ACT I - Lands of Thunder and Eternity
Shirou could barely breathe. Acrid smoke left a disgusting taste in his mouth, and his lungs felt as though they were burning. The young boy's vision was still hazy, and there was a throbbing pain in the back of his head. "Mom… Dad…?" Shirou croaked as he tried to move his head to search for his parents.
The boy then realized that he could not move his body. As his eyes adjusted to his surroundings, Shirou saw that he was trapped beneath rubble of what could only be the remains of his home. 'This can't be happening…' It had only been just an hour ago that he and his parents were having a pleasant dinner in their dining room. He was excited, as tomorrow would be the day that they all went on a trip to Okinawa together in celebration for his mother's latest promotion at her office job. Shirou could not even bear the thought of where his parents might be or what their conditions were. 'Someone… please… save me!'
As if some higher being had heard his silent plea, Shirou heard a loud tremble directly above him. There was a brief shudder, and the young boy thought he was about to be completely crushed by the debris. But then, an explosion of light burst through the rubble, and Shirou had to shut his eyes to avoid the sudden brightness.
"So there was a survivor of all this devastation." A soft female voice whispered from above.
Shirou hesitatingly opened his eyes. She was the prettiest and most unique woman the young boy had ever seen. Glowing violet eyes looked at Shirou with concern, and her dark purple hair was a color he had never seen before. Shirou also noticed the strange red horns that appeared to be on her forehead, hidden by her bangs. He was not sure what to make of it, and that facet of her appearance reminded him of one of those mythical oni that Shirou read about in his book of fairytales and Japanese myths. Shirou opened his mouth to speak, but his throat was utterly parched, and he could barely make a comprehensible sound.
"Shhh. Don't speak. It's going to be alright now." She said gently.
Without wasting another moment, the woman delicately pulled Shirou's body out of the remains of his destroyed home. She grabbed him into a tight hug, and Shirou wished he had closed his eyes or passed out as he saw the environment around him. A truly hellish inferno filled his sight. Every building in his once peaceful neighborhood was demolished, and scorching flames seemed to engulf everything. But what horrified Shirou the most was the silence. There were no screams; no other indications of life except for Shirou and the woman who had saved him. 'Did that mean… was everyone dead?' Shirou did not even want to continue that line of thought, for it was too terrible. But in the warm embrace of his rescuer, Shirou felt some level of safety despite the apocalyptic conditions around him.
"Hm, what a shame. It seems you've arrived here before me." Another woman's voice echoed in the area.
But unlike his savior's gentle tone, this individual spoke in an almost teasing, amused manner. Shirou was excited at the possibility of another survivor from these evil flames, but he felt his savior tense. She let him go, and Shirou desperately wanted to be back in the safety of her arms again. His rescuer turned around, a cold look on her features. "Leave now, Mobius. This is none of your concern."
"Well that's no way to say hello, my lovely lightning rat. I'm so hurt just hearing such mean words." The voice sounded too sickeningly sweet to Shirou's ears.
"I'm not your lightning rat, you wretched snake."
Peeking his head from behind his savior's figure, Shirou saw the other speaker in full view. Like the woman who had rescued him, this lady was very beautiful. With long, curly green hair that reached her waist and a black crown on top of her head, she wore a strange dress that seemed to completely cover her legs and feet. What confused Shirou was that it looked as if she was sitting on a black and silver suitcase that was somehow levitating in the air. Shirou saw the woman noticing him, and her heterochromatic green and pink eyes honed in on him with great interest. For some reason, her gaze made Shirou incredibly uncomfortable. She was looking at him like he was some kind of prey. Unlike the gentle look given to him by his savior, this woman stared at him as if he were not even human.
"Hi there, my cute little lab rat~ Why don't you leave that mean lightning lady behind and come with Mobius onee-san? I'll make sure to take good care of you~" Mobius cooed.
Before Shirou could say anything, his savior stepped forward, further shielding him from Mobius' view. A sound of thunder boomed above them, and to Shirou's utter shock, a hovering pair of crimson mechanical gauntlets appeared at the sides of his rescuer. The one on her right held a menacingly massive katana, and the surrounding air around them crackled with a violet energy. The scent of ozone filled Shirou's nose.
"Enough of your games, Mobius. This boy is under my protection. Leave, before you force my hand." His savior's voice was threatening, and the look on her face was quite scary even to the young Shirou.
