The Fourth Descender… was actually the Traveler, Lumine?
In an instant, everyone who had yet to grasp the truth stood dumbfounded.
The Fourth Descender—who had never openly revealed herself and supposedly belonged to the faction of Celestia—turned out to be the Traveler who had been walking among them all along.
And that strange little fairy always at her side—
Paimon—
was the Primordial Loom of Fate itself?
Only now did people recall just how special Lumine truly was.
She wielded elemental power without a Vision, using it with a mastery that surpassed many Vision holders.
And yet—even with the blessing of the Thousand Winds, Lumine couldn't defeat a mutated Cryo Hilichurl King.
So what right did she have to stand against Aerin?
[Jean]: "Miss Alice… please don't joke about something like this."
[Alice]: "A joke? The future version of me is lying on the ground half-dead. Do you think I'm in the mood to joke?"
[Jean]: "I'm sorry… I was too anxious. The people in the light screen are our future selves. Whatever they do is beyond our interference."
[Yoimiya]: "But compared to Aerin… Lumine—"
Yoimiya didn't finish the sentence.
Everyone could see the gap.
Even if, as Alice said, Lumine could one day gather the power of all seven elements and return to her peak—
Aerin was standing right in front of her now.
Did anyone seriously believe he would wait for her to regain her strength?
Obviously not.
[Diluc]: "To think the Fourth Descender has been in Mondstadt all this time…"
[Kaeya]: "Sigh… the Traveler and Paimon—Celestia's side—defeated at the very start."
[Furina]: "Such a strange twist of fate. They even shared a meal with Aerin before… and nothing happened then."
[Sigewinne]: "Perhaps the thoughts of those who exist on higher dimensions are beyond our understanding. I only hope everyone remains safe."
Mondstadt.
Lumine and Paimon stared at each other, wide-eyed.
"I'm the Fourth Descender… and you're the Primordial Loom of Fate?"
Lumine pointed at herself, then at Paimon.
"Eh?!"
Paimon gasped. "I'm what?"
"The… Loom of Fate?"
Her head felt like it was about to explode.
Ever since Aerin and Dainsleif started talking about fate looms, ley lines, and the World Tree, Paimon had been completely lost.
To her, it all sounded like incomprehensible gibberish.
Besides—she only cared about food.
And if something couldn't be eaten, it was basically useless.
But even without understanding it, Paimon knew one thing clearly—
As members of Celestia's faction, Aerin would never let them go so easily.
Without even turning back to say goodbye to Jean and the others, Paimon grabbed Lumine tightly.
"Lumine! While Aerin hasn't entered Mondstadt yet, let's run!"
"If we're any later, we won't get the chance!"
["I'm… the Fourth Descender?"]
[Lumine's thoughts were in chaos. She didn't fully understand what Alice meant.]
[In her current state, Alice couldn't explain everything either—only urge her to leave Mondstadt immediately.]
["Go!" Alice struggled to her feet.]
[Lumine froze.]
[By the time she snapped out of her thoughts—it was already too late.]
[Just as she regained awareness, before she could move at all, an overwhelming pulling force erupted behind her.]
[Her body was dragged backward violently, completely beyond her control.]
[The sudden change stunned Alice on the spot.]
[This sensation was exactly like when she herself had been flung away earlier—without warning, without cause.]
[This time, she saw it clearly.]
[Aerin hadn't moved at all.]
[Lumine was simply being pulled toward him, as if caught by an invisible magnet.]
["What kind of power… is this?" Alice murmured blankly.]
["Lumine?!"]
[Amber shouted instinctively, unable to comprehend what was happening.]
[In the next instant, she felt the same abnormal force surge in front of her—]
[and like Lumine, her body was dragged forward against her will.]
[Both were pulled straight toward Aerin.]
[Just as they were about to collide with him, their bodies abruptly stopped—suspended midair.]
["What's happening?!"]
[Lumine twisted slightly, panic surging.
Something was suppressing her completely—she couldn't move at all.]
["Move… please!"]
[She strained with all her strength. Aside from the slight movement of her waist, her body felt frozen in time.]
[No matter how she struggled, there was no response.]
[Beside her, Amber had already been shocked into silence.]
[Her eyes trembled in terror as she stared at the steadily approaching Aerin.]
[Last time, she had escaped only because of Eula's help.]
[This time—]
[No.]
[In that instant of desperation, realization struck Amber.]
[If this had always been Aerin's power, she would never have escaped before.]
[The only reason she survived was because he had allowed her to leave—
to return to Mondstadt and deliver the warning.]
[Her heart sank.]
[Everything had been a game to him.]
[Let Mondstadt prepare. Then crush them effortlessly.]
[Sob—]
[Amber broke down crying.]
"I told you already," Aerin said calmly, his voice gentle.
"None of you are leaving today."
"Behave yourselves, and it might hurt a little less."
He was still smiling—that warm, sunlit smile.
Yet to Amber and Lumine, it was more terrifying than any demon's grin.
"Let me go, Aerin!" Lumine cried.
"At least tell me what you want!"
As Aerin approached, her fear surged uncontrollably—
like an insect trapped in a spider's web, struggling in vain.
Aerin answered her by slowly raising his hand.
An overwhelming cold instantly began devouring everything around Lumine and Amber.
"Wait— you—!"
Her words dissolved into panic.
Before she could finish speaking—
Both were frozen solid.
In the blink of an eye, two crystalline ice sculptures stood before Aerin—
perfect, lifelike works of art.
"Eh?!"
"Aerin!"
Paimon flew over frantically, tears streaming down her face as she looked at Lumine encased in ice.
"It's me! Paimon!" she cried.
"And that's Lumine!"
"Don't you remember? We ate together—we had fun!"
Aerin raised his gaze.
The little creature's eyes were soaked with tears, yet still filled with desperate hope.
"Of course I remember, Paimon."
"So for now—
you'll stay quiet with Lumine."
He glanced at her once.
A third ice statue appeared instantly.
"Eula."
Unlike Jean and Alice, Eula wasn't panicking.
The moment Aerin called her, she flashed over at once, kneeling on one knee.
"Lord Aerin. I am here."
"Your reward."
With a casual flick of his finger, the ice sealing Amber slid to Eula's feet.
Eula lifted her head, gratitude shining in her eyes.
"Thank you, Lord Aerin. I will remember your generosity."
"Take her back to your Imaginary Space," Aerin said calmly.
"As for Lumine and Paimon—I'll keep them for now."
As his words fell—
Space around Lumine and Paimon twisted violently.
A pitch-black vortex tunnel opened, swallowing the two ice sculptures whole.
"Amber! Lumine! Paimon!"
Jean's scream echoed from the bridge.
Alice, barely standing, felt her vision spin.
"The Fourth Descender… was captured?"
She couldn't believe Aerin had sealed Lumine so effortlessly.
Her legs gave out, and she collapsed again.
At the same time, Knights flooded out through Mondstadt's only remaining gate.
At the front were Kaeya and Diluc.
The moment they saw Alice collapsed on the ground, their breathing stopped.
Even Miss Alice had been defeated…
"Lord Aerin?"
After storing Amber away, Eula looked up and saw the mass of people at the city gate.
"Please issue your command—"
But instead of answering, Aerin waved his hand, signaling her to return.
"What…?" Eula froze.
Aerin smiled.
"Since they've all come out, it saves me the trouble of finding them one by one."
"I was just about to stretch my muscles."
"You're not needed here anymore. Go back."
"The rest—
I'll handle myself."
To read advanced Chapters, head over to p@treon:
patreon.com/nani_kaito