Children of the Future

Chapter 40

Well, we're back again to continue the fight with the sea gods in Liyue.

Ningguang and Shitou unleashed another barrage or Geo projectiles towards the two gods dealing a little damage. The gods remained unshaded and continued their assault. However, the newcomer who joined in had surprised the woman.

"Who are you and how did you get here?!" Ningguang demanded to know.

"Oh, me? Just a passing bard. The winds led me here and it looks like I came right on time," Venti smiled.

"Tone-deaf bard!" Paimon was happy to see him.

"Venti? What are you doing here?" Aether asked.

"It's a story that's too long to tell right now. For now, you can just know I'm here to help," he winked at them. Aether, Paimon and Zhongli smiled. Having two Archons was certainly reassuring.

"Paimon's glad to have you here with us!"

"Ningguang, we can trust him. I know him well!" Aether assured her. Ningguang nodded.

"Uncle Venti?!" Shitou said in his head. He smiled knowing they would be in good hands. He grunted once more as he put his hands together and summoned more Geo power to launch at the enemies in front of him.

"Aether, I noticed you've been blessed by this blockhead. Take some more of my power too!" he blessed Aether and supercharged his Anemo.

"Woah!" Aether felt the power of two supercharged elements flow through him.

"You ok, bro?" Lumine asked him.

"Yeah, I think- incoming!!" Aether saw Osial firing multiple beams in their direction. Zhongli was still down so Aether decided to put his new ability to the test. "With the wind!!"

He swung his sword and summoned three giant tornadoes that sucked up the water around them and blocked the god's attack. The others watched in amazement at what Aether did.

"What that Aether?!" Ganyu asked.

"I've never seen someone use Anemo on that scale before! It's almost like... an Archon!" Keqing was awestruck. 

Shenhe and her kids watched as they caught their breaths.

"That was Father! I'm also sensing another presence! Uncle Venti?" Jinhe watched with wide eyes.

With Aether, he flipped back onto the Jade Chamber as his tornadoes disappeared.

"Phew! This is something else!" Aether smiled at his power-up.

"Aether!" 

The blonde turned and Xiao appeared before him. Shitou ran over with him, out of breath.

"Father... we won't hold out for much longer..." he panted.

"The boy is right. This is a battle of attrition we cannot win," Xiao warned.

"Ngh... he's right. We need to hit them even harder," Zhongli groaned.

"But how?! We can't do much with the water as crazy as it is! How do we even get near them?!" Paimon panicked.

Lumine was thinking when an idea came to her, "Brother! I think I have an idea!"

"What?" Aether turned to her.

"Do you think your Anemo powers can get them out of the water?"

"No. They look too big for that," Aether responded.

"I think I see what you're getting at. Actually, I might be able to push away the water they're in and beach them," Venti said.

"Are you sure? Even if you're the Anemo Archon, Paimon still doubt you can do that given you're the weakest," Paimon jabbed at him.