I opened a shop on the Astral Train-Chapter 28

Venti, Jean, Diluc, Paimon, and Ying were gathered within Jean's office, chatting amongst themselves.

Soon enough, Yuri, Welt, Kevin, and March 7th stepped into the room.

"Good morning, everyone," Yuri greeted, waving casually.

Paimon waved back. "Good morning, Yuri, Kevin, March, and Mr. Welt!"

Jean and the others exchanged greetings as well before they got down to business.

Yesterday, Ying had mentioned to Yuri that they would go see Dvalin today. Now that Noelle had arrived, Yuri didn't have to stay at the shop and could finally step outside for a bit.

So, he decided to join the group on their mission to find Dvalin.

"Shall we set off now?" Yuri asked.

Diluc, who had been leaning against the wall, straightened up. "Let's go. The sooner we finish, the better."

The group set out eastward, passing through Windrise before arriving at Starfell Cliff.

To an outsider, they didn't look like a battle-ready squad but rather a group of friends out for a casual stroll.

Kevin, Ying, March 7th, and Paimon played along the way—splashing in the water to catch fish, kicking slimes around like footballs.

Kevin, especially, was having the time of his life. At one point, he kicked a wind slime too hard, triggering an explosion that sent him tumbling onto the ground.

At Starfell Cliff, Venti took out the Holy Lyre and played a tune, successfully luring Dvalin to their location.

"Barbatos! Have you come with them to hunt me?!" Dvalin roared.

Venti tried to reason with him. "No, that's not—"

Before he could finish, an Abyss Mage appeared above Dvalin, whispering into his ear.

"Poor dragon, he has abandoned you... Embrace the deep..."

Before the Abyss Mage could say another word, Yuri suddenly appeared behind it, grabbing it by the collar.

The moment Yuri's hand made contact, the mage's shield shattered.

With a single motion, Yuri slammed the Abyss Mage to the ground.

Dvalin, startled, prepared to attack Yuri.

Yuri narrowed his eyes. "What are you looking at?"

Dvalin flared his wings. "What are YOU looking at?!"

Yuri smirked. "Oh, you've got some fire in you! Alright, let's see what's wrong with you!"

In an instant, Yuri appeared before Dvalin and landed a powerful punch. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the air.

Dvalin barely registered what had happened before he felt himself crash to the ground.

He struggled to rise, only to find a gray-haired boy grinning at him with a massive greatsword pressed against his neck.

"Hey, don't move," Kevin said casually, flames flickering along the blade.

Feeling the searing heat from the weapon, Dvalin hesitated before ultimately surrendering.

Yuri landed gracefully and dusted off his hands. "Alright, my part's done. Time for the next act."

Venti nudged Ying, snapping her out of her trance. "Ying, stop watching. It's your turn now."

Ying rushed forward and began hacking away at the corrupted stinger with her sword.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The stinger was tougher than she expected, and it took her quite a while to cut through even half of it.

Sweating and breathing heavily, she paused for a moment to rest.

Meanwhile, Kevin, March 7th, and Paimon were busy catching crabs nearby, completely unbothered by the ongoing battle.

Yuri, Welt, and Diluc had even set up a tea table and were calmly sipping tea.

Jean and Venti stood off to the side, chatting idly.

Paimon sat next to them, munching on a bag of fries.

Ying wiped her forehead. "Why am I the only one working?!"

She took a deep breath, readying herself to continue, when suddenly, the air around them distorted.

Dark portals opened up, and a horde of Hilichurls and Abyss Mages poured out.

Finally, an Abyss Herald emerged.

"This dragon's fate is to return to the Abyss! Accept the will of the Abyss!"

Kevin, March 7th, Ying, Diluc, and Jean immediately sprang into action.

A dozen Abyss Mages fired a barrage of colorful magic projectiles.

Kevin slammed his spear into the ground, creating a shockwave that erected a powerful shield around the group.

Then, he drew the Heavenly Fire Holy Slayer and activated its greatsword form.

"Skyfire! Unsheath!"

A massive wave of flames surged forth, incinerating everything in its path—Abyss Mages included.

March 7th loosed a massive ice arrow into the sky. It exploded mid-air, showering the battlefield with countless icicles.

