(Long chapter this time)
A few hours after Baal's ship first arrived at Watatsumi's shores, Baal and Lumine finally came to an agreement. It was ordained that Watatsumi would no longer be considered a part of Inazuma, but instead its own island nation, separate from the archipelago of Inazuma. Little is known about how the negotiations went down, but there were rumors that Lumine terrified Baal so thoroughly that she immediately agreed.
When this news was shared to the people of Watatsumi, they certainly celebrated, though not much. For in truth little had changed about their lives even after Watatsumi's separation from Inazuma.
Instead, it was the samurai who'd been imprisoned due to Baal's latest loss that reacted the most, and strangely they seemed to be disappointed more than anything. When questioned, a few of the samurai discreetly revealed that their time 'imprisoned' on Watatsumi had been far more pleasant than even their previous lives, and they were subtly disappointed that it now had to end.
Of course, the Shogunate did not leave immediately, having to stay at Watatsumi for one more day to prepare for their voyage back home. The samurai who'd recently come were surprised to see how much Watatsumi had changed since their most recent observations, and they could only be envious as they saw the great abundance the people lived in. If only they could bring back some of it back to their homeland!
Yet they could do little but seethe, for they no longer had the right to demand anything from them. Doing so would dishonor the agreement their Lord had struck, and it would be an act worse than death from them all.
Naturally, had they attempted so, they would've been met with great resistance. Lumine and Wendy were both present, alongside Kitsune Saiguu and Orobashi. Whatever attempt they made would've ended in great tragedy.
As for Lord Baal herself, she wandered throughout the island with Lumine, having gained respect for the Traveler after their bout. Many found it odd when they saw the Electro Archon walking around with her enemy, but perhaps it was simply a warrior's bond.
But perhaps it was lucky that Baal had chosen to converse with Lumine at that very moment.
For as the skies were painted orange by the approaching twilight, a strange figure appeared above Watatsumi Island.
-Excerpt from [Watatsumi's Rise: Vol. 2], as written by the Storyteller Weifeng, per the accounts of the Wandering Bard Wendy-
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"So," Lumine said, smiling wryly. "You're saying you don't know."
Makoto blushed in shame as she lowered her head. "...yes, you are right. It is simply an ability we've had from our first moments." She admitted, doing her best to avoid Lumine's gaze. It seemed no matter what she tried, Lumine would always look at her as if she was a disobedient child, and that first disappointed gaze was more than enough to set her heart trembling.
Ei just gave a shrug, never having asked why exactly she and her sister were able to go invisible. Nor did it matter to the War Goddess. It was simply another tool she relied on from time to time whenever her sister needed her, and that was enough.
I giggled at Ei's obvious disinterest, and I couldn't help but pat the goddess' head. She hummed as she glanced at me, before she returned to eating her Sublime Peach.
"My, you've become quite the obedient girl, haven't you?" Saiguu said with a smirk, adding more fuel to the fire. Makoto gave her a heated glare, but Saiguu easily shrugged it off. "Have I said anything wrong?" Makoto glared some more before she huffed and looked away.
Hanami was still staring at the two goddesses in surprise. She'd been terrified when Saiguu-sama first asked her to meet Lord Baal, but Saiguu-sama told her that, as her apprentice, she needed to introduce herself to Inazuma's Archon. But nothing could've prepared her for when she found out that Baal was two goddesses, and that both were far from the unreachable figures Baal's reputation made them out to be.
She silently giggled. Kojirou would be so jealous if she ever shared this.
Orobashi silently nodded in agreement to Saiguu's words, though he said nothing else. He knew far too well that Raiden Ei could easily end him if she wanted, and he was no War God capable of matching her might. Thankfully, it seemed he would never need to come into conflict with her.
He cast a grateful glance at the two. It was something he no doubt had to thank Lumine and Wendy for. Had they not arrived when Watatsumi needed them most, who knew what things he would've had to do. Perhaps he would've been forced to declare war on Inazuma due to his people's scarcity.
