The Six-Headed Hydra / Genshin Impact

Chapter 4: The Brawl

Its a vast salon, bright lights pointed to the middle, almost as if it's a stage. Akai notices the figure in the middle, they seem tall and athletic. It must be the harbinger he will have to fight. Guards take Akai towards the right where there's a stationary of weapons. Perhaps he should take a claymore, to make heavy blows; or a polearm to defend himself in a haste. However, he hasn't fought with neither for a long time.. Akai shakes his head and the guards lead him towards his opponent.

Akai's eyes widen when he recognizes Tartaglia: "You... You were the one who captured me! It was rather foolish of me to fall for it but do not think i have forgotten!" He exclaims, Tartaglia just frowns since he doesn't understand. The yaksha sighs, there was nothing he could do about his arrival besides he had to fight this harbinger. Akai reaches forward to shake the ginger's hand, his yaksha mask forming as they shake hands. Tartaglia visibly is excited by this, he backs up and nods to a guard, who pulls a lever down.

Suddenly, the salon turns into a field, the walls cripple down to form cliffs as theyre exposed to the harsh Snezhnayan weather. Kameras are pointed towards them and there seems to be a group of people watching them from above on the cliffs. Akai shudders but Tartaglia doesn't seemed affected by the snow. The karmic debt starts to gnaw on Akai's body, he screeches and tries to rip the mask off but it seems glued to him; almost as if it's a part of his skin. The karmic debt seems to melt him somehow and he disappears, Tartaglia looks at the puddle of black goo before avoiding Geo shards hurdled at him. Childe exhales sharply and looks behind him. He can't help but fanboy slightly, Akai looks like exactly he is described in Liyue folklore, (except for his malnourished state of course.) with some weird metal infused into his cataclyst and few pieces appearing now and then around his body. Tartaglia dashes forward, trying to slash the yaksha's forarms but he moves around it; managing to kick Tartaglia's shin. However, Childe steadies himself and turns; slashing from the top of Akai's mask down to neck. A spike of Geo errupts, Childe hops out of the way before gets impaled but he gets punted to the floor with more Geo. Shards fly his way and Tartaglia jumps out of the way, only to be met with the yaksha tackling him down. Childe manages to notice how Akai has turned his fists to marble before he gets punched in the face. Tartaglia hears the crack of his nose before he liquidizes into water and escapes the death grip of the yaksha. Childe reappears behind him and stabs Akai's back with his Hydro dagger, making him yelp. Just as the ginger was going to slash his neck, Akai's dragon tail forms and swats him to the ground like some bug and smacks him twice. Childe tries to shoot a Hydro arrow as Akai walks over to him and kneels down. His hand seems to have turned into a form of metal, it glows a vibrant orange and Akai simply extinguishes the arrow that is trying to form. "Pyro?" Childe squeaks out as Akai's mask disappears, the slash across his face has bled down to his chin yet Tartaglia can see a glow of Geo under the cut. The yaksha smiles sternly before offering his, now, normal hand. Tartaglia grins as he's pulled up, clutching his stomach while the field turns back to the usual room. Guards open the door to guide them out, Akai manages to see the glass panel with kameras and undistinguishable people behind it before he's escorted out. However he's taken to a different room and it makes Akai uneasy, he tries to object but calms down when he sees Svetlana in there. The room is overly white and confuses the yaksha, Svetlana explains that it's a room for medical services as Akai is seated down. Tartaglia is seated opposite of him, the harbinger is watching the yaksha curiously. Akai notices his child-like gaze and turns towards Svetlana: "How old is he?" Svetlana clears her throat before mumbling something about him being in his twenties. Akai nods: "I want you to tell him I enjoyed our battle. He fights well." The yaksha asks and Svetlana freezes: "I don't have permission to speak to the other harbingers, my lord.."

Akai's smile drops and he raises his brows: "I'm an harbinger too, no? So follow my orders." The demand makes Svetlana give in and turn to the other harbinger. The ginger's brows rise in shock but he smiles slightly after Svetlana speaks. He says something and Svetlana turns back to Akai: "He says he enjoyed it and wishes to do it routinely." Some nurse cleans the wound on Akai's back as he nods: "Yes i would like to."

The nurse reaches to clean the wound on Akai's face, it had already healed shut so the Yaksha simply turns his head and she gets the memo. She says something to Svetlana and the translator nods, helping Akai back to his room. While they are walking through the endless hallways, Svetlana clears her throat before speaking up but Akai shushes her: "Do not behave like that to me. I may have been gone for years but i am not a fool. If you have a problem, address it with me fairly and honestly, not by clearing your throat. It is a pet peeve of mine.." He stops walking and Svetlana doesn't say anything. "You have no idea how much danger you have put me in for speaking to the eleventh harbinger. They will have my head by tonight and give you a new translator to take my place. As much as you deserve comfort, this is our rules. I have a child i need to feed, who will look after him if i am dead?" Svetlana whispers the last sentence. Akai's face seems to redden as realization hits him: "I apologize.. I shouldn't have forced you. I will make sure that nothing will happen-" he starts to comfort but Svetlana interrupts him: "No, my lord, you cannot do anything! You have doomed me to death and doomed my son to a motherless life. You will have to accept what you have done." She whisper-yells, her hands seem to shake while Akai can feel her gaze pierce him; even if her face is concealed.

Svetlana starts to walk again, probably too invested in her child's future but Akai grips her arm: "Svetlana, i may be new to your land but i assure you, i will do anything for you and your child. You may serve me but i see you as an equal and you are a pleasure to work with. I will find a way to keep you by my side, or at least keep you alive. I may hold no power currently but i survived negotiating with your cold-hearted archon; and I can survive it again. Don't worry about your child now, we need to focus on this ceremony. " The Yaksha assures and Svetlana seems to ponder, before nodding with a silent thanks.