Winter Moon | Xiao x Fem Reader

Protector

The skies were still dark and the rain poured as if they themselves were crying. The cold rain woke you up from whatever illusion your brain was muddled with. You looked at Xiao who still clutched at the masked man's face who only stood there unmovingly, black eyes staring at the adeptus.

"Ah, it's you. I remember you little yaksha." The man sounded as if he really was smiling from ear to ear behind his mask which made Xiao angrier as he swung his spear at the white figure but he jumped back, mask staying glued to his face.

"Don't be like that. We were such a great team back then, weren't we?" He called out as he continued jumping back to evade each of Xiao's quick attacks, reflexes fast.

"Shut up!" The yaksha yelled, jabbing a particularly hard thrust of his spear against the masked man's side, yet he evaded it just as easily. However, no matter how close Xiao came to at least scratching him, the man never took out his weapon, he didn't even try to strike back.

"Why don't you cooperate with me again? Look at her, she's just standing there confused like a lost little girl," his voice turned sly and his unsettling mask turned towards where you were standing, "So easy to kill."

Xiao's face contorted in that of absolute fury, his attacks now imbued with such condensed anemo power, it looked almost black. Dark swirls of energy flowed around his body, yet he didn't put his mask on, afraid of losing control and hurting you accidentally in the inevitable collateral damage.

"I won't let you hurt her again," the adeptus growled, doubling his effort into slicing at the monstrous man who dodged in fluid motions. The constant back and forth of him trying to hit him with his spear and the masked man jumping all over the place was getting on Xiao's nerves. Not missing the fact that hearing you trying to make your way over on unsteady legs was making him on edge.

"Isn't that what you said last time too?" The man giggled. He was absolutely giddy over the memories of 3000 years ago, he was practically radiating bliss. Xiao wanted to vomit at the disgust of the mental image of the masked man taking pleasure in the memory of your lifeless and bloody form. He wanted to grab that masked that plagued your nightmares for millennia, cut off those hands that have hurt you so many times and wipe that self-satisfied smile Xiao could basically hear on the man's face.

"Those were different times. I'm free now, I don't have to listen to the likes of you or that rotten excuse of a god," the yaksha snarled. He was getting irritated by the fact the masked man didn't seem to even bother trying to hit him, instead, he was satisfied enough to just keep on dodging each of Xiao's lightning speed attacks as if he was mocking him.

"Are you really free," he took a pause, his voice deepened and at a speed that exceeded Xiao's own, he closed the space between them, the white mask filling Xiao's vision. "Are you actually really free, Alatus?"

"Do not speak that name!" Xiao snapped, veins popping on his arms from gripping and slashing his spear in anger, eyes flashing a dangerous amber, so bright you could see it from where you were standing.

Xiao raising his voice took you by surprise and you willed your weak legs to run instead of dragging themselves pathetically onto the ground. After you woke up from whatever that delusion was, you felt like you had no energy left. It didn't help the fact the adeptus and the masked man were jumping all over the place, moving so fast that if you weren't a Celestial God it would look like a blur to you.

Xiao seemed to notice you trying to come closer and turned his head to you in a hurry, cursing himself inwardly for losing his temper over some words spoken by the vile man. "Don't come near! Look for a way to find Yin," he yelled at you, hoping you heard him.

"Oh? You wanna see Yin?" In the blink of an eye, the masked man was in front of you and you took a step back in a hurry, causing you to fall. Xiao was in front of you the moment you opened your eyes, spear pointing right at the masked man's chest, wordlessly taunting him to dare to come closer.