Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Unknown Space

"Where are we? What kind of place is this?”

It was the question that resonated in the minds of everyone present. After all, it is not common that one moment you are focused on your business and then you find yourself in a strange, dark space, barely illuminated by dim flames the next, accompanied by a large group of people, many of whom are highly renowned, such as the Acting Grandmaster of the Knights of Favonius of Mondstadt, the Tianquan and Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing, the Yashiro Commissioner of the Inazuma Triumvirate, and General Mahamatra of the Sumeru Academy, even a member of Snezhnaya's Eleven Fatui Harbingers, to name a few. However, among all these individuals, the most notable were without a doubt Electro Archon and Dendro Archon, who surprisingly, despite the great power they carry, were also involved in this strange situation.

It didn't take long for everyone to decide that the best course of action was to go deeper in search of clues about where they are and how to get out. As soon as they left they returned, and if luck smiled upon them, they’d bring good news with them.

“As far as an escape route is concerned, we didn't get any clues.” Unfortunately, that was not the case, as Alhaitham, scribe of the Sumeru Academy, notes.

“You truly are the heart of the party.” Dehya, the Flame Mane, who was also part of the group who went with Alhaitham, responded sarcastically.

“I simply reveal our discoveries with sincerity.”

“Aha, whatever you say.”

“Judging from your expressions, none of you succeeded, right?” Inquired the Forest Ranger Tighnari.

“Unfortunately you are right,” Replied Yelan, member of Liyue's Ministry of Civil Affairs. The rest of her group confirmed her words by slightly nodding. “We were unable to find information regarding a possible escape route.”

“Same here.” Added Lisa, librarian of the Knights of Favonius. Despite her serene countenance, a hint of worry could be seen on her face.

“This situation is becoming more and more cumbersome,” Kuki Shinobu, second in command of the Arataki Gang, muttered. “This is nothing more than a repetition of the Chasm, but on a larger scale.” lamented the deputy of the Arataki Gang, a sentiment which was shared by all those who were present at that incident, who are also present today.

“Come on Shinobu, don't be so pessimistic! We just haven’t looked hard enough!” Exclaimed the One and Oni Arataki Numero One' Itto, head of the Arataki Gang. “Go ahead Ushi, point me in the right direction!”

“Moo”

“How come you can't!? Don't you always know where we should go!?”

“Moo”

"Do not tell me that…"

“Leave it alone, Bull-Checker,” Paimon, traveling companion of the traveler, Lumine, intervened. “Don't you see that the poor guy is as confused as all of us?”

“Also, while it is true that we have not found a way out of this strange space…” Added the famous traveler, Lumine, before continuing with: “…we might have found something that could be a clue.”

"Oh really? Splendid!" Exclaimed Barbara, deaconess of the Church of Favonius and renowned idol in Mondstadt, who was always with her sister Jean since she appeared there. “Can you show it to us?”

“Of course” Without thinking twice, Lumine took out a crystal from her inventory.

Said crystal was the size of a solsettia, purple in color and seemingly containing the cosmos inside it, which immediately caught the attention of everyone present, especially those with a more academic background.

“Fascinating,” Commented Sucrose, an alchemist assistant of the Knights of Favonius. “The cut of this crystal’s unlike any I have seen before.”

“And the energy it radiates... it is as if the firmament were contained within it.” Added the astrologer Mona Megistus. Judging by the expression of everyone around her, her statement was not that far from the truth.

“May I take a closer look?” Asked Nahida, Goddess of Wisdom and Archon Dendro. Without delay, Lumine handed the crystal to the little goddess, fully trusting in her ability to decipher what exactly it was.

Encapsulating it in a cube of dendro energy, Nahida began to study the crystal very carefully, evidenced mainly by the emerald glow that emanated from her eyes, which greatly impressed all those who were not familiar with the little archon. Her expression changed shortly after, frowning slightly after whatever she had discovered; however, there was no time to ask what it was about since, suddenly, both her eyes and the box began to shine with the same shade as the crystal, which worried the others.

“I-is it normal for her eyes to start glowing like whatever he’s studying?” Amber, the Outrider of the Knights of Favonius, asked nervously, clearly unsettled by the sudden event.

"No, it is not. It is not at all." Answered Phoenix the Wanderer. Without thinking twice, the puppet prototype headed towards the wise goddess, seeking to wake her from her trance. “Buer, come on, wake up!” The ex-Harbinger exclaimed, with less than encouraging results since Nahida didn't even flinch, so he began to shake her lightly. “Buer, do you hear me? Buer!”

“Hmm... this is really strange,” Observed Master Diluc, owner of the Dawn Winery. Placing a hand to his chin, an idea came to mind. "What if...? Traveler, you can purify corrupted objects, can't you?”

"Oh, that's right!" Paimon exclaimed as she turned to look directly at her traveling companion. “That’s how you purified the corrupted tears of Dvalin! It was so long ago that Paimon almost forgot!”

“I won't deny that I almost did too, hehe.” The traveler responded, laughing nervously.

“Then please do something, traveler! Lesser Lord Kusanali’s condition seems to be worsening!” Nilou exclaimed with concern, and it was no wonder, since the archon's expression was monotonous and her arm, previously extended in the direction of the dendro cube she produced, now hung weakly at her side.

“Ah, yes, right away!” The traveler responded.

Without a second thought, Lumine extended her arms in the direction of the mysterious crystal and closed her eyes, concentrating on focusing her energy on it. It didn't take long until a change in the situation became present; the purple glow in the little goddess's eyes began to dissipate, and her posture began to gain strength, unlike the almost zombie-like posture she had when the crystal began to affect her. However, although the improvement in Nahida's condition calmed the nerves of many, the effects she suffered were gradually transferred to Lumine, whose expression changed from one of concentration to one of slight discomfort, in addition to parts of her dress illuminating with the same light from the crystal, which intensified slowly but progressively.

“Lumine…” Paimon sighed, worried about the state of her traveling companion. Venti, Anemo Achon in hiding and renowned wandering bard of Mondstadt, took her by the shoulders, seeking to comfort her.

"She will be alright." The bard stated with complete certainty. “Her will is unparalleled. This won’t be what brings her to the other side.”

On the other hand, Nahida, who had just regained consciousness, was being cared for by Nilou and the General Mahamatra, Cyno.

“Lesser Lord Kusanali, are you alright?” Asked the general, who prevented the wise archon from falling due to lack of balance after the strange experience.

“…I'm fine…you have…nothing to worry about…” Nahida murmured between gasps.

"What happened?" The dancer asked nervously at the same time that Cyno offered some water to the archon, who accepted grafully. After finishing her drink, the resident of Sanctuary of Surasthana turned her gaze to Lumine, who was still purifying the crystal.

"It’s difficult to explain. It was as if… I contemplated thousands of stories simultaneously through someone else's eyes.” She explained, drawing the attention of everyone present, especially a certain High Priestess from Inazuma. “I think… I think there's someone trapped in there.”

Seven words. That was all that was enough to worry and intrigue them all even more. What kind of entity could be contained in a crystal like that? What kind of knowledge would they have that the Goddess of Wisdom herself would be overwhelmed?

They will have to save such questions for later, since their attention was captured by soft whimpers produced by Lumine, who seemed to be resisting whatever the effects of interacting with the crystal were, greatly worrying some of those present, especially Paimon, who rushed to float to his side.

“Lumine! Are you okay!? What's going on!?" The little fairy asked worriedly.

"... Nahida is... right..." Lumine said between gasps, opening her eyes and turning to look at Paimon, thus revealing that her golden eyes had also illuminated with that purple light. “I can feel… a presence… in there.”

“Do you have any idea what it could be, traveler?” Raiden Ei, the Electro Archon, asked inquisitively. “Do you think it could help us get out of this strange space?”

“I'm not... totally sure. It could very well be… a monster… like none we have seen before.” The traveler responded. She then began to put more energy into her current task, to the point where cracks could be seen around the crystal. “Whatever the case… I suggest you prepare.”

And so they did by putting themselves on guard against whatever was happening, which Lumine took as a signal to give one last push and put all her energy into bringing to light whatever was contained in the crystal. With a mighty roar, Lumine purified every last drop of energy, cracking the glass and causing a small explosion, covering the place with a thin layer of purple smoke; fortunately, Zhongli, Ningguang, and Noelle cast shields for everyone present, thus preventing them from suffering serious damage.

“Is everyone okay?” Asked the Tianquan. Some grunted a little, because despite not receiving the explosion face to face thanks to the shields, a small portion of the energy released still hit them. Even so, there were no injuries, so the majority agreed.

“What about Lumine? She was in the front row when the explosion happened,” Collei, a Forest Guard in-training, asked with concern, to which many people turned their gaze to the place where the Traveler was.

Fortunately, despite lying a few steps away from her original position, Lumine was largely intact, if a little exhausted from the way she was breathing. As it could not be otherwise, Paimon was the first to approach her, closely followed by Barbara and Tighnari.

“LUMINE! Are you okay!? You didn’t suffer any damage!?” The little fairy asked slightly hysterically, evidently worried about the well-being of her traveling companion, who was slowly getting up upon hearing her guide's voice, being supported by Tighnari.

“Ugh... I'm fine... I just have a little headache.” The Traveler murmured while rubbing her head. Seeing this, Barbara channeled a bit Hydro energy and began to hum a melody, managing to calm the traveler's small headache. “Thank you, Barbara.”

“No problem, Lumine.” the deaconess responded with relief. “If you have any other discomfort, don't hesitate to come to me, okay?”

“Fortunately, I can confirm after a little check that it will not be necessary, at least superficially.” The forest ranger stated, much to Paimon's relief.

"Understood."

“With that settled, can we focus on what that was?” Paimon questioned, drawing the attention of everyone present. “Lumine, you were at the epicenter. Do you have any idea why it exploded? Does it have anything to do with the mysterious entity you and Nahida mentioned?”

“Ugh…” The sudden whine caught everyone off-guard, with several of the most nervous screaming in fright. Slowly rising from what was left of the smoke, a humanoid being, with clearly masculine characteristics, somewhat slender, and composed entirely of space, made itself known, raising a hand to its head in apparent displeasure. “Ugh...note to self, don't try that again.” Murmured the strange being.

After relaxing a little and feeling observed, the being looked around, noticing the astonished gazes and caution of everyone present. Hastily standing up and dusting itself off, the entity addressed them in a friendly tone with the following:

"Greetings! How are you feeling today?”

…It probably wasn't the best, but it was something.

The awkward silence lasted for a few more seconds after the entity greeted them, during which time the vast majority tried with all their might to process what had happened.

“What…what are you supposed to be?” Ganyu, secretary of the Liyue Qixing, asked after what seemed like an eternity of silence.

“Are you the cause of our appearance in this space?” Questioned Xiao, the Bane of All Evil and sole survivor of the Yaksha, with an accusatory tone.

“Ok, ok, let's calm down a little, okay? I will answer your questions one by one.” The entity begged, hands in front in a pacifying gesture. He then turned his gaze to Ganyu. “First of all, your question. My name is X3N0, but you can call me Xeno, I am a Witness.”

"Witness? Witness to what?” Asked Rosaria, a nun of the Church of Favonius. Judging by her posture, it goes without saying that she was on alert to any possible provocation from the newly named Xeno.

“Ah, well, you see… how do I say it in a way that you would believe?” Xeno muttered, undecided whether to divulge the information or not. “Ah, well, I don't see why not. Alright, I know it will be difficult to believe, but in simple terms, a Witness, as its name indicates, is an entity in charge of witnessing, for lack of a better term, and recording the history of the worlds it encounters.” He explained, causing a wave of diverse reactions among the crowd, from astonishment to skepticism. “That would somewhat explain why you suddenly appeared here, since I had a small accident while studying your world. I hope that answer has been satisfactory.”

“Do you expect us to believe you?” Questioned Beidou, captain of the Crux Meridianam Fleet. “You're going to need some really good evidence if you want us to eat that story, mate.”

“You are right, and I can assure you that I have proof…” The entity answered, only to then adopt a somewhat nervous posture when a small detail came to its mind. “…but they are on my ship.” It added, crestfallen.

“Wait, your ship?” Asked Shikanoin Heizou, star detective of the Tenryou Commission. “If what you say is true, shouldn't you be able to fly through the cosmos without needing one?”

That was a question that everyone agreed on, after all, if what the entity said was true, such a task would require a being of great power, and that would include the ability to travel through the cosmos.

"What do you think I am? Omnipotent?" Xeno replied sarcastically. “Do you have any idea how big a universe is? Even we Witnesses have no idea how big they are, and even if we did, the distances that must be crossed are immense! It doesn't help that this universe appears to have an energy that prevents interstellar travel and isolates worlds!” That last detail that the entity confessed left everyone stunned; If true, even if Teyvat one day ventures to explore the stars, the energy Xeno mentioned would prevent them from going far. “That's why I have a ship, it allows me to travel the universe in a short time, cross any obstacle that comes my way and stay off the radar of any cosmic entity there is.”

"Incredible. To think that the universe would be so vast…” Jean, Acting Grandmaster of the Knights of Favonius, murmured in amazement.

“Your story is very nice and all…” Interrupted Rosaria, then adding: “…but you still have to prove the veracity of your claims. Otherwise, you are just spitting out meaningless words.”

