A World I Don't Belong In (Genshin Impact x Female Reader)

Chapter 9: The Golden House part 2

The hydro slash is headed straight for me and there is no way I can move out of the way in time. Aether won't make it either. My body feels too heavy to move. I attempt to move my feet but they just get stuck under rubble. I drop my bow and cover my chest with my arms, hoping to prevent major injuries to my organs.

I feel the break in my skin as slash digs into my arm. Soon the pressure stops, I open my eyes. Please tell me I have still got my arms! My forearms have couple centimetre gash. Not as deep as I would have thought. The pain takes a second, but I can feel every cell in my arms screaming. The red hot liquid runs down to my elbow where it drips onto the hard surface of the Golden House.

"Y/N!" Aether's voice is the only thing that snaps me back to reality.

"I'm fine I say," I giggle trying to laugh the pain away. I reach my right arm into my pocket for the herbal mix. My whole arm shaking, like all the muscles are miss firing. I wince as I rub it over the gash on both arms. I quickly wrap my arms in bandage, and give Aether a thumbs up. I reach for my head, its still bleeding. The leftovers of the herb mix, I rub on my head, and use my sleeve to wipe the blood off my face.

Soon the pain numbs. Huh... the adrenalin must have kicked in. I smile and pick up my bow. I am ready for round two!

Childe snickers as he teleports behind Aether. He side swings Aether with his electro swords, Aether just barley reacts in time and blocks it with his sword. Aether skids back on the floor.

I fire a flaming arrow at Childe, but he dodges it with great ease. Aether summons a boulder that he uses to propel himself forward he aims for the wound he created earlier on Childe's side. Childe has made no attempt to even cover his wounds let alone seal them. I don't know if its pride or something else.

Childe barely blocks the swing, but the force of the attack only made his wound worse. Childe's blood has been leaking down his body - staining his clothes - all the way to his feet. His cape covers the arrow hole on his back and the small cut on his cheek is dripping from his chin. I shoot another meaningless arrow. Childe teleports out of the way. Upon his re-appearance I pull back another arrow. I release but the arrow doesn't fire.

I look at my bow and the string has snapped. "How did that..." I mumble to myself. I look at my red fingers. I might have pulled it back to hard. After all I cant really feel my fingers anyway. Either that or it was damaged in the wall. I rest the bow on the floor.

"Hey Aether, do you have a spare sword?" I bluntly ask. He looks at me dumbfounded. He pulls a spare out of literally nothing. "Here," he tosses it. I raise my hands up to catch it. I juggle it in my hands for a hot second before it drops to the ground. Really at a time like this. I look at my fingers and stretch them, hoping for some type of feeling. I pick up the sword. It's a dull blade... how come all Aether fights with are these 1 star weapons, but I guess it doesn't really matter when states like crit don't exist. I unsheathe the sword and hold it tight.

"Joining the fight are we?" Childe snickers. A bright purple circle appears beneath me. I jump out of the way just in time to see the lightning bolt slam into the ground. Another one appears just as I take a breather. Once again I am forced to get out of the way. I give Aether a glace and he see's that I am running low on power.

He rushes forward summoning a rock behind Childe. Aether's trying to get Childe cornered. It might work, its worth a shot. I take Childe's right while Aether takes Childe's left.

Childe uses an electro poll-arm and swing it at both of us, I block it with my sword and try to keep it there. I use my left hand and grab the poll-arm, this will provide Aether an opportunity to strike. Childe grunts as he realises that I have got a hold of his weapon. I don't know how long I will get to hold onto it, because I still can't feel my fingers. My arms are shaking from the pressure of holding it.

Childe over powers me and the electro poll-arm is swung at Aether. I hear a thud on the floor, the top of Childe's electro poll-arm is lying on the floor. I look over. Childe has finished his swing at Aether, he is stunned about where the top of his poll-arm went.

Aether slashes Childe's hand causing him to drop the remainder of what he was holding onto the blood stained floor. The rock behind Childe disappears as Aether kicks Childe to the ground and Childe's fancy costume vanishes. Aether holds his sword to Childe's neck and stares him down.

"You're a cut above," He spits.

"Look! Childe's back to normal again." Paimon says without a scratch on her.

"Ugh, well then... Time to cool off. It seems the burden of the foul legacy transformation was too great for my body. I lacked the opportunity to think this through... And now that I consider the matter more carefully, you never had any chance of beating me to the Gnosis. You had no connection to the Gnosis, no matter where it had been taken," He says trying to cover the slash on his side.

"That's what we have been trying to tell you!" Paimon says with her head high.

"Yeah.. yeah..." I but in, "Anyway where's that million mora I was promised?"

Childe sighs, "I'll give it to you another time. You show of ability today far surpasses that of Signora's initial assessment of you in Mondstadt. Tell me, how could that be?"

This question was directed at Aether but he was glancing at me a couple of times. Something strange is happening to me and he must have caught on. Fantastic.

Aether says nothing. "You already know the answer, don't you? I can see it in your eyes. But if that is a secret you wish to keep, I guess I'll have to curb my curiosity. This battle has already left me satisfied. Anyone who strives as I do to grow stronger shall be called a friend, even if our friendship can only be shown in battle against one another." Childe slowly uses his finger to move the sword away from his neck, and stands up.

I role my eyes, amazing another rant. I instead decide to walk over to my bow. I'll still need it in the next fight. I spend the next five minutes trying to fix it. I achieve success but not with very high standards. I retied the string to the bow, making it much tighter and harder to use with my shaky fingers. I place it on my back and decide to listen in on the conversation again.

"If such an ancient god were to be unleashed upon Liyue Harbor, defenceless without the protection of its deity... Do you think the cunning Rex Lapis would just stand aloof and watch the ensuing destruction?" Childe giggles.

"But... the Archon War ended two thousand years ago! Hoe could an ancient god appear in a world nor overseen by The Seven?" Paimon tilts her head. I role my eyes, for a floating guide she can be pretty clueless.

"Simple! I've already prepared the means to awaken it," Childe right arm forward summoning the Sigils of Permission, leaving his left hand to clutch the wound on his side.

"Hey! Those are Sigils of Permission!" Paimon screams. "Oh, Paimon remembers now! The Fatui have been researching them..."

"You've been trying to duplicate them," Aether says, getting in a fight position. My head starts pounding. The pain comes back with a bite. With it, it brings an immense heaving feeling in all of my limbs. I need to sit down.

"Indeed. The one that was given to you was just a by-product of our research," Childe snickers. I sit on the floor holding my head, I need a sleep in. I try to have a small mental break. I silence everything in my mind and breath slowly.

Thunder strikes and it snaps me out of my trance. He just summoned the god didn't he.

"Hahahahaha! Let's see – will the nation that has lost it deity. Be swallowed up by an ancient malice once more?" Childe raises his hand in the air and encases himself in water. He turns into a water bubble and shoots away, "If you wish to drown together with the people of Liyue. You're free to stay and enjoy the show!"

And with that Childe disappears out the ceiling. Aether looks at me, "you ok?"

I sigh, "Should be fine."

I get up slowly and jog behind Aether as we make our way to another boss fight. 

Word Count: 1561

Thankyou for reading :)