Chapter 18: Reap
"Hey, Little Rabbit," he murmured, still lying on his bed as he painstakingly reached out to cradle her head, lightly flicking the red bow in her hair that he'd given her as a birthday present. "Everything's gonna be fine."
"Papa…" she murmured, holding onto the hand on her head. She cringed as she noticed the black veins spreading to the tips of his fingers. Looking back at his face, she watched as the same black colour crept up the side of his head, soon reaching his brain. Seeing the thing that would take her father away made her feel even worse. Neither she nor her grandpa was able to stop it.
The man felt tears creep up to his eyes as he watched his little daughter climb onto his body and rest her head on his chest, letting her own tears fall freely on his shirt. He may have had all his affairs settled, but he still couldn't forgive himself for the agony he would bring to his own daughter. Even on his deathbed, he couldn't forgive himself.
"I'm so sorry, Amber," he spoke as loud as he could, to only hear it as a whisper. "But please, don't worry. Grandpa will take care of you."
"No! I don't care! Don't go, Papa! Don't… P-Please don't… don't leave me alone…"
He could feel the Infection crawling up his body. He could feel his body slowly giving in to the sickness plaguing it.
And yet, he couldn't leave her daughter with such an illusion.
"Amber… open your eyes."
Little Amber slowly lifted her eyes from his shirt, and yet still held onto the hem of his shirt. If he were a little healthier, he would have cried out at how adorable his cute little daughter was being. But at that moment, he could only smile brightly at the sight.
"Please look behind you, Amber."
Amber gaped at her father, then listened to what could be his last request.
The Knights were standing there. While Amber had the privilege of sitting on her father's bed, the other Knights of Favonius, the ones that worked with her Papa, were all standing behind her. At the forefront of them all was her Grandpa, who let out his own tears, yet didn't choose to embrace his own son because he wanted him to spend his last moments with his own daughter.
And beneath all their tears, Amber could see something. She could see how much care they had for her father. How much care they had for her.
"See?" her father said, making her turn back to him. "You just need to open your eyes. If you look around, you'll find that you're never alone."
He gently grabbed her stray hand, not minding the way his Infection sulked beneath his skin.
"Be whoever you want to be, Amber," he said, feeling life return to his eyes despite his paling skin. "Do whatever you want because you will never be alone. I promise you that."
Amber felt a tear fall from her cheek as she witnessed history forming before her.
She knew that what Subaru had done before her was an outright miracle. The Abyssal Infection was a disease that had no true cure. Even the Fatui Cure was not only incredibly expensive, but unreliable as well. Those that had gotten the Fatui Cure had never lost the visible veins of the Infection, after all.
But here came Natsuki Subaru, proving himself capable of curing an Infection completely, even taking away the black veins of the disease.
And yet, even amid such a miracle, Amber couldn't help but remember the words Subaru had mentioned earlier.
"Before I found myself on that beach, I was a leader of the Abyss Order."
He wasn't just another Abyss Mage. He wasn't some grunt. He was a leader of the Abyss Order. The one organisation that Amber hated over everything else.
The Abyss Order was well known to be the one to spread this Infection. She couldn't understand it when she was a kid, but when she heard that the Abyss Order was the source of that Infection, she mentally cursed every single one of their members.
They were the ones that took her Papa away.
Even if he didn't remember it, Subaru played a part in taking her Papa away.
Amber clenched her fist as she heralded the boy she worked so well with earlier. He was an incredible person, he truly was. He was not in control of himself back when he was with the Order, she understood that. His current actions were setting him up to be a hero, and he was protecting Mondstadt as well. She understood all of that. She understood that her angst was completely unjustified.
And yet, she couldn't help but see her father's killer in him.
And so, as the crowd sang praises at the boy as he was slowly brought back into the Headquarters, Amber found herself leaving as fast as she could. For once, she hated herself enough to close her eyes to the people around her.
"Hey, where are you going?"
Looking to the side, Amber noticed that someone else was following, or rather, flying beside her. Paimon was coming with her.
"I-I'm going to check in on her!" Amber came up with a response, trying to keep her fears from showing on her face.
"Oh, I'll come with you! Stinky Space probably doesn't need me with him, anyway."
"Yeah… clearly, he doesn't… Ah, s-sure! You can come!"
Subaru was bewildered at what he was seeing.
It worked. It actually worked. He had been so scared that this theory of his wouldn't work as he'd expected, and that his Infection resistance would only activate whenever he was subject to the Infection himself, but now he knew for certain that the blood on his arm was capable of absorbing the Infection on other people as well.
The black blood on his arm was the cure for the Infection.
Just as he rested his cloak on Anna and wore his scarf once again, he felt a pair of arms latching onto him, nearly freaking him out.
"T-Thank youuuu!" Anthony suddenly cried out as he wiped his face on his shirt to dry it from the water of his tears. However, it wasn't enough. He was more wailing than crying, and Subaru could only smile as he watched Anthony let out all his repressed anguish.
"It's okay, man," Subaru stated, gently rubbing the back of his head. To that, Anthony only cried out even louder, making the sound of his wails audible throughout the entire alley they were standing in.
Now that he was looking away, he was able to see what was going on around him. Aside from the people who were in the office with him earlier, several others were no doubt attracted by Anthony's cries, only to be held back by Kaeya. Lisa and Jean were talking to a pair of knights, who then approached Anna and picked her up. From the looks of it, they weren't going to return his coat covering her body soon, not that he minded in the first place. Anthony immediately picked himself up from Subaru's side and after another thank you, he followed the knights, wanting to be with his sister as she recovered.
"Mr Natsuki," Jean approached him the moment the knights left with the patient. "Could you please explain what that was? Is Anna really cured of her Infection?"
"I can't really explain it either," Subaru replied. "But she should be fine. I hope, at least. It's the first time I ever did something like that."
"What… What even is that thing on your arm?" Jean attempted to ask. "To think that it's capable of healing Infections… you'd run the Fatui out of business quickly, Mr Natsuki."
"Yes, he would," Kaeya said, walking up to them as well now that the crowd was being shielded by another set of knights. "And that's what we need to urgently discuss. Subaru Natsuki, can you please come back to the headquarters with us?"
"Yeah, sure," Subaru quickly agreed. He still hadn't come to a conclusion about their dealings with Stormterror, so he knew they still needed to hold their discussion.
