If, and Only If || (Xiao x Reader)

十七

There were two problems.

There were demons all over Liyue, threatening the people there. And it was far too much for only the millelith, and Qixing to handle.

Leaving them to ask for the adeptis powers once more, like when Osial was a large threat.

Obviously, Y/N was never invited to help. The Qixing thought of her to be dead, and they don't expect her to be of any help.

Poor decision, they have thought of. Considering she could fight just fine.

The second problem, was that Y/N was no where to be found.

Xiao searched for her in the mountains few moments before, but no signs of her. Only a small trace of malice left behind, like a small tiny block of it. And there were large indents on the ground. Burnt.

He traced back to what she had once asked him.

"If I were to be missing, would you come find me?"

He wasn't honest that time.

Well, he never said no. He was only dodging the question. And to his liking, she didn't push any further to get an answer out of him. But if she were to ask him the same question to him now, the answer would be easy to tell.

Coincidentally, when he was in the middle of searching for her, he felt a large shiver down his back. A large feeling of unease.

He turned his head in the direction out of impulse. But the feeling came from all parts of Liyue. Not knowing which to go to first, he decided to go to the one nearest of Liyue Harbor.

Xiao found himself near the other remaining adeptis. All having uneasy faces. He knew that they already knew what he was feeling.

The only word to describe, was the colossal feeling of unease. No other words.

What was the most concerning, was that there was absolutely nothing there. Everybody looked just fine, as if nothing was happening. Not realizing the feeling the immortals were experiencing.

They knew, they were no longer needed to save Liyue. But they couldn't help but watch over, and see for themselves just how much they were capable of.

Xiao still had his mind of where Y/N could have been. Her disappearance along with all of this, certainly did not mean a good meaning.

"Conquer of Demons." Moon Carver called.

Xiao slowly turned his head the stags way, hesitantly, not wanting to take his eyes off of Liyue Harbor.

"Where is Xiwangmu?" The others perked at the question.

That was the question he wanted to ask.

"I do not know. She was not in her mountain. And I could not find her..."

He decided not to ask any further, noticing Xiao's troubled expression.

Cloud Retainer could not handle the suspense any longer.

But Madam Ping stopped her, waiting for any other signs.

So Xiao, being the quickest decided to go to the other locations. Near Wangshu Inn, where there were hordes of Hilichurls. But they weren't normal ones. Demons were stuck to them like adhesive, turning them berserk. Feeding off of them. The aura around them were like him, when he had used his other powers, destructing the other plains.

The millelith were of no match. Some residents in the Inn haven't even realized the chaos.

Xiao took the matters in his hands, having experienced at slaying demons. His spear, swirling in anemo, helping him fight them all off. He had told the millelith to let him handle everything, upon seeing their hopeless selves not being able to even get a scratch on the hilichurls.

One slash, and after another. And another. Swiftly and quickly piercing them all. Leaving them to fall to their deaths, as the demons faded along with their host. Like a parasite.

Assuming, that the others haven't encountered what he had, they were possibly fighting them off now, or rather soon.

But he still just can't get the thought out of his head and wonder where the hell was Y/N? It was strange, and the most abnormal.

Why would she be gone? Without much of a trace?

He thought back to that block of malice on her mountain. It looked like it could be erased with anemo. But he probably should not meddle with it.

And of course, his strong and strange sense of peculiarity, and worry had him turning back to the place. Not until he gets rid of all the 'bane of evil.' And his great annoyance.

Could she have been taken?

He didn't want to believe that. And knowing her, she mustn't have done it willingly. And the indents on the ground were alarming. Telling him that those were after marks of a fight...

Involving Y/N.

And by unwillingly, she must have fought using her strength.

There were desperate unarmed civilians in trouble.

Those were his main worries other than Y/N's disappearance.

Moving quickly around, wherever the feeling may be, he decided to fight them all of first.

Demons, out of nowhere?

"He... was very skilled in summoning such demons, and 'demon arts.'"

That sounded oddly familiar...

God of Manipulation. The one being Y/N truly strives to loathe the most, he could feel the detestation in her voice when she had said those same. Exact. Words.

He was the most likely suspect, considering the events before, where the young exorcist was present. And... Barbatos.

Xiao wanted to go and stab that man, Dolos with his spear in his eyes. They annoyed him the most. And he was sure Y/N would have most definitely not stop him from doing so.

She hates the man, then so does he. Not even in the slightest, ever thinking of forgiving that manipulator for trying to use his goddess.

Yes. His. He admits it.

Xiao admits that he wants her to stay his for as long as they live. It was an inevitable feeling for him. But also foreign. He hasn't felt like wanting to hold someone so much he didn't want to let go. He had never had to experience it.

Until now. And until he met her and his curiosity to know more about her.

And if he had put away his curiosity and leave the mountain, would he have still came back to talk to her? Would they have still been together? Would he have heard her jokes, and laughter, and her voice?

Why was he thinking this? Xiao didn't know. But he knew for certain, considering he had already stated it.

He has definitely fallen in love. Possibly deeper than before. And he wasn't going to deny it.