He closed his eyes. That was not a possibility he dared entertain.
But then, something changed.
As I was about to give Ei another Sublime Peach, I felt something in the air change. The usually lively wind died down to a still breeze, as if the air itself was terrified of something. I quickly looked around to see what was wrong, but I couldn't find anything.
My sudden action caught everyone's attention. "Wendy?" Lumine asked, worried.
"Do you feel something?" I asked, not quite able to keep the apprehension from leaking into my voice.
Ei frowned, and her eyes glowed purple as she spread her senses all across the island. Her frown deepened as she found nothing. "Can't find it." She whispered, her hand inching towards her sheathed blade.
"Me neither." Lumine whispered, though she kept a vigil eye. She knew that I wasn't wrong, for she'd seen many times that my instincts were incredibly sharp, even if it took the rest of my mind to understand why.
Then, I saw it. Something was descending from the sky, passing through the clouds on its way towards Watatsumi Island.
No, not something.
Someone.
Just as I was about to speak, the thin veil of clouds covering the sky was blasted apart as the individual I saw stopped just above Watatsumi Island. It was hard to see them clearly beneath that white cloak they wore, but the feeling of danger was palpable.
"A person?" Makoto whispered, her fists clenched unconsciously as she stared at the strange figure in the sky. Even from this far away she could feel an eerie feeling as she stared up at them, as if she'd caught sight of something no being should ever see.
Ei had already drawn out her blade, poised to strike if the figure ever approached. Her instincts were screaming that the being was an enemy, one whose presence dwarfed even Lumine's when they fought.
Lumine hissed as she brought out her own Dull Blade. She'd been alive long enough to feel out an opponent's rough strength with just a gaze, and she immediately knew that this was someone she couldn't defeat. A being that was practically unfathomable when compared to anyone she'd met in Teyvat.
I grit my teeth as I forced to keep my legs steady. "Orobashi, take everyone else away." I whispered, doing my best to keep myself calm. "Lumine, Ei, and I will remain."
"What?" Saiguu whispered, but before she could say anything, Orobashi had already lifted her onto his shoulder. "Hey!"
He then carried Makoto in one hand and Hanami in the other. "I will." He said, understanding that they'd essentially be dead weight if they stayed. "Be careful, you three." And saying that, he quickly used his authority over Watatsumi to disappear into the island itself.
Now that it was only us three, I felt my heart calm slightly. At least they were safe for the time being. Which only left the strange figure that floated high in the sky. They were undoubtedly the one causing the winds-, no, Teyvat to become still. As if this world itself was terrified of the one they now faced.
I narrowed my eyes and brought out my bow, much to the surprise of Ei and Lumine. Ei had never seen me wield a bow, having thought that I was a swordsman just like her. While Lumine quickly narrowed her eyes at the figure, knowing that they must truly be dangerous if they'd caused me to bring out my bow.
A second passed between us. Then two. Then three.
Then my instincts screamed.
I quickly spun just in time to see the figure suddenly behind me, swinging a long curved blade at my neck. [Freedom Song] and [Wind Breathing] activated at once, and I quickly leapt back to avoid the attack. And even then the blade still left a thin cut across my neck.
"Venti!" Lumine screamed, before she glared at the figure. She struck him with all her might, only to find her sword stopped. She grit her teeth as her eyes went wide. They seemed almost casual as they stopped her attack!
Ei also moved, appearing behind the figure in a shock of Electro as she stabbed forward. Only to find that her blade was incapable of piercing the strange white robe that the figure was cloaked in.
Before they could retaliate, I shot a sword-arrow towards them, imbued with Anemo and Hydro.
But,
Twang!
My eyes shot wide open as I watched the figure bat the sword-arrow away with the back of their hand. That-, what? Not even Durin with its incredible defense could shrug off one of my sword-arrows without effort, and I even infused it with both my Elements!
The figure shifted slightly. "Defiers of Fate." He spoke, his voice robotic. His sword's blade turned pure white. "Cease your resistance."
