We'll meet again

○Chapter 9: Negotiations○

(Image credit to @asagizuisen on twt)

Your encounter with the Balladeer was indeed a strange one.

He seemed to be a completely different person than you had imagined him to be. He sure was cocky, and had a bad attitude just like what you've heard, but... He didn't seem to be a 'bad' person. There was something more to him...

Before you realized it, you found yourself back at Narukami Shrine.

You had heard the fatui agents mention something about a gnosis being kept at the shrine.. Maybe you came here to warn Yae Miko? or maybe you came here expecting to meet the Balladeer again.                                                           

"Right on time, y/n."                                   
 Yae Miko approached you as if she was expecting your arrival.

"Lady Yae! A lot of things happened, I will explain later but the Fatui-"                                                       

"They're coming for the gnosis, right? They'll most likely be accompanied by their little harbinger as well"

She said as if she had already foreseen all of this.
"...yes." Why was she not a tad bit concerned?

"Alright Y/n, let's go!"

"Me?! What would you need me for? I just lost to the Harbinger in a fight, I'll only be in your way.."   

"No Y/n, it has to be you. No one else will be a more suitable bargain than you." She said, not even trying to hide her 'evil' intentions.

"..."

And with that said, you were quietly taken away by Yae Miko to some creepy rundown factory.

"I-isn't this..kidnapping?"
You said looking tense as you felt a heavy concentration of elemental energy in the air as we approached the suspicious factory.

"Let's go, or we might be too late to save the traveler."Yae Miko said, opening the creepy gate to the factory.

"Save the who?! The traveler- why me?-"
You asked in confusion, as an unsettling feeling welled up in your stomach.

With each step we took into the factory, you started to feel more and more uneasy. The atmosphere had the highest concentration of elemental energy you had ever felt. It was oppressive and stifling. It felt like we were entering a different world, one that was separate from the daylight and open air.

As you went deeper into the factory, familiar laughter could be heard. You were unable to recognize the voices, your mind wasn't functioning properly. It was something in the air which was fucking with your mind. The world around you seemed to be spinning too fast, you felt dizzy and confused, and your heart was pounding in your chest like it was about to burst. You felt like you were on drugs. You try to focus but it's like there's a thick fog in your brain that makes it hard to think straight.

You groaned in pain, as you felt a migraine in your head. You looked around, it seemed that Yae Miko had brought you to a room in the factory. You could also see the traveler..who looked like he was about to pass out, he was in the same condition as you. Yae Miko seemed to be conversing with someone. You heard familiar voices but they were all running around in your head and you couldn't make out a single word. And there you saw, The Balladeer, the man you were looking for all this while. You tried to call out, but you weren't even able to stand properly. Unable to maintain balance, you stood on your knees, wincing in pain.

The traveler seemed to have passed out, and you were about to as well. You lay down on the ground as you gave it your all, trying to focus on the conversation between Yae Miko and the Balladeer.

"Shall we make a deal, Scaramouche?"Yae Miko said, making sure to accentuate the name.

"A deal? Hmph. It's the end for the traveler, there's no saving him now."
He said scoffing and grinning, as he walked closer to the traveler.

"Hm~ So your little girl here, you wouldn't mind if I forbid her from Inazuma city, right?~"
Yae Miko looked at you as you were almost unconscious.

"...You really think I give a fuck about some girl?.. Besides, you wouldn't do that."
He said as his grin disappeared from his face.

"Watch me."

Yae Miko said with a rather serious expression. She knew she could strike a good deal with the Balladeer if it involved you, even if it meant forbidding you from Inazuma city, after all, she was confident and sure that he would keep an eye on you and your safety no matter what.

'What are they talking about? A deal? Forbid me from Inazuma City..?'
You thought as anxiety filled your stomach. You tried hearing into the conversation until the very last second, but by the time their negotiations were over, with a sickening rush, your vision went black, and you felt yourself falling into a deep dreamless sleep.