Book 4: The Winds of Change

Final Chapter: Let The Wind Lead


One day left before departing to Liyue...

Mondstadt City, Team XDR Base, Bedroom

Daytime

"So Eula-kun, Beidou-kun and Yanfei-kun has joined Team XDR last night?" Genjuro said from the holo-screen used by Zeo's Zikan Phone. He's also joined by Theresa in another holo-screen.

"Yep." Zeo nodded with Akira, Gaius, and even Gunvolt and Joule right beside him. "These three will be a great help to the team, especially Beidou since she has her own ship."

"Eula too due to her backstory, not to mention how strong she is with her Cryo and claymore skills." Gaius added. "We really need her to make friends with people she can truly trust and not to be hated."

"That's understandable." Theresa noted.

"I heard from Yanfei that Beidou slayed a leviathan without the need of a Vision." Akira added. "Seriously, this captain is a badass and well deserving to have a Vision for her bravery and courage."

"Wow." Theresa blinked in surprise. "I think Major Himeko might get along with her considering how strong she is. Even though she drinks liquor."

"Don't worry, Beidou can handle her liquor... I hope." Gaius replied.

"By the way, why did you call me and Joule here?" Gunvolt asked the commanders. "I thought it was only Zeo, Gaius and Akira."

"It's about your Metal Attacker." Genjuro replied. "Our scientists led by Tesla-kun and Ciel-kun has finished with the examinations. And unfortunately, we can't unlock the hidden features of the MA. We'll need the original chips in order to unlock them."

"How many chips do we need?" Joule asked.

"Not entirely sure." Theresa answered. "We don't know how many abilities the tank can use, but I gotta admit, it really does become the most powerful tank once all of its features are unlocked."

"Which leads us to our other reason why we called GV and Joule-kun here." Genjuro continued. "We need them to return to Earth to prepare for the next mission."

"Huh?!" The group exclaimed.

"The Neo Time Jackers are continuously on the move, so we need to start moving too before we get left behind." Theresa stated. "That said, we've detected another Gjallarhorn fragment." Another holo-screen appeared beside Theresa, revealing a new world that's similar to Earth, but with several differences, until the holo-screen showed something familiar which surprised the group with wide eyes.

"Is that... a Metal Attacker?!" Zeo exclaimed, noticing a red battle-tank on the holo-screen.

"Correct." Theresa confirmed. "Last night, one of our unused Gjallarhorn Ridewatches began to glow. Copen was curious about why it glowed so suddenly, so he chose to slot it into S.O.N.G's main computer to see what's up. And that's how we're able to detect the next fragment and what the next world is. According to the data, it's a version of Earth from a universe called Blaster Master. In the past, endless human conflicts had plunged the Earth into a new ice age. In order to survive, the human race fled below the planet's surface and built an underground ecosystem. During the time, a strange meteor fell onto Earth, but it goes unnoticed due to humanity focusing its efforts on restoring the planet. After several hundred years, humans have successfully restored the surface of the Earth and abandoned their underground world for the ages."

"Whoa..." The group responded.

"That explains the MA." Zeo mused. "The Blaster Master universe, huh?"

"So that's why you need me back because I can drive that MA we've brought back several days ago." Gunvolt realized, earning a nod from the commanders.

"I guess that makes me GV's co-pilot for the MA which is the other reason you need me back." Joule guessed, earning another nod from them.

"Wait a minute... the humans ignored the crashed meteor for hundreds of years?" Gaius questioned. "Why do I get the feeling that's going to bite them in the ass?"

"Well... it already did. Look at this." Theresa replied, changing the holo-screen next to her, now showing strange mutated creatures roaming around underground sectors of the Earth.

"What the heck...?" Akira gasped, with the others feeling the same way. "Are those... mutants...?"

"Wait..." Gunvolt narrowed his eyes towards the mutants, before his eyes widen in realization. "Those are the mutants I fought in my weird dream when I was driving the MA!"

"Is that so?" Gaius asked with a raised eyebrow, earning a nod from Gunvolt. "How far were you able to go before you woke up from your dream?"

"I only got to explore the first sector. From what I could remember, it looked like an underground forest area." Gunvolt recalled. "The sector was crawling with mutants, so I had to destroy them with the MA until I reach a dungeon where I could hopefully find the one responsible for attacking the sector. But the moment I went inside the dungeon, my dream ended and I woke up in bed."

"An underground forest area..." Zeo repeated with his hand on his chin. "If I were to guess, the mutants must've taken over the entire underground ecosystem once all of the humans left for the surface."

"And as for where those mutants came from... it's gotta be because of that crashed meteor." Akira stated. "Those humans left that meteor alone for so long, which allowed the mutants living inside the meteor to grow until the right time to strike."

"Whoa..." Joule responded. "Are you guys sure that's what happened?"

"Well we did watch plenty of anime, movies and games to know some plot points, and leaving that meteor alone is definitely a no-go." Gaius stated.

"I see." Gunvolt noted. "If that's the case, then they should've destroyed that meteor from the beginning before they can continue restoring the planet."

"Well... too late now." Zeo shrugged before gesturing at the holo-screen showing the mutants. "And this is what happens."

"Wow, you guys really do have some amazing foresight when it comes to disasters." Theresa remarked.

"And this is why remembering important anime and movie plot points are essential for survival." Genjuro stated. "Well then, GV, Joule, will you return to Earth to prepare for the mission in the Blaster Master universe?"

"Zeo?" Gunvolt asked the Rider.

"Well... Genjuro is right about one thing, we need to start moving too before we get left behind by those Time Jackers." Zeo replied before nodding. "Okay, GV, Joule. You have my permission."

"Understood." Gunvolt nodded.

"It's too bad, though." Joule sighed in disappointment. "I really wanted to go to Liyue Harbor to see the Rite of Descension and meet the Geo Archon in person."

"Sorry, Joule." Gunvolt apologized. "Tell you what, when we're done with the mission, let's head for Liyue and see the sights. There might be some places worth visiting. Sounds good?"

"Hmm..." Joule pondered for a moment before nodding. "Okay, GV. I'll give it a shot. But we must stay alive during the mission, or we'll never get that chance."

"Don't worry. With the two of us working together, nothing will stand in our way." Gunvolt smirked, offering a fist-bump.

"Hehe! Well said, GV." Joule smiled back and accepted the fist-bump.

"Hmm..." Gaius began to ponder with his hand on his chin, earning everyone's attention.

"Something up, Gaius?" Zeo asked.

"Well... I was wondering if I should go with GV and Joule to the Blaster Master universe."

"What?!" Zeo and Akira exclaimed.

"You'll never know if an Another Rider might pop up in that universe, so someone needs to keep an eye out for that." Gaius stated. "And besides, you've got plenty of allies joining on your trip to Liyue. I think you guys can handle things during my absence."

"I see..." Akira noted. "Though you're also going to miss the Rite of Descension if you go with GV and Joule."

"Meh, it's fine." Gaius shrugged. "There's always next time... if there is a next time."

"...Very well then, buddy." Zeo replied. "Though honestly, there's gonna be plenty of route splits to cover more ground for hunting those Gjallarhorn fragments."

"Exactly." Gaius nodded. "Don't worry though, I'll pay a visit to Liyue once the mission's over."

"Take your time, we're gonna be in Liyue for quite a long while." Zeo smiled. "And hopefully have another Team XDR Base stationed there with a Trans Server included."

"You'd better. I don't want to fly from Mondstadt to Liyue all the time."

"We'll be sure to get the Trans Server constructed in Liyue before your mission ends." Akira assured.

"Good. I'm counting on you two." Gaius smiled back.

"Looks like the decision is final." Genjuro surmised. "Gaius-kun, GV and Joule will return to Earth, correct?"

"Yup." Gaius confirmed as he, Gunvolt and Joule nodded. "We'll do that after the Dimensional Gateway is finished. Should be done in the evening, according to Einstein and Elfnein."

"Though maybe we should give them a hand to speed up the process." Gunvolt suggested.

"Good idea." Joule agreed.

"Do remember that I'm planning to go to Teyvat once the gateway is up and running." Theresa informed. "Just let me know when it's done so we can get started."

"Yes, ma'am!" The group complied with a salute.

"With that said, Gaius-kun, GV, Joule-kun, see you back in Japan." Genjuro said.

"And I'll see you guys in Mondstadt this evening." Theresa said to Zeo and Akira before the holo-screens vanished, prompting Zeo to put away his phone.

"So, what next?" Akira asked.

"Before coming here, the others are waiting in the Dining Room deciding on who's going to Liyue, who's going back to Japan, and who's staying in Mondstadt." Gunvolt answered. "Though our honorary members, along with Sucrose, Miriam, Aether, Lumine and Paimon, are busy with their own things. Also, Yanfei went to the library with Woz guiding her, while Beidou went back to her ship for a moment."

"Oh yeah, I remember Kiana and Fu Hua planning to ask Zeo about that." Joule recalled. "They were going to do it yesterday, but we were having a party for our newest members."

"I see." Zeo noted. "Well then, let's not keep them waiting." Afterwards, they left the bedroom.


Dining Room

Once Zeo, Akira, Gaius, Gunvolt and Joule arrived in the Dining Room, most of the group are busy debating on who's going and who's staying. Zeo then gave a loud whistle, earning everyone's attention.

"Oh, hey guys." Kiana greeted them. "What were you guys doing earlier?"

"Sharing a report to the commanders involving our newest members of the team." Zeo replied. "Also, there's an announcement to make."

"What is it?" Noelle asked.

Gaius, Gunvolt and Joule stepped forward before Gaius began speaking. "Another Gjallarhorn fragment has been detected in another world, so GV, Joule and myself need to return to the Symphogear world to prepare for the excursion."

"What?!" The group responded.

"You're not going to Liyue?" Miku questioned. "That means you'll miss the Rite of Descension!"

"I know, but the Neo Time Jackers are continuously on the move, so we need to get moving too." Gaius replied.

"Which is why Gaius, Joule and I need to head back to Earth to prepare. The mission comes first, after all." Gunvolt added.

"But we'll head for Liyue once the mission is over. And besides, we can meet the Geo archon next time." Joule also added.

"Well... if that's the reason why, then I'll respect your choice." Maria replied. "If we ignore the fragment detection for too long, it will be too late to find it."

"Exactly. We need to get that fragment before the Time Jackers do." Zeo replied back before turning to Kiana and Fu Hua. "Now then, I believe you two are going to ask which members of our team will go to Liyue or not?"

"Correct." Fu Hua replied. "Some of us had already made our decisions, however."

"Such as?"

"Kiana and I will head for Liyue." Fu Hua declared with Kiana nodding.

"Miku and I will also be going to Liyue." Hibiki also declared with Miku nodding. "I really want to see what the nation looks like since it reminded me of China."

"We had to pay a visit to the library yesterday to know what Liyue is like." Miku added.

"I'm going with Hibiki-chan and Miku-chan this time." Kanade declared.

"I'm going with them too, dess!" Kirika added cheerfully.

"I think I'll also go to Liyue with the others." Chris also added. "Beidou told me about some strong creatures that are only found in that nation. I think they're called Geovishaps."

"Geovishaps, huh?" Gaius repeated. "Think you can handle them?"

"I'll be the judge of that." Chris smirked with confidence. "And I'll also take photos of them for Elfnein to study. Speaking of which, she's joining our trip too."

"I'm guessing the reason for that is to build a Trans Server for our base in Liyue?" Zeo guessed, earning a nod from Chris. "Okay then."

"Right... So far, Kiana, Fu Hua, Hibiki, Miku, Chris, Kanade, Kirika and Elfnein are going to Liyue alongside Aether, Lumine, Paimon, Miriam, Zeo and myself." Akira surmised.

"The ones staying in Mondstadt will be me and Kallen." Regina declared. "I've already confirmed it to Kiana-chan and Hibiki-chan."

"I shall also stay in Mondstadt." Maria added. "I can always return to Earth anytime once the gateway is ready for use. Maybe bring along Serena to Mondstadt if she's okay with it."

"You'll be fine without my help, Kiana. Leave Mondstadt to me, Regina and the others. We'll support Jean however we could." Kallen assured.

"Best of luck, Kallen. And don't worry about me, I'll be alright." Kiana smiled before turning to Mei. "What about you, Mei? Are you staying or going?"

"Actually... I'll be heading back to the Symphogear world to train more." Mei declared. "I need to be ready for Inazuma in the future."

"Oh, that." Kiana replied. "You wanted to pay a visit to the Raiden Shogun, right?"

"Mm." Mei nodded. "I wanted to ask her why the Vision Hunt Decree and the Sakoku Decree is formed. I need to know about those from her personally."

