Here I present myself with a new chapter!

Let's start this new arc. I hope you enjoy the last quiet chapters that are left, because the next ones will be very hectic.

Once again I want to thank Surfysun and srpaocomqueijo, who made this triple chapter possible.

Speaking of the previous point, Shiro777 became a member and requested another chapter of this story, so instead of being a triple chapter it will be a quadruple one. Thank you very much for your support and trust, I really hope and wish that you continue to like the story from beginning to end.

Remember that if you want to order an extra chapter of any story that is in development, you can do so from my Patre-on, and all you have to do is become a member for one dollar. You can search for me as: "Jyanzein".

With nothing more to add, it's time to get started.

Enjoy!

"Evil, war, sacrifice, murder, destruction…"

A fairly clear and imposing voice stood out in the large room.

"The ignorant think they understand the meaning of those words. But in the end, only we understand what true madness is."

The darkness did not offer the pleasure of sight. The only thing that could be witnessed was a silhouette that was sitting on a throne.

"And that is why, right now is where we must become stronger. Because all our enemies will."

Several steps down, there were eleven silhouettes who were listening in great attention.

"But no matter how difficult it is, we will make sure that madness does not invade our nation. Even if we must give our lives in the process."

The darkness slowly faded thanks to the first hints of morning light that entered through the various windows. The first thing that was dazzling was that the large hall was made almost entirely of ice, and in different sectors there were seats and photos of the Fatui. Speaking of them, everyone raised their gazes to look towards the throne to see the majestic figure of their Archon, who had not yet fully recovered from her previous battle. The various bandages that were on certain parts of her body confirmed this.

"Today we have gathered here to continue the work." Zarina commented, who had a hand resting on her cheek as she looked at her higher-level subordinates very carefully. "I know many will disagree because my condition is not perfect yet, but we cannot sit still any longer."

"What do you propose, Your Majesty?" Childe lowered his head in respect, and so did the others.

"We need to gather the other Gnosis as soon as possible." The Tsaritsa declared as she reclined on her majestic ice throne. "It will be best not to put so much pressure on Fontaine because we are allies, so only Arlecchino will go." The aforementioned placed a hand on her chest after hearing her name as a sign of respect. "As for Sumeru… our relations are very delicate right now, so we will focus on the Pyro-Gnosis for now. To obtain it, the remaining 10 will go look for it." The Ice Empress declared solemnly.

"About that…" Dottore decided to speak, capturing everyone's interest. "I think you should review that option." The man declared with complete seriousness, and he even looked a little upset, which was very unusual for him.

"What's going on?" The Tsaritsa rested her cheek on her hand again as she listened to him.

"I thought it would be best to save it so as not to alter them and investigate for myself, but at this point…" Dottore maintained a short silence after those words. "My other selves started being hunted not long ago." Everyone was surprised by those words. "Due to the altercations, I decided that it would be best to gather all the remaining ones in Snezhnaya, but one of them died during the boat. I know this last thing because I saw with my own eyes how the ship was attacked and destroyed shortly before reaching the port."

Such statements left everyone in complete silence. Even the Archon looked somewhat surprised.

"Do you have anyone to blame?" The Goddess broke that tense silence, receiving a shake of the head in response.

"If they destroyed the ship so close to Snezhnaya, there is a high probability that they have infiltrated." Pierro declared with his usual frown, although now he looked even more terrifying. "It is true that Dottore's clones are not as strong as him, but they are still a great threat. "We cannot leave her alone, Your Majesty."

"He is right. Maybe this is just what they are waiting for." Signora shared the man's thoughts on the topic.

The Cryo Archon remained silent, her eyebrows trembling as her hands gripped the throne very tightly.

It was obvious that she was not happy about what had happened at all.

"From what I understand, we were not going to Natlan just for the Gnosis, but also for the technology that was supposedly buried many centuries ago." Capitano resumed the conversation, drawing his majesty's attention.

"What do you propose?" The Tsaritsa asked with interest, although she had already imagined it.

