The Whispering Forest spread just outside Mondstadt's walls, dense with trees and sunlight filtering through the leaves. Barbara stood on a mossy rise, watching Nyaromon dart between ferns. The small yellow Digimon—evolved from Snowballmon—moved with speed and confidence, its tail flicking like a whip.
"Nyaromon," she said, crouching to pet it. "You're looking strong."
She remembered Harlan mentioning the name, and vaguely recalled the evolution path from Digimon: First Frontier. The details were fuzzy, but she knew this was a good start. Its new form was more agile and responsive.
"That's enough for today," she added. "You've earned a break."
She picked up Nyaromon and turned toward Mondstadt. Her stomach growled. She'd skipped lunch to come out here, chasing this evolution. The wildflowers and fruits had done the trick, and she didn't want to push it further.
But before she could leave, a sudden rustle cut through the forest.
Seven hilichurls stepped into view, armed with clubs and torches. Barbara froze. She hadn't noticed them earlier. She was too far from the city now, in their territory.
"Nya!" Nyaromon jumped from her arms and landed with a hiss. Its tail bristled, ready to fight.
Barbara stepped in front of it. "Stay calm. I've got this."
Eight enemies. No big bruisers. Just grunts, but still a threat. She steadied her breathing. Her Freeze Fruit ability flared cold in her hands.
The first hilichurl charged. She blasted it with a wave of frost—its legs froze instantly, locking it in place. Another came with a torch. She spun and hit it with another ice blast, freezing its arm and dousing the fire.
"Stay down," she said, glancing around. Two more rushed in. She froze them both mid-step.
Nyaromon hit a fifth one with its Tail Whip, tripping it. Barbara immediately followed up, sealing it in ice too.
Only three remained. They charged together. One torch grazed her arm, burning her sleeve. She hissed in pain. Nyaromon tried to defend her but was batted away into the grass.
"Enough!" Barbara clapped her hands, unleashing a dome of cold. The remaining three froze instantly. She dropped to her knees, breathing hard.
Nyaromon scurried back to her. She checked it quickly—it was fine. Shaken, but unharmed.
"Let's get out of here," she muttered.
Nearby, Jean, Lumine, Diluc, Wendy, and Paimon walked along a forest path, returning from the battle with Stormterror. The air was still charged with energy from their recent fight.
Lumine looked relieved. "It's over. Stormterror's finally free."
Paimon held up her camera. "Got the best shots ever. Gonna turn them into something amazing!"
Wendy strummed his lyre. "We should celebrate. Harlan's got better stories than even this."
Jean nodded. "No objections."
Diluc was still unsure. "You really think that shop is magical?"
Lumine and Jean both nodded. Jean's Haki and Lumine's wind powers had changed after reading. Even Diluc, who usually dismissed stories, started to believe it.
Paimon added, "Just bring Mora. It's 100,000 per comic."
Diluc waved it off. "Money's not a problem."
As they reached the forest edge, Paimon spotted something. "Someone's fighting—look!"
They saw Barbara in a clearing, surrounded by frozen hilichurls.
Jean's face turned pale. "Barbara?" She sprinted ahead, powered by wind.
The others followed. But when they reached the scene, they stopped. Barbara stood in the center, breathing hard, but unhurt. Ice surrounded her in a wide circle. Nyaromon sat at her feet.
Jean stared. "You handled that alone?"
Barbara nodded. "Yeah. We're fine."
Lumine smirked. "Harlan's comics work. That Freeze Fruit came in handy."
Diluc said nothing, but his expression changed.
Wendy chuckled. "Told you—Galehaven's real. Ready for round two?"
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Reflection:Barbara tested her new power and Nyaromon's evolution in the Whispering Forest, showing clear progress and capability in battle. Jean and the others witnessed the results firsthand, pushing Diluc closer to believing in Galehaven's strange influence. The group is united and ready for their next visit to Harlan's shop.