Archon of Minus

Chapter 20:Toys break way too easily

The Dawn Winery. One of the places most important for Monsdat, the wine making beinf the nation's number one boasting.

The vicinity of such a place wss covered in ice, shards broken without mercy. In the middle of it all sat the Cryo Abyss Mage.

Although, it didn't do so from it's own will. Rather, it had no other option but to.

It's shield was long destroyed. So was it's scepter, laying around broken in pieces.

The Cryo Abyss Mage sat now on the ground, beaten. It had no more strenght to float or even move.

It was kneeling on the ground, arms missing, oversized screws piercing his body on specifically trageted non-lethal points. It's mask was cracked as it breathed heavily, a few burn marks around it.

That red headed man that again and again ruined the plans of the Abyss Order helped to brimg it in this state. But he wasn't the biggest contributor.

No, the one responsable for the deplorable state of the Cryo Abyss Mage...Was the very same grinning demon looking down upon it right now.

Kumagawa:[Ahaha, this is quite funny! You broke a heart, and now you lay broken. No, maybe it's poetic?]

Cryo Abyss Mage:Damn...You...

Venti:I think this is enough...Even I'm beggining to feel sorry for the mage.

Kumagawa:[Ah, you're right, you're right. I think I've been to mean with him...]

Before anyone can react Kumagawa was already in front of the Cryo Abyss Mage, his hand stabbed right through the abysall creature's chest. He pulled it's heart out, his grin growing as he heard the Cryo Abyss Mage's shouts of pain.

Kumagawa:[I changed my mind.]

He then took it out completly, inepecting it from head to toe. He shook it a bit, but there was still no blood.

Kumagawa:[Sorry, sorry. I'm very fickle, you see...Still no blood. Well, I expected you to have a different kind of anatomy. Well then, Venti-chan...Wanna do the honors?]

Venti now remembered Kumagawa's earlier words of making it even. The Anemo Archon chuckled nervously, he didn't think Kumagawa meant it literally.

Venti:I'm good...

Kumagawa:[Well, then I'll...]

He stopped speaking as he saw the heart disolving into thin air, together with the rest of the Cryo Abyss Mage. It wasn't hard to guess what happened.

Kumagawa:[It seems I overstimated it's survivability...]

Others, beside Lumine and Paimon who were already too used to Kumagawa, were a bit spooked at what they saw. Perhaps Diluc was a bit harsh in his way with dealing with the Abyss Order and the Fatui, but he wasn't anything close to being that bad.

However, the attention wss diverted to Venti. He noticed something as soon as the Cryo Abyss Mage dissolved.

Venti:Huh? What's this...After the Abyss Mage was defeated, a certain energy dispersed from its body...It seems that energy was being used to cut off the connection between me and Dvalin...Do you know of Stormterror's Lair?

Lumine:Nope.

Kumagawa:[Haven't heard of it.]

Venti:But Jean and Master Diluc are no doubt aware of it. After Dvalin woke up, he took the ancient ruins as his lair. As it was with the storms that previously cut Mondstadt off from the outside world, the entrance to the ruins is also sealed by a special barrier. But now, as the energy dispersed from the Abyss Mage, I was able to read the rhythmic flow of how the barrier's magic was woven. I must admit, it sounds even more horrendous than a chorus of hilichurls, but...It should be enough to let us break through the storm barrier and reach Stormterror's Lair.

Diluc:Which means we're going to confront Dvalin? I'm fine with that... Jean is the one who wishes to avoid any direct confrontation.

Jean: No. When there are no other options left, it is my responsibility to alter our course of action. If slaying him is our only choice, I will gladly become the knight that leads the charge.

Venti: Fortunately, we have yet to need to go that far.

Diluc: Hmm?

Jean: By that, you mean...

Venti:I mean that the Holy Lyre is not our trump card. Our real trump card? Kumagawa of course. And Lumine as well.

Paimon:Lumine?

Lumine:Is it because I can fight?

Venti: Well, you could say that...You're definitely a force to be reckoned with.

Kumagawa:[There's also you can purify that crystal.]

Lumine widened her eyes at hearing this sudden informations. Turning her head towards Kumagawa, she asked the obvious question.

Lumine:Wait...I can purify crystals?

Kumagawa:[Yes, I left one of the impure ones with you, wanting to test a theory. Looks like your unique elemental proprieties are able to purify the crystals as well.]

Lumine:That would've been nice to know a while back...

Kumagawa:[Haha...]

Venti: The impurities in the tears, and the curse that binds Dvalin belong to the same maleficent power. Which means...

Paimon: You Tone-Deaf Bard, don't you see how crazy this is? You've seen what Dvalin is like when he's ticked off! They will be swallowed whole before they even get to lift a finger!

Lumine:Weren't we just talking about how I can fight?

Kumagawa:[It wouldn't be anything new to me, really.]

Paimon wasn't sure if he meant fighting a creature of incredible power or being swallowed whole. Either way, looks like she was alone on this one.

Diluc:...Hey. Nice plan. Worth a shot.

Jean:I am with you, Honorary Knights!

Paimon:Ho! So we just need to fight monsters from the abyss...And a dragon! No pressure or anything.

Diluc:Humans aren't without their strengths. Let's go.

Venti:And so...The epic actions of brave heroes finally leads to this eleventh hour.

Lumine nodded, reday to take off. However, she turned around once she noticed something amiss.

Kumagawa was pouting while looking down, kicking away the stones around. Lumine sighed, guessing what this was about.

She walked towards him, raising her hand and patting his back. He can be such a child sometimes.

Lumine:There, there. It's alright. There are many mages out there, you'll get the next one.