A/N: HAPPY BIRTHDAY EULA!!!
Book One: Chapter Five
[Cryo vs. Electro]
Cryo Army
"We've arrived." Ganyu announces to no one as she takes note of the open plains accompanied by the shoreline.
"All units, battle stations! I want to retaliate with the utmost haste!" General McGruff roars.
Once more, her eyes lingers on his back before turning to the grassy plains.
How disdainful...
"Ganyu." Exiting her thoughts, she looks to Eula walking towards her.
"Yes, Eula?" Her response gaining the attention of Ayaka.
"How are you feeling?" Her question causing the 3-millenia-year-old woman to fully direct her body to her fellow lieutenant.
"I am feeling fine. Why do you ask?"
"I am simply checking on all of the lieutenants under General McGruff's orders. Now is the time to speak up before we put our lives on the line after all."
"I see. So you are not asking out of worry on your own accord…" Ganyu mutters to herself.
"Hmm? Did you say something?"
"No." She dismisses with a shake of her head. "I am simply repeating the plan to myself."
"I see. Very well then." Eula says, turning in the direction of Ayaka. "Oh, and Ganyu?
"
"Yes?"
"You can lie to yourself all you want, but you cannot lie to me. I suggest you open your eyes before you lose sight of the bigger picture." With those final words, she walks off calling to Ayaka.
"... Hypocrite." Ganyu sighs once again returning to the fields, her gaze bearing its sorrowful anger.
Minutes pass, a mumbled roar of thunder gaining her attention as she redirects her gaze up to the steadily approaching storm from.
"It's moving this way." Ayaka murmurs approaching Ganyu who nods in response. "Are you worried about the prisoner?" Ganyu's eyes furrow on instinct as she looks to her fellow Cryo-user.
"What makes you say that?"
"Well…I've been thinking." Ayaka begins, bringing her fan to cover her lower mouth as she averts her gaze. "I noticed numerous times your gaze lingered on him longer than Eula's, mine, or the guards'. There was this morning. You were coming from the direction of the cell." She says with clear emphasis looking back to a stoic Ganyu.
"So you're implying I was with him."
"I don't want to come across as implying per say, but I would like to know the answer from the source." She lowers her fan showing her serious-though-caring demeanor.
Eyeing one another, neither blink. Before a word can be said, a bolt of purple lightning strikes gaining the two's attention. Rushing through the army to the front, they stop alongside their fellow lieutenants to widen at the three figures before themselves and their army.
The first; a woman with purple eyes and long pink hair tied at the bottom with fox-like ears. She wears a sort of shrine priestess outfit. Her right earring contains an odd electric symbol in the form of a gem or orb similar to Relon's polearm.
The second; a woman with indigo hair cut into an uneven bob and on her head, a red mask resembling a bird, having white accents and a black crest. Moving it to the side, she reveals her golden eyes. Her attire is primarily white, she wears red and gold geta shoes. The same electric symbol gem can be seen attached to her belt. Around her waist, she has a gold string attached to a yellow bow that has her gem in its middle.
The third and most peculiar of the three; a child no older than even 10. She has light purple hair reaching her shoulders at the sides with a long plait in the back and vermilion colored eyes. He wears purple themed clothing consisting of a purple frock and a deep purple beret with a magenta tassel on top and a blue gem similar to the two women albeit blue and a different symbol embedded on her side. She wears a pair of simple earrings; one black and one white and short black heels.
"Just three?" Ayaka murmurs in shock. "What's going on?"
"I don't know." Ganyu shakes her head in equal confusion, her gaze locking on the young girl holding a neutral expression.
Deep red eyes… They're almost similar to- At the thought she widens. Could it be?!
"So you've stooped so low as to kidnap one of our own." Eula speaks calmly, interrupting Ganyu's thoughts. "And here I thought those of Inazuma were chivalrous."
"Eula…!"
"You're wrong!" The child shouts walking forward from the two. "I wasn't kidnapped. My big brother and I left Snezhnaya and came to Inazuma!"
"Your brother?" Eula repeats. "By chance, he wouldn't happen to have dark red eyes, black mane-like hair and be quite stubborn, would he…?" At this, the pink-haired woman narrows her eyes ever so slightly as the other two's widen.
