Episode 32: Siege Pt 3
The city is in ruins and bloodshed has covered whole sections. Zhongli and his team are trying to fight off a Ruin Juggernaut as it fires a big beam of energy to skirt across the street. There were eruptions of energy that rip and tear through the buildings.
"This thing is built like a mountain," Yaoyao said as she sets up her flower turrets for they fire their seeds at it but it's not slowing this metal beast down as all.
"We must destroy it," Zhongli said as he summons a barrage of gemstones to shower towards the massive machine. The Juggernaut raises its hand to gather energy into it as the robot traps the incoming projectiles into a field of energy like a net,
"Oh shit," Hu Tao said being surprised by this as the machine reverses the gemstones back with twice the force and speed to destroy sections of the city.
"Get around me," Zhongli ordered as everyone gathered with her putting up a Jade Shield to protect them from a string of Geo explosions. The Ruin Machine fires a powerful beam of energy to pound away at the Jade Shield while at the same time using missiles to chip away at it.
Soon enough the Ruin Juggernaut breaks Zhongli's barrier and the beam strikes the ground causing a big blast to knock them all onto the ground. The Ruin machine charges forward with each step shaking the area around it like a mini quake was felt there.
"Oh crap," Xingqiu said as they all split off with him launching water swords trying to pierce its defenses. Ganyu fires ice arrows to freeze sections where the water swords are connected. Yaoyao fires her flower bud turrets to unload lots of explosive Dendro seeds to smash into the hull of the metal monster.
Hu Tao, Xiao, and Chongyun go forward with Chongyun lobs ice swords to freeze the legs. Both spear users enchant themselves to start dashing into the frozen legs to attack them.
Zhongli calls down a meteor from the sky and strikes the metal machine to engulf in a large Geo explosion. The Ruin Juggernaut shakes his off as an aura of energy engulfs its whole body as it parts of its armor melting and reforming itself until it's repaired to 100%
"Did just heal itself," Hu Tao wondered.
"Its hull is made of a special alloy which can melt and reform itself allowing it to heal from any injuries it received in combat. Also, that shield can repel any elemental attack or spell we could toss against it," Zhongli said.
"Are you fucking kidding me, that thing is invulnerable," Hu Tao said as they see the Juggernaut covered in an energy dome as it unleashes an onslaught of missiles and energy beams from the dome from all sides.
"Evade," Zhongli ordered as they all dodge the incoming attacks but the barrage is increasing tenfold for them to be overwhelming. Ganyu gets knocked into the air as the robot punches her in the chest. She gets launched across the air and land into a pool of water.
The juggernaut begins to power up its eye as Ganyu freezes the water to make an ice dome to protect herself. The beam erupts from the machine's eye to easily pierce the ice dome and destroy the pool making Ganyu flop onto the streets.
"Shoot," she got wet as she summons a frost lotus to distract it but it didn't fall for it. It sucks the ice lotus in its palm and sends it back at Ganyu. Unable to dodge it, Ganyu got turned frozen. She gets tackled and sent through a few buildings.
"Miss Ganyu," Yaoyao said as she is trying to ensnare the metal monster with large vines from the ground but it's not working either.
"This isn't working," Xingqiu said as he backflips away from a missile strike while casting a barrage of explosive bubbles to deflect all the missiles.
"You noticed it getting sluggish when it does big attacks," Chongyun said as the Juggernaut slows down to begin cooling off to lower its shields. Four nodes with two on its shoulders and two on its chest appear to vent out the heat.
"Attack those, this is the key to defeating that machine," Zhongli lobs gemstones striking the first node to destroy it leaving three left. Xiao powers up with an Anemo aura covering his body and a mask on his face.
Xiao is creating wind crescents to slice incoming missiles out of the air as he speeds towards the metal monster. He is bouncing off the building to avoid a wave of missiles and lasers. He delivers a powerful kick to knock the node off the shoulder of the robot. The machine grabs onto Xiao and shoves him into the street to then stomp on him.
