Chapter 22: War

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- Diluc! Let me go! I need to protect Monstadt!

Jean was trapped in Diluc's arms. They were on the couch, and Diluc was gripping Jean's waist. Tight. And Jean was trying to wiggle out of his grip. 

- Diluc! I'm serious! Let me go! 

She had tried every way possible to escape Diluc's arms, but it all failed. Finally after 15 minutes, she gave up. And then suddenly, she could feel Diluc's grip loosen around her waist. Jean quickly used that chance to leap out of Diluc's arms. 

- Aha! I esca-

Diluc gripped her waist and pulled her down the couch again. Jean sighed. 

- Diluc! Let me go!

But the more she shouted, the tighter his arms got. Finally, after the 50th time of Jean shouting: 'Diluc! Let me go!', he said:

- Shh...Stop shouting. You will make your voice raspy.

Diluc kissed Jean passionately, and then suddenly, the ground shook. 

- Woah!

Jean cried. 

- Stay close! 

Diluc grabbed Jean's hand and pulled her outside of the Dawn Winery. There, they could see the Abyss waiting for them in front of the Dawn Winery. Aether and Lumine were smiling evilly at them. Well, only Aether. Then, Aether said:

- Well well well. Look who we have here. Diluc Ragnvindr and Jean Gunhildr. The two most powerful in Monstadt. But will they be able to protect themselves from...an army?

Aether laughed mischievously and a bunch of monsters charged towards Jean and Diluc.

- RUN!

Diluc shouted. Jean and Diluc quickly passed the monsters and ran as far as they could.

- After them!

The monsters chased after Jean and Diluc. They were getting closer to them by the minute. Suddenly, a hilichurl grabbed Jean. She quickly used her Anemo vision and blasted the hilichurl backwards. 

- Jean! Are you alright?!

- I am! Keep running!

The two ran towards Monstadt, where they were suddenly cornered. 

- Oh no...

Jean and Diluc were surrounded by monsters. They had to fight the monsters now. Diluc wasted no time summoning Dawn and wiping out around 50 monsters that was in his way. Jean was blasting enemies backwards with the help of her Anemo vision. Suddenly, Diluc noticed a monster sneaking up to Jean.

- Jean! Watch out!

Just when the monster was about to strike Jean, a purple slash killed the monster.

- Be careful next time.

It was a woman holding a glowing purple sword with her hair in a braid. 

- Raiden?!

Jean saw Venti waving at the woman. 

- Ugh. Barbatos.

- BARBATOS?!

Jean heard Diluc yell. Raiden scoffed at Venti and continued killing monsters.

- Wait! Um.. miss, who are you?

Jean asked Raiden while still blasting monsters back.

- Raiden Shogun. Archon of Inazuma.

- WHAT?!

Jean could see the Raiden Shogun roll her eyes. 

- Why are you here?

The Shogun sighed, but then replied:

- Inazuma got destroyed. So I wanted to protect the last region standing. 

Jean asked no more. She then saw Venti shooting an arrow, and then it turned into a black hole. Sucking enemies in and killing them fast. That's when Jean noticed a small floating ice-cream sort of shape appear in front of her.

- Woah!

Suddenly, a person appeared. She recognized that person. Keqing. Yes, Keqing. The Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing. If Keqing is here...could- Jean was stopped by flying gemstones. Lady Ningguang. Of course she was here too. Everyone from different regions were helping Monstadt. And Jean assumed they all had the same reason to be here. After hours of tiring fighting, Jean and the others finally cleared the wave of monsters. Everyone looked exhausted. Jean needed to find a place where all these people could stay. 

- What do we do now?

Diluc asked, holding Jean's hand. 

- Well, I guess we have to rest for now and get ready for war.

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