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Book One: Chapter Seven
[Wrath]
Disappearing in a blur, lightning streaks across the body-filled battlefield causing corpses to ragdoll throughout the air.
"Incoming!" Eula warns, readying herself for McGruff to throw out his arm.
"Trishula, intercept that pesky nuisance! Hold nothing back!" He orders for the serpent to release a screech as Relon, noticeable only by the streak of electricity, launches himself off of a stalagmite directly at the creature.
Firing a highly-concentrated frost breath, it is quickly repelled as the blurring teen continues to strike, knocking Trishula's head back as its body recoils.
"He repelled it?!" McGruff gasps in disbelief.
Flipping his body, the body of Relon is concealed behind the whipping serpents as he blitzes with his polearm crackling in static. With slashes faster than the human eye can keep up with yet powerful as accompanied by the strike of lightning from the heavens, both rear wings are severed from its body as it cries out in agony.
"He cut its wings!" Ayaka gasps.
"So fast...!" Rosaria mutters in shock.
Quickly assisting the electros and Qiqi, Miko can only look on silently. Crashing to the ground, a wave of snow barrels in all directions for both sides to cover their faces as it passes. As their vision clears, both sides look as lightning strikes down upon Trishula as with a flash, they take sight of its four wings severed followed by the smashing of both its crystal gems.
Stepping off with a single hop, ice rises from the ground like vines constricting the creature. Raising his head, Relon's rage is visible for the Cryo Army to see once more.
"He brought it down so easily...!" Kaeya shouts.
"Is this the power of a double vision?!"
Unknowingly trembling his hands, McGruff clenches his grip around his sword.
"Cryo Army, we attack!" He points to the boy for silence to follow.
Furrowing his brows, he looks back at the unmoving army as does Eula.
"I SAID WE ATTACK!" None move. "ARE YOU FROZEN IN FEAR OR HAVE YOUR SPIRITS TO REPRESENT OUR QUEEN BECOME SPUR OF THE HEART?!"
"A spur of the heart, no." Ganyu walks through to the front of the army.
"Ganyu..." Eula glares.
"What this army once was compared to now, no one wants to spill more bloodshed nor do we wish to lose it. Please, stand down!"
"SO, THE BLOOD WE'VE SHED HAS BEEN FOR NOTHING?! IT'S JUST ONE BOY! AN ARMY IN WHICH WE OUTNUMBER BY A CLEAR MARGIN AND YOU ALL WISH TO CEASE AT THE FIRST SIGHT OF DEFEAT?! YOU'RE ALL COWARDS!"
"Ganyu, you chose to become a part of this army in honor of your lost companion, did you not?" Eula inquires. "How would they feel about such a betrayal?"
"Eu-"
"They would understand and agree with my decision." Ganyu intercepts Ayaka. "This decision is not just mine as you both can see." Ganyu states in a calm tone gesturing to the entire army.
"Peace can be achieved through other means aside from fighting." Ayaka speaks, stepping forward.
"I'm a nun first and a soldier second. Violence isn't exactly my cup of tea but to protect what I care for, I'll do what I have to." Rosaria speaks, stepping up next.
"I may be the youngest but I too can tell that there's a better call than committing an act that I'll live to regret." Chongyun speaks up.
"I never had a particular interest in killing, but nothing would change if I simply remained where I was. Looks like I made the right call after all." Kaeya states. "What say the rest of you?"
"YEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
"Tch, cowards!" McGruff growls. "Just watch! After we're done with him, we'll make you all regret it! Lawrence!"
"Yes, sir!"
Both ready themselves, as like a tail, Relon's white mane-like hair dances in anticipation to settle as his eyes focus on the two. Leaning forward, the ground erupts for a single static to zoom across the field for Relon to appear face-to-face. Widening, McGruff is the first to react, bringing his sword up only for the back of Relon's heel to slam against the man's chin, sending him off his feet into the air.
Pivoting to swing her blade at him, Relon catches it with his bare hands, his attention up to the man before slowly turning to Eula.
How did- Widening further, she sees the inside of his hand covered in ice.
"I saw..." The abnormal tone, that of him and a female, sends a chill down her spine. "What you tried... to do... to Qiqi...!" Tilting his head with a snap, mist and electricity explodes for Eula to jump away sliding to a halt.
"Try this!" Looking up, Relon takes sight of ice spears descending towards him.