He blocks it with his Jade Spear as she swiftly got out of there just in time before the Ruin Juggernaut made a crater with its single stomp. The machine's shields go back up as it clears up its overheating as it fires a powerful beam of energy to skirt across the ground burning down several houses.
"This thing is too much," Yaoyao said as she tosses her seeds to summon flower buds to fire onto a tower ripping it up with Dendro explosions. The tower crashes onto the robot to see the shield not blocking the kinetic strike to slow it down a bit.
"Keep pressuring it until the robot overheats again and then we strike back," Zhongli said as they all dodge and press against the machine.
"If we can survive this," Hu Tao said lightly as Zhongli gathers several stone walls in front of him to block incoming projectiles but they get smashed by explosives. Xiao powers up his Jade Spear to conjure a huge gust of wind to blowback the machine launching it off its feet and send it flying into a building.
Quickly the machine recovers to burst out of the ruins and leap towards them. Zhongli backs away to create a huge hole to make the robot fall into it as he buries it inside beginning to crush the robot underground.
"Nice one Mr. Zhongli," Xiangling said as she sees Ruin Drones coming their way. "Oh no, more machines coming," she said to wield her Deathmatch and knock one of the drones away. Then a massive swarm of drones descends from the sky to head for them.
"Oh crap," Xingqiu said as Zhongli puts up a Jade Shield for the Drone swarm to sweep through them as Zhongli is trying hard to hold the shield together. Suddenly the ground explodes with the Ruin Juggernaut leaping for the others.
It smashes the ground with a huge thud and unleashing a powerful shockwave that shocks the ground bypassing the Jade Shield to stun them with electricity. The machine smashes through the shield and grabs Xiangling with its huge hand slowing crushing her.
"Oh no, I can't breathe. Guys do something," she struggled to form her words. Before they can do anything, the machine whips her like a ragdoll and slam her hard onto the ground. They hear every bone in her body breaking at once. Hu Tao, Xingqiu, and Chongyun look on in horror as their friend looks lifeless on the ground.
"No, no!" Xingqiu screamed as the machine hits Xiangling with its fist to turn most of her into a red smear in the dirt. Her head rolls onto Xingqiu's feet as he looks at his friend's face to see an etched expression of fear and disbelief.
"Oh shit," Hu Tao said as she sees her friend is not taking this well at all.
"You metal bastard, I will make you pay for what you did," Xingqiu said as he launches a reckless barrage of bubbles and water swords but the Ruin Drones swarm around the Juggernaut deflecting everything he has thrown at it.
"You are kidding me, that machine is using those smaller guys as a second shield. Working together as a unit," Yaoyao said as all 1000 Drones focus their laser beams to litter the ground with energy blasts. Xingqiu gets caught in the explosions as he crashes through a window of a broken building.
Chongyun looks worried to head for his friend as Hu Tao and Zhongli try to hold off the crazy robot swarms and the onslaught of the Juggernaut for it was too much. Ganyu tosses a field of ice as icicles rain down on the horde of robot drones to freeze them and make them fall onto the ground.
Xiao is still in his powered-up state to swing his Jade Spear like a fan to unleash a huge gust of wind to sweep up all the drones heading for the Juggernaut. A thousand frozen drones bypass the shield and deliver a powerful strike while the wind sweeps up the huge robot launching it into several buildings.
Zhongli can see the machine took a mighty beating as its beginning to heal its armor and its shield is dropped. He conjures spears of stone and lobs them into the two remaining nodes to destroy them disabling its elemental shielding.
"Finally, eat this," Hu Tao summons several goofy-looking Pyro ghosts from her staff making them seek out their target.
All her ghosts latch onto the robot's limbs to set out a chain of powerful fiery explosions destroying its limbs. Zhongli stomps his foot onto the ground as a large spear of stone pop out of the ground to pierce into the hull severing the machine in half.
"Finally, it's over with that thing," Yaoyao said as Hu Tao looks on to hold onto Xiangling's head.
