Eleutheromania (Various Genshin x Reader)

Light Actuator -22-

The next day, the six of you woke up bright and early to venture out to the entrance of Stormterror's Lair. Of course, Noelle had refused to let you, Aether, Paimon, or Jean leave without a proper breakfast first and the way Diluc had arrived just a bit later than the rest of you all while muttering something about Adelinde made you think he went through the same thing.

Then there was Venti who brought breakfast on the road as he finished up eating an apple next to the raging winds blocking the group's path inside. "It's a storm barrier! It looks so dangerous..." Paimon yelled with a frown as the excess wind flew off of the barrier and into her hair.

Clearing his throat, Venti threw the apple core over his shoulder and cracked his knuckles. "Let me at it. Although this wooden lyre is all I have... I don't need the lyre to break through this kind of storm barri— Ah, wait, what is that?" The bard's eyes suddenly widened in shock as he looked back.

Turning around, you immediately summoned your sword as the rest of the group (minus Paimon who disappeared into the void) drew their own weapons. "E-Eh?! What are those?!" Aether exclaimed as he watched the hilichurl with horns positioned their shield in front of them and tried ramming into the group. Jean narrowed her eyes. "An enemy attack! Prepare yourselves!"

"Basically they're different types of Hilichurls," you explained as Diluc slammed his claymore right into the hilichurl's shield. "That one's a Mitachurl. The other two, they're based on elements. We'll take care of the Pyro one while Diluc takes care of the Anemo one." You told the blonde before sending a sharp blast of wind at both the Mitachurl and the Pyro hilichurl in an attempt to hit them both. You felt bad for leaving Diluc to handle the Anemo one on his own, but everyone here was an Anemo user so it wouldn't be as effective as his attacks.

Venti huffed and glared at the audacity of the three hilichurls as he raised his bow. "The stage will need to be cleared before I can begin my performance. Generally speaking such chores are not the concerns of the performer himself..." He shrugged before firing an arrow right and center into the Mitachurl's chest.

Your eyes widened at his aim, and barely without any preparation. Well, that was to be expected from a God and all but still. "Nice shot!" You exclaimed while looking back at the bard for a second with a thumbs up. He was an even better shot than Miura!

Though you immediately went back to fighting, a large grin broke across Venti's face as he pressed an almost bashful hand to his chest. "Ah, my songbird is so charming and hardly even knows it. How adorable!" The bard said to himself happily as Paimon appeared from over his shoulder with crossed arms and an unimpressed look. "Yeah, yeah, wrap it up and keep fighting, love-bard."

Suddenly, Jean faltered in her movements, a look of realization yet at the same time confusion washing over her face. "Wait. What's going on? Something's not right. There shouldn't be any hilichurl camps in the vicinity of Stormterror's Lair..." She mumbled as Aether landed a final blow on the Pyro hilichurl.

Venti sent an arrow right into the Mitachurl's head, the latter letting out a groan before its body disappearing into a flurry of particles. "Ahh... The hilichurls usually do not venture into areas with high elemental concentrations. It puts a heavy burden on their bodies." He acknowledged with a nod.

The tavern owner, who had long since finished the Anemo hilichurl off, scoffed in annoyance. "The Abyss Order must be manipulating them behind the scenes, yet they shouldn't have been able to determine that we would come. They're presumably spreading their forces to halt our plans."

Venti huffed and turned back around to the storm barrier and summoned his lyre. "Without further ado... I suppose I can play faster if my only audience is the wind." As the group gathered behind him and waited for him to play, Paimon huffed and crossed her tiny arms. "Huh? What about us? Aren't we part of the audience?" She asked with a glare towards the bard.