AN: MWAHAHAHAHA! I feel so damn proud! Holy (curse word)!

Yet at the same time I can't help but feel the need to shed a tear. After all, this is the final ACT of 'Farewell for now', and to think I was even able to get this far is something quite amazing (for me). It's like beating a Bloodborne boss after all your struggles and it's just, Ah. So good.

Writing this final chapter of 'Farewell for now' while listening to BeFall was pretty intense not gonna lie. Throughout the whole time, while I was writing, I kept thinking, 'Honestly, I thought that Feather of Millenium would've been better suited for this atmosphere but this is just... Ah, what an amazing song.'

I've also been writing down some more lore for this story down on my phone and damn, am I impressed by what I was able to create. God, I'm surprised I was even come up with a way for them to fit into this new world at all. Ironically, Lyin (See you in the next world) popped up and well... heh, not gonna spoil it for ya.

Welp, I've stalled you long enough, let's get on with the chapter.

Also, the first 20 seconds of BeFall is one of the best eargasms I've ever had.

Farewell for now ACT III: First step

Diary Entry 02:

Tomorrow, I shall go out and gather materials for my project.

I've been wondering, 'Should I make a name for it?'. After all, it is my invention, so I must name it. Maybe… the Gold ? No, it wouldn't make sense, what I'm creating isn't a ?. I need a name, a name that will shake the laws of Teyvat, a name that will haunt the very heavenly principles themselves.

No matter, that shall come after.

Alchemist Gold, signing off.

'Shit!' Tartaglia curses as he ducks under four arrows.

His opponent didn't spare him any time and continued to push forward, firing off another set of arrows at Tartaglia.

'Fighting at a distance is a lost cause! I need to close the distance!' Tartaglia thought, dismissing his bow and summoning his Hydro blades.

Water gathered under his boots before bursting, shooting Tartaglia towards his enemy.

"HAAH!" he yells, bringing down the blades onto his opponent.

Steam bursts into the air, covering the training field from where Tartaglia had struck his opponents.

"Heh, you're getting even better, Shirou," Tartaglia compliments his nephew.

"Only because of you, uncle," Shirou returned.

Steam continues to hiss as they struggle to overpower each other with their elemental swords. Eventually, Tartaglia overcame the clash, forcing red-headed teen to back away, as his falchion-like Pyro blades vaporized.

Not letting up the pressure, he continues to push, continuing to force Shirou back as he unleashes a barrage of quick slashes.

"I thought I taught you how to fight! Not run!" He taunts as Shirou continues to back away to the training field's ring.

Combining the swords into a dual-bladed spear, Tartaglia stabs it into Shirou's chest to which the red-headed teen used a new pair of Pyro blades to defend against. He quickly transforms the spear back into dual blades and delivers a cross slash, knocking Shirou further towards the ring.

'It's my win now!' He thought, confidently.

Suddenly, he could feel pain searing across his back and his body lifts off the ground as he gets knocked forward, towards Shirou.

The teen falls to the ground, letting Tartaglia fly over his body. He then kicks the flying man, causing him to accelerate out of the ring.

'I win,' Shirou thought, grinning.

Tartaglia shoots back towards Shirou, water trailing behind him as he slashes at the teen, cutting his chest.

He lands but doesn't attack.

"So, mind telling me what was it that you did back there?" He grunts through the pain.

"Find out yourself." He taunts.

"How cruel," Tartaglia jokes.

He shoots towards the teen, blades held back to strike.

"Should've watch you back," Shirou whispers.

~~Fragmented Star~~

'I wonder how their fight is going…' Zhongli ponders as he continues to follow the path leading to the training field.

'Let's just hope they don't get interrupted like last time,' Zhongli dwelled back to some old memories.

The "training field", where Shirou and Tartaglia were fighting at was really just a normal area located near the tree in Nantianmen. The area was generously given by the Adepti when Tartaglia helped clear the area of monsters and treasure hoarders, to use the area as a training field.

However, every now and then, monsters such as Hilichurls will attempt to take over the area which usually interrupts the two's training.

'Or another incident where they tried to attack an Adepti, thinking they were monsters,' He chuckles.

As he neared the field, the sound of explosions beginning to grow louder and fumes of vapor and smoke grow larger as he closes in.

'Oh?' he hums, finally arriving, 'Well isn't that new?'

Swords, Shirou was summoning swords made of pyro energy and shooting them at Tartaglia.

"Since when did you learn how to do this?!" Tartaglia shrieks as he moves his head just in time to avoid being beheaded by the sword.

Shirou responds by bringing down the pyro blades onto the Harbinger, vapor fuming as the two elemental swords clashed once again.

