After temporarily bidding farewell to Noelle and Klee, the night had completely enveloped the sky of Mondstadt.
As the hour hand approached nine, the two walked into the gradually quiet church.
Venti had been waiting here for a long time.
"Well, it's here." The bard winked playfully and then pointed behind him.
The thorn-carved revolving door, which should have been tightly shut, was slightly opened with stone steps extending downwards behind it.
"Don't be shy~ Whether we can save Dvalin depends on this!"
"Shy...?" Lumine sighed helplessly while looking at Venti's overly dramatic expression.
"Forget it, let's go, Jibril and Paimon."
"Wait, Jibril, I have something to talk to you about." Venti suddenly caught up as he gently patted the Flügel's shoulder.
"What is it, Venti?" Jibril asked, puzzled.
"Hey! Jibril is important! Don't you dare slack off and drag her!" Paimon said angrily.
"Tsk... I'm not slacking off, I swear to the Anemo Archon." Venti said righteously as he ignored the three speechless people.
"I just remembered something... she'll catch up with you soon enough~"
"Y-You..."
Paimon was still hesitant, but Lumine directly grabbed one of her legs and dragged her. "Jibril... We'll go scout ahead first."
"Uh... mm!" Jibril nodded.
"Jibril help!!!"
Watching the blonde drag the tearful Paimon into the basement, gradually disappearing into the darkness, Jibril broke into a cold sweat.
Such a sad emergency food. Anyone who didn't know would think she was being sent to attack the Abyss herself.
"Alright, everyone's gone now. What do you want, Barbatos?"
Jibril felt that he was definitely going to lay their cards on the table and not wanting to waste too much time, she immediately threw a direct question.
However... a certain god clearly didn't think so.
"Hmm!? Barbatos?" Venti immediately looked around searching. "Oh my Barbatos, where is he??"
'Why didn't I feel he was this annoying before?' Jibril muttered to herself.
'Perhaps... his persona is just more lively?'
Watching Venti continue to play dumb, the Flügel's originally tense expression gradually softened and finally turned into a sly smile.
"Oh~ Isn't the Anemo Archon right in front of me? Eh? How did the Anemo Archon disappear!"
Why does this feel like something I've said recently?
Jibril flapped her wings and flew a little higher, indulging the other party's desire for performance.
The effect was immediate—Jibril was satisfied to find that as long as she didn't look down, she couldn't even see that green hat!
"Y-You... this isn't funny..."
"Wow, the Anemo Archon is here?" The Flügel feigned surprise as she leaned down, her cherry-pink hair falling due to gravity.
Dodging the Flügel's hand, Venti's tone suddenly became serious. "The explosion at Whispering Woods, that was you, wasn't it?"
His gentle eyes turned sharp and in that instant, the surrounding candlelight also danced wildly in response.
Following the other party, Jibril's expression also changed instantly.
The sudden release of pressure instantly suppressed the other party's aura. The Flügel crossed her arms over her chest, the cross patterns in her golden pupils swirling like molten lava.
"To demand compensation from me, you must be truly desperate for money..."
"Don't change the subject."
The struggling candlelight flickered like a saw beside them and tiny air currents etched fine lines on the ground.
She frequently looked towards the entrance of the basement. A sense of anxiety surged in her veins, like fire ants biting at her, but more overwhelming than anxiety was a nearly absurd rage.
As the two continued their confrontation, an emotion, born from who knows where, surged into her, almost developing into outright fury.
W-What was wrong with her..?
A wicked fire rose from the bottom of her heart. Jibril turned her head away, not wanting to look at the person in front of her anymore.
"...I've noticed you're particularly serious. It was the same last time we met."
Venti casually flicked out a breeze, brushing past the Flügel's ear feathers. "See, all ruffled up?"
Jibril angrily yelled. "I find you especially annoying!"
'She really is ruffled up.'
"Shhh—"
Venti quickly made a shushing gesture, turning his head to vigilantly observe the surroundings.
The surroundings were silent, not even a single nun.
Jibril had known this all along. She also knew that there would be no one within about fifty meters nearby, because if there were, she would have heard them.
"Sigh... Don't let anyone find out or I'll be very troubled~" Venti reined in his aura as his tone softened.
"I just wanted to advise you to restrain yourself a little, after all... the current Mondstadt cannot withstand any more turmoil."
"...That incident was my fault for not controlling myself. In the future... it shouldn't happen again." Jibril said while lowering her head.