As if causing a tremor with a single stomp, all the snow around the two jumps to halt in midair as the soft particles condense into tiny ice spheres. Glaring at Eula, Relon tightens his hold on her claymore as with a spin, he launches her into the air towards the descending attack.
Recovering from her sudden whiplash, Eula grips her weapon breaking the pieces in her way to take a hold of McGruff before redirecting herself towards Relon. In doing so, she widens at Relon's sleeve-covered hand poised at them with an open palm. Hundreds of sparkles around the duo as each crackles with electricity.
Gazing at the two, Relon grips his hand for arcs of electricity to bombard the two as an explosion erupts in purple static and black smoke. From it, two spheres of ice drop crashing toward the ground to crack open revealing the lieutenant and general panting slightly. Stepping out, both cryo users glare at the boy.
"Our turn!" Eula stomps the ground launching herself off a stalagmite into the air. "Rack and ruin!" She shouts, rotating her body as she careens towards the enraged boy.
About to move, Relon notices his movement halt to glance down seeing his feet encased in ice.
"Hmpf." McGruff smirks.
"Watch out!" Ayaka calls out as another explosion erupts for all to catch Eula in the air separating from the smoke, seeming to have blocked an attack of sorts as she skids to a halt.
"Persistent!" She curses regaining her momentum as she charges at an angle.
As the smoke clears, Relon gazes at the approaching woman to disappear in a blur. Stopping her charge, Eula looks around her, her eyes barely tracing the speedy teen as a strong force slams itself into the side of her face sending her crashing to the ground. Before she can recover, she's bombarded by a series of strikes from all directions before being slammed to the ground, the force bouncing her into the air as she's grabbed by her hair, sending her crashing to the ground before McGruff.
"Lawrence!" He gasps kneeling down to check on her
Gasping for breath, Eula's trembling and aching body pushes herself up as she glares at the approaching teen, his hair slapping the cold ground. his steady gaze like that of a creature; focused and unmoving.
"I'm... not finished yet!"
"... He has speed and maneuverability over us." McGruff speaks, gaining the lieutenant's attention. "Even trapping his feet has no effect as he's a cryo on top of being an electro."
"What if we coordinate our attacks? Regardless of strength, he is still one person."
"That may just work, Lawrence."
Taking sight of Relon, both break out into a full sprint. Slashing the air with his sword, McGruff unleashes frozen crescents. Taking sight of the incoming attacks, Relon leans forward ripping up the ground behind him as he reaches the two bringing his polearm directly down on Eula.
Being blocked by McGruff's blade, electricity erupts from Relon sending the man away.
"Ha!" Eula shouts bringing her claymore up vertically for the airborne teen to block, sending him into the air.
Righting himself with a backflip, he lands kicking off after the two. Stomping her feet, multiple walls of ice rise from the ground. Growling in anger, Relon charges through s bits and shards of ice fly in all directions. Coming out the other end, he's met with McGruff's cocky smirk as the man extends his frozen blade tip towards the teen.
Rotating his body narrowly avoiding the sword, Relon's cranium slams into the man's face staggering him back as Eula jumps over said man bringing her blade downwards.
"Flood of Frost! Glacial Illumination!" A spiral of snow coating her blade conjures for Relon's hand to be coated in ice as he once again catches the claymore to the woman's shock.
Crackling in static, Relon growls causing the ground to rumble once more. Trying to overpower the teen, Eula's glowing eyes hunger for dominance. With an enraged roar, Relon yanks the blade closer pulling along Eula to gasp and widen at the reeled hand surging in electricity.
"EULAAAAAA!"
Connecting his fist with her face, a ground-shattering sound breaks the air as Eula's body is sent like a bullet past McGruff and through the cryo army skidding across the shore. Roaring, Relon jumps into the air before punching the ground, shards of ice racing along the ground after Eula for it to reach striking her back as the woman gasps in pain as she's lifted into the air.
"BEGONE!"
Snapping his extended free hand to the darkened heavens, Relon clenches it into a fist. A bolt of lightning descending down unleashing a bright flash followed by a loud crashing sound.
Lowering their arms as their eyes adjust, all gaze at the smoke lifting to see the spire now a flattened platform with Eula's unmoving form smoking as her arm hangs off the edge.
"Is she...?" Ayaka murmurs, glancing at Ganyu with a worried expression.
Focusing her gaze only slightly, the sight of Eula becomes clearer. As she peers over her fellow cryo-user, she notices the slightest movements in the form of the knight's trembling form.
"She's alive." Ganyu answers in relief for Ayaka to sigh in relief.
