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Chapter 21: The Reconnaissance Knight Arrives
Sabo's expression also became extremely grave. He could control the wind, but he had only just received this power and was not skilled with it at all. That single wind blade just now had almost completely drained his energy! Luffy, on the other hand, was clueless as ever. Looking at the "masked monkeys" gathering around them, he actually got excited!
"Hehehe! So many! Let's send 'em flying!"
However, just at this moment. Whoosh! A piercing sound of something cutting through the air shot past their heads! Immediately after, an arrow wreathed in flames, like a shooting star, accurately shot into the ground at the feet of a Hilichurl that was preparing to throw a rock!
Boom! A violent explosion! Flames shot into the sky, and the powerful shockwave sent that Hilichurl, along with its two companions, flying!
The entire field fell silent for a second. Ace, Luffy, Sabo, and all the surrounding Hilichurls that had been about to charge, all froze. They all looked up in unison, toward the direction the arrow came from.
A clear, pleasant, and energetic girl's voice came from a nearby hillside!
"Reconnaissance Knight Amber, reporting for duty!"
"This is a dangerous area. No trespassing!"
A brown-haired girl in a red uniform, wearing a headband that looked like bunny ears, was standing on the hill. She held an exquisite longbow, and the red ornament on her body glittered in the sun. It was the same kind of thing Sabo had on his waist! Only, it was red! Behind the girl, there was also a blond-haired boy, and a... tiny, white... thing floating in the air?
"You despicable Hilichurls! Don't you bully kids!"
The girl shouted energetically, then leaped! The red cape behind her instantly spread, like wings, allowing her to glide through the air!
"Take this! Explosive Shot!"
She drew her bowstring in mid-air, and another flaming arrow whistled out!
Boom! Another violent explosion! A huge gap was instantly blasted in the Hilichurls' formation!
"Waaaaah!" Luffy's eyes had already turned into two giant, sparkling stars! He pointed at the red-clothed girl gliding through the air, so excited he was incoherent!
"Red! It's red!"
"She can shoot fire! And she can fly! So cool!"
"Hey! You three little guys! Get out of there, quick!"
The red-clothed girl saw the Hilichurls raising their clubs and shouted anxiously.
"Those things aren't friendly creatures!"
However. It was too late!
"Yaaaa!" A Hilichurl screeched, swinging a club thicker than its own body, and smashed it down at Luffy, who was closest! The whistling wind carried the force to smash a person into paste!
"Luffy!" Ace and Sabo cried out at the same time!
Bang! A dull thud! However, the expected bloody scene didn't happen. Luffy's head was struck solidly by the club, but it just caved in like a rubber ball, at an exaggerated angle!
The next second. His head Duang! popped right back!
Luffy shook his head, completely unharmed. He rubbed the spot where he was hit, then looked up and grinned at the Hilichurl.
"That didn't hurt at all!"
The field went quiet.
The club-wielding Hilichurl froze, still in its attack pose. It tilted its head, its eyes under the mask filled with a deep suspicion of the world, and of the club in its hands.
The red-clothed girl's mouth formed an "O" shape. The small white floating thing next to her even more dramatically covered its mouth with its little hands.
"Eh?!"
"His... his head..."
Only Ace let out a sigh of relief, as if this was normal, and then immediately got angry.
"This rubber bastard!"
"Gomu Gomu no... Pistol!"
Luffy didn't care what anyone else thought. His thin arm stretched far back, then snapped forward like lightning! Bang! One punch! Right in the face of the Hilichurl that was still questioning its existence! The poor Hilichurl didn't even have time to scream. Like a kite with its string cut, it flew backwards, made a graceful arc in the air, and finally slammed onto the ground, unmoving.
Amber landed lightly. She didn't even look at the Hilichurls that were scattering in terror. Instead, she rushed straight to the three brothers.
"Are you guys okay?"
Her green eyes were full of concern.
"It's dangerous here! Kids shouldn't run around!"
The blond-haired boy and the little white thing followed her.
"Hah... Amber, you fly too fast!"
The little white thing floated in mid-air, hands on its hips, pouting.
"Hey! You little brats, where did you come from?"
Luffy reached out a finger, curiously poking the little floating creature.
"Whoa! It really flies! Are you a fairy?"
"I'm not a fairy!"
The little white thing wobbled in the air from the poke. She stomped her feet angrily (even though she had no feet to stomp).
"Listen up! My name is Paimon! And I'm not some weird Emergency Food!"
"Emergency Food?"
Luffy tilted his head, and then started drooling.
"Can you eat it?"
"You can't eat me!"
Paimon shrieked, exasperated.
"Hey." Ace interrupted this pointless conversation. He watched the red-clothed girl warily, his body still tense.
"Who are you?"
Amber was taken aback by Ace's hostile gaze, but she still gave him a bright smile. She patted her chest, saying proudly.
"I'm Amber, Reconnaissance Knight of the Knights of Favonius!"
"This is my new friend, Honorary Knight Traveler!"
She pointed to the blond-haired boy next to her.
"As for this one..."
Amber glanced at Paimon and winked mischievously.
"She's Traveler's best partner, and Emergency Food!"
"I told you, I'm not Emergency Food!"
Sabo ignored their bickering. He took a step forward, his blue eyes fixed on the red Vision at Amber's waist. His voice trembled slightly with curiosity.
"Um... excuse me..."
He pointed at Amber's waist, and then at the cyan ornament on his own.
"You have one of these, too... What is it?"
Amber followed his finger, and when she saw the Anemo Vision glowing faintly at Sabo's waist, her eyes lit up!
"Wow! You're a Vision bearer, too?"
Her smile became even friendlier.
"That's great! I thought you were just ordinary lost kids!"
She cleared her throat and, in the tone of a senior, explained seriously.
"This is a Vision. It's a gift bestowed upon those who are recognized by the gods!"
"With it, you can channel elemental power!"
As Amber spoke, she held out her palm, and a small flame ignited out of thin air.
"Like this! I'm Pyro! And you... you're the free Anemo!"
"Since you're not ordinary people, this makes things much easier!"
Amber extinguished the flame, and her expression turned serious as she looked at the now-quiet woods.
"Lately, Stormterror's activity has been increasing. It's gotten very dangerous outside Mondstadt."
"You should come with me. I'll take you to the City of Mondstadt! It's under the protection of the Anemo Archon, so it's perfectly safe!"
City of Mondstadt! Stormterror! These two terms made Ace's and Sabo's hearts skip a beat.
The mission! Their mission was here!