As he muttered to himself, Stormterror had already healed its wings and soared out of the storm below.
Seeing the demon and Barbatos standing together on the same platform, Stormterror unleashed a wild blast of wind breath without hesitation, aiming directly at the platform.
“Get lost!!”
Jia Changjiang turned, raising his greatsword in front of him. The massive blade intercepted the oncoming breath, and the scarlet energy enveloping the blade split the turbulent attack in two.
In his Cataclysm state, Jia Changjiang’s towering form and enormous sword cleaved through the wind breath. Even the scattered remnants of the attack were absorbed by his body, leaving those behind him—Venti and the others—completely unharmed.
Jia Changjiang could have dodged. The dragon’s breath wouldn’t have caught him if he had chosen to evade, but instead, he stood his ground.
The Deathblight energy dividing the breath and the force absorbed by his body gave the group behind him a precious moment to catch their breath.
Realizing Jia Changjiang would not retreat, Stormterror intensified its attack, preparing to obliterate the platform entirely.
Jia Changjiang’s feet slid backward under the pressure of the wind breath, carving deep grooves into the platform. His legs bent slightly from the strain.
“Jia Changjiang!”
Seeing him holding the line, Lumine couldn’t help but reach out, pressing a hand to his leg.
At that moment, Jia Changjiang’s mind became startlingly clear.
The next instant, he straightened, taking a step forward against the torrent of wind breath.
“Shut your mouth!!”
With a sudden beat of his massive wings, the platform beneath Jia Changjiang partially shattered. The recoil from the blast and the thrust from his wings propelled him straight through the wind breath, hurtling toward Stormterror.
From Jia Changjiang’s right hand, chains forged of infernal flames emerged, binding one of Stormterror’s claws and pulling the two closer together.
“These people… are mine!!!”
As Jia Changjiang closed in, Stormterror’s eyes burned with ferocity. For a brief second, its wind breath faltered. In that moment, Jia Changjiang’s greatsword struck its shoulder.
Stormterror retaliated, unleashing an explosive blast of wind directly at the glowing area on Jia Changjiang’s chest, which flickered like a heart. The impact sent both combatants flying.
Jia Changjiang crashed onto a nearby platform beside Lumine and the others, while Stormterror slammed into another, shattering it entirely. Blood gushed from the wound on its shoulder.
“Jia Changjiang?!” The group scrambled to reach the platform where he had fallen.
His earlier demeanor seemed to have softened, as if he had awakened from his frenzy.
Had he protected them intentionally?
Crossing over to his side, the group saw Jia Changjiang’s massive chest, now a mess of torn flesh. The remnants of Stormterror’s wind eroded the wound even as it healed. His colossal body lay in a crater formed by the impact, his condition unclear.
“Jax?”
Suddenly, Jia Changjiang’s hand twitched, reaching out to grasp Lumine and Venti. Diluc and Jean nearly struck his hand in reflex, but his grip was light—more a gentle hold than an attack.
Moments later, with a deep rumble, Jia Changjiang’s massive form rose from the ground. He cradled Lumine and Venti in his hand, lifting them to eye level.
“Stop shouting. I’m still alive…”
Hearing his voice, the group collectively sighed in relief.
“Venti… Lumine…”
Though his voice was still hoarse, it no longer carried the wrath and hatred from before.
“Thank you. I thought I was repaying a debt, but it seems I’ve ended up owing another.”
In his palm, Venti and Lumine sat securely as Jia Changjiang lowered his greatsword. He extended his other hand, palm up, inviting Diluc and Jean to join.
“Will you lose control like before?” Diluc asked directly, cutting to the heart of the matter.
“The influence remains, but it’s not as severe now.”
Jia Changjiang stood, placing the four—along with Paimon—onto his broad shoulders before picking up his greatsword again.
“It’s just a weapon. I won’t let it dominate me again.”
Though the greatsword bore the power and will of the Darkin Blade, it lacked the full presence of Aatrox himself. Otherwise, Venti and Lumine wouldn’t have been able to snap him out of it so easily.
“Sorry for hurting you, Venti.”
With his outstretched wings shielding the group on his shoulders, Jia Changjiang offered an apology.
Seated on his shoulder, Venti wiped away a streak of blood at the corner of his mouth and laughed. “No need for apologies. Just buy me a drink when this is over!”
“Deal.”
With a single word, Jia Changjiang spread his wings, lifting the group into the air.
Across the battlefield, Stormterror also rose, recovering from the earlier clash, its wings beating as it took flight.
“Lumine.”
Jia Changjiang called to her from his shoulder.
“Help me.”
“I’ll suppress Stormterror as much as possible to give you a chance to purify it. And…”
He tapped his forehead lightly. “Don’t let me lose control. Remind me!”
“Got it!” Lumine stood on his shoulder, steadying herself by holding onto his head. Together, they faced the airborne Stormterror.
“Lastly… take this.”
From Jia Changjiang’s fingertips, a crystalline shard appeared, which Lumine caught in her hands.
“If needed, feed this to Dvalin!”
Then, turning to Diluc and Jean, he added, “This might be your first battle of this kind, but there’s no time to get used to it.”
There was no room for hesitation now. The situation demanded immediate action.
“Venti, play that song—the one you used to call Dvalin before.”
“A tune like that shouldn’t be for my ears alone!”
Raising his greatsword, Jia Changjiang pointed it at Stormterror with his free hand, beckoning it forward with a slight curl of his massive finger.
“Round three begins. Time to bring Dvalin back.”
“Hold tight!”
In his eyes, the pure fire of battle reignited.
Unlike the earlier frenzy, his spirit now burned with nothing but unshakable determination.
Jia Changjiang and Stormterror surged toward each other at the same time.
“Let’s fight!!”
—
This is a fan translation of 武器大师在原神绝不死于徒手 by 徐人双 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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