¡Here I present myself with a new chapter!

Before starting, I want to apologize for the delays. I've been going through some really complicated times, and most of the occasions I didn't have much time to dedicate to this, plus the little time I had, I always found myself blocked.

Well, I won't bore you with personal dramas. The important thing is that I'm feeling much better now, and I'll be back with some translated chapters.

¡Enjoy!

The sound of water droplets echoed in the hot springs. The dawn emitted a soothing presence in that hot, steamy weather. The feeling of warm air and nature in its clearest splendor was present throughout the area, despite the small planks that were scattered throughout the area. A few feet landed on the edge of one of the many hot springs on the site.

—¡How good it feels! —A pleasure-covered sigh emerged from Ayaka as she let her body fall into the water. She was wearing only a towel around her body, as was everyone else there.

—A little rest never hurts. —Sara stood next to her, her face looked more serious than her friend's, but still the trace of serenity in her features was easy to notice.

—Come on, don't be shy, Gorou! —Kokomi laughed as she threw water on her most faithful friend, who could only cover himself with his hands, a sight that was welcomed by all.

Itto stood at another of the watering holes as he laughed like a fool and gave a couple of pats on the back to Tonalli, who looked somewhat uncomfortable. It was not due to the recurring humor of his friend Oni, the problem was that they were surrounded by many Natlan natives who were devouring them with their eyes, since they both had an amazing physique.

—¿Doesn't he know? —Tonalli thought to himself with his eyes rolling—. ¡Please save me!

Murata, who was sitting on one of the planks, watched as her most loyal warrior gave her a look that screamed "¡help!", but she simply smiled and raised the cup she held in her hands. The Goddess only instructed him to enjoy the moment, but the fact that Tonalli had begun to cry comically made it clear that he was not very pleased with this type of situation.

Diluc was leaning against a tree with his eyes closed. The serenity on his face was palpable. Unfortunately that tranquility did not last long, as a powerful gust of wind drenched him completely. His usually unperturbed frown gave hints of change when he opened his eyes. His gaze was fixed on a certain Bard, who was only looking away as he squeaked innocently, and next to him stood Ayato, who could only rub his hair in embarrassment.

Ei and Aether were somewhat separated from the commotion. They were both watching with some amusement as Paimon stood with his eyes swirling at the edge of the hot springs.

—I think the temperature was too much for her. Well, it's not like it's the first time she's ended up like that. —Aether commented, barely able to hold in his laughter.

—¿Do your adventures always end this way? You never seem to get bored. —Ei supported her beloved's implied notion, to which the blond looked at her.

—I agree with that, but sometimes I'd just like to get somewhere new and have a good time. You know, without there being a crazy dragon, profanity, or wars. Just something normal. —Aether bowed his shoulders at the end, something that softened Ei's face a bit.

—¿Did you always have those moments with your sister? —The Goddess's question made Aether a bit melancholic, but soon a smile emerged from his face.

—Actually, we used to fight over everything, from which world we wanted to visit, to who was the first to try a new food. —The blond's smile gradually faded as the current memories hit him—. But this is the first time we fought like this...

—Will work it out. —Aether brought his gaze to Ei after hearing her words, who was giving him a sweet and warm smile—. There is no stronger bond than that of family. Never forget that.

A smile emerged on the traveler's face.

—I know. —Aether took her hand underwater, to which Ei's smile deepened as a faint blush spread across her cheeks—. By the way, you look very pretty with just that towel around your body.

—Aether, this is not the time for you to be dirty.

—¿What? I just said you look pretty...

25

THE LAST REHEARSAL (FINAL PART)

Several days had already passed, and the ritual was getting closer and closer.

The sun was already at its peak, and the inhabitants of Natlan were enjoying it, except that some were enjoying it more than others. A clear example of this were Itto and Tonalli, who were driving Burticoles as they slid at full speed between the roads that had been carved into the huge volcano.

—¡Be careful, remember that although the Burticol is a conscious being, you are the one who controls its movements! —Tonalli warned him, but only received a great laugh covered with energy in response.

—¡Thats things are amazing, from now on I will add a section for the Burticol in my Scaradiablos tournament! —Itto raised his hand in great excitement after his verdict.

—¿What the hell is a Scaradiab? —Tonalli wondered internally.

Aether stood at the foot of the volcano, watching as red flashes traveled between the lava paths at great speed.

—They seem to be having fun. —He concluded, then focused his gaze straight ahead. He certainly found this kind of training more interesting than those devil things.