Just as a path was formed for them and he saw Lisa, Kaeya and Jean walk ahead, Subaru noticed something odd. Rather, he found that someone was not there with them.
"Huh? Where's Amber?" Subaru asked out loud, looking around for the brunette. Unfortunately, she was nowhere to be seen.
"Hm? Amber?" Jean asked, turning back to look as well. "That's odd… She's not one to simply vanish like this. She would have normally told me at least where she was headed."
"Did something happen to her?" Subaru asked, feeling a trace of worry creep up himself.
"No, don't worry. As we discussed, she is a strong one. She'll eventually find her own way back to us for certain."
Nodding, Subaru accepted her claims, knowing that she was a lot stronger than she looked. Despite that, his budding sense of worry still failed to leave his gut.
"Hey, Barbara, will she be okay?"
"Oh, Amber and Paimon! I'm guessing you're asking about Anna. I can't believe I'm saying this, but she's just exhausted. She'll make a full recovery, certainly. But how did her Infection get cured?"
"Ah… that's… good to hear," Amber absentmindedly responded, while Paimon explained the events at the headquarters for her.
She wanted to feel happy for Anna. She truly did. She wanted to be thankful to Subaru for treating her. But despite that, she couldn't help but hear her own thoughts betraying her.
'Where was this ability when my Papa was still alive?'
"Good, now that we're here, we can continue where we left off," Kaeya said once they all entered the Knights of Favonius Headquarters, back in the Grandmaster's Office.
Jean sighed as she went behind her table and rested her hands atop it. Gazing at Subaru, she spoke up.
"So, let me recollect everything you've mentioned up until now. You, Natsuki Subaru, used to be a leader of the Abyss Order and are now reformed due to that 'blood' curing yourself. Now, you are looking to help us overcome the threat of the Order and save the ones you know within the Order as well. In three days, the Order will attack Mondstadt with Stormterror, whom they have complete control over due to the Infection. Have I got everything down, Mr Natsuki?"
"Yeah, that's pretty much right," Subaru replied with a nod.
"Good. Lisa, can you please continue the written record?"
"I was already doing so."
"Thank you."
Kaeya spoke up next. "As Lisa does that, we need to discuss something else. About that display out there. Master Jean, you realise the consequences of that, don't you?"
"… Yes, I do," Jean replied, sighing yet again. "I wish we'd been able to cure her a lot more securely, but now the word will spread. Inevitably, the Fatui will hear about you."
"The Fatui?" Subaru asked. "Wait, are those the guys who already had a cure for the Infection, but overcharged it like hell?"
"Yes, but their cure is different from yours," Kaeya replied. "Even though their cure comes at exorbitant rates, it can only remove the harmful symptoms from your body. The actual Infection still remains, along with the black veins. In fact, it has been reported that people undergo unusual personality shifts after the Fatui Cure. Your cure is not only free as of now but cures the patients completely from what we've seen."
"Wait, the Fatui Cure leaves the veins behind?" Subaru echoed back. "And personality shifts? What exactly is the 'cure' that they're offering?"
"No one knows; it's one of the Fatui's most well-guarded secrets. Even the patients are put to sleep before the operation is commenced, meaning that there is no way to observe what it is they do."
"That's… interesting. But Kaeya-san, what you're trying to say is that I will be enemy number one for the Fatui, right?"
"There's no need to keep including Inazuman honorifics to our names. But yes, that's right. Once the Fatui hears of this, they will come after you."
"Yeah, I think we need to correct those priorities of yours, Kaeya-san. But frankly, I can't afford to worry about the Fatui. Stormterror's a much bigger threat."
Jean nodded to that. "I agree with you, Mr Natsuki. While the Fatui can be dangerous, the safety of Mondstadt takes priority over all else. Stormterror is our primary threat, over all else."
"But we cannot simply ignore the Fatui, can't we?" Kaeya intercepted. "They still pose a threat, and they may distract us from preparing for Stormterror's arrival."
"What if we just let everyone know about Stormterror?" Subaru asked. "Maybe the Fatui won't attack because of that?"
"We cannot expect the Fatui to act honourably," Kaeya replied. "They may take advantage of the Stormterror attack instead. All our preparations for the battle will have to be undercover because of them."
"Huh?! Wait, if we're keeping it undercover, then how will we warn the public?!"
"The best-case scenario for this would be defeating Stormterror before he even enters Mondstadt. Logistically, it would be the most suitable. We would face a much lower economic loss because of that decision."
"Yes, but you should remember that Stormterror can fly. We can use the high walls around Mondstadt to help us. Moreover, I know that when Stormterror arrives, he will form tornadoes across Mondstadt. We can even ride those tornadoes to keep us up in the air, as long as we keep our wind gliders deployed."
"Riding a tornado?" Jean questioned, frowning. "I'd rather not put the knights through such a risky manoeuvre. You may be right about using the walls of Mondstadt, but we can still place archers over the wall and fell it from a distance."
"A scaled creature that can travel much faster than a nimble arrow? I don't think we can do that. From what I can see, there's only one way we can defeat it."
Subaru stayed quiet for a moment, trying to maintain silence to improve the impact of his words.
"I'll have to cure Stormterror of its Infection. If I'm able to grab onto it, I will be able to cure it and stop him from attacking."
The moment Subaru said those words, Jean pressed her eyes shut and dropped her head. "I would like to tell you not to do so since you are not a Knight, but we might need the help. Despite everything, Stormterror is one of the Four Winds. It would be much better for us to resolve this matter amicably. You curing Stormterror would be the best-case scenario. How are you in combat?"
"Well, I can handle a whip pretty well, and a polearm to some extent. I can summon these invisible hands that do my bidding. I can also use a wind glider fairly well."
"Wait a minute, invisible hands?" Jean echoed. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Ah, well… ah! I have a theory," Subaru quickly came up with an excuse for Providence. "Barbara-san said that I have a broken Vision stored inside me, one of a Darkness Element of some kind. I think that those hands come from my Vision."
"So, your Elemental Skill is to wield those invisible arms? I see. I wouldn't have expected that you wielded a Vision, but… inside you? Broken? Mr Natsuki, just how far out of the norm are you?"
"What interested me was that you said that your Element was one of Darkness," Kaeya said. "There certainly isn't a Darkness-based element in the Seven."
