A horde of Abyss Heralds closed in, their ghostly forms surrounding Nagami and Lumine.
Off to the side, Miss Aetheria and Miss Wendy watched them with predatory eyes.
"Lumine, Nagami—remove our curse now, and we'll let bygones be bygones. Otherwise…"
Aetheria's icy gaze swept over them.
Her long hair, scattered across the ground like flowing water, lifted without a breeze, writhing like the claws of a vengeful spirit.
A terrifying aura surged out from her body, rolling like a tidal wave.
Thoughts of her "brother-in-law" had long since been cast aside.
Even before, in her clashes with Lumine, Aetheria was almost always the one on the losing side—tricked and cornered eight times out of ten.
Now that Nagami was in the mix, trying to take back the upper hand would be close to impossible.
The road ahead was nothing but darkness.
Aetheria had originally planned to wait until Lumine completed her journey across Teyvat and regained her sealed powers before approaching her properly, so they could discuss the fight between the Abyss and Celestia.
But this little "trap" Lumine had set changed her mind.
Why not settle every old grudge now—while her sister was powerless and unable to resist?
That thought made Aetheria's eyes glitter with excitement.
She barely suppressed a grin, took a deep breath, and calmed herself.
Her gaze locked on Lumine and Nagami within the encirclement.
She raised her arm high, then brought it down with force.
"No—I've changed my mind! Capture them! I don't care if you get hurt, just do it!"
Such was the logic of immortals—the only line that mattered was whether or not you survived.
At her command, the Abyss Heralds charged like a tidal wave, stampeding toward Lumine and Nagami.
The two in the center didn't flinch.
The rushing wind blew across their hair, but they stood motionless.
At the same moment, identical smirks tugged at their lips.
With their sunglasses hiding their eyes, the scene looked almost absurd—like the very God of Grass had descended.
The army of Heralds drew closer, about to strike—
Suddenly, a spatial rift opened at Lumine's feet.
In the blink of an eye, both she and Nagami vanished into the void.
Since becoming a Riftborn, opening these rifts was one of Lumine's most basic skills—almost instinctive.
But she was still weak, barely able to create short-distance portals.
Long-distance teleportation or transporting large objects was far beyond her.
Even sensing higher realms—like time—was impossible.
Still, her limited powers were more than enough to show how these rifts could be used.
As the Heralds peered down into the abyssal crack filled with countless staring eyes, Lumine shifted the exit point—right above their heads.
Nagami held Lumine princess-style, stepping on a Herald's shoulder to launch them upward.
The creature twisted, slashing its blade—only for it to cut into the rift itself.
Before the next attack could land, the pair vanished once more.
The rifts never stretched farther than five meters, but that was enough to make them appear utterly unpredictable.
"There!"
Aetheria sensed their presence behind her.
She swung her energy blade with deadly force.
This—this was what it meant to be siblings bound by battle.
But no strike landed.
Instead, from the rift emerged a delicate white hand, middle finger raised high in a gesture universal across the multiverse. Aetheria's blood pressure spiked instantly.
Taking advantage of her reaction, Lumine slipped out from another rift behind Aetheria.
Her lithe body twisted, and with a sharp bump of her hip against Aetheria's side, she sent her staggering backward.
Golden hair whipped around her like a dancing river, while Lumine dove back into the rift with the rebound's momentum.
Before Aetheria could steady herself, three more rifts opened—in front of her, behind her, and above her head.
Nagami's hand reached out first, resting on her bare shoulder.
Black mist seeped out—the full force of his Decay Authority, aimed squarely at her clothing.
Aetheria's eyes widened in shock as her outfit, already loose thanks to her gender-swapped form, disintegrated instantly under the power.
Of course, her sister would never let anyone else see that. Only she was allowed.
Guided by that thought, glowing blue particles surged out of the void, wrapping around Aetheria's body before her pale skin could be revealed.
The shimmering light reshaped itself into a white off-shoulder dress.
From another rift, Lumine's head poked out upside down, her golden hair cascading like a waterfall, baring her smooth, slender neck.
Amber eyes peeked out as Lumine's sunglasses slid slightly down her nose.
She pressed a slender finger to her lips, winked mischievously at her sister, and flashed a playful smile.
