Rising Storm || Genshin Impact

6: Misunderstood

GUYS I PULLED GANYU BAHAHHAAHAHA WTFFF IT WAS WITHIN 5 HOURS OF HER RELEASE TOO. SHE IS NOW CARRYING MY TEAM WITH HER E ATTACK, IM SO FJSHING HAPPY AHHHH.

anyway heres the chapter lmao

...

Y/N looked up to see Childe's blue blades, barely blocking the strike of Diluc's sword.

Perhaps she should've felt grateful, relieved, moved by this stranger's willingness to protect her. However, Y/N was deeply disturbed. A Fatui Harbinger, defending the new traveller. It didn't sit right with her, she knew it would wreck havoc at the Knight's of Favonius HQ. Childe's action seemed to infuriate Diluc even more, as he sent his opponent flying back with a heavy swing of his weapon.

Diluc grabbed Y/N by the dress-collar and held his blade dangerously close to her neck.

"Interrupt again and she's dead."

Childe glared coldly at the pyro wielder as he stood up, but did as he was told and dropped his blades to the ground.

Y/N's heart sank at Diluc's cold words, in which he seemed to spit out with no emotion or remorse. She stared in horror at the blade held in front of her, stunned and appalled by the redhead's hostility.

"Diluc, I-"

"Quiet!" he suddenly snapped, his voice now fiery with hatred.

Y/N was quickly interrupted, but she refused to stay silent.

"No! Why are you doing this? What did I do?", she questioned.

"What aren't you telling me? I don't even-"

"I said quiet!"

Diluc's weapon burned with pyro as he spat out his words, Y/N winced as she felt a flicker of flame smolder against her skin. 

"You're a traitor..." he cried out.

"You led that Fatui harbinger here, didn't you? Was this part of the plan, Y/N? Send in a pawn to gain the trust of the Knights only to betray them right after?"

His voice grew louder as he struggled to control his rage.

"I despise people like you. Cowards who are too afraid to face the enemy head on, so they pretend to be them instead." he snarled.

"You're an imbecile if you think Mondstat will ever fully accept you into their ranks. Unlike Aether, you're nothing but a traitor! You will never take away my home!"

Diluc subconsciously held his blade even closer to Y/N's neck, but the girl didn't even tense when she felt the searing metal scathing against her throat, leaving a ghastly red scar. Too focused on Diluc's words as they slowly started to register in her mind, she stayed silent.

Perhaps she chose to do so out of pure fear for her life, or maybe she had done so because she knew she would live. She just wanted this moment to end, and for Diluc to calm down so he could see her real intentions. Intention to help, intention to learn.  If Y/N was sure about anything, it's that she was unquestionably on his side. But how could she prove it while trapped under Diluc's blade?

"Slow down, fire boy." Childe butted in out of nowhere, his tone inexplicably calm, almost mocking.

"This young lady is innocent, we just met today when I  tried to ambush her. Not very 'Darknight Hero' of you to hold a citizen captive, y'know?" He chuckled at his own joke.

How could he be so buoyant in a time like this?

Y/N was impressed in his...abilities, to say the least. Feeling Diluc start to slightly relax, she slowly put her hand on the handle of his blade, lightly so that she did not appear as a threat.

"That's right. Put the sword down. Good boy." Childe's voice narrated as Y/N guided Diluc's hand away from her throat.

Diluc didn't resist, but he still kept a tight grasp on the handle as he slightly loosened his grip on the girl's collar. He started considering the possibilities: if he had mistaken Y/N as the secret weapon of the Fatui, he would've gone out of his way to not only harm, but traumatize a goodhearted civilian. However, if the two were both just exceptionally talented actors and plotters, he would be falling right into their trap.

Diluc's two sides were conflicting each other: the side that only desired peace and protection for Mondstat, the other that wanted to succeed. 

"How do I know you're not deceiving me..." he whispered.

Y/N looked up at Diluc in with a pained expression in her eyes, and yet, she somehow mustered up a smile. 

"Because of this."

She snatched Diluc's claymore out of his hand and launched herself towards a defenseless Childe, who stood in shock and confusion as Y/N swiftly slashed his belly with the blade. He was launched back into the shallow water, hitting the surface with a splash. Y/N tensed, her heart racing and her hands shaking with adrenaline. Childe writhed on the ground with both hands over the wound on his core, he winced in pain as his blood started to stain the clear lake water red.

Diluc was just as shocked. He could only blink slowly, staring at Y/N with his mouth wide open.

"Gah! I've got to say, I was not expecting that." he half-laughed, half-grimaced.

The hydro user sluggishly stood up as he continued to hold close the gash in his chest. It had never occurred to Childe that this would be the outcome of tonight's encounter. Not only did Y/N have strength, she was cunning, talented in manipulating and controlling the emotions of others and herself. This girl was a lot tougher than he thought, she could potentially prove to be a threat to the Fatui in the near future. Childe would report this incident to Signora right away.

But for now, he simply gave his usual cheeky smile, masking the agony of Y/N's strike.

"Looks like I'm in no shape to fight now! I reckon you must be tired too, stranger."

Y/N huffed. She was exhausted from all the tension, all the adrenaline. Childe understood as he saw the wavering look in the adventurers eyes, that this was the right moment to end.

"You win for today."

With that, he disappeared into the night.

With a huge gasp of relief, Y/N crumbled onto her knees, letting Diluc's claymore drop onto the ground beside her. She looked behind at the redhead, expecting a shocked, disordered, or even a neutral reaction. But Diluc had already disappeared, much to Y/N's disbelief.

She scoffed at his sheer audacity. So much for reconciliation.

"Y/N!" a familiar, comforting voice cried out.

She looked to see Aether and Paimon rushing towards her with worried looks on their faces.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt? Oh my god, what happened to your throat!"

Y/N cringed as Aether touched the burn on her neck.

"I-I'm sorry!" he immediately withdrew his hand when he noticed the girl in pain.

"Paimon! Go get Barbara! Now!"

"Y-yes! Yes of course!" Paimon said as she flew towards Mondstat as fast as she could (which isn't fast btw).

Aether gently laid Y/N on the shore.

That was when he noticed.

Streaks of fresh blood reddening the clear water. Diluc's blade, still emitting heat, on the ground beside Y/N.

"What happened..." Aether whispered.

.

.

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imagine paimon cant find barbara because she's out with noelle :/