After hearing Sam Li's explanation, Billy suddenly had a revelation.
"That's right—it carries electricity, so it must've grown up feeding on it!"
Nicole sighed. "Alright, let's head back to the Hare's House."
Still, Nicole couldn't help but fixate on the tens of millions of Dennies.
"Billy, don't you dare let those two mutant beetles die. If you do, don't expect to eat again."
"Don't worry, Nicole, these two mutant beetles are super well-behaved."
Billy carefully placed the beetles into his pocket, then whispered to them,
"I'll get you a brand-new home once we're back at the Hare's House."
On the way back, Anby seemed distracted.
Soldier 11 walked up beside her. "Zero, what's on your mind?"
Anby hesitated for a moment.
"I'm thinking about how to steal the mutant beetles from Billy's pocket."
But Billy was right there.
Hearing her, he immediately jumped several meters away.
"Anby, I heard that! The mutant beetles are innocent—you can't hurt them!"
Anby responded with a straight face, "I was joking. What I'm really thinking about is which Hollow I could go to and catch more of those mutant beetles."
She still couldn't shake the feeling of that incredibly pure electric energy.
If she could harness more of it, she was confident she could take down a powerful Notoriety Ethereal on her own—and ease the burden on Nicole and Sam Li.
Meanwhile, as Sam Li, Nicole, Anby, and the others returned to the Hare's House,
Venti had already brought Arataki Itto to the main street in the heart of the Federer District—right where the Geo Archon's Statue of the Seven stood.
Standing before the massive statue,
Arataki Itto looked up and became even more certain: this was Liyue.
"I was aiming for Natlan, but I ended up in Liyue…"
Still, he didn't regret it.
This trip had let him meet Billy, witness Liyue's bustling prosperity, and see all kinds of new and amazing things—
All stuff he'd never seen back in Inazuma.
A twinge of regret hit him.
He'd finally made it here, and after just one day, he was already leaving. He hadn't even gotten the chance to hit the arcade with Billy.
He found himself wanting to stay in New Eridu just a few days longer.
Venti seemed to pick up on his thoughts and grinned.
"Don't hesitate—it's not is goodbye forever. You already know the way here, right? Just come again next time."
Arataki Itto nodded. "Exactly! As expected of a bard, your thinking is just like mine."
He stood solemnly before the Statue of the Seven and prayed, hoping it would send him back to Inazuma.
"Is this thing broken or what? It's not teleporting me!"
Venti turned toward the direction of the Hare's House and said slowly,
"Old man, send him back."
As soon as the words left his mouth,
A hazy map appeared in front of Arataki Itto.
It showed the continent of Teyvat.
He quickly found Inazuma City, spotted a teleportation point there, and tapped it.
The Geo Archon's Statue of the Seven lit up.
With a flash of golden light, Arataki Itto vanished.
Only Venti remained by the statue.
He slowly raised his hand and began playing a gentle melody.
A soft breeze stirred, and a surge of Anemo gathered into the statue, escorting Arataki Itto safely back.
At the same time, in another world—on the continent of Teyvat.
Night had already fallen over Inazuma City.
The vendors had packed up and gone home, and children had scattered to find their parents.
The once-busy streets were now calm and quiet.
Raiden Ei and Yae Miko sat under candlelight, enjoying snacks that Yae Miko had just brought from the Grand Narukami Shrine.
Yae Miko smiled. "How's the taste?"
Raiden Ei replied calmly,
"Not bad. The seasoning's spot-on, the craftsmanship is excellent, and it's cooked just right. It's easily a cut above anything sold on the street."
After finishing a piece, she added,
"I recently learned how to make a new kind of snack. Next time you come, bring more ingredients so I can try it out."
Yae Miko immediately agreed.
"Whatever you need, I'll bring it."
Bringing ingredients was fine.
But she had no interest in actually eating Ei's homemade snacks.
Then, with a laugh, she said,
"You think that Oni kid who went to Natlan might get caught up in some local mess?"
Raiden Ei shook her head. "He won't."
Yae Miko looked surprised. "How can you be so sure?"
Raiden Ei said flatly,
"Because he didn't go to Natlan at all—he ended up in Liyue."
If Arataki Itto hadn't used the Statue of the Seven to teleport,
Raiden Ei might never have noticed that two new Statues of the Seven had appeared on Teyvat.
And they were both Geo Archon statues.
Could it be that Morax had expanded his territory again?
Raiden Ei wasn't sure what had happened,
But the statues were real.
Yae Miko tilted her head. "What is it?"
"That guy's back... and he brought back a breeze."
If he had teleported from Liyue to Inazuma,
He should've been carrying the Geo Archon's aura.
But instead, he brought the wind.
After a moment of thought,
Raiden Ei understood—it had to be the work of the Anemo Archon.
Elsewhere in Inazuma City,
On a quiet street, a teleportation anchor flickered with soft purple light.
A tall young man in a red coat appeared out of thin air—it was Arataki Itto, returned from New Eridu.
He was still caught in the melancholy of parting with Billy.
"There were so many cars over there... and I forgot to drive one back."
If he could cruise down Inazuma's streets in a car,
He'd definitely give Kujou Sara a scare—and not have to worry about the Shogunate troops catching up to him.
"Next time I go to New Eridu, I'm bringing one back for sure."
He headed toward the Arataki Gang's base.
The moment he pushed the door open, he saw Kuki Shinobu and the rest of the gang.
No sooner had he spoken than all eyes turned to him.
Kuki Shinobu stood up at once, a hint of surprise in her gaze.
"Boss, you're finally back. Next time you do something , talk to me first."