Looking into Lisa's indulgent eyes, Lin Mo's heart was filled with tangled emotions—heavy with regret.
Only he himself knew the truth.
Lisa had truly been good to him.
From the very beginning in the library,
the single cup of afternoon tea she brewed for herself had quietly become two.
From a librarian who lazed about napping among the books,
she became a gentle, patient big sister who carefully explained elemental theory to him.
She cared about his food, his clothes, every detail of his daily life—
to the point of being almost excessively attentive.
This care, this favoritism, lasted a full twenty years.
And because of it, to complete the missions assigned by the system,
Lin Mo had shamelessly relied on her affection.
Using Lisa's concern for him,
he had orchestrated a scheme—
four Abyss Heralds surrounding and "besieging" him—
forcing Lisa to burn her own life and return to being the Witch of Purple Rose.
If Lisa herself had not known this was his plot,
perhaps Lin Mo would have felt a little less burdened.
But what he never expected was this—
Lisa had known everything.
Not only had she known,
she had known full well that burning her life force would bring unbearable suffering,
yet still, at the moment of true danger, she stepped forward,
shielding the deliberately "weak" him.
At that very instant,
Lin Mo made a decision deep in his heart.
If, in the dream, Lisa was willing to endure agony and become the Witch of Purple Rose to protect him,
then in this lifetime, in the real world—
He would be the one to stand before her and protect her instead.
No matter what happened in the future,
he would never again allow Lisa to suffer the pain of burning her life.
At this moment,
Lisa looked at Lin Mo, watching the guilt in his eyes transform into resolve.
She couldn't help but smile wryly.
"Why is the way you're looking at sister suddenly so affectionate?" she teased softly.
"You're making me a little embarrassed~"
"I'm strong,"
Lin Mo suddenly said, without any lead-in.
Lisa blinked, momentarily confused.
"Oh? How strong is my little brother, exactly?"
"I fought in the Archon War, expanding Liyue's borders."
"I stood for Mondstadt's freedom and faced the Lord of the Tower head-on."
"Even against Orobashi, the god of Watatsumi Island, I never retreated."
"I once wielded my sword alone, pierced through the thirteen floors of the Abyss, and crushed the master of the Abyss Order beneath my feet."
Lin Mo listed his most glorious feats one by one, as earnestly as he could.
…
"Oh my~"
"So my little brother is that amazing~"
Lisa gasped in mock amazement, covering her mouth.
But in the next moment,
the hand covering her lips slowly reached toward Lin Mo's forehead.
"Huh?"
Lin Mo froze.
As he watched that hand approach his head,
a sense of déjà vu washed over him.
Her index finger curled slightly—
Tap.
She flicked him lightly on the forehead.
"Stinky little brother," Lisa said, pretending to be annoyed,
"Are you trying to say that even if I became the Witch of Purple Rose, I wouldn't be able to deal with you anymore?"
As she spoke,
her hand slid down to gently pinch his cheek.
"Answer me—have your wings grown too hard already, hmm~?"
"No!"
Lin Mo denied it immediately.
"That's not what I meant…"
"What I mean is—
you don't need to become the Witch of Purple Rose to protect me anymore."
"In the real world,
you can just laze around and sleep in the library to your heart's content, Sister."
…
"Mmm~ That's surprisingly considerate of you."
Lisa gazed at the firm determination in Lin Mo's eyes.
A warm current flowed through her heart,
and a trace of satisfaction flickered in her gaze.
"Then… could you keep the secret of the dream for me?"
Lin Mo asked cautiously.
"Of course," Lisa replied lightly.
"But… Klee's situation probably wasn't a dream, was it?"
"Uh… how did you know?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
Lisa said matter-of-factly.
"Back at the Knights' headquarters, when I sensed you might be in danger, Klee was so anxious she was practically on the verge of tears."
"The importance she places on you is no less than Albedo's."
Then she added with a smug smile,
"And those two little words you murmured—'Dad'—just happened to reach my ears as well."
"…Klee is my daughter,"
Lin Mo admitted without denying it.
"Hmph. You're clearly an old fossil just like Grand Master Varka,
yet you still come into people's dreams pretending to be a little brother~"
"I'm not! I just look young!"
"Alright, alright~ My little brother is the youngest of all~"
…
…
At the cliffside of Wolvendom,
Noelle had just finished reporting the details of the recent battle to everyone.
"Mr. Ganqing only used Anemo…
and all the rest of the accomplishments were achieved by you alone?"
Jean stared in disbelief.
Just as she was about to ask in detail what exactly Lin Mo had taught her—
"Everyone, I'm done here~"
Lin Mo's voice reached them.
He stood beside Lisa, smiling at the group.
"Let's set off. We can chat along the way to Stormterror's Lair."
…
…
As the Knights of Favonius group headed toward Stormterror's Lair,
deep beneath the world, upon a throne in the Abyss—
Aether frowned, a sense of unease rising in his chest.
At that moment, a flash of white light appeared.
An Abyss Mage suddenly materialized in the great hall.
"M-my lord…"
"The Abyss army… has been completely… wiped out!"
…
"Hah…"
Aether let out a long breath.
The outcome he feared most had still come to pass.
As if having made up his mind,
he slowly rose from the throne
and began walking toward the Abyss Gate that led to the world of Teyvat.
--------
T/N:
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