"You're no fun, lightning rat. You can't keep him from me forever, you know. His ability and potential are too valuable for my research, and I'll get him in my lab one way or another." Mobius causally leaned on the floating briefcase, completely unafraid of the show of force. She smirked. "If I could obtain his secrets, would it not be a net benefit for humanity? And pretty soon, the Honkai will find out about him as well. It's only a matter of time. The little lab rat would've wished to be on my operating table rather than be in their hands. At least, I can grant him a new life."
'Honkai?' Shirou did not understand everything this Mobius woman was saying, but from the pieces that he could comprehend, her words terrified him. His savior frowned and placed a hand on the hilt of the giant katana.
"That's none of your concern. I won't repeat myself again. Leave now, Mobius."
"Fine, fine~ A girl knows when to give up, and I'm not interested in a fight today. See you around, Shirou… I'm looking forward to the day you accept my blessing and become mine~" Mobius said teasingly.
'How did she know my name?' Shirou watched as some sort of swirling black vortex appeared behind the green haired woman. Mobius floated toward it, disappearing in an instant as the portal collapsed on itself, leaving them alone in the ruins of his neighborhood. His rescuer sighed in irritation, and waving her right hand in the air, the two mechanical gauntlets disappeared. She looked down at Shirou, giving him a gentle smile.
"I'm sorry you've had to see all of that… the snake can be infuriating. But for all her scheming, she's right. Being around me will only make it certain that the Honkai will discover you." He could see the sadness in her eyes.
Shirou felt his voice slightly return. His throat was still totally dry, but he managed to croak out. "I-I don't understand. Why can't I stay with you?"
He did not want to be left alone. Not now… not ever. She had saved him from this nightmare, and Shirou felt safe being by her side.
"I know, Shirou. It's difficult to understand. But for some time… at least until you're old enough to face the challenges ahead, there's only one way to keep you safe." She whispered.
"No! I want to stay with you forever!" Shirou struggled to raise his voice, but his point was clear.
She smiled sadly. "Some day, you may be able to… in a way. Goodbye, Shirou."
Before Shirou could protest any further, his savior placed her hand on his head, and a flash of purple light filled his vision. 'No… please!' But it was too late, and Shirou saw only darkness.
The former Third Herrscher of Thunder Raiden Mei could only stare at the empty space that the young boy Shirou once stood. 'This is all for a greater good…' What she had done was for the best to both his future and that of humanity. She turned around, sensing the inevitable confrontation. A black and violet portal ripped itself open in front of her.
A figure stepped out, hovering in the air. The young woman, if she could be called as such now, possessed flowing white hair and wore a monochrome minidress with purple trims. Her glowing golden eyes stared at Mei with apathy and contempt.
"Where is the Relic?" The woman's voice was warped with a mechanical undertone, signifying her present inhuman nature.
"Kiana… you won't find him here. Not anymore." Mei whispered, her emotions threatened to overwhelm her as she looked regretfully at what had become of her lover and friend.
She knew intrinsically that this creature was no longer her Kiana, not exactly… as the Honkai had made sure of that. But the pain in Mei's heart at having to face this particular foe would not subside.
"I am the Herrscher of the Void. And I have been tasked with retrieving the Sword that rightfully belongs to the Honkai. Now, I will ask one final time, traitor. Where is the Relic?" She was utterly disdainful toward Mei.
"I know…" Mei looked downcast for a moment, before a fierce determination filled her expression. She summoned her blade once more, drawing the Key of Castigation from its sheath as violet lightning descended from the heavens all around her. Mei glared at the Herrscher of the Void. "And in my Kiana's memory, I will defeat you!"
The Herrscher of the Void gave her a sadistic, cruel smirk. "Then so be it." Behind the Queen of the Void, dozens of portals opened behind her.
The city of Fuyuki would not survive annihilation as the two Herrschers clashed.
"Grandfather, look! A shooting star! We should make a wish before it disappears." Hu Tao exclaimed, pointing excitedly at the bright streak in the night sky.
The 75th Director gazed upon his energetic granddaughter with fondness. The two relatives were making the steady progression up Wuwang Hill, as their duties within the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor required them to visit this place in order to properly act as the bridge between the living and spirit worlds. The ailing Old Hu knew that he would not have many years left, but he knew that his young granddaughter would someday make an excellent Director.