"Thank goodness. But I still can't believe it." She adds, both looking to Relon. "He's completely different than before. An electro I can understand, but a cryo? How?"
"Who knows." Rosaria intervenes. "But with Eula and Trishula defeated, General McGruff is soon to follow."
Relon...
"How...?" The sound of said man gaining all's attention as he rises sporting a bleeding nose. "How can you have a double vision?! How can you be this strong?! I don't get it! It was I who was given Trishula by our queen! ME! How can a measly runt, one who was in shackles for days worth without food or water, be so powerful?! It's unfair!" He protests, stomping the ground for ice to shoot in all directions around him, the mist secreting from him increasing in density. "I had nothing! All I had was my brain and cunning and I used it!" He covers his face with a hand now wearing an expression of anger mixed with insanity. "It was my gang that reported of the Raiden Shogun's absence!" He stomps. "It was my planning that allowed for us to reach this nation!" Another stomp. "It was my work and effort that got this stupid army so far! It was my intellect that got me this position after killing that worthless traveler!" Ganyu widens. "I'm a far superior being unlike the rest of these mongrels!" Everyone widens. "That worthless woman for a queen simply hasn't realized it yet! I'll show you! I'll show you all!" He pants looking up to Relon. "And I'll start... BY KILLING YOU!" He roars running at the waiting teen.
"GENERAL MCGRUFF!"
Stopping just as he takes off, he turns back to see Ganyu. Said woman panting from the short sprint.
"What, traitor?" He hisses. 'I'm about to-"
"Is what you said true?" She cuts off for the man to furrow his brows as he turns to her fully.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're upset. Much like him." He points a thumb at Relon. "Damn monster is just standing there acting all high and mighty."
"Is it true...?" She hesitates gripping her gloved hands. "Were you the one that killed them?! That took the life of that traveler?!" He shouts, tears forming at the corners of her dichromatic eyes.
Focusing on McGruff, Relon's snowy eyes shift to the young woman. Said eyes widening at the strain in her eyes.
"ANSWER ME!" She shouts, snapping her bow to life.
"Ganyu..." Ayaka murmurs sorrowfully.
"I did. I saw an opportunity and I took it."
The uncaringness in his tone cutting through to Ganyu for the blood in her body halting for a single moment. Losing the strength in her legs, she drops, her bow dissipating upon contact with the ground.
"How... could you...?"
"Hmpf, stupid woman. It's a doggy dog world, ain't it?" He smirks, raising his sword. "If you're so curious, how about you ask them yourself!"
"GANYU!"
Hearing the clasp of something, Ganyu's defeated form looks to the figure shadowing over her to widen.
"How... dare you...?!"
Narrowing his eyes, McGruff looks the teen now normal once more, blood seeping from Relon's hand.
He didn't incase it in ice? Does that power have a time limit?
Applying more pressure, he widens further at the sight of him beginning to overpower the rampaging teen.
Regardless, now's my chance!
"Gan...yu... What are you... thinking?!" Relon tiredly asks, looking over his shoulder at the horned-woman. "Didn't you... want to bring an end... to this war?! So what are you doing... throwing your life away?!" He shouts pushing McGruff off before battling for dominance once more.
"I-I...!"
"Why?! Isn't it obvious?! She knows it's pointless!" McGruff interjects
"Y-You're...wrong...!" Relon retorts.
"What can a boy claiming to have amnesia know?"
"Not much... but I know... it only takes one person... to change the hearts of many!" He grits his teeth, frost and static secreting once more. "But for you, just me is plenty! So let me ask you something, General!" He knocks away the sword reeling back his fist to clash with McGruff's blocked arm sending him skidding away. "HOW DARE YOU... MAKE GANYU CRY!" Relon grips his bleeding hand to burst after the man.
"Tch! So it's not a time limit after all!" McGruff surmises, readying himself.
"Just then, Relon reverted to normal." Yae Miko murmurs gazing at the scene from the safety of the cliff. "Have they already synced? No, judging from earlier, it seems to be triggered by his rage." She adds thinking aloud. "But is Ei allowing him to act freely or...?"
"Grah!" Relon growls, kicking away McGruff.
Damn it! His speed is too great even with my vision. It was easier to counter with Lawrence but now- Halting his thoughts, his eyes trace past Relon to Ganyu. There's my scapegoat!
Blocking the polearm, he jumps back to slam his hand on the ground before raising his sword to the air.
