31: Cleaning Up Along the Way

"Watch out, Lumine!" Paimon shrieked as she watched her partner get flung directly into a Hilichurl camp by none other than Saphir herself.

"Roar!" A hulking Hilichurl Berserker roared, lifting a massive axe and swinging it straight at Lumine's head.

Startled, Lumine quickly rolled aside, narrowly dodging the blow. She was still reeling from what had just happened—Saphir had said something she didn't quite catch and then literally tossed her into a pack of angry Hilichurls. Now, she was surrounded and under attack.

The Hilichurls here in Windrise were much stronger than those in Whispering Woods—but Lumine didn't know that. Not that it mattered. At her current strength, any Hilichurl Berserker was a nightmare.

Paimon was panicking, stomping her tiny feet. "Lin Yi! Saphir! Do something! Lumine can't handle this alone!"

Barbara also looked on nervously, gripping the hem of her dress. "Aren't we going to help her?" She wasn't sure what kind of test this was, but from what she could see, Lumine was in real danger.

Even Noelle raised her claymore, preparing to rush in—only to be stopped by Saphir with a single hand.

Before anyone could speak, Saphir shouted, "Lumine! Fight back! Why are you just dodging? You'll never win by defending alone—attack! Swing your sword!"

"You've lost your mind!" Lin Yi snapped at her. "Those Hilichurls are too much for her. What the hell are you thinking?"

But Saphir didn't care. Her only goal now was to get Lumine to draw her sword—not in desperation, but with intent.

"Lumine…" Paimon's voice trembled with worry. She wanted to help, but she knew she'd only get in the way. Instead, she watched helplessly, praying Lumine wouldn't fall.

Inside the camp, Lumine grit her teeth. Saphir's words stung. It was clear now—everything Saphir had shown her before was a facade. Had she been tricked again?

"Fine! You want me to fight?! Then I'll fight!" she snapped, either out of frustration or blind defiance.

Ignoring the axe bearing down on her, Lumine turned and slashed with her sword—directly at the Hilichurl on her right.

Clang! Shlck!

The axe connected with her left arm with a harsh, metallic clang, and her sword drove deep into the Hilichurl's chest.

Pain surged through her. Her arm throbbed—possibly broken—but the result was undeniable.

One hit. One kill.

She had never expected to deal that kind of damage. But the battle gave her no time to dwell on it. She yanked her sword free and kept going.

"Use your skills! Elemental abilities! What about Wind Blade?!" Saphir yelled again. "Barbara, cast your support skill!"

"R-right!" Barbara activated her Elemental Skill. "Let the show begin!"

A colorful ring of water swirled around Lumine, applying Hydro to her and the nearby Hilichurls.

Gritting her teeth through the pain, Lumine raised her left hand and activated her own skill—Wind Blade.

A vacuum vortex formed in her palm, instantly dyed by the water element and triggering a powerful Swirl reaction.

The Hilichurls shrieked as they were sucked in and flung into the air, battered by slicing winds. When they hit the ground again, they didn't move.

"They're dead," Lin Yi confirmed after checking their bodies.

Barbara and Noelle looked stunned as Lumine walked back toward them, cradling her arm. To them, her performance had been overwhelming—one-shotting a Hilichurl Berserker? Even Jean and Diluc might struggle with that.

Lumine walked toward Saphir step by step. The smug grin on Saphir's face suggested she was waiting for retaliation.

Lumine raised her hand… then suddenly pulled her into an embrace.

Saphir blinked, stunned, and instinctively hugged her back.

"Lumine, are you okay?" Paimon was confused. She thought Lumine would punch Saphir, not hug her.

Still clinging tightly, Lumine shook her head, saying nothing. Saphir gently patted her back to soothe her.

"Need healing?" Saphir asked in a low voice near Lumine's ear. "Barbara's energy is still low, so her healing won't be very effective."

Lumine gave a small nod. She had realized the truth mid-battle—Saphir hadn't thrown her in to die. With two powerful blessings cast beforehand, she had never been in real danger. The pain was real, but the wounds weren't. Her arm hadn't even broken the skin.

