Here I present myself with a new chapter!
First of all, I want to thank f46adpg, as he was the one who translated this chapter. Thank you very much for your help.
Sorry for the delay. I'm preparing finals and I've been very busy these days. Most likely, updates will continue with irregularities until the middle of next month. Anyway, I will try to continue bringing chapters these days.
Before starting the chapter, I would like to answer a review:
f46adpg: I'm so glad you are enjoying it so much. I hope you were also able to enjoy this chapter while translating it.
Vanilla 12: I'll try to be more regular with updates once I'm done with my final exams. I'm really glad you're liking the fights so far.
With nothing more to add, it's time to start.
Enjoy!
"LUMINE…!" Aether yelled startled as he sat up on the bed. The sweat and dismayed expression on his face indicated that he had had a pretty heavy sleep.
His somewhat laboured breathing regulated almost instantly after seeing that he was in his bedroom.
However it didn't take long for reality to fall on his body, and it did hit him hard and painfully. The blonde had no choice but to drag hand to his head in a poor attempt to soothe the powerful headache that was tormenting him. That simple movement caused the sheets to be pulled back, and he was immediately forced to notice that he was only in his underwear and that a large part of his chest was bandaged, as were his arms.
"That…?" Aether was barely able to say a word, as vivid images of his last encounter forced its way into his mind forcefully as he thought, "Were Gorou and Kokomi able to rescue the survivors?" Worry soon hit him, as he could not clearly remember if they had managed to accomplish their mission.
Before any more questions could arise, the door was suddenly opened.
Paimon's eyes widened like few times before, her eyes were covered with tears in a second and the Pyro slime tray she was carrying in her small hands fell to the ground with a crash.
"Aether!" The little thing not identified as a fairy cried like never before as she rushed over to her best friend to hug him tightly.
"Hey hey! Be careful, I have these bandages for a reason!" Aether exclaimed with a laugh, as he was happy to see his travelling companion in perfect condition.
"Paimon was so worried! You haven't woken up in a week!" Paimon exclaimed through tears, her small hands clutching on Aether's bandaged chest tightly.
"One week? I see…. She hit me really hard. I think it would do me good not to eat more ice for a decade." Aether tried to joke to relax her, something that seemed to work, and was confirmed by the light breathy laughter that emerged from Paimon on his chest.
"Paimon doesn't think you should joke about that, but if you're doing that, it means you're really okay." Paimon responded much calmer than before, but nothing was going to erase that big smile on her face.
"And how are the others? Did Kokomi and Gorou manage to transport all the wounded?" The happiness in Aether was washed in an instant replaced by absolute seriousness.
"Don't worry about that, they did their job. Now most of those who suffered minor injuries have fully recovered, while a large group is assigned to care for those people who have not yet recovered. I'm helping them too, they even assigned me to take care of you." Paimon commented, holding that radiant smile while doing her signature flip mid-air.
"Oh? You? and doing something?" The blonde couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that, and that was more than enough for Paimon to forget the matter completely.
"And what is that supposed to mean!?" Paimon shouted in clear indignation at the obvious implication of treating her as useless.
"Relax, I was just joking." Aether clarified with a small laugh at the end. "Is Gorou in charge of everything? I mean, I guess we're in the Relaxing Room, right?"
"Sara and Yae are helping him. I don't understand much about administration and stuff, so maybe you should ask them personally." Paimon commented as she looked away, indicating that she was still upset.
"Does that mean Yae and Sara are okay?" The blonde asked with clear emotion in his tone of voice.
"Well, Paimon can't say exactly…" Paimon declared, looking at Aether from head to toe. "Paimon would say they are like you."
Aether looked at himself after that statement, and at that moment he decided to stand up. Aether moved his arms first, then exerted force on the rest of his body. The well-formed muscles were noticeable through his bandage making Paimon cover her face with a slight blush.
"Well, to tell the truth, it doesn't hurt at all…" Aether commented with a lot of confusion, since he didn't understand where the problem was.
But he soon realised.
The traveller's eyes narrowed as he squeezed his hand tightly, very tightly.
"I can't feel my fingers…" Aether thought carefully.
"What kinds of attacks did that woman use?"
CHAPTER 3: TRUE ETERNITY!
