I wonder if you've ever heard of two rather obscure psychological concepts:
Anima
Animus
The former isn't related to any kind of "friendly greetings," and the latter isn't that special device from the Assassin's Creed series that reads "genetic memories."
They represent, respectively, the female aspect in a man's psyche and the male aspect in a woman's psyche.
Also called "feminine inclination" and "masculine inclination."
And because people subconsciously idealize these images…
Anima corresponds to the perfect woman in a man's mind.
Animus corresponds to the perfect man in a woman's mind.
It is said that, under normal circumstances, if someone meets a real person who closely resembles their Anima or Animus, they will be irresistibly drawn to them.
Before crossing over, Renjiro had come across these psychological concepts.
For some reason, now he (Aether) suddenly remembered them.
And…
"Heh~ Animus and Anima, huh!"
Having read too many fantasy stories, he instinctively recalled fragments of old lore.
For example, this incantation,
[Stars (form of stars); Cosmos (form of the cosmos); Gods (form of gods); Animus (form of self),]
[Antrum (the celestial bodies are voids); Universe (voids are emptiness); Anima, Animusphere (emptiness is where gods reside),]
This chant originates from the "Animusphere" family, a lineage skilled in celestial magic in the Type-Moon universe.
Renjiro had once, back on Earth, heard it in a promotional PV for the Fate series.
In that PV, immediately after the chant, the opening lines were spoken by someone who introduced themselves as…
Renjiro (Aether) froze for a moment.
At that instant, he had merely thought the chant in his mind, without uttering a word…
Yet somehow, something had quietly changed.
Almost simultaneously…
"Hm?"
Hedin, who had been locked in a "baptismal" duel with Lumine nearby, was suddenly startled.
Because, just for an instant, he sensed an overwhelming danger.
It was a threat that transcended life itself, a feeling as if the highest being were looking down upon all living things… a fear that seemed to originate deep within his bloodline.
This kind of phenomenon should only appear when the gods unleash their divine power.
Yet just now, the source was… the golden-haired, gold-eyed girl in the white dress.
And because of this abrupt, brief fluctuation…
Pff~
"Huh?"
Hedin, who had been holding his own against Lumine moments ago, suddenly reacted too slowly and was sliced by a "wind-rending slash."
A horrific streak of blood appeared from his left shoulder to the right side of his abdomen.
Both combatants were stunned by the sudden turn of events.
Hedin was still puzzled by the inexplicable pressure he had felt.
Lumine… seemed oblivious to the tiny change that had occurred; she was merely surprised by Hedin's unexpected lapse.
Meanwhile, Renjiro (Aether) had not been paying special attention… until this happened:
[Finally, the 'code' is correct!]
The Genshin System, now fully linked to his body, reacted differently from the usual "prompt tone."
It seemed more alive, more responsive.
Silently, it conveyed:
"Ah, at long last… he can finally wield the power of the 'World Bubble' itself."
Minutes later…
The scene shifted to a tent used by members of the Freya familia.
Hedin had just changed out of his torn clothes and sat silently on a wooden chair.
His injuries had already been healed swiftly by Diona and Barbara.
Perhaps to avoid unnecessary conflict, Riveria and the others, who had watched alongside the Gulliver Brothers, returned to their own tents after a brief exchange of questions and updates.
Now, inside this tent, only six high-ranking officers were present: Hedin, the Gulliver Brothers, and the Twin Stars.
No one expected the "baptismal" duel to end so abruptly.
Still, it was worth noting that, to outsiders, this had already been a spectacular battle.
Before the "accident" occurred, not only Hedin and Lumine, but also Renjiro (Aether) and Hogni, had caused considerable commotion.
Especially the first pair, it was a high-intensity magical duel.
Rapid strikes, dodges, sword clashes, all a blur to the eyes.