"'Shouldn't'? You're not seriously thinking of killing Dvalin, are you?"
'So annoying... What's this about not killing such a weakling...'
"He's just temporarily sick and we just need to help him." Venti continued.
"...Tsk, with your strength... isn't it simple to resolve all this? Why go to so much trouble..."
"Because today's Mondstadt no longer needs the presence of an Archon. Now is the era for humans themselves and they should learn to solve their own problems."
"So, let the people solve the problems of Mondstadt themselves!"
Venti smiled at Jibril. "How about it? Are you satisfied with my answer?"
"No. I'm going to go and find Lumine."
Jibril turned and flew towards the basement, but Venti's voice followed her. "You don't look well? Are you alright?"
"I'm.. fine."
After a slight hesitation, the Flügel went down into the basement. Flying down along the stone wall, the air didn't have the musty smell that she expected. Only the flickering torches swayed before her eyes, making her dizzy.
She could clearly feel that something was off with her just now.
Very irritated, in every sense.
Irritated, angry, disgusted...
'System, am I about to get my period?'
[You shouldn't have that function.]
The System paused slightly and then continued. [Actually, it's quite simple. You're just following your heart.]
'What the hell do you mean?'
[This body was originally a weapon made for war. It's normal to feel anger when you feel offended or threatened.]
'Offended? Threatened? But we were just joking...'
[But were you.]
The System explained softly, [The soul and body will influence each other. Now, go find your girlfriend~]
Seriously, what girlfriend... Jibril hovered next to a carving on the archway and took a deep breath, using Spacial Shift three times in quick succession. When she landed again, she had reached the end of the passage.
In the empty underground sanctuary, several knights were patrolling back and forth, and Jibril immediately spotted Lumine tumbling at the far end of the room.
The girl moved in small steps on tiptoes, looking back vigilantly every two steps, but she didn't seem to notice her.
"...Why so sneaky?"
After activating the corridor again, Jibril instantly appeared behind the blonde.
"Who—ugh!?"
"Shh~"
Just as Lumine was about to yell out, the Flügel gently covered her mouth from behind.
Her warm breath brushed against Jibril's fingers and the body in her arms instantly tensed. The panicked expression, the slightly wide, dewy eyes, reminded Jibril of how the other party was like a startled small animal when they first met.
...Damn it, if I have to complete that master recognition task, I'll definitely be seen as a pervert, right?
"Quiet down." Jibril whispered as she casually pinched the blonde cheek.
Lumine nodded quickly, her reddened ear tips making Jibril unable to resist teasing her for a few more seconds before letting go.
Immediately after, Paimon also emerged from behind a pile of wooden boxes, her face filled with lingering fear.
Lumine looked a little angry as she lightly punched Jibril's shoulder. "You scared me to death, can't you just— What's wrong with you!?"
"Hmm? Me...?"
Lumine nodded worriedly, then reached out and placed her hand on Jibril's forehead, her movements so natural it was astonishing.
She just put her hand on me like that?
"What did Venti say to you? You really look horrible."
"How did you even..." Jibril muttered softly as she materialized a black round mirror.
In the somewhat blurry mirror, her already extremely pale cheeks were almost bloodless, and her molten-gold pupils flickered unsteadily, like the candles just now that were ravaged by the wind.
...Alright, she does look a bit disheveled.
"I'm fine, just suddenly a bit tired." Jibril forced a relaxed smile. "It's more important to retrieve the lyre first..."
However, before she could finish her sentence, she was held in place by an irresistible force.
"Lumine..?"
"Wait for me here."
Leaving the stunned angel behind, the blonde turned and resolutely walked deeper into the treasure room.
In the center of the altar, the Holy Lyre der Himmel floated on a stone platform.
'This is...'
Lumine held her breath and quickly stepped forward.
Just as she stepped onto the first stair, a purple figure suddenly appeared beside the lyre stand.
It was a masked woman, a Fatui Electro Cicin Mage.
"Who's there?"
The Electro Cicin Mage didn't speak and took the lyre into her hand, intending to escape, but her attention was drawn by the pink figure in the distance.
'That's... the one La Signora mentioned. Why does she look so weak? Is she injured?'
The Electro Cicin Mage lightly raised her hand and violent elements instantly condensed into four electric whips at the tip of her lamp-shaped Catalyst. Lumine drew her sword and cut three of them, but the thickest one bypassed her body and reached out behind her—
Boom!!
The lightning accurately struck where Jibril was, smoke billowed and shattered stones rained down.
"Jibril!"