"There is nothing better than a good breakfast after being unconscious for a week." Aether thought with a satisfied smile as he enjoyed the freshly baked burbiterols.
"Hoho~It seems that someone is already feeling much better." Yae left the paperwork on the desk as she watched Aether come down the stairs, followed by Sara.
"It's good to see that you are alright." Aether meant it, but the reality is that he was much more focused on the lower floor of his mansion, since the place had been touched up a lot.
The endless bookcases that decorated its lower floor were still there, but now they had a rather peculiar order. Before the bookshelves were pushed against the wall, but now it looked like a library that had the main focus on its two secretaries who were in the centre, being surrounded by many more desks than he remembered having, desks full of papers and books. The only place that was not covered by the various shelves was the red carpets that led to the second floor and the entrance.
"I see they settled in quite well." Aether added as an afterthought, devouring another pastry in one bite.
"Sorry for the inconveniences. We had to make these changes since things are really complicated. We also saw the need to use many resources from your warehouse to supply citizens with food and medical treatment, among other things." Sara bowed her head slightly in apology.
"Don't worry. I have a lot of things and I only collect them with the idea of being able to help people. I'm glad they're being used for that now." Aether commented, approaching until he was in front of them. "Did you make any progress with the reconstruction of Inazuma?" That last question even made Yae herself a little nervous, something that Aether did not miss.
"That's what we wanted to talk to you about. The truth is that they are all very afraid to return, and seeing that their saviour had a lot of space on his floating islands, they decided to settle in this place." Aether suddenly choked on his delicious pastries.
"Surely the Fatui have already left, right?!" The traveller exclaimed, his eyes widening like saucers.
"We know, but it is impossible to make these people see reason. I only ask that they stay here until things calm down." Sara's usual serious tone changed to one that sounded a little pleading, something that surprised Aether.
"Okay, like I said before, I'm really happy to help people. But you know, I was surprised to have such a large population living inside my teapot." Aether declared as he rubbed his hair somewhat nervously. "By the way, I think Tubby will have already told you what this place is. Speaking of him, where did he go?" He concluded with some strangeness, since it seemed really strange to him that the spirit was not helping Yae and Sara.
"He is supervising the construction of the new homes. I have to say it's pretty amazing to think that a half-teapot, half-bird thing could be so good at building." Sara did not bother to show her surprise with several blinks, since she still remembered quite well the peculiar way of helping by the being that kept this place alive.
"I should have guessed. By the way, do you know anything about the injuries?" Aether pointed to his chest to emphasize his words. "There are certain parts of my body that I don't feel, and I even have some problems walking and moving in general."
"That's because they are not normal injuries. You already went through something similar when you faced Ei." Yae's immediate response surprised the traveller. "When its rays pierced your skin, they entered your body and exploded with force, so that even a light scratch could culminate in a fatal shock." Yae fixed his gaze on one of the many papers on the table, taking it carefully. "That Archon's attacks work similarly, only they don't explode, they freeze you. "First it affects your skin, then your nerves, next are your muscles, joints and finally the organs." Aether took the blade carefully, carefully reading the measures to counteract the freezing. "The really dangerous thing is that it doesn't cause pain, but that doesn't mean you're fine. It only means that it destroyed a large part of the affected area."
"These are the ways to contain the advance. Paimon had already explained me the use of Pyro Slime slimes, but…" Aether lowered the paper to reveal a look covered in bewilderment. "There is nothing that explains how to cure it."
"It's because there isn't one." Yae's response made his eyes widen. "Many citizens died because of it. The only thing we can do is contain and neutralise the damage. But, if the wounds have already affected the organs, then it is almost impossible to survive."
"At the moment, you were the only case that could recover. You had your both lungs compromised, but you recovered incredibly quickly. Most likely it is because you are not an ordinary person." Sara added, resting her only useful hand on the table, since her other arm was completely in a cast.
"So, I guess I have no choice but to undergo a period of rehabilitation…" Aether thought out loud, looking at his bandages.
"At least you're better off than us." Yae covered her giggle with her hand, and it was at that moment that Aether could notice how many parts of her body were bandaged, even her cute fox ears.
"I can not complain. If it hadn't been for the Almighty Shogun-sama then I wouldn't even be alive." Sara commented simply, indicating that she cared little about her injuries.