“And I plan to prove them, but first I need to get you to my ship. Only then will I be able to show you that I am telling the truth.” Xeno commented. “But first, I must determine where the hell we are.”

Immediately afterwards, a transparent screen materialized in front of Xeno, which began to overflow with tons of information at high speed. Even then, Xeno seemed to be able to process all the information without problem, to the astonishment of many and the suspicion of others.

“Hmm… ok, I know where we are, now I just have to send a message to my ship and it will come looking for us immediately.” The Witness notices after having analyzed the information, and then puts it aside with a gesture of his hand and begins to type on the screen itself. “And that's it, message sent. My ship will be here in… about 2 hours or so, so I suggest you do something to keep yourself distracted while you wait.”

“You better be able to actually get us out of here, because we're not in the mood for games right now.” Dehya warned, generating gestures of acceptance among the most cautious of the group.

“But what are we supposed to do in these hours? We already verified that there is nothing as far as we can see.” Asked Yoimiya, Queen of Summer of Narukami Island and current owner of Naganohara Fireworks.

“I have a Genius Invokation deck.” Cyno commented, adding, “It's big enough for a couple of us to play, though…” Looking around, he grimaced as he realized how many people there were. “…I don't think it's enough for everyone; 6 people at max. Whoever wants to join me, you are welcome.”

“Haha, count me in, buddy!” Itto exclaimed. “Come on Shinobu, it will be fun!”

“Ok, ok, you don’t have to drag me.” The deputy of the Arataki Gang sighed.

“Aiya, there is no other choice. I’m joining too.” Hu Tao, 77th director of Wangshen Funeral Parlor, sighed, a small smile on her face.

"Me too!" Yoimiya and Amber exclaimed at the same time.

“I have a couple of light novels, although they may not be to the taste of many.” Sangonomiya Kokomi, High Priestess of Watatsumi Island, muttered.

"Oh really? I can’t let this opportunity pass me by.” Commented Yae Miko, High Priestess of the Great Narukami Shrine and owner of Yae Publishing House. “After all, appealing to readers' tastes is important for every publisher, hehe. Come on Ei, I'm sure little Kokomi has something that will interest you.”

“W-wait, Miko, what do you think you’re…?” Unfortunately for the Goddess of Eternity, her old friend gave her no chance to object.

“Do you have any that are not so… cringe ?” Collei asked nervously.

“I prefer a book outright, but thanks for the offer anyway, sweety.” Lisa expressed with a gentle gesture, before someone handed her a book. Looking up slightly, he noticed that it was Al- Haitham, who was already reading one of his books, who had offered it to her. "Oh thank you very much." The librarian thanked, receiving a silent nod from the scribe.

“Hmm... well, a little unexpected vacation wouldn’t hurt. I have a couple of verses I could practice in the meantime.” With a simple gesture, Venti summoned his lyre.

“Oh? You don't mind if I help you? I am good with verses myself, they could serve as inspiration for you.” Offered Kaedehara Kazuha, former wandering samurai and crew member of the Crux Meridianam Fleet.

“Do you mind if I join you?” Asked Barbara, who couldn't help but overhear the brief conversation. “I think it would come in handy as inspiration for my next song.”

“Oh? Does our little idol in Mondstadt want to use me as a source of inspiration? It will be a pleasure.”

“Wait, you're the Mondstadt’s idol I've heard so much about?” Nilou asked, drawing the group's attention and making the young dancer slightly nervous. “I just thought you could help me with a dance I'm having trouble with lately. If you don’t mind, of course.” Explained the star of the Grand Bazaar nervously.

“What a way to normalize such a strange situation in record time…” Paimon murmured, slightly amazed at how a large part of the group was coping with the situation.

“I don't blame them, there is nothing else to do and we have a 2 hour threshold before our transportation arrives.” Lumine added calmly, having experienced similar situations with her twin brother Aether in the past. “There's no choice but to do something while they wait, don't you think?”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

And so they all continued, some gathering in various groups to pass the time while they waited; others, despite their suspicions, simply resigned themselves to the circumstances, deciding to stay away from the groups that formed, but keeping an eye on them as well as on the Witness, who also stayed away from the group, but always within their field of view as he seemed to play with his holographic screen. Some tried to observe what it was about in order to obtain more information, only to finally give up since they couldn’t discern anything that they could understand.

In the end, a large portion of them came to the same conclusion:

'This is going to be a long 2 hours.'

2 hours later

The 2 hours estimated by the Witness have already passed, and so far, there is no sign of the ship that was supposed to come to pick them up. Some began to get nervous, others' suspicions accumulated at a faster rate, and the Witness himself remained in his position as if nothing had happened, without taking his eyes off his screen, which irritated those who showed distrust of the entity.

"Hey! Didn't you say that damn ship of yours would come in 2 hours!?” Phoenix exclaimed, already fed up with the Witness's apparent indifference, managing to attract the attention of both the Witness and the crowd around him, judging by the startled jump that some, including Xeno, made. “Well guess what? The estimated time has already passed and there is no sign of your ship anywhere! So you better explain what's going on right now or so help me...!”

“Wow, calm your horses! You need to be patient. The ship is on its way, there is no doubt about that.” Xeno commented with an appeasing gesture. “I've been monitoring the route it took, it's just going through a complicated area, but there's nothing it can't get through…” Before the Witness could finish what he was saying, a warning sign appeared on his screen, catching his attention. . Whatever information he displayed, it didn't take a genius to guess that it was good news given his expression. "Speaking of the devil."

"What do you mean?" Candace, protector of Aaru Village, asked. Immediately afterwards, a blinding light shone on them, causing many to cover their faces to look in the direction from which the light came.

“My ship has arrived.”

Indeed, once the spotlight was no longer directly on their faces, they were able to contemplate it in all its splendor as it descended. Standing at an impressive 15 meters tall and around 60 meters long and wide, painted purple with black details extending from the equator to cover its entire outer layer in intricate patterns, and propelled by energy jets being fired in a downward direction from turbines, the ship in question was a visual marvel, like none that the Teyvatians had ever seen in their lives, leaving even the most stoic in awe... except for one person, whose astonishment was directed at something else.

'Aether and I... we are not the only current Descenders of Teyvat.' Lumine thought in amazement as she watched the ship descend. 'And if what he says about recording the history of the worlds he comes across is true... could it be possible that he has information that will help me on my journey?'

Landing a couple of meters perpendicular to them, the roar caused by the ship's engines subsided, letting silence take over the space they were in while the Teyvatians processed what had just happened.

“So, what do you think?” With his hands on his hips, Xeno turned to gauge the marveled faces of the Teyvatians.

"Incredible..."

“This ship… there is no doubt that it is a technological marvel like no other.”

"It's huge!"

“Thank you very much for the information, Mr. Obvious.”

“And to think that something like this exists beyond Teyvat.”

“Haha, thank you, thank you. This ship is one of my greatest prides, so I am flattered that you like it.” The Witness commented in gratitude. Without waiting any longer, the entity prepared to board his ship. "So? What are we waiting for? I said I would bring you home, and it's a promise I plan to keep.”

Neither quick nor lazy, a large portion of the Teyvatians followed him with great enthusiasm, ready to embark on an unparalleled journey through the cosmos; others, even with millions of doubts about the Witness's intentions, had no choice but to follow him. Xeno guided them to what they assumed was the entrance hatch, located almost in the middle of the imposing vehicle and demarcated by yellow paint and black stripes. With a gesture, the Witness brought back his holographic display and, after pressing a couple of buttons, the hatch opened smoothly, allowing them to enter a sterile, metallic room.

“Ehm… fair warning.” Said the Witness. “For health reasons, we will have to go through a short sanitation process. It won't take long, 10 seconds at most. I advise you to close your eyes.”

“ Sanitation? Why?" Shenhe, a disciple of the Adeptus, asked curiously.

“No offense, but I can't allow any germs to infiltrate the ship. Even though I have a medical wing that can take care of almost any existing illness, I prefer to be safe rather than sorry.”

Without warning, dozens of ducts spewed steam, catching many by surprise, who covered their faces in a comically belated attempt to comply with Xeno's warning.

“Sanitation completed.” A disembodied voice commented, this time taking all the Teyvatians by surprise. At the same time, the hatch in front of him began to open, giving way to a blinding light. “ Welcome back, X3N0, and welcome, Teyvatians, to the Imaginarium. ”

With that, the eyes of everyone present adjusted to the brightness and were able to contemplate what layed beyond the sanitizing chamber: a huge room filled with objects and memorials of what they assumed were the worlds the Witness had visited before. From simple things like statues and photographs representing multiple events and individuals, to outfits of all kinds and models replicating cities, vehicles, weapons and more, which ranged from the familiar to the totally alien.

“As I said, my task as a Witness is to witness and record the history of all the worlds I come across.” Xeno added as he saw the surprised expression of the people of Teyvat. “I personally like to keep a part of those worlds with me, which is why I created this kind of museum: to carry a part of them wherever I go. Hehe, I even have a section dedicated to your universe, over there.” The Witness commented with a small chuckle, pointing to his right.

And indeed, a section of the museum was dedicated exclusively to their world and others, most likely hidden within the depths of the stellar ocean that is their universe.

“Wait a minute…” Kujou Sara, general of the Inazuma army, commented when she noticed something that caught her attention. “This young lady here… is it just me, or does she look like the Almighty Shogun?”

A crowd formed around her, and indeed, one of the many people shown in the exhibits had an incredible resemblance to the Electro Archon, with the only difference being that she seemed to be much younger, although she could still be seen in a adult stage, which only reinforced the resemblance she had with the Goddess of Eternity. Said goddess was stunned by such an event, and she was not the only one, since many found other counterparts for a few of those present. Lumine in particular seemed to have suffered a small panic attack upon witnessing the display of a young white-haired woman.

“Yes, that is a peculiarity of your universe that I am still studying: there are several versions of the same person existing in the same universe, which is unusual, because you usually have to go to another universe or timeline to find said counterparts. It is extremely fascinating.” The Witness said, raising the astonishment of those present even more. And to think that somewhere in the immensity of the universe there is an alternate version of them, living a life different from theirs; many wonder what’s happening to these versions of them. “In any case, let's go to the central command. I can chart the path back to Teyvat there.”

With that, the entire group prepared to follow Xeno, to the disappointment of some who wanted to continue exploring the museum and discover the wonders of other worlds, but they assumed that they would have time to do so after the ship got underway, so they resigned themselves to follow him.

A few hallways and a couple of elevator rides later, the group reached the command chamber without any inconvenience, where the Teyvatians were greeted with a sight the vast majority would describe as unusual, from their point of view that is. Almost all the walls of the room were covered with monitors displaying a wide variety of information in a language that none of them were able to decipher, similar to the information displayed on Xeno's personal holographic screen.

“Welcome back, X3N0.” A disembodied voice greeted them, taking the most clueless of the group by surprise, while those who were attentive noticed that it was the same voice that greeted them when they left the sanitation chamber.

Suddenly, a faint beam of purple light emerged from the center of the room, from which a humanoid figure, moderately translucent and with feminine characteristics, seemed to materialize. Unlike Xeno, however, this new entity possessed discernible features, such as a costume reminiscent of circus conductors, long brown hair kept in a ponytail, and what appeared to be circuits roaming all over its 'skin'.

“Akko! How nice to see you again!” Happy to see a friend again, Xeno approached the newly named Akko with open arms, obviously intending to give her a hug. To the surprise of some, the Witness actually managed to hug her, to which the hologram responded by hugging him back.

“Am I to assume that your research in Teyvat is temporarily on hold?” Akko asked after breaking the hug.

“Yes, I had a little setback.” The Witness responded, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “Ah! Before I forget! People of Teyvat, I present to you the Absolute Kathartic Kollection Orbiter, or A.K.K.O. for short!” Xeno exclaimed as introduction, to which Akko simply smiled as she greeted the Teyvatians with a wave.

“It is a pleasure to meet you in person. I have to say that I consider myself a fan of some of you.” The holographic woman commented, catching the attention of some and making others slightly nervous.

“Oh? Have you heard of us before?” Kaeya, Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius, asked. While it is true that there were a large number of high-profile people in this peculiar group, hearing an otherworldly entity say that she considered herself a fan is certainly a unique experience.

“Not directly…” Akko admitted, to which she added: “…but as I assist Xeno in recording the worlds he has gone to, I have witnessed many of your exploits.”

"I see. Hm, what an interesting development.”

“You don’t say.” Gorou, General in command of the Watatsumi Island army, admitted in a sigh.

“To witness my exploits and proclaim yourself my fans without my consent… Mark my words, vengeance will be mine!” Exclaimed Eula, a descendant of Clan Lawrence and Captain of the Knights of Favonius Survey Company, much to Amber's amusement.

“Hehe, of course it will, Eula, of course it will.”

“Anyway, let's do what we came to do. But first…” With a gesture of the hands on the part of the Witness, the entire room darkened slightly, and later illuminated in a purple light, from which a figure began to form: the ship where they were right now. Surprised, some of the Teyvatians began to surround the room to get a better look at the holographic model, which was slowly rotating on its own axis. “...let me tell you where we are, so that you know the odyssey that awaits you. As you know, due to an incident I suffered during one of my investigations, we were thrown into this completely dark space. Let me tell you, guys, you are very, very far from home. Akko, could you do the honors?”