"As Your Majesty knows, there is no one who knows Khaenri'ah's technology as much as I do, not even Dottore himself." Capitano commented, bowing his head in respect, and Dottore looked at him questioningly, but said nothing about it, knowing that this was not the time to argue over trivialities. "That is why I kindly ask you to accept the invitation of the Scarlet Ritual and send me as your representative." Capitano looked up, and his light blue eyes shone behind his helmet. "I'll take it."

"Are you sure to go alone?" The Tsarina asked, not very sure of the plan.

"I'm just a pawn." Capitano responded in his own way as he raised his face again. "As you said, we will do everything we can, even if it leads to our death. I am willing to give my life to take the risk. The risk that is unacceptable is the danger that all of Snezhnaya could be subjected to if the 11 of us leave." The man concluded, leaving the Archon thinking.

The seconds became infinite for the Heralds, who eagerly awaited a response.

"Very good." The Tsaritsa finally broke the silence.

"Arlecchino will go to Fontaine, and Capitano will go to Natlan. The others will stay with me to protect Snezhnaya from any possible invasion."

_ BEGINNING OF THE ARC – CHAPTER 13: TWO ARCHONS? _

"Hey!" Aether wanted to get up as quickly as possible, but he crashed into something as soon as he tried.

But it was very strange.

His lips had collided with a warm, wet surface, something really strange. Although it conveyed a sensation that felt damn good.

Once the dust began to disappear, he slowly realized what was touching his lips.

His eyes widened as quickly as the moment he realized his lips were pressing against Ei's, who was on top of him in a rather compromising position.

Once his reasoning fully worked, the blonde instantly lowered his head.

"I'm sorry…"

It was two words.

He only had time to say two words, as Ei's lips claimed him again as soon as he pulled away.

Ei separated again and watched him with unparalleled intensity. The enormous blush on his face and his eyes covered with life indicated that he had just gone through one of the best moments of his life, and he would not let said moment end so quickly.

The traveler had signs of reacting, but it was too late, since Ei was giving him another kiss.

Aether had originally intended to separate because the shock of the moment was too great, but Ei's tender and clearly clumsy kiss due to her inexperience caused that thought to be discarded almost instantly. Those hands that had taken her waist to push her away were slowly closing in a nice hug.

In that way, Ei continued peppering small kisses that lasted for only a few seconds. Neither of them said anything to each other, they just wanted to convey everything they felt, everything they had stored inside.

The sensation of sharing those short kisses was too intense to bear. Their eyes closed and their lips parted in Ei's last attempt to go much deeper, causing them to share a kiss covered in passion.

The Goddess also let herself be carried away by her emotions and hugged him by the neck to make sure that their lips did not part for even a second. That was the start of their really long kiss.

Aether hugged her even tighter as he felt tears fall on her face.

Ei had started crying again.

Their lips finally parted, and they both gasped for air. Aether sat up and placed her on his waist. The blonde hugged her again, making their bodies stick together, except for their faces, which were a few centimeters away.

The two remained silent throughout this time, trying to catch their breath and assimilate everything that had just happened. Meanwhile, Ei was still silently shedding tears.

Until…

"Are you serious?" The Goddess's hands tightened on Aether's chest. "Do you really love me?" Her trembling and vulnerable face showed her uncertainty but she could not hide the excitement behind her face...

She simply possessed an unmatched beauty.

"Let me answer you." Aether commented, then slowly raised his hands, running them all over Ei's back. "But first, can I do something?" His hands reached their final destination once he placed them on the cheeks of the captivated Goddess, beginning to caress her to comfort her and erase those tears that did not stop falling.

Ei had no words to answer him, all she did was nod. That's how they got engaged in another powerful kiss that had even more passion and feeling than the previous one.

The Goddess clung to Aether's shirt much more tightly, accepting the caresses on her cheek and hair that made her feel so good.

Although it wasn't making her feel anywhere near as good as his mouth.

The pleasure she felt from kissing the man she loved and desired so much caused the insides to act like a volcano.

The heat, the love, the passion, the pleasure, the happiness.

An infinite amount of each.

And all transmitted by a simple kiss.

No…

It wasn't the kiss.

It was Aether.

He was the one who was giving her all those emotions.