"It's outside of that list," Subaru explained. "Maybe we can use a Pokémon reference and call the element Umbreo… or Umbro? Oh wait, that's also a brand name…"
Jean and Kaeya cast a look at each other, both mentally shrugging at each other. The silence was filled with the scribbling noise of Lisa scribing the meeting nearby.
"Don't worry about that, that was just me rambling," Subaru said, hoping to distract them from what he'd said. "In any case, can I join the battle against Stormterror? I'll try to keep away from the fighting, but at least allow me to cure it."
Jean rose from her leaning position against her desk and then folded her arms as she nodded. "Very well. I'll permit you to join the battle, Mr Natsuki. However, I cannot guarantee that we will be able to keep you safe."
Despite his best efforts, Subaru couldn't keep the relieved smile from showing on his face. He had finally done it. He had finally convinced Jean to bring him into the battle.
"That's okay, I can keep myself safe. All that matters to me is that we stop that dragon."
"I'm glad to hear that you are so willing to hear us. Is there anything else to be discussed?"
"Acting Grand Master," Kaeya spoke up. "We still need to continue on the matter of the Fatui."
"Yes, the Fatui," Jean sighed. "Mr Natsuki, will it be too much to ask you to veer away from any masked individuals in the future? Most people that wear masks in public are the Fatui. We don't know what they will do to you, so please be careful. In fact, we should hire a guard for you and provide you with accommodation within the Knights of Favonius Camp. Until the Stormterror threat passes, this is what we should do. I hope that you will be okay with this?"
"Well, it seems like a small price to pay for safety. Don't worry, I can live with it."
"Good. In that case, I believe we are done here. You can go about your day, Mr Natsuki."
"Acting Grand Master, please allow me to escort Subaru Natsuki from here on out," Kaeya said, gently bowing to her.
"Is there any reason why you're asking in particular?"
"I believe it would be valuable to keep a close eye on him."
"Hmm… Very well. Mr Natsuki, please wait outside my office, for now. After a final discussion with Kaeya, I will let him meet you once more."
"Okay then," Subaru said. "See you later, Jean-san!"
Ignoring the way they were taken aback by the honorifics, Subaru jogged out of the office, mentally patting himself on the back for his victory. Lisa shortly followed behind him after gathering her equipment and saying goodbye to the others.
"Now that he's gone," Jean said as soon as the door shut behind them, "We can go about our assessment. Kaeya, was everything he said true?"
"…"
"Kaeya?"
"Ah, yes, Master Jean. It's true. It's all true."
Subaru sighed as soon as he left the office, followed by Lisa. He was wondering what it was that they were discussing, but Jean's office was soundproofed enough to prevent any of their words from escaping the walls. Sighing, he shook his head. What mattered was that he got his explanation out of the way. Maybe the prospect of the Fatui coming after him was a terrifying one, but as much as he hated to admit it, he did have other chances.
'Was there anything else I would need for now…?'
"I hope you are ready for the next few days, Subaru-kun," Lisa teasingly called out to him. "You will be a very busy man, after all."
Subaru's expression soured as soon as he heard Lisa's way of referencing him. Flashes of a blue-haired girl fluttered in his mind once more.
"Sorry… could you not call me that?"
"Hm?"
"I mean… Subaru-kun. Please don't call me that. It brings back bad memories."
"Ah, so says the amnesiac," Lisa pointed out mirthfully. "But if you're offended by it, then I won't call you that, Subaru-san."
Subaru smiled in appreciation. "Thank you."
In the short silence that ensued, Subaru noticed something missing. The presence of a small fairy loli who would have already ranted her mouth off by then was missing.
"Where's Paimon?" Subaru asked, feeling a small twinge of worry in his heart for her.
"Ah, I spotted her following after the knights headed to the Church," Lisa explained. "She must have wanted to check in on Anna."
"That damn fairy loli…" Subaru huffed but smiled anyway. "She's annoying as hell, you know? I can absolutely picture her being high maintenance later… but in the end, she really is a kind girl. She helped me and Amber by bringing the knights to us when we were down."
"She does sound like a good girl," Lisa said. "Now, I would love to sit and chat, but I do need to file and secure this meeting record."
The sound of opening doors alerted him to the emergence of the one he was waiting for. "Good to see you still here, Subaru Natsuki. Come with me."
"You don't stop calling me that way ever, huh, Kaeya-san? Also, that was quick?"
"It was a small question the Acting Grandmaster asked me, that's all. Now, Subaru Natsuki, follow me. Before nightfall, there are some things we will need to accomplish."
"Sure. See you later then, Lisa-san!"
Waving her goodbye, Subaru walked alongside Kaeya out of the Knights of Favonius Headquarters. Thankfully, most of the commotion from earlier had died down by then, meaning that the two were able to comfortably walk down the path.
"Subaru Natsuki," Kaeya spoke to him en route. "Something I should warn you about is that we will need you to heal others who have the Infection. Unfortunately, there aren't many, but people will want you to heal their relatives as soon as possible. Also, if having the Infection is a security risk, we will need to heal as many as possible with it."
"Alright, sure," Subaru replied. However, he noted something odd Kaeya had said there. "Wait, you just said that it was unfortunate there weren't many with the Infection?"
"Yes, it is unfortunate. All the others who had it are already dead."
"A-Ah. I see…"
Humbled at the sobering thought, Subaru felt his heart grow heavier for those who were lost. He certainly had no idea who they were, but after fighting on the side of Mondstadt for so long, he felt for those that suffered at the hands of the Abyss.
"OOIII! Stinky Space!"
"Ah, Paimon."
Subaru smiled upon noticing his small companion glimmering into existence by his side. He noticed that she was also holding something.
"Got something for you!" Paimon yelled to him, handing him his ripped jacket. "Barbara said she wanted to keep an eye on Anna, and she would stitch it up later."
"Thanks a ton, Paimon!" Subaru eagerly accepted his cloak back and draped it over his shoulders. Looking back, he couldn't help but smile as he noticed the separation in the cloth running down its body. For some reason, its existence comforted him.
"How's Anna?" he asked, bringing himself back into the present.
"She'll get better. Paimon can't believe you were able to do something like that, Stinky Space!"
"Hehe, you'll no longer underestimate me, won't you?"
"Well, Paimon still thinks you can do better in some places…"
"Oi, be happy with what you get, you fairy loli!" he retorted back, ignoring the way that Kaeya laughed behind him. "Anyway, that doesn't matter. Was Amber with you?"
"Yep, yep! Although… Paimon thought something was weird about her."