“It will be my pleasure, Boss.” The assistant AI responded, who began to search through its pockets until she found a small cube, which expanded with a gesture until it was approximately the size of her palm, and then let it levitate to the center of the room, just below the ship projection; once it touched the ground, a hexagon formed, and from it, a leafy golden tree, almost entirely covered by some kind of liquid, began to grow. “What you are seeing right now is a representative model of your universe. The Witnesses know it as the Imaginary Tree. Its branches contain the infinite possibilities that can occur within it, and the leaves are the physical manifestation of those possibilities, whether in the form of isolated planets or enormous clusters of galaxies. As you can see, it is practically immeasurable, infinite.”

As Akko explained, some of the Teyvatians brushed some of the tree's leaves, completely amazed by the spectacle before their eyes.

“Unbelievable…” Kamisato Ayato, Head of the Yashiro Commission, muttered in utter amazement. “I have no words to describe this. It’s just… amazing.” Thoma, Housekeeper of the Kamisato residence, and his sister Kamisato Ayaka, Shirasagi Himegimi, simply nodded in agreement, absorbed by the projection.

“So many worlds… so many possibilities…” Childe, 11th of the Fatui Harbingers, expressed in wonder, his eyes glued to the thousands of leaves above his head. “Just thinking about the number of powerful opponents these worlds host makes my blood flow with excitement!”

“Is this what you often experienced, Lumine?” Paimon muttered, being surprisingly careful not to reveal her traveling companion's secrets to those who don't yet know.

“Similar, but on a much, much smaller scale than this.” Lumine knew that the universe was vast, but seeing its immensity this way, coupled with the stories she heard in certain worlds about beings capable of influencing it in its entirety… it sure put everything she experienced into perspective.

As for the others, the projection left them completely stunned, and the explanation even more so. So many worlds, so many possibilities, all coexisting side by side but ignorant of the vast universe that surrounds them. It is simply fascinating, so much so that few noticed the appearance of a small point of light at a considerable distance from the Tree; so small, in fact, that those who noticed it could barely distinguish it.

“This little dot here…” The Witness pointed out, drawing the attention of those who did not notice the dot, “…is this ship.” The eyes of everyone present widened once they registered what was being implied; faced with the immensity of the universe, the point of light representing the Imaginarium seemed insignificant, and the distance between the vehicle and it was simply unimaginable. “This is what we wanted to get to. The incident I suffered transported us to a space between spaces, far from the limits of the Imaginary Tree. I would be lying to you if I said the trip would be short.”

“And how long do you estimate the return trip will take?” Noelle asked.

“To be honest, even we are not sure.” That answer did not give the group much hope, and some were about to complain if it were not for what the Witness added: “Although the trip from Teyvat to here took approximately 2 hours, that is because this space is relatively close to Teyvat. However, given the nature of the Imaginary Tree, thousands of versions of Teyvat coexist at this very moment, and recognizing which one is yours is an extremely difficult task. For that reason I cannot give you an estimated time of arrival.”

"...Let me get this straight. You’re telling me that even if we reach our version of Teyvat, it is very likely that we will find a Teyvat totally different from the one we remember?” Phoenix asked, incredulous at such a possibility, and he wasn't the only one; some feared what they might find upon returning, while others cast accusing glances at the indirect cause of such a situation. With a contemptuous tone, the Wanderer added: “This must be a joke. If that's the case, why don't you leave us in some version of Teyvat and take the weight off your shoulders?”

“Because I don't like to leave things half done. If I’m going to do something, I prefer to do it right.” Xeno stated, his position on the current situation clear. “Furthermore, while I cannot assure you how long the journey will take, I can assure you, with complete certainty, that all of you will return to the Teyvat you know.”

“And how will you do it?” Rosaria asked, moving until she was face to face with him and crossing her arms, judging him with her penetrating gaze. “How will you get us to the Teyvat we know if even you don't know how long the journey will take?”

Surprisingly for all of them, Xeno did not look at all intimidated by the nun's questions; Instead, his gestures suggested that he smiled confidently, and then he responded:

“It's really simple. You see, whenever a Witness temporarily withdraws from a specific world, time in that world is frozen until they return.”

And he left everyone speechless, even managing to catch Rosaria off guard. Akko, for her part, was simply trying to contain her laughter, hiding her mouth with her hand. After a couple of seconds of silence to process what was previously said, all hell broke loose.

“Witnesses can do what!?”

“What the actual fu…?”

“Impossible… that should be impossible…”

“Ok that's a little scary…”

Dozens of stunned voices echoed in the room, while Akko couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing; the Teyvatians' reaction was simply too hilarious. Xeno simply watched, summoning a microphone from his inventory and gently tapping it with his index finger, making it resonate throughout the room and silencing the scandal that occurred.

"Oh, my God!" Akko exclaimed, calming down enough to form complete sentences after her earlier laugh. “You should have seen their faces! They were simply priceless!”

“I won't lie, it was kind of funny.”

“Well, excuse us for not expecting you to have such ability!” With an indignant shout, Paimon let it be known how offended she was at being laughed at by the Witness and his AI, stomping her feet accordingly. “Now you’ve earned some really nasty nicknames!”

“How will you name us?”

“Paimon doesn't know yet, but Paimon will, you'll see! Paimon will give you nicknames so nasty you can't even imagine!”

"I'm looking forward to it."

“YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE OFFENDED!”

“Pfft…” Now it was Xeno's turn to contain his laughter, and he was not the only one, since there were several who found the interaction between Paimon and Akko to be hilarious. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, the Witness proceeded: “In any case, while it is an impressive skill, keep in mind that it is a passive skill. I can’t just snap my fingers…” To illustrate his point, Xeno snapped his fingers as an example, to no effect. “...and stop time whenever I please.”

“Well, at least it's comforting to know that we will reach the Teyvat we know.” Many agreed with Dehya's statement, relieved that was the case. “I hope you have rooms in this junk, because I'm sure not going to sleep next to the spare parts.” The mercenary added jokingly.

“Hehe, don't worry, I got it covered.” Seeing the curious looks some directed at him, Xeno explained his comment: “You are not the first to encounter a Witness. Many people from worlds completely different from yours and even alternate versions of yourselves have come into contact with Witnesses before, so I set up everything I needed to host guests in case the same happened to me. After all, you have to be prepared for anything, don't you think?”

"Totally agree." As the Resistance's chief strategist during the war, Kokomi could not agree more with the Witness' statement. “At least we can rest easy in that regard.”

“But what are we supposed to do during the trip? You're not planning on staying locked in your rooms for however long the trip is, are you?”

They say that a broken clock tells the correct time twice a day, and to the surprise of his closest acquaintances, Itto asked a truly intelligent question. While there were individuals in the group who would be perfectly capable of staying locked in their rooms until they reached Teyvat, the vast majority were ordinary humans, and as such, they needed something to keep their minds occupied during the journey, no matter what.

“What if you join us?” Managing to get the group's attention with her question, Akko explained: “Xeno often revisits the events of worlds he visited when he is not studying a new one. According to him, it's to 'make sure the records are in good shape,' but I know he does it to entertain himself when he's bored.”

“What the-!? Akko! You know that’s not true!” The Witness exclaimed in defense. One look at his AI assistant's mischievous face was enough to drain his conviction. “Erm…ok, you win, I watch the recordings when I'm bored. But can you blame me? The stories we have recorded are fascinating!”

“On that I do agree with you. They are truly fascinating.”

“Aren't you being a bit… frivolous?” Yanfei, Liyue's best legal advisor, commented, a sentiment Keqing agreed with, narrowing her eyes judgmentally at the interstellar pair. “If I'm not mistaken, those records detail real events from other worlds, with real people experiencing their effects before, during and after they happened. Treating them as simple entertainment… is a huge disrespect towards those people.”

“I see your point, and to tell you the truth, I used to think the same way at the beginning of my journey as a Witness.” Xeno answered truthfully. “But then I understood that this is nothing more than an infinite chain of spectators watching each other, and little by little I stopped worrying about it. To make you understand it better, let me just say that you do the same thing every time you read a book or a light novel.”

“But those are nothing more than fictitious works.” Countered Keqing, Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing, putting a hand to her chin. “There is no point of comparison between the events recounted in them and the events that occurred in other worlds… unless…”

“Unless our works of fiction are also real.” Yae concluded before the disbelief of the Teyvatians; a sparkle in his eyes giving away her excitement. “Isn’t that right, dear Witness?”

“Lady Guuji, you seriously can’t be suggesting that…?”

"Indeed." Xeno's response stopped Sara in her tracks, leaving everyone with their mouths open. “There are several worlds in the multiverse whose events are reflected in others as fictional works. I nicknamed that phenomenon as ‘The Bleed’.”

“ 'The Bleed' is basically memories of certain events flowing into the minds of hundreds of people in totally different worlds. These memories, interpreted as ideas or dreams by the recipient individuals, are then shown as books, novels, songs, paintings, games, movies, etc. Even today's events are flowing into someone else's mind and being transmitted as a fictional work right now.”

Silence fell over the Teyvatians, most of them amazed and quite a bit scared by such a revelation. And can you blame them? Saying that works of fiction are real somewhere would earn you a place in a mental asylum, but hearing from an outside interstellar observer that they are indeed real somewhere… well just too much for them. Or maybe it's not and they were just overthinking, only time will tell. There were some who were excited over such an event, such as a certain owner of the Yae Publishing House and a certain traveling bard, who saw in the proposal of the assistant AI an opportunity to obtain a potentially unlimited source of inspiration for new stories and songs.

“Fufufu, you know what? You can count me in." Miko stated without thinking twice. “Being able to see the experiences of people from other worlds, the wonders and horrors that surround them… is an offer that I cannot pass up.”

"I agree." The bard expressed happily. “Stories of brave heroes, terrifying monsters and sweet romances are stories that deserve to be passed down.”

“Being able to read the fate of beings in distant worlds…” Mona murmured, still amazed by the previous revelation. "...It is a dream come true. Oh, if only Fischl were here.”

“As long as there are powerful warriors to behold, I have no problem accompanying you.”

“I agree with the Harbinger.”

And so, more and more agreed until everyone was willing to accompany Xeno to see his recordings of other worlds, although there were still some who were hesitant compared to the rest. Expressing his happiness at the idea of having a large group accompanying him, the Witness set the ship in motion on the way to Teyvat and then directed them to a huge room, mostly covered with seats facing a reflective wall, something that some identified as a screen similar to those used in Fontaine to display films, although in this case, it was much more technologically advanced. Once everyone got in their seats, Xeno stood in front of the screen next to Akko, facing the group.

“Before we start, I would like to thank you again for joining me in this little hobby of mine.” The Witness commented, showing his joy through his gestures. “While I usually watch the records with Akko, I'm glad to have a group with me this time. Don't get me wrong, she is very good company, but doing the same thing with the same person all the time eventually gets monotonous.”

“Hey!”

“The pleasure is all ours!” Amber exclaimed excitedly, giving her temporary host a thumbs up. “You are already doing enough for us by taking us back to Teyvat and giving us a comfortable place to be during the course of the journey. This is the least we can do for you.”

"Indeed! Plus, being able to see other worlds is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, one that Paimon wouldn't miss for anything!” Added the fairy traveling companion.

“So, Xeno, how do you plan to introduce us to the hundreds of worlds you have recorded?”

Answering Lumine's question, the Witness summoned his screen and connected it to the screen behind him, displaying its contents; a list of emblems and logos, possibly created to distinguish one world from another. From a red and white sphere, to an A enclosed in a circle with an arrow replacing the center line, the amount was simply enormous.

“To tell you the truth, I haven't even decided yet.” The Witness responded nervously. “While I don't mind sharing my recordings with you, this was not in my original plans. So I just thought I’d let you guys choose for now.”

“In that case, how about the one in the upper right corner?” Venti suggested, pointing to the emblem of a shield covered by a pair of segmented wings, one white and one blue, which Xeno selected to display more clearly. “I don't know why, but I feel attracted to that one in particular?”

"Oh, interesting. I see you want to start strong.” Akko commented, putting her hand to her chin as she sent a playful expression to her boss. “This is one of Xeno's favorites. He knows what happens in it from head to toe and he keeps repeating it.”

"What can I say? It’s just epic.” Xeno replied. “And I have the perfect moment to start with in mind.”

“Oh, I can't wait! I'm shaking with excitement!” Yoimiya exclaimed.

Selecting the right scene, the lights in the room were turned off and a countdown was displayed on the screen, which served as the only source of illumination.

3

“Xeno, sweetie, I have a question.”

“Yes, Lisa?”

2

“What can we expect from this first world? Any warnings or recommendations you have to give us?”

“Hmm…”

1

"Just one."

“And that would be?”

“Keep an open mind. And prepare for a rumble.”

0

Chapter Text

The evening sun sat on the horizon, bathing the landscape in a warm orange glow, while the calm waters of the ocean served as contrast. A lone dove flew over the waves, serving as the cherry on top of a peaceful dream scenario.

Immediately everyone could tell the difference between the Teyvat Kameras and the Witnesses' recording equipment. The image quality was absolutely stunning, and the motion captured was so fluid that many almost thought they were really in that location.

“What a beautiful scenery.” Jean murmured, totally amazed by the beautiful sunset captured on the screen.