"Damn it," Hu Tao having a sorrowful look on her friend's head.
"Gee, things are just getting wrong," Ganyu said as they spot something very ominous.
They see 5 Ruin Juggernauts along with Stalkers, Blitzers, and a bigger swarm of Drones coming their way. The group looks on in complete disbelief and hopelessness.
"Oh, you got to be kidding me, we barely beat the first one and now there are five of them," Yaoyao getting annoyed by this as Zhongli prepares to fight again.
"We have to keep going despite how hard it is," Zhongli said as he goes forward with Hu Tao, Xiao, and Ganyu following behind him.
"Gee, this is such a big mess. I don't want more people to die," Yaoyao said as she sees Xiangling's head on the grass. She goes up to it and closes the head's eyes. "Rest in peace Xiangling, we will not forget about you," Yaoyao said to bow her head as she goes off with the others to confront the robots and prevent them from destroying the barrier protecting the city from the Shade.
Back at the Golden House, Aether and Paimon are in a lift that is heading a massive area filled with vaults. "I hope the others are okay," Aether said.
"Well, Zhongli, Ganyu, and Xiao are there. They can handle themselves," Paimon said.
"What about Keqing?" Aether wondered.
"Come on, she is stubborn to back down from a fight," Paimon said.
"Yeah, you are right. I need to focus on stopping this guy Nazo," Aether said as they reach the bottom to be within a massive space with vaults as far as he can see. "So, the secrets of the Qixing are stored here huh?" Aether questioned as he senses danger to dodge an incoming black bolt of lightning.
"That is right, this is where all their dirty laundry is loaded in these big ass vaults. Their subjects never knowing their darkest secrets," Nazo said as he is on top of a statue of Ningguang in the middle of the area.
"Nazo, you will pay for what you have done to this place," Aether sounding angry to summon his Sword of Descension in his hand to get into a combat stance. Nazo is looking very causal not bothered by Aether's presence to have a sly smile.
"Yeah, yeah but I wonder something Traveler. Why are you and your sister Lumine able to use the elements as you do, you two are quite the anomalies," Nazo said as both Paimon and Aether look shocked by this.
"How do you know my sister's name?" Aether getting angry with the dark swordsman as Nazo laughs at this. "Answer me," Aether demanded.
"Well, I will let you in on a secret since you are going die anyway. We Shade can take in the traits of our victims. Their memories, skills, and power get transferred into the Shade collective and go back to our Mistress Void making her stronger, " Nazo said.
"Wait what, all those people and monsters the Shade take in. Make her stronger," Paimon said.
"Yep, we are all part of the mistress and help on her mission to free the world from chaos. Bringing true peace to this broken world with possession one at a time," Nazo said as two are even more shocked to hear their final plans.
"So, you are going to turn everything to Shades across the whole world?" Aether looking dumbfounded by how twisted this plan sounds.
"Yep, once that happens. Everyone will be under the same hive mind and peace can be achieved in this world," Nazo said as Aether leaps at the mad samurai with Nazo blocking the attack with his twin swords.
"You are insane, I will not let that happen," Aether fights with his sword but Nazo easily bats his attacks away with his raw skill and finesse.
"I doubt that kid, now time to dance to the beats of death," Nazo said as he sports a katana blade and a Tanto short sword.
"Those weapons and your name as well. Are you a samurai?" Paimon asked as Nazo has a sad grin.
"I was once one but I got sick of Baal's garbage. She is stuck in her old ways, so I went to aid my mistress to make a real difference," Nazo said as the two guys are batting out within the deepest depths of the Golden House. The clashing of their swords echoes across the vast space.
Aether is slashing and thrusting at the dark swordsman but Nazo can evade his strikes. They are both bouncing off the walls and vaults trying to one-up the other. "This is the big hero, the Traveler. You got to do better than that," Nazo said to slam his foot into Aether's head to knock him back onto the floor.
They resume their sword fighting as Nazo catches Aether's sword in a sword bind and rip it out of his hand to disarm him. Aether backs away to avoid the sword slashes with him using wind magic to blast at Nazo to keep him at a distance.
