Okay! Chapter 3! Ya know, I didn't actually expect to get this far, or be this well received, but I'll take it! Now, time for reviews!

(Guest reviewer) me: Thanks!

LilyMaja: Lol yeah the 4th wall break at the end was hilarious! I was laughing while reading it over for proofreading!

GachaMHCreator: Read on to find out ;)

SkyChaser17: Thanks as always for the advise! Actually that's where I got the name! Ereshkigal from fate grand order! They actually aren't Xinyan. The little girl is Yi Xian from a certain quest in Liyue Harbor. Unless you were talking about Xiangling? Xinyan will likely show up a few times in this story, but not yet. Thanks, I try pretty hard to have good humor! I have actually got plans for explaining the territory thing, but not yet. I probably should have PMed you this but I've already got it here and I'm not changing it.

Enjoy the chapter everyone!

(I tried waiting for Friday so I could have had some consistency, but I failed. Lol!)

Disclaimer: Genshin Impact belongs to Mihoyo. I only own characters of my own creation. And the plot :p

Chapter 3: Ereshkigal

(At Wangsheng Funeral Parlor)

It spread like wildfire.

I continue interpreting the will of a recently deceased man, who died at 26. One of the Millilith. Killed in action against an unusually large hilichurl camp.

It has only been three days, yet the rumors of Ereshkigal, the Pyro Archon, have spread to every corner of Liyue.

I place the papers into the pile of completed work to my right. I stand and stretch, having completed all of my work for the day.

Rumors of a woman in black, with a blindfold and a long black cloak. They say she has pale skin, and strange attire.

I exit the building, and begin walking towards the Wanmin Restaurant, where Yanfei and I agreed to meet for lunch today. I sigh.

Seriously, that little girl just couldn't be quiet about me huh? Well, not like I have the heart to tell her off. Zhongli seems to already know, not that I'm surprised though. He's the most perceptive person I've ever met. So of course he would put two and two together when he saw the clothes in the laundry. I'd trust him with my life though, so I'm not too concerned about him. Luckily, however, no one else seems to have realized that I'm the object of the city's current rumors.

I notice Xiangling taking orders outside the restaurant. She hasn't noticed me yet. A devilish grin appears on my face. I sneak up behind her and…

"Boo!"

Her frightful shriek provides me no end of amusement.

"Hu Tao!? Don't do that, I nearly had a heart attack!"

I giggle in response.

"Sorry~!" I say in a teasing tone.

"I know your anything but sorry. Do you have the mushrooms I asked for?"

"A bag of 20 matsutake mushrooms, just like you asked!"

Actually, now that I think of it, Xiangling seems to have become more comfortable with me these past few days.

"Thanks! We almost ran out, and I still have a few new recipes I'd like to try with them."

"No problem! A table for two as well, please."

"Ah! Yes! Sorry, you're obviously here for a reason. Follow me."

As I follow the young chef to a table, I ponder what is perhaps one of the most important parts of becoming a goddess. My divine intent.

Hmm… yeah, I think I know what it will be. Anyway, Yanfei should be here soon.

{Unbeknownst to her, the same question is being asked by many important figures all over. And not just in the city, but throughout all of Teyvat.}

(With a certain half adeptus)

Oh god I'm late!

I'm currently panicking while rushing to the Wanmin restaurant to meet up with Hu Tao.

Why did I just have to deal with a custody case last minute!? Couldn't they have found someone, anyone else!?

Noticing the restaurant ahead, I increase my pace. As I reach it, I'm panting, out of breath from running halfway across the city in only fifteen minutes. Despite this however, I still arrived ten minutes late.

Damn it.

"Hey, Yanfei!"

I hear the familiar cheerful voice of the girl I came here to meet.

"Hey… Hu Tao…" I manage to squeeze out, doing my best to keep my breath steady. Which failed miserably, it seems.

"Wow, you look tired!"

I can detect a slight bit of worry in her tone, masked by her amusement.

"Sorry, I had to deal with a custody case last minute since the hired lawyer came down with an illness and no one else was available."

"Wow, that must've been hard to do. Especially considering the type of case it was."

"Yeah. In the end, it was determined that neither parent was fit to raise the child." I say, a solemn undertone lining my voice.

