The thick, unbreakable iron chain tightened around the Wind Dragon's neck.
It was a sensation Stormterror had never experienced before—an alien restraint that sent sharp pain through its body. The immense force cinching its neck dragged the dragon higher into the sky, while Lumine followed the flow of the wind, launching compressed Anemo shots into its massive form.
"ROOOOOOAR!!!!!!!!"
Stormterror roared in fury, thrashing wildly in an attempt to shake Jia Changjiang off its back.
It was useless.
Jia Changjiang braced himself with both hands—one gripping the chain, the other the axe—locking his body firmly against the dragon's scales.
"Hahaha! Dvalin! You really are strong!"
Standing on the dragon's back, Jia Changjiang fought the violent turbulence with sheer brute force. The gale tore across his face, snapping his clothes as clouds streaked past at blinding speed.
"Don't hold back in battle! Release it all—Eastern Wind Dragon, Dvalin!"
He clung to the dragon and laughed with wild abandon.
"Are you furious for Mondstadt? Are you suffering? Then don't bottle it up! Share all of it with me—right here, in this fight!"
"Your rage! Your pain! Let me feel every bit of it!"
"Eastern Wind Dragon! Let's bare our hearts in battle! Vent your anger, your torment—everything!"
"As payment, I'll share with you the joy and exhilaration I feel from fighting you!"
Jia Changjiang's voice only drove Stormterror further into madness.
With a violent twist, the dragon finally flung him from its neck—but in the very next moment, its claw was ensnared by the chain once more.
Like a relentless honey badger, Jia Changjiang latched back on the instant he was thrown off.
"Let's fight with open hearts!!"
The poisoned blood corroding its body tormented Stormterror's mind. Jia Changjiang's laughter rang in its ears, unsettling and infuriating.
And as if that weren't enough—
The girl on the other side continued firing attacks that could genuinely harm it.
"Human!"
Stormterror's voice thundered across the sky at last.
"You think you're worthy of bearing Mondstadt's rage in its stead?!"
At the height of its fury, Dvalin, the Eastern Wind Dragon, finally spoke to Jia Changjiang.
With a furious sweep, it hurled him far away and halted midair. Jia Changjiang spread his Wind Glider, buoyed by the currents, and steadied himself in the sky.
Lumine instinctively tried to continue attacking—but Paimon grabbed her cheeks and stopped her.
Stormterror's roar detonated through the heavens.
"Who do you think you are?!?!"
"Ah—so you're finally talking to me?"
Hearing the dragon's voice, Jia Changjiang's expression lit up with pure delight.
"Taking Mondstadt's rage for others? That's not my job."
"I can only represent myself."
He declared his name proudly, facing the colossal dragon without a shred of fear.
"Jia Changjiang. A weapon master."
"I didn't come here to bear Mondstadt's anger—that doesn't interest me."
"I came to share your rage."
He spoke with unmistakable joy.
"This is a fair exchange. I want to fight you. I want to win. I want to experience your beliefs, your heart, your history—no, even your fury, madness, and pain will do."
"Don't hold back. Share it all with me through battle."
"And in return…"
"I'll share my victory."
"I'll share the joy I feel in combat."
Jia Changjiang released the chain and began swinging the Four-Winds Battle Axe Meteor Hammer once more, the weapon carving roaring arcs through the air.
"So please—don't refuse me, Eastern Wind Dragon!"
"Let's exchange our convictions and emotions!"
"Fight me, dragon!!!"
He surged forward on the wind again.
And Stormterror, thoroughly enraged, charged straight at him.
"Don't think… you can deceive me!!! Human!!!"
On the other side of the battlefield, Lumine and Paimon watched in stunned disbelief.
"Wow… he's really strange," Paimon muttered, clutching Lumine's neck.
"He looks like he really loves fighting…"
"He looks strong," Lumine said calmly.
"Strong enough to handle this dragon alone. Great! Then let's head back to Mondstadt while we can."
"Hey! Even if he's weird, we can't just abandon him!" Paimon protested.
"Tch… so we can't run?"
Lumine sighed and turned back toward the battle.
"Fine. Then let's go."
A titanic clash erupted above Mondstadt.
Some of the citizens who had been hiding couldn't suppress their curiosity any longer and stepped out to witness the spectacle in the sky.
The clouds had long since been scattered by Stormterror's gales, and with the dragon entangled by Jia Changjiang, the city below was temporarily spared.
Golden wind projectiles and draconic breath collided endlessly in the air.
Beside them, a lone human—wielding an impossibly massive axe—swung chains through the sky, battling a creature of overwhelming size.
Savage.
Violent.
Unrestrained.
This was brutality unleashed above Mondstadt.
Riding the Wind Glider, commanding the gales of the high heavens, displaying violence against a dragon without reservation.
This was the pinnacle of raw force—a human fighting a dragon head-on.
Faced with these two figures, Stormterror felt an indescribable irritation gnaw at its mind.
And so—
It retreated.
But before leaving, it unleashed a sustained, devastating breath.
Jia Changjiang failed to evade in time and was struck head-on.
He yanked the axe back to block as much as he could. The Anemo buoyancy softened the blow—but even so…
The Wind Glider on his back finally gave out under Stormterror's power.
It shattered.
His body was flung violently from the sky as the dragon turned and fled into the distance.
"Oh no! Lumine—go save that weird guy!" Paimon cried out in panic.
Lumine had already rushed toward him the instant she saw the Wind Glider break—but it was too late.
She shook her head.
"Too late. I can't catch up."
Falling with the wind, Jia Changjiang gazed up at the sky.
And what crossed his mind was—
"Ah…"
"That was so satisfying…"
With that thought, he plunged toward Mondstadt below.
Just before he hit the ground, however, a clear, gentle sound of a lyre reached his ears.
The raging wind around him softened into a warm, steady current.
"Warrior…"
A familiar voice spoke quietly.
"Thank you for stopping Dvalin. Now… allow me to help you."
The wind caught him.
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