"I see." Hibiki noted. "Well I hope you can convince her somehow."

"But sometimes words are not enough. You might eventually have to fight her." Tsubasa stated to Mei.

"Oi, Tsubasa. Isn't that a bit too direct?" Kanade questioned.

"No Kanade-san, she's right." Mei interjected. "I need to be cautiously ready for her, but considering that she's the shogun of Inazuma, I have a lot of training to do. I should see Yae Sakura to observe my progress, and to also ask her to join me for the trip to Inazuma."

"Asking Sakura to go to Inazuma with you?" Kallen raised her eyebrow. "Well... it does suit her since she's a shrine maiden, not to mention Inazuma resembling feudal Japan."

"Anyway, best of luck, Mei. You have my support." Kiana smiled.

"Thanks, Kiana-chan." Mei smiled back. "I'll be sure to visit Liyue with you if I'm free." She then turned to Tsubasa. "By the way Tsubasa-san, I was hoping if you could join me to go to Inazuma?"

"M-Me?" Tsubasa blinked.

"Well that nation suits someone like you since you act like a sentinel most of the time." Kanade pointed out.

"Kanade does have a point there." Maria agreed.

"But if I'm going with Mei, I need to be prepared." Tsubasa stated.

"Correct, which is why the both of us are going to train together." Mei replied.

"...I see." Tsubasa noted. "Very well Mei, I'll accept your offer."

"Thanks, Tsubasa-san." Mei smiled back. "I guess that means you're coming with me back to Japan."

"Mm." Tsubasa nodded.

"Just try not to get into trouble while I'm away." Kanade said to her partner.

"The same goes for you too, Kanade." Tsubasa replied with a smile, making her smile back.

"I'll keep an eye on Tsubasa from time to time." Maria said to Kanade.

"Thank you, Maria." Kanade smiled back.

"Hmm..." Akira pondered with her hand on her chin, earning everyone's attention.

"Something up, sis?" Zeo asked.

"Just one." Akira replied before turning to Noelle. "Noelle, how's about you come with us to Liyue?"

"M-Me?!" Noelle stuttered in shock. "Are you sure about that?"

"Well yeah. I mean you do have a Geo Vision, so I figured if you wanted to meet the Geo archon in person." Akira stated. "That, and this could be your chance to explore beyond Mondstadt. You may not be a Favonius Knight yet, but you're our knight for Team XDR."

"Akira..." Noelle whispered.

"Akira's got a point there." Gaius agreed. "It would be a real missed opportunity if you chose to stay in Mondstadt. If I were you, I'd go with her. And besides, this will also help you learn more about the world, all the while strengthening your resolve to protect it."

"Gaius..."

"So, what do you say, Noelle?" Zeo asked, offering a hand. "Wanna go to Liyue with us?"

Noelle took a moment to look at the others, who nodded in encouragement. If she wants to become a true knight like Master Jean, then she needed to learn more about the world of Teyvat. So... perhaps a change in scenery might give her some ideas on how to become a true knight. With her mind made up, she approached Zeo and shook his hand with a smile. "Very well, Zeo. I shall go to Liyue with you and your friends."

"Thanks, Noelle." Zeo smiled back before releasing the handshake. "Don't worry, this trip will be worth it."

"I sure hope so."

"Anyway, that's all for now. Continue your daily activities, everyone." Zeo declared to the group.

"Okay, time to help Elfnein with the gateway." Gaius also declared before heading for the basement. "Come one, GV, Joule."

"Right behind you." Gunvolt replied as he and Joule went after him.

"Call us when it's time for dinner." Joule said to the group.

"Got it." Akira replied with a thumbs up.


Once Zeo and Akira changed into Kamen Rider Zi-O and Cure Starlight, they left the base and head towards the gate to begin exploring. As they walked across the stone bridge, they saw Beidou, along with a woman with fair skin right next to her, who just finished packing a few things inside a bag on the ground before reading a book. "Hey, Beidou!" Zi-O greeted, earning their attention.

"Hey, good morning you two." Beidou greeted back. "Planning to go exploring before the big day tomorrow?"

"Yup." Starlight replied as she and Zi-O nodded. "It's our last day in Mondstadt so we're going to explore as much as we could, looking for treasure, hunting monsters, you know, the usual."

"Good luck with that." Beidou replied back, before gesturing to the woman next to her. "Anyway, I wanted to introduce someone to you two. Her name is Mona, and she-"

"If you're going to introduce me, at least do it properly." The woman named Mona interrupted in an annoyed tone before turning to Zi-O and Starlight. "I am Astrologist Mona Megistus. But considering that it is most rude to misremember names, I allow others to call me Mona. I am on a mission from my master to retrieve a certain box from Mondstadt."

Mona has pale, sea green eyes, along with long dark purple hair with an uneven fringe tied up with black ribbons into two twintails, along with two gold compass rose ornaments clamped onto the tips. Her accessories consists of a gold earring designed to resemble a compass rose on her left ear, and a black choker necklace. She's also wearing a blue-purple witch hat, adorned with gold compass rose decals and ornaments. Her outfit consists of a low-cut blue-purple backless leotard with a detached blue-purple sleeves on her forearms and black gloves, along with a short blue-purple cloak, buttoned with a gold compass rose ornament hanging above her chest. Her Hydro Vision also is mounted on the back of her cloak. Lastly, she wears black translucent tights decorated with four-pointed stars.

"An astrologist, huh?" Zi-O repeated. "Neat. I'm Kamen Rider Zi-O and this is Cure Starlight, my sister."

"Nice to meet you, Mona." Starlight greeted with a smile. "So, what kind of box are you talking about?

"It was part of an agreement she made with a friend 50 years ago. But she isn't as spry as she used to be, so it's now up to me." Mona explained.

"Must be something special hiding in that box." Zi-O remarked. "Anything else?"

"I would also like to take on the guardian of the box. My master and her friend contended in the mystic arts all their lives without a clear victor. If I triumph here, then I will show myself to be superior to my master!"

"Ah, I see. So you wanted to prove yourself." Akira noted.

"Ahem." Mona cleared her throat. "Well, I want to prove the power and status of astrology, to be precise."

"And I thought it was to look good." Beidou smirked.

"W-What are you talking about?!" Mona retorted. "The main thing here is to use this chance to prove the power and status of astrology!"

"Whatever you say, Mona." Beidou shrugged.

"Anyway..." Mona continued. "From my predictions, I know that my master's friend has left Mondstadt, leaving her successor as the current guardian of that box. Like me, that successor must also be the one who has surpassed their teacher. I must not be careless. But I would prefer to assure my victory in this contest, and upon giving it some thought, a certain Honorary Knight came to mind!"

"Aether?!" Zi-O and Starlight exclaimed, knowing who she's referring to.

"I take it he's a friend of yours? And yes, I've known about his exploits using my astrology."

"Y-Yeah... pretty much." Zi-O replied while still in shock.

"By the way..." Beidou spoke up. "After I escorted Mona to the stone bridge from the Alcor, we ran into Aether, Lumine and Paimon, and they brought along a young elf named Klee."

"Wait, Klee?" Starlight blinked. "Guess she's free from solitary confinement."

"Say what?" Beidou raised an eyebrow.

"Long story."

"Speaking of Klee..." Mona spoke up. "...she's the current guardian of the box that I've been looking for. I should know because her mother is Alice, and she happens to be a friend of my master."

"Wow." Zi-O responded. "Are you serious?"

"My astrology never lies. Though to be honest, I never expected the guardian of the box to be so... young."

"Well, looks can be deceiving." Starlight pointed out, before noticing the bag on the ground next to Mona. "By the way, is that your bag?"

"Oh no, these are some of Klee's things." Mona answered. "She had to take these out in order to find the box I was looking for, that is until she remembered where the box was placed; Windrise."

"Aether, Lumine and Paimon went with Klee to go look for the box in Windrise." Beidou added before glancing at the book Mona's holding. "Though that book dropped from Klee's backpack as she went off."

"I had intended to read this book to pass the time while we wait for their return, but this one was just some ridiculous diary. Nothing of note in it at all." Mona said before continuing to read said book she's holding. "I thought it might contain some ancient knowledge, but..."

"Uh... Mona? Maybe you shouldn't read that without asking for permission first, especially if it's a diary." Starlight advised with a raised finger.

"True, but I was a bit curious to see what Klee is reading."

"Hey! We're back!"

"Took them long enough." Mona stopped reading as the group noticed Aether, Lumine, Paimon and Klee arriving.

"Hello travelers!" Starlight greeted the arrivals with a wave.

"Hey Starlight! Zi-O!" Paimon waved back.

"Oh! It's you two!" Klee smiled as she approached Zi-O and Starlight. "Are you two about to go adventuring today?"

"We were about to, until we ran into Beidou and Mona." Zi-O replied. "Good to see you out of solitary confinement, Klee."

"Mhm!" Klee nodded cheerfully.

"Anyway, Mona told us that you're looking for some kind of box. Did you find it?" Starlight asked.

"Yup! It's in perfect shape!"

"Though we had to deal with some Dendro Slimes before we could find the box." Aether informed.

"But nothing we can't handle." Lumine added with her hands on her hips. "Especially since Klee's a Pyro Vision Bearer, which is Dendro's worse nightmare."

"Now then..." Mona approached the Spark Knight and gave the small bag back to her which contained her belongings. "Here are your things. You forgot to put them back into your backpack."

"Oh, thank you!" Klee thanked her as she took the bag, placed it back into her backpack, and then took out an open box and showed it to Mona. "And here's your box!"

"Thank you." Mona nodded as she looked at the box, before blinking several times in confusion when said box... had nothing on it. "What the... W-Why isn't it locked?! And... why is it empty!?"

"Huh?" The group blinked.

"Well... it's because I borrowed this box to store my treasures." Klee replied.

"B-Borrowed?!" Mona exclaimed.

"But since you're here for the box, I took all my treasures out. That's why it's empty."

"You used it to store your things?! T-Then where are the original contents of the box? That's what I want!"

"You want the thing that used to be in the box?" Klee repeated before realization sets in. "Oh...! You should've said so!"

"You haven't... broken it, have you?"

"No, it's not broken at all!" Klee shook her head, making Mona sigh with relief. "It's the book in your hand!"

"..." Mona blinked several times before looking at said book she's still holding.

"..."

"..."

"I think this is the part where we cover our ears." Beidou said as she covered her ears before the others (except Klee) quickly did the same thing.

"WHAAAAT!?"

"Yep, there it is." Beidou deadpanned as she and the others moved their hands away from their ears.

"T-This... So this book, this diary... is that hag's... It's her diary from 50 years ago?!" Mona stuttered in complete shock and horror. "The thing she wanted back after 50 years was the dark history of her youth?!" She then dropped the book as she went down on her knees and looked up with a depressing aura around her. "That's it... I'm finished! No wonder... No wonder that old woman said that I should not look at it no matter what, or she'd rip me to shreds..."

"...I'm out of words to say. She's screwed." Zi-O admitted.

"I did not expect that book to be a diary from her master of all people. That makes it even more painful." Starlight also admitted before nodding. "Yep, definitely screwed."

"Am... Am I in trouble?" Klee asked.

"Wait, Klee... that's not-" Lumine spoke up.

"Ah! It was you who said you wanted the box! You didn't say anything about the thing inside! I don't know anything! I-I'm leaving! Bye!" Klee panicked before running back to the city.

"...There's no point getting mad at Klee. She's too young and innocent to know what is right and wrong." Aether remarked.

"I guess you're right." Beidou agreed. "Still can't help but feel sorry for the kid."

"Umm..." Paimon spoke to Mona. "Well, if you don't say anything, your master won't find out, will she?"

"That's impossible." Mona replied, picking up the book and stood up. "Astrology can see through all lies, Beidou's seen it herself."

"She's not wrong." Beidou confirmed. "She was able to notice some wandering bandits lying to us while we're on our way to Mondstadt earlier. And she kicked their asses with her Hydromancy in response."

Mona sighed. "After having spent all my Mora to come to Mondstadt, not only have I gained no knowledge, but now I can't return... How did it come to this..."

"I guess there's things that are beyond controllable." Starlight answered. "Maybe you could forget everything in that book, and then go back home?"

"That's... too difficult. And even if I wanted to stay in Mondstadt, it would be..."

"Too embarrassing?" Lumine guessed.

"Yes." Mona nodded sadly. "How can I maintain a proper astrologist's mentality if I stay with all these philistines?"

"Guess there's no other option but to go back and face your master, Mona." Zi-O said.

"S-Stop talking about it!" Mona retorted before pondering. "I... I guess I'll have to... I'll just have to stay in Mondstadt temporarily. Once that old crone's reached the end of her days, I'll be free."