"Weird? How?"
"Paimon doesn't know. Maybe… she looked like she hadn't had breakfast?"
"It always goes to food with you, huh? Where is she now?"
"She said she wanted to spend some time alone."
"Hoh?" Kaeya interjected. "That does not sound like her. A sudden depressive streak, perhaps? I've heard that the most positive people tend to hide the greatest demons, after all."
Subaru frowned at that remark. If that were even true, what would have happened to trigger such a thing? Amber had seemed like such a strong person to him; she was always there to help him out, no matter what he did. What was going on with her?
His thoughts were interrupted by the steady din of the Market Square that they had just entered. Hearing the steady fall of the fountain soothed his nerves.
That and the voice of someone else further up ahead, loud enough to be heard from the higher level of the Square.
"Come on, Katheryne! Just one commission, please!"
"I'm sorry, but even if you were authorised, we don't have many immediate commissions at hand."
"What happened to them?"
"A major chunk of them were finished by a Knight and an Outlander unknowingly. All we have left are empty ruin expeditions and slime infestations."
"That's okay! I can take them!"
"I'm sorry, but once again, you're not authorised to take any."
"… Really? Aww…"
Kaeya chuckled upon seeing Subaru watching them. "You know you were the one that finished all those commissions, yes?"
"Yeah, I understood that," Subaru recollected. "Amber and me, right? A Knight and an Outlander."
"Yes. You are currently termed as an Outlander for as long as you don't remember your true origins. Basically, we won't be seeing you as a citizen of Teyvat."
"Huh? I don't have a passport…"
Kaeya chuckled. "I'm assuming this 'passport' is a travel document of some kind, but you don't need to worry there. All nations other than Inazuma are open to all entrants. The only place to expect authorised checks are in some main cities. You don't need to worry about documents or anything like that."
"Well, that's a relief," Subaru said. "I'm gonna go talk to them!"
"Oi, Stinky Space!" Paimon interrupted. "Paimon's hungry! Don't we need to eat first?"
"Well, let's talk to them first! Who knows, maybe we might get some money out of those commissions I apparently finished?"
Chortling to himself to that already known fact, Subaru walked to the Adventurer's Guild, followed by Kaeya and Paimon.
On the way there, the boy who was speaking to her turned in his direction, allowing Subaru to get a good look at him. What he saw made him falter in his steps.
The boy by himself looked pretty simple; he had grey hair covered by a pair of goggles and bright green eyes. He wore navy blue shorts and a cream sleeveless jacket, both looking patched up rather well. He had on brown, rugged, and well-used gloves with a yellow bandanna tied around his right arm. Aside from that, however, there were numerous scratches riddled across his body. Nothing visibly damning, but they were present. More than one space of his body was covered up with bandages, and there was a large scar over his bare left shoulder.
However, that wasn't the most worrying part about him. The worst part was that a lot of his body as well as his left cheek was covered in black veins, the Infection.
Immediately, Subaru stood on guard upon seeing him. Kaeya sighed and shook his head, and Paimon was taken aback at the sheer amount of black veins on his skin.
"Excuse me, could you please wait for a second?" Kaeya called out, making the boy in question turn to him with a confused look.
"You're… a knight, aren't you? What was your name again…?"
Kaeya smiled at him. "I'm Kaeya, Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius. Do you have a moment to chat?"
"Uh, yeah, sure! Katheryne isn't giving me any commissions, so sure, I can hang out! Ah, but not for long, though. Don't want my bad luck rubbing off on you…"
"Bad luck?" Subaru remarked. "Heh, don't worry about it, man! I'm plenty unlucky already."
"Hehe, I still don't think you get how unlucky I am, though. By the way, I've never seen you before… Wait! Are you the Outlander Katheryne just mentioned?! The one who took care of multiple commissions at once?!"
"Ah, well, I guess so. I saw it as more of a 'hilichurl genocide' rather than a 'commission', so I'm sorry if you guys lost out on your money."
"Haha, you're funny!" the boy cheered happily, seemingly accepting the apology. "I'm Bennett, leader of Benny's Adventure Team!"
"Paimon's Paimon!" Paimon immediately interjected before Subaru could say anything, then pointed to him. "And Stinky Space is Stinky Space!"
"Eh? Stinky Space is a pretty weird name…"
"No, that's not my name, dammit!" Subaru squabbled back. With a grin, he pulled off his signature pose once again. "I'm Natsuki Subaru, but my first name's Subaru! I'm completely broke and I'm pretty sure people are after my life right now, but I'm still going on!"
"You probably shouldn't mention that fact, Subaru Natsuki…" Kaeya muttered in response, while Bennett only gaped at him in awe.
"That's so cool!" he gaily responded, stars in his eyes. "So… wait, you're Subaru, right?"
"Hm. That's right."
"Okay… so, so why are you calling yourself Natsuki Subaru? The last name's first? And that doesn't sound local at all…"
"Well, I'm not from Mondstadt, of course!" Subaru eagerly responded. "The last name first thing is an Inazuman tradition. I don't believe I'm from there, but I can't say for certain."
"Huh? Why? Don't you remember where you came from?"
"I'm an amnesiac."
"…"
"… I lost my memories a while ago."
"Oh. Well, at least you made it out alive, right?"
Subaru faltered at that remark; he really didn't expect a response such as that. "… Y-Yeah, I guess so," he feebly added.
"Oh, and what about you?" Bennett turned to his flying companion. "Paimon, right? How are you flying? What are you, exactly?"
"Paimon's just Paimon, there's no other like Paimon! Paimon flies because Paimon can fly!" she helpfully supplied.
"Oh, that makes sense!" Bennett responded.
Subaru, meanwhile, gawked at the two. 'What language did Paimon speak in for Bennett to understand that…?'
"Bennett, unfortunately, we aren't here for a simple talk," Kaeya spoke up, making the grey-haired boy turn to him. "I think this would be better explained in your room. Secrecy is important for this, after all."
"O-Okay… But what is this about?"
Subaru pursed his lips. "It's about that Infection all over you."
"Oh, this?" Bennett gestured at himself, chuckling. "Don't worry, that's just my new fashion statement! I'm seriously fine, they don't hurt at all! I just got a little unlucky at times in a couple ruins…"
Subaru balked at Bennett's remark. "Fashion statement? Seriously? You realise that the Infection could eventually kill you, right?"
