Chapter Text
Darkness. That's what it was. All pitch black, surrounded by the endless void of illusions. My head felt like it was set ablaze, constantly burning and vibrating like there's no tomorrow. Last thing I remembered was me, crossing the road, excitement flooding my mind like the innocent kid I was. Due to my skyrocketing joy that I forgot about the red light. And then, BAM! Truck-kun gave me a free isekai ticket, transfering my consciousness to who knows where. Now, as I fell down this empty space, I found myself seated so suddenly on some sort of ancient transport, in an opposite direction to someone.
"...Hey you, you're finally awake." Huh, deja vu. Wait a minute. This horse carriage, that guy... oh heck no. Not the memes! ANYTHING BUT THE MEMES!!!!
"AHHHHHH!!!" And with that, I bounced up like a compressed spring, panic and fear visible on my features.
'I'm at a beach...? It's so bright...' As I subconsciously search around my presumed new body, my right hand felt something rough, almost like a stick of some sort. When I glance down, it was some sort of a sword hilt, strapped securely into its scabbard on the sand near my hips. The design that it reassembles gave me some sort of deja vu from another game I used to play, and to confirm that strange feeling, I took another glance at the hilt, trying to pronounce the kanjis drawn into it.
"Uhh..." I tried my best to understand the remaining of those letters, because I don't know much Japanese and some details seems to have smeared over time, leaving behind a rough artifact for me to get a grip on. It took a while, but I finally got what these kanjis mean, as well as countless other... unpleasant memories from that game.
"Traveler! Paimon told you he was okay!" Wait... Traveler? Paimon? *gasps* EMERGENCY FOOODDDD!!!!
"Thank goodness..." I heard another male voice from the distance. That's... Aether? Wow. He sounds kinda young, even for a demi-god. But as I turn around, I gotta say... he looks even younger than me. And I'm like, 20 years old before I even met Truck-kun that night.
"Ahh?!! Stay away!" Due to my momentarily retardedness, I subconsciously unsheathed my new katana, not knowing anything about their abilities, nor did I know about mine. Paimon and Aether's expressions switch from confusion to panic and regret, respectively, upon seeing this, and I don't know why they would be this way.
"Look, I'm sorry that my sister removed your left arm... She thought you were an enemy and you were speaking some incoherent language..." The blondie whispered, sadness imbued in his words.
'Eh? Since when did Lumine chopped off my arm? I can still use-' As I raise my corresponding muscle to inspect once more, I realized it wasn't my natural limb. Instead, some metallic prosthesis was in its place, working perfectly as a new and improved counterpart.
That day, the forest of Mondstadt knew my frightened scream.
"Hey hey! It's alright! We got it replaced! Somehow..." Paimon spoke up, using that cute squeaky voice of hers to soothe my sudden lost. Though I stayed silent, Paimon's actions helped me a little bit. Dismemberment wasn't the most pleasant thing to experience. Heck, I'm surprised that I stayed alive! And yet, I can't avoid that wretched feeling in my guts. That same goddamn swirl in my stomach that appears whenever I feel... abandoned.
"Why... does every world hate me..?" I said out loud, implementing it so that those who were next to me knew what I said. I didn't want to hide my past from the trustworthy Traveler, as well as his traveling buddy. So, I figured that I should confess as soon as I can.
For the next few hours or so, I told them about what happened to me in my previous life. Me being isolated during my young age, both at school and at home. How my family fell apart. Moments when I was abused verbally and physically. Times I felt like I didn't matter at all. My scars, thoughts of death, the fatal accident... everything. At the time when I was done telling the story, I was greeted with a group hug from both of them. I felt a warm sensation in my chest, as well as some heat from my cheeks. But I didn't pay any mind and returned their embrace.
"You won't have to feel like that ever again... I'm here for you... both of us..." Aether silently said with a brotherly manner as if by instinct, along with Paimon who nodded in approvement.
"Thank you..." I replied, my dark colored eyes feeling a bit misty from all these sudden emotions.
"What should Paimon call you, new friend?" The so called "Emergency food" questions me, and her words sparked a light bulb in my mind. My clothes seems like a tattered dark cloak over layers of protective armor and a mesh shirt. Pairing them with some black trousers and a cream colored scarf. The design seems strangely familiar, for some reason. And that gave me the perfect identity.
"Tadashi."
"What?" Both asked me with confusion imbued upon their faces.
"This outfit reminded me of a story, about a rōnin who served his young lord to his utmost limit, putting his life on the line multiple times without any regards. So, I picked this name because it meant 'loyalty' and 'faithful'. I wish you could trust me in the same way I am to you." I explained to them both, all with a content smile on my face.