About to speak, the child beats the tengu-masked woman to the punch.
"Where is he?!" She demands for a hand to place itself upon her shoulder.
Looking at who it belongs to, her red eyes meet the elegant shrine priestess'.
"Now, now, Qiqi. We mustn't let your emotions cloud your judgement~." She smiles looking over to their third companion who conforms her attitude before back up at the Cryo Army, her visage slightly upset.
"The prisoner was in shackles back at the village we took over." General McGruff speaks, stepping forward.
"Prisoner…?" The Tengu-masked woman murmurs, a single small crackle of electricity running along her hand that goes unnoticed by their foes.
"Could it be you're lying?" The priestess wonders calmly. "We found no trace of any prisoners once your army retreated."
"In case, my words aren't to be believed in, I believe this will more than justify my words hold truth, no?" He grins raising the polearm.
"..." None speak.
"Now then, what brings such a tiny welcoming committee before a force such as us? Surely, you three cannot possibly mean to fight until your army arrives, hahaha! I suppose your famed Raiden Shogun truly is absent! And so what if the boy escaped? It's not like he'll get far before he's locked up again! " He boasts in laughter for a bolt of purple lightning to strike far off, silencing the man.
In doing so, he widens, taking a step back as sparks of electricity dance around the two women while a light mist secretes itself from the girl. Two things all three have in common; a deadly gaze fixed on the man and their eyes radiating a bright glow.
"Don't tell me!" He curses falling back near his readying lieutenants and army.
"Three vision users?!" Ayaka gasps.
"You see, General, we had originally come to give you one last chance to withdraw your forces." The priestess speaks. "But seeing you not only hold my dear friend's weapon but badmouth her and him, I'm slightly upset." She pinches her index and thumb in emphasis, the smallest of static noticeable in the space. "Though our Raiden Shogun isn't present and is doing who knows what, I am more than happy to act in her place. Yae Miko, that is all you need to know about myself." She introduces as with a point of her finger, a stream of lightning burst forth directly towards the general.
Rushing in front of him, Eula already holding her weapon swings it upward as a pillar of ice shoots from the shore. Crashing through the ice, Eula widens, raising her claymore defensively as she's knocked off her feet into McGruff causing the polearm to be sent into the air as the two are sent crashing through the army skidding across the water. As they do, both slam their hands onto the water as ice forms a platform in which they now kneel. Raising her hand into the air, the free spinning polearm lands with a clasp in Yae's hand. Twirling it with clear experience, she stops the fluid motion for the sharp end to point at the opposing army.
"Now then." She begins looking over her shoulder, the sounds of marching feet layered over one another becoming louder with every second passing. "What say we begin this meddlesome battle?" She turns back forward, an army stopping behind the three.
"Uh, am I the only one who suddenly finds our situation somewhat ill?" The light-blue haired teen comments, a claymore forming in his hands.
"You aren't, Chongyun. Believe me." The darker-skinned Cryo user responds, readying a sword.
"Pray, everyone. For both our victory and our well-being." A wine-colored haired woman notes withdrawing a claymore of her own.
"Stand ready!" The lieutenants look back to McGruff and Eula marching back to the front. "Just as we planned!" He shouts.
"General Sara, Lady Miko, Qiqi!" A group calls out separating from the Electro Army and approaching the three to stop behind them, noting of their leaking elemental powers.
"Oh my, it seems they didn't comply with the message." A woman with wavy, light honey-brown hair under a witch's hat sighs, a strike of thunder striking far off.
"Hark! 'Tis Thundering Retribution, an omen of dark times ahead…!"
"Thunder and lightning can be quite frightening, but don't worry. Right now, we only need to be fearful of what General Sara and Lady Miko will do to our enemies, Fischl. Qiqi, too."
"Keqing is right." A young woman with fringes over her left eye speaks up. "We're in our element while they are not."
"Well, we did give them a chance. Oh well~."
"Lisa, you seem way too happy to be fighting." Keqing sweatdrops. "And Fischl, you're literally an Electro! Stop being afraid of the element you fight with." She sighs.
"Stay focused! We've just found out Relon was captured by them." Sara mutters with her gaze focused on the Cryo Army, the five electro lieutenants widening.