"No problem there!" Bennett responded, his expression not failing him in any way. "My dads are working on getting me the cure, after all! They say that if you take the cure once, you won't need to worry about getting Infected again either!"
Paimon was the one to speak next. "Huh? You know about Stinky Space's curing ability?"
Subaru quickly frowned at that remark. "Paimon… He meant the Fatui one…"
"Wait, your curing ability?" Bennett echoed, not having missed that statement. "You can… You can cure it?!"
Subaru winced but hesitantly nodded. "Can we take this inside, somewhere? I don't want to do it in public like earlier."
"Y-Yeah, follow me."
Bennett nodded to Katheryne nearby before opening the door leading into the Adventurer's Guild. Even though Subaru and Paimon cast a confused glance at him and Kaeya, the latter just shook his head and followed Bennett inside. Looking at the two from behind, Subaru soon shrugged before following them as well, followed by a still hesitant Paimon.
The inside of the Adventurer's Guild seemed more like the traditional image of Adventurer's Guilds in other forms of media Subaru had read. While no drinks or food were being served in the house, people still held jugs of ale and other interesting-looking drinks while chatting with each other on their tables.
"This way," Bennett told them as he went past the groups of people to a flight of stairs near the back end of the Guild. Climbing up and reaching the second level, he stopped before a door. Opening the door, he allowed the other three in before following them in.
It was a simple bedroom within. A bed with a blue mattress along with numerous odds and ends cluttered on the table. There were a few clothes strewn about as well as numerous cracks and dents on the floor and walls, but otherwise, it was a nice place to stay.
"This is my room," Bennett introduced. "My dads don't really bother me when I'm here, so we can talk freely."
"That's good to hear," Kaeya said. "Did you hear about Anna?"
"Huh… I heard her name around for some reason today, but I didn't catch what happened. Did she… you know…?"
"No, she did not die. In fact, it was the opposite. She was cured."
"Oh! Wait, did this Suba-guy do that?"
"Suba-guy?" Subaru bickered back. "I'm Natsuki Subaru!"
"Ahaha, right, that was – whoa, whoa, whoa, please put that down!"
Their attention quickly turned to a snooping Paimon that was picking up some kind of spherical object with a gear-like frame around it.
"Oh, don't worry!" Paimon reassured, transferring the device to her other hand. "Paimon has this all – "
Immediately, the device slipped out of her small hand and crashed onto the wooden floor, forming another dent as well as breaking the orb in two.
While Kaeya and Subaru looked down at the broken orb, they slowly lifted their gaze to look at Paimon, who was suddenly reeling away in worry. Meanwhile, Bennett just groaned out loud.
"Aw, maaaan…" he bemoaned. "I was waiting for a good deal on that Chaos Core."
"P-P-Paimon's sorry!" the pixie yelped out, waving her hands in worry. "T-The core just slipped out! Paimon swears!"
"Heh, don't worry, Paimon, it's not your fault," Bennett revealed, walking up to the core. Rubbing a finger on the surface, they noticed the slickness on the surface.
"I had a leaking roof earlier today morning," he explained. "Some of it must have fallen on this thing. Don't worry, I can always get another one! I just need to defeat another Ruin Guard!"
"A Ruin Guard?!" Paimon retorted in shock. "I'm so sorry! I didn't think this came from one of those!"
"Okay, hey, listen, we don't have much time, okay?" Subaru interrupted. "I'll pay for what that costed, but – "
Suddenly, Subaru felt his foot get snagged by one of the dents on the floor. Yelping in shock, Subaru fell to the floor but not before slamming atop a chair sitting nearby, completely destroying its legs from the fall.
"Aw, maaan…" Bennett echoed as Subaru wrested himself up. Thankfully, there were no wood splinters on his skin.
"Are you alright, Subaru Natsuki?"
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine, Kaeya-san," Subaru replied, having gotten support from the Knight in getting back up. "Uh, Bennett, sorry about – "
"Oh, don't worry!" he appeased them. "These things happen pretty much every day for me, after all! I'll just ask Katheryne for another chair!"
"Wait, wait, wait, just how frequently does this happen?!"
"Every day! There's always something I need to be fixed. My dads and Katheryne just expect it by now."
"Why the hell does this happen every day?!"
"Oh, I'm really unlucky," Bennett explained, embarrassedly rubbing the back of his head. "It's not only this room, but I also face an accident every time I head out on an adventure too. If I'm not careful, that luck can be transferred to anyone I spend time with too."
"That… sounds awful," Subaru confessed, looking down regretfully at the broken chair and Chaos Core.
"Heh, yeah. Anyway, what were we talking about, again?"
"Yes," Kaeya spoke up once more. "Subaru Natsuki here cured Anna of her Abyssal Infection."
"Wait, seriously?!" Bennett widened her eyes. "You're… you're not lying, aren't you?"
"Oh, he's serious, alright," Paimon said, folding her arms smugly. "Paimon remembers him ripping off Anna's clothes and putting his hands on her."
"That's a completely different interpretation, you damn fairy loli! Sigh, but yeah, I cured her. And I was forced to do that thing Paimon said! I had to keep contact with her skin for it to work!"
"Wait, so if you just take my hand right now…" Bennett reasoned. "Does that mean I'll be cured?"
"There's something I need to ask you first, actually," Subaru said, his expression turning grim. "Have you ever… I dunno… found blank spots in your memory? Like, periods where you couldn't remember what you were doing?"
"When I couldn't remember what I was doing? Well, there were the few times I got struck by lightning…"
"How the hell are you still walking?!"
"But no, I don't think so," he reasoned. "Whenever I got knocked out, I either woke up in the same spot or I was being healed by Barbara. So no, I've always been clear of what I was doing."
"Well… that's interesting," Kaeya hummed. "So, you've never been under their influence?"
"Huh? Whose influence?"
"The Abyss Order," Subaru explained. "Anna was commanded by the Abyss Order to spy on the Knights of Favonius Headquarters. Apparently, the Infection makes you susceptible to them. I caught her there and cured her."
"Really? I've never met any Abyss Mages before. But can they really control Infected people?"
"We don't know why you're not in their control, but maybe if I cure some others, I may find out. For now, let's just cure you quickly."
Nodding, Bennett put his hand out, allowing Subaru to accept it with his own right hand, beginning the process.
