Book One: Chapter Nine

[Cryo X Electro]

"Yes. We are the Raiden Shogun."

"... Huh?"

"A lot to take in, I understand." She speaks walking to him.

Taking in every inch of her being, his eyes burn it all. Clearly seeming like that of a young adult, the words departed from her soft lips carries volume from experience. A perfect blend of stature in the way she walks. The subtly though effect sway of her hips matching her very eminence. Even for Relon, he can tell that much. The woman before him isn't one to be trifled with.

Long braided violet hair behind her back, a hairpin with pale violet flowers resembling morning glories and a fan-shaped piece. Her eyes a powerful purple with a beauty mark below her right eye. A small crimson ribbon acting as a choker and a dark-colored bodysuit underneath her kimono, an assortment of patterns in shades of purple and crimson. On the back of her outfit, she wears a crimson bow with tassels. She wears dark purple thigh-high stockings with small diamond openings at the top and high-heeled sandals; the one on the right is adorned with two of the same violet flowers on her hairpin.

An attire he feels he hasn't seen before, but the power he can feel exuding from the woman- no. From the goddess before him all of a sudden made him gain feelings of thought he couldn't comprehend.

"You've become slightly infatuated by me. I am quite relieved." She smiles, stopping right before him. "I didn't know what your first thoughts would be once we were reunited."

"You knew me before I lost your memories?"

"Lost? They are not lost." She corrects holding out a hand for a sphere of electricity to appear in her hand. "I am holding onto them as per your request."

"What do you mean… request?"

"Now isn't the time."

"But-"

Placing a finger to his lips, a jolt courses through his body. Widening, his vision zooms from his body lodged in the snowy cliff, to the Electro Army over him to Ganyu and company battling Trishula to Qiqi.

Widening, her smile remains as her finger lowers before stepping away.

"They need you, Relon. We all do." She says closing her eyes, her body levitating as she once again takes to her meditative stance.

"How-'

"We are one. Therefore we shall always be together. Should you wish to speak once the battle is over, you simply must think. Preferably of me." She opens an eye exhibiting a small smile. "Now go." Both eyes closed once more as light encompasses his vision.

Feeling the soreness return in full force, Relon steadily blinks his eyes open to the clear sight of Trishula surrounded by the Cryo Army. Sara, Ganyu, and the others fighting their hardest against the monster.

"Was all of that… a dream…?" A flash of the Raiden Shogun's face crosses his mind as he breaks his arm of the rubble. "No… All of that was real…! Which means…!" Gritting his teeth, a blast of electricity erupts causing the group above the cliff to stumble as a blur of colors zooms into the air before landing on the ground. "I'm still needed." He raises to stand before Miko.

"Good to have you two back." She greets.

"There's a lot I don't understand so…" Looking from his hands to Miko and the rest behind her and the army behind them, he raises his head reverting to normal. "Please, lend me your strength."

Looking between one another, everyone can only smile and nod.

"I want to help too." A voice cuts through the atmosphere like a knife through butter as Relon widens once again at the small figure slowly walking through the others.

Feeling his emotions well up, he holds them back. Later, he'll release that dam full of emotions later.

Kneeling down, he smiles at his sister. Their reunion everybit as heartwarming and special as he could have imagined.

"Yeah, I'll need your help the most Qiqi." He smiles kneeling down, wiping away a smug mark from the girl.

"Well then, Raiden Shogun, what are your orders?" Miko gives a curt bow.

"Wait, what do you mean by that?!" Keqing gasps

"Simple." Turning to the far off battle, static jolts across his arm before a bolt of lightning strikes issuing his transformation. "We're moving to assist the Cryo Army."

"Hmpf, I expected as much from one who has entered a contract with thyself." Fischl says while… posing?

"You're all still hurt so don't push yourself, okay?" The girl's face exploding into pink looking away.

"Some things never change." Keqing droops.

"Oh? If memory serves, Sara, Fischl, you, and-"

"AHEM! We have a battle to win!" Keqing coughs.

"Right! Qiqi." He calls, reaching out his hand for the young girl to take it, both secreting mist for it to increase in volume as does the glimmer in their eyes.

"They're resonating." Lisa notes.

"We're gonna make a ramp straight to them, Qiqi!"

"Okay!"