"We do, Tadashi. But, can you tell us what you were known as before... you got here?" Aether replied alongside a tender smile, which was followed up by an expression of curiosity. I returned the question by sticking out my tongue jokingly and said :
"Some other time. But right now, 'night Aether, Paimon!" I told nothing more and retreated back into a cave nearby. I don't know what the future holds for me in this world, but I know for sure : this will be fun.
.
.
.
A few days have passed since then. I blended into their small group perfectly, without any sort of trouble unlike my past life. We bicker, we laugh, we enjoy our travel throughout the forests of Teyvat together, and I loved every single moment. But, what's to come always comes, as Aether interacted with the first Statue of the Seven that he was destined to find as our journey progresses, resonating with the Anemo Element it contains. He decided to try his new power on some innocent-looking slimes nearby, and though they didn't do any harm, I can't shut down his excitement. (sorry slimes, you shall be missed...) Hmm... Am I missing something? Oh yeah. Giant Anemo pet dragon owned by a bard coming up in three...
"Hey, do you guys hear something?" Two...
"Paimon has no idea what that is, but it sounds terrifying!" One...
RAWRR!!!!!
The dragon gave a loud screech as it streaked through the vast sky above, completely shredding multiple white, fluffy clouds in its way. I ran towards its direction, gripping tightly onto my bag and the black katana, which has been my main weapon ever since my arrival to this world.
"Tadashi!? Wait for us!" I heard Aether yelling up behind me, struggling to keep up. We really have to increase his stamina...
As I arrived to where Stormterror would land, I hid myself behind a bush, while constantly pushing Aether and Paimon to do the same. Moments later, the Anemo Archon himself disguised as a bard arrived, trying to conversate with his pet. It seems like the conversation didn't go so well, because the beast ascended once more and flew beyond our sight. I knew what was going to happen next so I quickly took ahold of the Teardrop Crystal floating infront of us and shove it in my bag, before dasing once more towards Mondstadt. I feel like we could use a pair of Wind Gliders later though...
"Hold it!" Ah dang, here we go again. I expected this to happen sooner or later.
"Hey! You're too fast! Slow down!" When I turned to my left, I saw two not-so-exotic girls which consists of : one hyperactive and cheerful Outrider (which Aether had been staring at ever since he caught up with me) alongside another blue-haired woman which has an outfit that screams aristocracy, but she doesn't act like one from prestigious families.
"Guard up." I said monotonously as I summon my own katana, my left thumb began to slide the blade out of its scabbard, ready to strike back if they even dared to move. The blonde Traveler nodded curtly before summoning his blade, which to be honest, is VERY dull. The brunette panicked, swinging her arms all over the place while yelling incoherently, but I can make out some meanings of what she said.
"It's alright, Ae. They mean no harm." I sheathed my sword in its scabbard once more and let it dissipate into thin air, though my warning glare remained active. The Outrider sighed in relief and rushed her friend to put away her claymore as well. Even though I have mastered the art of deflecting, that giant piece of sharp metal would still put up a challenge.
"Relax. I won't backstab you, armless." The prestigious-looking woman crossed her hands while allowing an amused chuckle to escape her lips. But if you looked closely, her cheeks are tinted with a beautiful light pink color. She is sort of cute, to be honest. I remember vaguely that I had seen this girl somewhere before when I started to play Genshin...
And it clicked on me.
"Eula! That's such a rude thing to say!" Captain Eula Lawrence of the Reconnaissance Division. My cousin and I both had her in our roster and with the right artifacts, she can hit like a dumptruck going at 200km/h. As I witness Amber's reaction, I gasped dramatically and tug on my chest with a vice-like grip, drawing tears unexpectedly due to having little to no control over the strength of my prosthesis. But that's the cherry on the cake.
"Now he's hurt! Poor thing..." She immediately rushed towards me and held me in her arms, while putting her hand through my hair as a comforting method. I like this girl already. Aether, ask her out soon! Oh, and speaking of him...
"H-hey! What do you think you're doing!??" I have completed my mission. Aether is somewhat, let's just say... jealous.
"Amber! He's faking it!" Girlie, the only thing that I faked was my emotional damage. Physical pain exists 100% beneath this mesh shirt.
"And don't we have a Hilichurl camp to take care of? Let's go!" Ah. Right. The outpost where we get our Wind Gliders... But honestly, I didn't think that Eula would be a part of this. Maybe because we got here significantly earlier than the original timeline? All jokes aside, Eula isn't such a bad person, once you get to know her. That's what Amber said. Yet all I see is a sadistic woman who made fun of my paraplegic status.
"Hey. Still upset?" She asked me with a teasing smile. I stayed silent, focusing on the task ahead. I don't need a Vision like these people to cause some damage. The combat arts I memorized and tested on some Hilichurls from those esoteric texts would be sufficient enough. Eula furrowed her brows when I didn't reply to her question.