Paimon was at his side, both watching the confrontation between Ei and Murata in silence.

The Pyro Goddess was wielding a flaming red colored mandoble, while the Electro Goddess was using her spear. The weapons clashed against each other with utmost hostility, generating various sparks. Both were moving and running to assess their enemy's movements before their weapons shared some electrifying, flaming clashes. The clash of their powers was strong enough to cause slight disturbances in the training area, though it was obvious they were far from using their full strength.

—Don't you look like you with that ponytail. —Murata emphasized Ei's hair before being forced to hold back a blow from the aforementioned.

—Aether said it looks good on me. Besides, I think it also helps me keep my hair out of the way during combat. —Ei replied with a smile, then broke her stance as she thrust her sword with the intentions of attacking again. Murata was able to block it again, but this time her feet left a small path of destruction in its wake.

—¿Oh? ¿You want to take it up a notch already? —A sharp smile crossed Murata's lips as she gripped the sword even tighter—. I'm fine with that.

The two Goddesses approached at full speed and generated a great collision. Aether remained unperturbed despite the blasts slamming into her body, but Paimon was not so lucky. The poor fairy flew off with a piercing scream as the two Goddesses began a slightly more serious confrontation, so their Pyro and Electro powers began to collide with force as they raced along the battlefield, producing cracks and craters on each impact.

—Yeah, this battlefield will definitely be rendered useless if they keep getting excited like last time. —Aether thought with a straight face as a large amount of debris passed around him.

—¡Hey, stop them before Paimon disappears! —Paimon shouted as she grabbed onto a bush.

Aether heard her perfectly, but his lack of reaction deepened even more when Murata's mandoble flew past him.

—No thanks. —The blond replied while sweating comically.

A more prominent impact than the previous one echoed across the battlefield. Murata left a small line of destruction with her feet, her arms were crossed in X, and her clothing looked a bit damaged. A slight grimace of pain crossed her lips, but quickly her lips curved into a smile. The Goddess clenched her hands tightly and brought them down at high speed, causing a large amount of threads of fire to emerge between her hands. That wasn't the only thing that changed, as her hair burst into flames. Ei adjusted her combat stance, understanding that the confrontation might be a bit dangerous from now on.

—This is the first time I've seen her use so much power. —Aether placed a hand on his chin as he analyzed what was happening.

Murata's somewhat feral grin widened just before she lunged at Ei, leaving a large trail of golden flames in her wake. The speed was considerably greater, so Ei was forced to squint her eyes and use much of her reflexes.

Aether's eyes widened as he watched Murata reach out one of her hands to try to catch Ei with those strange threads made of golden flames, but Ei was quick enough to dodge it. Murata found it hard to keep up with her speed, but she quickly lashed out with her other hand in hopes that her threads would catch her. Ei ducked to jump again, but unlike before she was unable to do so.

But it wasn't because she wasn't fast enough.

Aether noticed that detail, as did Murata, who got to cancel his attack just before it hit Ei, who fell to the ground with one knee.

—¿Are you all right? —Aether didn't take long to go to his beloved when he noticed her somewhat dazed, to which Murata and Paimon just stood aside.

—Hum, I... I don't know... —Ei tried to get up after her vague answer, but all she did was fall down on her two knees.

—¿Maybe you ate something bad? —Paimon asked as she noticed her pale face.

—I'm a Goddess, I can't get sick with those things... —Ei's explanation was half-hearted as she held her abdomen—. Wait, ¿can I do that?

Ei rethought with utmost confusion as she noticed the nausea that was growing more and more.

—Well, this is really strange. —Murata placed a hand on her chin after witnessing the whole thing—. It would be best to take a break these days. It won't be long before the start of the war and I wouldn't want you to be in bad shape.

—Don't worry, I'll be fine. —Ei answered confidently.

—Yes, tell me that again after you can stand on your own. —Murata stated with a soft smile as she noticed how Ei leaned on Aether.

—She's right. Let's take a break for today. —Aether showed that she agreed with Murata, to which Ei had no choice but to nod.

Aether approached Ei to extend a tray covered with food. The two were sharing lunch on the Goddess' bed. The bedroom's single window radiated the only light, though it was strong enough to illuminate them.

—Are you feeling better now? —Aether asked. His lover set the silverware down on the tray to look at him.

—It was just a momentary thing. —She affirmed, her face lit up as usual, for she could never get used to the perfect taste of the food Aether was preparing for her.