Tartaglia immediately backs away from the teen as a pyro sword shot down from the skies, nearly impaling him.

'If this keeps going, I might need to unleash my delusion on this brat!' He thought as he continues to back away from Shirou.

'Wait, what is he-'

Shirou throws the dual pyro blades at the harbinger with full force, surprising him.

Tartaglia blocks the blades aimed for his head, causing vapor to fume in his face, blocking his vison. This causes him to lose balance and stumble.

'It's over then,' Zhongli concludes.

"I guess this is my win, then right? Uncle Ajax?" Shirou taunts, grinning.

"Yeah… I guess so," Tartaglia nods, slowly raising his hands to surrender.

Tartaglia was pinned in between a dozen of Pyro swords, with Shirou holding one blade against his neck.

"You can let him go now, Shirou," Zhongli says as he approaches the duo, "And congratulations on passing the test, the fight was quite an amazing sight, especially what you did with the swords."

"Yeah! You didn't answer my question from before! When did you learn to do that?" Tartaglia yells as he dropped to the grass.

"Well…" Shirou begins to scratch his head, "you might not believe me but, truth is. I saw it in a dream."

"…"

"…"

"Huh?" the two adults squawked simultaneously.

"I just saw it in a dream and I just… knew," He answers honestly.

"Hm… that is interesting," Zhongli hums, "And when did you have this dream?"

"I think it was… two years ago? When you first gave me this vision," Shirou gestures to the vision hanging from his hip.

"So it happened the day I gave you the vision?" He asks for confirmation.

Shirou nods.

"That… would actually make sense."

"What? How?" Tartaglia joins in.

"The vision I gave him was a vision that belonged to a deceased adventurer. It would make sense that it also harbored some of the memories that belonged to its previous owner," Zhongli explains, "However…"

"However?" Shirou asks.

"This is the first time I have ever heard of this happening."

"Wait, you're saying that the great, Zhongli. The one that people call the "Living history". Has never heard of this happening?" Tartaglia questions him, wide-eyed, "Through your whole life as an Ar-"

"Childe," Zhongli calls, nodding over to Shirou.

"Oh, sorry," Tartaglia chuckles.

"What was that?" Shirou asked curiously.

"Nothing," Zhongli answers, "Nothing important."

"Well, I think we should end the conversation here," Zhongli announces as he walks away from the duo, "Let us head back."

"So… what are you two hiding from me?" Shirou asks Tartaglia this time.

The harbinger only smiles and places a finger against his lips, "You'll know in the future."

Shirou dropped the topic and shrugged. If his uncles said that he'll know in the future then he'll know, no need to push it.

"Here!" Tartaglia calls to him, chucking a traveller's bag for him to catch, "Let's head back."

~~Fragmented Star~~

"Leaving tomorrow, youngster?"

"Yes, Granny Shan," Shirou nods, handing a kite to another child.

"You've grown quite a bit now, haven't you?" She chuckles, "Ah, to be young again."

"I'm sure it's not that bad to be selling kites," Shirou comments as he looks over to the sea.

"Hoh, hoh. You'd know when you get as old as me," She chuckles again, "Here."

She hands him a miniature object which resembled a palm-sized kite. The kite was rusty-red in colour and had a small symbol, similar to that of the pyro symbol on his vision.

"A little gift for you to remember Liyue by," She says, patting the kite.

"Thank you, Granny Shan," Shirou bows.

"No need to bow to me," She waves, "This is just a small thanks for all those times you have helped me and my stall."

"SHIROU!"

The two turned towards where the voice came from to find a young blue-haired girl running towards them.

"I heard you were leaving tomorrow! Why didn't you tell me?!" She yells.

"Hello Xiangling," He greets the ecstatic girl.

"We still haven't decided on who's the better cook! And you're leaving already?!"

"K-keep your voice down, there are people out-"

"No! Not until you explain why you're leaving! How dare you run from a chef's fight?!"

"That's enough," Granny Shan states, whacking Xiangling at the back of the hand with a paper fan that she pulled out of nowhere, "You can have your cook-off when Shirou comes back."

"But!-"

"No more buts!" Granny Shan interrupts.

"I-it's alright! I'll visit every once in a while, so there's no need to worry!" Shirou says calmly.

"I guess…" She said, disheartened.

"Now, now. Like he said, he'll visit every once in a while, so you can have a cook-off with him on one of those days," Granny Shan said, stroking Xiangling's back, "And you."

"M-me?" Shirou points to himself.

"Don't you have a delivery to make?" She asks, pointing to the paper bag laying next to the stall.

He blinks owlishly for a second, before his eyes slowly widened in realization.