“Not even our best kameras could capture an image this sharp and fluid.” Al Haitham, on the other hand, was more impressed by the technical aspect of the recording, concluding that it would take decades to obtain images of similar quality in Teyvat.

But as always happens, something must interrupt the peace. Floating on the calm waters were an exorbitant number of ships unlike any the Teyvatians had seen before; they lacked oars and sails, were made almost entirely of steel and had chimneys from which they spewed large amounts of smoke. They were all in horizontal position, their cannons pointed at an opponent who had yet to reveal themselves.

“Those ships…” Beidou could be many things, but if there was one thing her judgment would never fail her in, it was in everything sea related, which included battle formations.

“Did something catch your attention, Captain Beidou?” Ganyu, who was not that far from the Alcor’s Captain, asked upon noticing the captain's sudden change in attitude.

“Well, aside from the very apparent fact that those ships are made of steel and lack oars, they are all in formation to engage in combat.” That single statement made a large majority of viewers nervous and alerted others. “This tactic is known as Line of Battle. It is extremely useful in large groups, as it allows you to shoot at a target without fear of accidentally committing friendly fire.”

“S-so they’re waiting for an enemy?” Sucrose asked, fearful of the fate that awaits the officers.

“It’s most likely, otherwise they would not have organized so many ships.” Ever the strategist, Kokomi's mind raced a thousand miles an hour to decipher the reason for such naval mobilization. “The only reason why so many ships would have been mobilized would be because of a huge enemy force. However, using the known naval forces of Teyvat as a reference, such naval force is excessive for any enemy, so I find it difficult to believe that such an enemy exists.”

"We just have to wait and see." Lumine added, her gaze steady on the screen. “Xeno said to keep our minds open. This fleet was brought together for a reason, and I assume we will find out before long.”

“A globally-amassed fleet.” A general said, who stood with his arms behind his back while looking at the horizon, where the most attentive could notice a strange column of steam rising towards the heavens.

Hundreds of officers and senior military officials were on the other ships, giving orders, preparing their troops and sending signals with flashlights to distant ships to better coordinate for what was to come. The atmosphere around, consequently, was tense and heavy.

“Almost every large cannon in the world has been brought here today. Humanity’s minds and efforts have concentrated on a single purpose. We made miracles happen bringing this fleet together, so if this can’t stop this, nothing can.” Watching through a pair of binoculars, the enormous plume of steam in the distance took focus. “This horrid Rumbling.”

“The greatest ships from around the world, united by a large-scale threat…” To say that Sara was impressed would be an understatement, as accomplishing a feat similar to what’s been shown on screen would be a task of gargantuan proportions, not to mention the logistical headache that such an effort would entail. Just as the general said, they made miracles amassing such a fleet. “If their ships are any indication, then it is fair to assume that their firepower is greater than ours. The fact that all of them have been forced to come together to face a single threat and that even then the air around them is this tense... what are they even fighting against?

"By the looks of it, it's just a lo of steam. Ha!" Itto said almost mockingly. “Are all officers a bunch of chickens even in other worlds? What's so scary about steam?”

“I can't believe I'm going to say this, but Bull-Checker is right. It’s just a bunch of steam!” Paimon exclaimed, incredulous at the exaggerated measure taken by the officials of this world. “They don't need that many ships to fight a little steam.”

“Such a measure is strange and certainly exaggerated at first glance…” Albedo added. “But if you stop and think about it, their tense demeanor makes a lot of sense.”

“What do you mean, compadre?”

"Just think about it. We know that the fleet is in the middle of the ocean, miles from the coast and waiting for a threat, only to discover that what they are waiting for is a gigantic column of steam. Such a thing could only occur if an extremely hot object were underwater; something hot enough to cause thousands of tons of water to boil in such a way.”

“Are you saying there is something under the waves that is causing the steam?” Collei asked, noticeably uneasy about the whole situation.

"Makes sense. And judging by how extensive the column is, almost as long or more than the line itself, it’s fair to assume that the number of unidentified objects is enormous.” Al Haitham added.

“But what could it be? What would be so hot to boil so much water? Does it have anything to do with that Rumbling the general mentioned?” Due to the tension filling the room, Yoimiya's question went unanswered, leaving behind a bad feeling for what’s to come.

Lowering his binoculars, the general raised his arm, cold sweat sliding down his face and nervously swallowing; his eyes always on the approaching mass of steam. Once it was in range, his arm descended, and with a mighty shout, the cannons of all the ships began to fire; thunderous explosions occurred along the Line, propelling hundreds of projectiles in the direction of the steam, the vast majority hitting their targets. Expectantly, officers anxiously awaited the lack of signs of activity, desperately seeking to confirm their success in stopping the Rumbling.

Some flinched, having been taken by surprise by the volume of the speakers. Even those already accustomed to the sound of heavy artillery or high caliber rifles were shocked by the roar caused by the hundreds of cannons displayed on the screen, a testament to their power. Once the assault was over, like the officers on screen, the audience waited anxiously to see what the results would be, many hoping that the power demonstrated by the otherworldly fleet had been enough to stop whatever was coming at them.

Unfortunately, and to the horror of both the audience and the crew of the fleet, the column of steam resumed its march, moving at full speed in their direction. Frightened, but still determined to try and neutralize the threat, the fleet opened fire once more, but no matter how much they fired, the wave of steam did not stop in the slightest, and was rapidly approaching. 

“Whatever that is, not even these weapons seem to be able to stop it!” Gorou exclaimed, slightly scared and horrified in equal parts by what he was seeing, as were many others. 

“Maybe the steam isn't so hot!” Collei exclaimed, contemplating a positive possibility amidst so much pessimism. “Maybe they can-!”

A gigantic silhouette swam beneath the ships, and the wave of vapor covered them. It was so hot that as soon as it made contact with the crew, their skin was instantly reduced to ashes; some pieces flew away, while the rest stuck to the bones. As if that weren’t enough, the ships that made up the battle line were thrown into the air as if they were simple rag dolls, exploding once they fell back into the water. 

The globally-amassed fleet, assembled in a global effort to stop this catastrophe, had failed, to the utter horror of the forces stationed in the bay.

“By the Seven…”

No one knew who said it, but it accurately reflected what they were feeling at this precise moment: dread. The best ships in this world, armed with weapons far more advanced and of greater caliber than those currently available in Teyvat, had been reduced to rubble, sinking to the depths of the ocean by a force that, from the point of view of the spectators, was totally unknown except for the silhouette that passed under the ship, which did not give many clues as to what it could be. 

In any case, the comparisons between the fleet shown on the screen and those available in Teyvat were immediate, and as much as they did not want to admit it…

“Our naval forces would be no match for… whatever that was.” Kaeya murmured, his carefree tone having dissipated at the horror he had just witnessed. 

“Not to mention that whoever dares to approach will be reduced to ashes… in mere seconds.” Surprisingly, Diluc agreed with his brother's statement, adding another thorn in the horrific fate that awaits anyone who dares to face such a situation. 

“Those brave soldiers…their lives…extinguished in the blink of an eye.” Kokomi had witnessed horrible things during the war against the Shogunate, but this… this undoubtedly surpassed anything she could have imagined back then, with the exception of the Raiden Shogun stepping in. 

“Where are the Gods of this world!?” Despite not having a very high opinion of the gods, Keqing knew how to recognize when their intervention was necessary, and right now, those brave soldiers needed that help more than ever. “Surely they would know what's happening, so why aren't they trying to save humanity!?” 

“I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but in this world, there is no such thing as a Gods.” Like a bucket of cold water, Xeno's revelation lowered the group's hopes even further. “The humanity of this world is, and always has been, on its own.” 

In any other circumstance, Keqing would be delighted to know that humanity was more than capable of advancing as far as it has on its own, without needing divine intervention, a sentiment that a couple of Gods in the audience shared with the young member of the Qixing; however, seeing the precarious situation in which humanity found itself in this world, she couldn't deny how much fortune smiled upon them for giving them caring gods willing to help them during an hour of need. The only thing she could wish for, was for a miracle to befall those brave soldiers.

Now near the shore, the cause of such a massacre finally revealed itself; huge, skinless humanoid creatures emerged from the waters, releasing large amounts of steam from their bodies, especially from missing body parts, which had been destroyed in the previous assault. Their faces, immovable and indifferent, kept their gaze straight ahead, not caring about what was in their way. 

The soldiers opened fire on the giants in a last attempt to stop them, but no matter how many shots they received, the titanic enemies did not flinch, and any wounds they suffered were completely ignored.

“These monsters… completely ignored the cannon fire.” Being a general, seeing weaponry even more powerful than hers be completely ineffective against any threat was enough to make Sara's hair stand on end; her only comfort being the fact that Shogun Raiden would intervene without hesitation to protect Inazuma if such a scenario happened. 

“Are we going to ignore the fact that one of them is missing half its head?” Shinobu asked. “How the hell is that thing still alive?” 

“Just what the hell are those things?” Phoenix would never admit it out loud, but those things made him slightly nervous; It was like watching a legion of enormous, soulless puppets.

“Titans.” Akko responded. “Specifically, Colossal Titans, one of the greatest threats that the people of this world face, figuratively and literally. They stand at a height of 60 meters and are extremely hot, capable of setting fire to any combustible material that approaches them, in addition to being able to heal any wound they suffer unless they’re hit in their weak point.”

"Weak point?" Hope was palpable in Amber's voice, infecting those who were close to her, practically jumping out of her chair at the chance that the soldiers could be saved. "Where is it!?"

“On the nape of the neck.” 

"You’ve got to be kidding me." Tighnari stated exasperatedly, rubbing his temples as he considered what it would be like to fight a Colossal Titan. “As if it weren’t enough that they’re giants, but they also burn with enough intensity to set you on fire and can regenerate all the damage they suffer unless a specific region of their body is hit, which is also difficult to get to? How the heck did the humanity of this world manage to advance with such monsters roaming around?”

“By not facing them.” The assistant A.I. responded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Many of you will have already deduced that facing a Colossal Titan is basically a death sentence. Fortunately, under ideal circumstances, there is only one every thirteen years, but don't let that fool you; the Colossal remains one of the greatest threats in this world. That's why the whole world agreed to try to stop the Rumbling: if one of them already causes too much trouble wherever they are, having thousands of them walking around is the apocalypse.”

“Then how can there be thousands of them right now?” Mona asked, “Was this Rumbling a prophecy or something similar?”

“Nah, there is no such thing as prophecies in this world, though you can kind of say it was kind off a self-fulfilling prophecy.” Xeno denied. “No, the Rumbling was a threat.”

“Wow, thanks for stating the obvious.” Paimon replied sarcastically with his arms crossed.

“No… he doesn't just mean it in that sense…” Thoughtfully, Diluc turned his gaze to the pair of guests. “The Rumbling is a threat someone made to the rest of the world, isn't it?” He asked, leaving the less astute surprised and the more analytical thoughtful.

“Y-you’re joking... right?” Noelle asked, afraid that such a possibility was true. “There is no way someone so cruel can exist… r-right?”

The Witness and his assistant did not answer, they only returned their gaze to the screen, which lowered the hopes of the most optimistic even more.

Terrified to the core and with no other options, the soldiers began to flee in terror, leaving the cannons at the mercy of the Titans, who simply crushed them under their feet. A few meters above, some soldiers dared to look back, freezing in fear at what they saw.

There, emerging from the steam and towering above the Colossal Titans, was a skeletal monstrosity, its torso being supported by its arms via ligaments connected to row of dorsal spines traveling across to a gigantic ribcage, making it appear as if was a puppet. Its expressionless face, barely covered by small pieces of muscle on its chin and eyes, kept its piercing greenish eyes straight ahead; its teeth were visible due to the lack of cheeks, giving the sensation of it having a perpetual sadistic smile plastered on its face.

"That’s…"

"Yeah, that’s it! That’s the Attack Titan!”

After reconnecting with her nation, few things could surprise Ei; It was to be expected, after all, she has lived for thousands of years and has seen and fought an untold number of things. But the monster on screen, that massive skeletal figure, although closer to that of a human, brought back memories for the Archon that she would rather leave behind. Technology and Titans were things she could easily ignore, but for the first time since the demonstration of this world began, Ei was stunned, and Miko, who was sitting next to her, noticed.

“Everything okay, Ei?” This question caught the Archon by surprise, breaking her out of her momentary trance.

"Yes I'm fine." Ei responded, shaking her head to get rid of the surprise. “It's just that… that thing… brought back some not-so-pleasant memories.”

"I imagined." Her best friend stated, directing her gaze to a certain rogue Priestess sitting a few seats below her who was in a similar situation; however, her posture and body language denoted sadness rather than surprise and pain, something that her general took note of and was now trying to comfort her.

In a moment of solidarity, Miko placed her hand on Ei's and gave it a small squeeze, again catching her by surprise and silently letting her know that she's not alone, a gesture that Ei happily reciprocated.

As for everyone else, many could not believe that the situation became even worse, practically losing hope in the survival of the soldiers. The more frightened members of the audience were terrified, while the more stoic ones were beginning to get nervous about the catastrophe that was mere seconds away from beginning.

“Attack Titan? Is that the name of that…thing?” Mona's question brought several people back to their senses, who could not help it but turn to their host in search of answers.

“Indeed, that is the name of this very particular Titan.” Xeno answered affirmatively. “One of many, in fact.”

