Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu! Amenoma Kageuchi!
Noelle Finds Her Target!
Paimon looked at Venti, then at the sky where the final phase of battle was unfolding, completely at a loss.
"Help me up… I can still play!"
Even now, the first thing Venti worried about wasn't having his Gnosis stolen—
but whether Lumine and Fischl would run into trouble.
Fortunately, just as he spoke, Fischl's final arrow shattered the Abyss control device restraining Dvalin.
The last straw broke.
As the device cracked apart and fell in fragments, Dvalin's fogged mind finally cleared.
Realizing the destruction he had caused, the dragon released a deep, mournful cry.
Lumine and Fischl landed, breathing in relief—
only to notice Venti suddenly kneeling with a pained expression while Paimon panicked beside him, waving frantically.
"What happened?!" Lumine rushed over.
Paimon quickly recounted everything that had occurred.
After listening, everyone frowned.
While they were fighting for Dvalin, the Fatui had ambushed the Anemo Archon.
Compared to the girls' righteous anger, Venti himself seemed strangely… calm.
But only on the outside.
Inside, he was fuming.
"That bastard's old romantic debts—why do I have to suffer for them?!"
The moment he saw the woman's face, he knew exactly who she was…
And why she attacked.
"Damn it! When I get back, that guy had better compensate me!
Didn't he say there were two jars of Celestial Spirits left from five hundred years ago?
He owes me at least one for this—minimum! I will NOT drop the subject!"
Grumbling internally, Venti didn't seem to care much about the loss of his Gnosis.
In fact, he almost felt like he'd turned a profit—
one Gnosis for one jar of Celestial Spirits… not bad?
If the Gnosis could be used twice, he would've gladly let the woman stab him again.
But seeing Lumine and Fischl's worried faces, he decided not to look too relaxed.
Just then, the already unstable ruins began collapsing.
The ground shook violently.
Dvalin suddenly swooped down and lifted everyone onto his back,
beating his wings to ascend beyond the falling rubble and into the open sky.
Just like five hundred years ago—
Soaring through the winds, carrying prayers and blessings,
overlooking the land of Mondstadt once more.
Mondstadt — Knight Headquarters
After gifting Noelle her sword—unaware that Venti would later demand payment from him—
Luo Li dismissed the crowd of watching knights and began teaching her the deeper mental realm of swordsmanship:
"The Heart of Clear Mirror and Still Water."
It was a mental state achieved only through relentless discipline.
Those who mastered it maintained an unshakeable calm,
unaffected by any external disturbance,
able to exert 100%—or even more—of their power in battle.
"From today onward," Luo Li said,
"You'll train not only with the greatsword—but with a one-handed blade as well."
Noelle answered without hesitation.
"Like Acting Grand Master Jean's swordsmanship?"
Luo Li shook his head.
Jean's technique was the purest form of the original Mondstadt noble sword style—
but that didn't mean it suited Noelle.
Her greatsword style was already a heavily modified version of Mondstadt swordsmanship,
turned into a wild, sweeping battle dance unique to her.
"No. I will teach you something different—
A style requiring immense physical strength: Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu."
"Hiten… Mitsurugi-ryu?"
Noelle tilted her head, confused.
She had never heard of such a school.
Could it be an ancient lost art?!
"Yes. Your current battle dance is powerful and majestic—
but lacks decisive killing strikes.
Against agile enemies, you'll struggle."
Luo Li had thought long before deciding.
Among the countless arts he'd acquired over thousands of years,
Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu stood out.
Its core:
Speed. Ferocity. Instant-kill.
Especially its signature—Iaijutsu.
Combined with Noelle's monstrous strength, the result would be terrifying.
Imagine:
A polite maid swinging a greatsword with brute-force ferocity…
Then suddenly drawing a blade from her leg and unleashing a Heavenly Soaring Dragon Flash.
Who could survive that?!
"As your practice weapon, use this."
He tossed her a long tachi wrapped in purple cloth.
Noelle hurried to catch it.
"Its name is—Amenoma Kageuchi."
A blade forged by the Tenmoku clan of Inazuma—
a rare sibling to the sacred Amenoma Shinto sword,
with only a handful ever created.
Noelle examined the blade.
At a glance, it seemed ordinary compared to Snow-Tombed Starsilver.
But the gleam on its edge told her it was no ordinary weapon.
Two swords in one day—Noelle was dizzy with happiness.
"…But… these are too precious."
She felt undeserving—she should be training with cheap practice swords.
"If you understand that, then work hard until you deserve them."
Luo Li cared little for material things—
at least when it came to the people around him.
Seeing Noelle clutch both blades nervously,
she suddenly seemed to come to a decision.
"Please allow me to train even harder under your instruction!
But before that—please excuse me for a moment!"
Luo Li had no idea what she intended,
but he nodded.
Noelle immediately bolted off.
She sprinted all the way to headquarters and knocked on Jean's office door.
"Come in," Jean called.
Jean looked up—surprised.
Noelle rarely came here voluntarily.
"Is something wrong?"
Noelle gathered all her courage.
"Acting Grand Master Jean… I would like to request temporary leave from my maid duties.
There is something important I must do."
Jean approved instantly.
"Of course. Go do what you need to do."
"Eh?!"
Noelle had been prepared to explain everything
But Jean agreed before she even began.