𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 | genshin impact

| 14 |: Brand New Sky

Aether fell on his bottom as his sword was knocked out of his hands. Before he could scramble to retrieve it, (y/n) lunged forward with her dual spear to interrupt his action, its pointed tip stopping mere inches away from his throat. He immediately froze and swallowed thickly when he saw the cold, piercing look in her eyes.

It was clear to both of them who the victor of this fight was.

"You're rather easy to catch off-guard. Stop falling for cheap tricks," (y/n) advised with a quiet sigh, "However, the speed and accuracy of your basic attacks have improved significantly since our last sparring session."

"You were made for combat, so of course it's easy for you to throw me at a disadvantage... You're far too strong for me," the blond uttered, flopping down on his back with his arms spread out, "Thank you though."

As the warmth returned to her eyes, a small smile crawled over her lips and she plopped herself down beside him. "That's true, but I wasn't given these skills upon my creation. I was relentlessly trained and put through different simulations to ensure my flawless performance in real-life scenarios."

Aether lifted his head slightly to see the subtle pain in her expression as she recounted the grueling trials she had to endure to become as powerful as she is now.

"How do you like it here?" he asked, quickly changing the subject in hopes of taking her mind off her past for a moment. Pausing, (y/n) took her time in absorbing the picturesque views of the Inazuman-themed realm inside his Serenitea Pot.

"I like this realm very much. It's a nice place," she answered after a while, "It takes me back to the time when I traveled around Inazuma in search for Dainsleif." She then lifted her gaze and watched the pink cherry blossom petals flutter to the ground in a waltz; the sight conjured up the memory of her first hanami with Kazuya, who was eager to show and teach her the beautiful culture of Inazuma. She suddenly saw an illusion of the young Kaedehara holding her hand whilst dragging her along, and his joyous laughter rang in her ears like a nostalgic melody. She let out a wistful sigh, knowing that wanting to return to those times is nothing but an impossible wish.

Aether saw the faraway look in her eyes and coughed into his fist, drawing her attention.

"As long as you're comfortable living here, nothing else matters. You can rest whenever you want too," he said with a beam. As her expression softened, she murmured a quiet "thank you". He then rose to his feet and stretched his arms over his head. "On another note, could you please help me gather some materials for Razor?"

She nodded and stood up as well. "Of course. What materials should I look for?"

He cupped his chin as he tried to recall what he needed. "I need some wolfhooks and I have to fight the Electro Hypostasis for the amethyst chunks... Could you grab 10 wolfhooks for me? They should be fairly easy to find in Wolvendom."

"I got it. I'll be back soon, Aether."

❀

Bennett let out a panicked yelp as he reflexively dove to the side to avoid the Cryo Abyss Mage's icicle. The hilichurls in its company then flanked him from all sides, leaving no room for escape. He could see the Hydro samachurl chanting whilst waving its staff behind the group, and he gritted his teeth as he summoned his sword. Just as he assumed a battle stance, a crackling spear whistled past his head and a familiar woman flashed into existence.

"(Y/n)!" Bennett exclaimed in surprise; he didn't expect to meet her again in Wolvendom of all places.

Grabbing her spear, (y/n) swiftly wrapped an arm around his waist and threw her weapon at the top of a cliff before teleporting there. She then lowered him on his feet and cupped one of his rosy cheeks as he stared into her mesmerising eyes.