"Oh…"

"So, to sum things up, I had to rip a child away from their tearful parents, and put them in a dusty orphanage, where they will stay until they either get adopted by loving parents, or leave all grown up, having no one to give them the parental support a child needs." I say as I try to keep the tears from my eyes.

I hate it. I wholeheartedly despise these cases.

"To be honest, civil cases are the ones I dread the most. Divorces, custody disputes... It's a thankless task trying to unpack these kinds of cases with logic and reason. You have to be kind, courteous, and patient with your clients, even though half the time they are completely incapable of participating in a constructive discussion!"

I sigh.

"Wow, that sounds awful to have to deal with."

I notice my little outburst had drawn some attention. A slight blush appears on my cheeks.

"Sorry, it's just very frustrating to do with nobody to vent to about it."

"It's no problem. Just make sure your stress doesn't pile up. It isn't healthy."

How thoughtful. If only my clients were like that instead of borderline hysterical at the thought of loosing money or their children. While it's reasonable to worry about such matters, hysteria doesn't ever get them any closer to preventing it.

I see Xiangling walking to our table to take our orders.

"Rough day of work, huh"

The chef was right on the money.

"Yep. A custody dispute, ending with neither being found capable of taking care of the child."

"Oh wow, that's terrible!"

"Yeah. Anyway, I'll take an almond tofu and some sunsettia juice."

"And I'll take a Calla Lily Seafood Soup with apple cider."

"Alright, I'll be back in 15 minutes. Hope the rest of your day will be better, Yanfei!"

As I watch the girl leave to cook our meals, I think about the latest rumors I've heard floating around. Typically, I try not to dabble in those sorts of things. One in particular though, has caught my interest.

"Hey, Hu Tao? What do you think of the rumors about the new Pyro Archon?"

"Hmm? Um, I'm not sure. Could be true, could be false. I don't know enough about it to give any solid answer."

Huh? That's not normal. Hu Tao is a very blunt and straightforward person, so for her to be this evasive about it? She must know something. I won't pry, but this is definitely something to look into.

"Fair enough, I suppose. There isn't all that much information yet. Just a little girl who is confirmed to be blessed by them and a name she gave. Though I must say, Ereshkigal is certainly the strangest name I've ever heard. It doesn't sound like a name from any nation in Teyvat, nor does it sound similar to any god or goddess I know of. Though it might not even be their real name. I suppose we can't deduce anything until we get more information."

"Yeah. Oh here comes our food!"

We enjoy our food, and when we are done, we talk and laugh some more. We arrange to meet for dinner the next day, and part ways.

(Later, in the Funeral Parlor)

"So, when were you planning on telling me?" I ask the young goddess before me.

"I wasn't. I just figured you'd find out yourself. And it seems I was right about that."

"So it seems." I say, before taking a sip of my tea.

"I will not ask how you attained godhood, nor who gave you the Pyro Gnosis."

I see her look at me in surprise and slight confusion.

"That is not my business to know and I'd assume you would rather not tell anyone of such details. However, there is something on this matter that I do need to know."

"And what would that be?" Her look of appreciation turned into a questioning gaze.

"Tell me, what is your divine ideal."

In all my years, I have never seen such resolution. A look of nothing but confidence, pride, and power.

"My divine ideal, is that all may pass on without regret in their hearts, and sleep eternally peaceful."

"My divine ideal, is Death."

With the power put behind them, those words were echoed around the world, answering the questions many have had on their minds. A beautiful ideal, ensuring that all may pass on into an afterlife of happiness, never to be bound by their regrets in life. That when the inevitable comes, all may smile upon their deathbed.

This is the divine ideal of Ereshkigal, the goddess of Death. The wish of Hu Tao, the Archon of Flames.

I let out a chuckle.

So she upholds the wish of her late grandfather. I expected nothing less. She is truly worthy of respect.

{And so, on that night, all of Teyvat celebrated the coming of the new goddess. A talented bard in Mondstat looks to the sky with a bright smile. The shogun of Inazuma watches as lightning strikes the sea with a blank expression. A funeral parlor worker watches a young goddess in amusement. A Tsaritsa seethes in rage.

There is a new goddess in town, and though her true name is unknown, the world knows her by one name.}

"Ereshkigal"