It was he who had healed her heart and made it beat with a force that she had previously thought impossible.

Those tears...

Those tears poured out all that overflowing love that her body could not contain.

In these moments, Ei felt more alive than ever, and it was impossible for her to contain herself. That's why her body began to tremble slightly at the same time as her tears in her eyes.

Finally, their lips parted again due to lack of air, and this time Ei couldn't help the long, drawn-out sob that emerged from her lips just at the same time that she hugged him very tightly, as if she were afraid that everything would go wrong again, a dream.

"I was going to answer you, but I don't think it's necessary anymore." Aether commented softly as he placed his chin on the head of the Goddess, whose sobs were muffled by Aether's chest.

"I love you too…!" Ei exclaimed through her tears. "I love you very much! I… love you very much…!" Aether stroked her hair as he listened to her silently.

"Sorry for making you suffer." The blonde grabbed her chin to lift her face, making them both look into each other's eyes. "That's why now…" Aether brought her face closer, making Ei's lips part in extreme anxiety for him to kiss her again. "That is why now I will make sure to make you the happiest woman in the world."

Ei's eyes widened at such a statement, but she couldn't even react properly, as Aether's lips had claimed her once again.

The Goddess let herself be carried away again and hugged him by the neck. Her eyes closed and her tears finally stopped, so she could accept all that love and affection without wasting a drop of it.

"Fool, you don't need to promise me something like that." Ei pulled away to rest her forehead against his. "Everything I have wanted so badly for months seemed to be a simple dream that would never come true. But, in the end, it seems that even dreams can be real." The woman declared with a tender and warm smile on her face.

"Haven't you realized that you have already made me the happiest woman in the world?"

That said, she didn't even wait for a response.

Her lips went straight to Aether's to make sure he understood that she truly felt like the happiest woman in the world.

They soon separated, and Aether looked at her deeply, as if he were looking at something he would protect with his life and soul.

"In that case, I will make sure that every morning you are happier than yesterday." He concluded with a smile as he tightened the hug a little, something Ei responded in her own way when she hugged his back tightly, placing her face on his shoulder.

They both spent a long time like that, without sharing a single word.

It took several minutes, until they finally decided to separate.

"I was very excited, but…" Ei separated from Aether a little and her gaze took a serious note. "What will happen to Shenhe?" That question made Aether very nervous, since the truth might not sit well with the Goddess.

"Don't worry about her. The reality is that more than my girlfriend, she is my accomplice. "She has been helping me to distance you from myself so I can stop loving you." Those words made Ei look at him in a mix of confusion and sadness.

"Wait… you don't want to love me?" She said with clear disappointment in her words.

"No, it's a misunderstanding! It all came about because of that book!" Aether exclaimed, somewhat alarmed, since Ei had not gotten angry, but rather seemed to be quite sad.

Luckily, those words made her return to her usual self, although now there was great curiosity in her eyes.

"You mean that book where I promote underwear with my figure?"

"Yes-wait, wait! You remember that?!" Aether shouted in embarrassment.

"What does that book have to do with all this?" Ei decided to divert the conversation, since she didn't feel very comfortable about it either.

"I don't know if you remember, but when I interviewed you, you said you couldn't fall in love." Ei looked up after hearing his words, trying to remember that moment.

"Oh yeah. It was the day you didn't tuck me in." Ei commented naturally.

"Exactly… Why do you always try to remember the shameful side of things?" The blonde asked him with a nervous drop of sweat.

"Hey?" Ei looked at him with great confusion after hearing him.

"Does not matter." Aether responded as he shook his head. "The thing here is that since I heard that I finally realized that I really loved you. It was a headache."

"Is that why you stayed away from me those days?"

"Yes, but Venti helped give me courage, although I think I took his words the wrong way. I had two paths, one was to try to win you over to be as close as I wanted, and the other was to distance ourselves little by little so that I would slowly lose those feelings towards you. As you can see, in the end I decided that the only possible option was the second option, but I couldn't find any way to distance myself that wouldn't be painful for you, until Paimon appeared." Ei had listened carefully up to that point, as the mention of the fairy had surprised her.

