Call Me Lynx (Wanderer x OC)

Arc 1: Chapter 7

~Of course you'd know, as the almost-Shogun~

After a while Lumine found the delusion factory and lead Keahi inside, a bunch of fatui soldiers awaiting them. They immediately charged at Lumine and she fought them off, leaving Keahi aside. She had the Harbinger tied up and she calmly obliged, knowing the girl wouldn't let her come with otherwise. Lumine got through all the puzzles, leading the kitsune with her as she went. They got to the final room, the one where Keahi had previously been with Signora and Scaramouche. Lumine fought through the final wave of enemies before grabbing Keahi once again. 

"Who's in charge here? Don't tell me it's really you." she growled and Keahi shook her head, looking ahead as Scaramouche approached. His eyes immediately landed on Keahi before quickly shifting over to Lumine. 

"You actually managed to find this place. Congratulations." the man spoke, watching as Lumine immediately charged forward. "Hah, barely two words in and you already look like you want me dead." he laughed, watching the traveler take a fighting stance.

"You're managing the Delusion factory..." her voice trailed off at the end of her sentence. 

"Oh, so that's what this is about." he noted, looking at his coworker tied up in the back of the room, smirking over at her. "I think you've got the wrong idea. I know how this looks, but I'm just here to follow orders. I'm obviously not the mastermind behind this. Aren't you supposed to be pretty tough? Obviously you've tied up a Harbinger over there so what are you waiting for, go get them. You're getting all worked up over nothing. Pfft, you've changed... You're getting weak." he scoffed at the traveler.

"How can you say this is nothing?" Paimon squeaked and the man smirked once again. 

"How can you call it anything more? It's the way of the world. Human life is worthless. They were always going to die, with or without a Delusion. At least having one gives them a chance to fulfill their ambitions. Do you have any idea how useful the Vision Hunt Decree is to us? It took a lot of work to make it happen. Obviously it was in our best interests. Good news is, our hard work is finally paying off. Generating conflict creates a big market for Delusions. Now we just let the promise of power draw in the weak... For just a small price, they get the feeling of controlling the world. Trading their life for supreme power... Pretty good deal, don't you think?" he trailed off, turning around, but turning his head to side-eye them. "Speaking of the weak, I'm going to have to ask you to untie my partner over there." he nodded his head in Keahi's direction.

"You were in on this?" Paimon squeaked, turning around to face Keahi who was looking up at them, a smirk on her face. Her eyes were sparkling with something deeper than bloodlust, she was ready for war. "We trusted you!" 

"Don't get so worked up over it, squeaky-ball, I'm just following orders. It's what gets me paid, y'know?" she chuckled, looking at both Lumine and Paimon. "Do as he said and untie me, Lumine. Right now." she ordered, watching as Lumine pulled out her sword, ready to strike at her. "Oh so we're playing dirty now, planning on attacking me while I'm tied up?" a glint of amusement was obvious on her face as she watched her friend approach her. Lightning struck on the place Lumine had been standing, making her jump away to save herself. 

"I said untie her, traveler." the 6th hissed, turning around to look at them. "When you untie her, then you can attack her. Didn't know the almighty traveler had it in them to attack a tied man." 

"Lumine, you can't fight her she's too strong!" Paimon squeaked and Lumine let out a sigh and untying the Harbinger. She had her sword ready for a fight but the girl only let out a chuckle, shaking her head. 

"I'm not going to fight you, Lumine. You know, I value you as a person, hopefully we can put aside this little incident and continue travelling together once this is all done." she beamed, walking over to her colleague. "Of course, it is my job to follow orders. I hope you understand that so my little vacation with you was unfortunately cut short, plus all the paperwork just to get into this damned nation." 

"Traitor." Paimon shouted, making the kitsune laugh even harder, one of her eyes taking on that dark blue form it took when they first saw her fight. 

