That dark, warped cave housed one of the greatest atrocities ever committed by the Seven. A heavenly creation, designed for perfection, thanks to the crimes of its creators, became an abominable beast, a deformed, violence-hungry monster. Having his mind corrupted by Khaenri'ah's curse, what remained were only two things: hunger and wrath. The sound of the monster's claws being braced over the water was the only noise besides the mangled breaths of the Archons and the Traveler. It was facing them, letting its corruption show through the light that managed to shine into the cave through the grotesque opening in the ceiling. The beast shifted and stumbled, landing on its palms and feet so that it was on all fours, like a true animal. His deformed mouth seemed to show a macabre smile, with no tongue or teeth, just the deformed skin in the shape of fangs, looking like a crack in his face. The insides of its mouth and eyes were emanating a bright orange light that resonated with the curse marks on its body. That thing didn't say anything, because it didn't think about anything. It just growled, sobbed, watched and, with all four paws, approached slowly, looking like a predator in search of its prey. Zhongli froze instantly, Ei was disgusted, Venti was shaking with fear and Lumine was crying, thinking that would be the end. The environment seemed more suffocating, her breathing was heavier. Paimon had not appeared to console her in such anguish. Even surrounded by Archons, she felt alone and powerless in the face of that living freak.
I don't want to be here anymore... I want to leave, far from it! - Before she could even complete the speech of her wishes, the Traveler was interrupted when the beast advanced, going quickly towards them.
Realizing that, Morax conjured a shield around the group, protecting them from the clutches, but when the Lord of Geo decided to look into the Creature's eyes, fear and dread took hold of his spirit, causing the shield to weaken enough for the beast to break it with a devastating cross-slash of its claws, shattering that jade shield to pieces. It roared and growled in front of those people, but could not attack because, in the midst of its crisis, Barbatos emanated his power and drove the beast away with a powerful gust of wind, knocking the thing back, but the beast's rear claws were on the ground, creating a creak on the rocks below it as the claws sliced through the ground on that thrust, keeping the beast from going too far.
Beelzebub decided to go on the attack, not wanting to give the monster gaps to regain its strength, wielding her spear in her hands and attacking with all the will she had left. Despite not having reflexes fast enough to parry the Archon's blows, the creature's skin was dense and resistant, to the point that its spear, several times, was repelled by its own skin, as if it were hitting a solid mountain. Morax followed soon after, but Barbatos collapsed in tears on the ground, hugging his bow as he hyperventilated. Lumine instinctively worried, keeping his attention on the combat but kneeling beside the bard.
Venti, let's go! They are in a fight!
I can't, Lumine... my body won't move! I'm really afraid!
The sounds of rocks and lightning echoed through that arena often. Thunder coming from Ei's spear, stone stakes created by Zhongli, they were using everything they could to stop the beast, which didn't even seem to be affected by such attacks effectively, only being pushed or out of reach for a short time. Claw strikes were frequent, they seemed so devastating that they were capable of cutting the very air. A shock wave occurred whenever the monster's claws met the spearheads, throwing water to the sides. Lumine didn't know what to do, she was confused and in despair, but soon her instinct told her what to do.
Venti, look at me! - She commented, holding the bard's face and making him look at her. - If you never conquer your fears, you'll never stop having nightmares! You are not perfect, nobody is, but we can still do something right in this story of doom... we need you, come on!
And just as she finished speaking, Lumine witnessed some of that monster's brutality. A low attack knocked both Zhongli and Ei down, allowing the beast to grab the Geo Archon face and knock him twice to the ground, combining that hit with a grab and throw, letting the Consultant be hurled into a solid, physical wall, creating a crack on impact. Ei got up to try to protect herself from an attack, but before the monster's claws got close to her, an Anemo arrow hit the monster's flesh shoulder, making the thing divert its attention to protect itself from the other arrows using its arms and opening a gap for Ei to hit him over the head with the spear shaft.
Now you shall perish!
She exclaimed and made use of her most powerful weapon, the Legendary Musou no Hitotachi, withdrawing Makoto's blade from her own body, slashing horizontally forward with the full power of her fatal technique. It was really a shame that the beast knew the movements of Makoto's sword, as such a monster seemed to simply dislodge its spine and fall to the ground, narrowly evading the blow, causing it to pull out just a bit of its pale hair. In disbelief, Ei let her guard down for an instant, being punished for it with the beast rearing up in an instant, rebinding its bones in an agonizing sound and charging at the Archon, sinking its fangs into her shoulder to the point that it shattered her armor and pierced her, to the point where its fangs penetrated in the Shogun's shoulder.
Amidst the scream of agony uttered by the Shogun lying down with the beast over her, the Traveler managed to get close enough to prevent further damage from being done, striking the beast on the head with a swing of her sword, but by hitting the left half, the blade just ricocheted and knocked the monster away, which responded to the attack right away, headbutting Lumine in the belly, hard enough to take her to the ground and cause some gratings on her hands and face.
Ugh... bastard. - muttered the Traveler, trying to get up.