"Temporary, huh?" Beidou deadpanned.

"Really, Mona? That's the best resolution you could think of?" Lumine mentally questioned.

"But what will I do about my astrology research? ...No, wait, I don't even have a place to stay." Mona pondered.

"Hmm..." Starlight began to ponder with her hand on her chin before turning to Beidou. "Beidou, could you tell us how you and Mona first met?"

"Oh, that. It happened yesterday morning after we left Liyue Harbor in the Alcor." Beidou explained. "While we're on our way to find a place to land in the Mondstadt region, one of my crew spotted Mona unconscious at a beach. We decided to bring her into the ship to help her out before those monsters do. Turns out that she hasn't had any food for a long time, not to mention completely broke. After feeding her, she introduced herself and requested us to take her to Mondstadt in search of a box. After we accepted her request, she immediately head for the cabin to take a long nap and then told us not to disturb until further notice. And once we landed in the Mondstadt region, Yanfei wanted to search the area for possible materials and food not found in Liyue. And I think you guys know the story beyond that."

"Yep, pretty much." Zi-O replied as he and the others (except Mona) nodded, remembering the events of yesterday. "And that's how we met you and Yanfei."

"I cannot believe I've overslept this long, not realizing that I've arrived in Mondstadt since yesterday afternoon." Mona admitted. "By the time I woke up, it was already late night so there's no point on finding the guardian of the box at that time of night, so I went back to sleep just before Beidou returned to the ship. And when I woke up this morning, she told me about the events that happened yesterday, especially when she mentioned the Visionless group fighting the Fatui while rescuing Yanfei."

"Wait, you told her that?" Starlight questioned the pirate captain.

"She did her astrology in front of me to prove that I'm not lying." Beidou answered. "Speaking of which, she also did the same thing to Aether, Lumine and Paimon earlier, and guess what, she knew these three are not from Teyvat."

"What?!" Zi-O and Starlight exclaimed with wide eyes.

"Speaking of the ones not from this world..." Mona then glanced at Zi-O and Starlight. "You two. I can sense that you have powers that are not from Teyvat. If you two could hold still for-"

"There's no need for that astrology test, Mona." Zi-O interrupted, raising his hand in front of the astrologist. "Yes, my sister and I are not from Teyvat. We're just passing through dimensional travelers for a very important mission."

"Dimensional travelers? Important mission?" Mona repeated.

"Wait a minute." Paimon spoke to Zi-O and Starlight. "You're gonna tell her about your mission?"

"Her astrology can detect lies from people. So there's no point lying about it if she's able to figure us out." Zi-O pointed out.

"Mona, what we're about to reveal is top secret which could determine the fate of not just Teyvat, but the other worlds as well." Starlight warned.

"The other worlds? What kind of fate? Are they in danger?" Mona asked, earning a nod from the group.

"Trust me, I also knew about their secret since they helped me rescue my friend yesterday, and let me tell you, it's really serious." Beidou warned.

"...I see." Mona frowned before nodding. "Very well, but it would be wise to explain at somewhere private."

"Let's head back to our base in Mondstadt. We'll explain everything inside." Zi-O instructed.

"Understood."

"I think you guys can handle things from here. I'm gonna go head back to my ship to check up on a few things. Call me if you need anything, okay?" Beidou said before heading out with a wave. "See ya!"

"See ya, Beidou!" Lumine waved back.

"Now then, please lead the way." Mona said to the Rider, who nodded before everyone went back inside the city.


While they were walking at the market district, Sara from Good Hunter called them. "Hey, Honorary Knight and friends! Could you come over here for a second?"

"Oh, hey Sara." Aether responded as he and the others gained the waitress' attention and approached her. "Something's up?"

"I have something I'd like the Knights of Favonius to do for me, and I want you to pass on my request to the Acting Grand Master." Sara requested.

"Master Jean? What was the request?" Lumine asked.

"Well... Good Hunter's been so busy lately. And unfortunately, it's right in this busy season that the route between here and Springvale, which is used for the delivery of our ingredients, seems to have been occupied by the hilichurls. The problem is that the suppliers in Springvale say that deliveries have nothing to do with them, they're just responsible for selling us the ingredient."

"Huh, well that's a problem." Starlight remarked. "So you need help from the Knights to clear the road, correct?"

"Yes, that would be great if they can help us." Sara nodded. "So please ask Master Jean to send a party to clear out the hilichurls from the road to Springvale."

"Sure thing." Aether accepted.

"Phew, help at last." Sara sighed with relief. "With Jean on the case, this'll be solved in no time. Thank you."

"Seems like everyone really trusts the Acting Grand Master." Mona commented.

"Well it does makes sense since she's in charge of Mondstadt City." Zi-O pointed out.

"Oh, I nearly forgot. Charles the bartender said he's been having some trouble too. Why don't you stop by and see him on the way?" Sara requested. "He's outside Angel's Share at the moment."

"Fine. In for a penny, in for a pound is the Paimon way... but this is really stretching the definition of 'on the way' in my opinion." Paimon replied before the group left.


Once they arrive at Angel's Share, they met the man named Charles and began talking to him. "Huh? Who the hell are you people?" Charles asked the group.

"I'm Aether, the Honorary Knight for the Knights of Favonius, and these are my friends." Aether introduced. "Sara from Good Hunter told us to find you since you're having trouble so we were hoping if you needed help."

"Sara, huh? Guess you must be the Acting Grand Master's new hot-spot helpers."

"Uh..." Paimon responded. "That's one way of putting it, but-"

"Great. Tell Jean I need my quarterly tax return forms then." Charles requested. "It's time to get Elzer onto doing the accounts again. I must say though, the tax rate on alcohol in Mondstadt is pretty steep."

"Do you really need to get Jean involved with stuff like this?" Zi-O questioned.

"That's mostly down to Master Diluc's successful business model. You know how rich the Dawn Winery is."

"Why are the accounts with Jean? Does she do bookkeeping now too?" Starlight asked.

"Acting Grand Master Jean personally goes over all the accounts. After all, the wine industry is Mondstadt's main source of income. Jean takes great pains to make sure no detail is overlooked."

"Huh, didn't know about that. I guess Master Jean's jobs are a lot harder than I thought." Lumine commented.

"The Acting Grand Master's hard work indeed makes our lives a whole lot easier. We're certainly very lucky, but... to put it bluntly, we just take it for granted that that's the norm now."

"How are you able to sleep at night knowing how much pressure you put Master Jean under?" Mona questioned.

Charles sighed in response. "When you put it like that, I do feel quite ashamed... I suppose I should give her one on the house next time she's here. Although... I doubt the Acting Grand Master even has the time to spare for that."

"Sounds like a poor excuse to deny Jean a free drink." Paimon commented before the group left.

"You know guys, I really think Jean needs to rest and let some of her Knights do these requests instead." Zi-O stated.

"Yeah." Aether nodded. "I'm really getting worried about her. It might also stress her out even more."

"Maybe some of us can help the Knights deal with those requests instead." Lumine suggested.

"Not a bad idea." Starlight agreed. "We're already prepared to go to Liyue tomorrow, so we should have some free time to do those requests considering how many team members we have. Although I'm not good with the accounting stuff."

"Yeah, neither am I." Zi-O said. "Maybe someone from the Knights of Favonius knows how to do that kind of job."

"Wait. You mean there's more besides the five of you?" Mona asked the group.

"Yup!" Paimon nodded. "At first it was Aether and Paimon, and then came Lumine and the rest of her new friends. Paimon's surprised at how many friends she has made."

"Hmm..." Mona hummed. "It seems there's more than meets the eye for you outlanders. Is it because of that mission of yours?"

"Mm." Zi-O nodded. "We'll explain once we reach our base. But after meeting Sara and Charles earlier, we're gonna have to put that explanation on hold until after meeting with Jean."

"Actually, how's about I go and see Jean instead?" Starlight suggested. "The rest of you can head for our base to explain to Mona."

"Seems like a good idea." Mona agreed. "But I get the feeling that you should bring along a friend just in case something else happens."

"...Good point." Starlight noted. "Aether, Paimon, wanna come with?"

"Sure!/Got it." Paimon and Aether replied.

"Okay sis, I'll leave the rest to you. Call me if you need anything!" Zi-O said before he and Lumine escorted Mona to Team XDR Base.

"See you later!" Lumine waved at the three as they went their separate ways.


Favonius HQ, Jean's Office

*Knock! Knock! Knock!*

"Hello? Jean? It's us! Permission to enter?" Starlight called out from behind the door.

"O-Oh... Akira... You can come in please." Jean approved before coughing while Starlight, Aether and Paimon entered the room and closed the door before gasping in shock at the Acting Grand Master's state. "Sorry... I was just daydreaming for a moment." She said to the group. "And... I see Aether and Paimon are with you this time. So... how can I assist?"

"Actually, it's not us who need your help. It's a bunch of other people." Paimon replied.

"I see... Well... thank you for your service to the people of Mondstadt." Jean replied back before coughing again, which made them worry. "I have made a note of these commissions in my files and I will... make arrangements... accordingly..."

"Jean, I think you should take a break instead." Starlight suggested. "You're coughing, your face looks messed up, you are clearly not looking well today."

"Starlight's right." Aether added. "How about you let Team XDR handle the requests for you? We'll even ask the other Knights for help."

"A-Are you sure?" Jean asked.

"Don't worry, we're not going anywhere just yet." Starlight assured. "Although we do need to leave for Liyue tomorrow."

"I see... What were... the commissions again?"

"Sara's hilichurls and Charles' tax return. That's all." Paimon answered, before her and the others' eyes widened at what's happening to Jean as she suddenly passed out on her desk. "Jean? Jean?! Jean, are you okay?!"

Starlight approached the Acting Grand Master and touched her forehead. "Ow!" She winced, quickly waving off her hand. "Damn it... it's a high fever!"

"What?!" Aether and Paimon exclaimed.

"Must've gotten too much stress lately without any rest. Let's take her to the cathedral. Barbara should know what to do." Starlight declared. "And Paimon, let my brother know about this. I'm gonna need his help."

"Right!" Aether and Paimon nodded as the latter vanished while the former opened the door and left before Starlight took Jean in a bridal carry and went after him.

As the two left the HQ with Jean in tow, Kaeya and another woman noticed them leaving in a hurry.

"Kaeya... is that Jean along with the cuties?" The woman asked.

"I believe so, Lisa." Kaeya nodded. "If I were to guess, they saw her passed out in her office and chose to take her to the cathedral to request help from Barbara."

The woman named Lisa sighed with her arms crossed. "She should've listened to me after I kept reminding her about resting more. And now look what happened to her."

Lisa has fair skin, green eyes, and wavy, light honey-brown hair which is tied in a loose side ponytail. Her outfit consists of a purple and white dress with open slits at the sides and gold embroidery, along with black gloves with pale purple trim, a large witch's hat, black lace stockings, black high heels, and an earring on one ear. She also wears a gold necklace with her Electro Vision clasped to the collar of her dress. She also has a purple rose on her hat and one on the tie of her ponytail. Lastly, she has a large ornamental golden rose attached on her belt at the hip. This is Lisa Minci, Grand Mage and Librarian of the Favonius Library.

"Well then, it's time to get to work while Jean gets enough rest." Kaeya declared. "Let's go see what the commissions are, and then we can send the Knights to perform them."

Lisa nodded in agreement before the two head for Jean's office to look for the commissions.


Team XDR Base

"And that's all you need to know about Team XDR and our mission, Mona." Zeo with his helmet off, finished his explanation about the events that happened so far and about Team XDR's motives. Lumine and Noelle are also with them.

"I see... That explains why my astrology and the stars became strange all of a sudden several days ago." Mona frowned. "Those Dimensional Quakes caused by the shattered Gjallarhorn fragments are the cause of all of this. And those Neo Time Jackers... how dare they try to disrupt the balance of the multiverse. This cannot go unpunished!"

"Now you know how serious our mission is." Lumine stated. "That's why we're recruiting reliable and trustful allies to help with our fight against them."

"And to think you and Sucrose are caught up with a Dimensional Quake in Teyvat that sent you to another world." Mona said to the maid knight.

"We didn't expect something like that to happen, to be honest." Noelle admitted.

"At least you and Sucrose are safe and sound."

"So Mona, will you join the Rebellion? Your astrology and Hydromancy will prove useful for our fight against the Time Jackers." Zeo offered a handshake.

"Hmm..." Mona pondered for a moment with her hand on her chin. "Before I accept your offer, there's something I need."

"Is it Mora? Food? Shelter?" Lumine guessed.

"Yes... I mean, no! I mean... okay it's all of them, but this last one is even more important!" Mona stuttered. "I need a magic laboratory to conduct my astrology research."

