Chapter 56: Paimon's Star! Silent Paimon
"That's amazing, Lumine!" Paimon zipped through the air, doing a frantic series of loops before hovering right in front of the blonde traveler's face. Her tiny hands waved wildly. "It's purple! I drew a purple item again! I told you my luck was the best!"
Lumine blinked, genuinely taken aback. A mere zero-point-one percent drop rate, and her floating companion had somehow managed to hit the jackpot twice in a row. Calling it simple good luck felt like a massive understatement at this point; it was practically defying the laws of probability. Still, seeing the sheer, unadulterated joy radiating from the little guide warmed her heart. That was all that truly mattered. She only wondered if this particular prize would finally grant Paimon her long-desired combat capabilities.
"Quick, tell me," Lumine urged, leaning in slightly. "What is it?"
"Hehe..." Paimon rubbed the back of her head, a sheepish grin spreading across her face. "I haven't actually looked closely yet! I was too busy celebrating!" She quickly spun around, floating closer to the glowing purple orb suspended in the air.
As she reached out, a stream of golden data flowed from the sphere directly into her mind. Paimon's starry eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Wow! This is... this is [Paimon's Star (Adaptive Version)]!"
She spun back to Lumine, practically vibrating with excitement. "The system says it's a super, super powerful 'Stand' from a world called JoJo! Its physical strength, speed, and agility are completely off the charts! And... wait, what?!" She gasped, clapping her hands over her mouth. "It can even stop time?!"
The little guide was so thrilled she was practically babbling. Without a second thought, she pressed her hands against the glowing orb, absorbing it into her chest. A soft hum connected through the air. Paimon took a deep, dramatic breath, her tiny face scrunched up in a mix of intense nervousness and bubbling anticipation.
"C-Come out!" she shouted, thrusting a tiny hand forward. "My Stand!"
Vwoosh!
The air pressure in the room abruptly dropped. A massive, towering shadow materialized out of thin air directly behind the floating fairy.
Lumine's golden eyes narrowed instantly. Her combat instincts, honed across countless worlds, took over before she could even process the thought. With a sharp metallic clang, the Prototype Rancour materialized in her grip. In a fluid motion, she stepped forward, positioning her body to perfectly shield Paimon from the sudden threat. The heavy blade of the sword angled upward, its tip aimed squarely at the bizarre, hulking entity that had just breached their space.
But as the glowing dust settled, Lumine finally got a clear look at the intruder. Her grip on the hilt loosened.
The silhouette... it was unmistakably Paimon, but scaled up to an absolutely monstrous proportion. It possessed the exact same mop of fluffy white hair, the same starry cape fluttering behind it, and the same floating rose-gold crown. However, the delicate star emblem on the crown had been replaced by a sculpted, aggressively clenched fist.
Worse yet, every inch of this entity was packed with outrageously exaggerated, angular muscles that looked like they had been chiseled from solid granite. This 'Muscle Paimon' glared forward with eyes as sharp and predatory as a hunting eagle. Its massive fists were tightly coiled, radiating a suffocating aura of raw, unadulterated violence—as if a single punch could pulverize a mountain peak.
It hovered there in absolute, menacing silence. The visual contrast between the titan of pure testosterone and the bite-sized, squeaky-voiced fairy floating just inches in front of it was nothing short of absurd.
Paimon slowly turned her head. "..."
Peeking out from behind Lumine's shoulder, she stared blankly at the overwhelming manifestation of [Paimon's Star]. Her tiny mouth hung open. The bubbling excitement that had illuminated her face just moments ago froze solid. Slowly, it morphed into a deeply complicated grimace—a tragic cocktail of shock, utter bewilderment, and the crushing realization that this was absolutely nothing like the elegant, magical combat partner she had envisioned.
For the first time in her life, she felt a deep, sinking feeling that maybe she didn't actually want to fight that badly.
"Pfft..." Lumine slapped a hand over her mouth. Her shoulders began to tremble violently. Her golden eyes curved into tight crescent moons as she fought a losing battle against the hysterical laughter bubbling up in her throat.
'No, no, I can't laugh,'she chanted internally.'Paimon will be furious!'But the sheer visual impact of [Paimon's Star] was devastating. This wasn't a partner fighting side-by-side. This was a setup where the tiny Paimon floated in front, acting as adorable bait, while her hulking, steroid-pumped'Bro-version' lurked in the background, ready to violently pummel anyone who got too close. The sheer comedic weight of the image hit Lumine so hard her knees actually felt weak.
"Hey! Lumine—!" Paimon caught sight of the traveler's shaking shoulders and violently twitching lips. The little fairy stomped her feet in mid-air, her cheeks flushing a bright, indignant crimson.
"Don't laugh! Stop laughing at Paimon right now!" she shrieked, pointing an accusatory finger. "This... this Stand, even though it looks... um... really, really beefy! It's still mine! You are absolutely not allowed to laugh! I'm seriously going to get mad!" She threw a flurry of tiny, ineffective punches at the air, desperately trying to salvage whatever shreds of dignity remained for her and her hulking phantom.
Lumine took three long, shuddering breaths, forcing her facial muscles to relax. She managed to swallow the laughter, though the corners of her mouth remained stubbornly twitched upward.
