<h4>Chapter 172: Viin Simtor, Ch 171</h4>


    Lucas extended his hand toward Venti, who grabbed it without hesitation. The moment Venti was pulled to safety, the entire tower copsed, crumbling into ruins alongside its forgotten history.


    The Blue-Eyes White Dragon descended gracefully, carrying the three of them safely to the ground.


    Lucas gazed at the ruins with a mix of emotions, but suddenly, a thought struck him like lightning. Panic surged through his chest as he sprinted toward the rubble, shouting, "Lumine! Paimon!"


    Though they hadn''t followed him to the tower''s summit, they had been inside it. Lucas feared the falling debris might have crushed them.


    He frantically began clearing the rubble with his bare hands, unwilling to risk using des or elemental power in case it hurt them further.


    Soon, his hands were raw and bloodied despite his Self-Healing Factor, which barely kept up with the damage.


    Finally, under arge piece of stone, he spotted a white cloth fragment—part of Lumine''s clothing.


    Despair gripped him. Though he hadn''t known Lumine and Paimon for long, he already considered them close friends. The thought of them perishing while aiding him against Dvalin was unbearable.


    "I''m sorry..." Lucas clenched the fabric tightly, his voice trembling. "I promised to help you find your brother."


    "So, if Lumine hadn''t died, you''d definitely help her search for her brother, no matter what?" Venti''s voice came from behind him.


    "Of course," Lucas replied without looking back, his tone resolute. "Even if I have to walk through fire or climb a mountain of spikes, I''d help her find him."


    "And if Paimon weren''t dead," another voice chimed in, one that sounded nothing like Venti. "Would you buy her lots of tasty treats and y with her every day?"


    Lucas froze. Spinning around, he found Lumine and Paimon standing there, perfectly unharmed, wearing peculiar smiles.


    "You... you''re okay?" Lucas stammered.


    "Yep," Lumine said, scratching her cheek sheepishly. "Venti told us to leave the tower earlier, so we did... But your words just now were really touching."


    "Paimon was moved too!" Paimon added, her expression exaggeratedly tearful. "But you have to keep your promises now—ahhh!"


    Before she could finish, Lucas grabbed her cheeks, squishing them like dough. "You dare y this kind of joke on me?"


    "We didn''t mean to!" Lumine said,ughing awkwardly. "The timing just didn''t feel right to interrupt you..."


    "This moment makes even me want topose a song," Venti added with a grin. "Come on, let''s head back. Captain Jean and the others are surely waiting for good news."


    "Good news isn''t something you need to deliver yourself."


    The calm voice startled them. Turning, they saw Diluc standing behind them. His expression remainedposed, though exhaustion showed in his posture.


    "The battle was so intense I could see it clearly from a distance," Diluc said.


    Though he could still move, it was evident he had expended much energy maintaining the mechanism that activated the tower''s barrier. He seemed to be running on sheer willpower.


    "Where are Captain Jean and E?" Lucas asked.


    "They stayed behind to sustain the mechanism and are likely resting now," Diluc replied, his lips curving into a rare smile. "Well done. You didn''t let me down. Now I can rest easy..."


    "Rest easy about what?" Lucas tilted his head.


    Diluc hesitated, swallowing the words <i>handing over the Dawn Winery to you</i>, before changing his tone. "About running the Dawn Winery smoothly."


    The timing wasn''t right—he could wait.


    "Speaking of the winery," Venti interjected, licking his lips. "I''ve helped a lot, haven''t I, Master Diluc? Shouldn''t I get a reward? Maybe lifetime free drinks?"


    "That''s not happening," Diluc said curtly before turning to Lucas. "You''ve earned a great reward. Take a few carts of the best wine when you return."


    "Hey!" Venti protested. "That''s tant favoritism!"


    Their lighthearted exchange brought smiles all around. Even Lucas felt a weight lift off his chest. With this matter resolved, he could prepare to return to Liyue.


    But before he could rx fully, his face suddenly darkened. He felt a murderous intent approaching rapidly.


    Almost simultaneously, a ck shadow streaked across the sky before crashing into the ground with a thunderous BOOM, leaving a deep crater.


    A girl stepped from the impact zone, d in ck and wearing a mask that covered the lower half of her face. Her rare ck-and-purple eyes gleamed coldly as she surveyed her surroundings.


    "Target confirmed: Retrieval target—Dvalin. Elimination target: All witnesses. Missionmencing immediately," she murmured.


    The unexpected intruder left everyone baffled, and her ominous words heightened their alertness.


    "Wait... this feels familiar..." Diluc muttered, his usuallyposed face betraying a rare expression of shock. "No... it can''t be. You were supposed to be..."


    "Diluc. Kill priority: High."


    The girl''s face remained emotionless as she raised her slender arm, which suddenly morphed into a massive ck dragon w. She swung it at Diluc with terrifying force.


    Normally, Diluc would easily dodge such an attack, but his earlier exertion left him drained. He stood frozen, unable to avoid the iing strike.


    Just as the w was about to rip through him, Lucas stepped in, catching the attack barehanded.


    His strength now rivaled that of Dvalin, far exceeding that of ordinary Vision users. Even so, the raw power of the strike pushed him back several meters.


    The earlier battle with Dvalin had left Lucas far from peak condition. Using Amos'' Bow had drained him considerably.


    And now, this new adversary was proving to be even more formidable than Dvalin. Facing two enemies of this caliber back-to-back pushed him to his limits.


    "Who are you?" Lucas demanded, his voice cold. "Why are you attacking us?"


    The girl offered no response, but her piercing gaze bore into Lucas. Her killing intent was undeniable, yet there was also a trace of sorrow in her eyes.


    A strange familiarity gnawed at Lucas. He was certain he''d encountered her before.


    Then, his eyes fell on the two ck horns protruding from her forehead.


    Dragon ws, dragon horns... and those ck-and-purple eyes.


    "It''s you!" Lucas eximed. "Show me your face!"


    Could it be.... Ursa!?


    Though the thought seemed absurd, Lucas couldn''t shake the idea. Somehow, this mysterious girl ovepped in his mind with the clumsy, perpetually hungry dragon from the simtor.