Taking a few whiffs of the air, a teen with long, spiky grey hair; bright red eyes clicks his teeth.
"One of them definitely has his scent. Been six months since he and the Shogun disappeared!"
"Razor, even with your keen sense of smell, I sometimes forget you're even human." Keqing chuckles to refocus ahead.
"Good." Sara squads blandly. "Right now, we focus on those in front of us. Afterwards, we find out where Relon is." She orders.
"Very well/Sounds good/ Yes ma'am!" All withdrawing their own weapons.
"Hehe, operation Sibling and Couple Reunion is a go!" Razor grins.
"Discard any sentimental feelings." Sara speaks, gaining Razor and the group's attention. "If we are to prevail, we can't let our emotions get the better of us. Finding Relon can come after we are victorious."
"Qiqi-"
"I'm fighting." She cuts off Yae stubbornly for the woman to smile wearily.
"Very well. Stay close to one of us. If you're cut off, it could spell the end of you. And your chances at finding your brother. Lisa. You, Fischl, and myself shall provide cover fire." Yae announces walking back to her lieutenants. "Sara, I'll leave the… strike to you."
"Understood." Both females respond as Sara simply nods.
"Razor, Keqing, and Beidou. You three along with Qiqi shall commence the attack on my signal." Sara orders a bow materializing as she walks towards the Cryo Army.
"Give them a good shocker, General!" Razor smirks.
After what they've said and done to him, I'll do more than shock them.
Copying her, Eula walks forward. Both their glowing eyes locked on the other.
"That was quite a crude attack. I honestly wasn't expecting such a move from such a renowned army but I digress. To whom do I have the honor of doing battle with?"
"Tengu Warrior, Sara Kujou of the Kujou Clan. You may forget my name, but this you must know: On my watch, Inazuma will always be defended, and the will of the Shogun will always be done."
"The Spindrift Knight, Eula Lawrence of the Lawrence Clan. I've heard many great things from the Kujou clan. It's an honor. But I must request we cease with the dribble banter." Eula speaks, readying herself.
In response, a bolt of purple lightning strikes leaving Sara gone in its flash. Senses heightening, Eula spins on her heel around to feel a hand place itself on her shoulder.
"Very well." Looking at the owner being Sara's, electricity crackles wildly along Sara's hand as mist secretes from Eula's body. "Then answer me this; are you fighting of your own volition?" At her question, Eula focuses her gaze. Her grip on her lowered claymore tightening.
"Of course. What I choose to do is mine alone."
"... I see. Then let us begin." She utters, Eula diving to swipe under her as she rolls, another bolt of lightning sending Sara off in a flash.
"Where?!" Eula looks around frantically for another bolt to sound off followed by the wails of agony.
Turning around, she widens as hovering high in the sky with four wings as dark as a raven's floats Sara.
Above her, a single grey storm cloud darkening. Firing a single arrow, it sails silently to the ground. Slowly raising a hand, she closes her eyes off of her targets.
"Sara, want to train together?"
"Need you ask such a thing? I have to wonder, why help me?"
"You want to get recognized by the Raiden Shogun, right?"
"Yes, but I cannot see you doing such based on that alone."
"Haha, is it that odd to help my fiancé?"
"I… suppose not. I've long since come to understand the compassion that resides within your heart."
Snapping them open once more, she lowers her now static-enveloped arm.
She's right above the center…! Eula realizes.
"Get away!"
"Tengu Juurai: Titanbreaker!" She roars, a surge of lightning crashing down upon the large army before splitting in four directions.
"That's the signal! Let's go!" Keqing notes.
Glory to the Shogun!" The lieutenants all roar.
"GLORY TO THE SHOGUN!" The bellowing of the army soon calls after.
"All forces, regroup and engage!" McGruff roars in anger.
"Ganyu, let's go!" Ayaka shouts with haste.
"Glory to our Queen!"
"GLORY TO OUR QUEEN!"
"This battle…" Sara murmurs landing with grace upon the now frenzied battlefield.
"Is one we cannot take lightly." Ganyu speaks, an arrow poised at the charging army.
"No…!" A voice speaks to himself far off on the foot of a hill. "The battle between Cryo and Electro… it's already begun...!"
A/N: To everyone, thank you for following and favoriting the story :)
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