Flexing his hand, Relon slams it down as Qiqi does her two palms. A bridge of ice thrusting through the air for Qiqi to jump onto skating forward. Leaving behind snowflakes, the smooth surface becomes rough.

"She's made it safe to traverse, charge!" Beidou pumps a fist in the air as the Electro Army surges in electricity like a blanket as they rush forward.

"This power, it surges through me…!"

"Take advantage of it Razor cause we're about to put it to good use!"

Watching Qiqi continue at the front, a sense of pride rises.

It seems like she doesn't need me to protect her after all.

"Relon." Looking to his right to see the pink-haired woman running next to him, he watches as she raises a hand. "Now that you've resonated with Qiqi, you may as well resonate with myself. The more power the better our odds are."

"Resonate?"

"I'm sure Ei didn't explain much, did she?"

"Ei? You mean the Raiden Shogun?"

"The very same."

"Yeah, alright." He nods, raising his hand for a vision to flash.

"Let's practice our breathing exercises. Ready? One, two, one, two, one, two, three. Again… Good. You've gotten better."

"I have a good teacher to thank."

"Flattery will get you quite far you know."

"You and Lisa have said that quite a good number of times. And my response remains the same; I'm just being honest, Miko. I couldn't have gotten to where I am without any of you."

Ignoring the surge of power, Relon blinks, eyeing the woman in slight confusion.

"Mi..ko…?"

"Awe, you remembered me. I'll treat you to our favorite activity once this is all said and done."

"What do you…?"

"We're nearly overtop the monster!" The voice of Beidou announces.

"This ice won't hold forever!" Keqing shouts.

"That's why we're getting off. Everyone, wait at the edge!" Relon notifies sliding around to see the army along the bridge, his left arm slamming atop the rough icy surface as the ramps appear looping all around the area.

"If you're an archer, take advantage of the sudden maneuverability! It hasn't noticed us yet so make this opening count!" Keqing shouts as soldiers jump off.

Extending a hand, he closes his eyes, taking a calm breath for the polearm to materialize.

So Ei is mixing her instincts with his own, is she? Miko muses walking to the edge watching the army descend firing hundreds upon hundreds of arrows.

"What the- Hey look, the Electro Army!"

Momentarily ducking behind a large bone-spike, Ganyu looks to widen in relief as do the others.

"Looks like they decided to join in on the fun!"

"About time!" Sara calls, a grin gracing her face for a moment as she returns to action.

"Let's show them what we're made of, men!"

"YEEAAAAAHHHHH!"

"This is our home turf so don't let us for a second!"

"We must quell this beast if we wish to see another day!"

"Glory to the Shogun!"

"YEEEEAAAAHHHH!"

Looking all around, Trishula strikes at a descending ramp for an arrow to hit before it explodes in electricity.

"You won't harm not one!" Sara says soaring around the creature as it attempts to swat the woman down.

"Our turn to join the battle." Beidou exclaims, punching her open palm.

"Not yet." Relon speaks up, gaining their attention. "We're taking the express route!" He runs to the edge next to Miko.

"How I've missed that mind of yours!" Beidou grins running to jump at Relon landing on his cupped hands, another memory resurfacing.

"A ship?"

"Inazuma is special among the other continents. With how the sea is, very few alongside myself know how to traverse the sea. With the war as it is, I fear those I once knew revealed the routes to getting through the water in exchange for their lives."

"Waiting for the enemy to attack us isn't going to last forever either."

"Eventually, we'll need to bring the fight to them."

"Alright then, captain, let's get to work!"

"Heh, I can always count on you, Relon."

"It's what friends are for Beidou."

"Bei…dou…?" Mind absent, he launches her into the air.

"We attack… now!" The wolf boy shouts copying Beidou.

"What will you do now?"

"I don't know. Things change quickly. No clue what the next move will be…"

"Then why not come with us to Inazuma?"

"Huh?"

"After everything we've been through, I think it's safe to say we were destined to become friends."

"Destined?"

"Yeah, as in everything was supposed to happen. That's destiny for you."

"Destiny… huh? Then it seems I have found a pack I can all my own."

"Glad to have you, Razor. It'll be nice having another guy among the group."

"Razor…?" He murmurs, sending him into the air.

"Thou loyal companion, send me to the heaven!"

"Thank you."

