Everything hurt, losing to the Traveler and that puny god was embarrassing, now that he has failed so miserably to a child god and their lapdog, lost his heart, his purpose again, he didn't have the strength to break his own fall. Not that he had any to begin with. The machine he was plugged into robbed him of his power the moment his strings snapped. His eyes dulled as he plummeted.

Was he really that useless? That a fledgling god and a mortal with a guardian complex was enough to fell him, so worthless that his supposed allies never bothered to help him when he unknowingly played right into the enemies hands. For not being able to realize that Buer trapped him in a dreamlike state to study his attacks and locate his weaknesses, maybe his creator was right, he was useless dross, a worthless existence, no one would even care if he disappeared.

Crashing to the cold unforgiving ground. The impact wouldn't kill him but it disconnected his systems for a moment, too weak to keep them going. He welcomed the bliss of unconscious oblivion, he didn't have anything worth clinging to anymore.

Though unknown to the puppet, the laylines below them had been damaged in their fight. The power of two gnoses clashing caused a disturbance, a small rift had formed exactly where the false god fell. Swirls of Dendro and Electro mixed together distorting the area, the unmoving body of the defeated prototype slipped through the crack in the world.

The puppet fell from a high place once more as the rift spat out it's tagalong, lucky for him, he wasn't awake to feel the second impact. His small form left a small crater in its wake. Unearthing the ground and grass below, trees and hills littered the surrounding landscape, the area happened to be where a certain Hero and his Companion were grinding for levels.

Any life in the area scattered at the sudden intrusion of the newly deposited Decender's arrival. Dust and dirt had been kicked up, settling into small cloud before the dirt rejoined the earth once more.

A young raccoon demi-human paused with her dagger strike on a balloon monster when something caught her attention, her eyes shot to the sky as a glint of gold and a flare of rainbow caught her attention, her eyes followed the streak and a loud crash rang through the forest.

Her attention was quickly recaptured by the balloon that tried to bite her. An arm blocked the advance. A human dressed in green had blocked it.

"Don't get distracted so easily!" the man barked out as he smashed the biting balloon away with a small silver shield. The girl flinched and continued her attack. Popping it. Orange scraps fell in the monster's place.

"Sorry Master Naofumi! I just… saw something strange!" The girl explained as she looked to the sky again. She heard her master sigh as an irritated look formed on his face. The hero seemed to be thinking something over as he gathered the monster remains.

"That could spell trouble." He grumbled, he thought it through. "Alright let's take a short break to investigate, it might interfere with our grinding session." He reasoned. The girl nodded eagerly, jumping to attention.

"I saw it going that direction!" She pointed to where the trees were slowly thinning out. So the Hero and his Companion set off to investigate.

The two made haste towards the mystery noise, breaking through the trees a small clearing was disturbed by whatever fell. Naofumi wasn't sure exactly what he was expecting in this crazy world, but what they found wasn't something he'd be able to predict.

He heard Raphtalia gasp in horror, the girl rushed over to the body, limbs bent in ways not natural, cracks lining exposed skin, almost like broken porcelain, blood and purple ichor bleeding from many places, the mix had slowly been forming a puddle underneath it. Naofumi was sure it wasn't human even if it had the shape of what seemed to be a boy?

"Careful..!" Naofumi warned as he eyed the purple liquid. He pulled Raphtalia back before she accidentally stepped in the stuff. "We don't know if it's safe."

She gave a sheepish nod. "Is… he alive?" the racoon asked. Naofumi looked closer and saw tubes attached to it back. It was the main source of the purple stuff. He moved closer, careful of where he stepped.

The Shield Hero poked at the biggest tube. He jerked back when the body twitched with a soft hiss. It was alive somehow. Dull eyes flickered to life like a lightbulb. It had pretty indigo eyes, though it's gaze seemed unfocused.

Until it seemed to finally register it wasn't alone. With a wild movement the puppet managed to shift itself up right. Hissing as the joints of it's body protested. Sparks forming pathetically in some form of defense. "Don't touch me!" It- He hissed, swiping the human's hand away from his strings.

