Ruby Red Blood (Genshin X F!Reader)

Guizhong Ballista

"So this is it? The Guizhong Ballista? It's huge! Paimon can totally believe it took an Adeptus to build this."

The Guizhong Ballista was found at Mt. Tianheng, on an old ruin. The thing was indeed big, and it kind of looked like a hug crossbow... it was built with tree and metal, and looked the same way as an old queen would. Old but elegant.

"But.. how do you operate this thing?" Paimon the asked. "Just think how much strength you would need..."

"Hmm... it is currently inoperable, in any case. This device is broken."

"Aw, what? It's broke?!" Paimon turned to Zhongli with disappointment in her voice.

"After millennia of wear and tear even Adepti contraptions are difficult to maintain."

"So what are we gonna do? Quick, Mr. Zhongli, use your unlimited high-society knowledge power!"

"Paimon, there's no such thing..." (Y/N) deadpanned.

"Hmm. You almost make it sound like I'm some sort of... bourgeois parasite, whose only utility lies in providing quaint pieces of trivia on demand."

"Ah, come on, you know she's just a child." The red dressed girl patted the tall man's back.

"That said, let me think for a moment... ah yes. Spare parts were made for the Guizhong Ballista when it was first built, in case it was damaged in battle. As I recall, there is a military supply post from that period somewhere inside the Pass. if we can retrieve the spare parts from where they are stored, we may be able to repair the Guizhong Ballista. One just needs to understand the basic working principles of this device."

"So... what you're saying is that you actually understand the working principles?" Paimon concluded.

"I have a smattering of knowledge on the topic. With the parts in hand, I could at least tinker with it. Please go search for them, you three." Zhongli asked them to go, and they did.

"And then we're all taking the job again..." Aether sighed and sweat dropped. Then he looked around. "Hey' what's with that window?" he pointed to a window located on a ruin near the Guizhong Ballista.

"We could glide to it and then take us in without having to search for another way in that might be blocked." and so, she opened those pretty wings she owned, and flied over and in, then waved at Aether and Paimon to come after. Paimon clung onto Aether's braid while he flied with his wings he got in Mondstadt. Inside, four chests were found, but all with thick rock covering them so they couldn't open them.

"How do we get through the rock...?" Paimon said worried.

"Like this." and that pretty scythe of (Y/N)'s appeared in her palm, and she told them to back off.

Then, she took the scythe in both hands, and then... spun (Spain without the a)? Like a Claymore wielder would have done, she spun around to get more force in her scythe, and soon, the chests could be opened.

"Woah! Paimon's never seen such a move! Never seen so many chests in the same place either..." Paimon drooled while thinking of everything inside the chests.

"Let's take the necessary, no weird things, just take the parts and good things." (Y/N) said as she picked up a Fatui insignia and then threw it away, muttering something about "having a hundreds of these already...".

"Aww..." Paimon sighed, but started to sort out what was parts to the Guizhong Ballista and what weren't.

"But how do we get out?" Aether then asked and looked at the window, which was placed to high up, and the gates were blocked with bars.

"See this? This is a pressure plate, if you stand on it, something happens. Perhaps..." she stood on it and it lit up golden patterns. "It will give us a way out." the bars lifted and they could walk out. So they climbed up to the Guizhong Ballista again and met Zhongli.

"These parts look useful. One moment, I will try to repair the device..." and so, Zhongli started fixing things with the device and after some time...

"It is done. The Guizhong Ballista is more intricately designed than I thought."

"Woo! Now, how do we turn it on?" Paimon clapped and went right away to talk about how to use it."It's easy enough. We simply need to do this... look, it even has a scope." Aether stepped up and looked through the scope, turning it to look all over the Pass.

"Over here we have... nothing. And over there... more nothing." he turned it once again and looked over to...

"Hey! Just what do you think you're doing?!"

"Oh, over there just below the Ballista we have some treasure hoarders that seems to be mad at us." (Y/N) said as she had turned her head to every place the scope looked to.

"So, you've fixed up this turret... because you're planning to do what, exactly?!" three men, two smaller but one bulky who clearly was the leader.

"Not a turret. A Guizhong Ballista. Also, kindly state your name before you ask a question, it's just good manners." Zhongli said politely, but he had an under-tone of irritation. That's how it goes when you don't behave in front of a high society man, boys.

"Hah! Are you blind or something? You're looking at the leader of the Treasure Hoarders, old man!"

"That did so not burn." (Y/N) said with a sight.

"This area's supposed to be shock-full of hidden treasures, but you can't get anywhere near them with this hing keeping watch. It might look like any other mechanical device, but trust me, it's got a mind of it's own!"

"Is he... warning us for the Guizhong Ballista?" Aether sweat dropped.

"Las time we approached the mountain, it nearly skewered one of our guys! A few of us risked our lives to disarm it - which, amazingly, we managed - and then we turn our back for two seconds and you've ALREADY GONE AND REPAIRED IT?!"

"Can we please skip to the fight? It's true I might try to be harmless most of the time, but these guys are getting on my nerves with all these talking." (Y/N) said coldly.

"Aw, can the girl fight? Come at us, if you're not afraid to break a nail!"

"That's it, you guys might just said your last words."

"Please don't kill them, (Y/N)!"

(Y/N) hot temper much?

Hi there, I updated within time, because now I have been free from training, chores etc. and could go writing right after the latest chapter!!

Now, will they catch a Cocogoat, or is those treasure hoarders the only thing that'll happen? Huh... author knows TvT

Hope you enjoyed~!

1,132 words, 3.3 pages (*✧×✧*)