Sabo's face also became incredibly solemn.
He could control wind, but he had only just acquired this power and was completely unskilled!
That single Anemo Blade just now had almost drained most of his energy!
Luffy, however, was carefree. He looked at the increasing number of "masked monkeys" around them and became excited instead!
"Hehehe! So many! Send them flying!"
However, just then...
Whoosh—!
A piercing whoosh cut through the air above their heads!
Immediately after...
A flaming arrow, like a meteor, accurately shot into the ground at the feet of a Hilichurl who was preparing to throw a rock!
Boom!
A violent explosion!
Flames shot into the sky, and the powerful shockwave directly blasted that Hilichurl, along with two of its companions, flying!
The entire scene instantly fell silent for a second.
Ace, Luffy, Sabo, and all the surrounding Hilichurls who were about to charge, were all stunned.
They uniformly raised their heads and looked in the direction from which the arrow had come.
A clear, pleasant, and vibrant young girl's voice came from the hillside not far away!
"Scout Knight Amber, reporting for duty!"
"The dangerous area ahead is off-limits!"
A brown-haired girl wearing a red jumpsuit and a rabbit-ear-like headband stood on the hillside.
She held an exquisite longbow in her hand, and the red ornaments on her body sparkled in the sunlight.
It was the same kind of thing as the one on Sabo's waist!
Only, it was red!
Behind the girl, there was also a blond young man, and a... small white floating creature?
"Nasty Hilichurls! No bullying children!"
The girl shouted with full vigor, then leaped!
Her red cape instantly unfurled behind her, like wings, carrying her gliding through the air!
"Watch me! Explosive Shot!"
She drew her bowstring in mid-air, and another flaming arrow whistled out!
Boom!
Another violent explosion!
The Hilichurl formation was instantly blown open with a huge gap!
"Wah-ah-ah-ah!"
Luffy's eyes had turned into two huge, sparkling stars!
He pointed at the red-clad girl gliding in the air, excitedly incoherent!
"Red one! It's red!"
"It breathes fire! And it flies! So cool!"
"Hey! You three little ones! Get out of there quickly!"
The red-clad girl saw those Hilichurls raising their wooden clubs and immediately shouted anxiously.
"Those guys aren't friendly creatures!"
However...
It was too late!
"Yaaaa!"
A Hilichurl shrieked, swinging a wooden club thicker than its own body, and smashed it fiercely towards Luffy, who was closest to it!
The whistling wind carried the force to smash a person into a pulp!
"Luffy!" Ace and Sabo cried out simultaneously!
Bang!
A dull thud!
However, the expected scene of blood and gore did not appear.
Luffy's head was squarely hit by the club, but it only dented backward in an exaggerated arc, like a rubber ball!
The next second...
His head "Duang"-ed back into place!
Luffy shook his head, completely unharmed.
He touched the spot where he was hit, then looked up and grinned at the Hilichurl.
"It didn't hurt at all!"
The whole scene fell silent.
The Hilichurl that had swung the club remained in its attacking posture, completely frozen.
It tilted its head, its gaze under the mask filled with deep doubt about this world and about the club in its hand.
The red-clad girl on the rock had her mouth open in an "O" shape.
The small white floating object beside her even dramatically covered its mouth with its tiny hands.
"Eh?!"
"His... his head..."
Only Ace, accustomed to it, breathed a sigh of relief, then got angry again.
"That rubber idiot!"
"Gomu Gomu no... Pistol!"
Luffy didn't care what others thought; his thin arm suddenly stretched backward, then snapped back like lightning!
Bang!
One punch!
Right into the face of the Hilichurl who was still doubting its existence!
The poor Hilichurl didn't even have time to scream before it flew backward like a kite with a broken string, drawing a graceful parabola in the air, finally falling heavily to the ground, motionless.
Amber landed lightly. She didn't even look at the Hilichurls who were scattering in fright; instead, she rushed to the three brothers immediately.
"Are you alright?"
Her green eyes were full of concern.
"It's very dangerous here! Children shouldn't run around carelessly!"
The blond young man and the small white creature behind her also followed.
"Phew... Amber, you fly too fast!"
The small white creature floated in mid-air, hands on its hips, complaining indignantly.
"Hey! You little squirts, where are you from?"
Luffy stretched out a finger and curiously poked the floating little guy.
"Wow! It really flies! Are you a fairy?"
"I'm not a fairy!"
The small white creature wobbled in the air from being poked. She stomped her foot in anger (though she had no feet to stomp).
"Listen up! My name is Paimon! And I'm not some strange emergency food!"
"emergency food?"
Luffy tilted his head, then drool started to drip.
"Can you eat it?"
"You can't eat me!"
Paimon shrieked in frustration.
"Hey."
Ace interrupted the boring conversation.
He looked at the red-clad girl in front of him warily, his body still tense.
"Who are you people?"
Amber was startled by Ace's hostile gaze but still showed a brilliant smile.
She patted her chest and said proudly.
"I am Amber, a Scout Knight of the Knights of Favonius!"
"This is my new friend, the Honorary Knight, Traveler!"
She pointed to the blond young man beside her.
"As for this one..."
Amber glanced at Paimon, winking mischievously.
"She's the Traveler's best companion, 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 carried a hint of tremor and curiosity.
"That... excuse me..."
He pointed to Amber's waist, then to the cyan ornament on his own waist.
"You also have this thing... What exactly is it?"
Amber followed his finger. When she saw the Anemo vision emitting a faint cyan glow at Sabo's waist, her eyes suddenly lit up!
"Wow! Are you also a vision wielder?"
Her smile became even warmer.
"That's great! I thought you were just ordinary lost children!"
She cleared her throat and explained seriously in a senior's tone.
"This is a vision. It's a gift only those recognized by the gods can receive!"
"With it, you can channel elemental power!"
Amber said, spreading her palm. A small flame ignited out of thin air in her palm.
"Like this! I am Pyro! And you, are the free Anemo!"
"Since you're not ordinary people, things will be easier!"
Amber extinguished the flame, looking at the forest that had become quiet again, her expression turning serious.
"Stormterror's activities have become more frequent recently. It's already very dangerous outside Mondstadt City."
"Come with me, I'll take you to Mondstadt City! It's the Anemo God's sanctuary, absolutely safe!"
Mondstadt City!
Stormterror!
These two words made Ace and Sabo's hearts skip a beat simultaneously!
The mission!
Their mission had arrived!
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