Cael and the others arrived—only to be blocked by towering walls of raging wind.
"There's no way forward…"
Paimon stared up at the massive wind barrier, despair written all over her face.
"Dvalin wouldn't really be sleeping inside this place, right?" she muttered, smacking her not-so-useful head.
"How are we even supposed to get through this?"
Venti chuckled.
"Well, Dvalin can fly, you know."
"Come on, follow me. I know where the entrance is."
Everyone nodded and followed.
At that moment—
Cael suddenly felt it.
A gaze.
A familiar one.
"…Dvalin?"
He paused slightly.
He hadn't expected the dragon to notice him so soon.
Were we enemies five hundred years ago?
The thought crossed his mind—but he didn't dwell on it, continuing onward with the group.
The deeper they went, the more desolate the scenery became.
Ashes. Monsters. Ruins.
The towering spire above them was majestic—yet utterly broken, amplifying the sense of loneliness.
Paimon shivered and instinctively leaned closer to Cael.
"This place is terrifying… it feels dead."
Venti scratched his head awkwardly.
"Well… it didn't used to be like this."
Jean looked troubled.
"…It's not something I like to talk about."
Cael, meanwhile, wore a mischievous smile.
Of course it wasn't always like this.
After all, this place only became Stormterror's Lair because Alice once brought her experimental equipment here.
When she left, the name changed.
Klee still hadn't fully inherited her mother's destructive potential yet—
she only blew up small mountains or occasionally misplaced a Statue of The Seven.
Once she grew up?
Teyvat would gain another top-tier calamity.
Cael felt a strange sense of pride.
What he didn't realize was—
Five hundred years ago, he had been far more terrifying than Alice.
Every experiment shook the earth.
He'd "accidentally" destroyed Cloud Retainer's abode multiple times, forcing her to relocate again and again.
Thus earning himself the affectionate title:
"World-Destroying Adeptus."
...
Back to the present.
They finally stood before Dvalin.
The dragon was completely corrupted now—
mind broken, enemies indistinguishable.
Even the Abyss Mages near him were torn apart without mercy.
"Go, Traveler!" Venti shouted excitedly.
"Borrow my tiny bit of power and beat him into submission!"
Jean and Diluc stared at him.
What kind of god treated his own familiar like this?
…Ah. Right.
Venti.
Meanwhile, Venti and Cael stood at the back—
Doing absolutely nothing.
"Hey, old friend," Venti whispered.
"Got any sunflower seeds?"
"Sure."
...
...
Lumine surged forward, Anemo power roaring, fighting alongside Diluc.
"Scatter with the wind!"
Her kick unleashed a massive tornado, swallowing Dvalin's body.
The dragon tried to disperse it with his claws—
But was briefly restrained by the vortex.
Diluc seized the moment.
He leapt onto the dragon's back, claymore blazing with Pyro, and smashed it down on the corrupted crystal like swatting a fly.
Dvalin roared in pain.
A terrifying surge of energy erupted—
Diluc was blasted away, slammed into the wall.
"…That was Abyssal power," Venti muttered grimly.
He turned to Cael.
"Brother. This is slipping out of my control."
"If it comes to it… I'll need you."
Cael was surprised—but quickly formulated a plan.
"Let's observe first," he replied.
"If it really goes south… then we do it that way."
Crunch crunch.
...
...
Lumine was reaching her limit.
BOOM!
Dvalin seized an opening and swatted Diluc away again—
this time knocking him unconscious.
Even the invincible Diluc… had fallen.
Jean wasn't spared.
A shockwave scorched her abdomen, and she collapsed.
Seeing them both down, Lumine struggled alone.
Then—
Venti's voice echoed inside her mind.
"Traveler… I still have one last power."
"But your body will be taken over by instinct."
"You'll keep fighting—but your consciousness will disappear."
"The backlash will be severe."
Lumine froze.
She looked at Diluc.
At Jean.
At Cael—who lay "critically injured."
At Paimon, already crying in panic.
Her resolve hardened.
"…I'm willing."
The next second—
She collapsed.
Paimon screamed.
Before she could ask what happened—
Chop.
A sharp strike to the back of her neck.
Instant blackout.
The "critically injured" Cael stood up perfectly fine.
He glanced apologetically at Paimon.
"Sorry. I'll give you a few bags of sunflower seeds next time."
Venti sank to the ground.
"My divine power ends here… I can't suppress him any longer."
"It's all on you now."
Cael cracked his knuckles and walked toward Dvalin.
The dragon growled.
"Agarest… you've grown weaker."
Cael smiled.
"But fighting you?"
"Still more than enough."
—
BOOM!!
In the blink of an eye—
one exchange.
Cael caught Dvalin's claw mid-strike and kicked it aside.
Dvalin opened his jaws, releasing a massive Anemo blast.
Cael weaved around the attack, dashed upward—
And kicked Dvalin square in the head.
The dragon retaliated, swatting Cael away—
But Cael adjusted mid-air and landed cleanly.
Again.
And again.
To the untrained eye, they were evenly matched.
To Venti—
Cael was toying with him.
No elemental power.
No effort.
No strain.
Dvalin realized it too.
His rage exploded.
"AGAREST!!"
"Use your Dark element!! Toying with me—what's the point?!"
"I WILL KILL YOU!!"
Cael's eyes lit up.
"…Really?"
"That's allowed?"
"Perfect. I was worried I might blow up your house."
Venti and Dvalin froze.
Cael began compressing Dark Elemental energy.
Venti nearly cried.
"NO—ARE YOU TRYING TO ERASE MONDSTADT?!"
Dvalin's memories snapped back.
Pure terror overtook him.
"I WAS WRONG—I SURRENDER!!"
Cael blinked.
"…Too late."
The energy had already reached critical mass.
"…Guess I'll throw it into the sky."
He hurled it upward.
WHOOSH—
BOOOOOOM—!!!
The entire sky above Mondstadt lit up.
...
...
—Ehe.—
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