"I'm gonna be late!" He shouts as he quickly grabs the bag and sprints away from the stall.

"That boy…" Granny Shan sighs, smiling.

Shirou sprints as fast as he could to the harbor, passing by many people as he whizzes through them. He arrives in Feiyun Slope and makes a right turn, down to the harbor.

"Woah!" A millelith cried as Shirou sprints pass him.

"Sorry!" He calls back.

He arrives at the harbor and makes a left turn.

"Oh crap! W-watch out!" He calls to a girl in front of him.

"Hm?"

"GAH!" The two screamed as they crashed into one another.

He scratches his head and quickly checks the contents inside the paper bag to make sure it was okay. He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw that they weren't damaged.

"Ah! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean… to…"

The girl had purple hair that was tied into twin-tails and eyes of violet that reflected the beauty of gems. The dress which she wore, had a combination of white and purple.

"It's alright I wasn't watching… where… I…" She stopped as they made eye contact, "You're that boy."

"I-I'm sorry! I really didn't mean to bump into you like that! It's just that I have to make a delivery right now and-"

"It's alright," She said, interrupting him, "I wasn't watching where I was going, so the fault lays with me."

"But-"

"I said it's alright." She sighs.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," She sighs again, "Don't you have a delivery to make?"

"Ah! Right!" he stands quickly and begins to run, but he stopped midway "I'm sorry I didn't get your name, Miss?"

"Keqing," She answers.

"Shirou," he returns, "And sorry for bumping into you like that."

Keqing watches as Shirou leaves her sight, running at a much slower pace than before.

'What's that term from Fontaine? Déjà vu?'

~~Fragmented Star~~

"Ugh…"

He flops onto the bed, hiding his face in the sheets.

"Again… I did it again…" he says, voice muffled from the sheets, "Ugh I'm such an idiot."

He flips himself over, spreading his arms and legs over the bed as he stares into the ceiling.

He sighs, and slowly closes his eyes to let sleep take him over.

'I wonder, what I'll see this time…' he ponders as he slowly loses touch with reality.

~~Fragmented Star~~

"So, you ready?" Tartaglia asks, looking over to Shirou.

Shirou was garbed in a white shirt with a black and white overcoat that reached his knees. The pants he wore was blue in colour and the boots he wore was similar to that of Tartaglia's. His vision was kept hanging from the front right of his hip, with the palm-sized kite that Granny Shan gave him, dangling off the Vision from a purple thread.

The outfit was woven and imported from Snezhnaya. It was given to him by his uncle as a gift for becoming an adventurer.

"Yeah," Shirou nods.

"I guess it's time then," Tartaglia pats his back, "Gonna say goodbye to your nephew, Zhongli?"

"There is no need to say goodbye, for it is not. Afterall, we will meet again," Zhongli chuckles.

"Jeez, can't even say a normal goodbye, can you?" Tartaglia jokes, "So, you know where your first destination is?"

"Mmhm, Mondstadt," Shirou answers.

"Well, we're not gonna hold you any longer, off you go then!" He pats the bag, Shirou carried.

"Farewell then, Uncle Ajax, Uncle Zhongli," Shirou bows, "Thank you for everything you taught me."

"Yeah, yeah. Make sure you don't die out there after all that hard work we put into you now eh?" Tartaglia jests.

Shirou nods and turns around, leaving behind the two adults.

"All grown up now huh?" Tartaglia snorts, "Ah, this feels just like when I watched my siblings grow up."

"Nostalgic isn't it?" Zhongli asks.

"Yep."

"…"

"…"

"By the way," Zhongli calls to Tartaglia.

"Hm?"

"Did we sign him up on the Adventurer's Guild list?"

"…"

"…"

"He'll be fine," Tartaglia says nonchalantly.

Edited AN: I'm just adding this incase anyone forgot. But in the last chapter, I revealed that Shirou signed a contract to become an adventurer and leave Liyue by 17, so if anyone wants to know his age right now, 17 is how old he is now.

Goddamn, the new Archon quest for Genshin was pretty amazing.

I mean, Chad's theory was actually correct, like dead-on correct. He theorized that the Abyss is actually some part of Khaenri'ah that is hidden from the world and the monsters are actually the people of Khaenri'ah. Wait... did he theorize the last part? Probably not but damn, this works incredibly well for my story.

I've also gotten to the Chapter involving the Sea of Quanta in Honkai Impact 3rd and oh god. Seele and Bronya meeting was just... god I could cry.

Why did you take her away from us, just when we finally united, you (curse word)?! I know that they'll meet again but why?! Why must you take her away from sweet little Bronya, ARGH!