Her incredible attack power and elemental synergy—those were all thanks to Saphir.

She didn't know how to face her now. Part of her still felt ashamed for doubting her. And she feared that if she pushed too hard, Saphir might walk away.

But for now… at least let her heal me, she thought.

"Then let me go, would you?" Saphir chuckled gently. "Kinda hard to cast spells like this."

Lumine released her right away—obediently and without protest.

Saphir smiled faintly and brought her hands together.

Healing Prayer: A prayer offered to the divine, healing oneself and nearby allies.

Warm, golden light washed over Lumine's body. The pain in her arm vanished instantly.

"Done," Saphir said. "Better?"

Lumine gave her a small nod, gratitude in her eyes.

Meanwhile, Lin Yi returned with a few Hilichurl masks and horns. "So… this is it then? You're revealing your identity?"

Indeed—Saphir was wearing her full priestess attire. If Jean found out, her cover would be blown completely. And with both Barbara and Noelle present, there was no way the information wouldn't reach her.

Saphir nodded. "Yeah. I've thought it through. No more hiding."

She turned toward Barbara and Noelle. "I'm not just some traveler. I'm Saphir Afurola, 12th of the Fatui Harbingers, codename: Dark Shepherd. I used to hide it because Jean doesn't exactly have a positive view of us. I figured one 'Lady' was more than enough trouble for you."

That last part was directed at Barbara.

As expected, Barbara paled immediately. "Saphir Afurola?! The Shadow Dancer?!"

"Oh? You know that name?" Saphir raised a brow. "The Church of Favonius is better informed than I thought."

Her codename, "Shadow Dancer," had come from her days as an assassin before becoming a Harbinger. Her unique shadow control abilities had made her infamous.

"That intel probably came from Diluc," Lin Yi explained. "Even though he left the Knights, he still shares intel with Jean and Kaeya."

"B-but Lin Yi—why are you so close with someone like her?" Barbara was clearly shaken.

Was Lin Yi… also Fatui?

Seeing her about to spiral, Lin Yi gave her a light chop to the head. "Quit overthinking. Saphir and I came from the same world. We've known each other for years. She ended up in Snezhnaya, joined the Fatui by chance. But she's not here to hurt anyone."

Barbara stared at him, confused, but nodded weakly. Noelle also looked uneasy but said nothing.

Saphir shrugged. "See? This is why I kept it hidden. Even after building some trust, just saying 'I'm Fatui' undoes it all. Makes you wonder—do the Fatui have any friends?"

"Yeah," Lin Yi muttered, "that's just how it is."

With that, the group resumed their journey toward the Anemo Hypostasis.

Along the way, they cleared several more Hilichurl camps. But this time, Saphir didn't lift a finger. She left everything to Lumine, Barbara, and Noelle.

Without Saphir's blessings, the fights became much harder. Barbara nearly got hurt several times due to her inexperience. But every time danger loomed, Saphir intervened with just enough protection.

Sanctified Guard: Shields an ally from incoming attacks. Activates automatically when an ally is about to take fatal damage.

Despite this, Saphir scolded them mercilessly. "Is that all you've got? You'll never beat an Elemental Lord like this! Focus!"

Lin Yi and Paimon just snickered from the sidelines.

Noelle, who had gone through "training" with Lin Yi before, immediately noticed the difference. Lin Yi had been much gentler. Most of her growth had come from direct power boosts.

Saphir, however, was brutal—but efficient. With her own skills in healing and shielding, she didn't hesitate to throw the girls into danger. She trusted that she could protect them if it came to it.

And because of that, the results were remarkable. All three girls—especially Lumine—could feel themselves growing stronger. They were learning not just to wield elemental power, but to fight with skill and instinct.

"Hmm… change of plans," Saphir said at last. "From now on, I'll only give you Guardian's Blessing. If you're not afraid of pain, go ahead and get hit. But don't expect me to save you anymore."

She folded her arms, smiling like a proud devil.

The real training… had only just begun.

~~~----------------------

To read 55+ future chapters head over to Patreon:

patreon.com/YonkoSlayer