"What does she have to do with all this?" The Goddess asked with great interest.

"Well… first of all, don't get angry with her, because in the end I was the one who decided to follow her plan." The blonde responded with pity, making Ei's penetrating eyes fixate on his, so he couldn't help but look away.

A few short, quite tense seconds emerged between the two in which they didn't even look at each other's faces, but Ei didn't take long to break the awkward moment with a sigh.

"I can't believe we were so stupid. I mean, I thought you were a mortal, and that's why I didn't declare myself at the time. Also because of that I have denied and ignored my feelings for a long time." The Goddess's words made Aether look at her in slight amazement. "But in the end everything was resolved…" A slight smile appeared on Ei as she hugged him tightly, something that caught him off guard. "Is it not like this?" The Goddess's smile widened after asking that question.

"It was pretty gnarly, but in the end it was a good result." Aether responded happily as he responded to the hug.

"And even if it had gnarly even more, I'm sure we would have ended up together sooner or later." Ei pulled back a little to look at him with a bright face. "You don't think we were destined?"

"I think it would be better if you stopped reading so many romance novels." Aether poked her nose to annoy her, earning a small complaint from her, but in the end they both laughed.

The lovers shared a short look covered in affection and apprehension before Ei stood up and extended her hand to help Aether.

"Wait for me here, I just remembered something very important." Ei declared, and then went to the bathroom, something that stood out quite a bit since the door was almost torn from its place.

"I sure made a mess." Aether thought out loud as he saw that Ei's bedroom was turned upside down, almost literally.

The seconds passed and after a while Aether could see how Ei came out with her hands together trying to hide something.

"Do you remember when I asked you to have dinner alone?" Aether nodded, letting Ei continue. "At that time I left before I could give it to you." Ei opened her hands, and Aether was surprised to see a rubber duck that had the words "I love you" inscribed on it.

"Is this what you wanted to tell me?...I'm….. sorry." Aether commented with utmost regret as he took the rubber duck in his hands.

"Do you like it?" Ei broke the rising tension in Aether with that simple question.

" It is too cute." Aether looked at the gift closer, making a small smile appear on his face. "I would like to have something to give you…"

"But you do.." Ei interrupted him as she took a step forward.

Aether was forced to look up when he found himself very close to the Goddess. Now that the two were standing so close to each other it made distinguishing the difference in height very easy, a detail that had been left in the background due to her momentary disability.

"Hmm, I do?" Aether rubbed his hair as nothing came to mind.

Ei took his hands carefully and made him hold her above the waist. At that moment a smile covered with love and affection lodged in her beautiful purple eyes.

"Kiss Me."

Aether looked at her with that same intensity. A slight smile appeared on his lips as he took a step forward and pushed the Goddess into his arms, thus tilting her body backwards.

Ei had to accept that she felt like one of those princesses she read so much about in her novels when Aether kissed her in that pose.

Most likely it wouldn't be the last time they would do it, as the height difference made another method very annoying.

Still, she wouldn't complain.

Who could complain?

The moment was almost eternal, only being broken by that lack of air that was beginning to become very annoying for both of them.

If it weren't for the damn air, they would kiss until the next dawn.

"Hey…don't you think it's better that everyone knows about us?" Ei asked, somewhat agitated and still with that great shock in her body from everything that was happening.

"I agree, that way we will avoid any misunderstandings." Aether clarified with a nod.

"Still, can we take a couple more minutes?" Ei asked, her gaze turning to a more passionate one just as she hugged him tighter by the neck.

"Hey?" Aether looked at her with some confusion at such a strange request, causing Ei to close her eyes and a faint blush to form on her cheeks.

"Kiss me again, and this time may it last for Eternity."

_ LINE BREAK _

Serenitea Pot

One hour later…

"We still need to organize a couple of things, but we're almost done." Yae stared at her desk as she read a couple of papers.

In front of her were Kaeya, Sara, Itto, Kokomi, Ayaka, Gorou, Yoimiya, Paimon and Shenhe, who were listening to the Yokai very carefully.