The puppet's body ached and pulsed as he tried to make sense of what was happening. This wasn't Sumeru. He couldn't feel any elemental particles in the air either, his mind lagged trying to register the human's face, Inazuman but so foreign at the same time. There was a Tanuki child with him.

"Please calm down! You're hurt!" The girl insisted. It grated on his hearing. His head pounded, gripping it with one hand. The other felt dislocated. He needed to assess just how much damage he had received, though his elemental energy was almost completely drained. A fresh wave of pain coursed through his body when one of his strings snagged underneath him.

"Nghah!" The youth felt mortification at how utterly weak he must look to the duo. The Tanuki girl pulled a face, she turned to the human in green almost pleadingly.

"Master? Can't you give him something? He must be in so much pain!" the child wasn't wrong that much the doll could concede.

"Why should I waste my resources on some stranger?" He asked, rather cold. The doll closed his eyes in silent acceptance. He didn't need their help… These two would not show him mercy, not that the puppet was expecting any.

"But… you saved me?" The girl's voice was weak, it shook with unease. The puppet chose to ignore them, he tried to get up. Only for his legs to give in the moment he stood. Falling face first into the ground. He choked back a frustrated snarl as he tasted dirt and fluid.

"He can't even walk." The human blatantly pointed out.

"all the more reason to help him… it would be cruel to leave him like that!"The girl pleaded. She flinched, realizing that she raised her voice at the human. The puppet managed to move his head up to watch them squabble. So this is how he dies?

Bleeding out in the middle of nowhere, he didn't have enough energy to kickstart his self repair function. Where was he even? No… wait he wasn't ready to sleep again..! Swallowing his pride, knowing he needed help to survive his current state.

"We're leav-" The human was cut off when the hand of the puppet grabbed onto his leg. The grip was laughably weak.

"Please… Wait…I don't want to… shut down…"He cringed at his own voice. Worthless, begging like that. He felt traitorous tears forming in his eyes. He hasn't been in that much pain in a long while.

Cold green eyes stared down at the puppet. The purple haired youth recognized that look all too well. It was one he himself wore. The human moved his leg. The puppet didn't let go, grip tightening, he bit back a hiss as the strain of even that simple action was pain inducing.

The girl shot the man with another pleading look. "What can you even offer me in return?" The man asked, bending down in front of the crippled puppet.

The doll's face turned to shock before settling into realization. Huffing out a needless breath. Of course you'd want something in return… that's how it works…" He mumbled. The man eyed him up and down, eye rising at the attire the petite doll was wearing. His clothes were ruined at the back where the strings painfully sat.

"I have nothing but my worthless life to offer in exchange…" The doll finally spoke again after a few moments of awkward silence. The man was taken aback by his words.

"Worthless you say? What would I gain from helping you then?" The human recovered quickly from that. The doll closed his eyes again before answering.

"I can fight…it's all I'm good for now." It was all a tool like him was useful for. The puppet seemed to have chosen the right thing to say. The man now looked a lot more interested.

"You say that but I need absolute obedience and loyalty from someone who'd fight alongside me, the Shield Hero." He motioned to his tiny shield. The doll didn't recognize the make or the title.

"The what…?" The doll held back a scoff. The Human's eyes widened in surprise, as did the racoon girl's.

"You don't know who the Shield Hero is?"The supposed hero probed. The doll shook his head." Alright fine, I'll help you, but in exchange I expect you to fight and obey me." Hope lit in the doll. He didn't have a problem with playing lackey if it meant he gained benefits from it as well.

"I'll accept that deal, though I need a very specific type of maintenance…"The doll said as his hand dropped from the human's leg.

"And that would be?" Naofumi had an idea where this could be going. The doll flicked his eyes to the tubes.

"Those damn strings are obstructing my inner workings… It really hurts." He hated Dottore for installing them in a manner as painful as he could muster.

"Strings…?" Those were strings? "What are you?" Most creatures would have died by now, judging on how large the blood puddle was.

"... I'm a puppet, do with that as you will. No point in hiding it." He said. Naofumi nodded slowly. He moved closer, grabbing the string attached to the puppet's nape. The short doll flinched at the touch. Naofumi took a deep breath and pulled.