Once Subaru finished his painful healing of Bennett along with holding yet another crying boy to his shoulder, the four of them left together to meet Katheryne. Bennett followed to show off his cured status to the Guild's receptionist, while Subaru, Kaeya and Paimon went to receive Subaru's money due from completing all those commissions. Once again, Subaru was allowed to join the Guild but wasn't allowed to take any commissions before he fully recovered. Subaru expected to start taking missions after the Stormterror incident.
With their newfound money and the absence of Amber, Subaru spent that dusk having lunch-turned dinner with Kaeya and Paimon. Even though Subaru was planning to pay by himself, Kaeya wanted to pay for them that day as a treat for his arrival.
The mention of such a thing made him recall his first run in Mondstadt with Amber, who was the one to have offered that meal. As Paimon heartily dug into her whole Sticky Honey Roast, Subaru was mindlessly picking at his own portion.
'Where is Amber?' he couldn't help but wonder while sitting there.
"Subaru Natsuki? Is there anything on your mind?" Kaeya asked, setting his spoon down into his bowl of stew.
"N-No, it's nothing," Subaru replied, barely noticing Paimon not sticking her head out from her meal. "I was just wondering what we would be doing after this?"
"Well, I can show you to your quarters and let you rest for the night," Kaeya debated. "Otherwise, is there something you would like to do? Most common stores other than restaurants and bars would be closed by now."
"Well, I was wondering… what about a weapon? I can use a polearm, but I don't have one on me."
"Oh, I see. Unfortunately, Schulz's is closed for the night, so I'll be able to place your order tomorrow. What else would you like?"
"Well, I'll need a harness to hold it as well. I can't keep carrying it in my hand, can't I?"
"… What do you mean? Can't you just put it in your summoning inventory? Could yours be full?"
Subaru gaped at the concept he had introduced once again, remembering it from his first runs. 'Right… That was the thing I was forgetting earlier today with Lisa-san, wasn't it?'
"I-I don't think I have one," Subaru revealed. "What is it?"
"I'd imagine your… previous employer to have access to summoning inventories as well…"
"Well, I hardly remember anything about my time there. I don't remember if I have a summoning inventory either."
"… I see. Follow me."
As the two of them stood up from their table in Good Hunter together, Paimon just noticed their movement.
"Huh? What's going on?" she asked, her mouth plastered in the sauce from the roast before her. "Paimon's still eating!"
"Oh, of course," Kaeya smiled and gently bowed his head. "Very well, Paimon. You can continue eating. We'll wait for you. Subaru Natsuki, I suggest that you finish your plate as well."
"R-Right. I'll do that."
Gulping, Subaru sat back down on his chair. He shovelled down his roast while Paimon continued to dig in. Kaeya started to explain what a summoning inventory was to him, but he only pretended to listen. He barely tasted the glaze and the umami as he cast his mind deeper into his confusion about how things have changed. The one thing that had been a constant in his runs before that, Amber, was gone? Why?
Shortly, they finished their meals and Kaeya left a tip from the three of them, after which they went back to the Knights of Favonius Headquarters.
"It may be late, but we can still expect Lisa at the Library," Kaeya explained. "I'll get her to help you access your summoning inventory."
"Wait, summoning inventory?" Paimon asked. "Stinky Space, you don't have access to yours?"
"Amnesia, remember?"
"Oh, riiight, that's why you're wearing that whip across your belt like an idiot."
"Eh? Why didn't you say anything sooner?"
"Paimon thought you were an idiot."
"Way to be stupidly blunt there, huh, you fairy loli!"
"Now, now, save your lovers' quarrel for later," Kaeya smoothly interjected. "We're here once again."
Nodding to the front door of the Knights of Favonius Headquarters, a still grumbling Subaru walked in after Kaeya, with Paimon floating along with them.
Just like the last time, the trio went to the right instead of the left, heading to the Library instead of the Grandmaster's office. Opening the door, once more Subaru was greeted with shelves upon shelves of books. Just as Kaeya predicted, Lisa looked up from her desk on their right, blinking in surprise at their appearance.
"It's you three?" she asked. Her arched brows were soon switched for a cool smile, followed by her standing up and closing the ledger before her. "What brings you three to see humble old me?"
"Could we head somewhere more secure?" Kaeya requested, his expression not budging from its seriousness. "Also, bring your summoning contract tools."
Upon hearing his request, Lisa's expression lost its mirth after a slight bout of confusion. "I see what you mean. Very well, I'll bring them. Head to the room downstairs."
By then, Subaru and Paimon were both lost. What was going on? Why were they treating this matter so seriously? Once again, Subaru had to face something that was so radically different from his previous runs. It unnerved him to no end.
Regardless, the two followed Kaeya down the stairs. On the lower floor, they encountered another familiar face.
"Ah, Captain Kaeya!" Noelle called out, noticing him coming down from the stairs, after which she immediately stood up from her desk and brought her right hand to her chest, then firmly back down at an angle as a salute. "What brings you here?"
"Sensitive matters involving our two guests here. I hope you understand, Noelle."
"… I understand. I'll form a rose for this."
"Oh, no need to go that far. The matter is to be kept with us and Lisa, so I'll ask you to keep an eye on anyone trying to peep on us. Be careful there, we believe that Subaru Natsuki here could be targeted by the Fatui."
"Subaru Natsuki? Is that his name? How odd… where is he from? And what of this flying creature?"
Subaru bristled at the comment. He remembered Noelle very well; she was the one he studied most of Mondstadt's history within one of his runs. To think that all their interactions were left undone made him feel uncomfortable.
"I will let them introduce themselves to you later. For now, we have business to attend to."
"… Very well. I'll keep an eye out for you, Captain Kaeya."
"Is everyone ready?"
Looking up, the trio noticed Lisa walking down the stairs as well. "Yes," Kaeya replied. "I've also asked Noelle to keep security."
"Good decision. Allow me to unlock the door."
Subaru followed her with his vision, seeing her put out a hand and form a small magical circle on her palm. Looking beyond, he noticed it got sent to the door, soon letting him hear the turn of a lock from it. Lisa then swung the doors open with ease.
"Come in."
Following her in, Subaru noticed that they were in another library. However, unlike the previous one, this one had glass covers over the shelves, locking the books inside them.
"Please do not touch anything here," Lisa ordered them, reforging the sealed lock on the front door once they all entered. "This is the Forbidden Section of the Library, and we are not here to review literature."
