In the underground space soaked with blood and strewn with monster corpses, the wounded Aether fell heavily to the ground.
"Brother!!"
Seeing her brother gravely injured, Lumine's eyes filled with rage. She immediately raised her sword and charged forward.
She placed herself in front of her brother, her sword pointed at Felina, assuming a battle stance.
"Lumine, step back! You're no match for her!"
Seeing his sister about to get involved in this conflict, Aether shouted anxiously, urging her to stand down.
He could tell that Felina bore no ill will toward Lumine. As long as Lumine didn't attack, Felina wouldn't harm her.
Aether's concern was clear, and Lumine understood it as well.
The horrifying scene of Felina annihilating all the Abyss Order members in an instant had been utterly terrifying.
The corpses on the ground were a stark testament to her overwhelming strength.
But so what? Was she supposed to just stand by and watch her brother die?
Even knowing she couldn't win, Lumine refused to retreat. She gripped her sword tightly, resolutely standing in front of her brother.
"Such touching sibling loyalty," Felina remarked as she approached them, sword in hand.
Silently and effortlessly, she had slaughtered everyone in the Abyss Order except for Aether. Neither he nor Lumine had any idea how Felina had managed it.
This sense of an unknown danger brought an immense sense of pressure and intimidation to both Aether and Lumine.
Buzz...
A faint humming sound filled the air.
In the next moment, Lumine, who had been on full alert, was horrified to realize that Felina, who had been tens of meters away, was now standing right next to her!
"You!!"
Lumine gasped and immediately swung her sword toward Felina.
But with only her Anemo powers, how could she possibly match Felina?
"Don't be so tense," Felina said calmly.
As Lumine's blade came toward her, Felina gently placed a hand on Lumine's shoulder.
At that moment, Lumine felt as if she had been thrown into a 300-meter-deep ocean. The immense pressure bore down on her, making it difficult even to stand. She couldn't lift her sword, let alone swing it.
"Relax a bit. If I wanted to kill him, he wouldn't just be lying there with internal injuries—he'd already have been cut in half."
Hearing this, Lumine seemed to calm down slightly.
Felina, however, paid no further attention to Lumine and instead walked directly toward Aether.
Standing over the fallen Aether, Felina pointed her sword at him with the demeanor of a victor.
"In your eyes, I am evil. And in the eyes of myself and the people of Mondstadt, you are evil."
"Our positions are in opposition. There's no point or meaning in debating right or wrong, because when it comes to positions, reason can never prevail."
"Only through battle can we resolve the contradictions of opposing positions. The victor decides who is in the right."
"If today you had the power to destroy Mondstadt and me, you wouldn't hesitate to use it. But now, I hold the power to destroy you."
"Today, I am the victor, and you are the defeated. Your life is now in my hands."
With these words, Felina turned her gaze to Lumine.
"In all your travels through this world, I believe you've come to form your own understanding of it," Felina said to Lumine. "You must have seen what the Abyss has done to Mondstadt."
"According to the records provided by the Knights of Favonius, the Abyss Order has harassed Mondstadt over 1,200 times in recent years, attempted to assault the city more than 10 times, and caused the deaths of over 600 people, including both Knights and civilians."
"So, whether your brother's actions are justifiable, and whether what we've done to the Abyss Order and your brother today is justified—you should have the answer in your heart."
Felina's words left Lumine in silence.
From the events within the story, it was clear that the twin siblings—Aether and Lumine—stood in opposition, with Aether aligning with the Abyss Order while Lumine sided with humanity.
As the Traveler who walks among mortals, Lumine had clearly aligned herself with the human camp. She did not approve of her brother's actions, and even when she encountered his Abyss subordinates, she fought them without hesitation.
Lumine saw herself as human and naturally leaned toward the human side. Now, learning that her brother was the leader of the Abyss Order, which was wreaking havoc in Mondstadt, left her heart deeply conflicted.
On one hand, she could not condone her brother's actions.
She didn't believe Mondstadt deserved its suffering. No matter how tragic Khaenri'ah's fate was, it did not justify the Abyss Order's harm to Mondstadt's people.
She also understood why Felina and the Anemo Archon would deal such harsh blows to the Abyss Order and her brother.
As Archons, their duty was to protect humanity.
If Lumine were in Felina's or the Anemo Archon's position, she would have made the same choice.
However, understanding was one thing, but lying wounded on the ground was her brother—her blood relative, with whom she had traveled across countless worlds.
She couldn't bear to watch her brother be killed.