That sentence was more than enough for Aether to remember a crucial point.
"How is the Archon doing?" Aether asked with some concern, causing Sara's gaze to harden and Yae to give a disappointed sigh.
"She was the one who had taken the most damage, but she is an Archon. You need a lot more to be able to take her down." Aether was not entirely happy with that answer, since the serious faces of both women indicated that there was still more information. "But, as she absorbed much of the damage from that huge explosion, her body suffered the consequences." Yae lowered her gaze a little after that was mentioned. "The only part of her body that wasn't hurt was her face, as for the rest…"
"Is she unwell?" Aether asked with great concern.
"Nothing she can't overcome. She even regained consciousness yesterday." Sara answered immediately, showing her undying trust in her leader. "But, it is true that she will hardly be able to regain full movement of her body without a few months of rehabilitation." Her self-esteem dropped considerably after those last words.
"Well, better than nothing. Besides, no one is going to bother her here. Neither the Fatuis, nor any other enemy. It is impossible to access the serenitea pot without my approval." Aether responded with a slight smile.
"Yes, we already know. Tubby explained us about how this place works. But back to the main topic…" Yae made a small dramatic pause as she placed her hand over her lips to cover them.
That simple gesture was enough to know that she was planning to do something strange, so Aether couldn't help but get a little nervous.
"Someone needs to take care of my dear Ei, but we are covered in incessant work after all the commotion that happened." Aether began to understand where this was going, and he could say with certainty that he didn't like it.
Yae's eyes narrowed slightly, indicating that she was about to drop the bomb.
"Therefore, we need someone trustworthy to take care of her, and you are more than perfect for that simple job."
"Huh? I don't know if you remember, but she tried to kill me… Twice." He added the last two words with a roll of his eyes, as if that would make his statement more emphatic.
"That wasn't her, it was the puppet. "Now it's different." Yae responded without being able to hide her smile, although she had no intention of doing so either. "Although it is true that there may still be great tension between you. Plus the fact that Ei is really mentally destroyed after everything that happened, you might be the last person she wants to see." Yae raised her gaze after his words, as if she was thinking about what she should do.
Although she obviously wasn't doing it. She was just teasing him!.
"So how the hell do you think I'm going to take care of her when I'm also going to have to constantly worry about her electrocuting my butt?!" Aether shouted with his eyes rolling.
"First of all, she can't move a finger. Secondly, you should know a very important thing." Yae's gaze hardened, indicating that what she was about to say was not stupid.
"And what is it?" Aether's anger turned into great curiosity.
"All Archons have a weakness."
That vague response only earned an extremely confused look from Aether.
"And that has to do?"
"Desserts."
The traveler couldn't help but blink, thinking that perhaps he had heard wrong.
"Desserts are Ei's great weakness."
"OK?" Aether wasn't convinced at all, but still gave him the benefit of the doubt.
"She may seem like a very cold and immutable woman, but the reality is that that facade completely crumbles when she is in front of delicious food." Yae leaned back a little in her seat, giving a better image that foxy smile. "Tell me something, are you good at cooking desserts?"
Aether responded in his own way as he handed the last burbiterol to Sara, who watched this with some confusion, although she quickly understood his intention.
The Shogunate commander put the dessert in her mouth, and her stoic expression changed radically from one second to the next.
"Much more than just being good, if I do say so myself." Sara licked her lips against her will, and the commander's out of character reaction was more than enough for Yae.
"So…" A fox-like smile never seen before crossed the Yokai woman's lips.
"Make the most of that weakness, dear."
And that was how Aether got to standing at the second floor of his mansion with a tray full of different desserts. The drink was a rainbow margarita, accompanied by more burbiteroles and slices of a tartlet with more than perfect preparations. But without a doubt the best thing of all was that they were fresh out of the oven.
But even though she had this supposed great weakness, Aether couldn't help but feel really nervous. Those nerves only increased when he slowly opened the door. The place was in complete darkness, but he was soon able to see how (somewhat) dull violet eyes were piercing him with their gaze as soon as he took a step into the room.
It didn't take long for the blonde to press the knob, causing an electro sequence to light up the metal lantern above the room. The first thing he saw was that the bedroom was really empty. There was only a closet and a mirror, in addition to the typical personal bathroom. After that there was a nightstand that was right next to the double bed that was decorated with beautiful royal violet sheets.