Casting his look back, Subaru chortled as he noticed Paimon backing away from a blackened map on the wall, immediately charging back to his side.
"Please sit down."
Before they knew it, the group approached a table with a couple chairs surrounding it. Each took a seat, while Lisa set down her freshly conjured equipment.
"From what I inferred," Lisa began. "You're curious if Subaru-san forgot about his summoning inventory?"
"You've guessed well."
"I see."
"Wait, okay, I need to know now," Subaru broke into their conversation. "What's with all the secrecy?"
"Think about it, Subaru Natsuki. You, an ex-leader of the Abyss Order, appear out of nowhere and have no memory of your summoning inventory? Or, should we say, you don't know the things you carry on you, that could be from or be vital to the Abyss Order?"
"… Ah. I see."
"Paimon doesn't get it…"
"He means that anything in my inventory could be dangerous or important because it's from the Abyss Order. That's why they have all the secrecy."
"Ohhhh… That makes sense!"
"Have we all understood?" Lisa addressed the crowd, to which they all nodded. "Good. In that case, please put a little bit of your blood onto this quill, Subaru-san."
True to how he had done so the last time, Subaru pricked his finger with the clean quill and allowed it to pull some of his blood. Under her instruction, Subaru drew a line on the plain parchment place before him. Once again, there was no reaction shown.
"That's very odd," Lisa replied, changing her reply from the previous time. "It seems that you don't have a summoning inventory in the first place."
"Do you think it could relate to his ability to absorb the Infection?" Kaeya asked.
"I hate to admit it, but I can't say. Not even I know much about the Infection. One thing I can say for certain, however, is that one cannot sign a second summoning contract. Let us try giving Subaru-san a summoning inventory by ourselves. If it fails, he already has one."
Subaru took a breath upon hearing that. While it was an undercurrent to everything that was going on, Subaru was training in their language primarily to sign that contract. Hopefully, he would be able to do it then.
"Very well," Kaeya said. "Subaru Natsuki, are you ready to sign?"
"Yeah, I am."
Nodding, Lisa set out a new fresh parchment before him, then placed one of the purple crystals from her bag onto the page. "I assume you know what this is, yes?"
"An Abyssal Crystal, right?" Subaru asked, regarding the crystal with some trepidation. Looking at it again, he once again recalled how he'd nearly gotten Infected by the Abyss Herald in the previous run. Truly, that crystal was a lookalike of the one he'd touched, save for the dark aura around it.
"Yes, but without the Infection. A purified one. These crystals, despite their penchant for transmitting the Infection, are commonly used to form summoning inventories. No one knows how they can do such a thing, but research hasn't yielded any results.
"To initiate the contract, you need to establish contact with the crystal. Add a drop of your blood to its surface."
Nodding, Subaru looked down at his finger. He frowned upon finding that it already healed from the previous prick of the quill he used. So, he pricked it once more, then hovered it over the crystal until a small drop dripped onto its surface. The blood seemed to be absorbed by the surface of the crystal, seeping through it, and spreading out onto the parchment under it.
"Now, write your name with the bloodied quill on the same parchment."
Subaru did so, making sure he got the runes of the still unfamiliar language down correctly. Confirming that his name was written down correctly, Lisa continued.
"Good. Now, write these words as I will spell them to you, but dip your quill into the blood under the crystal."
Dabbing into the small patch, Subaru wrote out every letter Lisa mentioned, enunciating every space she mentioned as well. He couldn't recognise the language being used, but since it used the same script as the rest of Teyvat, Subaru was able to write it out well.
Once he placed his final stop line, Subaru watched the paper glow slowly.
"… It seems that it's working," Lisa said.
Kaeya replied. "Does that mean this would be his only contract?"
"Yes. He just didn't have a contract signed. Subaru-san, place your hand upon the parchment. You will feel something upon it, remember that feeling."
Sucking in a breath, Subaru placed his left hand atop the sheet. Immediately, he felt heat washing into the skin on his hand, forming pinpricks under it. However, something about the power just felt right. As if it had always belonged to him. So, Subaru did not oppose the feeling. He allowed it to seep through his arm, letting it switch over to the feeling of water running under his skin and the tendrils of something brushing across him. Water and grass, that was what he drew the feeling as in his mind.
Just as he allowed himself to register it, the glow faded and so did the feeling. Lisa smiled and picked up the parchment and wrapped it up into a scroll, which she tied with a band bearing a diamond sigil with a cavity inside. Upon the cavity, she placed the same crystal he had used.
"Take this and allow that same feeling to course through you once more while focusing on it."
Subaru accepted the scroll, then once again remembered the feeling of water and grass through his skin. To his shock, the scroll in his hand vanished into yellow sparks.
"Congratulations, Natsuki Subaru. You have finally acquired your summoning inventory. If you want to pull out an object from the inside, remember the object and recall the feeling once more."
"Wait, so I can store anything I want in here?" Subaru asked, finally speaking due to the procedure's completion.
"Yes, you can. However, there is a space limit that you will understand with time. I cannot tell you how big your inventory is as of now, but everyone has a different size. You'll only find yours when you hit the upper limit."
"Okay, so do I need to experiment?"
"No, you can just find out in time. Unless you get into a situation where knowing how much space you have is vital, it doesn't matter how big it is."
"Huh, okay then. So, what about the chance of me having another inventory already?"
Kaeya responded to him. "The fact that you got one right now is proof enough that this is your only one. I was mistaken; you do not have another summoning inventory."
"Oi, Stinky Space!" Paimon spoke up. "You can finally keep your whip in your inventory!"
Subaru snickered in response. "Yeah, I guess I'll try that."
Taking out his whip from his hip, he once again recalled the feeling of water and grass. He watched the whip dissolve into him as the scroll had before.
"Try summoning it back," Lisa suggested.
Nodding, Subaru once again recalled the feeling but kept in mind his whip. To his reassurance, his whip reappeared in his hand with a yellow flash, runes on its body fading away in seconds as soon as it emerged.
"Well then, good work, Subaru Natsuki," Kaeya said. "Now that we're done, I'll take you to your quarters for the night. Is there anything else you need?"
Looking down at his freshly emerged whip, Subaru couldn't help but smile. "No, I should be fine."
Lisa Minci sighed as she got ready for another day of work.
Her sleep was peaceful as always, if not leaving her longing for more. It left her charged to potentially rest through another day of rest in the Library. Her old bones could not take much more, after all.
