"Um, Shopkeeper... did you just say Director Hu is raising a Fire Dragon?"
In the jar shop, Xingqiu looked at Felix hesitantly. "A Charmander? I've never heard of such a creature."
Something went wrong with the dragon, and she ran to Felix for help.
Did the Shopkeeper give it to her?
No, wait. This is a magical jar shop.
Did Director Hu pull a Fire Dragon from a jar?
Xingqiu connected the dots instantly.
It was the only explanation that made sense.
"Correct."
Felix nodded at Xingqiu. "It's exactly as you suspect."
"Hss!"
Xingqiu sucked in a breath of cold air.
This shop can even produce dragons?!
Beside him, Chongyun stared at Felix in shock.
He was already thrilled about pulling the Ice Heart Art to suppress his condition.
But hearing that Hu Tao pulled a literal dragon?
He had never even heard of such a beast, let alone seen one.
"Alright, Chongyun is done. Your turn."
Felix smiled at Xingqiu. "You've paid. You can pick ten jars."
"Mhm!"
Xingqiu's eyes shone with excitement.
Originally, he just wanted to test the waters with ten jars.
But after hearing about Hu Tao's Charmander, his ambition soared.
What if I pull a dragon too?
Having a dragon as a pet would be amazing.
Even though he hadn't seen Hu Tao's dragon yet, he planned to visit Wangsheng later to check it out.
With anticipation, Xingqiu scanned the shelves of jars behind Felix.
Chongyun, meanwhile, picked up his Six Arts of the Cold Arrogance manual again.
But he didn't read too deeply. He wanted to watch Xingqiu's pulls.
While Xingqiu carefully selected his jars...
Inazuma Sea. Narukami Island. Grand Narukami Shrine.
Under the Sacred Sakura, Yae Miko watched the calm return to Nazuchi Beach. Her eyes narrowed playfully.
"My, my. It's over already? That was quick. I was thinking of going to take a look, but never mind."
"I'll wait and see what that stubborn block of wood has to say later. If it's serious, Inazuma City will release an announcement."
"The moon is so clear tonight. It feels wasteful not to do something. But what to do?"
"Come to think of it, I haven't seen the little girl from the Kamisato Clan in a while. I should go eat her snacks."
Muttering to herself, Yae Miko walked out of the shrine, her fluffy tail swaying gently.
...
Yashiori Island Waters. The Steam Battleship.
Beidou stood on the highest point of the ship, holding the mission scroll and tracking the red dots.
"Captain! Someone is following us!"
Suddenly, Huixing shouted through the loudspeaker. "Someone is walking on the water!"
"Hm?"
Beidou narrowed her eyes and walked over to Huixing.
Soon, she saw her.
Sangonomiya Kokomi, walking gracefully across the waves.
Pearl-colored hair, purple outfit, purple eyes, and horn-like accessories. She looked like a princess of the sea.
White thigh-high socks that transitioned to purple, perfectly complementing her dress. The exposed skin was tasteful, adding a hint of mystery.
Long, shapely legs. A Vision resting at her waist explained her power.
Her ribbons danced in the wind as she moved, exuding the elegance of a fairy.
From a distance, she looked like royalty approaching.
Beside her, a jellyfish bobbed and spun, creating ripples on the water.
"Not human."
Beidou realized instantly.
A Vision user. Hydro element. And judging by the horns... definitely not human.
She felt a sense of nobility from the girl. A child of the ocean.
"Stop the ship."
Beidou ordered.
Seeing the battleship slow down and Beidou looking down at her, Kokomi stopped as well.
Since she had been spotted, charging forward uninvited would be hostile.
"Greetings. I am Sangonomiya Kokomi, the Divine Priestess of Watatsumi Island. I wish to make your acquaintance and ask a few questions. I have no hostile intent."
Kokomi spoke softly, but her voice carried clearly over the water, gentle and melodic.
"Wow, such a nice voice!"
"So... so beautiful!"
"Heavens, she's gorgeous!"
"So cute."
...
When Kokomi stopped and spoke, the Crux crew lost their minds.
She was stunning. And her voice was so soft it made their ears melt.
"Hmph."
Furong rolled her eyes. "Pathetic."
"Hello!"
Beidou laughed heartily. "Come on up! Let's chat on deck!"
"Captain..."
Huixing looked worried. "She's a Vision user. If she comes aboard and starts wrecking things..."
"It's fine. My judgment of character is never wrong."
Beidou grinned. "She has no hostility. As Vision users, our intuition is sharp. She's Hydro; not much threat to me. Besides, if she tries anything, I can subdue her. Did you forget my element?"
Beidou liked the girl immediately.
More importantly, she was the Divine Priestess of Watatsumi Island. This girl would know everything about Inazuma. Beidou needed intel.
She sensed no danger from Kokomi. Just an innocent-looking girl.
After years at sea, Beidou trusted her gut.
"Oh, okay."
Huixing nodded. If the Captain said it was fine, it was fine.
On the water, Kokomi was surprised but pleased.
She had prepared an escape route, but Beidou's invitation was unexpectedly warm.
Inviting a powerful stranger aboard a strategic asset showed immense confidence and trust.
Beidou felt like a dependable big sister.
Kokomi walked across the waves to the ship. Up close, the steel hull was even more impressive.
How was this built?
As she boarded, she left her jellyfish (Bake-Kurage) on the water's surface as a teleport anchor, just in case.
"Bold."
Beidou admired Kokomi's courage for actually coming aboard.
Or maybe she just knew she could escape.
Regardless, Beidou was here to make friends.
"Hello, Sangonomiya Kokomi. I'm Beidou, Captain of the Crux Fleet, from Liyue Harbor."
Beidou extended a hand, grinning. "Nice to meet you."
"Liyue Harbor?!"
Kokomi's pupils contracted in shock.
Liyue?
Inazuma was under strict lockdown by the Thunder Barrier. How did she get in?
Was it this steel ship?
It seemed plausible. A ship that didn't sink despite being metal might be strong enough to weather the storm.
And she called herself "Captain" (Fleet Admiral/Leader), implying this "Battleship" was part of a larger force?
Thoughts raced through Kokomi's mind.
She took Beidou's hand. "Since you're older, I'll call you Beidou-jie."
"Haha! Good!"
Beidou laughed.
Looking at Kokomi, she felt like taking care of a rookie adventurer.
"Sit down. Let's talk slowly."
Beidou gestured to a seat, while signaling the ship to resume course toward the pirates.
"I know you have questions. Ask away. I'll tell you what I can."
"In exchange, you can educate me about Inazuma."
Looking at Kokomi up close, Beidou liked her even more.
How can a girl be this cute?
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