The beast approached and struck with nothing but its brute strength and sharp claws, leaving the Traveler with only the option of defending herself as best she could. Each strike forced sparks and cracks out of Lumine's sword, taking no more than ten seconds for the beast to grab the sword blade between its claws and break it with the grip of its paw, shattering the blade still in the Traveler's hands. It would have gone for a quick strike if it hadn't been for the sudden appearance of a shield. Weak and shattered, but tough enough to block the blow and send the beast back on momentum. Zhongli had emerged from the rubble, wounded and filthy, but with his palm open towards the Traveler, having saved his skin in that quick shield. All those consecutive blows made the environment shudder, the walls of the cave gave way little by little, causing stones to fall from the ceiling. Venti seemed to have an idea as he saw the cavern tremble, announcing his plan to the group as the beast snarled and clawed at a patch of ground, marking it with its claws.
I got it! I have a plan, but we need to take him down first!
Huh... easy to say, Barbatos. - Said Ei, muttering as she got up and adjusted her arm, still seeming to be able to use it without much difficulty.
Against that monster, any idea could be useful. Besides, the three of them had no choice but to trust Venti's idea. Using his powers again, Zhongli made shields cover Lumine, Ei and himself, signaling the start of the joint attack. The monster followed the same chaotic strategy as before, attacking the windows it had and defending the most lethal blows. Sweat, blood and spittle were wrung out in that four-on-one battle, with Venti at a distance, covering with gusts of wind and arrows. Even so, this was a chaotic battle, with numbers little matter in the face of the distortions that this decrepit and evil beast managed to perform in his own body. Everyone involved looked tired from the fight so long and brutal, even the corrupted monster gasped and grunted in exhaustion but refused to give in and wither away. A joint attack by Ei and Zhongli was carried out, but the beast simply slipped under the spears' line of attack as it dropped almost low to the ground and grabbed them by the shafts with its hand claws, causing them to be pinned to the ground behind himself and opening a short gap to slash both of them with a swing of his claws, just enough to scratch their shields and knock them away from it. Taking advantage of the remoteness, the Traveler managed to advance and, even with her blade having been broken, she used the remaining part attached to the handle to cut the beast's foot in a region not covered by the curse's crust, forcing the beast to grunt and fall to its knees. Lumine tried to mend that sequence with a vertical attack, but the cursed beast raised its claw and blocked it.
The Traveler's golden eyes met the unholy orange light of that monster's irises, a final, raw clash, drawing sparks from the metal in that meeting of blades. In the end, the blade splits and breaks, causing Lumine to fall onto the beast and be pushed aside, landing on her back beside the monster. Even so close, she was not executed on the spot, for such a beast had also fallen face down on the ground, with its head resting on the rock and the water of its own tears accumulated for five hundred years. Ei and Zhongli couldn't get up to attack again, plus their shields had expired, but that deadly dance had gone in a direction favorable to the bard's plan. With his last remaining strength, Venti aimed his bow high and shot an arrow, now he could only wait. In seconds, that arrow hit the Scythe stuck in the ceiling, which, due to the previous tremors, managed to detach itself from the rock and fell, diving with its blade towards the beast's head.
There was a loud crack, the sound of the water splashing and the stone being driven into the tip of the blade. The beast did not move anymore, its body was hidden by the shadows, being possible to see only its shape and the shape of the scythe. Lumine was unconscious, but the Archons could get up.
We... did we make it? - Barbatos asked.
Who knew... the bard has good ideas every now and then. - Said Zhongli, taking support on the wall to be able to lift his body.
So does that mean the nightmares will... stop? I can't believe it's that simple to deal with this monster... - Ei said.
Monster. Beast. Abomination. Curse. Failure. Words that were connected, adjectives for what the being that once was Kirhan had become. That thing could not die at the hands of the Archons, the curse guaranteed it long life. An irony to have lived so long, while his little daughter, his most precious treasure in the world, had her life shortened by her father's own blade. Such a blade that was now dull, just a dark, lifeless metal, but clean enough to reflect the world around it.
So... is this... the monster I became? - Asked a hoarse and fatigued voice, even muffled.
Seeing his reflection in that blade seemed to match some feeling in the fallen man deep inside the beast. Remorse, heartbreak, guilt, bitterness. He closed his eyes, and then everything went calm and silent. His ears heard things, crackling flames nearby, the sound of distant screams, stones falling to the ground. He opened his eyes again, and he was at Khaenri'ah's fall, with the city collapsing around him. He tried to get up, but his arms wouldn't obey. He tried to tilt his head, and there it was. His wife, lying on his left, and his daughter, lying on his right. That sight filled the being with pure anger and sadness, with nothing left he could do but cry one last time.
Forgive me, my dear Phylia, my little Ayleen. I didn't deserve you, I didn't deserve to be alive. I am the one should have died that day in your place, I am the one who should have been struck down by the rage of the Archons... I just want my life to end, so that I don't feel this pain anymore. A statement in his right mind that he still had, one last regret before he felt his conscience slowly wither into nonexistence. However, after so much torment, something good would happen. While his face was lying on the ground, that being felt a light touch on the side of its head. Gentle, soft, but with a pleasant and striking heat.
