ALL NOVEL Chapter 23: Chapter 23: You're Very Beautiful
"Ei, where does that white-haired fox live?"
"Yashiori Mountain."
---
At that moment, Saiguu was happily entertaining herself. She had her eyes on Ganyu's adorable little horns, eager to touch them. However, Ganyu was frantically using her small hands to cover her horns, determined not to let this mischievous fox woman succeed, her eyes almost welling up with tears in frustration.
"Let me have a look."
"No!"
"Come on, just a little peek!"
"No means no!"
Duang!
Suddenly, the ground trembled as a man—and a woman—landed with a heavy thud.
Everyone has their preferred way of entering a scene. Some people like walking through doors, others prefer jumping through windows or scaling walls. A few might even pop out of the ground. But Yu was different—he loved descending from the sky, ideally leaving cracks in the ground upon landing.
Spotting what seemed like her savior, Ganyu quickly hid behind Yu, peeking out cautiously from behind him, her wary gaze fixed on the white-haired fox.
Saiguu, seeing this scene, smirked mischievously.
"Oh my, oh my! Is this a little family of three?"
Ei instantly sensed trouble brewing. Although she was straightforward and often preferred to solve problems with her fists, she wasn't stupid (or so she thought).
"I'm here to silence witnesses!" Ei declared menacingly, trying to sound as intimidating as possible.
"Keep yesterday's incident to yourself, or…" Yu's eyes turned cold as he added, "I'll skin you and turn you into a fur coat." He had already asked around and determined that only this white-haired fox knew anything. If she spread the news, the entire Inazuma would soon hear about it.
"Oh my, stripping me bare as soon as we meet? You're making me blush!" Saiguu teased, unfazed by their threats.
Meanwhile, Yu silently reached out to his mother through their unique connection via ley lines.
"Mom! Emergency! How do I wipe someone's memory?"
"Dance a little."
"…???"
"Mom!!!"
"(;｀O′)o Go away!"
"Mom!!!"
"I've sent the method directly to your head. Figure it out yourself! Now scram!"
"Got it."
Yu admired his mother's efficiency—not only did she teach him a memory-wiping technique, but she also threw in mind-reading and dream manipulation as a bonus. However, upon trying, Yu realized he couldn't properly use any of it. Nevertheless, where there's a will, there's a way. Yu fashioned a simple club-like object from Dendro energy, imbuing it with a bit of the World Tree's power, creating a makeshift memory-wiping tool.
Saiguu's eyes widened at the sight of the thick, green, glowing object in Yu's hands.
"What are you planning to do? Don't tell me… you're going to knock me out, imprison me in a dungeon where I'll never see daylight again, and make me your plaything?"
Veins bulged on Ei's hand as she clenched her naginata tightly.
"Allow me to explain," Yu began calmly. "I infused this tool with a fraction of the World Tree's authority. It's a simple device for erasing memories. It'll hurt a bit, but don't worry—I'll be gentle."
At this, Saiguu started to panic. He's crazy! Completely insane!
"Save me, Ei! Are you really going to let your good friend suffer at the hands of this brute?"
"I don't mind. In fact, I was thinking the same thing," Ei replied flatly.
Seeing the lack of help, Saiguu transformed into a large fox and attempted to flee.
Duang!
Her escape failed.
"Is it done?" Ei asked, watching the unconscious white-haired fox sprawled on the ground.
"If you're unsure, we could hit her a few more times."
"Better not. Just make sure it's gentle. By the way, can I borrow that tool?"
"No problem."
An awkward silence followed, with neither of them speaking.
"…Consider the Summit Shaper a gift," Yu said after a while. "A peace offering for hitting you so hard earlier."
"No need. By the rules, I lost that duel."
"I remember you promised I could make one request if I won."
"That's right. Have you decided what it is?"
Yu summoned the Summit Shaper and handed it to her.
Another long silence fell between them, the tension palpable.
"…You're very beautiful," Yu finally said.
Ei's expression remained unchanged, and Yu began feeling incredibly awkward.
After a moment of silence, Ei responded, "…You're quite handsome too."
Yu fell silent, his face unreadable, yet the atmosphere grew more awkward.
"I'll be going now. Perhaps we'll meet again someday."
"Until we meet again."
Both let out a sigh of relief as they parted ways, glad to escape the tension. Only they knew how nerve-wracking the interaction had been.
---
In the distance, Ganyu quietly observed the entire scene, feeling like she had front-row seats to a drama.
"Let's go. Time to take the little princess home."
"Got it, Brother Yu."
---
On a deserted island in the middle of the sea…
Yu had just caught a deep-sea dragon lizard, planning to use it as a mount to cross the ocean. The thought of swimming the whole way himself felt exhausting, and ever since his last ride on Ganyu's back, he had developed a strange inclination toward finding mounts. Since he hadn't encountered any giant fish this time, Yu decided to take matters into his own hands.
"Brother Yu, are you sure you can tame it?" Ganyu asked nervously.
"No problem. I'm good at taming beasts."
"Then… why are you holding a knife?"
"To castrate it. That way, it'll behave."
Hearing this, the dragon lizard's eyes widened in terror, and its face contorted into an almost human-like expression as it frantically nodded its head, silently begging for mercy.
"But… I think it's female," Ganyu pointed out hesitantly.
"Female works too. It's just a bit trickier—I'll need a hook to pull it out."
The dragon lizard: Mom, I want to go home! There's a maniac here!
"Brother Yu, she says she's willing to take us across."
Yu put away his cruel expression, looking a bit disappointed. "Fine."