Nazo is flipping into the air to dodge the incoming wind orbs as he fires bolts of black lightning at Aether. Aether puts up a stone barrier to block it but the lightning bolt embeds into the rock letting out a giant explosion blowing it to bits.
He summons his sword back into his hand to deflect a slash from Nazo to clash steel on steel. Aether uses his Wind Blade to suck him into a vacuum and cut into his body until his wind Blade explodes sending the dark samurai flying across the vast room.
"Not bad," Nazo powers his swords to supercharge them with lightning as he summons orbs of water around him. Paimon looks surprised by this.
"You can use more than one element?" Paimon asked.
"I am not human anymore, I can do more than that," Nazo's body is covered in a field of energy with him lobbing a huge bubble at the floor. Water splashes in a huge area with Aether getting wet as Nazo shoves his palm onto the floor to begin shocking the damp area. Aether didn't dodge it as he is getting electrocuted as he is stunned in place.
Nazo shoulder tackles Aether into a large container to deliver a powerful knee into his head causing a dent behind Aether's head. "Try better," Nazo said as Aether powers up and unleashes a gust of wind from his body to knock the corrupt samurai backward.
Aether can feel the blood seeping out the back of his head and his body is getting drowsy. "Aether, are you okay?" Paimon looking worried about him.
"Paimon, stay out of the fight. I don't want you to get hurt," Aether said as he pulls out a healing potion to tend to his wounds.
"Aether," Paimon said to disappears with Nazo trying to blast him with water beams and dark lighting bolts. Aether manages to put up a big rock barrier to give him some breathing room as he drinks the whole potion down. He feels his body is getting better as he resumes the fighting. "
"Better creative," Aether said as he creates more Geo structures around Nazo.
"Hey, you missed kid," Nazo said sounding cocky with Aether pounding his fist into the floor. All the Geo constructs begin to pulse Geo energy to knock Nazo around. Aether counters by thrusting his sword into Nazo's chest several times and then send a strong kick to knock him into a Geo pillar.
The Geo energy knocks him back and Nazo falls onto Aether's sword. Aether puts his palm onto his stomach to begin gathering sharp winds cutting into Nazo's body. "Eat my Wind Blade," Aether lets his Anemo move unleash a mighty blast sending Nazo across the huge space.
He crashes into a vault denting it quite a bit as Nazo took some damage. "Not bad kid," Nazo's body is bleeding quite badly but he is healing very fast able to return to normal condition in no time. He tosses his Tanto aiming for Aether.
He deflects it but Nazo shoves his blade into Aether's stomach as Paimon looks on in shock. "Aether no!" Paimon shouted as Aether can see the blade has run through him.
Nazo kicks him onto the ground as he picks up the Tanto off the ground. "You are not as good as me kid," Nazo said.
"Where is that honor Samurai have?" Aether asked as Nazo laughs at this.
"Are you serious, that is some romantic bullshit the Shogun made up to make us look good. The nobles can make it look nice but we act like cutthroats on the battlefield. Any means to win is the rule of the Samurai kid," Nazo said as he takes his Tanto digging it into Aether's stomach.
"Aether is screaming as the blade is twisting into his belly with Nazo having a devilish grin on his face.
"Stop it," Paimon reappears and latches her body onto his face trying to stop him from torturing Aether.
"Get off me you damned fairy," Nazo said as Aether looks up to see Paimon is holding onto dear life to Nazo's face.
"Paimon, what the hell are you doing?" Aether shouted.
"Paimon can't just watch when he is torturing you," Paimon said as Nazo grabs her to begin shocking for Paimon screams in agony not willing to let go.
"Paimon, why?" Aether asked as he holds onto his guts with blood oozing onto the floor.
"Because your Paimon's true friend and I will do anything to keep you safe," Paimon said as this touched Aether.
