[Takagi: That's right. The savior I mentioned is indeed this little girl, Hook.]
[Aether: Takagi, is this how you protect your passengers?]
[Takagi: Everyone's fine, aren't they? Haha.]
[Aether: You despicable fellow!]
[Alice: Is that little girl named Hook? Her name is very cute too.]
[Alhaitham: Compared to her cute appearance, her destructive power is even more noteworthy.]
[Tartaglia: It is indeed noteworthy, making one want to have a good spar with her.]
[Lisa: To actually want to duel a cute little girl—truly worthy of a Fatui Harbinger.]
[Xiangling: Despicable!]
[Mona: Despicable!]
[Dehya: Despicable!]
[Tartaglia: Hey, I was just saying! I wouldn't actually duel her.]
[Yoimiya: Despicable!]
[Tartaglia: ...]
[Venti: In any case, it's finally a relief.]
[Ningguang: Yes—whether it's the safety of Acting Grand Master Jean and the others, or the question of whether Path power exists.]
[Grand Sage Azar: This power must exist. I really want to study it properly.]
[Zhongli: Speaking of which, Takagi once mentioned the Abundance, Preservation, and Remembrance Aeons. I wonder which of the Paths this little girl has embarked on, or if it's one other than those three.]
[Ningguang: As expected, Consultant Zhongli also feels that other Aeons exist.]
[Hu Tao: What Path has Hook embarked on? Just ask Takagi. Takagi, are you there? Hurry and answer.]
[Takagi: The Destruction Path.]
[Hu Tao: Is that all? Hey, can't you say more?]
[Lyney: Speaking of which, Lord Takagi didn't make a move until the end.]
[Lynette: Could it be that Lord Takagi, who has embarked on the Path of Preservation, is actually not good at combat?]
[Takagi: Guess!]
Takagi stood up and stretched. Watching Hook—who had resolved the battle and was walking toward Klee, Jean, and the others with arrogant steps—Takagi jumped down from the rooftop. As a dedicated tour guide, for the first encounter between the passengers and the locals, Takagi needed to properly introduce everyone to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.
Meanwhile, in Mondstadt, at the Fatui's hotel:
"Takagi didn't make a move in the end. Perhaps his power really comes from the Light Cone in Klee's hand. Without it, he probably can't unleash much strength," the second of the Fatui Harbingers, Il Dottore, said with a smile while looking at the live stream.
"You should know this is my area of responsibility, Dottore." La Signora looked at the segment of Dottore who appeared before her, her brows tightly furrowed.
"If you could handle things well, I wouldn't have come here. Acting Grand Master Jean has left Mondstadt, yet you still haven't taken the Anemo Archon's Gnosis. This is not the same as the boasts you made in Snezhnaya," Dottore said casually.
"Hmph. I will get the Gnosis; it's just a matter of time. That Archon is hiding now," La Signora snorted.
Dottore: "Whatever. I didn't come here to snatch the Gnosis anyway."
"Not seeking the Gnosis? Then you came for Takagi?" La Signora asked.
"Don't you think it's interesting? Things from beyond the sky and Path power. If we can get Takagi's Astral Express, perhaps we won't have to wait for him to lead us. We can go to the universe ourselves—seek Paths, seek Aeons." Dottore spread his hands with excitement.
"You want to team up to take the train?" La Signora sneered.
Dottore: "Exactly!"
La Signora: "This segment of yours is really reckless. Don't tell me you really think Takagi is weak?"
Dottore: "Isn't he? Have you seen him unleash a powerful attack? If he had enough power, he wouldn't have waited for that Hook to rescue them."
La Signora recalled the aura Takagi unintentionally revealed when they first met, and her body unconsciously tensed up. That aura made her choose to be low-key. Just the unintentional pressure was enough to make her afraid. She did not believe he was weak.
"I hope this segment of Dottore's won't cause trouble for me and the Tsaritsa." La Signora shook her head and focused back on the stream. "A Pathstrider... how remarkable. This power—I will obtain it in my own way."
"Such beautiful sparks! Paimon, did you see them?" Klee said, her eyes shining.
"This girl... she's simply a copy of Klee!" Paimon was dumbfounded.
"After such an explosion, there isn't the slightest damage?" Lumine said in surprise.
"Was that explosion released using that giant mechanical arm? Is it really okay for a little girl to control such explosives?" Jean felt a strange sense of worry.
"Naturally, it's fine. Although Hook is young, she has great combat power. A small explosion can't affect her at all," Takagi's voice came from behind them.
"You! You still dare to show up!" Paimon pounced on him and delivered a flurry of punches to his shoulder.
"Paimon, how did you know my shoulder was sore? Thank you for the massage," Takagi laughed.
"Damn it, I wasn't giving you a massage!" Paimon stomped.
"Hey, how do you know my name is Hook? Have we met before?" Hook arrived in front of the group, looking past Jean and Lumine to ask Takagi curiously.
"You are the famous boss of 'The Moles'. How could I not know you?" Takagi smiled.
"Famous! You are right—I am the boss of The Moles. How could anyone in the Underworld not know me?" Hook put her hands on her hips proudly.
"Boss of The Moles! That's so cool!" Klee said with sparkling eyes.
"Right? Isn't it cool! Speaking of which, I just saw you causing an explosion. You're pretty cool too," Hook said.
"Hehe, that's a bomb Klee made herself!" Proudly, Klee took a bomb from her backpack to show Hook.
"Klee, these are not things you can just show off," Jean stepped forward to stop her.
"Okay, okay..." Klee pouted.
"It's alright, Acting Grand Master Jean. Klee can control them, and you saw Hook's power. Ordinary bombs mean nothing to her," Takagi patted Jean's shoulder.
"Exactly! Hook is not afraid of small bombs!" Hook nodded, then looked Jean up and down.
Jean: "W-what's wrong?"
Hook: "Nothing. I just think you look a bit like an old witch."
Jean: "An old... old witch?!" She touched her cheek. She certainly couldn't be called that.
"Don't misunderstand. Hook means you look very much like someone she knows," Takagi said.
"Is that so?" Jean breathed a sigh of relief. "Little friend, where are your family? Why did you come here alone?"
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Hook asked in a grown-up manner. "This is Rivet Town—there are lots of monsters here. You don't look very strong; why did you come here? If I hadn't rushed over to help, you would have been defeated."
Lumine, Barbara, and Jean were speechless. Being called weak by a child was a blow, but after the battle they had just experienced, they couldn't refute her.
"Takagi, is this little girl really a Pathstrider?" Lumine asked.
Takagi: "That's right. She has embarked on the Destruction Path."
Lumine: "So that's how it is."
Barbara: "A Path... can it even give a little girl such power?"
Jean remained silent, looking at the Vision hanging from her belt. For the first time, she felt it was nothing special compared to a Path that could make a child stronger than her.