"I'm talking to you, mister." She said again, trying to get my attention. I sighed in annoyance, completely opposite to the reaction she wanted.
"I was never upset, Lawren-ugh!?" I basically sneered at her without knowing, before being interruped mid-sentence by the Cryo Captain herself, pinning me on a tree nearby. Aether and Amber was too far ahead to even notice us, being wrapped in their own conversation.
"Never address me in that manner." She growled with a deadly yet serious tone, and I can see why she would do so. The Lawrence Clan did not have a good reputation in Mondstadt. Their tyrannical rule over the City of Wind gave them all a bad name, not excluding Eula. She despised her other clan members to the bone, which turned her into a traitor in her own family's eyes, though being treated as an outsider within her own home is inevitable. My gaze softened before I spoke up again, this time with sincerity :
"I am sorry for my insensitive way of speaking, Eula... I-I mean, Captain Eula!" As I was spluttering out my apologies, the Reconnaissance Division's Captain giggled. Eh? Why is she laughing? Was I being treated like a fool yet again...? That made me a bit sad, and she noticed it, appearantly.
"Oh! I'm sorry for laughing, umm..." She doesn't seem to know my name, or rather, my new alias in this world.
"It's Tadashi. The name is Inazuma-based, so it might feel weird for you..." I explained to her, my tone decreasing as words went by, from a normal volume to silent whispers. I don't originate from where they called "Inazuma" in my old life but I'm close enough.
"It's an honor to meet you, Tadashi. I hope we can be good partners from now on!" She ended that sentence with a beaming smile, which made my heart skipped a beat.
"Sure, Eula. I hope to be your friend as well!" I flashed her a toothy grin, which I had never actually done before due to my, ehh... not so pretty face. Unfortunately, even here, I look like a reflection of my old self, but a bit sharper and no glasses. When I open my eyes after that ridiculously innocent smile, I was greeted by Eula's backside. Did she found something interesting? I wonder...
(Timeskip cuz I'm lazy :v)
After completely dominating that Hilichurl camp, Amber and Eula (surprisingly) gave us both Wind Gliders, which we used to rain havoc on Stormterror and gain victory in that rampage. Of course, he was easy, but I'm still not used to being on the actual frontier yet, and that turned me into a bit of a drag for Aether. He said it was okay, but HOW is me having broken ribs equals okay to him???
"Hey, hold still!" I grunted in pain as another girl with pigtails, whom people called a "deaconess" tender to my wounds, which by the way, still hurts like hell. I tried to grab some sort of object to grip on, trying my best to endure this process. Eula seems to notice, and offered me her hand. Due to the unbearable pain that has made its way onto my body, I accepted it without hesitation.
"Eula! The Acting Grand Master wants to meet us-!" Amber suddenly barged into the room, dragging Aether along with her, who had a small blush on his face. But when they saw me holding Eula's hand with an iron grip, Amber and Aether suddenly had the biggest grin that I've ever seen on their face.
"Try not to flirt too much, okay Captain? Although, I can't blame you for having such an eye candy in your possession~" What? Eye candy? Am I even that hot in their perspective?
"A-AMBER! BE SERIOUS!!!" Eula violently objected to that opinion, but the shades of red betrayed her current actions. At the same time, the deaconess known as Barbara had completed her work, and gave me a seductive wink. I didn't pay any mind and released my grip from the Captain's slim hand to put on my shirt, alongside the tattered cloak that I had used ever since my arrival. I stood up, attempting to act like those aristocracies by performing what they called "chivalry". I offered out my hand just like she did before, with a faint smile finding its way on my face. For some reason, her already bright-pink blush became ruby red, and that caused me to chuckle out of amusement. Eula sure is interesting.
"Well, m'lady. Should we proceed to meet your 'Acting Grand Master'?"
Okay. Let's just end it here for now. First off, I didn't plan for just Act I of the Prologue to be this long. And I mean, wow! 2.7k words! That's even more than my regular efficiency!
Secondly, I got this idea from reading a Genshin fic made by FriendlyGamers7 and I only changed about 40-50% (could be more) compared to his original storyline. (Thanks for the approval man, hope you would like this...)
Ships will be decided as time goes on, but now some are certain to be canon. Such as, Aether x Amber for example. (I kept this ship cuz it's cute)
Thirdly, English is not my main language, nor is it my mother tongue. I just have a decent grasp on the language. So if I made mistakes, I apologise. Please point it out and I'll fix it ASAP.
Now, I gotta go cuz I was writing this in the middle of class. But hey, high risk, high rewards, no? Anyways, bye!