A bloody murder scream escaped the puppet's lips as the golden end dislodged violently from his neck. Purple icor and blood spilled. He writhed in pain gripping his now bare neck. That hurt just as much as it did when it was inserted.

The girl froze on the spot, watching in horror. "Keep… Going!" The doll snapped after catching unneeded breaths. Naofumi held the string in hand. He stared at it for a moment. Eyes flicking to the shield.

The youth watched as the human held the cursed string to his shield's green gem. The string turned into particles that were absorbed into the shield. The doll blinked dumbfoundedly. "Um… what are you doing?" His frustration turned to confusion.

New Shield Unlocked…

Shouki No Kami String Shield.

Special Abilities: access to Raiden Shogun Prototype 1's systems: emergency override, emergency repair.

Def+1(unmastered)

New Shield Unlocked…

Archon Residue Shield.

Special Abilities: Miasma of the fallen, corruption amplifier, apply Corrosion

Def+1

Atk+5(unmastered)

Naofumi couldn't believe it. A shield with actual attack stats! A slight manic expression formed on his face but he had to focus. He turned back to the puppet. The string came from him, so was the puppet the prototype in the ability description?

He checked his Companion tab. Sure enough.

Name:

Raiden Shogun Prototype 1(no name)

Level: 1

HP:791

ATK:25

DEF:47

MP/ER: 100%

SP: 120

"Hurry it up will you! I might be artificial, but I can still feel pain just as well as any other organic being!" the puppet snarled out. Naofumi snapped back to reality. What a foul temper his new companion had.

He got back to work. "Raphtalia hold him down for me, I'm going to remove the biggest one." Naofumi ordered. Judging by how he flailed from the removal of the first string, the puppet had to be kept still.

The girl obeyed, though she was pale faced. Apologizing to the prototype for the upcoming pain. True to his prediction, the moment Naofumi ripped the string out the doll once more; writhed and squirmed under them, the racoon girl did her best to keep him from accidentally hitting her master.

The other 4 strings came out in similar fashion. By the time they were done, the hole was filled with blood and ichor. Staining the clothes of the puppet, demi-human and human.

Naofumi was surprised the doll was still conscious, albeit barely. A notification popped up in his peripheral.

Obstructions Cleared

Start Auto-Repair? (will consume MP)

YES/NO

Naofumi allowed it. He felt the drain on his magic points. It was a rapid but steady flowing feeling. Lines and markings on the doll's body slowly turned to a purple glow as the cracks slowly filled itself up.

Estimated time of completion:

48 hours

The doll felt his systems start without his permission, not that he cared. He was still a puppet at the end of the day, a being destined to be used by others, free will wasn't meant for him, it only led to pain and misery.

"You've actually kept to your end of the deal… So I'll acknowledge your authority, oh mighty hero." The puppet's words came out a lot more sarcastic and sharp than he intended. "Please do honor me with your name." Naofumi was now certain the doll was mocking him in some manner.

"I'm Iwatani Naofumi , the Shield Hero." Naofumi said. "And you are?" The puppet's stat screen said he was nameless.

"I went by many names but none are usable anymore, so call me whatever you want my new Lord."The puppet meant it. He couldn't use his old titles. They meant nothing here, he lost the right to them the moment he lost, he also didn't want to use his older names either, those had bitter memories attached. A new owner meant a new start. The doll had heard enough to realize he wasn't in Sumeru or Teyvat anymore.

Naofumi went quiet in thought, the doll clearly had some ties to Japanese culture, it was very evident in his clothes and the name of the shield he currently had equipped, he didn't want to give him a dumb sounding name either so the human had to take this seriously. It was the least Naofumi could do, seeing as the man basically had a way to fully control the damaged puppet.

The puppet was on the verge of passing out. His features smoothed out the moment his eyes closed once more. Without the scowl the puppet looked gentle and harmless. How deceiving.

A name came to mind. Yuya. That seemed fitting. The display name changed accordingly. He'd tell Yuya his new name when he woke up again. But for now, they had to rerun to camp, they had wasted the rest of the day making the deal with Yuya. Naofumi picked him up.

Careful to not aggregate Yuya's healing injuries. He was a lot lighter than expected.