But that was the least important thing.
Aether couldn't help but swallow hard as he noticed how the immutable Shogun looked at him from the bed, the slight inclination of the pillow allowing it.
"You…" Ei hissed under her breath.
She probably would have been more receptive or kind, but the reality is that what happened recently and the fact that she couldn't defend herself made things quite complicated.
Aether understood this perfectly, so he quickly opted for a defensive pose.
"We are no longer enemies!" Aether fought back as quickly as he could."You're in my home, I just want you to recover!" Aether waved his free hand lightly to emphasize his words.
"And how can I trust you?" Ei gave him a look covered in distrust.
But Aether noticed a really crucial change in her.
If it had been the puppet, He wouldn't even be trying to start a conversation with her now.
He dismissed the idea that it was because she was immobilized. I mean, that probably had some influence, but he also remembered that the first real meeting between the two of them was also driven by curiosity rather than rage or coldness.
"Yae asked me to. They may have had some differences lately, but you know as much as I do that she would never try to do anything bad to you." Ei's gaze softened a little after what she heard. "If you don't believe me, then believe your friend." The blonde threw his last card, and it seemed to have an effect.
"…Very well, it's not like I can do anything about it anyway." Ei commented with a downcast look. "After all, I ended up like this trying to save my city…" Her downcast expression turned into a depressed one after her words.
Aether's guarded posture changed upon noticing this. In fact, you could even say he was a little worried.
"Maybe you didn't save everything, but you did." Aether approached slowly.
"Save something? Everything was destroyed. The fact that I'm here to recover is proof enough of that. In the end, I couldn't do anything, I couldn't take care of my home that took us so much work to build…" The Goddess's look became even more depressive after his words.
"That is not true." The traveler stood next to him, sitting down on the bed carefully. "Eat something, that will distract you."
The moment he extended the tray towards her, it was enough for him to confirm that Yae was not lying to him. He only needed to see how Ei's face lit up, even if just a little.
"I do not want to." Therefore, it was a big surprise to Aether to hear her refuse. "I don't want anything anymore…" Her tone of voice broke after saying those words. "For everything I have fought, everything I have built with my sister, they were centuries of construction. Everything, everything to be destroyed in a second, Eternity no longer exists. Everything has collapsed in front of my eyes and I couldn't do anything…" The Goddess's violet eyes were completely opaque, revealing that the words and that pain were not faked at all.
Although, instead of feeling more worried, Aether did the exact opposite.
The traveler got angry.
"Do you think those two will be okay?" Sara asked with great doubts, making it clear that she did not agree with the plan.
"I haven't spent much time with Aether, but I can assure you that he's the kind of person that would annoy Ei a lot." Yae declared with a slight smile.
"That is supposed to be good!?" Sara's worries only increased after listening to Yae.
"My dear, you have no idea who Ei really is. It's natural, since you were never really with her." Yae's comment made Sara a little upset, since, in part, she was right.
"Sometimes, getting angry can be the solution to your problems. Mainly when we talk about a woman like Ei."
"That is not true." Aether answered her solemnly, making Ei's sadness change to an extremely confused look. "You still have many things to fight for."
"But what are you saying? That's silly." It didn't take Ei even half a second to disagree with him, and that sadness quickly turned into annoyance. "The path of Eternity was destroyed! There's nothing left to protect! I have lost everything!" Ei exclaimed on the verge of shouting, her eyes moistening with each syllable that escaped her lips . "Inazuma no longer exists!"
"Of course it exists! You just can't see it" Aether interrupted her with the same tone of voice, making Ei close her eyes tightly.
"Stop talking nonsense!" The Goddess screamed, her voice mixed with her sob covered in pain and sadness.
"If you don't believe me, let me prove it to you." Aether immediately stood up, making Ei's eyes widen in surprise.
"What…?" Her tone instantly died down as Aether opened the window, causing a strong stimulation of light to enter the bedroom.
Before she knew it, the blonde was already with her again, so she couldn't help but be confused to death before she felt his hands sliding down her form lifting her up.
"Wha-what are you doing? Put me down!" She said with some shyness as she noticed how Aether carried her bridal style.
