No rush, no rush-let's toy with her

After saying goodbye to Noelle and Klee for the time being, night had fully settled over Mondstadt's sky.

As the clock approached nine, the two walked through the moonlight into the gradually quieting cathedral.

Venti had already been waiting there for some time.

"There, right here." The bard winked playfully and pointed behind himself.

The revolving door carved with thorn reliefs, which should have been tightly shut, stood slightly ajar. Stone steps led downward beyond it, and flickering firelight cast wavering shadows behind them.

"Don't be shy~ Whether we can save Dvalin all comes down to this!"

"Shy...?" Watching Venti's excessively theatrical performance, Lumine sighed helplessly.

"Whatever, let's go! Gabrielina, Paimon."

"Wait, Gabrielina. There's something I need to talk to you about." Venti suddenly caught up and lightly patted the angel's shoulder.

"What is it, Venti?" Lumine asked in confusion.

"Hey! Gabrielina's an important part of our fighting force. If you want to slack off, don't drag her into it!" Paimon said indignantly.

"Tsk... I'm not slacking off. I swear by the Anemo Archon. Not just anyone can keep watch!" Venti declared righteously, casually ignoring three speechless stares.

"I just remembered something. She'll catch up with you after a few words~"

"Well..."

Paimon was still hesitant, but Lumine grabbed one of her legs and dragged her backward. "Gabrielina, we'll go scout ahead."

"Uh... okay!" Gabrielina nodded.

"Gabrielina, help..."

Watching the girl drag a miserable Paimon into the basement until they disappeared into the darkness, Gabrielina felt a bead of sweat forming.

...What a tragic emergency ration. Anyone who didn't know better would think they were making her split herself into three forces to attack the Abyss.

"All right, everyone's gone now. What do you want, Barbatos?"

Gabrielina figured he was finally going to lay his cards on the table. Not wanting to waste any more time, she went straight to the point.

However... a certain god evidently had other ideas.

"Huh!? Barbatos?" Venti immediately began looking around. "Oh, my lord Anemo Archon, where is he?"

Why didn't I realize how annoying he was before? Gabrielina grumbled inwardly.

Maybe... his personality is just supposed to be more 'lively'?

As Venti continued playing dumb, the girl's tense expression gradually relaxed, eventually turning into a sly smile.

"...Oh~~ Isn't my lord Anemo Archon right in front of me? Huh? Where did he go?"

...Why does it feel like I said this not long ago?

Humoring his urge to perform, Gabrielina beat her wings and flew a little higher.

The effect was immediate-Gabrielina was pleased to discover that, as long as she didn't look down, she couldn't even see that green hat!

"Child, this isn't funny."

"Wow, there you are, my lord Anemo Archon!" The girl leaned down in feigned surprise, her cherry-pink hair falling like a curtain. "I can't see you looking up, but there you are when I look down..."

Dodging the girl's reaching hand, Venti suddenly grew serious. "...That explosion near Starfell Lake. That was your doing, wasn't it?"

His gentle gaze sharpened, and in that brief instant, the surrounding candle flames began dancing wildly.

Gabrielina's expression changed just as quickly.

The pressure she abruptly unleashed instantly overwhelmed his presence. She folded her arms across her chest, the cross-shaped patterns in her golden eyes flowing like molten lava.

"You're holding up Lumine and me from saving Mondstadt just to demand compensation? Barbatos, being broke has really driven you mad..."

"Don't change the subject."

The struggling candle flames swayed back and forth between them as if caught in a tug-of-war, while tiny currents of air etched fine marks into the floor.

She kept glancing toward the basement entrance. An agitation stirred in her veins, like ants gnawing at her heart. Yet even stronger than that agitation was an almost absurd fury.

As their confrontation continued, emotions of unknown origin surged into her mind, threatening to become outright rage.

What was... happening to me?

An irrational anger welled up from deep within. Gabrielina turned her head away, no longer wanting to look at him.

"...I've noticed you really love taking things too seriously. You were like this last time we met, too."

Venti casually flicked out a breeze that brushed past the feathers by her ears and lifted the nearly extinguished flames. "Look, your feathers are all ruffled."

Gabrielina refused to back down and shouted, "I've noticed you're incredibly annoying! And whose feathers are ruffled!?"

They really are ruffled.

"Shh-"

Venti hurriedly gestured for silence, turning to watch their surroundings warily.

Everything was silent. There wasn't even a nun around.

Gabrielina had known that from the start. She also knew there was probably no one within fifty meters, because she would have heard them if there were.

"Ah... don't let anyone catch us. That would be a real headache for me~" Venti withdrew his pressure, his tone softening as well.

"I just wanted to ask you to show a little restraint. After all... Mondstadt can't withstand any more turmoil right now."

"...I lost control yesterday. It... probably won't happen again," Gabrielina said with her head lowered.

"'Probably'? You aren't really planning to kill Dvalin, are you?"

...So annoying. Why does everything have to be such a hassle? Going on about not killing him... whether someone that weak lives or dies...