"I'll see what I can do." Zeo nodded. "Maybe I should ask Woz and Elfnein about making that lab since they have enough materials to make one. But I'm gonna need your help to know which of the materials is useful for your astrology research."

"Very well, I can do that." Mona accepted with a nod before shaking the Rider's hand. "You have yourself a deal, Zeo Naotora."

"Welcome to Xross Drive Rebellion, Mona!" Lumine smiled, until Paimon appeared in the room, earning everyone's attention. "Paimon?"

"We've got trouble! Big trouble!" Paimon informed.

"What's wrong?" Zeo asked as he put his helmet back on.

"It's Master Jean! She's passed out with a high fever!"

"What?!" The group exclaimed.

"Master Jean is sick?!" Noelle gasped with her hands over her mouth.

"When did this happen?" Mona asked.

"It was after we told her about the commissions earlier, though she was coughing a lot lately." Paimon replied.

"Damn it, she overworked herself without taking a break. I knew that's gonna bite her in the ass someday." Zi-O muttered. "Where is she now?"

"Starlight and Aether are taking her to the cathedral to see Barbara. They should be already there by now."

"But the commissions..." Lumine recalled.

"I think one of the knight captains should've noticed Master Jean's condition while she's taken to the cathedral." Mona said. "It won't be long before they will take action in her absence."

"I see." Zi-O noted as he stood up from his seat. "But we're not gonna sit here and let the Knights do all of the work. So let's give them a hand."

"What should we do first?" Noelle asked.

"First off, let's meet up with Starlight and Aether." Zi-O began. "After that, we're paying a visit to Kaeya to see if additional help is needed. If so, we're gathering the group here to plan who will perform which commission. Though some of our honorary members should be notified by Kaeya at the moment, so they'll know what to do."

"Then let's go to the cathedral to meet up with Starlight and my brother." Lumine declared.

"Ah, hold on one second." Zi-O briefly took out his Zikan Phone and began sending a text message to someone before putting it away.

"What is that gadget?" Mona asked after noticing said phone.

"Oh, that's a Zikan Phone. It's a special gadget that can contact others from long distances and even beyond worlds." Zi-O answered. "I sent a message to Woz about you joining the team along with your request of a magic lab. He'll also present you with a Zikan Phone for you to use later. And I even texted him about Jean's condition, so he'll take action right away."

"A gadget for me?"

"Trust me, Mona, you'll love it." Zi-O assured with a smile. "Alright, let's move."


Favonius Cathedral

Meanwhile at the cathedral, Starlight and Aether with an unconscious Jean in tow had already met up with Barbara who was shocked at her sister's condition. They immediately took her to the infirmary for her to rest. Barbara stayed with her sister to perform her healing in peace while the others waited at the main hall until further notice.

"I know that Jean will get overworked with stress without taking a break, but still..." Starlight sighed. "Good thing Kiana informed Theresa about Jean's problems beforehand, so it won't be long till she brings along some volunteers to ease off the Acting Grand Master's stress."

"Oh yeah, Kiana told me about that too." Aether remembered. "Not only that, some of our team members are also staying in Mondstadt, right?"

"Yup." Starlight confirmed. "Kallen, Regina and Maria will stay in this city to assist Jean."

"I see. Jean's really trying hard to take care of the city while Grand Master Varka is absent, along with his knights."

"I wonder what kind of expedition Varka and his knights are doing?" Starlight pondered before shrugging. "Guess we'll never know until he comes back."

"Sis! Aether! We're here!" Said the arriving Zi-O with Paimon, Lumine, Mona and Noelle following behind. "Where's Jean?"

"She's at the infirmary at the moment with Barbara taking care of her." Starlight informed. "Right now we're waiting for Barbara to come back to find out about the results."

"I see." Noelle noted. "I sure hope Barbara knows what she's doing. The people of Mondstadt are always relying on Master Jean to solve their problems."

"However, if they rely on her too much, she'll become overstressed to the point that she'll have no time for a break, resulting in what happened to her today." Mona stated.

"Mm." Aether agreed with a nod. "Oh, how's the explanation Zi-O and the others gave you?"

"I've already accepted the offer of joining the Rebellion in exchange of providing a magic laboratory for my astrology research." Mona replied. "The Neo Time Jackers' actions will not go unpunished and we must never let them have those Gjallarhorn fragments."

"Good to know, and welcome to the team." Aether nodded and smiled.

"Hehe, nice to have another team member, right?" Paimon asked, earning a nod from Starlight and Aether.

Soon after, Barbara came out of the infirmary and approached the group, earning their attention. "Oh, I never expected you to visit, Noelle, along with Lumine, Paimon and... two more that I've never met before." Barbara said, glancing at the ones with the maid knight.

"I'm with them, Barbara. Their names are Zi-O and Mona." Noelle replied. "I've heard about Master Jean's illness, so I had to come over and help. How is she feeling right now?"

"I've done enough healing to my sister's body. All she needs now is a nice long rest, and she'll be fine in no time." Barbara informed.

"That's good to know." Lumine replied as the group sighed with relief.

"Aether, Starlight, thank you for bringing my sister here." Barbara bowed with gratitude. "She may have tried to keep soldiering on otherwise."

"It's not a surprise though, she does have a lot to get through every day." Paimon replied.

"She really needs to take a break every once or twice in a while, or something like this will happen again." Mona said.

"I agree." Barbara nodded before sighing. "Poor Jean. She has always been one to push herself too hard while overlooking her own needs. This isn't the first time something like this has happened."

"Why am I not surprised?" Zi-O responded. "She really needs some assistants so she can ease off the stress. Lucky for you, Kiana and Kallen sent a message to Theresa already, so expect plenty of volunteers helping out the Knights."

"Really?"

"Yup." Starlight confirmed with a nod. "Theresa's done stuff like this before since she's a principal at an academy. She and her helpers should arrive somewhere in the evening."

"Phew... thank Barbatos for that..." Barbara sighed with relief.

"Kallen, Regina and Maria are also staying in Mondstadt to provide assistance for Master Jean; while some of us, including myself, will leave for Liyue the next day." Noelle informed.

"You're going to Liyue with them?!" Barbara gasped.

"Mhm." Noelle nodded. "If I want to learn how to become a true knight, I need to learn more about the world, so traveling with them might be an option that's worth taking instead of staying in Mondstadt." She smiled. "But not to worry, I'll be sure to protect them, just as they've protected me."

"I see." Barbara noted. "To be honest, I really wanted to see the world too, but I still have my duties as a deaconess."

"Well pretty soon you'll also think about taking a break from your duties and travel the world instead." Lumine stated.

"Don't be afraid to ask. We'd gladly take you along for the journey." Aether added with a smile.

"Though we still need permission from your sister first." Paimon also added.

"Hehe, I know. I've heard that promise already several days ago when you're checking up on Venti." Barbara recalled with a smile. "Anyway, you guys better find Captain Kaeya at the Favonius Headquarters and ask for help with Jean's commissions. I'll stay here and take care of my sister."

"Understood." Zi-O replied as he and the others nodded.

"Before we go..." Mona turned to the maid knight. "Noelle, since you're a very capable maid, I'd suggest you stay with Barbara and help her take care of Master Jean."

"I understand." Noelle complied with a bow before going next to the deaconess. "I hope you don't mind my assistance, Barbara, that way you can take a break when you're feeling tired."

"Well... I was hoping to take care of my sister myself, but you do have a point there, Noelle. I guess an extra set of hands won't hurt." Barbara replied.

"Okay, we gotta go now. We'll see you two later!" Paimon waved at Barbara and Noelle before the group left the cathedral.

"Take care, everyone!" Barbara and Noelle replied, waving back at the departing group.


Outside Favonius HQ

"Ah, there's Captain Kaeya!" Paimon said as the group noticed the Cavalry Captain and approached him.

"There you are. I've been waiting for you." Kaeya greeted them. "I've already been informed from Lisa about Jean falling ill. On behalf of all of the Knights of Favonius, allow me to express my sincere gratitude for your assistance." He bowed with his hand on his chest.

"So courteous and polite. This isn't the Kaeya Paimon knows." Paimon remarked.

Kaeya chuckled in response. "Well, the circumstances warrant it. This is the Acting Grand Master herself we're talking about."

"True." Aether agreed.

"And I see you've brought along your missing sister and her friends." Kaeya noticed Lumine, Zi-O, Starlight and Mona.

"Nice to meet you, Captain Kaeya." Lumine replied. "I'm Lumine, and this is my friends, Zi-O, Starlight and Mona."

"Anyway, you probably know why we're here." Zi-O said to the knight. "We're here to help with Jean's commissions since she's ill at the moment."

"Heh, it's like you've read my mind. We have quite a connection even though we've just met." Kaeya smirked in amusement. "Although the commissions you reported to Jean have already been handed off to someone else, and I'm concerned that they will not be handled with due care without Jean's personal touch. So I'm hoping that you can help out where you see fit. I will feel much more at ease knowing that the Honorary Knight and his allies are personally overseeing these cases."

"Flattering Aether won't get you anywhere, Kaeya." Paimon deadpanned with crossed arms. "Also, why don't YOU do it since you're supposed to be the Cavalry Captain?!"

"Paimon, please calm down for a sec..." Starlight sweatdropped. "He's gotta have a reason why he's not doing it."

"Haha, it's fine, I'm used to it." Kaeya chuckled. "Starlight is correct, I have far more important matters to attend to, and there are so many things to prepare."

"And what kind of important matters are you talking about?" Mona asked.

"Sorry, but that's a secret I'll never share to anyone."

"...If you say so." Mona shrugged.

"Anyway, we're gonna go gather up our friends for a private meeting on how to deal with those commissions." Zi-O said.

"As you wish. And once again, I appreciate your assistance. See you later." Kaeya replied before the group left. "Now... where was I?" He whispered before heading back inside the HQ.


Team XDR Base

"Ah, welcome back." Woz greeted the arriving Zi-O and friends who saw the rest of the team (minus the honorary members) waiting. "I've already notified your allies about Master Jean's current situation, along with your newest member of the team." He turned to the astrologist and bowed. "Welcome to the Rebellion, Mona Magistus."

Mona nodded back with her hand on her chest. "The pleasure is all mine, Mr..."

"Woz. Just call me Woz, a chronicler."

"Thank you for that, Woz." Zi-O said, but then noticed a few people missing. "Wait, where's Hibiki, Kiana and Kirika?"

"Hibiki, myself, Kiana-chan and Kirika-chan met a girl named Margaret who's lost her cat named Prince." Miku informed. "Not only that, we've also met up with Venti who's looking for his lyre strings, and said missing cat happened to have it. They chose to help them out while I decided to head back to base with food ingredients for dinner."

"What would a cat want with lyre strings anyway?" Paimon questioned.

"No clue, unless the strings are rolled up into a ball. And we all know how cats love to play with a ball of strings." Kallen answered.

"Well... that's exactly why Venti did with his lyre strings for easy carry, because the strings are made of iron which is very durable." Miku mentioned. "Not only that, it also contained Anemo energy for some reason."

"Anemo energy on lyre strings? Well that's... interesting." Mona remarked. "Wait... since it has Anemo energy, the use of Elemental Sight will be useful for finding that cat!"

"Oh yeah!" Lumine realized. "I'd better go find Hibiki and help her out."

"That won't be necessary, Lumine." Fu Hua interjected with her hand raised. "Did you forget about Hibiki's ki sense? It also counts as Elemental Sight."

"Ah... right. Forgot about that."

"I think it's safe to say that Hibiki and her friends can handle finding the missing cat with the ball of lyre strings." Aether deduced, earning an agreed nod from the group except for Mona who was a bit confused at the word, 'ki'.

"Ki sense? What is that?" Mona asked.

"Ki is basically using your lifeforce as energy instead of magic." Fu Hua explained. "Ki sense is sort of like Elemental Sight, except that you can also sense positive and negative auras, both living and non-living, and even the ones that are invisible."

"Interesting..." Mona mused. "My astrology can also perform such a feat, but... this ki sense is quite remarkable. Hmm... it looks like I've got a bit more learning to do."

"Maybe try visiting the Favonius Library. There should be some books that might contain something that involves magic." Woz suggested. "I can take you there if you wish."

"I see... Alright, I'll be going with you then."

"Anyway, getting back on the main topic at hand..." Tsubasa spoke up. "You said that we need to help out with Jean's commissions since she's ill?"

"Yes." Starlight nodded. "We need to pick the right people that can handle those commissions. So far, there's one for Sara from Good Hunter, and then one for Charles from Angel's Share."