The traveler didn't have much trouble with this, since Ei's body was completely bandaged, so it wasn't uncomfortable to take her by the butt. Furthermore, he was upset so he didn't think much about it either.
Ei closed her eyes tightly, at first she thought that the blonde was going to throw her out the window, so she buried her face in his chest in fear. But, the seconds passed, and nothing happened.
"Open your eyes." Ei listened to him, her eyes opening with some difficulty in the face of the powerful light, but she was finally able to adapt.
At that moment, the characteristic bustle of people and birds singing adorned her ears. It was really common, but the fact that she hadn't heard it in ages made her eyes progressively widen, until they were as big as saucers.
But, that wasn't the only thing that moved her...
"Bring those woods over here!" A muscular man exclaimed as he made signs with his hand, giving instructions to four men who were carrying a large amount of planks towards a house that was under construction, being watched by the father and son who would live in that new home.
"We have all kinds of food and drinks! Give us your work ticket in exchange! For the elderly and children it is free!" A woman called out to all passers-by from her recently built establishment, forming a really long line, although that was not the only establishment that had a large audience.
"We sell clothes!"
"Cutlery, plates and other utensils to decorate your home!"
"We sell high-quality furniture, most recently built!"
"Yae Publishing House is back in business to provide the best entertainment!"
Unlike the other locals, the blacksmiths spoke in their own way, banging the tools they were forging non-stop, indicating that they had a long queue of work.
Even Tubby was helping with the construction of one of the houses using his powers on the land where he lived to move the planks and stones in complete freedom, being helped by Gorou, Ayato and other workers, ranging from young people to women.
Everyone had a role, they had a job, and despite the destruction of their home and the death of family members, everyone did their best to build a new place they could call home.
Despite everything that had happened, everyone seemed brimming with energy and discipline.
All, except for their own Archon.
"Do you understand now? "Inazuma is not the city." Ei came out of her great shock after hearing Aether.
At that moment she realized that her annoyed face had changed to a smile that was covered with sincerity and confidence.
"Inazuma is the people. "That's what keeps your city alive, and it's the only thing that always has." Ei's eyes widened a little after hearing his words, as if a huge revelation had just hit her.
"But how come they can still be so strong…?" Ei shifted his gaze to the civilians once again, seeing how many were even smiling.
"Believe me, I understand your pain. Many of them surely do too. And it's normal to feel that way, don't be ashamed of it." Aether commented with a somewhat downcast look. "Many people died, many people lost parents, brothers, children, grandparents…" The growing sadness in Ei's body faded into the background when Aether readjusted his embrace on her so that she was looking at him.
The Archon's eyes lit up at the sincere smile that decorated that blonde she once wanted to kill.
"But, thanks to those people who died, they can move forward. Memories, ambitions, purpose, all that you have always found to be an obstacle. That's what makes you, that's who you are. They will never let go of their spirit. They will continue fighting until the end. They are your people. They are your family. They are the Eternity that you have always defended. But, it is also true that without their Archon they will lose their way very quickly. That's why I wonder..." Aether's smile widened a little more at what he was about to say:
"Does the Archon also continue to fight for the path of Eternity?"
Ei remained silent, observing the people.
"I…" The Archon's gaze turned to a more confident one, although her voice was heard as a simple whisper. "I want…"
"That?" Aether decided to tease her a little as he leaned his ear closer.
"I want to continue fighting for what I want!" Ei exclaimed with complete conviction, although it was impossible for her to hide the slight blush that appeared on her cheeks.
"That's what I wanted to hear!" Aether commented with a toothy smile, and this time Ei returned the gesture, although her smile was't really apparent.
Aether decided to leave the window open so the noise of civilization could settle between them. After all, he could easily tell that Ei enjoyed those sounds very much. She most likely enjoyed being free from this self-imposed prison too, but he thought it would not be appropriate to talk about it now.
Furthermore, he knew very little about it. It would be reckless to give an opinion about something you have no idea about.
Ei watched in silence as Aether laid her back on the bed. She could tell that he was thinking about somewhat complicated things, so she decided not to pry.
"So, you still don't want to have breakfast?" The blonde asked as he picked up the tray again.