"Okay, okay, I'm not laughing," she wheezed softly, dismissing her sword. "Paimon is the best. So... what exactly can the big guy do? You mentioned something about stopping time?" She smoothly pivoted the conversation, genuinely intrigued by the sheer mechanical weight of such a legendary power.
At the mention of abilities, Paimon's wounded pride instantly healed. She crossed her arms and puffed out her tiny chest—a gesture that looked painfully pathetic compared to the mountainous pectorals of the Stand looming behind her.
"Hmph! Obviously!" she declared. "My [Paimon's Star] is completely overpowered! It has super strength, super speed, super eyesight, and super reflexes! But the best part..." She leaned in close, dropping her voice to a conspiratorial, boastful whisper. "It really can stop time! Even though it's super, super short right now... like, maybe just a fraction of a second... it's still a genuine time stop! Isn't that incredible?!"
The lingering amusement vanished from Lumine's face, replaced by genuine awe.
Stopping time.
That wasn't just a neat magic trick; that was a terrifying manipulation of the fundamental laws of reality. Even if it only lasted a fraction of a second, in a high-stakes battle between elite fighters, a single frozen instant was a divine intervention. It was enough to dodge a fatal blow, or deliver one.
She looked past the floating fairy, her gaze settling on the silent, muscular giant. The comedic absurdity faded, replaced by a heavy, solemn respect.
"That is incredibly powerful, Paimon," Lumine said softly. "An ability like that... it's almost unbelievable." This thing wasn't just a walking punchline; it was a lethal weapon.
Seeing the undisguised admiration in her companion's eyes, Paimon finally lifted her chin in absolute triumph. The lingering embarrassment evaporated. Sure, [Paimon's Star] didn't exactly match her adorable, starry aesthetic. But when she factored in the sheer, unreasonable violence it could unleash, coupled with the heaven-defying power to freeze time itself, any aesthetic complaints were entirely crushed by a massive wave of security.
"Hehe, of course!" Paimon cheered, doing a little spin. "Paimon is super strong now!"
"Very impressive indeed," Lumine smiled warmly, reaching out to gently ruffle the fairy's white hair. "I guess I'll be relying on you to protect me from now on."
"You bet! Leave it all to Paimon!"
As she puffed out her chest again, the towering [Paimon's Star] behind her simultaneously raised its massive arms, striking a flawless, aggressively masculine double-bicep pose. The synchronized movement was equal parts heartwarming and utterly ridiculous. She floated proudly beside the muscular phantom, the peculiar image of one large and one small Paimon frozen in that moment.
Meanwhile, across the cosmos in Liyue Harbor.
Within the quiet, elegant confines of a private room in the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, the rich scent of freshly brewed tea hung heavy in the air. Zhongli sat at the mahogany table, the picture of absolute serenity. He elegantly raised a white porcelain cup, his gloved fingertips lightly tracing the warm rim. His amber eyes calmly tracked the holographic interface of the chat group floating before him.
The screen was a flurry of activity. Dan Heng had uploaded several screenshots detailing a rather bountiful harvest of materials, followed immediately by a string of Paimon's characteristically loud, exclamation-heavy messages. It was a lively, bustling digital atmosphere.
However, the serene tranquility of the parlor was violently shattered.
"Hey! Morax! Are you even listening to a word I'm saying?!"
The voice rumbled through the room like a clap of muffled thunder, vibrating with thick, undisguised resentment. The sheer acoustic force of it caused tiny, concentric ripples to form on the surface of Zhongli's tea.
Azhdaha sat directly across from the former Geo Archon. The ancient Earth Dragon, having only recently been cleansed of a thousand years of maddening erosion to regain his sanity, currently had his thick arms crossed tightly over his chest. His heavy brows were drawn together in a fierce, craggy knot, glaring daggers at his oldest friend with an expression that screamed absolute displeasure.
He had only just recovered his right mind. His elemental power was still a mere fraction of its former glory. Yet, despite his weakened state, Zhongli had unceremoniously invited him to Liyue Harbor to hold the fort. The man had looked him dead in the eye and delivered a grave request: 'I have pressing matters to attend to and must leave for a day. The absolute safety of Liyue is entrusted to your hands.'
When Azhdaha first heard those words, his ancient heart had skipped a beat. Good heavens! A matter so critical that it made the stoic Morax look solemn? A threat so dire that it required the Lord of Vishaps himself to personally lock down the harbor? It had to be a world-ending crisis! An abyssal invasion! A celestial judgment!
He had instantly shifted into a state of maximum combat readiness. Pushing his recovering body to the limit, Azhdaha had mobilized every ounce of his remaining earth-shaking power. His dragon soul had stretched taut, merging with the bedrock beneath the city. For twenty-four agonizing hours, he had relentlessly scanned every single alleyway, dock, and rooftop in Liyue Harbor through the ley lines. He had been so paranoid that he actively scrutinized the flight path of stray houseflies, half-expecting them to be shape-shifting Abyssal horrors.
And the result of this grueling, nerve-wracking vigil?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
He had stood guard like a tightly coiled spring for an entire day, and he hadn't seen so much as a single hilichurl hair. The city had been so aggressively peaceful that he had nearly fallen asleep standing up.
Just as he was beginning to suspect that this old block of stone was playing some sort of sick, elaborate prank on him, Morax had quietly strolled back through the front doors of the parlor. The man hadn't a scratch on him. In fact, he looked as refreshed and relaxed as if he had merely gone out for an afternoon walk!
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