"Fischl? Why are you thanking me all of a sudden?"

"You were the first to accept this other side of me. Not once did you think differently of me. You've always been there to defend me when I went too far. Until I met you, I only had Oz. Even my own parents disliked how I acted. I was so caught up in my own illusions, I never tried to understand from their perspectives just how silly I seemed."

"..."

"But then I met you. In doing so, I was exposed to a kindness I've never experienced before except from Oz. That's why… I too…"

"Fischl…"

"No, you deserve more."

"What do you-"

"Amy. That's my name. My real name."

"Fis…chl…"

"Be gentle with me~." Lisa winks.

"Is it really fine to be training in the rain?"

"When I practice my spells in weather like this, I can do half the work for double the impact. Haha, I'm just teasing."

"But still, you could catch something if you keep this up."

"Are you worried about little ole me? Awe, how sweet."

"Obviously, I would."

"You needn't worry. For you see?" An arc of electricity swirling to the motion of her finger. "I'm simply in my element."

"You're always working so hard, Lisa. How come?" Both are now situated in a room at a table.

"Hmm? Where did this come from?"

"It's just that you rarely train with the others instead reading or going off to someplace isolated."

"Oh? Would Lisa's little helper like to know why~?" She takes a sip of her tea.

"If it isn't too much trouble, yes."

"I'm shy." A near spit take comes in response.

"Jeez, between you and Miko, I don't know who's the bigger tease…"

"Teehee, your cute reactions never fail to put a smile on my face. Remain true to yourself, Relon. That is what we all love about you."

"Li…sa…"

"Relon!"

Like a blur, only a second allows him to take in Keqing. The look of determination etched onto her face as she jumps landing in his lowered hands.

"Between the others, I feel like I'm the only one aside from Sara with an actual brain cell." She groans burying her face in his lap, a hand gently caressing her.

"Haha, everyone's personalities simply clash when it comes to planning. Some things are better communicated on the battlefield. That's what you told me before, right?" A momentary raise of her head to give him a droll expression before lowering back down with a sigh.

"What should I do? We need to be in sync before a battle comes knocking on our doorstep."

"But you already are."

"Huh? No we're not! You saw how terrible that planning session went!"

"It wasn't all that bad if you ask me."

"Beidou was half drunk, Lisa was buried in books, Razor was constantly sniffing the scent of the nearby food, Fischl was being… well Fischl."

"And you were there to keep order."

"It should have been Sara or I don't know, the RAIDEN SHOGUN but no, them AND Lady Miko were too busy with you." She looks out the corner of her eye for the boy to look away.

"Would you believe me if I told you I was struggling too?"

"No." She raises to eye level, sitting properly next to him.

"I figured. Don't worry."

"How can you say that without worrying?"

"Because when it really counts, everyone is amazing and all share the same goal. Have some faith in our friends, it'll all turn out fine."

"How do you know?"

"I just do. Call it a gut feeling."

"... That's not fair." She leans her head on his shoulder.

"Huh?"

"Acting all cool out of nowhere…"

"Haha, my apologies Keqing…"

"Ke…qing…"

Taking only seconds to recover from the bombardment of memories, Relon turns around looking over the edge before to Miko.

"Don't worry, I'll be down shortly." She says reaching into her sleeve fulling out a gohei.

"Be careful." He bids jumping off with Qiqi diving with the others.

"He's still the same as always." Miko hums, snapping her gohei to attention, static dancing around her as a thunder cloud overtakes a snow shower. "But to think Ei took him all for herself…" Her eyes lingering on Relon's form, her glowing pupil narrowing into slits as from behind her, tails emerge. "She pulled one over me." With a sharp swat, she moves the gohei up. The gentle racking the sole sound. "Yakan Evocation: Sesshou Sakura." Another movement; this time downwards. With each graceful movement, a purple dagger with the head of a fox appears around her.

Looking and defending itself from the shower of arrows and elemental attacks, Trishula swipes at the ground unleashing a shockwave.

"Use the bones as cover!" Kaeya shouts.

"We're almost there! Just a little more!" Sara shouts, the descending soldiers firing electricity from all directions to use as whips lassoing around the creature.

"It's arms are restricted! Freeze its movements!" Ayaka exclaims, said army members all revealing themselves as they slam their hands to the frigid ground, ice blasting from all directions to encase Trishula's legs.