“And what are its other names?” Collei asked, slightly afraid of the answer.

“Demon, Usurper, Founding Titan or simply Founder, and lastly, Doomsday Titan.” Akko listed, making a lot of hair stand on end with the last name.

Doomsday… Titan? Just thinking about that name gave many people chills.

Out of nowhere the scene changed, now showing another Titan, one much smaller than the Founder and the Colossals, taking what appeared to be a woman to its mouth, obviously with the intention of devouring her as if she were a snack, all before the traumatized eyes of a child being carried away by blonde man. The boy screamed, pleading in vain for the Titan to stop.

"What the…? What was that?" Thoma asked, confused by the sudden change of focus.

“I think they are…memories.” Nahida answered.

"Memories? Whose? What do they have to do with all this?” Rosaria asked.

“I assume they were from the boy in the memory. Now, why did they show this and what does it have to do with everything shown before? Unfortunately I couldn't tell you.”

“They are where it all began.” Akko's sudden intervention caught the attention of all the audience members. “The moment that started all this massacre.”

"What are you talking about?" Dehya asked. "What does some kid have to do with this?"

"You'll find out when we eventually return to this world." Was the answer given by the Witness, leaving the vast majority dissatisfied.

“Is it me or was that Titan… smaller?” Candace's observation added another point to the confusion generated by the scene. “And not only that, it looked like it was about to devour someone.”

That last point was the scariest of them all, being on the verge of witnessing a person being devoured in a single bite made many people's hair stand on end. The Titans were already terrifying, if they turned out to be carnivores they would be a walking nightmare.

Suddenly, a voice, full of anger and pain, showed itself, leaving a terrible message:

“I’m going to wipe…”

Under the cold gaze of the Founding Titan, the Colossals devastated everything in their path, rubble and dust being the only vestiges of what was once a prosperous town.

“...every last one of them…”

In the horizon loomed the ominous shadow of the Colossals, thus conveying the terrible fate that awaited the rest of the world.

“...off the face of this world!”

And with that mournful note, the showing came to an end. Some, such as Collei and Barbara, were horrified at the implications, basically on the verge of tears; others were frustrated by their inability to help, and even if they could, there were few who could truly put an end to the carnage.

“If it’s any consolation… ” Xeno chimed in, breaking the disheartening mood among the audience, continuing with: “…the Rumbling was stopped by a brave group of people. Unfortunately, the cost to pay was extremely high.”

“It’s… truly a shame.” Jean replied, clearly demoralized by the implication given by the Witness. Lisa, who was sitting next to her, put her hand on her shoulder, encouraging her to continue, a gesture that Jean reciprocated by placing her hand on her friend’s. “But at least they managed to ensure the safety of those who survived, that’s what’s important.”

“Still… this… this is horrible.” Nilou added, wiping away the small tears she had shed, both from what she saw and from what Xeno implied.

“There is nothing we can do. Right now we are just observers.” Many did not take kindly to that statement from Al-Haitham, but despite that, they knew that what he said was the cold truth. However, among the audience there were some who believed that there was someone who could have intervened, and they were willing to throw it in his face.

“And what about our esteemed guest?” Kaeya asked, almost mockingly. “You can access different worlds, can’t you? Couldn’t you have prevented this tragedy?”

“Believe me, I really wish I could prevent such massacres…” The Witness replied, adding: “... but we Witnesses have limits. You can believe me or not, but unless a Witness is the link between a world and ours, we are just as weak as an ordinary human; otherwise, we just serve as spectators or must abide by the rules of the world we enter.”

Many were disappointed by that explanation, either because they thought they were facing a being from a super powerful race, or because they thought they were heartless people who let misfortunes happen for sick entertainment.

“So, even if you could enter this world, you would just be one more person among the crowd.” Still, there were also those who were only becoming more and more interested in the workings of Witnesses, such as Albedo or Mona, who were taking note of how their host race works. “It is certainly fascinating. A pity, but fascinating.”

“There’s nothing we can do about it. After all, fate cannot be perturbed.” Mona added with a shrug, though her expression betrayed her true feelings on the matter.

“Aiya, if only I could go to that world, these people desperately need a proper burial once it's all said and done.”

“Director Hu, please do not make such comments in view of such a massacre. It is in poor taste.” Indeed, some of the spectators turned to give Hu Tao the bad eye for her comment.

“Do you and your brother operate like this too, Lumine?” Paimon asked in the lowest voice she could produce. 

“At least it’s voluntary on our part. The Witnesses seem to have no control over how they manifest in other worlds.” 

As the mood returned to a more neutral state, Akko and Xeno looked through their catalog for something that might interest their viewers. 

“How about this one? I think it might interest them.” Akko asked, showing on her holographic monitor a soldier in green armor brutally slaughtering an immense variety of monsters.

“Maybe, but I think it would be better for later.” With a swipe, the Witness changed the transmission to that of an anthropomorphic panda fighting an albino tiger. “Ooh, this is a good option. Save it for later.” Another swipe, another scene, this time showing a young green-haired boy on the verge of tears in front of an extremely scrawny blond man. “Interesting, but it would be better to familiarize them with the basic concept first.” Another swipe, and this time, they both agreed on what the next world would be. 

With a small, excited grin, they both began to make preparations to show the world that excited them so much, catching Miko’s attention.

“Oh? It seems that our hosts have found an interesting world to show us.” Upon her remark, many turned their attention back to the screen. 

“That's right! And it's a very fun one!” Noticeably excited, Akko was preparing the show at full speed. "You're gonna love it!"

“Paimon wonders what we can expect from this world?” Paimon wondered, only to then slightly worry about what might come next. “Please tell Paimon that it's a more lively one. Paimon can't handle so much devastation.” Many agreed with that sentiment, that first impression was unforgettable.

“Relax, I assure you that this time it's a much happier world.” Paimon let out a sigh of relief at that statement. “About what to expect… Well, the most I can say is to unleash your imagination. The world of Titans may have had a passing resemblance to yours, but I can assure you, what you're about to see next is nothing like what you know.”

Chapter Text

Space. For many, it is the final frontier; for others, it is nothing more than a dark, cold, endless and uncaring void. Yet, within its vast darkness, traces of beauty and color can be found, and more specifically, a very particular planet called Earth, the humble and mostly peaceful home of humanity.

They had just started, and the new world they were seeing already gave them a surprise far greater than the last. After all, it's not every day that you can see a planet from the outside.

“Archons, how I wish I had a canvas here with me…” A few seats down, Albedo was lamenting that he couldn’t capture the scene presented in the projection. Sucrose, who was sitting beside him, tried to comfort him by stroking his back, although she was blushing a little due to the number of people around that could tease her for it.

“What a lovely sight!” Speaking of the Archons, upon laying eyes on the beauty of space, Venti’s eyes shone with awe. “Does this mean that the humanity of this world conquered the stars?”

“Not necessarily, it can just be an opening shot.” Zhongli argued. “But if they truly did, it serves as a testament of humanity’s determination to go beyond their limits.”

“I can’t believe it… The stars… We’re actually seeing stars in the depths of space…” It was to be expected that the foremost authority on astrological matters, at least among those present, would be the person most amazed by such a spectacle. Mona’s eyes practically sparkled at the possibility of seeing the stars up close, despite it being through a projection. Her astonished gaze fell on Lumine, and with a hushed voice she whispered, “Was this the landscape you saw when you came here? A beautiful blue sphere?”

“Lumine, is this what Teyvat looked like when you arrived!?” Speaking of the traveler in question, coincidentally, Paimon had also asked her the same question that Mona had asked herself, although with a little more excitement as she practically threw herself at her; surprisingly, Paimon managed to keep her voice contained despite the excitement she felt at being able to see a similarity to what her best friend could have seen upon arriving in Teyvat. She may be chatty, but there’s no way she would give away her traveling companion.

“Something similar, yes. Not all planets look the same after all.” The outlander replied with a slight smile. However, in her thoughts she added: “Although there was something strange about the planet when Aether and I arrived, but I couldn’t figure out what it was…”

“Ah, I envy you! Paimon wishes she could see something like that with her own eyes!”

“Hehe, who knows? Maybe I’ll take you with me and my brother to other worlds once we finish our journey through Teyvat.” Lumine suggested, leaving the little fairy speechless. “What do you think?”

“Yuhu!” In response, Paimon couldn’t hold back any longer and hugged Lumine with all her might, who returned the gesture without thinking. “Get ready, Universe, because Paimon is coming for you!” Exclaimed with great enthusiasm the best travel guide in all of Teyvat, much to the delight of the blonde traveler.

However, the peaceful atmosphere of the projection was interrupted when, looking slightly upwards, a massive fleet came into view, each ship armed to the teeth to project a menacing aura. The ship that stood out the most was one placed directly in the middle of all the others, painted in a vibrant crimson red, carrying the most cannons and boasting a noticeably larger size, it was obvious that this was the mother ship.

Progressively, the camera moved closer to it, and the closer it was to the captain's cabin, the more a maniacal laugh like no other could be heard, coming from an obese, bald man, with a prominent pink nose and a huge mustache, wearing a pair of glasses and a red outfit with yellow sleeves and buttons, as well as black pants and a pair of white gloves.

“Oh ho ho ho!” The man laughed, adopting a determined look accompanied by an evil smile once he finished, greatly disturbing a part of the audience.

Another surprise for the people of Teyvat, but this time for the worse. The aura that emanated from the scene did nothing but give the vast majority a bad feeling, and the evil laughter of who they assumed was the captain of said fleet certainly did not help.

“Hm, interesting…” Still, there were some, such as Al-Haitham, who couldn’t help but be interested in the vehicles on display, as they demonstrated unparalleled mechanical prowess. “A fleet of ships capable of efficiently traveling through space… Whoever this man is or whatever his intentions are, there’s no denying that he’s quite the mechanical genius, assuming he was the one who created this fleet.”

“Are you seriously praising someone who is clearly evil just because he has huge toys!?” Itto exclaimed.

“While I do agree with Mr. Itto regarding this individual’s apparent intentions…” Cyno commented, his arms crossed and a pointed gaze fixed on the screen, analyzing every detail of the vehicles displayed. “…I must also agree with Al-Haitham. These vehicles, whatever they are, are a marvel of mechanical engineering unlike any Teyvat has yet seen.”

“I agree. Even my master, who is one of the best investress of our world, can’t do something like this.” Ganyu added.

“Ignoring all that, it’s obvious this man has no good intentions,” Putting her mind back in work mode, Jean brought the conversation back to the main topic. “Xeno, Akko, could you tell us who he is?”

“I really don’t see why I should, since his identity will be revealed shortly,” The Witness replied. “What I can tell you is that your suspicions are correct. This gentleman is one of the main troublemakers in this world, if not the main one.”

“…I don’t like the way you say that.” Keqing commented, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. “It’s like this is a recurring occasion.”

“That’s because it is.” Akko added. “While he’s not the only one, he is by far the one who causes the most trouble most often.”

“If that’s the case, given the apparent scale of the offenses, why not just get rid of him?” Many agreed with Kuki’s question, especially the leaders of each of the nations present; it would just simply be impossible to tolerate such acts being committed repeatedly by the same person over and over again.

“Let’s just say he is… very, VERY slippery, which is honestly impressive considering how unsubtle he is with his schemes.”

“Either that, or whoever is in charge of protecting this world is incompetent.” Interjected Tighnari with a deadpan expression, with some nodding in agreement.

“Ooh, ‘em fighting words, Tighnari.” Answered back Xeno, with what would be his face contorting in what seemed to be a grin. “I don’t know about you, but I’d eat those words, since the hero of this world is about to appear, and let me tell you, he’s one of the best the multiverse has to offer.”

“Given what you’ve told us about Baldy McNosehair here…” Many were caught off guard by the nickname Paimon gave the villain, with some stifling their laughter while others howlered in it, Xeno included, though he did because of a different reason. “... that doesn’t seem to be the case for Paimon.”

“Just wait, you’ll see real soon what he means.”

An alarm flared, catching the attention of the madman. The cause? A large fire out in the front of the ship, and in front of it, obscured by the fire’s glow to add to the epicness of his entrance, was a small anthropomorphic green-eyed blue hedgehog with large white gloves and red sneakers

Up ahead, a horde of robots emerged ready to face him, along with all cannon turning in the hero’s direction to blow him to smithereens at a moment’s notice.

“Ehm… is that little guy supposed to be the main hero?” Maybe it was the Inazuman light novels she read, but what was on-screen was a far cry from what Collei imagined the hero to be like going from how her hosts were hyping him up. Many around her also shared her sentiment. “It’s kind of a bummer, honestly.”

“And are all those robots and cannons really needed to take him out? Seems like a little overkill.” Yoimiya added.

“What even is he anyway? Some kind of youkai?” Dehya asked, looking for any of the Inazumans to answer her.

“No, I can confirm he isn’t.” Answered Yae Miko. “Leaving that aside, I don’t think it is wise to judge him so early, after all, there’s a reason the saying ‘never judge a book by its cover’ exists. I’m sure this little guy has some surprises under his sleeves.”

"He kind of reminds me of Geovishap Hatchling though." Shenhe added with her  usual cold tone. "Just less rocky and blue."