Seeing her inner conflict, Felina spoke again:
"You should understand clearly—standing from the perspective of myself and the Anemo Archon, your brother has committed unforgivable crimes. By all rights, he deserves death."
"But, considering the fact that I did use you and caused you both to suffer a fair amount, I am willing to offer you a favor and spare your brother's life."
"Truly?" Lumine asked, her expression shifting slightly.
"Truly," Felina nodded. "But there's one thing you must do for Mondstadt."
"What is it? I'll do it no matter what!"
"It's not a difficult task," Felina said with a faint smile. "You might not have realized it yet, but you possess the ability to purify Abyssal corruption."
"The East Wind Dragon, Dvalin, was corrupted by the Abyss and controlled through their curse."
"What I ask of you is to use your power to purify the filth and curse from Dvalin, helping him regain clarity and freedom from his pain."
"This mess was caused by your brother. Helping to relieve Dvalin's suffering can serve as a way to atone for him. What do you say?"
Even if Felina hadn't asked, Lumine would have eventually taken on this task.
In the end, to save her brother, Lumine agreed to Felina's request.
Afterward, Felina waved her hand, sending a surge of energy into Aether's body.
"Death may be avoided, but punishment cannot."
"I've sealed his powers and placed a mark of destruction on his soul."
"If he attempts to break the seal or seeks to reform the Abyss to bring chaos to the world again, his soul will be destroyed."
"To prevent him from rising again and retaliating later—and to ensure the safety of my nation—I had to leave this contingency in place. I trust you can understand."
With those words, Felina nodded toward Venti. Together, they left with Paimon, Lumine, and Aether.
After leaving the underground space, Felina and Venti quickly located Dvalin.
The two Archons acted together, pinning Dvalin down by force, allowing Lumine to purify the Abyssal corruption from its body.
Following this, the Knights of Favonius dispatched a large contingent to completely eradicate the remnants of the Abyss Order hiding in Mondstadt.
Thus, the Abyss Order's upper echelon was almost entirely wiped out, and their leader, Aether, had his powers sealed, reducing him to an ordinary person.
The Abyss Order could no longer threaten Mondstadt or cause chaos elsewhere.
At the same time, the Knights of Favonius issued a public statement clarifying the situation. The statement explained that Paimon and Lumine interrupting the Anemo Archon's efforts to save Dvalin had been unintentional.
It also emphasized that, while Lumine was Aether's sister, she had no ties to the Abyss Order. Instead, it praised Lumine and Paimon for their significant contributions during the battle against the Abyss Order. Lumine was further credited with purifying the corruption and curse within Dvalin, helping him regain clarity and ending the dragon disaster.
As a result, Lumine and Paimon went from death-row prisoners to celebrated heroes.
The Knights of Favonius publicly apologized to Lumine and Paimon, clearing their names and enabling them to continue their adventures freely. They even offered various compensations and conveniences to the duo.
Though Aether and Lumine were finally reunited, it wasn't exactly a joyful reunion.
The Abyss Order was now destroyed, and Aether's powers were sealed. Even if he had other plans, there was no way for him to execute them.
As of now, Aether could only follow Lumine and Paimon on their travels and adventures. Frustrating and humiliating as it was, staying by his sister's side was still better than being apart.
Moreover, while Aether's powers were sealed, his physical abilities, combat experience, and raw strength remained intact. As an adventurer, he was still highly capable.
Oh, and speaking of Paimon...
At first, she was so angry that she refused to forgive Felina.
But that was understandable. Paimon, being a timid little companion and an outsider to the whole ordeal, didn't even know Aether and had been dragged into the mess, nearly sent to the execution platform. Her anger was justified.
Eventually, Felina placated her by promising unlimited access to Fontaine's famous desserts and drinks once they arrived there. She also gave Paimon 100 free meal vouchers for Liyue's KFC franchise.
With these compensations, Paimon immediately brightened up, declaring Felina to be an amazing and generous Archon.
With Venti taking Dvalin away and the Anemo Gnosis in Felina's hands, the events in Mondstadt had finally come to a close.
...
That evening, at the Angel's Share tavern.
"Master Diluc, bring me three bottles of wine!" Venti said as he sat at the bar.
Diluc frowned as he recognized the person in front of him. "You're that drunken bard? I'll tell you upfront—no tabs here. If you want to drink, pay first."
"What kind of greeting is that?" Venti grinned. "Times have changed, my friend!"
With that, Venti pulled a card from his pocket and slapped it onto the table.
Diluc's eyes widened. It was an Angel's Share membership card, which entitled the holder to three bottles of wine per day for free.
