Lumine stared at the ever-transforming imaginary friend in deep contemplation.
The one she saw not only kept changing forms but also had an art style completely mismatched with Mondstadt’s other imaginary friends.
Who on Teyvat would imagine seven kids with gourds on their heads? Some were spewing fire, others water, and one was smashing rocks on their chest…
Was this imaginary friend… a circus troupe?
“Ah! Lumine, Venti, Paimon—I found you!”
A familiar voice called out, and Lumine turned to see the seven gourd-headed children approaching her.
Then… they merged into one.
In the blink of an eye, the figures fused together, rapidly growing until they became a towering, multicolored giant, easily dozens of meters tall.
“Lumine? What are you looking at?”
Jia Changjiang approached, curious, as he noticed Lumine gazing up at the sky.
“Jax, your imaginary friend… is incredible,” Lumine said, still fixated on the giant now looming behind him.
“My imaginary friend?” Jia Changjiang blinked, confused. Then he noticed the monocle on Lumine’s face and frowned. “Wait, what? My imaginary friend? I don’t have one! I’m nearly thirty! How could I still have an imaginary friend?”
But as Jia Changjiang protested, Lumine’s gaze followed the giant as it began to shift forms again. She watched as it shrank down and transformed into a little girl dressed in a frilly outfit, holding a star-shaped wand and a deck of cards.
“Uh…” Lumine’s expression grew increasingly odd as she glanced back at Jia Changjiang. “I didn’t expect this from you.”
“What?? What’s that supposed to mean?” Jia Changjiang asked, bewildered. “What did you see?”
Lumine handed the monocle to Venti, who took a look and immediately stifled a laugh. “Jax, your imaginary friend is… adorable.”
Through the monocle, Venti saw a blonde, twin-tailed magical girl in a sailor uniform.
“What?! What exactly are you guys seeing?” Jia Changjiang demanded, growing flustered. “How come I can’t see this so-called imaginary friend of mine, but you can?”
“Well, it’s definitely there,” Venti replied, trying to hold back his amusement. “Maybe you’re a special case?”
“What is it?!” Jia Changjiang pressed, his frustration mounting.
Listening to Lumine and Venti’s descriptions, Jia Changjiang slowly pieced it together.
Wait a second… aren’t those just the shows I watched as a kid?!
Why in the Archons’ names are they seeing “Cardcaptor Sakura” and “Sailor Moon”? I watched other stuff too! Like “Dragon Ball”! Why did they see the girly ones?!
Slumping onto a nearby bench, Jia Changjiang buried his face in his hands, feeling the crushing weight of secondhand embarrassment.
“I thought Mr. Jax’s imaginary friend would be some kind of formidable opponent,” Paimon quipped quietly, glancing at Jia Changjiang’s defeated posture. “But it turns out he has… floaty, fluffy imaginary friends too.”
“Ahaha~ That’s just childhood for you,” Venti said with a chuckle, though his expression showed he was just as surprised.
Lumine, however, remained engrossed in observing Jia Changjiang’s imaginary friends. They spanned various art styles—towering robots, a boy with a scar and a straw hat, and more.
“Stop staring! Why am I the only one under scrutiny here?” Jia Changjiang groaned, still hiding his face. “If I can’t even see it myself, can it really be called an imaginary friend?”
“But it’s fascinating!” Lumine said, ignoring his protests as she watched his imaginary friends shift into beautiful heroines and dashing heroes.
“So, where should we go next to see more imaginary friends?” Paimon asked, tilting her head. “Imaginary friends sound like such a magical concept.”
“Most kids probably still have theirs,” Venti replied, a glint of mischief in his eyes as he glanced at Jia Changjiang. “And some adults, apparently, still hold on to a childlike sense of wonder.”
“Stop it already!” Jia Changjiang groaned. “That’s all stuff from when I was a kid! Don’t make me think about it now!”
“Aw, but Jax, your imaginary friends are so interesting,” Lumine said with a teasing grin, reluctantly taking off the monocle. “Other people’s imaginary friends must be fascinating too.”
“That’s it! I’ve got it!” Paimon exclaimed, her tiny fists clenched. “Let’s head to Mondstadt’s city gates! There are always kids playing there—we’ll definitely see all kinds of imaginary friends!”
“Great idea! Let’s go!” Venti said, leading the charge.
—
At Mondstadt’s City Gates
A short walk later, the group arrived at the bustling gates of Mondstadt. Some children were blowing dandelions, while others chased each other in a lively game of tag.
“Traveler! Let’s check out their imaginary friends!” Paimon said, bouncing with excitement.
“Alright, let’s see…” Lumine put on the monocle and turned her gaze toward the children.
The moment she did, an entirely different scene unfolded before her eyes.
The children’s playful chasing transformed into an epic battle.
From where she stood, Lumine could see two massive dragons, three colossal wolves, and even vivid images of Jean, Kaeya, and a flame-wielding man whose face was obscured.
“Darknight Hero is way cooler!”
“No way! Big Brother Kaeya is the best! He was so awesome when he defeated those Hilichurls last time!”
“Darknight Hero’s flame burst attack is stronger than yours!”
“Well, Kaeya’s ice powers are just as good!”
The kids’ voices rose as they argued, while their imaginary friends mirrored their disputes in mock combat.
Lumine watched in fascination, marveling at how the imaginary friends took on the roles of powerful allies and foes.
So they can battle imaginary friends to settle arguments? That’s… oddly amazing.
After describing the scene to the group, Jia Changjiang frowned.
“Why does this whole imaginary friend battle thing sound suspiciously like a substitute stand-off from some shounen manga?”
—
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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