"Funny you say that, because we Witnesses have been jokingly saying they resemble him for years now. Adorable little fakers, those guys." Xeno then appeared to wiggle his eyebrows at Akko, as if asking if she caught what he just did, to which she just chuckled. "As for what he is, he's a hedgehog."

What followed next were a few seconds of silence where everyone, even the most closed off or boisterous, looked toward their host as if he had grown a second head.

"...Now I'm sure you must be pulling our hair." Eula said, shaking her head in disbelief at what the Witness just said.

"Y-yeah, he doesn't look like a hedgehog at all." Yanfei pointed out, which practically everyone agreed with. "How can he be a hedgehog?"

"He just is." Akko said with a shrug. "That's just how hedgehogs look in this world."

"It's still kinda weird, honestly." Gorou's assessment was pretty much echoed among everyone, with some exceptions such as the Traveler, Yae Miko, and the Archons.

"Hey, I did say to let your imagination run wild, didn't I?”

"FIRE!" Dramatically launching his arm forward, the madman gave the order to start the assault on the blue hero.

All at once, every cannon and robot opened fire in his direction, but despite all that, the hero confidently ran forward, blitzing past every round fired his way like a blue blur, a cocky smirk adorning his face all the while. Curling up into a ball, he slammed against the horde with immense force, bouncing off of every robot he hit like a ping ball and sending himself high into the air once he finished with that 1st batch, uncurling to momentarily glide through the air; landing on a roll, he slipped past the punch that a robot waiting for him threw, his smirk still present, and then ran circles around its body to disorient it enough for it to fall and short-circuit, which he took advantage off by punching through the last batch of robots before the bigger one from earlier exploded, leaving scrap metal behind as he raced towards the mad scientist

 "I'm starting to agree with Shenhe." Ganyu said once she saw how the hero curled up into a spiky ball.

"Gotta add Sayu to that list." Yoimiya muttered conspiratorially, making Ayaka and Lumine giggle a bit at the mischief of their friend.

“Oh?” Childe, meanwhile, leaned ever so slightly closer to the screen, intrigued by the feats being pulled off by the blue hero. “Good…” Little by little, an excited smile started to form in his face, and with it, a bloodlust-filled chuckle emanated from him, making some of those around him try to get as far as possible. “...Why that’s very good! Yes, I like that!”

“Oh quiet down, you battle maniac!” With a deadpan, Paimon chopped him over the head to shut him up “You’re disturbing the others!”

“I can’t help it, he just seems to be very strong! I want to fight him!”

“I agree with the Harbinger. For a hedgehog, he certainly gave a good first impression.” Ei then frowned and adopted a pensive posture, likely due to something that was bothering her. "Though he should save that smirk for later. Overconfidence can lead to his downfall."

“With how fast he's going, I seriously doubt they could touch him!” Almost bouncing off her seat like an excited child, Amber voiced what was on the minds of the most excitable audience. “He just went ‘whoosh’ and became a blur! Not even the bullets could graze him!”

"It's certainly interesting for a member of a species that doesn't shine for its speed to be so fast." Sucrose added, taking notes of the intriguing physiology of the blue blur. "The way he uses his body to slam against what is undoubtedly metal without any reaction also suggests he's much more durable than he seems; it's likely because of his spines, because he wouldn't be so nonchalant otherwise."

Jumping down in a mech suit, the mustached man opened fire in the hero's direction, which he just jumped over, much to the scientist's annoyance.

"Why you little!" He grumbled as he tried to shoot the blue critter down, missing by mere centimeters due to the small size and the speed of his target, which allowed him to slip past an attempt at crushing him once he landed.

Then, in an impressive display of speed, the blue hedgehog proceeded to run up a nearby pillar, and not content with that, he also dodged and outrunned missiles that the madman fired on top of the barrage of bullets he was previously firing, sliding on the smooth surface while completely parallel with the ground bellow, his smirk never once faltering as he ran down back to the floor and into a wide hallway, some missiles still hot on his tail.

"Dear Barbatos!" Lisa gasped, hand over her mouth due to the sheer astonishment the little hedgehog on-screen was inducing on them. "To outrun missiles and run on completely vertical or upside down surfaces as if it were the most normal thing in the world... his speed must be off the charts!"

"Guess Xeno wasn't exaggerating, this guy really is awesome!" Collei said, now over her initial disbelief and totally sold on the spectacle she was watching. Giggling towards Tighnari, she added: "He really made you eat those words, Master."

"Haha, yeah, he really did."

Overall, the little blue hero gave a very good impression to practically everyone, especially a certain bard who could tell, just by the way the hero has carried himself so far, that he was someone that just went along with the flow, free as the wind. Some still had their doubts about his ability to stop whatever the madman was planning, though, but if the skill displayed so far was any indication, then they could reassure themselves that things would turn out ok.

"You're not getting away!" With his mech mimicking his movements, the doctor shot out one of its hand in the hero's direction, quickly catching up to him and snatching him after the last of the missiles missed him, before reeling the hand back with the speedy hero now within his grasp, which he couldn't escape no matter how much he struggled.

"Hmph, that fool got too confident and left himself wide open." Despite wanting the blue hedgehog to rip the doctor a new one, mainly because he reminded him of of former colleague he'd rather not think about, Phoenix was jaded enough to seriously consider the possibility of anything going wrong at any minute, especially considering the apparent cockiness of the hero, so it didn't come as a surprise when the inevitable happened, hence his criticism. "Does he have any backup to fall back on, or companions that can get him out of his current predicament?" Their hosts side-eying each other like deers caught in the headlights was all the answer he needed, so he just sighed heavily. "Truly foolish."

"Perhaps a more stealthy approach would've been ideal given the circumstances. No matter how skilled one may be, recklessly charging headfirst into the enemy's stronghold alone and without a plan is always a bad idea." Yelan added, nodding in agreement with the wanderer's assessment.

As for their hosts, seeing Akko was about to speak, Xeno opted to shut off her voice, which earned him an unamused glare from her.

Seeing no other option, the blue hedgehog just closed his eyes and concentrated, summoning a set of seven colorful emeralds in a flash of light, their shine radiating a wealth of power unlike any other.

"What?!" The Doctor exclaimed, having been taken by surprise by the sudden development.

"Something the matter, Lady Ningguang?" Ganyu asked after noticing the pensive posture her boss adopted upon seeing the gems summoned by the hero.

"Those stones... I think I caught a glimpse of them before Xeno brought us to his command room." She said after juggling her memory for a bit.

"So you saw them too?" Xiao muttered, his arms crossed over his chest and a slight frown adorning his face. "Can you feel it, then? The energy emanating from them?"

"Yes. It's quite... Chaotic."

"They must hold unimaginable power for their energy to permeate the air." Zhongli added, though he seemed tense while doing so, likely as a result of his greater sensitivity to the energies around him. "It's almost like the sea: calm and comforting one moment, unruly and overwhelming the next."

"That's a very fitting description of their nature, Mr Zhongli, which is why the people of this world gave them an equally fitting name: the Chaos Emeralds." Xeno explained as the Emeralds themselves appeared in a flash of light above his hand, hovering in a circular motion, catching everyone by surprise, but quickly becoming captivated by their radiance. "They're a source of unlimited power, which, once properly channeled, allows the user to perform feats similar in scope to those of Gods, with a capital G, even if they hold only one out of seven."

And wasn't that a surprise. Even with one of the strongest Archons among the audience, the sheer power the Emeralds were exuding totally eclipsed hers to such an extent, it was almost as if she wasn't in the room.

"This power... It is beyond anything I can imagine." Her admitting it so easily really put into perspective just how far beyond these Emeralds were from what they've known, and it wasn't anything minor, since most of the Archons present have been in the presence of or have felt the power of Heavenly Principles' Shades, maybe even the Heavenly Principles themselves!

It was equally as fascinating as it was scary, to think such a level of power existed out there somewhere.

Seeing the horrified faces they were making, Akko added: "I know what you are thinking, and while you're 100% correct in making that assumption, you need to know that they aren't so easily found, especially since they tend to disperse around the world, or even into separate dimensions, once they've been used and need some time before they can be used again; not to mention that there are quite a few individuals either guarding the Emeralds from nefarious hands such as the good doctor’s here, or powerful enough to stop their plans, such as this little fella." She said, relieving some of their worries, even if by a little. "It also helps that the energy of the Chaos Emeralds is more reactive to positive emotions rather than negative, so even though they can be used to cause cataclysmic events, more often than not, they've been used for good."

"Thank goodness for that, at least!" Sighing in relief, Lumine expressed what came to everyone's minds with the assistant's final remark. "With such power being so easily available, I was honestly beginning to wonder how this world hasn't turned into a flaming pile of rubble by now."

“Whatever the case, it’s good to know that at least he has a way out. I honestly thought he was done for.” Gorou said. “Though, if only one is enough to cause all that you said, I wonder what’ll happen by harnessing all 7 Emeralds?”

“Believe me when I say that is something super cool!”

"Shouldn't we be worried that you guys have a set of world-destroying gems onboard?" Rare is the time when Paimon of all people makes a sensible question, but given what she was pointing at, that being the Emeralds now orbiting Xeno, it begged everyone's attention. "Paimon really isn't looking forward to being blown up!"

"Oh, these? Don't worry, they're replicas, plenty powerful themselves, but nowhere near as powerful as the real deal." He said while dismissing the Emeralds.

Knowing what was coming, the Doctor hurried to try and contain him, but unfortunately, it was too late.

In an explosive burst of energy that wrecked the mech’s arms, the hero emerged, now with the ability to fly and donning golden fur, his quills standing up, and crimson red eyes, all while surrounded by a flaming golden aura. Like an arrow, he proceeded to easily shoot straight through the mech, leaving it completely inoperable.

“Uh oh, time to go, go, goooo!” The Doctor shrieked as he disengaged his pod from the ruined mech, trying to escape the upcoming beatdown, with the golden hedgehog hot on his tail.

Door after door were shut in an effort to stop the golden hedgehog, but he just easily burst through each and every one of them before finally getting out of the ship, where it was revealed that he damaged it enough for a series of explosions to be occurring all around it, effectively destroying it.

“Hmm…” Although she was as surprised as everyone else, there was something about the hedgehog’s new form that rubbed Paimon the wrong way. “You know, for a Super transformation, this is kind of lame, to be honest.”

“Paimon, he just burst through a mech suit he previously couldn’t break out from and can now fly. How, pray tell, is that lame?”

“I mean, that’s cool and all, but just a change of fur and eye color? Really? That’s beyond lazy! It’s almost like those Draconic Spheres novels sold on Yae Publishing House!”

“Oh? What was that, my dear Paimon?”

“Waah!”

“Uhm… I really do like it though.” Collei murmured under her breath with a small blush on her face, as Paimon was trying, and failing, to get off Miko’s grip, unfortunately for her poor little cheeks.

“Leaving that aside…” Keqing started in an effort to keep the conversation from derailing even more. “... It’s clear this transformation gave him a huge boost in power, enough to completely destroy the main ship all by himself!”

“Not only that, even his already insane speed seems to have increased!”

“You could say he now is… Supersonic.” Tighnari could only sigh exasperatedly at Cyno’s joke, not catching his hosts sporting knowing smirks, or the equivalent of that in Xeno’s case. “Get it? Because he was already going at sonic speed, and now he’s faster.”

“Shouldn’t he be capable of more, though?” Amber asked, hand on her chin. “Xeno did say one can grant godly power, and he’s channeling all seven! Don’t get me wrong, destroying a ship of that size is impressive, but it isn’t really what I picture ‘godly feats’ to be. Not counting the Archons, I think even the strongest among us can do it.”

“Nah, with how easily he destroyed it? I’d say he has the right to show off a little.” Childe refuted, a dumb smile plastered all over his face because of the sheer power displayed by the little critter.

“Hmph… As I expected from a Fatui Harbinger. Nothing but utter foolishness.” Diluc grumbled, arms crossed and his frown more pronounced than usual.

“I’d say it is a great showing of restraint.” Nahida stated, catching most of the audience’s attention. “There’s a point where the amount of power you wield no longer concerns only you, but everyone around you, so you’d have to be extra careful to avoid hurting anyone. It’s almost like…”

“Like living in a world made of cardboard, right?”

“Yes, exactly!” Face practically shining, Nahida was pleasantly surprised by how seamlessly their host followed her line of thought.

“Hmm… I supposed you’re right.”

Out in orbit, the entire fleet was firing in the super hedgehog’s general direction, but thanks to his size and speed, none of the shots met their mark. He even went as far as using them to his favor, getting inside one of the ships and, with the combined power of his transformations and the shots of the fleet, completely destroying it.

While that happened, the Doctor flew at full speed towards a nearby rod-like satellite, with the top dome modelled after his face. So great was his desperation that he stumbled every step of the way, eventually just falling unceremoniously in the command center of the station, his trusty pod rolling by miserably. To make things worse, the hero simply tore through the floor, determined to put a stop to yet another of his nemesis’ schemes.

“S-Sonic!”

“I-I’m sorry! R-Really! Look, go easy on me! I’ll turn over a new leaf, I swear! Just give me a chance!” The Doctor pleaded, his face practically on the floor, as the recently named hero came down.

Oh how good vengeance felt. He may not be the same person, but he was similar enough that seeing the mad scientist on his knees begging for forgiveness filled the Wanderer with indescribable ecstasy. Halfway across the theater, somewhere deep inside her heart, Collei also felt the same way, though she’ll never admit it out loud.