"We're not gonna call in GV, Joule, Gaius, Eintein and Elfnein since they're busy with the Dimensional Gateway. And we can't call in Sucrose since she's helping out Timaeus." Zi-O said, earning a nod from the group.

"Let's start with Sara's request." Maria began. "What does she need help with?"

"Clearing the supply route from Mondstadt to Springvale. Hilichurls are starting to occupy those roads, so we're gonna be protecting the supplies from them." Aether replied. "I'll be handling that one."

"An escort mission. I think I can handle that one." Tsubasa accepted.

"I'll also go with Tsubasa." Kallen added.

"I'll be going with them too." Kanade also added.

"Well it's better than doing nothing. I'll go too." Chris also added.

"Great, looks like you four will be going with me then." Aether replied back.

"I'll also call in Beidou to help you guys, if that's okay." Zi-O offered.

"That will definitely help." Aether accepted with Tsubasa, Kanade, Chris and Kallen nodding.

"That leaves with Charles' commission that involves tax returns and accounting." Lumine said. "Is anyone good with accounting?"

"Leave that part to me, Lumine." Fu Hua volunteered.

"I'll can handle that one too." Maria added. "And I'll also call in Yanfei to help since she has experience with that kind of job."

"Good idea, that will make things easier." Starlight replied, until the Outrider suddenly arrived, earning everyone's attention. "Amber? Why are you here?"

"Oh... uh... I'm not interrupting, am I?" Amber asked, rubbing the back of her head.

"Nah, not really." Kanade replied. "But what the heck happened to you?"

"Um... could you guys help me with something? It involves Good Hunter."

"If you're talking about the hilichurls occupying the supply routes, don't worry, we've got a team ready to handle that." Zi-O assured.

"No, not that one." Amber shook her head. "Sara needs a few extra hands with the cooking. Apparently there's an overwhelming amount of orders piling up, and she's only one person."

"Oh great..." Chris groaned.

"Yeah... I know." Amber agreed with a sigh. "It's like they're having a banquet or something. So can anyone help me out?"

"Okay, Amber, I'll help you with the cooking." Miku accepted with a smile.

"I'll help with the cooking too." Mei added.

"I'm coming with you girls too." Regina also added. "And I'll also bring in Miriam since she's also a good cook."

"I can help out with the cooking too." Lumine also added.

"Thank you so much, you girls are lifesavers." Amber smiled and bowed with gratitude.

"Okay, looks like we're all set." Zi-O said, clasping his hands.

"Wait... what about you two?" Paimon asked the Naotoras. "Shouldn't you two be doing something instead of doing nothing?"

"Oh we're gonna walk around the city to look for anyone that needed help. If they don't need to, then we'll just leave them alone and move on." Starlight answered.

"Okay, fair enough. Paimon will be going with you two since Paimon has nothing else to do."

"I don't see why not, so sure." Starlight smiled.

"I hope Master Jean will be okay." Kallen said. "I wonder when she'll recover from her illness?"

"Probably either by tonight or tomorrow morning." Zi-O replied. "Alright team, we've got a lot of work to do. Master Jean, the Knights of Favonius, and the people of Mondstadt are counting on us, so we'd better not disappoint them. So let's get started!"

"Roger!" The group complied before heading out.


As time passes, Team XDR began helping out the people of Mondstadt with their problems. For Sara's commission, Miku, Miriam, Mei, Regina and Lumine are helping out with the cooking while Amber, Tsubasa, Kanade, Chris, Kallen, Aether and Beidou are clearing out the supply routes occupied by the hilichurls.

As for Margaret's missing cat, Hibiki, Kiana and Kirika were able to recover it after luring it with fish and catching the feline from behind. Not only that, they've also retrieved the ball of lyre strings owned by Venti from that cat. They then returned the cat and lyre strings to their respective owners, but then discovered Venti's allergic reaction to cats when he gets too close with any felines. Looks like even gods and archons can have allergies just like humans.

As for Charles' commission, Fu Hua, Yanfei and Maria are helping out with the accounting and tax returns. Lisa was also there to assist them.

And as for Zi-O, Starlight and Paimon, they continued to explore the city, helping out the people of Mondstadt as they go. But then, they noticed a building with a door that's blocked by a Hydro seal. "Well, this is unexpected." Zi-O remarked as they looked at the seal. "Did the previous owner used that to prevent intruders from barging in or something?"

"Who knows." Paimon shrugged. "Paimon and Aether saw this seal before, but we can't find a way to break it."

"Hmm..." Starlight glanced at the Hydro symbol on the seal. "Since it has a Hydro symbol on it, maybe we should ask either Barbara and Mona on how to dispel it."

"Worth a shot." Zi-O replied. "Though mostly Mona since Barbara is busy taking care of Jean."

"Did someone mention my name?" Said the approaching Mona with Woz beside her, earning their attention.

"Aren't you two supposed to be at the library?" Starlight questioned them.

"We did, but it was not much." Woz answered before noticing the seal behind the three. "Why is there a seal here?"

"Paimon remembered from Katheryne about it a few days ago. The previous owner must've sealed it for some reason." Paimon answered. "Not only that, some of its facilities are still inside since it's a magic laboratory." ...and then Paimon's eyes shot wide open in realization. "Wait a sec! That's something you need for your astrology research, Mona! Maybe you can break the seal with your astrology!"

"Huh. How convenient." Mona remarked before nodding. "Very well then, I'll see what I can do about removing the seal."

"Are you sure it's okay though?" Starlight questioned as Mona approached the seal.

"Well it was owned by someone last time and never came back. That's what Paimon remembered from Katheryne." Paimon replied.

"I see." Zi-O noted. "Well I guess having another sub-base wouldn't hurt."

"Now then... let's see what my astrology can do with this seal." Mona said, summoning a blue magic circle, with two smaller circles overlapping it, onto the seal. "Hmm..." She hummed with her hand on her chin. "So if I do this..." She rotated the larger circle clockwise. "And then this..." She then rotated the medium-sized circle counter-clockwise. "And lastly like this..." And then she rotated the smaller circle clockwise, causing the Hydro seal to dispel while the magic circle vanished. "That should do it, it's now open." She informed the group as she regrouped.

"Holey moley, that's amazing!" Paimon said with awe.

"So that's the power of your astrology. Most impressive, Mona Magistus." Woz praised.

"Thank you." Mona smiled and nodded back. "When it comes to my astrology, I'm second to none."

"Heh, you're definitely going to be a great ally to the Rebellion." Zi-O smirked.

"Well now, what do we have here?"

The group noticed an old man approaching them as he looked at the non-sealed door. "Never thought I'd see the day that troublesome seal is dispelled." He said.

"And who are you, good sir?" Woz asked.

"Ah, sorry. Where are my manners." The old man chuckled. "My name is Goth, the owner of that house with the seal on it."

"Wait, you're the one who made that Hydro seal?" Paimon asked.

"Ah no, that was the previous one who used to live in that house. That person no longer needed it and placed the seal on the door before leaving."

"Hmm... probably to keep intruders away from misusing the facilities inside." Woz pondered.

"Something like that." Goth shrugged. "Anyway, since you're the ones who dispelled that seal, that house is yours for the taking."

"Wait, really?!" Mona gasped while the others (except Woz) reacted the same way. "We can use this house?!"

"Of course, of course." Goth nodded. "The facilities inside were just being left there, anyway. I would be glad to have someone make use of them."

"Well Mona, you got what you wanted a lot sooner than expected." Zi-O said. "I'd better notify Elfnein and Sucrose about this too, they'll make good use of this lab."

"As long as they won't disturb my work, I'll allow them to share this house." Mona replied before turning to Goth. "We'll take good care of this house, Goth."

"Hehe, you've made the right choice." Goth smiled. "To express my thanks, I shall rent this building to you at the lowest possible price!"

"R-Rent?!" Mona exclaimed. "I didn't hear anything about rent, and I helped out, too..."

"Help? Yes, of course, I understand. I am most thankful to you for that, so rest assured that I will give you the best rates!"

"I... I mean..." Mona stuttered.

"Let me handle this." Woz said, approaching Goth and began whispering to his ear. Goth's eyes widen in shock before looking at Woz who gave an assured nod to him.

"On second thought, no need to pay the rent. It's free of charge." Goth declared.

"Free?!" The group exclaimed while Woz smiled as he regrouped.

"Why of course! I never expected that you people are part of the group that helped expose the Fatui's plans to the Knights of Favonius several days ago. Thanks to you and your group, my hotel is finally free from those meddlesome diplomats."

"Wait a second." Zi-O interrupted. "Are you saying that hotel we're using now, was actually yours this whole time?!"

"Mhm." Goth nodded. "Since Master Jean gave my hotel to you as a token of appreciation, I decided to let you keep the magic lab for free, along with the hotel. As long as you don't break anything, that is."

"Fear not, good sir. We will take good care of the lab and the hotel." Woz assured.

"Then we have a deal." Goth nodded. "Now then, please wait here while I go and get the documents for you to sign." Afterwards, he left.

"Wow, Woz. You're one heck of a lifesaver." Paimon commented.

"Why thank you, Paimon." Woz smiled. "I did what I had to do for the Rebellion. Zi-O, Starlight, Paimon, you three should go on ahead and find more people to help. Mona and I will wait for Goth to come back with the house documents."

"You got it." Zi-O replied as he, Starlight and Paimon nodded. "Ah, almost forgot. Did you get your Zikan Phone yet, Mona?"

"I did." Mona confirmed, briefly showing said phone with a blue and purple color scheme. "I got it from Woz earlier, and I must say, the technology in this gadget is quite amazing."

"Yep, sure is." Starlight agreed. "Well, gotta go. Enjoy the new lab, Mona!"

"Call us if you need anything!" Paimon added before the group left.

"Take care of yourselves." Woz replied as he and Mona watched them leave.


Several hours have passed as Team XDR and the Knights of Favonius continued to complete the commissions given by the people of Mondstadt while Jean continued to rest from her illness with Barbara and Noelle keeping watch. Eventually, all of the commissions were completed by the end of the afternoon and everyone can finally rest. Meanwhile, Zeo, Akira, Aether, Lumine and Paimon are watching the scenery from atop the city entrance to pass the time.

"Peaceful, isn't it?" Zeo said to the group.

"Yeah, it really is." Lumine replied. "Though Sara should start hiring some more kitchen employees to ease off her workload."

"Agreed." Aether nodded. "Not to mention hire bodyguards to protect the supply routes."

"Well at least Sara can rest easy now and hopefully learn her lesson." Akira said.

"Master Jean won't have to worry about those commissions anymore when she recovers from her illness." Paimon said.

"Yeah." Zeo nodded. "Though I have to wonder what made her work so hard."

"Isn't it because of Master Varka and his knights' absence?" Lumine asked.

"There's that, but I feel like there's another reason why Jean's working so hard." Zeo replied.

"Maybe we should ask Jean herself why she's like that." Aether suggested.

"Good idea, Aether." Paimon nodded. "Though we need to make sure if she's okay to talk since she might still have her illness."

"Right." Akira replied as she and the others nodded. But then they noticed Kiana and Hibiki approaching right beside them. "Oh hey, Kiana, Hibiki. Everything okay on your end?"

"A little tiring, but so far, it's fine." Kiana replied.

"Though we had to help with Charles-san's commission at the last minute that involved escorting Ernest-san's supply balloon safely from the hilichurls and mitachurls." Hibiki added. "The supplies were for the Dawn Winery, by the way."

"Geez..." Zeo groaned. "Must be looking for food."

"By the way, Einstein said that the Dimensional Gateway is almost done. Just one more hour and the gateway will be ready for use." Kiana informed.

"Oh, that's great news!" Paimon smiled.

"There's one other thing. By the time the gateway is finished, Einstein-san will return to Earth in the Zi-O Liner." Hibiki informed.

"I see." Akira noted. "Perhaps it's better this way to prevent the train from being exposed to the Abyss Order and the Fatui. At least we have Beidou and her ship to take us to Liyue."

"Yup." Lumine nodded. "Still, it's been fun living in Mondstadt for several days. But it's time to move on with our adventure."

"Yeah, but we can always come back here if we feel like it." Aether replied, earning an agreed nod from the group before they glanced at the scenery.

"Hm?" But then Zeo noticed a certain Acting Grand Master at a distance taking a walk somewhere. "Is that Jean?"

"Eh?" The group blinked before looking at Zeo's direction where they also saw her.

"Where is she going? Isn't she supposed to rest at the cathedral?" Paimon questioned.

"Maybe she had enough rest or Barbara-chan revitalized her body, allowing her to leave the cathedral." Hibiki guessed.

"I don't think it's either of those, Hibiki-chan." Kiana replied. "There has to be a reason why she chose to leave."