"Oh no, I'm no traitor. I didn't betray you, darling, you didn't fully trust me in the first place. You wouldn't have tied me up on the way here if you did." she chuckled, now standing next to the Balladeer, looking down at the two. "I get it, don't worry, but let's not throw around false accusations around." 

"Of course she knew all along, she's been extremely perceptive since the start!" Paimon squeaked, turning to her companion. "Wait! It was fatui that started the Vision Hunt Decree?! You've been behind it all along?"

"From the outside, Inazuma looks pretty impenetrable, but on the inside... it's a land of opportunity. With a little effort, we were able to break them down from within. Eternity stretches things out over a long time. But each moment within it becomes all the more fragile." 

"Of course you'd know, as the almost-Shogun." Keahi mumbled under her breath making the man strike a lightning right next to her. She let out a hiss, jumping away and sending him a glare. "Take your friend in the resistance, for example. There's nothing you can do anymore, he's a lost cause." she spoke, looking down at the traveler. "Just like a bubble on the water. Beautiful for a moment, then total destruction."

"The more it takes from them, the more tightly they hold onto it. And the more incompetent they are, the more determined they are to fight it!" Scaramouche took over, laughing. "It's such a farce, you have to see the funny side." 

"Don't you dare mock Teppei!"

"Hey! Calm down!" Paimon called out to Lumine who was seething at this point, charging ahead before stumbling down. She gripped her head, obviously in pain as Paimon panicked. Keahi jumped down from the little stage they were in, but Paimon stopped her before she could reach Lumine. 

"That's it, just like that!" Scaramouche spoke as he slowly approached. "Embrace the anger... Embrace it!" he shouted, placing a hand in front of Keahi to stop her from going any closer. He spread his arms out, raising his chin slightly. "The wrath of the gods fills this factory, and it feeds on your anger." 

The traveler collapsed, with Paimon shaking her in panic and the Balladeer laughing in front of them. Keahi ran around him, running over to Lumine, checking her pulse. "You didn't tell me this was a part of the plan!" she growled, ready to charge at the man. 

"Now, now, be a good kitten and don't go getting angry or you might end up like your friend here." he smirked, approaching her and petting her head, to which she responded by shoving his hand off her head. 

"Who are you to be calling my daughter a kitten like that, Puppet? Has Ei taught you nothing in the short while you were with her?" a voice came from the room entrance, making them both look up at it's source. Keahi's eyes widened at the sight of her mother in front of her. She has faced her sister already, but in no way was she planning on seeing her mother. "Why so shocked, dear? Didn't expect to get a visit from me around here?" 

"What could the Shogun's familiar want from us?" Scaramouche spoke up, standing in front of the kitsune, almost as if he were protecting her. 

"That's easy, the traveler, of course." she giggled, watching as her friend's puppet defended her daughter. "What do you want in exchange for it?" 

"The gnosis, naturally." her daughter replied, stepping to the Balladeer's side as she looked at her mother. "I can sense it on your person, she still hasn't taken it back, has she?" 

"Observant as always, my dear. Very well, I will hand over the gnosis." she spoke swiping her hand in front of her to summon the item that resembles a chess piece. "But also, I'd like to have a chat with you, Keahi." 

"Do you?" 

"Naturally, you are my offspring after all and I had been convinced you were dead for a few years now. You come back to Inazuma and don't even bother to visit, as well as the fact that you have become a Harbinger in those years I haven't seen you. Seems like you have a lot to tell me." 

"Let's talk then." Keahi was about to take a step closer but Scaramouche grabbed her shoulder, stopping her. 

"Seems like your new toy won't let you. Very well, stay in Inazuma, we will talk after I have accomplished my goal." the shrine maiden smiled, handing the gnosis to the Balladeer and then turning around and walking over to the traveler. Scaramouche took his colleague's hand and lead her out of the complex, they walked for a while in complete silence before reaching Kannazuka island and going to the furnace, taking shelter in one of the houses.