“Hm, so that’s his name.” Cyno, meanwhile, was surprised that his joke from earlier turned out to be a prediction. “Seems I accidentally guessed his name.”

“Yeah, you guessed both his name, and the name of his Super form.”

“... Am I a prophet?”

“No, you’re not.” Cyno slightly deflated because of Tignari’s denial. “And I’m starting to agree with Paimon, the name is similar to those silly transformations from the Inazuman light novels that Collei reads sometimes and it’s really on the nose.”

“WHY YOU EXPOSE ME LIKE THIS, MASTER!?”

“Whatever the case, let me introduce him properly.” Suddenly, a jingle came out of the speakers, accompanying what Akko said next. “*ahem* Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to Sonic the Hedgehog! Main hero of this world and a guy who loves adventure!”

“... What’s with the fanfare?” Confused, Dehya looked around in search of the source. “The tune’s kinda catchy.”

“Hehe, sorry, I’m just a big fan of Sonic. He’s one of my favorites in all of existance.” Said the AI assistant, scratching the back of her head with a bit of embarrassment. “I actually got the theme from a world where he exists as a game character.”

“... Honestly, it’s still a little scary to think about that.” Dehya replied with a shudder. “Well, either way, it’s good to finally have a name for our hero. Kudos for it being short, sweet, and rolling off the tongue rather easily. Makes it iconic.” 

“Well, this is new. Showing remorse, Eggman?–”

Here they were, thinking he was a big menace, only for that name to bring that image down. Needless to say, chaos ensued among the audience, with Paimon being the loudest one.

“Is that–*cough*–Is that really his name!?”

“Honestly, it fits him.” Phoenix, though, utterly loved how ridiculous that name was, and his growing smirk showed that all too well. “And I love this reality for that.”

“It is hard to take him seriously now with such a name.” Ayaka said, her quivering smile hidden behind her fan.

“My sides h-hurt!” Yoimiya added through her fit of laughter.

“I’ll have you all know that it was originally a mocking name Sonic gave him early into their rivalry, which he took as his personal brand in order to spite him.” To demonstrate, Xeno showed a list of names, which the audience assumed were robots made by the evil Doctor. Lo and behold, most of them had the word ‘Egg’ in them, to the hilarious delight of the majority. “His actual name is Ivo Robotnik.”

“Credit where it’s due, I respect his confidence.” Her piece said, a short chuckle escaped from Beidou’s lips. “Doesn’t make it any less ridiculous though.”

“I don’t even think you can call that confidence.” Keqing snarked.

“If you played nice, I wouldn’t have to break all your toys.”

Unfortunately to him, his taunting gave Eggman the opportunity to sneakily pull out a trigger, and with a quick motion… 

“Gotcha!”

“Wha?”

A set of panels sprung out from the floor all around the Super hedgehog, which produced energy binds to prevent him from getting away, keeping him still for the machine on the ceiling to work its magic, all while Eggman let out a mad crackle as the platform he stood on elevated until he was level with the control panel coming out of the wall behind him.

Once it finished charging, the machine above Sonic let out a surge of electricity so intense, the Emeralds were knocked out of him and his Super form was disabled, much to Eggman’s delight.

As this was happening, the lower part of the station opened up, rearranging itself until it resembled a cannon pointed straight down at the planet.

“That rotten egghead! He baited him!” Paimon exclaimed, stomping her feet in the air to show how annoyed she felt over the mad scientist’s foul play.

“Paimon, that trap could be seen coming from a mile away.” Lumine deadpanned

“Alas, Sonic seems like the kind to rush into things without thinking too much about it.” Heizou added, showing his disappointment over Sonic’s short-sightedness by shaking his head. “And now, the Emeralds are up for grabs, and Eggman has just shown himself to be opportunistic, so this can only end so well.”

“You don’t think he’d…”

“Ho ho ho ho ho! Oh, I’ve waited a long time for this!” Exciting for what was to come, Eggman pressed down hard on the button. “Fire!”

A beam of pure energy was shot out the cannon towards the planet, the clouds parting once it hit the surface, and then, under the watchful gaze of the doctor, the Earth started to crack open like an egg, with the resulting pieces drifting upwards to reveal the fiery core beneath.

“What is he doing!?”

“Is he out of his mind!?”

“Oh dear Barbatos…”

As expected, a cacophony of horrified remarks flew out of the audience, which, although already having an idea of the scale of Eggman’s campaigns, were completely taken aback by the sheer level of destruction he caused. The Archons especially, on top of being reminded of things they’d rather forget, were immensely frightened that destruction of such caliber was freely available to anyone willing to look far and wide for those Emeralds.

“He’s insane…” Venti murmured, his voice barely a whisper.

“Never would I have imagined something worse than the Cataclysm could happen…” Ei added, a hand over her mouth and her eyes losing a bit of shine.

“Didn’t you say this world was happier than the last one!?” Lumine exclaimed while looking at her hosts with accusing eyes. “I fail to see how tearing a planet apart is happier!”

“Yeah, what gives!?”

“I mean… Sonic’s world is indeed happier than the world of the Titans. This adventure in particular just has a very crazy start when you’re not used to the wackiness of this world.”

“Not to mention that it’s far from being the craziest thing that happened here. So, no biggie.”

For a few seconds, a beat of silence stretched between the audience and their hosts as the former processed what was uttered.

“... I’m sorry, what!?”

And once they did, even the Archons were visibly frightened by the implication. After all, the planet quite literally shattered, and yet their hosts say this is looked at as ‘just another adventure’ by the standards of this world. In a way, it made them appreciate the relative quiet Teyvat’s currently experiencing.

Then, to Eggman’s amazement, tentacles made out of energy sprouted out the core and started to slither between the cracks, all of them connected to what seemed to be a gigantic creature waking up.

“Whoa!”

While this was happening, Sonic, whose movements were being mimicked by the creature, seemed to be undergoing a metamorphosis of sorts: his fur was growing and darkening, his upper body became wider to the point his hands teared apart his gloves, and his front teeth grew sharper. In the end, he resembled a wolf more than a hedgehog, and the roar he let out, accompanied by the creature’s own roar, cemented the transformation.

With its purpose fulfilled, the machine turned off and withdrew, leaving Sonic to collapse on the floor, while the Emeralds, now black in color due to the draining of their power, fell all around him.

“This shouldn’t be possible…” Phoenix murmured under his breath, taken aback by the sudden development, and he wasn’t the only one.

Instances of it were rare, at least in urban settings, but whenever it was found, it’s an experience one can never forget: that oppressive, muddy and overall unpleasant feeling. Even through a screen, it was simply unbearable, and there was only one thing that could cause such a feeling.

“The Abyss!? How!?” For the first time since they started, Xiao was surprised by what he was shown, unfortunately by one of the many things he hoped he could forget about for the time being. “What’s the meaning of this!?”

“Ok, ok, calm down everybody!” Using a megaphone, plus a bit of help from each nation’s respective authority figures, the chaos died down. “Since the explanation is quite a few bits away in-universe, allow me to explain. Even though it shares many similarities with the Abyss, I can assure it’s not; in truth, that thing is called Dark Gaia, a primordial entity composed entirely of the planet’s negative energy, whose sole purpose is the destruction of the world itself.”

“However, to avoid that terrible fate and maintain balance, a counterpart was also created, standing equal and opposite to it: Light Gaia. Together, they’re locked in a cycle of death and rebirth, where they engage in a never ending battle to determine the fate of the world every ten thousand years.”

“Oh come on! As if this world wasn’t scary enough already!” Dehya exclaimed, seriously wondering how this world wasn’t a pile of ash by now. “What’s next? A solar god capable of rendering the universe asunder?”

Xeno and Akko could only stare at each other, weighing the pros and cons of revealing how truthful Dehya’s joke actually was.

“As interesting as it is, we can dwell on that later.” Lisa said, steering the conversation to the other point of interest. “It seems having poor Sonic as the main conduit of the Emeralds’ power had an unexpected side effect.”

“What happened to him? He seems more wolf than hedgehog now.” 

“Could it be that the energy unleashed by Dark Gaia’s awakening looped back to him?” Al-Haitham theorized, cupping his chin in thought.

“That’s the most likely reason, because we never got an answer to why this transformation happened.” Akko answered with a shrug, also unsure why it happened. “In any case, you’d be right, he’s more wolf than hedgehog now, which is why this form is known as Werehog. In this form, he gains the ability to stretch his limbs to incredible distances and great physical strength, though less than with his Super form, and with the downside that he’s far slower now.”

“So he trades speed with sheer might. This might be troublesome, having to adapt to such a different fighting style.” Sara mused.

“And with the Chaos Emeralds drained, it’s fair to say Sonic is in for a difficult time.”

“Success! A brilliant success!” Eggman, meanwhile, rejoiced on his victory as looked at the fragmented Earth. “It’s just as the Gaia Manuscripts foretold, the entity that was sealed within the planet has awakened! Now I just need to harness its power! Eggmanland will finally come to be! Nyah ha ha ha!”

“You’ve really… gone and done it this time, Eggman!” Sonic said, having recovered just enough to stand back up, his voice now having a dangerous edge.

“Ah, Sonic! That’s a good look for you. Festive!” Mocked the mad scientist, clearly enjoying Sonic’s misery. “So long, friend!” He said, closing the cockpit of his pod.

Noticing this, Sonic quickly turned around, only to yelp when he was nearly sucked out of the station due to the window opening up, despressurizing the room; he tried holding on to an elevated, but the force of the wind wound up being too much for him, resulting in him being forcefully expelled out of the station and plummeting towards the Earth, a loud thud announcing his eventual crash with solid ground

As this happened, the shadowy figure of Dark Gaia roared out to the stars, its form dissolving and spreading across the fragments of the planet like a miasma

“Man, what a mess. And it’s all because of a megalomaniac’s delusions.” Kaeya said, shaking his head to take off the feeling.

“It seemed to not be able to hold its form for long, so at least they get to have a brief moment of respite.” Jean added before sighing in resignation. “But without Sonic around, things aren’t looking bright.”

“You say that as if Sonic just died.”

“Are you implying he didn’t?” Phoenix “He fell from orbit, for crying outloud! We even heard the thud! There’s no way he survived that fall.”

“If that’s the case, then why hasn’t the viewing finished.” Al-Haitham’s question got everyone to pay attention to the screen, and sure enough, the showing kept going.

At some point during his fall, Sonic had fallen unconscious, while the Emeralds surrounded him. It didn’t last long though, because the wind hitting his face eventually woke him up, just in time for him to notice a green forcefield halting his fall, much to his confusion.

“Oh, thank goodness, someone saved him.” With Sonic’s status cleared, Noelle let out a sigh in relief, now sure things would go smoother. “Was it one of his friends?”

Unfortunately for him, that also didn’t last long, letting him fall the remaining distance while flailing miserably. 

“NNNNOOOO!” He yelled as he fell before crashing face first into the ground, the Emeralds following suit shortly after.

“If it was one of his friends, I guess we can say they grounded him.”

“Cyno…”

After a bit of effort, Sonic managed to pull himself out of the hole he made.

“What the heck is going on?” He asked, still a bit stunned from the fall, before looking around to assess his situation.

It all seemed normal, until he paid more attention and saw something that caught his attention: just a few feet away from him, there lay a small, anthropomorphic burgundy colored chihuahua of sorts, sporting a necklace with a green gem under a thick cover of fur and a diminutive pair of wings.

“Hey, are you ok?” Hurrying over, Sonic picked him up from his tail and lightly shook him around in an attempt to wake him up.

“Can’t… I can’t… Eat another bite.” He murmured, clearly still under Morpheus’ spell.

“Hey, pull yourself together!” Sonic insisted, shaking him a bit harder this time.

“I honestly got to pick up that habit.” Sporting a mischievous smirk, Lumine jokingly poked Paimon’s side. “You are a very heavy sleeper sometimes, you know?”

“Please don’t, the emergency food joke is more than enough.” Paimon said with a deadpan. “Not to mention that it's rude to wake someone up like that.”

That seemed to do the trick, for he finally woke up. Unfortunately, Sonic’s current appearance only served to frighten him, earning himself a kick to the jaw as little imp ran away to hide behind a nearby rock.

“Don’t eat me! I taste bad!”

“You ok?” Undeterred, Sonic asked for his wellbeing, putting his hands on his hips. “Nothing broken?”

“Oh, I’m just fine.” Feeling no impending danger, the imp came out of hiding and flew over to Sonic, a big smile plastered on his face. “Thanks for asking, Mister Monster Guy!”

“Mister… Monster Guy?” Incredulous, Sonic checked himself out, only now noticing just how much he had changed. “Looks like things have gotten pretty ugly.”

“I think Sonic could stand to be more self-aware.” Keqing said.

“To be fair, with everything happening so fast, it’s understandable if he’s just now becoming aware of his personal situation.”

Even then, Ayaka could see the Yuheng's point. It’s simply imperative to be aware of one’s condition at all times 

“Yeah! Look at those teeth, and those claws!” Said the diminutive creature as he flew around Sonic. “What’s your name, anyway?”

“I’m Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog.” He answered with a thumbs up, his confidence still present over the confusion. “And you are?”

“...... What is my name?” Try as he might, all he could come up with was blank, which understandably sent him into a panic. “AHHH! I don’t know! I can’t remember!” He exclaimed while running in circles.