"Then there's only one way to find out. Let's follow her, but don't get spotted." Zeo replied back, earning a nod from the group.


The group continued to follow Jean from behind without getting detected, until she stopped at Windrise, staring at the large oak tree. She summoned her Favonius Sword, planted it on the ground, knelt down in one knee and closed her eyes.

"Lady Vennessa, I hope your watch over Mondstadt remains unclouded." Jean whispered. "I do not know if I, or the rest of the world, as you had hoped for have become stronger... Huh?" She stopped mid-sentence as she felt a presence, prompting her to open her eyes and turned around, only to see Aether, Lumine, Paimon, Zeo, Akira, Kiana and Hibiki watching.

"Praying for someone, Master Jean?" Zeo asked with his arms crossed.

"Zeo, everyone." Jean responded as she pulled out her planted sword, dispersed it and stood up straight. "I was not expecting all of you to come here."

"We saw you leaving the city so suddenly, so my brother decided to follow you to see what's up." Akira said.

"Are you feeling okay though, Jean?" Kiana asked. "I still think you need a bit more rest before you can walk again."

"Don't worry, I'm alright. But thank you for your concern." Jean assured.

"Are you sure?" Paimon asked. "We saw you beneath the tree just now, leaning on your sword, it looked like you were struggling. Aren't you pushing yourself a little too hard?"

"You can always rely on your knights to do your job." Aether added.

"And you can also rely on Xross Drive Rebellion." Lumine added. "You did accept forming an alliance with us when we first met."

"Yes, I remember." Jean replied. "Still, thank you, that means a lot to me. Hearing that boosts my spirits. But I must find a way to cope with minor setbacks like this on my own. Otherwise, how can I be the protector that Mondstadt needs me to be? The protector that Vennessa was."

"You truly revere Vennessa-san, huh?" Hibiki asked.

"I do." Jean nodded. "Vennessa was the first Grand Master, a kind yet formidable woman. I have always hoped to follow in her footsteps. As the Lionfang Knight, she courageously overthrew the oppressive ruling aristocracy of her time. Then, she founded the Knights of Favonius and became known as the Dandelion Knight, spreading grace and compassion throughout the land."

"Dandelion Knight... isn't that your title?" Aether asked.

"Actually, all of the Knights of Favonius' Masters throughout the ages have inherited the title of 'Dandelion Knight' or 'Lionfang Knight.'"

"Ah, I get it now." Zeo noted. "You also wanted to be as gentle as the Dandelion Knight, and yet as fierce as the Lionfang Knight, correct?"

"Yes." Jean nodded. "I know it sounds like a huge honor, inheriting both these titles from Vennessa. But I see it more as a huge responsibility. After all, it is a lot to live up to."

"I could get used to Jean the Lionfang Knight." Aether remarked.

"Actually, Dandelion Knight suits her better." Lumine also remarked, before turning to the others. "What do you guys think?"

"Hmm..." Zeo pondered with his hand on his chin. "I think I'll go with the Dandelion Knight."

"Same, Jean the Dandelion Knight sounds good, in my opinion." Akira said.

"I'm going with Dandelion Knight too." Kiana said before turning to Hibiki. "What about you, Hibiki-chan?" But when she looked at her, she had a serious look on her face. "Hibiki? What's-"

"Shh!" Hibiki hushed them with her finger over her mouth. And then she picked up a rock from the ground, raised her right leg with both hands on the rock, and then threw the rock at a nearby bush like a baseball, which caused the one in the bush to be sent flying several metres before crashing into the ground. "There's no point hiding from us, Abyss Mage!" She scowled at the Pyro Abyss Mage. "I can sense you hiding in that bush just a moment ago!"

"That sneaky bastard!" Kiana scowled as she pulled out her handgun and aimed at the mage who was standing up and shaking his head from the impact.

"Grr...!" The mage named Ioni growled. "An opportunity comes to get rid of the Acting Grand Master in her moment of weakness... and then you meddling adventurers showed up and ruin everything!"

"So you've heard everything, huh?" Zeo responded with a frown. "Well guess what buddy, big mistake."

"Choosing this moment to strike is a low blow, even for this lot." Akira also frowned. "No way in hell we're gonna let that slide."

"As long as my name is the Dandelion Knight, I swear I shall not be defeated by such despicable means!" Jean proclaimed, summoning her sword again.

"Hmm, since this opportunity has slipped away, I shall now be slipping away in a similar fashion." Ioni responded before vanishing with a quick twirl.

"He's gone!" Paimon gasped.

"Not for long." Lumine replied as she and Aether used their Elemental Sight to detect where the mage retreated. The two noticed elemental lay lines leading towards a path ahead. "I see the mage's ley lines."

"Go on ahead, you two. We'll be right behind you." Zeo replied back, prompting the traveling twins to move on ahead.

But then Jean suddenly was down in one knee and began to cough again, earning everyone's attention. "Jean-san, you're still recovering! Don't push yourself too hard!" Hibiki said with worry.

"Hibiki-chan's right." Kiana added. "One of us will take you back to Mondstadt so you can rest. The mage is leading you into a trap."

"No." Jean shook her head as she slowly got up. "I must got after him..."

"Jean, for the love of Barbatos, stop being so stubborn!" Akira shouted. "Why can't you trust us to handle this?"

"I do trust you guys, I really do." Jean replied back with a determined look. "But... to let an enemy get away like this would be a major dereliction of duty."

Akira sighed in response. "Well, what now, Zeo?"

"...Fine, you can come with us." Zeo reluctantly answered to Jean with a sigh. "But you better stay behind us. You're still recovering, remember?"

"Thank you for understanding. I will graciously accept your help." Jean smiled.

"Right then, follow us, everyone!" Aether declared as he and Lumine followed the ley line trail with the group following behind.

Eventually, the trail lead them to a secret cave entrance. "The ley line trail continued to flow inside this cave. Looks like this must be the mage's hiding spot." Lumine informed the group.

"Right then..." Zeo took out his Ziku Driver and Zi-O Ridewatch while Akira took out her PreChange Mirror and PreCards, and Hibiki clenched her relic pendant. "Let's transform and roll out!" He declared as he, Akira and Hibiki began their transformation sequences.

=ZIKU DRIVER!=

=ZI-O!=

"Henshin!"

=RIDER TIME!=

=KAMEN RIDER! ZI-O!=

"Pretty Cure Kururin Mirror Change!"

"Balwisyall nescell Gungnir tron..."

A few moments later, Zeo and Akira became Kamen Rider Zi-O and Cure Starlight respectively while Hibiki donned her Symphogear. Jean was in awe after witnessing their transformations. "Amazing... so this is how you prepare for battle." Jean said with awe.

"Wait till you see them fight. It gets better from there." Paimon replied with an exciting grin.

"No need for reinforcements this time. We can finish this before nighttime rolls by. Now let's Ragna-Rock and Roll!" Zi-O declared before the group went inside the cave.


Secret Cave

As the group entered the cave which lead them into a large domain, they eventually saw a room up ahead. "Wait." Zi-O said, prompting the group to stop moving. "There's bound to be an ambush up ahead."

"What do we do?" Aether asked.

"One of us will have to go first and trigger the ambush. After that, we'll ambush them back." Zi-O replied. "Also Jean, don't even try to go first, you're still recovering, remember?"

"I understand." Jean replied back. "But which one of us will go instead?"

"I'll do it." Starlight raised her hand. "Don't worry, I can fend off an ambush, no problem. But remember to watch my back before I get overwhelmed."

"Understood, Starlight." Lumine replied as she and the others nodded. "Just be careful in there."

"I will." Starlight replied back before heading inside the room. But the moment she went inside, the Pyro barrel that was placed beside the room entrance exploded, shocking the group.

"Starlight!" Zi-O exclaimed as the group quickly ran towards her, only to see her safe by her Starlight Barrier she was able to summon before said barrier vanished. "Are you okay, sis?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Starlight replied before coughing a bit. "I should've expected an explosive trap ahead. Good thing I summoned my Starlight Barrier the moment I heard the explosion."

Kiana took a moment to look at the broken pieces of the exploded barrel scattered right next to Starlight. "Those clever bastards..." Kiana frowned. "They placed a Pyro barrel right next to the entrance in case someone enters the room. But I never thought they would explode like that. And Starlight didn't even touch or hit the barrel yet."

"Paimon's betting that it was the Pyro Mage that did it using some kind of spell to detonate upon coming near it." Paimon guessed.

"No doubt about that." Aether agreed.

"Do you need to heal, Starlight? I can help you with that if you want." Jean offered.

"Thanks, but no thanks." Starlight declined. "But if I do need healing, I'll let you know."

"Understood. Just don't push yourself too hard." Jean replied.

"Hey, you're the one who pushed too hard earlier, Master Jean." Starlight replied back with a smirk, making her blush a bit before the group continued to move on.

From there, they saw two hilichurls looking at the scenery straight ahead, with a treasure chest right next to it. "(Oh! Treasure chest!)" Paimon silently beamed. "(Let's grab it before we can move on!)"

"(You and your treasure addiction, Paimon.)" Aether rolled his eyes before shrugging. "(But sure, why not. Though we need to take care of the guards first.)"

"(Let me handle this one. It won't take long.)" Jean said.

"(Go right ahead. We'll watch your back.)" Hibiki replied, prompting Jean to sneak closer to the distracted hilichurls.

Once Jean got close, she generated Anemo winds around her blade and unleashed a hurricane thrust that send the two hilichurls flying into the bottomless pit. The group (except Aether and Paimon who were smiling) were in awe at Jean's technique.

"Holy crap, she performed the Fuujinken skill from the 'Tales of' game series! Nice!" Zi-O mentally exclaimed.

"That was amazing, Jean-san!" Hibiki complimented.

"Thank you." Jean smiled back. "That was my Gale Blade skill which can launch enemies off the ground."

"That's pretty cool." Kiana complimented. "I wonder if Aether, Lumine or Miriam can perform that skill too?"

"Well Aether and I already tried that skill against a Hydro Abyss Mage a few days ago." Lumine recalled. "Right, Zi-O?"

"Mhm." Zi-O nodded. "And it was a combined one too along with Kanade."

"You were able to learn more Anemo skills?" Jean asked the traveling twins.

"We had to spar a few times to practice along with using our imaginations." Aether replied with Lumine nodding.

"The possibilities are endless, after all." Paimon added. "But enough of that, let's see what's inside that chest!"

"Allow me." Kiana approached the chest, kicked it open and put her hand inside. Eventually, she pulled out what's inside the chest, which turned out to be some Mora, and a black sword with red highlights and a white and red handle. "Wow, this looks cool." She remarked, looking at said sword she's holding while keeping the Mora into her pocket.

"That's the Blackcliff Longsword!" Jean gasped with wide eyes, recognizing the weapon. "How did that weapon get inside that chest?"

"Huh, so that's what this sword is called." Kiana blinked. "Pretty neat too."

"Wait..." Lumine narrowed her eyes at the black sword before summoning her Prototype Rancour and looked at it. "The Blackcliff Longsword looks similar to the Prototype Rancour, except that the color's changed to red and black."

"That part is true." Jean replied. "But the difference is that the Blackcliff Longsword can increase its attack power upon defeating an enemy."

"Interesting." Zi-O mused. "If anyone doesn't want that sword, I'll gladly take it."

"Actually..." Kiana holstered the sword behind her back. "I'll take it instead. I'll need it to practice more on my sword skills. Can't rely on my guns most of the time."

"Enjoy your new sword, Kiana-chan!" Hibiki smiled, making her nod and smile back. "Okay, let's press on!" Afterwards, the group continued to traverse through the domain.


As the group continued to traverse the domain while defeating the hilichurls, they saw traps in the next room that spew fire which blocked the path ahead, along with several Cryo Slimes guarding the traps.

"Okay, how do we get past those flames?" Starlight asked.

"Hmm... I remember seeing this trap before." Aether recalled. "All it takes is a Cryo attack on the traps to disable them."

"And wouldn't you know it, there's Cryo Slimes right in front of those traps." Paimon observed.

"Usually I'd use my Cryo rounds to disable those fire traps." Kiana said before grinning. "But launching those slimes into those traps is even more fun."

"Aether-san, Lumine-chan, try sending those slimes flying with your fists." Hibiki suggested.

"Our fists?" Aether repeated. "Shouldn't we use our weapons instead?"

"Our swords and guns are not the only weapons we have. Our entire body also counts as a weapon." Hibiki emphasized by punching her fists together. "I don't need a spear to fight, but I will in some cases. And besides, you already saw me fight with my hands and feet, remember?"