Lumine paused as she heard his words, before she snarled. "Celestia…!" She hissed out, now realizing why this man gave her such a familiar feeling of danger. This bastard was reminding her of that bitch that caused her and Aether to be trapped here!
Realizing who our enemy was, all three of us began our assault. Lumine charged at him with burning rage, her sword blazing gold. Ei followed in her steps, leaving behind trails of plasma as her Electro shot forth. And I needled him with dozens of sword-arrows, causing them to explode into miniature typhoons whenever they struck.
But it did nothing. No matter what we threw at him, he batted them away with ease. He seemed almost nonchalant as he fought.
Then, suddenly he stopped and rose back into the air. Lumine was more than ready to leap up to follow, but she stopped herself. Still, she couldn't resist screaming at him. "Get down here, bastard!" She leveled her sword at him. "We're not done with your ass!"
He stared at them, and then spread his arms out. "Defiers of Fate." He said. "I am Ronove, Agent of the Heavenly Principles."
The moment he said so, what remained of clouds were blown away entirely to reveal Celestia high in the sky. But my breath turned to ice when I saw the giant white pillar floating beside it, aimed right at us. The pressure that suddenly descended onto us was immense, and I could only gasp as I fell onto my knees.
Lumine and Ei suffered the same. They couldn't remain standing as the pressure fell onto them. Lumine gritted her teeth as she tried to stand, but no matter how much she tried, her knees wouldn't leave the ground.
We weren't the only ones. Everyone in Watatsumi—every man and woman, every child and elderly, every soldier and farmer—everyone felt the immense pressure, and many cried in pain as they were all forced onto the ground.
At that moment, Watatsumi had caught the Gaze of Heaven.
"You are Aberrations to the Destined Cycle." He said as the twilight skies began to twist, covered in pulsing cracks. "Region Designation -Watatsumi Island- has been slated for destruction." He raised his hand, and a metallic whirring sounded as the pillar began glowing white. "Coordinates Locked."
"Fire."
He brought down his hand, and the world turned white as the pillar descended towards Watatsumi with such speeds that it caught aflame due to the immense friction. If the pillar struck Watatsumi, it would no doubt cause an explosion so powerful that it'd wipe Watatsumi from the face of Teyvat. The shockwave that'd follow would definitely destroy most of Inazuma, and cause massive tsunamis that would ravage the rest of the world.
At that moment, the prevalent emotion in my heart wasn't fear. It wasn't acceptance. It wasn't even defiance.
It was a deep, coiling disgust.
Because how dare they? To dare to dictate the Fate of others, to prune their lives merely for not following the Script they'd laid out. In their eyes, Watatsumi was no better than a toy, and one to be discarded now that they no longer performed in the same play as they did.
How many lives would that end? How many Stories would that destroy, left burnt and buried in the ensuing chaos? All these people wanted was to live, to reach for a brighter day. That was it! Their dreams weren't grand, but their lives were grand all the same! Faced with such an act, what else could I feel but disgust towards the one who so arrogantly called themselves Heaven?
So.
I.
Stood.
"V-Venti?" Lumine whispered weakly, surprised as she watched me stand.
Sweat poured down my cheeks as I wobbled upwards, but the glow in my eyes grew ever brighter as I stared right at the approaching pillar. At the falling star, destined to destroy all of Watatsumi if it ever reached us.
I grit my teeth, and a guttural scream left my lips as I called every ounce of strength I could muster. My halo flashed into existence, and great white wings burst out from my back with such strength that it tore my clothes. My skin burnt as strange green lines began stretching across my body, accented with glints of gold.
[Warning! -Stage 3- of [Freedom Song: Awakening] has preemptively activated! Great harm will befall the User!]
Tears fell from my eyes as I kept screaming. Pain. All I could feel was pain. It felt as if my body was being torn apart by thousands of arrows. There was a reason why I never activated [Freedom Song]'s Stage 3 despite the option to. My base Energy and Elemental was still below 50—too weak to handle the strain this Stage brought.