"Try this! Artic Damnation!" He roars, a white glyph appears under him and another above facing Relon as from the overhead glyph, a torrent of snow rips through the air towards Relon.
Stomping the ground for an ice wall to protect him, Relon raises his head slightly as the attack careens overhead. Snapping back to the standing girl wide-eyed attempting to dodge for the attack to shift after her, he looks back to McGruff wearing a victorious smirk. Turning on a dime leaning his body forward, he zooms under the attack reappearing before Ganyu.
"Relon?!"
Reeling a hand coated in electricity, his attention draws to the ground as the glyph appears under them. Widening, he snaps to Ganyu pushing her off her feet out of the way.
"RELON!"
"YOU'RE DEAD! SUCCUMB TO THE FRIGID FLOOD YOU NUISANCE!"
Erupting, snow envelopes Relon as like a geyser, it blasts from the ground in a higher density and volume, the prior attack having ceased.
"Hehehe... Ha... HAHAHAHAHAHA! To think, something so simple would work, why didn't I think of it sooner?! Ah, brain, you truly are a lifesaver." He grins looking up to his handiwork for his blood to run cold as his eyes widen once again.
Descending from the sky to land with a heavy thud, an ice sphere. Cracking, it breaks open to reveal Relon land before Ganyu.
"R-Relon..."
"G-Gan... yu... okay...?" He raises his head to reveal a look of worry amongst his demeanor.
About to comment, Ganyu smiles shaking the thought away to nod.
"Yes. You've saved me once again."
Giving a smile of his own, it instantly drops as electricity and frost erupt before he turns around. his snow-ice eyes putting the fear of a God into the general as his body trembles. Beginning to march forward, McGruff begins to march back.
"Y-You copied Lawrence and I's technique?! It takes a vision user to condense such power into a protective sphere! There's no way you could know how to do that!" He dismisses. "HOW! HOW DID YOU KNOW HOW YOU USE THAT SKILL?! ANSWER ME, BOY!"
"Ganyu!" Looking over, she finds Ayaka and the others approaching her. "Are you alright?!" She asks approaching.
"I'm fine." She answers, all returning to gaze at the battle.
"Can't say the same for the General. Jerk." Chongyun says, crossing his arms for the others to give a momentary glance. "What?! We're all thinking it!"
"Obvious thoughts aside." Kaeya dismisses with a sigh, all returning to the fight reaching what looks to be its finale.
Stopping, Relon's fierce gaze remains as McGruff's body twitches in anticipation for the next move to be made.
"That vision..." The mixed sounding masculine and feminine voice from Relon speaks for McGruff to wonder the meaning of his vision.
For power? For how he earned it?
Raising a single finger straight at the man, Relon's once rage-filled demeanor is replaced with a stoic gaze.
"You no longer deserve it so I shall claim it."
His speech pattern changed?! No, it's just a ploy to lower my guard!
"That trick won't work on me, boy! You won't kill me that easily!" He raises his sword at the ready.
"Yes, we will." Relon answers calmly for with a simple blink, his rage returns in full force, the ground freezing over the already battered and frozen layer as static bounces around. "You're done!" Focusing his hard gaze on the general, electricity bounces off of the ice as it races for him.
Raising his sword, coating it in ice, he swings it for the first contact with the element to shatter his blade.
"Huh?"
Unable to process what just happened, he reels his body back as he's met with a barrage of flashes slamming into parts of his body dropping his handle before he too drops to his knees.
My body, I can't move it! It's all numb!
Struggling to raise even his head, he bears witness to Relon raising a hand to the sky for it to answer his call as numerous strikes of lightning all converge striking the teen. His body engulfed in the blinding element as all that can be seen is his silhouette.
As the light dies down, all witness a condensed concentration of lightning resting in Relon's hand.
"O-Oz...?" Fischl winces, raising her head for Miko to lay her back down.
"He's right next to you. Just rest for now."
"R-Relon...!"
"Looking behind her, she eases Sara to sit upright."
"You too, Kujou. Just rest!"
"But-"
"No buts! It seems Relon and Ei are just about done." She notes looking back to the battle.
"They say... lightning only strikes once." Keqing winces. "Knowing Relon, he may strike multiple times." She chuckles to wince again.
"That be our Relon... Sound-wise at least." Razor murmurs out panting.
"Make it count, Relon...!"
"He will. He always does..." Lisa breathes out.
Miko gazes as her fellow electro-users slowly raise up.
"Tis be... the pinnacle- Ouch, it hurts to talk." Fischl whines.
