Morning sunlight filtered through Mondstadt's narrow alleys, casting golden streaks across the cobblestone paths as a crisp breeze swirled down from the cliffs, rustling the dandelions that clung to the city's ancient walls. Galehaven Comics stood tucked in its quiet nook, its weathered sign swaying gently, its wooden facade a warm beacon amid the waking bustle, the scent of aged paper and dandelion tea drifting from its open door.
Harlan Flint leaned against the counter, his dark jacket slung over a chair, his hazel eyes glinting with a shopkeeper's quiet thrill as he cradled Detective Conan, the latest draw from his system. "Grim Reaper in Teyvat, huh," he murmured, his grin widening, the comic's dark allure a spark from his old world, its crimes and quirks a puzzle he'd unleash on Mondstadt.
The shop hummed with life, Kaeya sprawled on a sofa, his navy cape pooling around him, his single eye tracing Luffy's stretch with a smirk, "Wild power," he muttered. Nearby, Diluc sat stiffly, his red coat stark against the cushions, his amber eyes narrowing at Digimon's beasts, Klee giggling beside him, her Yu-Gi-Oh cards a treasure she clutched tight.
Harlan's gaze flicked to the system panel, its glow flaring in his mind, eleven customers served, a milestone met with Conan's arrival. He pictured its chaos, Shinichi's shrink, the Black Organization's shadow, a timeline warped by endless elementary days, "Ke Xue madness," he chuckled, its absurdity a gift for Teyvat's curious souls.
Footsteps echoed outside, the door creaking wide as the Lady strode in, her blonde hair cascading beneath her hood, her icy blue eyes sharp with purpose, her crimson dress a blaze against the shop's muted tones. Behind her trailed her Fatui retinue, Lei Ying Warlocks in dark robes, and a figure in a frilled skirt, Luke, his women's garb a jarring twist, his sheepish grin clashing with his soldier's frame.
"Welcome, Lady of the Fatui, and company," Harlan greeted, his voice calm, his hazel eyes glinting with amusement at Luke's attire. The Lady stepped forward, her posture regal, "I, the Dark Flame Envoy, bring my faithful to seek your cosmic gifts, O keeper of the star sea's secrets," she declared, her tone reverent, her flair a theatrical sweep.
Harlan's grin twitched, his brow lifting as he stifled a laugh, "Old rules, you know them." The Lady nodded, "Of course," she said, waving a hand, Lei Ying stepping up with a sack of Mora, its clink heavy as she set it down with a bow.
He counted it, 100,000 Mora per head, his hazel eyes flickering as he pocketed the coins, "One comic left, others wait." The Lady bowed slightly, "A gift is a privilege, I dare not demand," she replied, her voice steady, yesterday's humbling a scar she'd not repeat.
Harlan's grin softened, "Good lesson," he said, his hand drifting to Detective Conan, its cover sleek in his grasp. "This one's new, looks simple, hides wonders," he offered, "Youth drugs, death's halo, timelines that trap you young forever," his voice a lure, his eyes glinting with mischief.
The Lady's eyes widened, "Such marvels exist?" she gasped, her icy composure cracking, her mind racing to yesterday's I Want to Fall in Love, its cosmic shift branding her this odd title. She seized the book, "My thanks, great keeper," she intoned, her Dark Flame Envoy act a shield she clung to, her reverence real beneath the pomp.
Kaeya glanced up, his smirk fading as he stared, "What's with her now?" His single eye narrowed, the Lady's shift from haughty to humbled a puzzle, her words a jarring song he couldn't place.
Diluc's amber gaze followed, his jaw tightening as he muttered, "Reward's doing?" He shivered, picturing himself spouting such lines, a fate worse than magical girl wands, his pride a fortress he'd guard with care.
The Lady settled on a sofa, her crimson dress pooling like blood, her retinue hovering as she opened Conan, its pages rustling under her gloved fingers. "A man shrinks to a child, that drug!" she gasped, "Mori takes darts, still stands, bizarre!" she marveled, her focus snagging on quirks, not clues.