"Paimon," Aether groaned as Nazo shocked her enough to see her body has gone limp. Aether looks on in horror to see Paimon get toss onto the floor like a dirty rag doll. "Paimon!" Aether screamed as his heart is aching and his body going numb. He is consumed with anger and sadness with his body beginning to glow bright white.
"Good riddance, that bitch was annoying," Nazo said as he witnesses Aether get back onto his feet. "What the hell?" he questioned as he senses a vast power swelling from within Aether's very being.
"Paimon is my friend and I am going to make you fucking pay for that," Aether said as he has the Sword of Descension in his right hand and the Festering Desire in his left hand. "I am going to make you fucking pay!" Aether gives out a primal roar fitted with anger and agony as his body is engulfed in bright white light. The whole golden house is shaking from his massive power surge.
Elsewhere Keqing is going down the lift as she felt this power shaking the vast complex. "What is going on here, I hope Aether and Paimon are okay," Keqing wondered to reach the bottom to be within the vault room.
She looks upon a scene of chaos and destruction with craters and holes scattered everywhere. "What the hell?" she looks to see Aether looking bloodied and battered covered in a weird white aura.
"I will not forgive you for what you did to Paimon," Aether unleashes a big shockwave to blowback Keqing and Nazo onto the floor.
Nazo looks on with fear to see Aether tapped into his true powers as the accents of his clothing are glowing white. "What in the world," Nazo tries to grab his swords but Aether is too quick and severs both his hands in a flash. "Shit," Nazo cursed as he regenerates his hands to resume fighting Aether.
"Aether, what is happening to you?" Keqing is awestruck by this but she looks over to see Paimon is badly injured. "Paimon," she runs towards her to give her aid. "Paimon, Paimon, it's me Keqing. Wake up," she said to gently hold her in her arms.
"Oh Keqing, are you okay?" Paimon asked as her body is badly burned from Nazo's lightning.
"Don't worry about me, you need to get healed by Ganyu," Keqing said as she holds her tight against her chest for comfort.
"Aether, he is changing," Paimon said as Aether is moving around like flashes of lightning even out beating Keqing in terms of speed and precision. He is blitzing Nazo not letting him get any counterattacks at all.
"Changing to what?" Keqing asked.
"He used this against Childe before in the Golden House. His original power is coming back," Paimon said as Aether is wielding all 7 elements at once h unleashing hellish barrages of elemental might onto his enemy.
Nazo is dumbfounded by his raw power and control as Aether is throwing everything at Nazo. Cryo, Pyro, Hydro, Anemo, Dendro, Geo, and Electro. Aether uses several elemental chain reactions that overwhelmed Nazo as he unleashes a massive field of lightning to fry anything in his path.
"That is an enough, I do not give a damn about your power. I will send you straight to hell, Shade Infusion," Nazo shreds his humanity and fully embraces the Shade within to give him full power. Suddenly a huge serpent dragon made of water surrounded Nazo as darkness engulfs the massive room.
"What is this?" Keqing wondered as she is holding onto Paimon tightly with her Jade Cutter in one hand.
"I will crush you, Traveler," Nazo's voice sounds very distorted as he let loose the water dragon. "Kill him," he ordered as his spell strikes at Aether to ensnare him in a floating orb of Hydro energy. "Eat this," he fires a torrent of lightning to hit the water orb to vaporize it completely turning it into a mist.
"Aether no!" Keqing shouted as they see Aether within the mist with his body covered in an elemental shield protecting him from the spell with ease. "Aether," Keqing said with relief in her voice.
Aether runs at Nazo and drives his blade into Nazo's chest to slam him into a vault door. Aether is rapidly stabbing into Nazo's chest with increasing speed and power. Each blow digs Nazo deeper into the dented door until he shoves a powerful Wind blade into his chest unleashing a terrible blow. The strike is enough to smash the heavy vault door open with Nazo toss inside.
"Damn it, this power is unreal. Even more than the Archons, what is this kid," Nazo said as he draws his swords but Aether easily cut off his arms. "Well kid, you bested me but a word of warning. The orb will be your downfall," he said with a smirk. Aether rips his body into pieces and then blasting him to ashes with a huge fireball.