But there was no other option.
It was this or nothing!
I grit my teeth as I steadied myself, and my wings expanded as I crouched low. I growled as powerful winds exploded around me, and with a scream I ascended to the sky. My body glowed bright greens and blues as I rose to the sky. To the people below, it was as if I'd turned into a soaring star.
As the distance between the pillar and I shortened, I used [Hand of Creation] to create a sword of Anemo and Hydro. Once I grasped it, a thin veil of Hydro covered me, causing my Attributes to double once more due to [As Water Seeks Equilibrium].
Then, once I came close enough, I swung the sword with all my might.
The world turned white, and all sound faded as both forces smashed. The flames of the pillar spread out as a giant cascade, blooming outwards like a flower. And beneath it was a wall of condensed Anemo and Hydro, acting like a shield against the pillar and the flames it carried.
And there, with the pillar's entire weight slamming down on me, I knew that it wouldn't be enough. Even now I could feel my strength failing, and I could see cracks spreading across my sword. In moments my sword would shatter, and the pillar would swallow me whole.
Yet,
Yet!
I screamed. I screamed with all I could as I struggled against the pillar's immense force. Held back the might of the Heavens with what little I had.
Inevitably, my sword soon shattered, but I didn't relent. The moment my blade cracked, I held onto the pillar with my arms, using my own body as a sword to hold back the incoming impact. Agony filled my veins as my skin and flesh was burnt by the fires. The pain surpassed even what I felt from activating [Freedom Song]'s Stage 3.
But I refused.
My flesh flaked away, turned to char. Even my [Sunlight Healing] couldn't keep up, and my internal organs were beginning to burst from the heat and pressure. My consciousness was becoming faint as my vision blurred, and my strength began to fade as pain overwhelmed everything.
But I refused.
The typhoon I'd created began to diminish, both because of the heat and also the pillar's inherent ability to absorb Elemental Energy. For the thing I held was a Celestial Nail, capable of affected Teyvat's leylines by consuming Elemental Energy. It was, after all, a weapon designed against Teyvat.
I refused. I refused to yield.
Yet my body failed eventually.
My strength faded, my [Sunlight Healing] ceased, and my angelic form flickered as I was drained dry of every drop of Elemental Energy. I gasped weakly as I felt the pillar press down onto me. I could feel the cold hands of death scrape onto my back.
But at that moment, I felt them. Drawn by the conflict, given access due to the many cracked holes across the False Sky—something massive had cast its gaze down onto Teyvat. Something even larger than all of Celestia, larger than Teyvat, larger than the entire solar system this planet was in.
Ronove went still as he felt their gaze, and his internals froze due to the immense pressure. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt, and not even the Keeper of Heavenly Principles elicited such a response from him. And so all he could was watch as the aberration made his last struggle against the Celestia Nail.
The outcome was determined. I would fail. He was certain of it.
Yet a discomforting feeling filled him. He didn't know what caused this odd pressure he felt, but it felt as if it was directed at that aberration.
And there, time seemed to stop as I finally caught sight of them.
A monolithic existence, towering over entire galaxies. Their body was carved from the densest of diamonds, stronger than even the cores of neutron stars. The stars warped around them, as if drawn by their immense gravity.
At that moment, a name came into my mind, and I understood.
The Aeon of Remembrance had gazed onto me, and I could feel a growing ice spreading through my body, intent on freezing me so that my existence would remain, even if the rest of Teyvat would be destroyed. They had seen me from far back, and they saw me as one of their prized possessions, one they would carry to the next cycle of the universe.
I gasped weakly as ice began growing around me, and soon my vision went dark.
…
…
…
…
…
But I Refused.
The ice cracked, and for the first time, the Aeon's unfocused gaze sharpened onto me, surprised and intrigued at my showing.
I grit my teeth. "This…is not My Remembrance." I gasped out, my voice barely audible from within the ice. Most of my body remained still, frozen in time with the rest of Teyvat, but my voice echoed out still. "To…keep them forever chained, destined for a…tomorrow they might never see—that is not Remembering."