Diluc's greatsword flared with wind and fire. "Dawn! Judgment!"

A fire phoenix surged forward, clearing a path through the enemy ranks.

Jean, having mastered the "Wind Spirit Art," unleashed a razor-sharp wind blade over ten meters long, cutting down anything in its path.

Ying, her power nearly restored, fought with radiant wings spread behind her, charging straight through the battlefield.

Meanwhile, Yuri and Welt leisurely continued sipping their tea.

Venti kept an eye on Dvalin to ensure he didn't try to flee.

Yuri took another sip. "Tsk. So many monsters. Why do they keep coming? Is Dvalin really that charming?"

Venti shrugged. "Dvalin is pretty strong, don't you think?"

Yuri smirked. "Yeah. At least he survived my punch."

Welt and Venti exchanged glances. They knew Yuri's strength rivaled that of a Messenger. It was impressive that Dvalin had taken his attack without dying.

Back on the battlefield, Kevin and the others continued pushing forward, forcing the Abyss Herald into a corner.

Just as Ying was about to land the finishing blow, a black sword slash suddenly forced her back.

She steadied herself and turned toward the attacker—her eyes widened in shock.

"Brother?!"

Standing before her was her twin brother, Aether.

Aether glanced at her. "Ying, long time no see."

Ying's heart sank. "Brother... why are you with the Abyss?"

Aether's gaze hardened. "Because they are my companions. The Seven are my enemies. Celestia is my enemy. I still have unfinished business with the Heavenly Principles."

Ying reached out. "Brother, let's go home together!"

For a moment, Aether's expression softened. "Home... Anywhere you are is home."

He exhaled. "I have already walked this path. When your journey is complete, you will understand my reasons. I will be waiting for you at the end of your journey."

He turned to the Abyss Herald. "This mission is a failure. We're leaving."

As Aether began to open a portal, Kevin suddenly sprinted forward.

"Skyfire! Unsheath!"

Before Aether could react, Kevin knocked him out with a single strike.

Without hesitation, Kevin pulled out a rope and tied him up.

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere. I don't care about your riddles. Ying is my friend, and I won't let her run around searching for you anymore."

He gave Ying a thumbs-up. "Ying, mission complete! Found your brother!"

Ying stared at Aether, bound and unconscious, before slowly returning the thumbs-up.

More than an hour later.

Aether slowly regained consciousness, his vision hazy. As his eyes focused, he was met with the sight of Ying, Kevin, and March 7th staring down at him with smirks on their faces.

Kevin, holding a suspiciously labeled can, chuckled. "Hey, you're finally awake."

Aether's eyes darted to the logo on the can, and his expression instantly darkened. He knew what this was.

"You... What are you planning?"

Ying dipped a brush into ink. "Talk. What are the Abyss Order's next plans?"

Aether turned his head away defiantly. "Don't waste your time. I won't say a word."

March 7th grinned as she spread durian shells from yesterday's feast onto the ground. "Then let's get started!"

Kevin and Ying each grabbed one of Aether's arms, their grins widening as they lifted him up.

Aether immediately realized what was about to happen.

They're going to make me kneel on durians?!

Hah! I am a prince! Why would I fear a mere fruit?!

The moment his knees made contact, a sharp crunch echoed in the air.

"Ngh—!"

Aether gritted his teeth, refusing to cry out.

Kevin raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You passed the first test so easily? Let's see how you handle this!"

Without another word, he opened the can of fermented herrings.

A putrid stench filled the air immediately, making even Kevin—who was closest—almost gag.

"Ugh! Frog fun! That smell is—too strong!" Kevin pinched his nose.

March 7th and Ying also covered their noses in disgust.

Aether, however, was hit hardest. His face turned pale, his stomach churned, and he struggled against his restraints as the overwhelming stench assaulted his senses.

Kevin smirked and brought the can closer to Aether's nose.

Aether's face turned green. He struggled harder. "No—get that thing away from me!"

But Ying and March 7th held him down firmly.

Finally, Aether couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Ugh—!"

The three girls immediately recoiled, covering their mouths and noses in horror.

Ying scoffed. "Seriously? A grown man can't handle a little herring? How embarrassing."