“What!? You can’t remember who you are?”

“Aww, poor thing.” Yoimiya said with a hand over heart. “It must be an awful feeling, not remembering who you are.”

“Sonic has to help him!” Barbara exclaimed

Were the circumstances shown different, even though he’d never admit it outloud, Phoenix would agree with helping the little imp, especially since he relates to the feeling of not knowing who you really are. But as things stand, he has to be realistic, so:

“Sorry to burst your bubble, but there’s bigger things to deal with before that.” 

“He’s right. I’m sorry to say this Barbara, but the world has to be fixed first, then he can deal with the little guy’s memory.” Jean, giving her sister an apologetic look.

“I guess you’re right…” As much as it hurt her leaving a distressed individual behind, given the state the world was in, Barbara had to accept that it must be left for later. “But what do we call him in the meantime?”

“It will be revealed in a little bit.” Akko said while looking at Paimon with amusement in her eyes, much to her confusion. “Just wait a little longer.”

“Yup. I remember something falling from the sky…” To demonstrate, he mimicked himself falling to the ground. “... and everything going all white! And then, nothing!” He then rolled around as if he were stunned while a group of stars circled around his head. “I can’t remember a thing past that!”

“Uh oh, did I fall on him?” Sonic asked, worried that he might be at fault.

Now this was new. Even if just for a moment, Sonic had just addressed them directly; a being that, according to the explanation Xeno gave them, shouldn’t be aware they’re being watched. As such, the implications of such an occurrence sent the entire room into a murmuring storm.

“Fascinating. A being able to recognize an outside audience.” Both Albedo and Sucrose just started to take notes at high speed, almost lighting their notepads in fire while doing so. “What could be the cause of such a phenomenon?”

“Fufufu… Interesting.” Miko, meanwhile, was more so intrigued by this, having been aware of similar characters through some stories she’s been occasionally pitched with, but that she rejected because of how outlandish the ideas were, even by her standard. But seeing this display, even if from someone that actually exists somewhere, gave her a clearer idea of how it could work.

“I-is he aware we’re watching him?” Others though, such as Nilou, were spooked, not expecting any of these characters to actually talk to them. “I know you told us they also exist as fictional characters in some worlds, but it’s still scary to think they might be aware of us.”

“Well, outside of some punctual moments, this version of Sonic doesn’t usually break the 4th Wall, so don’t worry about it too much, at least with him.”

“Oh, man, what am I gonna do?! What CAN I do? Where will I go from here?! What’ll I… Oof, I’m hungry.” He exclaimed while flying around, distressed over what would happen to him… which exhausted whatever energy he had, so he stopped flying.

Hey, don’t worry!” Catching him before he fell to the ground, Sonic proceeded to reassure him the only way he knew how: “I’ll help you get your memory back.”

“Really? You mean it?”

“Absolutely!” Reaffirmed the supersonic hedgehog without a doubt. “I’m sure we’ll find someone who knows you if we look around.”

“Oh, thank you!” Said the little guy, giving him a pair of thumbs up in gratitude. “You’re the best, Mister Monster Gu– I mean, Sonic the Hedgehog!”

Dear Barbatos, please bless Sonic on his journey, for he is an honest, noble soul.

Giggling to himself, Venti saw no need to grant the prayer a certain nun was making to him, for the moment he laid eyes on the Blue Blur, he could feel the blessing of the wind following him. For that, he knew that as long he was there, the world was in safe hands, no matter what.

“Don’t stop rolling around, Sonic. You’ll go far.”

As for everyone else, seeing Sonic’s willingness to help someone, even if the world was quite literally falling apart, magnified the good reception he got from most of them.

“That’s very sweet of him!” Collei said, voicing those opinions.

“Indeed. Little Cutie has a heart of gold.”

“But the world, he still has to…” Others, such as Ganyu, though also happy Sonic offered a helping hand, also got worried that he might get sidetracked, which would be disastrous for the world at large given the circumstances.

“Now hold that thought.” Before the Qilin secretary could continue, she was interjected by Yae Miko. “While I understand that he should focus on repairing his world, by accepting to help him recover his memory, he may be unknowingly doing so.”

“What do you mean, Lady Guuji?” Ayaka asked, not noticing her brother catching up to the priestess’ line of thought.

“She means that by helping him, Sonic may be uncovering the key to saving the world.” Seeing the slew of confused faces, Ayato clarified: “What I mean is that…” Suddenly, although Ayato was moving his mouth, no sound came out of him.

“Sorry, but I can't have you giving clues.” Xeno said, catching their attention. “Don’t worry, I’m not really doing anything, nor is it harmful. This is a system I installed to avoid spoilers floating around. After all, a story is better enjoyed when going in blind, don't you think?”

“You could’ve warned us about it!” Peeved, Paimon crossed her arms while glaring at her host. “It really scared us!”

“Fair enough.” Shrugged the Witness. “But I won’t deny that it was a bit funny, hehe.”

“So you like this kind of morbid humor?” Hu Tao said, her eyes set in a judgemental glare for a few seconds before softening. “I like your style, Witness.”

“Same to you, Director.” He answered with a pair of finger guns, before lifting a hand in her direction. “Mental high five?”

“Mental high five!”

“Dear Celestia, now there’s 2 of them…” Zhongli murmured, dreading what was to come.

Overwhelmed with happiness, the little guy lined up for a high five, which Sonic reciprocated with gusto, the air filled. With matter settled, Sonic looked to the horizon as the Sun finally reared its head, signifying the beginning of a new day, and with it also came new discoveries

Dark energy started to flow around Sonic, and with a brief flash of purple light, he was back to his normal form, which greatly surprised them.

“Whoa.”

“Huh? Wha?”

“That was amazing!”

“Man, how I’d love to turn into a wolf-like creature at night.” Itto said, marveled by the concept. “It would be so awesome!”

“I beg to differ.” Kuki murmured while looking to the side.

“Hmm, interesting. It seems the influence of Dark Gaia’s energy is at its strongest during the night, which also serves as a trigger for the Werehog transformation.” Al-Haitham noted, writing down that detail for further study whenever possible.

Some time later, both Sonic and his new acquaintance got to the nearest city: a nice, cozy town of white buildings, all of them built very close together seamlessly, with paths made of white stone adorned by potted plants and trees.

“What do you figure that was all about?” Sonic asked as they entered the town, juggling a pair of Chaos Emerald on his left hand while the flying imp took in the scenery. “The hair, and those arms, and… Look at the Chaos Emeralds.”

“So is this what you usually look like?”

“Yeah, this is the REAL me.” Striking a pose while pointing upwards, Sonic then asked: “Pretty cool, huh?”

“Honestly, yeah.” Amber answered, nodding to the hedgehog’s assessment. “Sonic has a pretty iconic silhouette. It’s impossible to miss him.”

“I don’t know if it’s because this world runs on different rules, but everything looks like a child’s drawing; even Eggman looked kinda like an egg.” Dehya concluded, the small smile she was sporting signalling the good vibes she was feeling. “It gives the world a unique charm, you know?”

“The city looks very realistic to me, if a bit downscaled.” Doesn’t help that it kind off reminded Thoma of Mondstadt, what with all the windmills and flowers laying around.

“Oh, what a delightful musical piece.” Mona said, bobbing her head to the music’s rhythm.

“What’s the city’s name?” Lumine asked.

“This city is named Apotos, located in the country of Greece.”

“Huh? Where’d you go?” Unfortunately for him, the little imp went away while he was talking, attracted by the allure of the nearby snack cart.

At the site, there was a mustached man finishing the arrangement of an ice cream cone, the process totally hypnotizing the flying imp.

“Ooooh.”

“Looks good, don’t it?” Asked the kind man, earning a nod from his most recent client. “That there Chocolate Chipped Cream Sundae Supreme is the pride of the city! Haha, the whole world can come tumbling down, but they’ll still line up for a taste!”

Suddenly, Lumine felt a disturbance in the air, as if her savings were in danger. Looking to the side, she found her guide salivating at the sight of the icy treat, trying to reach out and grab it with her own hands.

The sight made her stomach sink to the deepest depths

A few seats below, Beidou saw the Traveler’s horrified expression and, knowing how voracious Paimon could be, couldn’t help but pity her. Doesn’t mean she didn’t find it humorous, but pity was stronger.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think this little guy is Paimon's long lost sibling.”

Hearing his Captain’s remark, Kazuha laughed a little at the thought.

“Sure looks like it.”

“No matter how many times I see it, humanity keeps amazing me.” Others though, such as Ei, were more interested in the kind man’s disposition, seemingly not bothered by the dire circumstances the world found itself in. “Not even the apparent end of the world is enough to take away your will to keep on with your lives as if nothing is happening.”

“I mean, if I were in his shoes, I would do the same.” Yoimiya said with a shrug, a sentiment shared all throughout the audience. “It’s better to enjoy your final moments and die happy than sulk over it all day.”

“And that in itself is one of the purest forms of wisdom.” Replied Nahida, causing a string of bashful expressions and blushes all around.

“Hey! What about your memories?”

It was no use. No matter how much Sonic called for him, the little guy was infatuated by the snack in front of him.

“Chocolate chip… sundae… supreeeeme!”

“Haha, you said it!” As a playful jab, the man snatched it away and kept it out of the imp’s grasp, as if taunting him to come and get it. “Enjoy it, kiddo. Satisfaction guaranteed! If you don’t love it, you get your money back!”

“HEY!”

“Oh, I looooove it!”

In the end, they ended up buying one for each. Needless to say, the little guy was enjoying his very thoroughly.

“Mmmm-mm! Wow, this chip-whatever stuff is great!”

“If you say so… How about you give me a hand and help look for somebody who knows you, Chip?”

Hearing that, the flying imp stopped dead in his tracks, confused by what he was called.

“Chip?”

“Gotta call you something, don’t I?” Was all Sonic answered after turning around to face him. “Whaddya think?”

“Yeah! Chip… Chip!” Exclaimed the newly named imp, as if testing how it sounded. “I love it! Yum!”

“Now what do you say we start asking around and see if anybody here knows you?”

“Okay!”

“Chip… What a cute name!” Nilou said, absolutely delighted by Sonic’s kind nature.

“Sweet as a chocolate chip!” Hu Tao added.

“All that ice cream talk got me hungry” Paimon grumbled while holding her belly. “Lumine, do you have anything left in your bag?”

“Yeah, yeah, just give me a minute.” Pulling out her bag, the Traveler rummaged around for a bit handing a pair of berries to her companion. “Honestly, I could’ve sworn Chip was your brother or something. He’s just as much of a glutton.”

“Hey, Paimon already told you, Paimon needs the energy to keep afloat!”

“It’s decided!” Venti declared, drawing the attention of those around. “Sonic’s noble acts of good deserved to be immortalized in song!”

“Get in the line, Bard Boy, there’s a lot of people in front of you!” Their host replied.

“Disregarding the end of the world for a moment, the premise of this world is very interesting. I can feel a deep history hidden behind its silly appearance.” Zhongli said. “I’d like to learn more about this world. Especially the Chaos Emeralds.”

“Sure. I’ll leave the library open for you to explore.” At the mention of a library, quite a few people perked up, eager to give the otherworldly knowledge a taste. “Just be careful with what you read. As helpful as knowledge is, it can also be just as much of a detriment, especially in your world.”

“That, and please don’t spoil the surprise if you read anything about any of the worlds we’ve already seen.”

“Understood.” Relating to the feeling, Kokomi accepted the condition. “In any case, do you have another world prepared?”

“I don’t, but honestly, I think we could keep this arrangement." As he said that, Xeno connected the screen with his portable one, once again showing a set of logos and emblems. “Every time we hit an odd number, I’ll let one of you guys decide what world we’ll see next, while I choose during the even numbers. What do you think?”

“Fine by me.”

“Fair enough.”

“No objections on my part.”

“Noice.” He said, confusing them with his odd phrasing. But before they could correct him, he asked: “So, what would you like to see next? Whichever is chosen first will be our next viewing.”

Among the emblems shown on the screen, quite a few caught the attention of the audience: a simple black spider, a green hourglass contained in a black circle, a cartoony red mushroom with white spots and black eyes, among others. Some had already made their choice and just wanted to see if any other caught their eye, but before they could say anything…

“What about that one over there?” Hu Tao said while pointing to an hexagon with 3 arrows coming out of its top and sides. “It looks promising.”

“Ooh, this is one of our newest additions.” Said the AI as she selected the world. “It’s a… very interesting world, to say the least.”

“I personally like it, but even I can say that it’s not for everyone.” Xeno added. “Do you still want to proceed?”

“Come on, bro! It can be that bad! I bet it’s mild annoyance at best!---”

“Coming from you, it’ll be anything but mild…”

“So go ahead compadre! Don’t worry!”

“Alright. But don’t say I didn’t warn you if you end up cringing.” Said the Witness, starting to set up the presentation.

“Wait, cringing?” Suddenly Collei didn’t feel like seeing this world. “Uh… Can we… I don’t know… choose another one?”

Unfortunately for her, the Witness and his assistant were deep into setting up the next viewing, and he did say that one of them gets to choose what they’ll see every odd number, so there was no going back. Sighing in resignation, she could only hope that whatever came next wasn’t as cringey as Xeno made it sound.