"Relon..." Miko and Sara look to a weakened Qiqi before going back to the battle.
"It sounds as though thousands of birds are crying out." Rosaria comments slightly taken aback.
"It's about to be over. This battle." Ayaka says, Ganyu gripping her chest in anticipation.
"You set foot onto our homeland, harm our people, our friends, badmouth your own army, even attempt to harm Ganyu, and most of all, you hurt Qiqi. Your judgment has come." Relon speaks, throwing his polearm high into the air without bothering to look.
"No, stop! I'LL DO ANYTHING!"
"I sentence you to death." Relon leans forward to disappear, whipping up the ground behind him.
"WAIT! PLEASE! STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!" He pleads teary-eyed
"HAAAAAAA! RAIKIRI!"
In that split instant, a horizontal line from Relon's starting point to the end past McGruff flashes. None move nor do any dare to speak. Hand stretched out coated in lightning, Relon stands upright to look back, the lightning in said hand fading away revealing a balled fist, taking sight of a motionless McGriff with a hole in his chest. Hearing a single cough, Relon doesn't move.
"Damn you. This entire time... you were the Raiden Shogun all along." He glares back, blood seeping from his mouth before the life in his eyes disappear as he falls forward dead to the ground.
Gazing at the dead corpse, Relon begins to walk past it in the direction of Ganyu and the others. Behind him, the polearm landing directly into McGruff's back soon followed by the resounding surge of heavenly lightning.
"Told you." Keqing smiles tiredly before finally losing her little stamina and dropping onto her back.
"That's our Relon." Lisa sighs happily
"Is it over?"
"Yes, Ayaka, it is. Finally." Ganyu smiles as Relon approaches them.
Before he can take that final step, a blood-curdling cry breaks the short calm as both sides look at Trishula breaking from its crystal-like chains before its body begins to glow. A massive blizzard beginning to set it as the two storms battle for superiority.
"What's happening?!" Ayaka and Sara ask respectively.
"It's going into its second phase...!" Ganyu and Miko answer.
All watch as its body begins to grow in size, its crystals shattering to reveal oval-shaped gems as the arms and legs along with a net pair of wings located on the middle of its back sprout.
Looking at the creature, Relon turns away gazing at Ganyu who furrows her brows inquisitively.
"Rise, adepti." He speaks for all to widen, especially Ganyu who in turn does. "You wish to cease the eternal conflict, no?"
"Am I the only one thrown off by the layered voices speaking?" Chongyun asks, the others shaking their heads agreeing wholeheartedly.
"I..." Pausing from the cryo creature roaring as with a mighty flap, it rises from the ground only to gaze at Relon's eyes on her.
"When you finally venture out there, remember this. Don't lose your way. Always remember why you stepped onto that path and you'll be fine..."
Hearing her lost friend's words echo in her mind, Ganyu's determination returns full force to give a resolved nod.
"I am!"
Smiling, Relon nods himself.
"Good, then I bestow upon you this." Looking at the balled fist, it opens to reveal the cryo insignia within a white sphere.
"That's...!" Kaeya begins.
"A vision!" Ayaka quickly finishes equally as shocked.
Reaching out, she feels a surge of untapped power brush against her fingertips. Stopping for a moment in surprise, she reaches fully out taking it as her eyes widen as a sensation washes over her body.
"Ganyu?" Ayaka asks.
"I'm fine, Ayaka." She smiles to look to Trishula taking sight of them. "With this, I'm more certain than ever before." Ganyu speaks up, withdrawing her bow. "But before that, we must stop this beast!" The others withdrawing their own weapons.
"Hmm.."
Reaching for his polearm lodged in the ground now, it vanishes, reappearing his hand. With a strong swipe at the ground, the blood scatters leaving the weapon clean once more.
Closing his eyes to reopen them taking sight of the dragon, Relon growls twirling the polearm at the ready.
"Let's go!" Ganyu announces.
"RIGHT/Grrr!"
LazyMango: He is the storm that is approaching!
idk lol: I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING!
*insert meme pic*
Stormbringer080302: so far I'm liking this au, keep it up
Thank you and glad you're enjoying it! :D
BokutoNoD: That title is a quality reference i highly approve continue the good work
I had to y'all. It was too good of an opportunity to let pass by and it's gonna be a recurring theme I am going to ABUSE in this story lol.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THE KIND REVIEWS AND ONCE AGAIN, HAPPY NEW YEARS!