"What are we aiming at, Relon?" Beidou shouts.

"The head!" He responds, Qiqi attacking herself to his back as she conjures a large snowflake ahead of them.

Looking up, Sara watches as the seven dive past her like lightning bolts.

"HA!" Crashing down in a mixture of electricity and frost, the behemoth roars in pain as its slammed into the ground.

Snapping their heads up, electricity booms as spikes rise along its back towards them.

"Let's go!" Bursting forward, the five slash through the coming spikes in perfect coordination.

Slashing one downwards in two, Beidou looks up to more incoming. Jumping off her back, Razor spins his body slashing the attacking spikes in two. Landing in front, both nod to see two bolts of lightning zip past them slashing away the nearby spikes zipping past the gem to stop.

Sliding to a halt, Relon and Keqing exchange a smirk to zip away from the slap of Trishula's tail. Attempting another slap, a wall of ice catches it, all looking to Qiqi with her arms raised.

"Not this time!" Sara shouts, firing multiple arrows as a cluster of electric explosions knocking it back as she lands with the group around the creature's gem.

Taking sight of spikes forming along the sides of the creature curving up and from its raised tail.

"By thine royal decree, we smite thee! Midnight Phantasmagoria!"

"At once!" Oz shouts, its wings expanding.

"Let's spark things up a little~. Qiqi, if you wouldn't mind."

"Okay." Mist secreting in a high concentration, a transparent ice dome forms around them.

"Lightning Rose!" A lantern conjured from pure electricity lays atop the dome crackling for Oz to flap its wings striking it to glow brightly.

"Oz!" Fischl calls for the bird to shrink to its normal size zipping inside the dome through an opening before Relon manipulates it closed.

"Try not to die to quickly now~" Lisa purrs, raising a hand towards her lantern as Trishula fires its spikes from every direction, electricity blasting directly in all directions and onto the ice dome bouncing off arcing against the already striking bolts of lightning vaporizing everything of Trishula's.

Arching its back with a mighty roar of pain most likely, Trishula falls to the ground as it begins wrestling back up.

"It's stomach is impossible to get at this angle!" Sara shouts as they watch their footing.

"Then what do- Watch out!" Keqing shouts, all turning to the incoming tail singed.

"Hi-ya!" All look to Chongyun, Kaeya, Rosaria, and Ayaka slice the tendon into pieces landing with them, the agonized cry subsiding for only a brief moment.

"Can't let you guys have all the fun." Kaeya greets.

"We need to get this thing on its side so we can end this!" Fischl exclaims using her mystic eye on the gem.

"Break it simultaneously, I take it?" Sara asks for the girl to nod.

"Leave it to us!" Ayaka says.

"Qiqi!" Relon calls, the girl already jumping on his back as Ayaka and him zip and slide off the beast.

"Cryo Army, we must push the beast onto its side!" She shouts, popping back out.

"YES MA'AM!" The army responds, all cryo soldiers moving onto the clearing as the Electro Army lassos the creature's arms down as it's forced onto its knees causing the others to jump off and Sara fly away.

"Ganyu!" Relon blitzes to the girl already off at a sprint to jump into his arms. "Ready to put a stop to this?" He smiles, Ganyu taken aback only for a moment.

"Yes!" She happily nods.

Landing, he runs up landing on the top of a bone jumping from one to another landing directly in front of the creature.

"There's your window, Sara!" Beidou shouts as the tengu warrior zips behind the monster.

"Fishcl, Oz!" The woman calls for Fischl to be taken within Oz flying after Sara.

"PUUUUUULLLLLL!"

Roaring, its head lowers back to glare at Ganyu.

"All you!" He launches Ganyu into the air for her to flip aimed at the creature.

"Ready?" Sara shouts.

"Aim…" Ganyu calls back.

Roaring, Trishula's voice bellows an ear-bothering roar.

"Erk!" Ganyu winces, covering her ears.

"I believe this is enough." Miko hums in satisfaction, dozens upon dozens of Senshou Sakuras floating around before her.

With a single motion downwards, they drop. Sensing the incoming attack, Relon and the others look up as like rain droplets, Trishula is pelted by the attack lodging themselves with the creature.

"Great Art: Tenko Kenshin." Miko snaps, the silhouette of a dark fox dancing around her as thunderbolts pummel the creature.