"Wherever he goes, death follows, the halo!" she exclaimed, her icy eyes blazing, "This Ke Xue world, terrifying magic!" Her voice rose, her Fatui poise lost to awe, Conan's grim charm a mirror to Teyvat's own shadows.
Harlan watched, his hazel eyes dancing as he leaned back, her reaction a delight, her misread a twist he'd stoke later. "She's hooked," he thought, the shop's hum swelling with each gasp, its shelves a trove of chaos he wielded with glee.
The door banged open, Amber bursting in, her red bow bouncing, her green eyes wild, "Harlan, trouble brewing!" She panted, her Pyro Vision flaring, her scout's calm shattered by urgency.
"Comic spill again?" Harlan asked, his grin fading as he stood, his jacket slipping over his shoulders. Amber nodded, "Black figures, alleys, moving fast!" she said, her voice sharp, Conan's men in black a specter now loose.
Kaeya leapt up, "Fatui?" he snapped, his Cryo Vision pulsing, his smirk gone as he glanced at the Lady. She stiffened, "Not mine," she retorted, her icy gaze narrowing, her book clutched tight, innocence a rare claim from her lips.
Diluc rose, his red coat billowing as he growled, "Let's see." His amber eyes burned, his blade gleaming, vengeance sidelined by this new hunt, his steps heavy with intent.
Harlan led them out, Klee trailing with a squeal, "Klee can help!" her red hat bouncing, her bombs a gleam in her crimson eyes. "No blasts!" Harlan barked, his voice firm, her pout ignored as they hit the alleys, shadows shifting under the morning sun.
Three figures cloaked in black darted ahead, their movements sleek, their masks glinting as they tossed a vial, its shatter spilling a dark mist. "Poison, down!" Kaeya shouted, his ice slashing forth, a wall blooming to block the haze, his cape swirling as he dove aside.
Diluc charged, "Burn it out!" he roared, flames erupting from his claymore, the mist sizzling as it met fire, the figures scattering. Amber nocked an arrow, "Hold still!" she yelled, her shot blazing, a figure stumbling as flames licked its cloak.
Harlan ducked a swipe, his hazel eyes sharp, "Conan's crew, system glitch," he muttered, his super chef mind racing, "Freeze and flush!" He grabbed a bucket, water splashing a figure's mask, its cry piercing as ice and liquid dissolved its form.
The trio faltered, their shapes melting under Cryo, Pyro, and Harlan's trick, their wails a chilling echo as they vanished, mist curling away. Kaeya panted, "What was that?" his smirk returning, his single eye glinting with thrill, the fight a tale he'd spin.
Diluc sheathed his blade, "Comic foes, real enough," he grunted, his amber eyes narrowing, a grudging respect for Harlan's guile flickering within. Klee clapped, "No boom, still fun!" she chirped, her red cape fluttering, Harlan's chuckle soft, "Good teamwork, kid," he said.
The Lady emerged, her crimson dress stark against the alley's gloom, Conan clutched tight, "That's them, the black ones!" Her icy eyes widened, awe and dread mingling, her voice a whisper, "This world, so real, so grim."
Harlan grinned, "Just the start," he teased, his hazel eyes dancing as he led them back, the shop's lantern flickering anew. Townsfolk gathered, "Knights save us again!" they cheered, Galehaven's pull a flame that burned brighter with each clash.
Inside, the Lady sank back, her gloved hands trembling as she flipped Conan's pages, "Death everywhere, yet brilliant," she murmured. Her Fatui mask slipped, her awe a raw thread, Ke Xue's terror a mirror to her own shadowed past.
Kaeya lounged nearby, "She's lost to it," he mused, his smirk sly, Luffy's chaos a lighter balm to her grim dive. Diluc sat silent, his amber eyes tracing Digimon, "Rewards shape us," he thought, a chill at what Conan might wrought.
Harlan watched, his hazel eyes glinting as he tallied the day, chaos a currency he'd spend with glee. "More to unravel," he thought, his grin widening, Mondstadt's morning ablaze with ink, steel, and the Reaper's riddle.
***
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