Normally, the tavern didn't offer such a service, but earlier that day, a guest from Fontaine had arranged it for a friend.
Yes, the card had been arranged by Felina, who referred to it as the "Premium Monthly Card." She'd gone ahead and purchased a full year's membership for Venti as a token of appreciation.
Venti was overjoyed to receive the card.
With all his troubles resolved and a year of free wine ahead, Venti was in a fantastic mood. After picking up his wine from Diluc, he headed to Windrise to dig up some of his long-hidden reserves of fine liquor.
...
"My dear friend, it's thanks to you that everything went so smoothly," Venti said standing on the high tower in the ruins of the Wind Dragon.
Dvalin lay peacefully nearby, while Felina and Venti leaned against him, sharing drinks and chatting.
"You're the best! That old man from Liyue, despite being the God of Wealth, is so stingy. Not like you—you got me a full year's Premium Monthly Card right off the bat."
"This here is my treasured wine, aged for years. Let's drink it together!"
The wine was clearly one of Venti's prized possessions. Sharing it with Felina showed how much he valued her as a friend.
But as Venti handed the bottle over, Felina hesitated.
"What's the matter?" Venti asked, surprised. Then it dawned on him. "Wait, don't tell me—you've never had alcohol before?"
Felina chuckled. "It's true, I've never tried it. But I doubt my tolerance is any worse than yours."
"Oh? Bold words!" Venti exclaimed.
Venti protested, "When it comes to drinking, I've never been afraid of anyone! You don't know this, but at the first meeting of the Seven Archons, none of the other rulers could match my drinking skills!"
"Is that so? Then let's see who's better!" Felina challenged.
"Let's do it!" Venti agreed.
Despite being a god, Venti was fiercely competitive when it came to drinking.
The two immediately began drinking on the high tower. When they ran out of wine, Felina used her Flow Acceleration laws to fetch more, and they continued.
They drank late into the night, downing over 200 bottles in total.
Felina's drinking ability surprised Venti. She drank bottle after bottle with him without taking a single bite of food.
Alcohol acts on the body, so even switching personalities didn't help. However, when Felina got tired, she let Furina take over to continue drinking with Venti.
Furina, after five centuries of repression, carried a wild and unrestrained spirit in her soul.
Given the chance, she let loose, drinking and boasting with Venti as they went.
Eventually, as the alcohol kicked in, Furina and Venti were calling each other "brother" and "best friend." Upon learning Venti was a bard and Furina specialized in opera, their connection deepened.
Late that night, the two intoxicated gods stood on the ruined tower in the Wind Dragon's ruins. Venti strummed his lyre while Furina sang to the night winds. They were having the time of their lives.
Meanwhile, their noisy antics irritated Dvalin so much that he wanted to cover his ears.
The scene was surreal.
Felina and Furina alternated personalities, drinking with Venti.
Their incredible drinking capacity overwhelmed Venti completely. Several times, Venti mumbled about stopping.
But each time, Felina or Furina would say the classic line, "What? Can't handle it? If you can't, stop drinking."
"What? Me? Can't handle it? Ridiculous!" Venti would snap back, jolting upright to continue drinking.
And so, the three of them drank late into the night.
"How can you drink so much?" Venti slurred, his face dazed as he looked at Felina, still full of disbelief.
Felina chuckled. "Did you forget what kind of Archon I am?"
"Alcohol is just another form of water. And water has a natural cleansing ability. This much alcohol doesn't affect the Hydro Archon."
"Fine, fine. You win," Venti muttered, barely able to keep his eyes open. "I give up."
Seeing Venti on the verge of collapse, Felina smiled, shook her head, and left shortly after.
"I can't take this anymore," Venti groaned. "My head is spinning, I feel awful… Drinking is so pointless. I swear, I'm never drinking again."
For Venti to say such words, it was clear how miserably drunk he was.
He staggered to his feet, using Dvalin's body for support. But the dizziness overwhelmed him, and he couldn't hold it back any longer—he vomited.
A torrent of vomit spewed from Venti's mouth, splattering all over Dvalin and seeping into the crevices of his scales.
"AAAAAAARGH!!"
"BARBATOS! How dare you!!!"
In the dead of night, the massive wind dragon let out a furious roar.
A violent storm erupted atop the ruined tower, sweeping the drunken Venti off his feet and hurling him two kilometers away. He crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
...
It wasn't until the following evening, after sleeping for more than a dozen hours, that Venti finally woke up, groggy and disoriented.
"Ugh… Dvalin, why'd you throw me out?" Venti mumbled.
Dvalin replied, "My abyssal corruption flared up again."
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