"Um, well…" Ei lowered her gaze a little. "I'm really not very hungry, and I don't want to bother you anymore…"
"Oh yeah?" Ei couldn't help but look up when she noticed the traveler's contemptuous tone. "So, I guess you won't have any problems if I eat this, right?" Aether took a bite of the burbiterol, causing the delicious smell of the thick cream to seep out.
"No…!" Aether looked at her very gracefully, making Ei close her lips tightly while a huge blush graced her cheeks.
"If you don't decide now, I won't share any with you." He concluded, devouring the other half of the cupcake.
"If you would be so kind, I would like to try those desserts." Ei's tone was somewhat timid, as she had been completely caught.
"Alright, just let me settle you in…" Aether left the tray on the nightstand to pick up Ei's body very gently.
The Goddess just watched in silence as the traveler carefully placed the pillow on his back so that he could lean on it more freely. Once she was sitting on the bed, Aether held her on her back extremely gently so she wouldn't fall while he used his other hand to take the tray.
Finally, Aether settled down next to him and placed the long tray between both of their laps.
"To be honest, this is all for you. So I hope you enjoy it." Aether responded with a smile.
"Thank you so much." Ei nodded with a small smile.
At that moment, a somewhat awkward silence appeared between them.
"You know, I can't…" Ei commented with a slight blush on his cheeks.
"Oh, that's right. I'm sorry." Aether commented with a nervous smile as he carefully extended the drink to her lips. "I chose this drink because I thought it looks good on you. It is one of my most recent creations, and all the main ingredients are from Inazuma." He stated somewhat awkwardly, although Ei was much more focused on tasting the drink to notice his nervousness.
Ei's lips touched the violet foam with some caution. Her eyes widened as her taste buds erupted in joy at how well the cold and sweet sensation combined on his palate. Once she swallowed, the cold, sweet sensation transformed into a powerful menthol-flavored breath that she absolutely loved.
"This is very delicious, and now I feel much better. Thank you so much." Ei tried to look calm, but the cute smile on her face and the cheerful tone she used showed that she had really enjoyed it much more than she let on.
"I'm glad you liked it, but without a doubt this is the best." Aether commented as he brought her a slice of tartlet. "The essential ingredients of this cake are found in another region that even I have not yet visited. "I owe it all to a friend from Mondstadt." Those words worried Ei a little.
"But that means you shouldn't have much of those ingredients, are you sure to waste them on me?" She asked, not very sure.
"Of course. Plus, fruit helps you improve." Aether answered without any hesitation, receiving a slight smile from Ei in response.
She opened her mouth and the first bite was another delight for her, and on this occasion it was impossible for her to contain the happy and pleasant sigh that emerged from her for every second she savored the food.
"Can I try the other one?" Ei asked with a completely renewed sparkle in her beautiful violet eyes.
"Beautiful." Aether thought with slight amusement as he noticed the positive change in Ei's attitude, in addition to that beautiful glow that her face had acquired. "This is made of cream with a sugary base. They are simpler, but that doesn't take away from the fact that they are delicious." Aether brought the burbiterol to her lips, and this time she opened her mouth immediately.
Delight and extreme happiness soon adorned her features, to the point that a few small tears adorned her beautiful eyes. Another satisfied, exhilarated sigh emerged from his lips, but this time he didn't even bother holding it back.
Aether could only continue looking at her rather gracefully, although he also had to admit that it felt pretty good to see someone enjoying his food so much besides Paimon.
"I think even Yae might be a little impressed if she saw her now."
END OF THE CHAPTER!
I hope you enjoyed!
As you see, we slowly begin to start the relationship between Aether and Ei. *And of course, it couldn't be any other way than using its most deadly weakness: desserts*
Anyway, this is just beginning, so you'll see a lot of development between the two of them in the next few chapters. In any case, not everything will be focused on the main couple, since I must slowly focus on advancing the plot so that they have slight indications of what will happen in the future, once Ei recovers. That will go at a slow pace, since now I want to focus more than anything on the romance, and this was just a small introduction to what will come next.
Ei's attitude may have seemed a bit childish here, but you should keep in mind that she will not always be like this, only in the moments when she must face her greatest weakness. Although well, it is true that she will soon develop another even worse ability when he begins to fall in love with Aether, but that is another story.
With nothing more to add, I say goodbye.
Thanks so much for reading!