Cold Steel - Inazuma Gaiden

XXVII: Setting Sun [Rated T+/M]

PREFACE:

As usual, just putting up some trigger warnings, hence the T+/M-Rating on the chapter. If you feel uncomfortable about violence, blood, and mild gore in written form, then as usual I suggest clicking off the story.

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From the moment he saw the leakage of the Tatarigami energy intensified, he was aware of what would follow. His psyche was already plenty struggling the moment they entered the dilapidated walls of this Delusion-manufacturing Facility, located just beneath the shadow of the Serpent's Skull. And he was aware still, when the powers of the Serpent God slowly laid its claim over his body, his mind, his consciousness - as well as that of the lady just at his flank.

It became increasingly harder for him to think, let alone concentrate on... anything. In fact, he was having a hard time remembering on what were they doing in such a hazardous place in the first place. Parts of his mind started to fragment themselves, before dissolving into pieces unknown, replaced with the terrible and overpowering influence that slowly creeped its way like tendrils over his sense of reality.

He forgot of who he was, or the name of the young lady beside him who also struggled against the oncoming waves of overbearing influence. His vision became a mixture of flashes and blurs, while the insides of his ears rang. A taste similar of swallowing burned food bombarded his tongue, despite his sealed lips and his throat was experiencing this extreme nausea that prevented him from fully gulping in the oxygen to keep himself functional. His hands and knees felt both weak and numb, and by the next few seconds - he could feel his arms and legs no longer.

Through it all, he could still hear bits and pieces of some male situated just close to their proximity saying something in regards to a place called Inazuma. A place that he either forgot about, or has never heard before. He also began listing several notable locations likely attributing to this region of Inazuma.

Tenshukaku. The Palace of Celestial Guardians.

Grand Narukami Shrine. The Grand Shrine of the Thunder God.

Mikage Furnace. The Furnace of the Divine Souls.

These names, they sound so distinct - yet so foreign - and so unknown.

But then several questions rose within him, coming in the form of a small voice - sounding just barely like the tiniest of whispers through a sea of chaotic crescendo of sounds that drummed inside his mind, bypassing his ringing ears entirely. And with it, also came the desire from himself to single out that tiny whisper - the leading cause of his newfound intentions being the fact that that same whisper was the only noise that still resembled human language, being the language that he and many others of Teyvat speak of, the Teyvat Common.

But what is even the Teyvat Common?

What even is this... Teyvat?

He decided to single out his focus, using his failing strength to identify and isolate that same, hazy whisper amongst the endless chanting and singing of forces unknown. Not being able to control his body functions anymore enabled him to redirect all his remaining mindpower to tune out the remaining distractions that prevented him from identifying and understanding that small voice within.

For his incredible effort, he was rewarded by the slowly - but surely slowing, dimming, and quieting ringing that once persisted in his ears, while the constant chatters, screams, and wails that once took hold of his mind became increasingly controlled. At first, they sounded just like that - cries, shouts. But as time went on, they shifted into something resembling a chorus of people singing, before they also finally tuned themselves out to resemble something akin to several groups of people having casual conversations.