"And what about Mondstadt and Liyue? Will my brother come?" Ayaka asked, somewhat hopeful that she would be able to see her only family again after a while.

"About that…" Yae couldn't finish, as something caught her attention at the corner of her eye. Ara, did they finally arrive?" The woman was forced to cover her smile with her hand as she looked towards the stairs.

Aether and Ei came down from there. The blonde looked happier than ever, while the Goddess seemed to be normal, although that glow that surrounded her suggested that she was very happy.

"Is she okay? Everyone heard the explosion in your room." Sara asked with slight concern as she saw her Archon, receiving a nod in response.

"Don't worry, it wasn't a big deal." Ei responded, and her tone of voice sounded more lively than ever, something that did not go unnoticed by anyone present.

"We were in a very important conversation…" Yae commented, then narrowed her eyes mischievously. "But I'm sure you have an even more interesting story to tell. So, go ahead."

Those words made Aether and Ei look at each other. They both smiled at each other and surprisingly for the Yokai neither of them looked nervous or embarrassed.

"Well, the reality is…" Aether commented.

"Now we are a couple." Ei shut down the blonde's idea as she took his hand, looking at everyone with a smile.

It was her typical kind and calm smile, something that didn't fit at all with the current situation. You just had to see the faces of almost everyone present to see it.

"¡¿WHAAAAAAAAAT?!"

Paimon was the first to react and her scream was heard throughout the entire Relaxing Room.

"In that case, the mission is canceled." Shenhe responded casually, covering her ears from Paimon's loud scream.

"Speaking of which, I'm really sorry for causing you trouble!" Aether apologized as he bowed slightly to show his regret, making Shenhe give him a thumbs up.

"What are you doing?" Gorou said with a nervous sweat drop.

"I saw that people always did it when something was done well." Shenhe stated simply.

"That's unexpected… or that's what I'd like to say, but I guess surprises are a given when it involves you ." Kaeya declared with a smile, then looked at Ei. "I'm sure he will make you very happy, Miss Archon." The gentleman concluded with his typical respectful tone that sounded somewhat contemptuous. "Although, I am a little curious about that mission that Shenhe mentioned." Kaeya thought when he focused his gaze on the aforementioned. "Aren't they supposed to be together?"

"Not long ago she wanted to execute him in front of everyone…" Ayaka commented with great surprise.

"Yes, it's amazing how relationships can change." Kokomi nodded, agreeing with her friend's thoughts.

Meanwhile, Itto… well, Itto was just very confused by everything.

"Congratulations, Shogun-sama." Sara bowed slightly. "I hope you feel grateful to have this opportunity." She concluded, focusing her gaze on Aether, who became a little nervous under her sharp eyes.

"Hey? But how did it all end this way? We were supposed to have made a plan…" Paimon thought out loud as he rubbed his head in utter confusion.

Suddenly, a very hostile feeling swept over everyone present.

Paimon couldn't help but turn pale when she noticed how Ei was looking at her with eyes so cold and lifeless that it was terrifying her to the core. And as if that weren't enough, that neutral expression on her face only made her look even more terrifying. It even seemed like Shogun Raiden from months ago had taken back her body.

"It's true, I had forgotten that this whole idea had been your work. I almost isolated myself again because of you…" Ei's cold and contemptuous comment made Paimon cover her face in fear.

"Come on! You said you weren't going to be mad at her!" Aether exclaimed with a nervous smile, then took her hand.

That simple gesture made Ei noticeably calm down and return to her normal appearance and aura.

"In the end nothing happened, so it doesn't matter." Ei declared with a slight sigh at the end. "Besides, it's not like someone like her can come up with a smarter idea than that. I honestly can't blame her." She added as an afterthought.

"Hey? Why does Paimon feel insulted?" The floating girl rubbed her hair with a confused look on her face.

"Ahem!" Yae cleared her throat, gaining everyone's attention. "First of all, I congratulate you. They were already late." The woman clarified with her usual smile. "And the second thing, now you know what's coming?" The question was exclusively directed to Aether, who became serious from one moment to the next.