Opening the door to the Library, she mentally prepared herself for another day of forcing people to return their books on time. However, as soon as she opened the door, she realised that there was a much bigger issue than stolen books.
Her desk was raided.
Someone had gone through her desk and tossed out all her carefully organised documents and put it all into a mess. Gritting her teeth in fury, Lisa shook her head as she used her Elemental Vision to discover the traces of whoever it was that stole whatever they looked for from her desk. Unfortunately, there was no path available. Whoever it was, they were good.
Groaning at how complicated her job had become, she resorted to reorganising her documents instead. As she put them all together, she soon identified the document that was missing from her storage.
"The meeting record from yesterday," she spoke to herself, allowing the fact to become reality. "It's gone."
A/N: It's been a while, so I decided to give you a longer-than-usual chapter. Why not? It contains a bunch of good elements. I just hope I have enough elements for the rest of this death run.
Now, I'm going to be uploading this very slowly. I'm 21, I'm starting to pick up the pieces of my once neglected life while in the final year on university. Basically, I've got a ton of stuff to do in real life, so I can't dedicate enough time to fanfiction as before. Besides, I've also got my other story, DxD: The Red Star, being worked on as well.
Oh, also, I briefly remember something about removing the cure from the last chapter. Well, it's been too long, and I can't figure out why I thought that at that moment. So, I say that the cure is a consequence of the trials he's been through so far. Sure, he has it handed to him from the start, but it did take him this long to actually realise what it is.
That being said, one thing I'm having a bit of trouble with in this series is Foils. For those who don't know, a Foil is a character who is in some way an opposite to another character. While writing The Red Star, I've come to love coming up with Foil concepts. As for Re: Teyvat, I have one or two foils in mind, but not as much as I'd like. I'm going to try introducing some in from now on.
I know you're all disappointed with the initial showing with Amber. It hurt my heart to write it as well. However, that's what I want to focus on for this death arc: Consequence. Your actions always have consequences. Not even Subaru can escape that. He's crafting a story to make his information on Stormterror more credible, but that will have a consequence. One that is shown in Amber and will be further expounded upon in the next chapter.
Next, Bennett. I love the guy, so it was an honest delight to write him. I did my best to serve justice to his character as well, I don't want to repeat my mistake with Noelle.
I've also come to enjoy playing with Bennett in Genshin as a flex for my Yoimiya Overload/Vaporise Comp. I would have loved Zhongli with her instead, but he's in my Hu Tao comp, and I don't want Hu Tao with Bennett. Also, I got Yelan! All my Vap comps now use both Yelan and Xingqiu, and I love the pair. Although, I am hoping for Kazuha, but I doubt I'll get him with my gacha luck, especially after getting Yelan. Haven't pulled on Itto's banner, not even for Kuki Shinobu. I'm pretty hyped for 3.0 as well. Especially with the teaser that came out today; Dottore's coming! I mean, it makes sense that he would, he's pretty key to Collei's character. I really should continue the manga, I don't even remember where I'd left it off.
Back to this chapter, we then have Subaru getting his summoning inventory! Yes, this is basically the Bag system from Genshin combined with how the characters can spawn objects out of literally nowhere, some of which are all weapons, Yanfei's book and scale, Ninnguang's pipe and Xiangling's apple. Now I've made it so Subaru can summon Guiltywhip just like every Genshin Character. It won't serve well for this arc, but when Subaru begins his work as an Adventurer, it would be key.
There's something I want to ask you. I'm thinking about things I could do for the cover image for this story. What do you think I should do? Note that I don't have great photoshop skills (I don't have photoshop anymore) and I can't draw or afford shit, which makes it all even more difficult.
Here's a little hint for what's waiting in the next chapter: Vengeance.
Now, onto the reviews.
Mobzill: We shall see. Honestly, even I don't know yet.
Guest: Seriously, every review can be pretty useful for me. Also, sorry for making you think I would change things in the previous chapter, it was more of an impulse thing and I tend to write these responses after a bout of finishing up the chapter. I tend to be pretty tired by then. Looking at it now, I'm okay with where it is. Maybe I don't like how Subaru has this cure for free, but it does tie into the later story, so there's that. Still, I love reading these 'rambling's of yours, and I'd love to keep reading them! Heck, that's what my own reviews for other stories are like as well.
The thing about Rem is that she hugged Subaru while wearing her corset. His hands did not make skin contact for long enough to incite the cure. Well, that's just the excuse I'm coming up with. It's an oversight that can be rectified that way.
I do want to make a plan with the accumulated darkness, but I haven't found a place where it would fit in just yet. Hopefully, I can come up with something in the long run.
Thanks for the advice on writing two stories! I am trying to take things slow for that reason, I'm starting to feel a little burned out with this one, and that's agonising to me. It's just way too early for me to stop this, so I don't want to, even though I'm pushing myself for it. As for Honkai, I would play it, but I really don't want to fall into the Gacha Trap. I'm already pretty bad into Genshin, so I don't want more chances of games taking up my time and energy.
Other Guest: Osial and Inazuma are a very long ways off. Think of it like this, I'm writing every region as a separate book. As in, I'm going to start a whole new story for when Subaru moves to Liyue.
Piero: Fair enough for Kokomi, although I really won't be considering that now.
Pierro: (Dunno if you're the same person as above) Do they? I've never heard that one. Sounds fun. I might have to use that. Thanks!
Aib: It won't only be Scaramouche, buddy.
Crimsonsage: Sigh, the way I read the webnovel is now coming back to bite me in the ass. I honestly don't remember how he recollects his memories, so I'll trust that you're right about that. My bad then. Due to Nagatsuki's supremely slow writing style, I read the webnovel very quickly to stave off boredom. As such, I've missed certain key elements to the story. Hopefully I won't miss anything major for this one.
Yet Another Guest: Yep, the meeting with Fischl is coming. Writing her is going to be my personal hell. Also, best genshin crossover is really great praise, thank you for that!
Alright, it's pretty late, so I'll have to stop there. Let me know if you think of anything for a cover image. Also, I love that so many people are leaving reviews, but it makes it harder for me to address you if I don't know who you are. To all the Guests, please leave some mention of your name. It doesn't have to be your actual name, of course, you can just come up with some random name and put it up with your review. If you don't do that, I'll just be calling you all Guest. Good luck figuring out which one is your response that way.
I'll see you next chapter!