—All right, but let me know if you feel that way again. —Aether continued eating after his words, to which Ei looked at him.

—I've been feeling a little weird the last few days, ¿do you think it's because I've been eating so many sweets for breakfast? —That question made Aether look at her questioningly.

—You said before that food didn't affect you.

—I know, but the way I've been feeling, I can't help but think that maybe I'm a little wrong. Honestly, I don't know what to think anymore... —Ei got a thoughtful look on her face after the statement.

—¿Have you never had that kind of pain or nausea? —Asked an intrigued Aether, to which Ei nodded.

—I used to have problems with very specific and powerful poisons, or with certain strange enemies that induced a kind of corruption on my body. —Ei held her chin with one hand as she explained.

—¿And how did you solve it? —The traveler's intrigue changed to interest after asking that question.

—I didn't fix it, I always go to Yae for that. She has great knowledge about this kind of thing, especially poisons. —Ei clarified, to which Aether could only nod.

—Then I guess we have no choice but to wait for her to give you a diagnosis. In the meantime, perhaps you shouldn't try too hard. —Aether commented.

—Anyway, I still don't understand how we got to this point. ¿Maybe it was because of one of our expeditions to those strange ancient ruins? —Declared a thoughtful Ei as she ate quietly.

—Probably. But we can only wait for Yae in case she knows how to solve it.

Ei looked at him with some curiosity after hearing his words.

—Speaking of which, when will you call the Serenitea Pot?

—I think about three days before the war would be good. —Aether became somewhat thoughtful after his own statement—. Speaking of which, ¿do you really want to take on Capitano?

Because due to your current situation...

—It's true that I'm a bit weakened, but I'm still way ahead of the Fatui. —Ei interrupted him. Besides, remember that I'm not going alone.

—If you say so... —Aether just bowed his shoulders as he continued to eat.

—Now that we're talking about the war, ¿have you sealed terms with Murata? —The question caused Aether to drop his fork inches from his mouth. The blond clenched his jaw and a somewhat conflicted expression adorned it.

—If we're talking terms, the truth is that the idea and plan hasn't changed since then, except that we added Itto and Shenhe to the equation. It's too good to add any more new things to it. I'm sure we'll have no trouble defeating Gruthecoatl.

—¿But...? —Ei added as she noticed her lover's characteristic hesitation when confronted with his own ideals.

—But Murata wants to kill her to make sure there will be no more wars. She hasn't expressed it so openly to me, but I'm sure she thinks that way. Personally, I don't think we need to go to that extreme to stop the war. In fact, I think it could be worse. —Aether gave his view of the situation as he ate.

—¿You mean because of all those who follow Gruthecoatl? —As usual, Ei showed how much they understand each other when she found the root of his worries without much difficulty.

—I fear how they might react if she dies. Besides, maybe Murata won't be able to appease all the hatred generated through that. —Ei couldn't help but smile after observing how worried he was about all those people.

Aether could do nothing but blush when Ei pressed a kiss on his cheek.

—You are too kind and noble. That's why Inazuma is still standing. —Ei leaned her body against his, then placed her head on his shoulder—. But you must keep one thing in mind...

Aether watched Ei carefully after noticing how some seriousness emerged from her sweet tone.

—There will be people who want to take advantage of that kindness and nobility. When that time comes, you must promise me that you will stop acting like a hero, and be a leader. —Ei pulled away a little and held him tightly by the cheeks—. ¿Can you do me that favor?

Aether was touched by the concerned and adoring look his precious Goddess was giving him. It was obvious that she was trying to look serious, but the great concern she had for him only made her look beautiful.

—I-I don't quite get it... —Aether commented with some hesitation.

—You will understand when the time comes. I just want you to promise me. —Ei clarified, a thin smile crossed her beautiful lips.

—I promise. —Although Aether still had doubts, there was no hesitation in his words.

Ei's smile deepened as a loving and sensitive facial expression took control over her face. The Goddess said nothing, only kissed him with utmost affection and care. Aether did not hesitate to respond to the very loving and delicate gesture she was giving him, and the two of them engaged in a precious kiss that lasted an eternity for them.

No matter how many times they kissed, this moment would always be very special for them.

The sun appeared and set at great speed. The days passed, where some spent time chatting with the residents of Natlan, while others explored the great region. In those days, Aether and Paimon paid some visits to Gruthecoatl. The main purpose of those visits was to make sure that they did not cut off communication with her so that she would not become suspicious. Ei continued to have some discomfort, so her confrontations with Murata became less regular, much to the latter's dismay.