"He's only sick for now. We'll cure him," Venti continued.

"...Tsk. With your strength... wouldn't it be easy to settle all of this? Why go to so much trouble...?"

"Because Mondstadt no longer needs a god. This should be humanity's own era now, and they need to learn to solve their own problems."

"So let the people of Mondstadt solve Mondstadt's problems themselves!"

Venti smiled at Gabrielina. "Well? Are you satisfied with that answer?"

"...No. You're just a habitual slacker... I'm going to find Lumine."

Gabrielina turned and flew toward the basement, but Venti's voice followed her. "You don't look well. Are you all right?"

"...I'm fine."

After a moment's hesitation, the girl plunged into the darkness.

As she flew down along the stone walls, there was none of the underground stench she had expected. Only wavering torches flickered before her eyes, leaving her dizzy.

She could clearly feel that something had been wrong with her just now.

She was irritated, in every sense of the word.

Irritated, irritated, nauseated, irritated...

Even the beautiful gems set into the walls seemed dull and ugly, not pretty in the slightest.

System, am I about to get my period?

...You probably don't have that function.

The system paused briefly before continuing, Actually, it's quite simple. You were merely following your true nature.

...Speak plainly!

This body is a weapon born for battle. When you feel offended or threatened, anger is perfectly normal.

Offended? Threatened? But we were only joking...

And you didn't actually attack him, did you?

The system explained gently, The soul and body influence each other, just like in some TS cases. Adjusting always takes time, and you're already doing very well. Now, go find your little girlfriend~

Honestly, what little girlfriend...?

Gabrielina hovered beside a relief on the vaulted ceiling and took a deep breath. After using Sky Shift three times over short distances, she landed at the end of the passage.

Several knights were patrolling the spacious Underground Sanctuary, and Gabrielina immediately spotted Lumine rolling around at the far end of the room.

The girl moved in small steps on tiptoe, glancing back warily every couple of steps, but she didn't seem to have noticed Gabrielina.

"...Why is she sneaking around like a cat?"

Activating Corridor once more, Gabrielina instantly appeared behind the girl.

It was one giant step for her, but... a whole lot of little steps for Lumine.

"Who-mmph!?"

"Shh~"

Just as Lumine was about to cry out, the angel gently covered her mouth from behind.

Warm, damp breaths brushed between her fingers, and the body in her arms instantly went rigid. That startled expression and those slightly widened, moist eyes reminded Gabrielina of their first meeting, when Lumine had looked just like this-a frightened little animal.

...Damn it. If I try to complete that Mastery Quest, she'll definitely think I'm a pervert, won't she?

"Keep your voice down," Gabrielina whispered, giving her cheek a pinch.

Lumine hurriedly nodded. The redness at the tips of her ears made Gabrielina tease her for a few more seconds before finally letting go.

A moment later, Paimon emerged from behind a pile of wooden crates, her face still full of lingering fear.

Lumine looked unusually upset and lightly punched Gabrielina's shoulder. "You scared me to death. Could you not... what's wrong with you!?"

"Huh? Me...?"

Lumine nodded worriedly and reached up to press a hand against her forehead, moving so naturally it was startling.

She just put her hand there?

"What did Venti say to you? You really look awful."

"Why are you saying that too...?" Gabrielina muttered, conjuring a round black mirror.

In its slightly blurry surface, her already fair cheeks looked almost bloodless. Her molten-gold eyes flickered unsteadily, like the candles battered by the wind earlier.

...All right, I do look a little rough, but doesn't it give me a kind of fragile beauty?

"I'm fine. I just suddenly feel a little tired." Gabrielina forced a casual smile. "Getting the harp comes first..."

Before she could finish, however, an irresistible force held her in place.

"Lumine?"

"Wait here."

Leaving the stunned angel where she stood, the girl turned and resolutely headed deeper into the treasure chamber.

At the center of the altar, the ancient Skyward Harp hovered above a stone pedestal. Seven Starsteel Strings, seemingly woven from moonlight, trembled gently in the faint glow.

So this is... [Skyward].

Holding her breath, Lumine hurried forward.

The instant she stepped onto the first stair, a purple figure wreathed in lightning suddenly appeared beside the harp's pedestal.

It was a masked woman, a Fatui Electro Cicin Mage.

"Who's there?"

The Electro Cicin Mage said nothing, merely giving the harp in her hand an elegant little flourish. Just as she was about to turn into a streak of lightning and escape, a white figure in the distance caught her attention.

That's the one Lady La Signora mentioned...

Why does she look so weak? Is she injured?

The Electro Cicin Mage raised her hand slightly, and violent elemental energy instantly condensed into four Lightning Whips at the tip of her Lantern Catalyst. Lumine drew her sword and severed three of them, but the thickest whip curved straight around her body and lashed out behind her-

Boom!!

The lightning struck Gabrielina's location precisely. Smoke billowed, and shattered stone rained down.

"Gabrielina!"