"Ei told me about it. I understand that due to my power and my current position as her partner that makes me a sort of second Archon to Inazuma. That would make us both have to be very aware of the city." The blonde commented, then focused his gaze on Ei. "That's why we decided to keep ours a secret, at least until this is all over."

"It's a reasonable idea, and not only for that, but also for everything it means for you two to be together." Yae declared, her smile having been replaced by a completely serious expression. "Enemies might see this as a weakness and try to use it against you." Ei nodded at her best friend's words.

"We had also thought about that. Although the reality is that we are going to be at constant risk." The Goddess added, while everyone present was thinking about everything it means that these two are now together.

"Having clarified this, there is only one last thing left to clarify before continuing with Natlan…" Yae's seriousness was replaced by a foxy smile that startled Ei a little. "What were you doing in these almost two hours?"

At that time, there were two reactions.

Aether reacted naturally, and only became a little nervous.

But in the case of Ei...

"We didn't do any of that!" The Goddess shouted with a great blush that reached upto her ears.

"Ara, ara. I never asked anything explicitly." Yae commented as she narrowed her eyes, making Ei even more nervous while everyone else looked at the couple in confusion.

"Why do you get like this every time you talk to Yae?" Aether asked with a roll of his eyes, making Ei look at him somewhat shyly.

"You still don't know all her facets…" She clarified in an embarrassed whisper.

"Enough of the jokes. Let's talk about what concerns us." Yae's words introduced a serious expression to each of those present, indicating that the moment of laughter was already over.

"We were talking about Mondstadt and Liyue." Kaeya resumed the conversation. "The best thing would be for each representative to return to their nation to deliver the message and for them to provide us with certain reinforcements. After that we will all join together and…"

"It's not a bad idea, but it's best if the representatives stay to manage Inazuma while the rest of us are away." Yae interrupted Kaeya. "Sara will stay momentarily. You will come with us until we board in Liyue, after that we will make a quick trip to Mondstadt and finally you two will return to the Serenitea Pot and Sara will come with us. If things get too difficult, then we will call them." Both representatives nodded in agreement at the idea, while Sara just remained silent.

"What ships will we use? All of ours have been destroyed." Yoimiya asked curiously.

"We have been in contact with some friends for several days. They will help us." Aether clarified, receiving a nod from the girl.

"When will they arrive?" Yae asked.

"Last time I talked to them they set sail for Liyue, so maybe we're talking about a week or a little more." Aether responded, making Yae lower her gaze.

"What should we do?" Yae raised her gaze again and the question was directed exclusively at Ei.

"A week is enough time. Take advantage of this time to train and say goodbye to your loved ones." Ei commented with her neutral expression, receiving a nod from everyone in response.

"Then it is decided." Aether stated with a half smile.

"We will soon visit the War Nation."

_ END OF CHAPTER _

(OR NOT)

I hope you enjoyed it!

As you could read, in this chapter more doors are opened to more mysteries that will be solved, although some of them will have an end in a very advanced development of the story.

As I said before, it is the first time I have started a romance so early with the main characters, so I hope to get into the rhythm and develop it in the best way throughout the rest of the story.

With nothing more to add, it's time to leave.

See you in 3 days for the continuation of these extra chapters!

"Since we're going to have some free time now, why don't we take the opportunity to give you some cooking classes?" Aether's question made Ei's eyes light up.

"Oh really?!" The Goddess watched him with great emotion.

It was incredible to think how expressionless she once was.

Now his face was covered with life.

"Of course, do you want to come with us?" Aether shifted his gaze to the others, waiting for a response.

"I still have a few things to talk to everyone about. You guys go ahead." Yae answered for everyone, making them look at her with a mix of confusion and curiosity.

"OK." The blonde nodded, then fixed his gaze on Ei. "Come on?" The Goddess nodded with some excitement as she followed him up the stairs.

Once they both disappeared from sight, everyone turned their gaze to Yae, who remained expressionless.

"What should you tell us?" Sara asked with great curiosity, since not even she knew.

That question made Yae look at everyone in complete silence, something that made them a little uncomfortable.

Until finally she spoke:

"Don't go to the kitchen, unless you want to have a near-death experience."