Dvalin was less than two hundred and fifty meters from the tower inside Stormterror's Lair.
Lumine grew anxious. These were her materials, and they were about to escape!
"Give it to me! Break!!!" Lumine roared with all her might, delivering the final blow.
Dvalin's body trembled with pain, but at that moment, he finally retreated into his safe "little house."
Lumine immediately unfurled her Wind Glider, stopping in mid-air.
Alex also unfurled his Wind Glider right after her.
Lumine held the freshly cut poisonous blood spike in her left hand, and from her palm flowed blood with traces of purple—it was Dvalin's.
"Ew~" Alex hugged his arms, looking at the scene, his neck involuntarily started to feel phantom pain.
"Wow~ We're finally safe. That was really close!" Paimon appeared from behind Alex at this moment, then circled Lumine once, floating between the two.
"So, I didn't look closely just now. Is this the Stormterror's poisonous blood?" Paimon began to curiously examine the item in Lumine's hand: "It feels a bit ominous."
Lumine put it away the next moment. Anyway, she didn't feel anything ominous. How could it change while in her backpack?
Alex and Lumine then landed on a platform next to the nearby tower.
At that moment, Venti's voice came from above them.
"I really didn't expect this~" Venti said, then leaped down.
"Originally, I only wanted you to repel Stormterror—Dvalin," Venti said, then looked at Alex with curiosity: "I didn't expect your flying contraption to be able to keep up with Dvalin's flying speed."
"You even conveniently knocked off the poisonous blood crystals that were troubling Dvalin." Venti smiled, quite pleased.
"Hehe, it's nothing. Lumine and I just super simplified the process," Alex said, also smiling and scratching his head. He hadn't expected solving this problem to be so simple.
Normally, they would have to run all over the place.
"In any case, thanks to you~~" Venti's smile was radiant. His long-standing worry and heartache for Dvalin finally eased.
"After everything is over, I'm going to write this story into a song."
"Oh? How will you write it?" Alex asked curiously.
"Will I be in it? Will I be in it?" Paimon also asked excitedly.
Venti played coy: "You'll know when the time comes."
"Speaking of which, is this your first time in Mondstadt for both of you?"
"Yes." Alex and Lumine nodded simultaneously.
Venti enthusiastically introduced: "Mondstadt is a romantic city-state without a 'king' ruling it."
"And the people of Mondstadt are the freest citizens among the Seven Nations."
Paimon said from the side: "When we first arrived, we met Amber, and she's also that kind of person, right?"
Venti spread his hands: "Ahaha, he's also a free-spirited child."
"So, I hope the dragon who once guarded Mondstadt... no one should deceive him, saying, 'This city betrayed you!'"
"Nor should anyone tell him, 'Guarding this city is your eternity obligation.' He has the right to choose his own life."
Paimon was moved by Venti's will: "Venti..."
"Haha, indeed, if he were with the Raiden Shogun..." Alex paused, then imitated Ei, saying: "eternity is an unchanging truth!"
Venti nodded, not very familiar with the Raiden Shogun whom Alex suddenly brought up.
"Then, two Travelers from afar, may the thousand winds be with you." Venti finally offered his blessing.
"Awoo~~~" At that moment, a dragon's roar broke the silence.
It was Dvalin, who had just hidden, flying out.
This time, he carried stronger power, with a bit of green Anemo energy surrounding his body.
"Barbatos..." A deep voice actually came from Dvalin's mouth.
"My companion, Dvalin~, has your body finally recovered?" Venti's tone revealed his happiness.
Dvalin didn't answer. Actually, not long after the two poisonous blood spikes were knocked off by them, his body felt very comfortable and much more energetic.
It was just that when he was about to come out, he accidentally overheard their conversation.
Alex felt that Dvalin's glowing blue eyes at this moment had a lot of Hydro element gathered, and it was dripping.
Dvalin spoke haltingly, unsure if it was due to his difficulty in speaking or if he was choked up and almost unable to speak: "Just now... why didn't you, like before, ask me to 'guard'?"
Venti's tone softened: "I don't want you to obey the Abyss, but that doesn't mean you must obey me, Dvalin~."
"freedom commanded by a god is also a kind of unfreedom, isn't it?" After Venti finished speaking, he condensed a wind orb in his hand, then pushed it with one hand, and the wind orb merged into Dvalin's body.
Dvalin's entire body next glowed with a greenish-blue light, which lasted for a long time before disappearing.
"This is?... The power of the Anemo Archon's Dependents!" Dvalin said with some surprise, and at the same time said to Venti: "But I am no longer one of the 'Four Winds.'"
Venti gently shook his head, disagreeing with Dvalin's words: "Even without that title, you can still guard us... From now on, with my blessing, fly more freely."
Dvalin was silent for a long time, then lay down: "You all get on my back. I'll take you back to Mondstadt City."
Everyone got onto the dragon's back one by one, with Alex being the last.
But just as Alex was about to get on, Dvalin suddenly stood up, turned his head, and looked at Alex.
"Can't you fly too? I didn't perform well just now. This time, let's have another race!" Dvalin was still bothered by what had just happened, and this time he had the Anemo Archon's Dependents's bonus, so his speed would be even greater!
Thus, Dvalin's competitive spirit was ignited.
"Uh, let me experience it too~" Alex said pitifully. This was a rare opportunity to ride a dragon.
"Hmph, catch up to me first." Dvalin said, then began to flap his wings, and at the same time, unchivalrously took off first.
Seeing Dvalin flying further and further away, Alex's face darkened.
He also had a surge of defiance in his heart, activating the melody of Angelic Reconstruction! He charged!!!
Accelerate, accelerate, and accelerate again!
This time, Alex directly reached a speed of over eight hundred in one go.
Not only did he surpass Dvalin in less than ten seconds, but he even began to leave him far behind.
"Fly faster~ Why are you so slow? Your speed is too low." From in front of Dvalin, Alex's extremely arrogant words reached Dvalin's ears.
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