"Aether, Aether. Wake up." A voice called out, and Aether opened his eyes.

It's Lynette, waking him up. Aether then looked at his surroundings to see that the area surrounding the two of them and Paimon looked as if they are drawings on a picture book.

"Lynette... Where are we?" Aether asked.

"We were just at Mondstadt, and we found that book on a table... Then all I know is that I found you right here."

"Did you see Noelle and the others as well?"

"Sorry. But I tried asking the locals... who looked like origami animals, but they ran off upon seeing me."

"Well, considering your features... No wonder they ran. Cats love tearing paper."

Lynette looked away, pretending not to hear that.

Later on, when they encountered one of the locals, an elderly origami squirrel who introduced himself as Almond told them that this world is Simulanka, and that of the other visitors, one of them being a fairy sent to this world, and the other, a thunder dragon in human form albeit with cat ear-like buns on her hair. The three of them immediately knew the latter is Keqing, but that didn't answer where Noelle, Furina, Ayaka, and Nilou are currently at.

"Who could be the forest fairy?" Lynette asked.

"She is an enigmatic beauty! She can read our minds, like the fairy that she is! Full of magic!"  Almond replied.

"Yep. It's Nilou." Paimon whispered.

"Oh, and let me guess, I think when you and your people encountered this 'thunder dragon in human form', you immediately took cover?" Lynette asked cynically.

"Those hair buns that she put on made us mistake her for a cat, no, a tiger! That's worse!"

The group then learned that the forest has a problem, in which there is a tavern that is still not built unless there is a magic tonic, and the help of the forest fairy, which is Nilou. After meeting Nilou and Keqing, which ended up with both the tsundere Yuheng and the cool magician catgirl looking at Aether with envy as Nilou ran in to hug him.

"So... Where's Noelle, Furina and Ayaka?"

"Noelle was with us. But she was brought over to the Constellation Metropole, merely because she has roses on her, which the Metropole people see as a Royal symbol for some reason. As for Lady Furina and Miss Ayaka, well... They're with Noelle."

"I wonder how are they doing right now..." Aether looked at the direction of the towering metropole.

----

"Alright, the odd maid is already ahead of you, Lady Furina. Use the armor the people of Simulanka designed to combat the invading hilichurls." Navia said, as Furina stood at the base of the palace, which towered the entire city.

"This armor looks... well, like out of one of Kami-Saw-Toe's light novels back in Inazuma... I regret having read one of them back during that Oni's concert!"

"Don't underestimate it. This 'Force Armor' that they dubbed is built to conserve the user's energy and improves fighting capabilities on land and midair. And the fact it works on a Transcended one's form is impressive enough."

"So... What does this armor do exactly that makes it not worthy to be underestimated?"

"The helmet conserves the energy used whenever you use an elemental attack. The body armor is what it is, protect you more effectively, the gauntlets allow you to use either your pneuma blade, and if you fire off a hydro projectile, it will stick to whatever surface it hits, and still damage the foe it hits with it's high pressure. The greaves... Well, it's the fun part. You can hover and jump higher in the air."

"Now what's the bad news?"

"Bad news is, since it is made from the parts made in this world, it can be destroyed permanently if you are not careful."

"Got to remember that, then."

Furina then ran towards the entrance of the palace, encountering a group of hilichurls, some of them raising their shields, but all of them are cut down by Furina's pneuma blade, as she ran to the second level. Upon opening a gate leading to another hall that connects to the staircases, a lawachurl appears.

"Alright, now let's try this!"

She turned off her pneuma blade, and in it's place within her right gauntlet, a ball of pneuma energy is charged, and is launched towards the lawachurl. The ball sticks to it's body, and turned into a high-pressure water ball that immediately shreds the lawachurl's rock shell, and Furina cut it down with ease.

At one point she sees a gap that is impassable without a glider or a flight ability. Smirking, Furina then jumped over the gap, and her shoes emit ousia energy that helps her hover through the air and reach the other side.

On her way to the top of the palace, she rescued a lot of the Constellation Metropole soldiers who are either being confined by glue, and surrounded by hilichurls taunting them.

"Something clearly isn't right... Why are there hilichurls in this world?"

Back at the forest, the tavern is finished building, and the girls are ready to go toward Constellation Metropole which they got to via train where they met the Nekomata Kirara, wearing a new outfit. After clearing some misunderstandings because of the two catgirls, them being Lynette and Kirara, the group traversed to the metropole without incident.

By the time they arrived at the station on an island leading to the city, Keqing quickly noticed that there are signs of battle on the palace from afar. Immediately, she and the rest of the girls headed to the metropole firsthand while Aether explores the small island with Kirara.

"Nilou, use your mind reading! What happened to them?"

"Miss Ayaka is fighting alongside Lady Navia in dealing with the hilichurls outside the palace. Lady Furina is blasting her way... in an odd looking armor, through the palace floors up to the top. As for Noelle... Oh no!"

"What's wrong?"

"S-She's unconscious!"

"What!?" Lynette looked at Nilou with surprise.

"I don't know where she is as a result!"

"Knowing her, she probably is guarding the top of the palace, if ordered. Let's get Kamisato first, then go." Keqing suggested.

Back in the palace, Furina finally reached the top floor, a huge rooftop that looked like a temple ground. The Statue of the Goddess of Prophecy is in the background, but what took Furina's attention is the unconscious maid-knight on the floor.

"Maid! A-Are you alright!?" Furina asked, as she used her pneuma power to wake Noelle up.

"I-I'm alright... Just a busted right arm."

Furina widened her eyes at what she meant. Noelle's right arm is blown off, leaving only a hollow stump with a golden light on the center of it.

"It'll heal up if I get some geo particles..."

"Who did this?! Could whoever did this is the reason why there are hilichurls in this world!?"

"You won't believe me until you see her..."

"Who, Maid? Who?"

"Ufufufufufu~"

A familiar giggling is heard echoing through the skies, which caused Furina to roll her eyes in boredom, as she already faced this threat beforehand, while Noelle just sighed in boredom.

"Lady Signora. She's back."