Aether, still catching his breath, glared at her. "Stupid sister! If you're so tough, then try it yourself! Without pinching your nose!"

Ying narrowed her eyes. "Oh? You still have the nerve to talk back?"

She turned to March 7th. "March, bring the next one."

March 7th grinned and pulled out another can of fresh herring, cracking it open. The stench redoubled, and Aether visibly shuddered.

"Now," Ying said sweetly, "are you going to talk? Or should I... feed you?"

Aether's face contorted in horror. The smell alone was unbearable—eating it would be pure torture.

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"Stupid sister! Stop! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"

Ying smirked. "Now that's more like it."

An Hour Later

Seated on Dvalin's back, Ying wielded an edgeless training sword, playfully jabbing it toward Aether.

"Come on! Work harder!"

Aether sighed, resigned to his fate. How did things come to this?

With another sigh, he raised his own edgeless sword and began hacking away at the stinger on Dvalin's back.

Ying watched him work, arms crossed. She had decided Aether needed to experience a bit of "suffering" himself.

Oh, you're going to run around with the Abyss while I was left wandering Teyvat alone?

Do you know what I went through?!

She thought back to when she had first awoken—picking sunsetias to stave off hunger, drinking river water for lack of anything else, and only managing to eat meat because she had been lucky enough to find a sword in a treasure chest.

Aether chopped off another chunk of the corrupted stinger. He glanced at his progress, then at the seemingly endless task ahead, and felt his soul leave his body.

He wanted to quit.

As if sensing his thoughts, Ying suddenly slapped his back with the training sword.

"What are you standing around for?! Keep working!"

Aether's body tensed. He was done with this. He was going to throw the sword away—

But then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ying pulling another can of herring from behind her back.

Aether inhaled sharply. Not again...

With newfound determination (or fear), he continued hacking away at the stinger.

Yuri, Welt, Jean, Diluc, and Venti sat at a distance, sipping tea and enjoying the spectacle.

Jean looked uneasy. "Um... Should we intervene? This seems... a bit cruel."

Yuri smiled. "Nah, they're just siblings being siblings."

He took a sip of tea before adding, "There's an old saying where I come from—when there's no external threat, siblings are each other's worst enemies. But when there is a real threat, they're each other's greatest allies."

Jean thought about it and nodded. That made sense.

The group continued drinking tea and chatting as the sun set.

By the time the sky turned golden, Aether had finally finished clearing the stingers.

Exhausted, he collapsed onto the grass, staring blankly at the sky.

Ying approached and handed him a bottle of water. "Here."

Aether sat up, unscrewed the cap, and took a deep drink. He instantly felt better.

Ying watched him carefully before speaking. "Do you still see me as your sister? You can't handle all of this alone. If you're going to fight that woman, you have to call me."

Aether opened his mouth to refuse. He couldn't drag Ying into this.

But before he could speak, Ying cut him off.

"It's settled. If I find out you went off alone, I'll make you eat another round of today's meal."

Aether paled and quickly nodded. "Okay, okay, I promise."

Ying grinned, satisfied. "Good. Now go back to your Abyss duties or whatever. I'm going home to rest."

Aether sighed and stood up, opening a portal to leave. "Take care, Ying."

Just then, Kevin appeared, greatsword in hand.

"You still think you're leaving? Skyfire—"

Before he could finish, Ying grabbed his arm and quickly explained the situation.

Kevin frowned but relented, sheathing his weapon.

Aether sighed in relief. Why does Ying have such violent friends?

Without wasting another second, he stepped into the portal and vanished.

Yuri glanced at the time. "Well, it's about time to cook."

But then, he looked around. Their current location was quite scenic—perfect for a gathering.

A thought struck him. Why not turn this into a party?

"Alright! I'll cook, and we'll have a feast right here!"

The idea was met with instant enthusiasm. Even Jean, who had a mountain of paperwork waiting for her, chose to stay.

Dvalin's recovery was definitely worth celebrating.

Kevin took on the task of running to the Honkai world to invite more guests.

Meanwhile, Venti headed back to Mondstadt to pick up Klee and Hook—and inform Lisa and the others.

The stage was set for a grand night.