𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖 || 𝙫𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨!𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣 𝙭 𝙛!𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

[𝟏𝟎]. yesteryear

"So... this is Cuijue Slope?" Paimon asked, hovering beside a teleporter.

Lime green slopes and valleys dipped like ocean waves. Dry and heavy, the air around the sahara was much less pleasant than the crisp mountaintops. The soil radiated with heat; cracked and dried even without the sun.

"Woah... it's really hot here," Fanning himself, Bennett looked around, confused as to why he felt so warm—after all, the sun was shrouded by dark grey clouds...

"Eh... you're standing next to a flaming flowe— oh! Your pants are on fire!" Venti pointed out, staring at the fabric charring and hoisting a small fire.

"WHAT?! TONE-DEAF BARD! DON'T SAY THAT SO CASUALLY!" Paimon jumped away as Aether pulled out his water bottle, dumping the liquid onto Bennett's now-burnt shorts.

"Haha! My bad!" The bard scratched his cheek 'innocently', his tone contrasting the scheming smile on his face.

"That was a close one! At least it didn't burn the whole of my shorts!" Bennett exclaimed, flattening the fabric as if it were another day in wonderland.

I don't know whether to be impressed or to feel bad for him. [Y/N] sighed, ignoring the commotion coming from a frantic Paimon.

☆

"So, [Y/N]! You've fought this fire flower before, right? Any tips for the Traveler?" Hiding her hands behind her back, Paimon leaned forward, floating beside the girl as [e/c] eyes merely closed.

"Don't die."

"Anything besides that!"

". . . If you don't kill it fast enough, the ground will start erupting."

". . . So you're just telling us to kill it quickly?"

"Yeah."

"Paimon's never asking you for help again!" Crossing her arms, the mascot huffed angrily, rushing up to Aether as Venti whistled.

"Now, Bennett, [Y/N]! Sit back and relax! Leave the adults to handle this!" The bard cheered merrily, pulling out his bow as Aether approached the dormant flower, its crimson red petals and leafy green stems glinted beautifully under the light.

Of course, if [Y/N] didn't know any better, she'd sit back and enjoy the elegance of nature.

That is— until the flower arose, springing up from the ground like a threatened snake... but instead of a rattling tail, all there were heat-seeking orbs of pyro.

The entire cavern was filled with scorching heat as if the party had been put into an oven to bake cruelly—a to-be meal for the carnivorous flower.

"Get ready for takeoff!" Venti yelled, an eye pressed against his arm for accuracy. His bow, drawn out like a river stream—it pulled back, pulsating with a turquoise glow.

Delicate fingers let go of the string, sending a swift arrow to the very core of the pyro flower. As if it were planned, the orb broke into pieces, disintegrating as soon as the thump of the leafy flower could be heard.

Moments later, Aether was beating up the fallen flower. His sword, swiping left and right as Venti continued to fire shots, swirling with the flames as Bennett charged in, desperate for some part in the battle.

So this is what it feels like to be the Tsaritsa as my Harbingers do all of my biddings? Leaning against a stray rock, [Y/N] pondered aimlessly, showing no mercy for the verbal destruction of the cryo archon.

What's she gonna do? Build an ice palace and sing a song while she climbs a mountain?

☆