"Ah, of course." Lumine remembered before dispersing her sword and looked at her hands and feet. "Alright, let me try first." She began to rush towards the Cryo Slimes, dodged their lunge attacks, and countered with an Anemo infused spin kick that sent the slimes flying towards the fire trap, exploding upon contact and disabling the trap. "How's that?"

"Nice one, Lumine-chan!" Hibiki smiled.

"Okay Aether, your turn." Kiana said.

"Do I need to kick or punch?" Aether asked.

"Either way is fine." Kiana replied.

"Got it." Aether nodded back before dispersing his sword and ran towards another group of Cryo Slimes guarding another fire trap.

He dodged the lunge attacks while his hands became infused with Anemo, and then countered with a double straight punch on the two slimes, and one more corkscrew punch on a slime as all attacks sent the slimes flying towards the other fire trap, exploding upon impact and disabling the trap. "Was that good?" Aether asked the group.

"Actually, it was great." Zi-O smiled with a thumbs up.

"Only one fire trap left, so let's see the both of you do it this time." Starlight told the traveling twins, replying with a nod before the two ran towards the last group of Cryo Slimes guarding the last fire trap.

Once the two got close to them, Lumine quickly unleashed a flurry of Anemo infused kicks onto the slimes that lifted them off the ground, while Aether followed up by leaping above her sister and delivered one Anemo infused corkscrew punch that sent the slimes flying towards the fire trap, disabling it after the slimes exploded on the trap. Afterwards, the twins shared a smile with each other along with a high five while the others approached them.

"Way to go, you two! That was awesome!" Paimon complimented with sparkling eyes.

"To think the two of you would learn a new skill like that... Amazing..." Jean remarked with awe.

"Like Hibiki said, we did see her fighting style with her hands and feet several times. Miriam and Starlight also did the same thing." Lumine mentioned.

"But..." Aether looked at his hand and clenched it. "There's still room for improvement."

"Maybe you two should ask Master or Fu Hua-san for some training sessions." Hibiki suggested.

"Sounds like a plan." Lumine agreed as she and Aether nodded.

"Master?" Jean repeated.

"She means Genjuro Kazanari, Tsubasa's uncle and trainer." Zi-O mentioned.

"He's also one of the commanders of Team XDR." Starlight added.

"Really?" Jean responded, earning a nod from the group.

"Maybe someday I'll introduce my Master to you, Jean-san. If you want to, that is." Hibiki offered.

"I would very much like that, Hibiki." Jean nodded and smiled.

"Hm?" Kiana then noticed something far ahead. "Looks like another treasure chest, but gold plated."

"Ooh!" Paimon beamed in response. "That means something really rare is inside!"

"Even rarer than the Blackcliff Longsword?"

"Wait." Jean interrupted as she narrowed her eyes at the chest that has a magic seal around it. "Looks like it's sealed with magic. Not only that, I think this might be the last room."

"Then our runaway Abyss Mage is waiting in that room with an ambush ready." Zi-O deduced.

"I just hope it's not another explosive barrel trap." Starlight said.

"No point turning back now. We'll have to keep moving forward." Aether stated. "So let's defeat the mage, take the treasure, and go back to Mondstadt so Jean can finish her rest."

"Let's finish this chase." Lumine declared. "Jean, watch our backs."

"Understood." Jean noted as the group head for the final room with Jean following close behind.

The moment they arrived and approached the sealed chest, the stone door behind them closed with Ioni appearing with front of the group with his Pyro barrier active. "Looks like our fates are intertwined. To think you meddling adventurers pushed me this far!" Ioni growled before summoning several Cryo Slimes and hilichurls around the group, along with hilichurl Pyro shooters standing on the edge of the room with a bottomless pit right behind them. "Very well, me and my troops will deal with you ourselves!"

"Well at least it's not another exploding barrel trap." Starlight thought as the group prepared their weapons.

"So... any ideas before we're swarmed?" Paimon asked.

"Starlight, we're taking out those shooters before they become an annoyance later." Kiana said, twilling her handgun.

"You got it." Starlight complied, summoning her energy bow after rotating her PreBrace.

"Hibiki, we're taking out the hilichurls on the ground." Zi-O said with his Zikan Gilade Ken Mode ready.

"Hai!" Hibiki nodded, preparing her combat stance.

"Wait, what about Aether and Lumine?" Jean asked.

"Give them a second, they're planning something." Zi-O replied, glancing at the twins who were looking at the Cryo Slimes.

"Hey, Aether." Lumine said.

"Yes, sis?"

"Remember what we did to the Cryo Slimes earlier to disable the fire traps?"

"Yeah, what abou-" Aether stopped mid-sentence as he realized what her sister is planning, making him smirk. "Oh, I see what we're gonna do."

"Mhm." Lumine nodded and smirked back. "Let's see how our Pyro Mage likes a handful of Cryo Slimes to his barrier."

"Ooh... good idea there." Zi-O smirked. "Okay, everybody ready?"

"Wait." Jean interrupted. "Let me help you prepare." She moved her sword in front of her face. "Barbatos... guide us!" And with a twist of her sword, she summoned a sky green magic field around the group. "This is my Elemental Burst, Dandelion Breeze. It'll infuse your weapons with Anemo while also granting you health regeneration."

"Whoa..." Starlight remarked with awe as the group saw their weapons infused with Anemo. "Something tells me this is definitely gonna work out for us."

"Hey, I was supposed to say that, sis." Zi-O retorted.

"Better luck next time, brother." Starlight smirked back.

"Ugh... Oh well." Zi-O sighed. "Hibiki, music please?"

"You got it!" Hibiki complied before singing her song.

(Play BGM: Knock Out! by Hibiki Tachibana)

"Singing? At a time like this?" Ioni mentally questioned.

"Why is Hibiki singing?" Jean questioned.

"Oh, that's something to increase everyone's motivation to kick some butt." Paimon replied. "That said, Paimon will go and hide now. Good luck, guys!" She cheered before vanishing with a quick twirl.

"Jean, can you distract the Pyro Mage for a moment while Aether and I prepare something for him?" Lumine requested.

"Understood." Jean nodded. "But don't take too long, I'm still trying to recover."

"Roger that." Aether replied as he and Lumine nodded.

"Now then..." Jean set her sights on Ioni and prepared her combat stance. "Xross Drive Rebellion... go forth and fight bravely!" Afterwards, the group began splitting up to take care of their respective targets while Jean rushed towards Ioni to begin the distraction.


Zi-O slotted the Blade Ridewatch onto his Zikan Gilade and began slashing away with combined Electro and Anemo energy at the hilicurls while dodging the Pyro arrows being fired by the Hilichurl Pyro Shooters. In response, Starlight fired her energy arrows at the shooters, landing headshots at each one. Kiana also supported by firing her handguns at the other group of shooters which also landed headshots until all of them are dead. Three hilichurls are about to hit Kiana from behind with their clubs, only for Hibiki to intercept them from the side with a flying punch and then followed up with a corkscrew punch that sent them flying into a wall.

"Thanks, Hibiki-chan!" Kiana smiled as Hibiki approached her.

"Anytime!" Hibiki smiled back. "Did you and Starlight get the shooters?"

"Every last one. Now we can help with everything else."

"Good, then let's go!" Hibiki replied as the two ran towards Zi-O and Starlight to assist.

Meanwhile, Jean kept dodging away the fire waves launched by Ioni before countering with her Gale Blade skill to damage the shield. Then Jean began to jump away, just in time before a fire wave could reach her. But then Ioni summoned eruptions from the ground, causing Jean to dash away from them to prevent being scorched. However, it also caused her to feel tired, not helping that she's still recovering. Ioni saw his chance and summoned six floating fiery red demon heads around Jean in a circle formation to surround her. "You should've listened to your friends and rest more, or none of this will happen." Ioni said to the knight.

"Maybe so. But still..." Jean slowly regained her composure with a determined expression. "I must learn to overcome my weakness to protect Mondstadt and its people! I must not let Vennessa down!"

"Are those your final words, knight?"

"Actually, my final words are..." Jean began to smirk. "Watch out for flying Cryo Slimes."

"Say wha-"

"HAH!" Aether and Lumine yelled as they launched the group of Cryo Slimes towards Ioni with their combined Palm Vortex, causing the mage's barrier to show several cracks on it upon impact.

"My barrier!" Ioni gasped, causing the mage's spell to be interrupted as the demon heads vanished before they began spewing fire.

"And now..." Jean leaped towards the mage with her sword generating strong winds. "You're finished!" She then unleashed her Gale Blade skill, breaking Ioni's barrier and sending him flying straight to the ground, skidding until he stopped right at the edge of the cliff while Jean landed in front of the group as they finished off the last of the hilichurls.

Starlight rotated her PreBrace several times and summoned a large yellow and red energy sphere in front of her with her left hand. "Starlight Sphere!" She shouted, launching the sphere at Ioni before he could fully stand up, trapping him inside.

=FINISH TIME! BLADE!=

"Have a nice trip back to whence you came." Zi-O said to the mage with his Zikan Gilade fully charged with Electro and Anemo energy in a thrusting stance, while Starlight, Aether and Lumine prepared their respective bows and aimed their energy arrows at their target. Jean also performed the same stance as Zi-O, generating Anemo energy to her sword.

"Hibiki-chan, I need a hand!" Kiana requested while fusing her handguns into one large gun.

"Hai!" Hibiki complied, assisting Kiana with aiming the gun at the trapped mage while also providing some of her Phonic Gain to the gun for more power.

=GIRI GIRI SLASH!=

"SEIYAA!" Zi-O yelled as the group unleashed their combined projectile attacks onto the mage that sent him flying away before the sphere detonated into a large explosion which reduced him to nothingness. With the defeat of Ioni the Abyss Pyro Mage, the seal on the gold chest is broken and a warp beacon appeared at one corner of the room while the group dispersed their weapons.

(BGM End)

"And there goes another victory for the Rebellion!" Paimon cheered after appearing beside Aether and Lumine.

"Good job, everyone." Starlight praised the group. "Especially Aether, Lumine and Jean."

"Well the Abyss Mage was planning to get rid of me due to my condition." Jean stated. "That proved to be his downfall, ignoring Aether and Lumine who were preparing to launch Cyro Slimes at him with their Anemo skills." She turned to the traveling twins with a smile. "You both used Barbatos' power well. Nicely done."

"Thank you." The twins nodded and smiled back.

"How are you feeling now, Jean?" Kiana asked.

"Try touching for forehead for a moment to see if your illness is still there." Hibiki added.

In response, Jean touched her forehead for a moment, and no longer felt any heat coming from it. "I'm feeling a lot better than before. It seems Barbara's healing did the trick."

"That's good to hear." Zi-O replied. "But you still need to head back to Mondstadt and finish your rest. No doubt your sister is worried sick that you're gone for too long."

"I know." Jean replied back. "I hope she's not too upset about it. If so, I'll properly apologize to her right away before resting."

"You do that."

"By the way..." Jean turned to the Gungnir Girl with a smile. "You have a good singing voice, Hibiki. It would be nice if Barbara could hear you sing someday."

"Sure thing, Jean-san! I'm sure she'll love it!" Hibiki smiled back.

"Before we head out though..." Kiana turned to the chest. "Let's see what's inside this chest."

"Paimon hopes it's something good!" Paimon beamed in anticipation. "So who's gonna open it?"

"How about we let Jean do it this time?" Aether suggested.

"M-Me?" Jean responded in surprise. "Are you sure?"

"Of course." Lumine nodded. "You're the reason why we're here in the first place, so you should be the one responsible for opening this chest."

"...Very well, if you insist." Jean accepted before approaching the chest, opened it and put her hand inside. Eventually, she pulled out what's inside, and her eyes widen in shock at what she found. "This sword...! It can't be...!"

"What is it, Jean?" Aether asked at the group took a closer look at the sword Jean is holding, which is sky green on the blade and gold on the hilt with sky green wings on the sides.

"I've read about this in the Favonius Library... This is one of Teyvat's legendary weapons... the Skyward Blade, a weapon that's blessed by the Anemo Archon." Jean answered, shocking the group with awe.

"Wow... if that's not a jackpot, then I don't know what is." Kiana remarked.

"A weapon blessed by Barbatos, huh?" Starlight mused. "Now that is awesome. The question is however; who gets to use it?"

"How about we let Jean decide who gets the blade." Zi-O suggested.

"Sounds fair since she's the one who found it." Kiana agreed while taking out the large bags of Mora from inside the gold chest and stored them inside her Zikan Phone.

"Very well." Jean replied, glancing at the group for a moment before approaching Aether and showed him the Skyward Blade. "Here, Aether. I think you should have this. I never did get a chance to reward you for saving Mondstadt by freeing Dvalin from the Abyss Order's control, so I think this blade with count as a token of appreciation."

"Wow... are you sure about this?" Aether asked.

