"Yes! Weapons like that are exactly what the Abyss Order needs!"
Watching the overwhelming might of the twin cannons, Aether's eyes gleamed with excitement.
Dragons? Wind monsters? He didn't care about those anymore.
If his Abyss Order could wield such devastating power, their destructive capabilities would skyrocket!
"What manga is that from?"
he asked Dainsleif, who was standing beside him.
"Digimon Adventure — Part 1,"
Dainsleif replied after a moment's pause.
Even if he didn't say it, Aether could just ask Boss Han anyway.
He had read that manga too, but he hadn't expected the twin cannons' power to be that terrifying.
He couldn't help but wonder— how did it compare to his own reward, the white handkerchief?
If it weren't for the fact that his item could only be used once, he'd almost want to test it.
"Digimon Adventure — Part 1, huh? Got it."
Aether murmured to himself.
If his luck was bad today, he'd just come back tomorrow.
Surely, his next reward would be great.
On the Streets
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
At that moment, Dottore was still firing the Infinite Cannon relentlessly, trying to wipe out the four annoying Knights of Favonius.
But to his frustration, even though his cannon's destructive force had literally reshaped the terrain, he still couldn't finish them off!
Diluc could turn his entire body into flames— the energy blasts passed right through him harmlessly.
The one-eyed man and the blue-clad knight were easier to target, but that red-haired archer girl was too fast.
Every time he landed a good shot, she would swoop in and pull them to safety.
Dottore was furious— but also a little desperate.
"Damn it! I can't keep this up!"
The timer on his cannon was running out.
While he could still suppress them for now, once his experience card expired, he'd be in serious trouble.
He had to retreat.
"That damned Lady… I'll make sure to report her to Her Majesty when I get back!"
Just thinking about her, calmly sitting in the manga shop watching the show, made his blood boil.
If she'd joined the fight, he'd never have been surrounded like this.
Wait.
The manga shop.
A dangerous thought flashed in his mind.
If he fled now, he probably wouldn't be able to come back— everyone here wanted him dead, and he was no match for them.
But if he stopped coming to the shop, he'd never be able to read those manga again…
and never get more rewards.
Once upon a time, that wouldn't have mattered to him.
But now, after witnessing the power of the Infinite Cannon firsthand, he couldn't accept losing access to such wonders.
So a new plan formed in his twisted mind.
"Fine! I'll just steal the manga!"
Once he brought them back to Snezhnaya, with the Tsaritsa's protection, even Boss Han wouldn't be able to touch him.
"I'll use the Infinite Cannon to suppress him, grab the manga, then use my teleportation device to escape!"
He'd been saving that teleportation device for a long time— a piece of ancient technology he had found in the ruins and modified himself.
It could transport him instantly back to Snezhnaya, but only once.
That was his trump card— even more valuable than the Infinite Cannon itself.
He wasn't stupid.
He might be arrogant, but he wasn't dumb enough to face someone on the level of a Seven Archon head-on.
Once the plan was set, he stopped wasting time fighting the knights
and sprinted straight toward the comic shop.
"No! The Doctor's escaping!"
Amber shouted.
"Not escaping… he's heading for the manga shop,"
Kaeya said, face tightening.
"The manga shop? What's he planning to do there?"
Eula frowned.
Could he really have the nerve to go read comics at a time like this?
Or maybe he wanted to ask Boss Han for a recharge before his experience card expired?
"Could it be… he's planning to steal the manga before escaping?"
Diluc guessed grimly.
The others froze.
Good lord.
How much fake wine had this man drunk?!
He actually dared to rob Boss Han's shop?!
That wasn't bravery— that was suicidal courage!
The four of them exchanged glances, and rather than stopping him,
they quickly gave chase.
If this man was truly going to try it… they weren't about to miss the show.
Inside the Comic Shop
The crowd, having noticed the Doctor's approach, had the exact same thought.
"Truly worthy of the Fatui name,"
Keqing said in awe.
"I thought I was bold for once defying the Geo Archon,
but this man… this man is another level."
"That's not courage,"
Ningguang said calmly, shaking her head.
"That's ignorance."
Yes, the Doctor was powerful— but far too arrogant.
Aside from the Tsaritsa herself, he showed no respect for any gods.
"Boss Han's power surpasses even the Seven Archons.
To try and rob his shop…
he's a fool dancing on his own grave."
Across the room, Aether's eyes flickered.
"But if he actually succeeds… maybe I could, uh, borrow a few books too?"
Not steal—just borrow!
He was, after all, the brother-in-law.
Borrowing a couple of manga shouldn't be too outrageous… right?
"You'd better drop that idea,"
Dainsleif muttered dryly.
"If you people dare to touch anything in Boss Han's shop,
I don't know whether to call you brave…
or suicidally brave."
"Ahem, I was only joking."
Aether laughed awkwardly, scratching his head.
Outside the Shop
Under everyone's expectant gazes, Dottore's massive form appeared at the entrance.
"Now's my chance!"
With the last of his Infinite Cannon's time remaining, he unleashed everything he had.
A storm of energy blasts erupted, all converging on the counter— on Han Feng himself.
The golden light gathered into a single, gigantic beam— the combined might of countless blasts, radiating terrifying power.
"Got him!"
Dottore grinned madly.
Even the Archons would need effort to withstand such power— he was sure of it.
And that small window of time was all he needed to grab the manga and flee.
He charged forward at full speed.
But the moment the energy reached Han Feng——it simply disappeared.
All those deadly beams, the same blasts that could devastate a city, faded away like wisps of harmless smoke the instant they touched the man's hand.
Dottore froze.
The mad smile vanished from his face.
Because in that instant, he finally realized—
He wasn't facing a mortal.
He was facing something far beyond the Seven Archons.
~~--------------------------------------
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