Oz knew well that as the holder of a Vision, one could sense the flow of elemental energy through it.
By all logic, Meine Fräulein's sudden burst of speed should have been due to the Anemo Element's blessing.
But Oz couldn't sense even a trace of Anemo from her.
Strange—utterly strange.
Hearing Oz's puzzled remark, Fischl scratched her head.
Everything that had happened today was far too bizarre.
From the Enhancement Balm: Lightning Kairo produced earlier, to that small device that could locate hidden resources,
to the mysterious power he used to imbue her arrows with destructive force,
and now—her very movement speed had somehow increased.
She was... a little lost.
Just what was Kairo?
Where did he get so many inexplicable tools and powers?
"Enough."
Fischl let out a soft sigh and shook her head, giving up on untangling the mystery.
"I am the Prinzessin der Verurteilung—such mysteries are but trifles in my eyes."
After all, if she couldn't make sense of it, why dwell on it?
What mattered most was that this newfound ability had undeniably benefited her.
Besides…
For one such as her, surrounded by the arcane and accompanied by enigmatic powers,
Wasn't it only natural that strange miracles should occur?
The thought alone eased her heart.
In fact, she even felt a faint thrill of pride.
Her vassal possessed powers so mysterious and potent—
did that not mean her own might, too, had risen to another level?
She looked up. Kairo was already striding far ahead, two bulging sacks of spoils slung over his shoulders,
His steps were still light and effortless.
Fischl blinked, pushed lightly off the ground,
and in the next instant her body seemed to be lifted by the wind itself—her movements smooth and swift as she glided forward, closing the distance in a heartbeat!
Feeling her newfound speed, Fischl's eyes sparkled with delight.
The corners of her lips lifted unconsciously, her heart brimming with excitement.
This sensation—was incredible!
Whatever method Kairo had used, it didn't matter.
At least for now, she could run faster!
"Hmph! Thy strength is but the manifestation of my own divine blessing!"
With an elegant huff, Fischl quickened her pace, darting forward with the grace of a bird in flight.
Her violet dress fluttered in the wind; her golden twin-tails streamed behind her,
and her eyes shone with exhilaration.
Step by step, her pace grew steadier and more confident as she tried to master this marvelous feeling of speed.
Meanwhile—
On the highlands near the Whispering Woods,
at the former camp of the Hilichurls where Fischl had collected her spoils earlier.
Even after an entire afternoon,
a chilling cold still hung in the air.
The shattered ground remained dusted with unmelted ice crystals,
and the air carried a biting frost—
one that felt far sharper than ordinary Cryo Element energy.
Across the devastated battlefield,
two figures advanced slowly and warily.
Kaeya and Eula.
Their gazes were grim.
"First yesterday's explosion, and now this..." Kaeya murmured, scanning the surroundings with furrowed brows.
"Seems Mondstadt hasn't had a moment's peace lately."
Hilichurl corpses lay strewn across the frozen ground.
Their tents were split and shattered, their frames cracked by frost.
It was as if the entire camp had been flash-frozen in an instant—
and then crushed beneath overwhelming force.
This was no ordinary battle.
Not even the signature handiwork of a typical Cryo user.
After receiving Acting Grand Master Jean's orders early that morning,
Kaeya had delegated his tasks in Mondstadt and set out for Starfell Lake,
where he met with Eula to investigate yesterday's explosion site.
After a thorough survey and analysis,
they decided to patrol the surrounding areas—perhaps they might find the culprit's next move.
And this afternoon, during their sweep,
The West Wind Falcon—Kaeya's reconnaissance bird—had spotted abnormal frost activity here.
They rushed over immediately.
And what greeted them was this—
a scene of utter ruin.
Kaeya crouched down and pressed his gloved hand against a patch of lingering frost.
The icy sensation bit deep into his fingers,
sending a shiver up his arm despite his Cryo affinity.
"This is... much stronger than ordinary Cryo power," he murmured, eyes narrowing.
What lingered here was not simple elemental residue,
but a force far more extreme—
so potent it even made a Vision bearer like him feel uneasy.
While Kaeya pondered,
Eula stood beside a cracked Hilichurl shield, her expression tightening.
"Kaeya…"
She nudged aside a layer of ice with the tip of her boot,
revealing the pulverized fragments of a Hilichurl's battle axe.
Kaeya stepped closer. His eyes flickered at the sight.
"...That's no ordinary damage," he said quietly.
"This is pure destruction—so violent it reduced solid steel to dust?"
Eula didn't answer.
Her icy-blue eyes swept the frost-covered ruins, her brow furrowing deeper.
Through her Cryo Vision, she could feel it—
not only an overwhelming chill, but another, darker presence woven within.
It was the same terrifying power she had sensed near Starfell Lake yesterday—
a raging aura of pure destruction.
"Kaeya, you feel it too, don't you?"
Eula turned to him, her eyes glinting coldly.
Kaeya exhaled, his breath forming a misty plume in the frigid air.
"So it is the same energy from yesterday..."
His usual half-smile faded. His tone grew solemn.
"The explosion at Starfell Lake was bad enough—but to find the same elemental signature here…"
He straightened slowly, eyes scanning the frost-ravaged field.
This level of devastation—
no ordinary human could have caused it.
Eula's expression hardened.
"If this is the residue of that same power… then things are far more complicated than we thought."
"Especially since you mentioned the strange energy that appeared in Mondstadt last night."
"To act unseen, wield such devastating force, and leave behind this kind of Cryo residue…"
Her voice trailed off as the same thought surfaced in both their minds—
The Abyss Order.
But even the Abyss Order had never displayed such extremes of power.
The chilling aura here was utterly alien—
the exact opposite of the fiery devastation they saw at Starfell Lake.
Kaeya stroked his chin, eyes narrowing.
"We've fought Abyss Mages before. If this is what they are doing… this frost far exceeds anything we've ever seen from them."
Eula nodded slightly. "If it were an Abyss Herald, that would make sense. But still…"
She paused, eyes distant with thought.
"What concerns me most," she murmured,
"is that aura of destruction."
Her voice dropped to a near whisper.
"The Abyss Order has never wielded a power like this."
As she spoke, her hand fell to the icy Vision at her hip,
channeling its Cryo Element energy to probe the elemental traces that lingered all around them.
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