Now they were all gathered at the Pyro Goddess' residence after what was that last week of rest. The only one seated was Murata, who watched all her guests in silence. The air in the place was a mixture of tension and anxiety, a stark contrast to the previous days. Only a few were calm, not to say that the only person who was so was Venti.

—I guess it's time... —Murata broke the silence, her gaze swinging to the half-open window. The morning air was rushing in with an icy sensation she had rarely felt before.

They all looked expectantly toward Aether. The traveler clasped his hands together and closed his eyes. A frown soon appeared on his face as his concentration rose to levels not many could achieve. It didn't take long for a small tumult of golden magic to generate between his hands. The energy he was using to summon was so great that it raised a bit of wind around him, until it finally happened.

Aether opened his eyes, and everyone watched as the Serenitea Pot appeared in his hands.

—¿Is it an object? I thought you were talking about an army. —Murata commented with a mixture of interest and confusion.

—The army is in here. —Aether clarified, something that surprised the Goddess a bit—. Besides, that's not the only army.

If Murata's curiosity was high, it might be verging on the clouds now.

—¿Who are they?

—As you know, the residents of Inazuma temporarily moved to another location. They're in here, and their army will be our first support. —Aether raised his hands slightly to emphasize the floating teapot—. The second army is the Geoarmy. Liyue had the teapot in their possession, and I told them that if it were to disappear, we would need support. It will most likely take about 3 days at the most to arrive.

—Just one day before the "Scarlet Ritual"... —Murata commented as she analyzed Aether's words, until she finally smiled—. I knew that you had gained the support of many Nations, but I never imagined that they would help you in such a way.

Aether smiled at those words, as it made him remember all those trips he made through the regions. In fact, all the people who were here with him now were thanks to all that he had experienced. Of course, that included his much-prized Archon Electro, the one who would be not only his partner in adventure, but also his partner in life.

—I think the main points have already been clarified. -Ei took everyone's attention after her words—. The best thing now would be for me to go explain the whole current situation in order to recruit my men.

Murata nodded in understanding, then looked at everyone.

—I know I said it before, but thank you very much for the help. I really appreciate it too much, and I hope things end in the best possible way. —The Goddess concluded, to which the vast majority smiled.

Yae was doing her work as usual, Sara and Gordi were accompanying her, while Raiden Shogun was studying all the papers they signed or discarded. The puppet watched them, noticing something that had been repeating itself for a few weeks now.

—The paperwork was greatly reduced, ¿what is the reason? —The question made Gordi and Sara raise their heads to look at her, but Yae continued to focus on her task.

—You can tell you're a creation of Ei's, since you have her same flaws. —The Yokai scoffed, to which the puppet only managed to look at her curiously—. The paperwork was greatly reduced as the petitions did as well. That happened because everyone already settled in this place and what most people are looking for now are assignments. Since the adventurer's guild in Inazuma was destroyed, the only ones who can take care of these details are us until the situation stabilizes completely.

—Oh, I get it. —The Raiden returned her gaze to the papers after her words.

A small silence fell in the room as everyone continued with their work.

—¿How do you think they are doing? —Sara broke the silence, and it didn't take more than a second for something to happen.

Two golden figures appeared right next to Gordi. The golden glow dimmed instantly and there appeared Aether and Ei, to the surprise of everyone present.

—Surely they can explain it to us. —Yae commented with a slight smile.

—Although I would like to be the one to give all the details myself, I need Yae's help for a few moments. —Ei's words surprised even Yae herself.

—¿What's wrong? —Asked the Yokai with intrigue.

—It's my body. I feel some strange discomfort. —The Goddess clarified, to which her best friend nodded.

—Very well. We'll go to the infirmary to evaluate you accurately. —Yae stood up, and Ei soon followed her.

—¿Is my mother all right? —The puppet approached Aether, who smiled at her after noticing the hint of concern that framed her face.

—Don't worry, it's just minor discomfort. —Aether stretched out his arm to pat her head a couple of times, to which the Puppet only managed to give a very small, but visible smile.

—If you came, it's because something happened, ¿isn't it? I understand that "The Scarlet Ritual" is still a couple of days away. —Sara said, to which Aether looked at her.

—Well, it's a bit of a long story... —clarified the traveler while rubbing his hair.

—Don't worry, we're not as busy as we used to be. —Gordi commented, to which Aether simply nodded.