"Sis, why do you look so pale? Don't tell me you just turned into a pretty girl and now you're having a period meltdown?"
From the rift behind Aetheria, a delicate white hand shot out—Lumine's. She grabbed her sister's skirt and yanked it upward in one swift motion.
Her grin widened as she peeked under the hem, her expression utterly satisfied, her pristine teeth glinting in the light.
"Not bad, not bad—blue and white stripes. Approved!"
Zero attack power—but maximum insult.
Now this is what I call being a true Herrscher of the Void…
Even with her powers weakened, Lumine's centuries of experience and skill in manipulating space made her tricks dazzling.
Compared to a certain clueless purple blowfish who only knew how to puff up and collapse in humiliation, she was leagues ahead.
"LUMINE!!!—!"
Aetheria's face twisted with rage, veins bulging on her forehead.
Words alone couldn't capture her expression.
Her blood pressure spiked, her composure snapped.
She couldn't understand where Lumine had gained this spatial power.
It wasn't from Teyvat, nor from any of the worlds she had wandered.
Lumine's growth had veered completely off the path Aetheria had set, and even Nagami's sudden appearance was outside her calculations.
But none of that mattered now.
Right now, she only wanted one thing: to catch Lumine—and teach her exactly what happens to anyone who dares to mess with her brother.
Truth be told, Lumine had done far worse in the past.
Still, this definitely ranked in the top five.
Proof enough of the kind of hell Aetheria had lived through, constantly bullied by her demon of a little sister.
But this time was different. Lumine's power was sealed, while Aetheria was at her peak.
The perfect chance for revenge!
And with the Abyss Order's army at her side, how could she lose?
Meanwhile, Wendy had long since retreated after Nagami's earlier hot-water trick.
Now, back in her male form, Venti was happily loafing in the distance, having no intention of joining this sibling brawl.
Sword in hand, Aetheria advanced, leading four elite Abyss Heralds.
She dismissed her blade's edge, forming a blunt sword, and swung hard for Lumine's neck.
The other Heralds aimed for her arms and legs.
When Lumine opened only three rifts in response, Aetheria's lips curled in a triumphant smirk.
She could already picture herself capturing her sister, ready to dish out long-overdue punishment.
But then… the rippling waves of distortion froze her smile.
Nagami might not have full access to his powers, but short-range imaginary channels were still possible.
And the two of them—Nagami and Lumine—were in perfect sync, their minds linked as one.
"Hehe~ Sis, you should really learn to dress yourself up more often. I bet you'd make a super cute girl!"
Lumine pinched her sister's soft cheek, dodging the spatially-absorbed sword slash, and blinked out of sight—reappearing right behind Paimon.
"Can't wait for our next reunion~"
Ignoring Paimon's flailing protests, Lumine tucked her under one arm, grabbed Nagami's hand with the other, and together they slipped into a rift filled with countless red, watching eyes.
The background shimmered—the exact same effect as when Aetheria had disappeared in the game.
"Hey! Don't you dare leave me behind!" Paimon wailed.
Left standing amidst the Abyss army, Venti glanced at the fuming Aetheria, who looked ready to pop a vein.
Quietly, he turned on his heel.
Better to escape now while their brief alliance still counted for something—before the furious Abyss Princess decided to take her rage out on him.
After all, who knew what she might do in this state?
He remembered, grimly, his role in Khaenri'ah's fall five hundred years ago.
Forced by circumstance, not choice—or so he told himself.
Still, if Khaenri'ah had been allowed to flourish unchecked, it could have brought catastrophe to the world.
Better one civilization destroyed than the whole world dragged into ruin… or so the logic went.
Aetheria's amber-gold eyes lingered on the green bard's retreating figure. After a long hesitation, she finally looked away.
The Abyss still needed time to gather its strength. It was not yet the moment to fight the gods, nor Celestia.
"Your P—"
The Heralds nearly said Princess, but the freezing glare that cut across them made the words choke in their throats.
"Return."
Aetheria turned sharply, her movements graceful yet heavy with restrained fury.
For just an instant, her eyes flicked downward toward her own chest—then snapped away like she'd been burned.
Not out of embarrassment, of course.
But because every time she looked, she felt her blood pressure spiking even higher.
Any more, and she might actually explode.
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