh. Women."
And with that, the video cut out.
Leaving Fujin to wonder whether the two had started bickering.
She set the phone aside and lifted the bottle again.
Uncorked, that strange aura filled the water once more.
Fujin tipped back a single drop.
Instantly, a vast, gentle force surged from her core, flooding her body.
She hastily sat cross-legged, drawing it in.
Good thing she hadn't listened to Cloud Retainer—if she'd drunk the whole bottle, she might have exploded on the spot.
But to part with such a treasure for her sake…
Cloud Retainer was truly a friend worth keeping.