"Everyone! Stay close behind us!!"
A blue-haired boy shouted toward the people following him. The boy's appearance was strikingly similar to the human form Barbatos would later take. Jiang Yan guessed that this must be Barbatos's friend—Venti—the one who died in this war, right?
He remembered it: didn't he get killed?
Mm. Wind boys always have a friend who gets killed~
Tsk… should he save him?
Make Barbatos… owe him a favor?
Jiang Yan rubbed his chin, a crooked smile tugging at his lips.
That actually… didn't sound bad.
After all, he had plenty of Senzu Beans, and he didn't seem to need them anyway.
On the land of Teyvat, with his Twin-Star form, aside from not knowing whether he could beat Celestia, he at least wasn't afraid of them.
"Humans will not bow to the oppression of storms!"
"We… must fight for freedom!"
The red-haired knight roared, while the huntress girl drew her bow and continued slaughtering the monsters that surged in from all directions.
Not far away, seated atop a towering citadel, the self-proclaimed King of Storms—the Anemo Archon Decarabian—sat in silence.
"Why are these humans so loud today?"
Standing in the high tower, Decarabian closed his eyes and pondered. He ignored the noise outside. Even if he heard it, he assumed the humans had simply found something exciting.
Within this walled city surrounded by everlasting tornadoes, what could possibly excite humans…
Jiang Yan sat atop the Stormwall. Though the winds below were vicious and violent, they couldn't harm him in the slightest.
If he wished, he could stop the spinning Stormwall at any moment.
The battle progressed quickly. Everywhere this group passed, the surrounding residents rallied to them.
Even though the Tower King had become a figure of immense fear in their hearts, the freedom these four described stirred something deep within them.
In the end, their longing for freedom defeated their terror of the Tower King.
They followed this four-person squad and charged into the tower.
Jiang Yan rose and flew toward the tower as well.
"BOOM!!!"
Fierce gales erupted from every direction. Inside the tower, unending, howling storms rampaged wildly.
The huntress girl was torn apart on the spot by the violent winds.
The wind spirit Barbatos stood before the people, shielding them with his gentle breeze.
The breeze was soft—yet unbreakable.
Though the spirit before Decarabian looked weak, when he glanced at the humans resisting him, he halted his attack.
Why?
Why resist him?
He had given them shelter.
Why?
...
Even now, the Storm God who loved his people still didn't realize that the way he "loved" them was wrong.
He didn't understand why humans would rebel against his rule.
But when he saw those sheltered by the wind spirit—faces pale with fear from the raging storm, yet feeling the comforting warmth of the gentle breeze—Decarabian seemed to understand.
No wonder… no wonder…
"You wind spirit… what is your name?"
Decarabian suddenly spoke.
"..."
"I… am called Barbatos."
His feather-light voice drifted from the breeze.
"Barbatos…"
While Decarabian was still murmuring, Venti—the boy who was Barbatos's closest friend—thrust his sword straight into Decarabian.
Crack!
With almost no resistance—as if Decarabian never imagined anyone would attack him—the blade sank smoothly into his body.
Pain.
A piercing agony.
Even in battles with other gods, Decarabian had never felt pain like this.
Perhaps he had never imagined that one day he would be killed… by the very people he loved.
BOOM!!!!
Gales surged wildly. The Archon's energy rampaged, collapsing the surroundings.
Venti was instantly flung away, his sword shattered into fragments, several of which pierced straight into his body.
"Venti!!"
Barbatos's panicked voice echoed through the wind.
Decarabian wasn't doing well either.
Heartbroken by the betrayal of his beloved people, the will to live left him.
To prevent his power from harming the humans after his death, Decarabian reached out and poured all his divine power into the little wind spirit.
"You… seem more suited than I am to rule these humans…"
"Please… keep loving them… in my stead?"
With his final strength, he spoke these words to Barbatos.
Before Barbatos could respond, he dissolved into the world.
Even in death, the god who loved humans left behind no resentment.
Barbatos didn't respond—his entire focus was on the bleeding boy before him.
In that moment, the gentle breeze around him fluctuated wildly. Receiving Decarabian's full godly power, the wind spirit instantly ascended into the ranks of top-tier Archons.
But neither comforting breeze nor tearing storm could save the boy whose life was slipping away.
"No… don't die!"
Barbatos's desperate voice trembled through the air.
"Cough… cough…"
"Barba…tos…"
"Did… we win…?"
Blood dripping, the boy spoke weakly.
"We won. A great victory!"
"You overthrew the tyrant!"
"You won the war for freedom!"
Barbatos answered, but his voice trembled.
What did becoming a top Archon matter?
His closest friend was still dying.
"Aiya, not even a scrap left."
A youth radiating rainbow-colored light descended from the sky.
He glanced at where Decarabian had perished and let out a derisive laugh.
"What a pitiful, tragic god."
"Who are you?!"
Barbatos clutched the dying Venti and glared at the newcomer—Jiang Yan.
"Me? Don't you want me to save him first?"
Jiang Yan pointed at the boy in Barbatos's arms.
"You… you can save him?!"
Facing the terrifying aura around Jiang Yan, Barbatos didn't care—only hope remained in his voice.
"Of course. But… what can you give me?"
Jiang Yan grinned like a swindler.
"Anything I have, I'll give!"
Barbatos's voice was firm.
"No problem."
Jiang Yan flicked a Senzu Bean toward him, and Barbatos caught it.
"What is this?"
Barbatos asked uncertainly.
"Feed it to him. He'll instantly return to normal."
"But Barbatos—you'll owe me a favor."
"And this favor… won't be easy to pay back."
Still smiling like a sly merchant, Jiang Yan watched.
Barbatos didn't hesitate. Like a drowning man grabbing a lifeline, he immediately fed the bean to Venti.
Semi-conscious, Venti swallowed reflexively.
Crack! Crack!
The sword fragments buried in his body were forced out as if expelled by an unseen force.
Before Barbatos's astonished eyes, Venti's wounds healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Within moments, he was completely unharmed.
"Barbatos… I'm… not dead?"
Venti opened his eyes, confused.
"Mm! You're alive!"
Barbatos hugged him tightly—he had almost lost his dearest friend.
After a long moment, Barbatos looked at Jiang Yan.
"What is your name?"
"Me? I'm from the neighboring Liyue. As for my name…"
"You can call me the Wood Spirit Immortal Lord."
Jiang Yan didn't reveal his real name—only his codename.
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