Late at night, two shadows flickered behind the window, cast by the dim glow of a lantern.
"Traveler, you've gotten stronger again~"
Paimon mumbled through a mouthful of steamed bun, her words muffled and indistinct.
The two of them had been ready to sleep, but with her stomach growling, Paimon couldn't possibly rest. She'd ended up digging into the supply of giant buns they'd stored in the Serenitea Pot earlier that day.
"Yeah. I've grown quite a bit stronger."
Across from her, Aether sat cross-legged, a sphere of violet lightning forming in his palm. Arcs of electric light danced within, crackling softly in the quiet room.
This was the power of Electro, awakened from the Raiden Shogun's statue in Teyvat. As the only person in the world without a Vision yet capable of manipulating elemental energy, Aether seemed to have an innate resonance with all the elements.
To others, it seemed like a divine anomaly. But for him—and his sister—it was simply one of many abilities they possessed.
Unlike the Archons, each tied to a singular element, Aether and Lumine's power drew from something older… something closer to the original elemental dragons themselves.
That was why the gods wielded such pure elemental power in their respective domains. They weren't just aligned with an element—they were nearly one with it.
Though, of course, there were exceptions.
Take Barbatos, the Anemo Archon. His very body was composed of wind itself. Don't be fooled by his drunken, carefree demeanor—if it came down to a battle of elemental might, there wasn't a single god in Teyvat who could rival him in that aspect.
Now, with his power seal gradually unraveling, Aether could feel himself growing more attuned to the elements with every passing day.
"So… just how strong do you have to get before we can go find your sister?" Paimon asked, patting her round belly.
She knew what Aether's ultimate goal was, even if he rarely voiced it.
"Hm… probably this strong."
Aether spread his arms wide in a mock hug, giving a deliberately vague answer.
"…Hmph! Forget it! I'm full, I'm sleeping!"
With a pout, Paimon shot him a look of disdain, grabbed a towel to wipe her mouth, then flew straight to the bed and flopped down, turning her back to him.
What kind of answer is that?! Just how strong is "this strong" supposed to be?!
"Hehe~"
Aether chuckled softly, extinguished the lantern, and climbed into bed himself.
Teasing Paimon was one of his favorite pastimes. At least, he found it fun.
"What's this? You're sleeping by yourself tonight?" he asked, poking her in the back. Normally, as soon as they got in bed, she'd burrow right into his arms.
Was she actually mad this time?
"…"
When she didn't respond, Aether gave up, lying on his back and spreading his arms wide. He closed his eyes and murmured softly,
"No matter when, no matter where… we'll always be together."
He didn't know how much time passed before he felt a familiar weight on his chest. Smiling faintly, he instinctively wrapped an arm around her and drifted off into deep sleep.
…..
At Skywater Academy, more than half a month had passed since their last break. In that time, the school had organized several Soul Duels between students.
Now, hundreds of students were assembled in the main plaza. All the instructors sat in rows atop the grand platform.
"Silence!"
A sharp command rang out from the stage, and the students below instantly stood at attention, falling quiet.
Dean of Academic Affairs, Wang Wan, rose to her feet and swept her gaze across the gathered students. Satisfied that everything was in order, she turned and gave a slight bow to Shui Xinrou beside her.
Shui Xinrou nodded in return.
Wang Wan faced the crowd and raised her voice to address them:
"Students, as you all know, the Elite Soul Master Academy Tournament—held once every five years—will begin in just three months. As one of the Five Great Elemental Academies, Skywater will of course be participating."
"Before this, we've already conducted instructor evaluations and internal selection trials to choose our initial seed candidates. These students have been undergoing intensive team-based training."
"But that doesn't mean the rest of you never had a chance. As I said before the Soul Duel began yesterday—if any dark horse emerged, the team lineup could be adjusted at any time."
"Today's primary purpose is to officially announce the team that will represent our academy in the upcoming tournament."
"For Soul Masters, this tournament represents immense honor. It's your chance to shine on a stage that the whole world watches."
"Those selected today will not only represent themselves—but Skywater Academy. You are the pride of the academy. The hope of—"
Wang Wan was getting more and more fired up as she went on, her speech growing increasingly passionate.
Meanwhile, the students below exchanged subtle glances and whispered among themselves, careful not to attract attention.
"Ugh, here we go again… Every time she starts a speech, you know it's gonna take at least half an hour."
"Tell me about it. You get used to it."
"Hey, do you think there's actually gonna be a change in the lineup this time?"
"Doubt it. Even though she said they're open to changes, the original seed candidates were pretty much confirmed from the start."
"Not necessarily. I did pretty well in the Soul Duel. Honestly, I feel insanely strong now…"
"Tch. You just got lucky and beat Gu Qingbo from the seed team. The rest of them still wiped the floor with you."
"Beating one is enough! I really feel like I've got what it takes now!"
"Please. If you didn't make the cut before, it's because you weren't talented enough. What, you think you're the only one who's been training all this time? Everyone else's just been slacking off?"
"Exactly. Besides, you're not the only one who beat a seed candidate."
A nearby student tilted her chin toward the front of the plaza, gesturing subtly at two figures standing apart from the crowd.
Everyone's eyes followed—and then fell into silence.
"…Right? So, who do you think has a better shot—you or them?"
The student gave a cheeky grin as she looked back at the boastful classmate.
"Hmph! No one said anything about comparing to them! Zhu Zhuqing's fine—she at least acts normal. But Yu Keke? If she's not a bard, I'll eat my shoe."
The once-confident student huffed, clearly deflated.
Facing those two transfer students, even her pride couldn't hold up. She had no choice but to lower her head in quiet admission.
"See? You can't even compare. And you still think you're team material? Keep dreaming."
"Oh, shut it! I may not be able to beat them, but I can definitely beat you!"
"Huh? You better think twice before picking a fight. My boss is the great Fire Meow Meow!"
"Pfft, don't flatter yourself. Like she'd ever take you seriously. You're the one I'm aiming for!"
"…"
As the chatter spread through the crowd, the once-orderly plaza gradually turned noisy and chaotic.
"Silence!"
Wang Wan had just finished her rousing speech and was still riding the high when she looked up and realized the students had descended into a low-grade riot. Her expression darkened instantly as she shouted to regain control.
"…"
Her presence alone was enough to suppress the entire crowd. The students all straightened up like obedient children, acting as if they hadn't been the ones whispering and arguing just moments ago.
_
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