Though Arataki Itto was the boss of the Arataki Gang, he rarely actively recruited members. Nearly everyone in the gang had joined on their own, choosing to follow him. They could leave whenever they wanted. That was why the Arataki Gang had been able to establish itself on the streets of Inazuma.
But this time, when Itto laid eyes on Xiao sitting across from him, he felt an immediate interest. The short stature, the "young" appearance, the cold, stern face—as the self-proclaimed king of kids, Itto could tell at a glance that this child named Xiao must have been bullied often. Yet that cold, resilient expression earned his respect. And the spear in his hand—even while listening to stories in an inn, he kept a spear for protection. He must have been ambushed plenty of times.
Itto couldn't help but feel moved. This was Liyue's child, was it? Not bad. This kid, he was going to recruit.
He didn't care how Xiao had been treated before. From now on, he would be here. The children of Liyue would have someone to rely on. No one would bully them anymore.
A confident, bold smile spread across his face. In a booming voice, he called out, "Hey, kid over there! What's your name?"
This sudden outburst left everyone at the table dumbfounded. A kid? Here? Seated at this table were the three Electro sisters, Barbatos, Morax, the yaksha Xiao, the head shrine maiden Yae Miko, the Fatui Harbinger Tartaglia, and the winery owner Diluc. Their average age was over a thousand years old. The youngest were probably Diluc and Tartaglia—but neither of them looked like children.
Ei looked confused. "???"
Xiao: "???"
Zhongli remained expressionless. "I don't think he's talking to me."
Barbatos looked amused. "Eh heh, I'm definitely not a kid. I'm thousands of years old."
Yae Miko smirked. "Hehe."
Tartaglia finally relaxed. "Me? Sorry, I haven't been a kid for a long time."
Diluc's expression turned cold. "Hmph."
Itto's random shout had thrown everyone off. Each of them assumed he wasn't talking to them. They all stared at the tall Arataki Itto as if he were a complete fool. Was this guy from Inazuma an idiot?
Just as they were all confused, Itto, full of confidence, had already decided to recruit Xiao. "That's right—I'm talking to you, the kid with the spear! The boss is here! Don't worry, once you join my Arataki Gang, no one will ever bully you again."
Itto was usually brash and rarely showed a gentle side. But when he saw Xiao, he seemed to see a reflection of his younger self—someone who had also been picked on. He wanted to use sumo wrestling to protect this child of Liyue.
As he spoke, he pointed directly at Xiao—the one who stood about a meter and a half tall and looked the most like a child.
Seeing this, Ei was speechless. Barbatos nearly choked on his wine. "Eh heh—interesting!" Even the usually aloof Zhongli's hand trembled slightly as he played with his bird. When had his greatest general, Alatus the yaksha, become a child?
Yae Miko: "Hehe."
Diluc: "…"
Tartaglia breathed a sigh of relief—at least it wasn't him, or there'd be another mess. But he could already predict that this arrogant giant was in for big trouble.
Beside them, Lumine and Paimon, who knew Xiao, stared in disbelief. What was happening in this world?
Among everyone present, the most annoyed was Xiao himself. As a being who had guarded Liyue for millennia, where was he small?
The atmosphere instantly froze. But Itto, never one to read the room, didn't notice. He saw the stunned faces and assumed the gods and foxes were all awed by his overwhelming presence. He even smirked to himself.
When he saw Xiao's uncomfortable expression, he thought the kid was just shy. He laughed heartily. "Haha, come on, a man shouldn't be so timid! If you don't want to answer here, let's step outside and talk."
Itto's plan was simple: take Xiao outside, show off his sumo skills, win Xiao over, and then recruit him into the Arataki Gang. A flawless plan.
Xiao: "???"
In the past, he would have pierced this arrogant giant with his Primordial Jade Winged-Spear. But after hearing the stories of his brothers Hepuyuan and Bosacius, he had grown more composed. Still, his small hands gripped his spear tightly, ready to end Itto then and there.
Just as he was about to raise his spear, Zhongli reached out and stopped him, his expression flat. "Take it outside. Don't damage the inn."
Xiao nodded. "Understood."
With that, he rose from his chair, spear in hand, and followed Itto outside.
Seeing the situation escalating, Lumine tried to stop Itto. "Idiot, his name is Xiao, he's not—"
Before she could finish, Yae Miko interrupted with a sly smile. "Traveler, sit down and have some tea. There's good wine and good tea here."
She leaned in and whispered, "Don't worry. It's just a little lesson."
Lumine and Paimon were speechless. Was this really okay? Watching Itto's cheerful expression and Xiao's spear-wielding figure, Lumine couldn't help but worry.
Yae Miko added, "Relax. That guy's tough. He's famous in Inazuma for being useless at everything but taking a beating."
Lumine had nothing more to say. Though Itto was her friend, Xiao was too. She could only pray that Xiao would go easy on him and that Itto wouldn't get beaten too badly.