The One-Armed Swordsman (Genshin x Male OC)

Chapter I : His Farewell

"What took you so long?" Nate stood in the middle of a sparring area, his arms crossed impatiently. It was clear that he had been waiting for Eula to come, but he doesn't actually look happy when she came also, instead he gave off a somber feeling when Eula glanced into his dark eyes. 

"Nothing important. Now, shall we begin?" Eula replied curtly before summoning Broken Pine, a confident smirk on her face. She thought he would return that gesture with a smile just as competitive, but all she got was just a calm inhale and him summoning his katana, all with no emotions whatsoever. She didn't get why the kind, loving and shy ronin she knew would act so distant from her, but she'd squeeze out the reason no matter what. 

"Show me what you got, Captain." He provoked her with a simple gesture meant to say "come at me", expressions remained neutral with a voice that was so monotonic it would put her chilling manners to shame. Eula was the one initiating their spar this time, swinging her claymore at him with no mercy. As if her attempts were child's play, Nate dodged all of those swings with a simple sidestep, not even bothering to deflect those attacks, because he might hurt her with little to no control over his mind and heart. 

With the short amount of time he spent waiting in this small yard, more thoughts about their future if he succumbed to his feelings appeared. He imagined himself having a small family with her, each and every day was a joy as they both enjoy their time together. But here's the elephant in the room. 

He isn't human anymore. 

Archons are beings that cannot be killed, only losing their physical form when fatal injuries were taken. He knew that when he accepted to be the Pyro Archon successor, there is no turning back to his mortal life. In the end, he'll lose everyone that he ever loved all over again. 

Aether will leave Teyvat once he found his sister...

Amber would follow her lover and spend her life alongside him... 

And... She'll also pass away, leaving him alone once more... 

So he'll end all emotional ties with his mortal acquaintances, to avoid any more profound damage to them all and himself...

Starting with the Spindrift Knight. 

Ending that thought, he began to strike back, parrying and deflecting her blows as he chipped on her posture, bit by bit. He has already left a letter back at Eula's, telling Venti and Aether to meet him, Diluc, and Jean at Starsnatch Cliff. He'd take off from Dawn Winery once the Anemo Archon got Aether to purify those Teardrop Crystals. Meanwhile, Nate would snatch the Holy Lyre on the way there, even though he had to get on his knees for Barbara to achieve it.

Eula has started to become frustrated because she can't even land a hit on him. She plunged her claymore towards him by thrusting it on the ground, which was countered with just a step of his legs. As she flipped his legs from her blade, Nate lost his balance and fell towards her, resulting in them both on the ground, him laying on top of the bluenette.

A strong desire to kiss those delicate lips started to overcome his sense of thoughts, and maybe the same thing happens to her too, as Eula also tilts her head towards, eyes closing. For once in his life, his mind successfully won against his heart, refraining himself from touching lips with her. 

"W-What...?" Eula mumbled, disbelief visible on her features. Nate pulled her up and gave her the tightest hug he could muster, but Eula knows, he doesn't reciprocate her feelings. Or maybe, that's just what she thought. 

"I-I'm sorry... you deserve someone better..." Nate whispered lightly, his once steadfast and confidence-filled voice now became ever so fragile, closer to breaking than he could ever imagine. He loves her, he loves this woman so much that he finds it difficult to let her go, he can't even bear the pain to lose her.