As Hu Tao closed her eyes, she hoped for continued good health for her grandfather and more creative ideas for her future pranks. 'Maybe next time, I can even get Zhongli to help me!' Hu Tao thought mischievously.
"Onii-sama, what's that?" Kamisato Ayaka asked as she stared up at the sky, seeing the strange streak of light travel across the heavens.
Kamisato Ayato followed the direction of her gaze and grinned. "That, dear sister, is a shooting star. It's a rare sign of good fortune. The people of Liyue often make wishes upon seeing it."
Ayaka nodded her head in thoughtful understanding. "I see. What should I wish for then?"
Her older brother shrugged. "It's completely up to you, Ayaka. Now, hurry up and make your wish before it disappears."
The oldest daughter of the Kamisato Clan closed her eyes, thinking of what she desired most. 'I hope for happiness for everyone in Inazuma and good health for my family… and… maybe even a true friend.'
Within the silent Plane of Euthymia, Raiden Ei continued her meditation. For centuries, the Electro Archon had chosen to seclude herself within this sacred place on her path to eternity, allowing her puppet the Raiden Shogun to lead Inazuma in her stead. But for a moment, Ei felt a strange sensation in her chest. She could not explain exactly what it was, but Ei knew she had never felt this sense of inexplicable longing before. Shaking her head slightly to focus herself away from such a thought, Ei resolved to fall deeper into her meditation.
'Yet… why does this emptiness still exist within my heart?'
"Father…"
"Yes, Yoimiya?"
"I love you dearly, but I think it's time to admit we're lost." Naganohara Yoimiya sighed in exasperation at the sheepish expression on her father's face.
Naganohara Ryuunosuke averted his eyes in embarrassment because of the truth in his young daughter's words. The pair had ventured out to Tatarasuna to harvest some rare ingredients for their latest fireworks creation, but Yoimiya's father had failed to mention that he had never been to this specific place before. Still stuck inside a vast forest with a very thick canopy for the past hour, Yoimiya looked around, trying to gauge where they were. Realizing that she was not getting much information here on the ground, Yoimiya started to climb up a nearby tree.
"Yoimiya! Don't do that, you'll get hurt." Ryuunosuke called out.
Yoimiya smiled. "Not to worry, father. I've been doing plenty of tree climbing practice for the past week, so I can finally beat my latest rival Itto."
"You what?!"
'Oops. Probably shouldn't have admitted that.' Yoimiya reached the tallest branch and scanned the horizon. Something caught her eye. A plume of smoke seemed to be rising from an area not too far from their position. 'Maybe a campfire? Which means there'd be people at that spot who know how to navigate through this forest better than us.'
"C'mon, father. I think I see a way for us to get out of this place!" Yoimiya climbed back down and rushed forward toward the west.
Ryuunosuke tried in vain to keep up with his energetic and athletic daughter, as he lagged behind her. After around thirty minutes of running, Yoimiya eventually reached what she believed was the right site. However, to her surprise, there was no campfire here, and instead Yomiya witnessed the sight of a massive, smoking crater in the forest ground. 'What happened here?' The scene looked similar to when a firework would accidently explode before launch, but on a much larger scale. Yoimiya peered down and let out a gasp of shock. There was a boy down there.
Without hesitation and not wanting to wait for her father to catch up, Yoimiya jumped down, trying her best to not fall as she slid down the side of the crater. Reaching the center of the area with only a few scrapes, Yoimiya rushed over to the boy's side. He appeared to be about her age, and in the back of Yoimiya's mind, she realized that she had never seen hair so red on anyone before. To her great shock, Yoimiya could not find a single injury on the boy's body, and even his simple clothes of a dark blue shirt and black shorts were unscathed. But the boy was still unconscious. 'Maybe he's suffered internal injury?'
"Yoimiya?! Where are you?" She heard her father call out from the upper edge of the crater.
"Father, come here quickly!" Yoimiya hoped that she and her father would be able to help this boy before it was too late.
This idea has been in my head ever since I played through the Inazuma quests and recognized Yoimiya's voice actress was the same as Rin's. Thoma totally reminded me of Shirou too. Figured that Shirou would be a great fit for the Inazuma storyline, with some Honkai Impact plot elements at the beginning mostly to come up with a way to isekai Shirou to Inazuma.
-Fate, Genshin Impact, and Honkai Impact 3rd are not owned by me.