The Aeon did not speak, but I could feel a whirring in my mind. My denial had sparked its interest.
I could only continue to speak.
"Remembering does not equate freezing these moments in time." I said, my voice growing clearer as the ice cracked further. "Our Memories change as we grow. Stories shift as they become myths. Our pasts become blurry no matter how much we try to hold them, but does it not make them even sweeter when we Remember them?"
I took a breath, and smiled gently. "I am a Storyteller, Fuli. It is my promise to carry these Stories towards tomorrow; to bridge the past and present and future."
Silence followed. An emptiness befitting of the abyssal chasms of space.
And then,
[Integration successful! Connecting to a new Path…]
My System's excited voice echoed in my ears as the ice around me shattered, and I gasped as Teyvat's time resumed. The searing agony of my burns and injuries returned, but alongside it was a power that eclipsed all. It was as if a new star had been lit inside my chest, burning with potential.
I took a breath, and then smiled with teeth.
"Hear my Ode, Fallen Shades of Old."
"And Bridge the Path To Tomorrow!"
The fragments of ice melted into the purest of water, and it surged upwards and slammed into the pillar. Not only that, the waters surrounding Watatsumi rose into the air like giant tendrils, merging into a powerful Resonance as they held the weight of the Celestial Nail.
And though I could not see it, from the eyes of those who watched me, they could see thousands-, no, millions of human-like shades holding up the shield of water like I was, as if the ghosts of the past had seen it fitting to lend their hand.
Orobashi, having just carried the others to safety, found his breath stolen as he saw it. Only he understood that those ghosts were the Shades of Enkanomiya—fragments left of those who once lived in Teyvat's previous incarnation. And yet they breached into today to aid me.
His eyes widened. My connection to water, my strange knowledge of the Heavens, the odd curse he'd heard from Lumine-
There was only one possible answer. I had to have come from Enkanomiya. Or, maybe, from the previous incarnation of Teyvat. Whether that was true or not remained to be seen, but knowing that I had a connection was enough.
He quickly prepared to dive back into the earth, but was stopped when Hanami had a frantic request.
Back up in the air, Ronove stared in shock as he watched the Celestial Nail stop. Somehow, that aberration had held on against the immense force of the Celestia Nail. Still, he felt relief, knowing that the Celestial Nail remained there, and my strength would certainly fail soon.
That relief turned to horror as he saw the waters shift, morphing into a shape similar to a bow.
I took a shaky breath, and I then formed a bowstring made of pure Anemo. I notched the Celestial Nail onto the giant bowstring, and smiling wide, I aimed the Celestial Nail back towards the floating island that'd fired it in the first place.
"You dare-!" Ronove screamed as he rushed towards me.
But he was too late.
I let the bowstring loose, and a massive shockwave exploded outwards as the Celestial Nail was fired back up. Ronove's instincts rang, and he unconsciously evaded. He only realized his blunder as he turned and saw the Celestial Nail flying towards the floating island.
Then, the Celestial Nail struck, and he could only watch in horrified silence as the Celestial Nail blew right into the island. A bright aurora exploded across the crack-filled sky as both the nail and the floating island exploded, covering the twilight skies in a myriad of colors.
[Detected defeat of Boss Monster, -Autonomous Celestia Outpost: Zeta-]
[Use the [Mirror of Memories] to gain a random Talent?]
"YOU-!" Ronove screamed as he held me by the neck. "YOU DAMNED ABERRATION!"
I chuckled weakly, uncaring as he squeezed with enough force to shatter my trachea. I didn't care at that moment. Because I had thrown back the very thing Celestia fired down, and in doing so, I caused perhaps the greatest damage Celestia had ever faced.
My vision grew dark as I spit blood onto Ronove's cloak. "Fuck you." I grinned, borrowing some of Lumine's vocabulary.
The last thing I heard was Ronove's enraged screams before my consciousness faded.