"I'm sure." Jean assured with a nod.

Aether took the blade from Jean before showing it to Lumine. "Here, Lumine. You can have this instead."

"Huh?!" Lumine gasped in shock with the others feeling the same way. "But why me?"

"Because if it weren't for you and your friends arriving in Mondstadt in the right place and time, Venti's Anemo Gnosis would've been stolen and the Fatui would've escaped before the Knights arrive." Aether replied. "If anyone is more deserving of this blade, it's you, sis."

"Are you really sure about this, brother?"

"Of course." Aether assured with a smile. "I'm sure there's another legendary weapon hidden in Liyue. I'll be the one taking that weapon if we find it."

"Alright then. If we find that weapon in Liyue, we'll give it straight to you." Lumine accepted with a smile, taking the Skyward Blade from her brother.

"Congrats, Lumine! Now you have two swords you can use!" Paimon cheered.

"Which is perfect if you're planning to learn dual sword wielding." Zi-O added.

"Dual wielding, huh?" Lumine pondered before summoning her Prototype Rancour and looked at her two swords. "Maybe when I'm ready to learn. I'll stick with using one sword for now." She declared before dispersing her swords.

"Same for me too." Aether added with a raised hand.

"No problem." Starlight noted. "Okay, time to go back to the city. Hope we didn't take too long with this chase."

"Maybe, maybe not." Zi-O shrugged. "We'll find out once we're outside."

"Actually... is it alright if we go back to Windrise for a moment? There's something I need to tell all of you." Jean requested to the group.

"What is it, Jean-san?" Hibiki asked.

"You'll find out when we get there." Jean replied as she and the others head for the warp beacon, teleporting them back to the entrance of the cave upon stepping foot on the beacon. When they got out though, there were surprised that it's already evening time. It seems that they were in that cave for quite a long time.


Windrise

Evening Time

Once the group arrived back at the large oak tree in Windrise, Jean stepped forward in front of the tree and turned to the group. "Xross Drive Rebellion. Once again, thank you for keeping an eye on me while I was here moments ago." Jean said to the group. "I know I'm supposed to keep resting at the cathedral with Barbara and Noelle taking care of me, but I can't help but feel worried if I could live up to Vennessa's example. But after fighting alongside all of you today, I finally have the answer I'm looking for."

"And that is?" Paimon asked.

"I am definitely more of a Dandelion Knight than a Lionfang Knight." Jean answered with a smile. "The Lionfang Knight represents Vennessa's past; a past in which she fought hard for Mondstadt. But it was the Dandelion Knight that represented her hopes for the future; a future belonging to the newly formed Knights of Favonius."

"Well said, Jean-san." Hibiki smiled.

"See? I told you the title of Dandelion Knight suits you better." Starlight commented.

"Hehe, and you were right." Jean giggled. "Still, I'm a little worried about the commissions that were left unfinished due to my illness."

"Oh you don't have to worry about those. We, alongside the Knights of Favonius, have already taken care of those commissions by the end of the afternoon." Zi-O assured.

"Really?"

"Mhm." Zi-O nodded. "Kaeya also took notice of those commissions and sent Amber to take care of Sara's food deliveries while Lisa did Charles' taxes and accounting."

"Zi-O also ordered some of our team members to assist with the commissions to make things easier for the Knights." Kiana added.

"There's also one other commission involving a missing cat, but me and the others took care of that one too." Hibiki also added. "Turns out, the cat was playing with Venti's lyre strings that's rolled up into a ball."

"I see." Jean noted.

"This is why you need to learn to take a break every once in a while, that way your Knights will take care of your work during your break." Zi-O stated. "No need to worry too much, Jean. They can handle it."

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention Auntie Theresa's coming to Mondstadt with some volunteers, so expect more additional help to take care of your duties along with the Knights." Kiana informed.

"And also, Maria-san, Regina-chan and Kallen-san will stay in Mondstadt to help." Hibiki added. "They're not afraid to help someone in need."

Jean was surprised at what Team XDR had informed. Not only that, they, along with the Knights of Favonius, have already finished the commissions during her absence, but Team XDR are bringing in help from their allies to assist the Acting Grand Master with her duties in order to relieve her stress. Jean can't help but feel grateful for their assistance, even if they're from another world.

"So, how'd you feel after what we've told you earlier?" Zi-O asked the Dandelion Knight.

"...Grateful. Very, very, grateful." Jean smiled with gratitude.

"No problem, Jean." Lumine replied as she and the others smiled. "Like I said earlier, you've already accepted our alliance with Xross Drive Rebellion, so we're not afraid to help out."

"All you have to do is ask, and we'll come right over." Aether added. "Remember, we're your friends, and friends help each other out."

"That's right!" Paimon agreed with a nod.

"Hehe, I'm glad to have met you all." Jean smiled before turning to the Rider. "That said, I have one request I would ask of you."

"Name it, Master Jean. I'll hear you out." Zi-O replied.

Jean approached the Rider and... knelt down on her knee with her fist on the ground and her head down? "Zeo Naotora." She then glanced at the Rider. "Will you allow me, Jean Gunhildr, the Dandelion Knight, to be an honorary member of your Rebellion?"

"..."

"..."

"EEEHHH?!" The group exclaimed in shock.

"Uh, could you tell us why do you want to become an honorary member?!" Starlight questioned. "N-Not that we don't want to refuse your offer of course! We're a little stunned by your request here!"

"Like Lumine said, I've already accepted the alliance with Team XDR. But after fighting alongside all of you earlier, I wanted to take a step further by becoming an honorary member of the team, just like Amber." Jean answered. "That, and I wanted to see the world beyond Mondstadt, or even Teyvat. And since your allies will assist with mine and the Knights of Favonius' duties, I think the city will be just fine, with or without me."

"So that's your reason why." Aether noted.

"Zeo, you don't mind if I could get in touch with your Rebellion commanders so I can learn from them?" Jean requested. "I may be an Acting Grand Master, but there's still room to learn new things."

"I don't see why not." Zi-O accepted. "The moment we give you your own Zikan Phone, you're free to contact them."

"Thank you." Jean smiled.

"Now rise up, Dandelion Knight." Zi-O commanded, prompting Jean to stand as he offered a handshake. "Jean Gunhildr, welcome to the Rebellion."

"I'll look forward to our continued support, Kamen Rider." Jean smiled and shook his hand, making the others cheer in happiness.

"Hope you're ready for the multiverse, Jean, 'cause things are gonna get even crazier than before." Kiana grinned.

"Hehe! I can't wait to see Amber's reaction when we tell her that you're joining the team!" Hibiki added with a smile.

"Wow, first Mona and now Master Jean. This has been one heck of a day, huh?" Paimon asked Aether and Lumine.

"It sure is, Paimon." Lumine agreed with Aether nodding.

"Wait, Mona?" Jean responded as she released her handshake. "Who's that?"

"A Hydromancer and an astrologist. She joined our team this morning." Aether explained. "That, and her master is a friend of Alice, Klee's mother."

"Really?" Jean asked, earning a nod from Aether. "I see. Anyway, when are you planning to leave for Liyue?"

"Tomorrow morning in Beidou's ship."

"Of course, the pirate captain from yesterday." Jean remembered as she already met her during the report at her office yesterday.

"We're going to see the Rite of Descension to see Rex Lapis. We need to warn him that his Gnosis is in danger of being stolen by the Fatui Harbingers." Starlight explained. "Yanfei is also helping us to schedule a private meeting with Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing. And we're gonna ask for an alliance with her."

"I see." Jean noted. "In that case, is it alright if I could go to Liyue with all of you? I want to have a talk with Ningguang about a possible alliance between Liyue and Mondstadt."

"That's a good idea." Zi-O agreed. "I'm sure Theresa and the others will take care of Mondstadt while you're coming along with us."

"That's what I'm hoping for." Jean nodded. But then the group felt a strong yet gentle breeze which made them feel relaxed. "The wind..."

"Oh! Look at the Windwheel Asters!" Paimon pointed at the red windmill-shaped flowers being spun by the wind.

"So pretty..." Hibiki responded with awe.

"Hey guys, look at the Crystalflies!" Aether pointed at the glowing sky green butterflies flying with the wind and into the horizon.

"Wow..." Lumine said with awe.

"Man, GV and Joule are missing out on seeing those crystalflies. They look really amazing, especially in the night." Starlight commented.

"Somebody mention my name?"

A sudden voice earned the group's attention as their eyes widen in shock at who showed up. "GV and Joule?!" Zi-O exclaimed.

"Gaius?! Mona?!" Starlight gasped.

"Miku?!" Hibiki also gasped.

"A-A-Auntie Theresa?!" Kiana exclaimed at her relative who crossed her arms. "W-When did you arrive in Teyvat?!"

"Thirty minutes ago." Theresa answered. "Einstein gave me a call when the Dimensional Gateway is active and ready for use. And since I'm here, that means the machine is working properly. Now then, may I ask... WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU GUYS?!"

"H-H-Hold on for a second! L-L-Let me explain!" Kiana panicked, frantically waving her arms in defence.

"Allow me, Kiana." Jean stepped forward and bowed. "Forgive me, but I'm the reason why they're gone. I left the cathedral to pray at Windrise instead of resting more since I was not feeling well." She turned to Zi-O's group. "They followed me to make sure I'm okay, and I'm glad they did since an Abyss Mage was about to ambush me when I'm at my weakest."

"I see, so that's why." Theresa noted. "You really should learn to rest properly instead of going out. But if you really have to, then at least ask someone to accompany you."

"I understand. I'll be sure to remember that." Jean replied.

"You'd better." Gaius replied back.

"By the way, how were you able to find us?" Starlight asked. "Did Mona use her astrology?"

"Actually, I used my Zikan Phone's tracking system." Mona answered. "As for how we got here, I used my Hydromancy to warp to where the tracking location leads."

"You can do that?!" Hibiki gasped. "Wow, that's amazing!"

"Fufu, thank you for the praise." Mona smiled.

"So, those things are called crystalflies, huh?" Gunvolt asked as he and Joule looked at the flying crystalflies.

"Mhm." Paimon nodded. "Beautiful, aren't they?"

"Yes, yes they are." Joule smiled back as she watched the crystalflies fly away.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. Jean has officially joined the Rebellion as an honorary member." Zi-O informed.

"Eh?! Jean-san is joining us?!" Miku gasped with the others feeling the same way.

"That's correct, Miku." Jean confirmed with a nod. "I hope you don't mind having me in the team."

"Not at all. We'd be happy to have you join us." Miku smiled.

"Well it's only a matter of time until you decided to join us, Jean." Theresa said as she approached Jean and offered a handshake. "I look forward to working alongside you and your Knights."

"The same to you and the Rebellion, Theresa." Jean replied, shaking Theresa's hand before releasing. "But, why do you look so young?"

"It's kind of... complicated. Don't think about it too much." Theresa replied back.

"If you say so." Jean noted. "Now then, I believe we should return to the city now since it's nearing nighttime. I really should finish my rest, though I'll have to ask Lisa to take care of a few things first before that."

"Yes, yes you should." Zi-O agreed.

"Mona, care to warp us back to the city gates?" Jean requested.

"As you wish, Acting Grand Master." Mona complied as the group got close to her, prompting her to summon a blue magic circle below them as it began to glow.

Jean took one more look at the large oak tree. "Hey, Jean?" Lumine spoke, earning her attention. "I think Vennessa would be so proud of who you are right now."

"I think you're right, Lumine." Jean agreed with a smile as they glanced at the tree. "I do believe that Vennessa watches over us, whether from high up above, or from the wind all around us.

"The wind, huh?" Zi-O mused. "Must be Vennessa's wind we must be feeling earlier."

"I think so too."

"Let the Wind Lead." Aether said.

"Let the Wind Lead." Jean replied. "The winds of freedom will guide us along the path that lies ahead, whether if it's Teyvat, or the other worlds."

"Well said, Jean. Well said." Gaius agreed as the group warped away in a flash of blue light with the magic circle vanishing afterwards.


Final Chapter: Let the Wind Lead

END

(Mona Magistus and Jean Gunhildr has joined Xross Drive Rebellion)


Author's Note: And so, Mona and Jean has joined the Rebellion, with the latter going to Liyue with Zeo's team. Though you're probably wondering why I didn't finish Jean's character quest yet. Well, that will continue in the epilogue chapter, so this Book is not done yet. Plus, Kiana and Lumine got new swords to use, so there's that too.

Next time will be a time of farewells as everyone will go for a route split; one team for Liyue and the other team for the Blaster Master universe, with the latter being the next Book I'll be writing after I'm done with this one, while the former will be written later.

Until then, stay safe and see you in this Book's epilogue!