Aether collapses onto the floor as his body took too much damage strain to revert to normal. He is completely exhausted as Keqing with Paimon in hand goes to check on him. "Aether, darling are you okay?" she asked.
"Keqing, thank goodness. Are you okay?" Aether asked.
"Gee, don't worry about me. How about you," Keqing said to see Aether's body has been healed.
"I am so tired. I need a nap," Aether said.
"Once this siege is over," Keqing said as Aether looks to see Paimon is okay in Keqing's arms.
"Paimon, you are okay," Aether sounding relieved. "I thought you died there for a moment," he said.
"Yep, I am not dead yet. I still have to guide you," Paimon said as the three pick themselves up and get out of the Golden House stopping the Shade from taking the secrets of the Qixing or so they thought.
Elsewhere Huang is within a warehouse with the city in flames to look for the orb he heard about in the letter. "Where is that thing," he wondered to see the orb glowing brightly within a box. "There it is," he said as he takes it out for it pulses within his hands.
He noticed a button on the side and touch it. Suddenly the orb begins to shake violently and letting out a big wave of energy that spread across the city.
Zhongli and the others are holding back the huge army of machines. A rush of energy sweep across the streets and powers down all the Ruin Machines before them. They were confused by this as everything got dead silent and seeing machines falling from the sky crashing into buildings.
"What just happened?" Hu Tao wondered to hold onto her staff ready to fight some more.
"Seems like it," Chongyun said to tap a Ruin Guard with his sword and it shows no response.
"This seems very convenient," Zhongli said as Xiao and Ganyu nod their heads in agreement.
"Indeed, so suddenly too," Ganyu said as they see a bunch of guards approaching them with them pointing their spears at them.
"Come with us, you will answer for your crimes," the soldier said.
"I got a bad feeling about this," Yaoyao said as they were taking away by the soldiers.
Back with Keqing, Aether, and Paimon getting out of the Golden House to hear silence in the direction of the city. "What the hell, did the fighting stop. Did we win?" Keqing wondered as they see Huang and Liyue soldiers coming towards them.
"Indeed, we did and I am now cleaning up the mess. You are all under arrest for the death of Ningguang and using this crisis for your ends," Huang said as the trio is in disbelief.
"What are you talking about?' Keqing asked as Huang shows her a photo of Keqing chopping Ningguang's head off with her sword. "How did you get that?" Keqing demanded as Huang has a big grin on his face.
"That is not important. You and your gang use this dirge crisis for your selfish revenge against our great leader. Take them to the dungeon, we have more to discuss there," Huang said as they get put into handcuffs to be taken away.
"That was out of context," Keqing said.
"Yeah, yeah. Keep going missy," a soldier said as Huang looks at the orb which allowed him to end the siege making him look like the hero in the end while setting up Keqing and her allies as his scapegoats.
"Seems things are going in my favor. They took care of Ningguang for me and now with this crisis I will make myself the leader Liyue delivers. Keqing is my last goal and then I will have everything," Huang chuckles to himself as the siege is over but the conflict over the soul of Liyue is just beginning.
Elsewhere within an unknown location Void is overlooking the operation for she sees Alice coming into her chambers. "Madam, I manage to plant the photo I took from the Golden House and made one of the soldiers give it to Huang. Zhongli and the others are now locked up in the dungeon," she said.
"Excellent, the siege is the first phase of my plan. The people would be high in their emotions of this tragic event and they would want to seek justice. We can use this against them and they will fall one by one," Void said.
"What about my baby Aether, when can I get him?" Alice asked.
"You will in time, go forward with Phase 2," Void said as Alice bows her head.
"Yes madam," Alice said as she goes out of the chambers.
"So, I manage to craft a wonderful stage play for you Zhongli. I wonder if you noticed how well I managed to put this all together just for you," Void said with a cruel smile to laugh at this sad joke to go forwards with the second step of her grand plan.