All-around teacher at the magic academy

Carrying the gift Eve had carefully chosen, Arthur walked briskly along the familiar path, his heart filled with anticipation.

The afterglow of the setting sun bathed him, gilding his silhouette with a golden edge.

Throughout the journey, his mind kept replaying his upcoming conversation with Rhine. He imagined various scenarios and practiced different opening lines, but none of them seemed to perfectly express his feelings.

He frowned, sometimes shaking his head, sometimes nodding, as if he were debating with an invisible opponent.

“Perhaps, being more direct would be better?” he muttered to himself, but quickly dismissed the idea. “No, that would be too sudden; Rhine might not be able to handle it.”

He spent the entire journey in deep thought. In the end, he decided to let things take their course and wait for Rhine to see the gifts; he would naturally have questions then, and it wouldn't be too late to explain.

Arthur was lost in his own beautiful fantasy, a smile unconsciously creeping onto his lips. He imagined Rhine's surprised expression, the warm conversation between the two of them, and even the scenes of their future life together.

Before he knew it, he had arrived at that familiar intersection. When he habitually looked at the place where he lived, the scene in front of him made him freeze in place.

At this moment, Arthur was surrounded by chaos, unable to accept this sudden reality.

That dilapidated house, full of memories, is now just ruins, as if destroyed by some enormous force.

The surrounding vegetation, the trees and shrubs that once provided them with shade, are now lying scattered on the ground, a scene of utter devastation.

In the center of the ruins, Rhine's figure appeared utterly helpless. His body was firmly held by a man in a bright red robe, whose eyes gleamed with a cold light.

Rhine struggled desperately, but his strength was clearly no match for his opponent. Countless thoughts flashed through Arthur's mind in an instant, but his body reacted before his thoughts could even process them.

Without hesitation, he threw away the gifts in his hands; those carefully chosen gifts became irrelevant at that moment.

Arthur swiftly drew his sword from his waist, his steps firm and rapid as he charged toward the man in red, the tip of his sword pointing directly at him.

As a security guard, carrying a sword has become a habit in my daily work. After all, it's impossible to rely solely on my fists, as that would be too dangerous.

At this moment, Rhine had completely lost the ability to resist; his body was bound by an invisible force and he could not move.

His eyes were filled with fear and despair, his head was tightly controlled by Mond, and an unknown magic was eroding his consciousness.

Rhine's willpower was gradually worn down over time, his resistance became increasingly powerless, while the fear in his heart surged like a tidal wave.

He was filled with unease, afraid that Mondstadt would uncover his deepest secrets and expose his greatest secret.

His body was paralyzed, and his voice was choked in his throat. All he could do was pray silently in his heart, hoping that someone, anyone, would appear at this critical moment and rescue him from this clutches.

Just as his consciousness was about to sink into the abyss of darkness, and his world was about to fall into a deathly silence, a familiar call seemed to pierce through the thick fog and strike his heart.

The voice, filled with strength and hope, pulled him back from the brink of unconsciousness.

Rhine's consciousness gradually cleared as he listened to the calls. He vaguely wondered who was calling him at this moment.

When he opened his eyes and looked at the person who had come, Arthur had already rushed in front of the two of them.

Without the slightest hesitation, his body transformed into a bolt of lightning, his arm gripping the sword swung in a resolute arc, heading straight for Mondstadt.

The sword flashed, carrying a resolute force, and slashed fiercely at Mondstadt's figure.

Mondl sensed Arthur's attack, frowned, and had to temporarily abandon his search for Rhine's memories.

A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes; he hadn't expected anyone to dare interfere in his affairs at this crucial moment.

He scrutinized the young man who had suddenly appeared before him, and couldn't help but wonder if he was someone from that agency.

After forcing Mond back with a single sword strike, Arthur did not pause for a moment. He turned to face the seemingly empty space behind Rhine, and swiftly swung his sword, drawing out sharp streaks of light.

He didn't know what was controlling Rhine, but he knew that only by breaking this invisible shackle could Rhine be rescued.

As Arthur continued his slashing attacks, a shrill scream suddenly erupted in the air, a sound that seemed to come from another world.

Immediately afterwards, a stream of green blood gushed out from the void, splattering onto the ground and forming a bizarre pattern.

Rhine finally broke free from Arthur's restraints under his attack. His body lost its support, and he knelt on the ground, panting heavily.

His eyes were filled with guilt as he looked at Arthur standing in front of him, his resolute back making him feel both grateful and remorseful.

He knew that if Arthur hadn't appeared in time, he might have been in an even more dangerous situation.

"Are you alright?" Arthur's voice was filled with deep concern. He had his back to Rhine and his eyes were fixed on Mond as he made sure that the other party would not launch another attack.

"It's okay." Rhine gritted his teeth and struggled to stand up from the ground.

Although his body still lingered in the pain of being controlled, his spirit was sustained by Arthur's arrival.

He wanted to apologize to Arthur for ruining his house and causing him trouble, but the current situation was clearly not a good time to express his apology.

Arthur did not turn around, nor did he ask why this had happened.

He knew that the most important thing now was to help Rhine out of the immediate crisis, rather than dwelling on what had already happened.

Rhine is his younger brother, and as the older brother, he should stand in front of him and protect him from any difficulties.

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I'll be happy if you see this chapter, and I'll be even happier if you're spending New Year's Eve alone tonight.