Ei looked outside, as she was on the second floor she was able to see several buildings from the window. Her eyes turned to the front, her body lay with much of her torso exposed as she lay on the stretcher in the infirmary. There was Yae, who was checking between her cleavage to make sure she didn't have any cardiovascular problems.

—I think there are more things since the last time I was here. —Ei commented with a smile, getting a look from Yae in response.

—The residents finally finished settling in here. Liyue helped us with several things to accomplish that. —Yae resumed her work, her palms glowing a violet color as she slowly descended toward her abdomen—. ¿Did you have any contact with the "Scourge"?

—I don't think so. I'm sure it must be some kind of poison. —The Electro Archon replied, to which Yae gave her a sidelong glance.

—It wouldn't be strange if you're not immune to the kinds of poisons you've never been subjected to, but there's no way. —That answer surprised Ei, something Yae noticed—. If it was a poison, then it's impossible for your body to take so long to neutralize it.

—¿Then what could it be? —Asked a very puzzled Ei.

—¿How regular is this discomfort? ¿Is it very painful? —Yae asked as she kept touching her abdomen carefully.

—I don't know, I would say it's not regular. Sometimes it appears twice a day and then maybe it doesn't bother me for 2 days. And it's not painful, it's just a little nausea. But that nausea gets deeper every time I train, I even threw up once. —These words startled Yae a little, who continued with her work.

—¿How hard do you work in training? —Yae's hands stopped on her belly after asking that question. The Yokai's eyes progressively widened as Ei hummed in search of an answer.

—Hmmm, I like to train pretty hard. —Ei answered with a smile covered with innocence, something that disappeared as soon as she saw her best friend's face.

It had been ages since she had seen her so surprised, she had even forgotten that Yae could be taken by surprise.

—¿Did you find anything? —The Goddess showed a worried tone after noticing the Yokai's face, to which she slowly reacted. Suddenly, a foxy grin appeared on Yae's face, something that confused Ei greatly.

—You really like to do it so hard, ¿don't you? —Yae's foxy face changed to a mocking expression after that question.

—¡¿Wh-what?! ¡¿What does that have to do with my illness?! -Ei might be innocent enough, but even she knew that question was malicious. And although she tried to look serious, her slight stutter and her completely red face gave her away completely.

—You wouldn't believe me if I told you. —A look covered with complicity crossed Yae's face, something that only confused Ei.

—I see, so that happened... —Sara rubbed her chin as she studied the new information provided by Aether.

—In that case, don't hesitate to count on our help. —Kaeya, who had arrived along with Shenhe just to hear the whole conversation, commented.

—Great, because we'll need all the help we can get. —Aether nodded with a smile, to which Kaeya simply smiled, while Shenhe... well, she just reacted like Shenhe.

—With your permission, I would like to gather the army. —Sara gave a slight bow to the puppet as she stood up.

—I agree, I'm sure my mother would like to act that way and I also think it's the best option. —Raiden nodded, to which Sara responded in her own way as she deepened her bow in respect.

—¿How was your training and stay? —Aether fixed her gaze on Shenhe.

—Both were simple. In the end, integrating into society wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. —She clarified, a very small but perceptible smile emerging from her lips.

—I'm glad you were able to do it. But now I need you to do a little more complicated work. —Those words caught the interest of everyone present.

—You'll have to explain later. —The talk was interrupted by Yae, who was on the stairs—. Now there is something really urgent you need to know.

—¿Is something wrong? —The blond was immediately worried at Yae's tone, but soon calmed down as a smile emerged from the woman's face.

—It's best if she tells you. —Yae shook her head in a sign for him to follow her, to which Aether was quick to comply.

The traveler had been somewhat anxious on the way, but Yae kept silent until they reached the infirmary. Once the door opened, Aether's nerves deepened as he saw that Ei was still sitting on the bed as she rubbed her abdomen with a serene, but truly happy expression.

—¿Did something happen to you? —The blond didn't take long to reach her and take her hands. The concern and love he was transmitting towards Ei made her answer him with a smile covered with joy.

—¡I'm pregnant!

¡END OF CHAPTER!

¡I hope you enjoyed it!

Well, there are some really interesting things to come, although I think this chapter was already a bomb haha.

As you noticed, I've decided to change my way of narrating the story to make it more professional. I'm sure this will be the last big change you'll see about this. There may be more changes later, but they will be quite small. It may feel a bit strange right now since you are used to the previous method of narration, but believe me you will soon get used to it, since this kind of reading is clearer and more fluid.

¡See you in three days for the continuation!