"I..."
Jean looked up at Kai's confident smile.
It was just like when they first met.
He seemed like an ordinary person with no power to restrain a chicken, yet being by his side gave her an indescribable sense of security.
Finally, Jean nodded.
Under Kai's confident face, she completely gave up struggling.
"Then you must come back."
"Definitely."
Kai took a deep breath.
After promising Jean, his figure suddenly leaped up.
Mysterious power continuously gathered at his feet.
His Wind Glider quietly unfolded behind him, using the power of the wind to keep himself suspended.
"What..."
"How did this guy get up here?"
High above the Fatui outpost.
Seeing Kai suddenly jump to his face, he swept a cold gaze over him.
The Fatui soldier, who had been lurking there, preparing for a sneak attack,
was startled speechless, his face turning pale.
You have to understand... this place was over ten meters high from the ground.
It was precisely because of this that
these people could hide here with peace of mind, not worrying about being caught up in the Hilichurl' fight.
But now... facing Kai, who had instantly appeared in front of them, the Fatui present clearly had no idea what had happened.
Especially that oppressive aura.
As the longsword in his hand was raised high,
an unblinking, dazzling light spread, causing their breathing to hitch.
Their weapons even trembled in their grasp.
"Sure enough, there are quite a few Fatui here."
Sweeping his gaze over the scene before him,
Kai's eyes narrowed, but he wasn't too surprised.
After all, before launching his attack, Kai had already sensed the presence of the Fatui here.
He just hadn't expected there to be so many.
And... as he subtly observed this group of Fatui soldiers,
Kai frowned slightly.
"The Lady seems to be..."
"Not here?"
According to his previous thoughts,
since the Harbinger, the Lady, had personally taken action,
then, naturally, she should also be at this outpost.
Kai had even hoped that when he unleashed his ultimate move,
he could conveniently take care of her as well.
After all, as the top-tier combat power currently deployed by the Fatui in Mondstadt,
if she were dealt with, it would be a good thing for both Jean and Mondstadt.
It would also allow them to maintain a stronger suppressive stance in future diplomatic relations.
Alas... never mind, if she's not here, she's not here.
He sighed softly.
Although it was a bit regrettable that he couldn't take care of that guy conveniently,
this matter was only on the level of regret.
Looking at the Fatui who had successfully reacted after this short time,
the Pyro Gunners, under command, all raised their flintlocks,
spraying forth torrents of bullets infused with elemental power.
Kai snapped his fingers, and an invisible barrier expanded around his body,
effortlessly blocking all of these bullets.
"Next... I'll deal with you all!"
"This light is the Planet's Hope..."
"Proof of the life that illuminate this world!"
Kai shouted.
Excalibur, held high, surged with power, silently condensing like the breath of a starlit river.
Golden starlight gathered leisurely, forming an undeniable beam of light that filled the entire outpost.
"This... what is this?"
All the Fatui soldiers stared blankly at this beam of light.
An undeniable aura of death rushed towards them.
It was a tremor that pierced their souls, like the unyielding roar of a warrior who had fought countless battles.
They felt it... a defiant belief hidden within the light.
It was the cruel life experienced by the maiden named "Artoria."
Fragile shoulders bore the fate of an entire kingdom.
What was forged under the sword's gleam was the glory hoped for by countless heroic spirits.
This hope propelled the maiden
to wield this Excalibur, watched by all, in the posture of a king.
It was a sword of will, condensed from countless battle souls.
It bore the fate of the entire kingdom.
Under the surging starlight, she released her final cry.
Its name was...
EX...
Calibur!!!
The figure in the light gradually overlapped with Kai.
He swung this sword with the power of a thunderbolt.
The terrifying sound wave was like a world-destroying disaster.
The blinding light, too bright to look at directly, enveloped everything.
Space, time... the surging power tore at everything it could reach like a dragon, and this outpost, hidden deep within the mountains, began to collapse, amidst the earth-shattering tremors.
Everything, everything, fell into a gradually still end.
Starfell Lake area... a terrifying explosion, accompanied by a huge shockwave, suddenly arrived.
The violent Wind tore everything apart, destroying trees along the way.
Looking at the commotion behind her,
Jean's face was already deathly pale, and her hands trembled uncontrollably.
What was this power about?
Were the Fatui trying to bury the entire outpost, disregarding even their own lives?
"Jean, danger!"
Feeling the incoming burst of energy,
Lumine quickly went up and pulled Jean, who was still standing, to the ground.
Countless shattered rocks and giant trees flew past almost grazing their scalps.
Such an energy release lasted for a full half-day.
A moment later... as everything returned to tranquility, the entrance to the outpost, which had been visible before, was now completely destroyed and in ruins.
Gazing at the scene before him, even Diluc couldn't help but frown.
"Was that commotion caused by Kai?"
Analyzing the aura, it did seem somewhat similar.
When he first entered the outpost, the sword Kai was holding... seemed to have a similar energy release method.
But wasn't the power a bit too terrifying?
"Kai!"
Before Diluc could finish his thoughts, as the energy release completely ended, Jean stood up almost at the fastest speed.
Staring at the chaotic scene not far away, even with her inner composure as the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, she couldn't remain calm; even her body trembled slightly.
Then... under her panicked gaze, a slight cough suddenly sounded in the smoke.
The next second, Kai patted the dust off his head.
He slowly walked out of the outpost entrance.
Looking at Jean, who hadn't reacted yet, he rubbed his shoulders with a slight headache.
Waving his hand, he called out, "I say, can someone help me up?"
"I'm a bit injured!"