Tang San tightly grasped Paimon and brought Xiao Wu back to the group. The boys, curious about the strange little creature, immediately gathered around and began teasing her.
No one noticed that In the grass not far from where Paimon had just been, a young boy lay unconscious.
"We'll come back to explore this area later… Hey, Traveler, wait for me!"
"Waaa… Traveler, help meee!"
Paimon's voice echoed in the distance, and the unconscious boy slowly opened his eyes.
"Paimon…"
"Waaa… Let me go, you bunch of meanies!"
The boy instinctively called out to her, only to hear her crying in response.
He abruptly stood up and followed the direction of her voice—only to spot Tang San and the others. In Tang San's grasp was Paimon.
"…Let her go!"
The moment he saw her being held captive, the boy's eyes turned sharp and cold.
He reached into the air—shiiing—and a delicate longsword materialized from the void, gripped tightly in his hand.
With a loud shout, he leapt forward as if stepping across waves, sword aimed straight at Tang San.
"Hm?"
Among Tang San's group, Zhao Wuji—by far the strongest—suddenly felt a surge of danger. His instincts screamed at him, sweat bursting from every pore.
A figure charged toward them at blinding speed. Before he could react, the figure was already in front of him. With no time to think, Zhao Wuji threw himself forward, raising both arms and channeling soul power in a desperate attempt to block the attack.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion tore through the air.
Zhao Wuji was blasted away by the strike, smashing through several trees in succession before finally crashing to the ground. Whether he was still alive remained uncertain.
The shockwave hit Tang San and the others hard, sending them flying as well. In that chaos, Paimon broke free from Tang San's grip and shot away.
"…Traveler! Waaah!"
As the dust cleared, Paimon flew through the air, frantically searching her surroundings. Her teary, glimmering eyes finally locked onto a familiar figure.
Without hesitation, she dove toward him.
The boy caught her mid-air and gently pulled her into his arms.
Paimon curled up against his chest, hugging him tightly. The moment he held her, the sense of safety returned, and with it came a flood of emotion that she had been holding back.
Her glistening eyes brimmed with tears that could no longer be restrained. One by one, the droplets spilled down her cheeks like pearls.
"Traveler… They grabbed Paimon! They were super mean, big bullies! Waaah…"
Like a frightened little girl who'd finally found her protector, Paimon poured out all her grievances in one breath.
"There, there… Don't cry, Paimon. I'm here now."
The boy gently patted her back and softly comforted her.
It was the first time he'd ever seen Paimon cry in front of him—and the ache in his heart was indescribable.
The last time he'd felt something like this… was when he'd been separated from his sister.
…
The boy's name was Aether. He had once been a young man from the another world, until a strange accident transported him into the body of a different Aether in another universe.
From that moment on, he and his sister had journeyed together across countless worlds, witnessing the rise and fall of civilizations.
Eventually, they passed by a world called Teyvat—only to be stopped by the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles. In the battle that followed, the siblings were separated.
Afterward, Aether crash-landed somewhere on Teyvat and fell into a coma.
When he awoke, he discovered that his sister was also in Teyvat—and had awakened before him. He began to follow the traces she left behind, searching for her.
It was during that journey—while fishing off the coast of an island—that he caught Paimon.
From that day on, she'd been by his side, guiding and accompanying him.
They had faced countless dangers and adventures together. To Aether, Paimon was no longer just a traveling companion—she was family.
Through all the trials, it was the tiny Paimon who stayed with him, even when his thoughts were clouded with worry for his sister.
She was the one who cheered him up when he was down… who, despite her small body, shone with a warmth that gave him strength.
She might be timid, but when danger loomed, she never abandoned him. She chose to face it all together, again and again.
"Traveler, when you set out again, don't forget the meaning of the journey."
"The end isn't everything. Before you reach it, use your eyes… and truly see this world."
A dear friend's voice echoed in his heart.
Aether gently wiped the tears from Paimon's cheeks.
To him, his sister and Paimon—they were the meaning of his journey. They were his world.
"Alright, no more tears, Paimon. I'll take you out for something delicious later."
"Sniff… I want… sniff… Sweet Madame, Sticky Honey Roast, and… and…"
As she rattled off dishes between sobs, the tears in her eyes somehow turned into drool dripping from her mouth.
"…"
Aether looked down at Paimon in his arms. Just moments ago, she was crying her heart out—now she was listing dishes like a food-obsessed gremlin.
He facepalmed.
She's fine. Still as carefree and gluttonous as ever.
"Hey, Traveler! Are you even listening to Paimon?!"
In Paimon's world, no tragedy couldn't be cured by food. After some careful thought, she decided her top pick this time was Sticky Honey Roast.
"I'm listening. Didn't you say you wanted… Slime Condensate Salad?"
"Eh!? You totally weren't listening at all!"
"Hmph! Paimon has decided—she's ignoring you for ten whole seconds! Ten, nine, eight…"
She flew up with arms akimbo and a pout on her face, eyes narrowed in protest.
"…Sticky Honey Roast."
Aether gave in and called out her favorite dish.
"Hehe, yay~" Paimon beamed, her mood instantly flipping like a sunny-side-up egg.
…
While Aether comforted Paimon, Tang San and the others regrouped around Zhao Wuji.
"Teacher Zhao, are you alright?"
Oscar supported the pale-faced Zhao Wuji, holding a sausage in hand and trying to feed it to him.
"Cough… cough…" Zhao Wuji groaned weakly. He turned his head and managed to bite down on the sausage. Only then did some color begin to return to his face.
But…
He shifted his shoulders and, with great effort, pulled his arms from beneath him—
Only to discover that both his hands had been cleanly severed at the wrists. Blood streamed endlessly from the wounds.
"!!!"
Everyone stared in horror at Zhao Wuji's mutilated arms. One of the girls—clad in elegant attire—screamed in terror.
"Damn it! How dare he injure Teacher Zhao like this!"
Dai Mubai roared furiously and turned to charge at the attacker.
"Wait, Boss Dai!"
Tang San frowned and grabbed Dai Mubai's arm.
The others were young and easily provoked—but within Tang San's teenage body dwelled the soul of a man with decades of experience.
In mere moments, he had already analyzed the situation.
Zhao Wuji, a Level 76 Soul Saint, had both arms severed in a single exchange. Even if it had been a sneak attack, that kind of power was nothing to scoff at.
It was clear—whoever that traveler was, his strength was beyond anything they could currently handle.
But that didn't mean Tang San was afraid. He simply understood that when the enemy's details were unknown, rash action was the worst mistake.