A golden light streaked across the sky, descending into the pristine white world.
Holding Eula's hand in surprise, Klee quickly ran toward the group ahead.
"Hehe!"
Stopping in front of Hiroshi, Klee cheerfully announced, "Klee brought Eula back!"
"I just saw it—lots of Fatui bad guys searching for something in that canyon."
"They're so silly! The core is right under their feet, but they can't find it."
Albedo rubbed his forehead, exasperated by Klee's sudden disappearance earlier.
When did Klee learn to fly? If this continues, won't her mishap radius grow exponentially?
"I feel like Klee is becoming more and more like Miss Alice."
Sigh.
Albedo let out a small sigh and asked Klee, "Can you sense the location of Durin's magical core?"
"Yep!"
Klee nodded energetically, waving her little arm. "Klee isn't a dummy! Of course, I can find something so obvious."
Turning to Hiroshi, Klee grinned. "Right, Brother Hiroshi?"
"Yes," Hiroshi said, patting Klee's head, smiling at her joyful expression. "Klee is absolutely right."
"Can I use my Jumpy Dumpty bombs then?" Klee looked at Albedo expectantly, raising her little hand. "I promise to control the power so I won't destroy Durin's core."
"Klee," Eula interjected, grabbing the eager Klee's arm and shaking her head. "That's not an option. The number of enemies is far greater than what we just saw. If a battle begins, hordes of Fatui will swarm us, making it very dangerous for all of us."
"But Klee thinks she can defeat all the bad guys!"
Klee clenched her little fists, looking at Eula with determination. "I'm super strong now!"
Albedo's face turned pensive as he glanced at Hiroshi. "I haven't seen Klee in over a month, and the Klee standing before me now has changed so much compared to the one I knew."
Rubbing his chin, Albedo continued, "These changes in Klee are likely due to your influence, Hiroshi."
"Do you think I should respect Klee's decisions?"
Surprised, Hiroshi smiled. "I thought you'd outright refuse to let Klee go."
Glancing at Klee's expectant face, Albedo said calmly, "We've been apart for over a month. During that time, Klee has been exposed to someone from another world: you. It's possible that such exposure has brought about changes I couldn't imagine, like Klee's newfound ability to fly. Since changes have already occurred, I can't evaluate Klee based on who she used to be."
Turning to Hiroshi, Albedo said seriously, "So, only you, who have been with Klee during this transformative period, can truly understand the changes she's undergone. I'll rely on your perspective to shape my current understanding of Klee."
"If that's the case, let's trust Klee to handle this," Hiroshi said with a mysterious smile, watching as Klee hopped excitedly. "After all, what we should worry about is the Fatui and the canyon."
"Let's hope the canyon and the Fatui can hold their ground without collapsing under Klee's bombs."
"Klee is going to fight the bad guys now!"
Pulling out a Jumpy Dumpty, Klee waved enthusiastically at the group before transforming into a streak of golden light and rushing toward the massive canyon.
"Klee!"
Watching Klee vanish into the distance, Eula turned and glared at Hiroshi.
"I'll remember this grudge! Letting a child steal my credit like that!"
"But I won't give up on my hard-earned achievement so easily!"
Biting her lip lightly, Eula prepared to rush into the canyon.
"Hold on, hold on," Hiroshi said, stopping Eula. He turned to Albedo. "Let's follow her. I know you're worried about Klee."
"Yes."
Albedo nodded. "Let's go. Although you've assured me that Klee is strong now, I can't help but feel concerned."
"Then let me go already!" Eula said anxiously, glaring at Hiroshi. "What if Klee gets hurt… or steals all my credit?!"
"I'm just worried you'll get caught in the blast radius of Klee's bombs."
Calming Eula, Hiroshi turned to Sucrose and Timaeus. "When you see a bright light, close your eyes immediately. Otherwise, you'll be in tears."
Giving instructions, Hiroshi raised his hand with a smile. "It's time to board the express."
With a snap of his fingers, Hiroshi gazed at the enormous canyon below, dotted with countless black figures.
"The best seats in the house," he remarked.
Albedo, noticing the spatial shift, displayed a rare expression of surprise. "Spatial transfer?"
"Correct, but no prizes," Hiroshi replied nonchalantly.
A soft cloud appeared beneath them. Hiroshi sat cross-legged on the floating cloud and took out a tea set.
Looking at Klee, who was adjusting her Jumpy Dumpty below, Hiroshi chuckled. "The Fatui are in trouble now. Klee thinks they're the elite squad that attacked Liyue."
"They're in for it."
"Liyue?" Albedo asked curiously. "Did you take Klee to Liyue? And the Fatui dared to attack it?"
"Yes," Hiroshi said, sipping tea. "We were invited to Liyue for the Rite of Descension. Then everything went sideways: the Geo Archon's fall, Osial's attack, and the Fatui joining the chaos."
Handing Albedo a piece of jerky, Hiroshi added, "Try this. It's a specialty from Liyue."
"Oh, Klee is going to bomb them!"
Hearing Hiroshi's words, Albedo looked toward Klee. She raised her Jumpy Dumpty high, her small figure exuding determination.
"Bad guys, prepare to go boom!"
Boom!
A golden pillar of light shot up from the canyon, piercing the cold skies of Dragonspine. A corner of the once-frozen landscape now shimmered with warm, golden sunlight, as if a sword had shattered the icy heavens.
Klee stood proudly, hands on her hips, surveying her handiwork. She reappeared in a flash of golden light, beaming at the group.
"See? I kept my promise! I didn't destroy the canyon!"
Albedo's mouth twitched as he looked at the transformed valley below. The snow had melted, and the once-frozen canyon had turned into a warm, sunlit expanse.
Stuffing the jerky into his mouth, he muttered, "I think I'm in for a lot of trouble."