She knew that Vision bearers could sense elemental energy.
If her Lady was moving this fast, it should be due to an Anemo buff.
But Oz felt no wind. It was strange.
Hearing Oz's confusion, Fischl scratched her head.
Everything about today was strange.
The Reinforcement Salve Kael pulled out. The small machine that found resources. The "Destruction" power he imbued into her bow. And now, this sudden burst of speed.
She was bewildered.
Where did Kael get so many inexplicable items and abilities?
"Whatever."
Fischl sighed softly, shaking her head. She abandoned the idea of probing deeper.
"I am the Prinzessin of Condemnation. I should be accustomed to such mysteries."
After all, if she couldn't figure it out, there was no point dwelling on it.
What mattered was that this power benefited her.
Besides...
As the Prinzessin, wasn't it only natural that mysterious forces would flock to her side?
Thinking of it this way, Fischl instantly felt at peace.
She even felt a vague sense of pride.
Her retainer possessed such miraculous abilities. Didn't that mean her own power would ascend to a new level?
She looked up. Kael had already walked far ahead, carrying two large sacks of specialties, his stride as brisk as the wind.
She blinked, applying force to her legs. In the next second, her body felt lifted by a gale. She slid forward smoothly, closing the distance in an instant!
Feeling her own speed, Fischl's eyes sparkled with surprise. Her lips curled up involuntarily, excitement bubbling in her chest.
This feeling was amazing!
Whatever method Kael used, she could run faster now!
"Hmph! Thy power is, in the end, merely a blessing belonging to this Prinzessin!"
Fischl quickened her pace, using her weightless state to catch up.
Her purple skirt fluttered in the wind, her golden twin-tails dancing behind her. Her eyes shone with eagerness. She ran faster and faster, adjusting her stride to master this wonderful sensation of speed.
While Fischl excitedly followed Kael...
On the other side.
The high ground near the Whispering Woods.
The Hilichurl camp that Fischl had decimated earlier.
Even though half the afternoon had passed, the cold still lingered.
Unmelted ice crystals covered the shattered ground, and the air was thick with a chill far more biting than ordinary Cryo energy.
Two figures walked slowly onto this messy battlefield. Their steps were steady, but their eyes were alert.
It was Kaeya and Eula.
Their expressions were grave.
"The explosion yesterday had just settled down, and now this happens today... It seems Mondstadt is truly restless lately."
Kaeya looked around, his brows furrowed, his gaze sharp.
Hilichurl remains were scattered everywhere. The traces of frozen, cracked tents were clearly visible. It was as if the entire camp had experienced an instant drop to extreme sub-zero temperatures.
And then, it had been crushed by a massive external force!
This was no ordinary battle.
It didn't even look like destruction caused solely by the Cryo element.
Early this morning, after speaking with Acting Grand Master Jean, Kaeya had assigned tasks to others and left the city. He met up with Eula near Starfall Lake.
After getting the details from Eula and inspecting the site at the lake, they analyzed the situation. They decided to patrol the surrounding area and wait for any new activity.
In the afternoon, their scouts reported an anomaly here. The Falcon of the West spotted the disturbance, and they rushed over immediately.
What they saw was this scene.
Kaeya crouched down, reaching out to touch the ice marks remaining on the ground.
The cold sensation instantly spread up his fingertips, making his hand tremble involuntarily.
"This is... a force far more violent than ordinary Cryo."
Kaeya narrowed his eyes, his gaze darkening.
This frost wasn't left by a normal Vision user. It was something stronger, more extreme...
It even made him—a Cryo Vision holder—feel uncomfortable.
While Kaeya pondered, Eula stood beside a shattered Hilichurl shield, her gaze fixed.
"Kaeya..."
Eula kicked aside a layer of ice with her boot, revealing the fragments of a Hilichurl battle axe that had been pulverized into powder.
Kaeya walked over. Seeing the shattered weapon, his eyes flickered. "...This isn't ordinary damage."
"It's some kind of extreme destructive force... It even shattered the battle axe completely?"
Eula didn't answer. She slowly looked up, sensing the aura that still hadn't dissipated. Her brow furrowed.
Her Cryo Vision clearly perceived that amidst this extreme cold, there was another aura—one she was extremely familiar with.
It was the same terrifying power she had sensed near Starfall Lake yesterday!
A wild, unparalleled aura of Destruction!
"Kaeya, you feel it too, don't you?"
Eula turned around, her ice-blue pupils flashing with sharp light.
Kaeya didn't answer immediately. He exhaled gently, a white mist forming in the cold air.
"It really is the same aura from yesterday..."
Kaeya's gaze was deep. His usual smile was gone, replaced by a tight frown.
"Starfall Lake just had that level of explosion, and now we find the same energy here."
Kaeya stood up slowly, scanning the traces of the battlefield with a thoughtful look.
This level of destructive power was not something an ordinary person could achieve!
Eula's frown deepened. "If this is residue of the same power from yesterday... then what's involved here might be far more complex than we imagined."
"After all, you mentioned the aura that appeared inside Mondstadt City last night as well."
"To appear so unpredictably, possessing such terrifying destructive power, and now this chilling aura..."
"There is only one possibility..."
The two looked at each other, the same guess surfacing in their minds—
The Abyss Order!
But even for the Abyss Order, their methods had never shown such extreme freezing effects.
This formed an extreme contradiction with the "flames" from the explosion site yesterday!
"We haven't lacked dealings with Abyss Mages."
Kaeya rubbed his chin, narrowing his eyes. "If the Abyss Order is causing trouble... this level of freezing exceeds any Abyss Mage we know."
They had fought Abyss Mages before.
But the Cryo power used by Abyss Mages was never this exaggerated.
"If it were an Abyss Herald, that might explain it. But..."
Eula paused, deep in thought. "I'm more concerned about that aura of destruction."
"The Abyss Order has never displayed that kind of aura."
As she spoke, Eula placed her hand gently on the Cryo Vision at her waist, trying to sense the residual elemental power in the surroundings.