𝚂𝚙𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙰𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚠 (𝙰𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝚡 𝙾𝙲)

Chapter 8 - Bromance

Bayler was sitting on the bridge past the gates, basking in the sunlight. He smiled underneath his mask and kept his eyes closed to fully appreciate the moment. The pigeon boy only permitted him to stay there as long as he didn't frighten the birds away.

The soft cooing of the pigeons wasn't the same as other Inazuman creatures, but it was peaceful. The graceful cranes, purring cats, and the occasional kitsune of Narukami Island were missed greatly. He was only slightly homesick. Mondstadt wasn't so bad.

He thought back to before he left. While he didn't have any parents of significance, his "family" were the ones to wish him off. They were a bunch of old war friends that collectively lived together in Konda Village. Takeda was one of them, but he hadn't been there at the time.

"A bit melancholy, are we?"

Bayler turned his head, blinking at his friend. He slipped down his mask and smiled, a sight that should've been framed and hung on a wall. He patted the spot in the sun next to him and shimmeyed over to create room.

"Well, I'm not exactly sure I'd say melancholy-" Bayler began.

"You were drunk last night, weren't you?" Takeda interrupted. He took a seat next to Bayler and swung his legs over the edge. The blue water underneath them shimmered in the sunlight. The faint silhouettes of fish moved with the gentle current. Takeda took a big whiff of Bayler and frowned.

Bayler looked back down at the water, swinging his legs in sync with Takeda's. "A bit of drinking last night, yes. I had to enjoy at least some of the specialities while I'm here. The hangover is what's making me a bit blue."

"And green," Takeda added with a chuckle. "I get it, I get it. We all indulge in our own things."

The word "indulge" sent a shiver through Bayler's body. Flashbacks of the previous night went through his mind, and he wanted to cringe more than anything. He wasn't much of a drinker, and he was known for making stupid decisions when he came into contact with it. Countless times his friends would sneak shots into his drinks, and before the sun was down, he was a blubbering fool.

Takeda continued in his silence. "You did a good job competing despite being heavily hungover. I could see you were trembling a bit, though. I'm sure I have a remedy somewhere if you wanna come over to my place for a bit."

Bayler shook his head. He held out his hand, watching his fingers shake. "Those moving targets were a pain in my ass, but they were easy to figure out after the first shot."

"Didn't you get a perfect score?!"

"Yes, but it was right on the line." Bayler shrugged his shoulders. "Regardless, ah, Royce really wasn't much of a threat. I felt a bit bad for the lad."

Takeda laughed. "You felt bad for him? As in pitied? He should've been honored to face you!"

"It would've been better, had I been allowed to use my Vision. The rules state that a Vision-holder cannot use the elements against someone without one," Bayler explained.

His Electro vision allowed multiple shots to be fired with just one arrow. Sometimes, he didn't even need one. He could conjure up pure elemental energy and fire it. But of course, since rules were rules, he had to put aside his talents and focus on playing fair. For that large sum of more, they made to make sure even the Adventurers could win.

Takeda punched his shoulder. "This would've been no problem while the war was commencing!"

The joke was innocent, but Bayler lost his smile. When his Vision had been taken, it was like the world was ending. Even his ever-victorious pointy-eared general knew how hard of a hit it had taken on him. The Vision, which he had earned out of pure determination and will, had been taken by the nation who granted it to him.