Covering their eyes from the light show, Relon wastes no time in grabbing Ganyu.

"One more time, while it's stunned!"

Dropping their hands to the ground, both rise up on a platform.

"On my count!" Sara shouts, Fischl atop Oz.

"Ready to resonate?" He asks, raising his left arm raring to end it.

"Yes." Reaching out, they take the other's hand, their eyes glowing brighter as the mist from them secretes densely.

This power… it's overflowing…!

"This time… We'll end it this time…!" She snaps to the creature, vision on full blast.

"Yeah!"

"Ready…!"

"HOLD FIRM, MEN!" Many cryos assisting in holding the creature back.

Taking her stance, Ganyu pulls back the string.

"No holding back! We're going all in!" He exclaims taking hold of the bow inserting his polearm along it.

"Aim…!"

"Immernachtreich, heed thy call and indwell thine enchanted arrowhead!"

Relon, I'm sorry. Ganyu thinks, glancing at the focused teen. When you were injured, all I could do was look in horror. I can tell that tengu warrior, just from a glance, she cares for you deeply. Even so, I was frustrated at myself. She was able to retaliate while I could not. But this time, I won't stand idly by. You've given me the power to bring about change and I shall use it to its full extent. Starting by changing the course of this battle!

"Fire!"

"I release thee!"

"FIRE!"

"GOOOOOOO!"

All three attacks launch at once, both arrows striking the gem on the back as the polearm spins striking the front. The force increasing as the arrows and polearm rotation increases causing the gems to crack.

Giving one last roar, its eyes look down on Relon. Struggling to open its maw, the sudden impact of Miko stomping on its nose ceases its attempt as she lands next to Relon and Ganyu.

"See? I was careful." She smiles, both in complete shock and awe before turning their attention to the cry of the beast in time to see the attacks pierce through.

Trishula's skin cracking before with one final cry to the heavens, it crumbles to nothingness.

Panting, Ganyu falls with her legs sprawled to both sides. A breath of relief finally escaping followed by the cheers of the army. Cryo and electro together rooting and hollering over the hard fought victory.

"Finally, it's over." Sara breathes out her own sigh of relief.

"Hmpf, a fact never wavering." Fischl says posing.

"You have a point, Fischl." Sara smiles,her friends and allies all smiles and joy evident in the expressions.

Raising her head, she flies over landing on the platform to look at Ganyu smiling. Turning her attention towards the protagonist, she takes sight of the boy held by her from behind having lost the last of his energy.

"Shhh, he's sleeping." Miko cautions with a tease in her voice.

"Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be able to wake him." Kneeling down, Sara takes Relon's hand in hers, the sunlight finally breaking through the clouds for a ray of light to shine upon Relon's sleeping face.

"Welcome home, Relon."

Inazuma

Sleeping peacefully, Relon lays within the comforts of his bed. Slowly blinking away, he's met by a batch of blue, his hand holding the smaller hand of a young child. Widening at the dormant girl, Relon clenches his teeth so as to not disturb her.

"Qiqi…!"

Silently crying his joy at the slumbering child, he can only

For his first battle, he held quite well. Although he needed my own instincts to battle, his own hasn't lessened. Raiden Ei thinks from within the Plane of Euthymia, in her hand the supposed memories Relon has lost.

"Perhaps my pursuit of eternity is nothing more than a form of escapism. In the end, the path I took was like that of a turtle who hides in its shell."

"Still, turtles have always been a symbol of longevity.

"Perhaps in order to reach eternity, one has to follow their example. Much like what you're choosing to do."

"You flatter me. We've both learned much from one another. It's how we're able to speak so casually now."

"What you say holds truth but are you sure of this decision?"

"You asked me to help and if this is the only way, then so be it. As your chosen, I have a duty to uphold. I'll take whatever punishment the others give me when the time comes."

"Your memories will normally be lost during this ritual but I shall use my power to withhold them."

"Thank you. When you feel I'm ready, return them to me. Until then, I leave them and anything else that follows in your capable hands."

"Very well. Let us depart."

Rest for now, my chosen. The first battle has passed but the next is just over the horizon. Let the present rest lull you to rejuvenation. Take as long as you must. Even if it lasts for an eternity for once you have regained your strength, we must be ready.