My love... why are you crying?
He watched, and there it was. His wife, awake, with her right hand over his left cheek. Her touch seemed to dissipate the cursed corruption, purifying the face of that being until it took on a human form, despite the eyes having orange irises and red cornea. Startled, the being's eyes widened and he pulled away a little, managing to stay on his knees for a short time before going to the woman and pulling her into a hug.
Phylia! You're alive!...but...how? I remember when...
Darling... even though this tragedy hit us, I never stopped being with you or loving you. In your nights of torment, days of agony... I was always with you. In Teyvat, the stars will always have a place for you, my love. Don't worry... even when you feel weak and alone, you just need to look up, for I will always be looking at you and accompanying you. - Phylia said softly as she hugged her man tightly.
He turned his face up, with only one star present. It had just been born, casting a celestial glow over the couple's heads.
D-Daddy... is it you? It's dark, I can't see anything...
Little Ayleen's voice came, and turning his face, the man noticed the little girl lying down with her hair messed up on her face. Momentarily letting go of his wife, the man walked on his knees to the little girl, intending to brush the hair out of her face. However, when his corrupted hand touched it, the crust crumbled away, revealing his white skin, scarred by the Archons' runic inscriptions. His clothes were torn and decomposed, the action of time together with the curse greatly degraded the man's old clothes, but at that moment, even in the stench of death and tears, little Ayleen didn't hesitate to get up when she saw the face of her father, throwing herself on his lap, hugging him in a way so pure that it warmed the man's heart.
My little starflower... I'm sorry, dad didn't mean to...
It's okay, daddy! Mom told me it wasn't you, it was those mean people... Mom also said they were your old foes. Did you... fight with them, Daddy?
Oh my dear, that's not how it happened. Those people were Celestia's gods, and I was... made by them. But when they gave me the choice of serving them again or defending my family, I chose to be with you both. And I would choose you a million times over. - Said the man, soon receiving a delicious laugh from Ayleen and an even tighter hug.
I love you, Dad... thanks for finding Mom, and... even with that I-I still love you! Let's always be together, daddy!!
A beautiful scene, the reunion of a father with his long-lost treasures. A joint hug enveloped both of them close to him, resulting in laughter that made the man's heart, once just a hungry beast, even more glad. The star in the sky was now accompanied, another star right next to it.
The family's attention was on each other, but something alerted them. Shadows crept along the ground until they approached the surroundings, stopping a few feet away from them. They rose and took shape from the ground. Three figures covered by dark hoods, being the evil representations of the Archons. Morax, Barbatos and Baal, wielding their respective spear, bow and sword. Their faces were darkened, but their brightly colored eyes showed through the darkness. Ayleen was startled seeing those shadows and hugged her father, who comforted the girl as he got to his feet.
My starflower... don't be afraid. This time... this time, daddy will protect you both. Nothing will take you away from me again.
Allowing his daughter to stand just behind him, the man picked up the scythe embedded in the ground and wielded it with both hands, facing the unholy shadows of the Archons. He was nervous, his fists were shaking and his mind was restless. The sound of the flames around them made everything more complicated, made the silhouettes of the Archons even more frightening. He feared what might happen, but his willingness to protect his loved ones and right his wrongs spoke louder than his own cowardly impulses.
Come forth. This time, I will not fail to protect my family.
The man could feel a touch on his chest, and when he looked better, it was Phylia, hugging him from the left side, with her left hand on his chest and her right hand on his shoulder.
You don't have to fight alone, my dreamer... you can always count on us in your battles. Let's get through this together... as the family we are.
Little Ayleen didn't want to be left out either. She hugged her father's torso and part of his leg, ending up laughing a little, no longer fearing the shadows, as her father promised he would protect her.
Daddy, Daddy! Show them how strong you are! And if you fall... I... w-we'll help you up!
Accompanied by his most precious stars in the entire cosmos, that man could finally feel peace after all those years trapped in his own mind. Tightening the scythe's grip, he exhaled a sigh and then smiled, staring at his loved ones for a little while before closing his eyes. The visions of his mistakes were fading, his regrets becoming an impetus for this fight. The dark scythe in his hands began to glow, radiating the pure cosmic energy delivered by the stars. That small constellation gained another member, a triangle of stars in the dark sky, illuminating everything below. Father, mother and daughter. That man's willpower was enough to make a new constellation be born, his own constellation. The sky then became completely populated with stars and meteorites in the distance, but that constellation of three stars was the most conspicuous and bright of them all. The man finally opened his eyes, no longer radiating the lingering curse, but now showing his greenish, human irises again.
The most evil desires of Morax, Barbatos and Baal, against a family. The woman and child seemed to dissolve and become transparent as their bodies joined the starry sky, but they were still present. That scythe resonated with the stars of the cosmos, earning itself two more stars encrusted in its blade. He could feel their presence, even if he felt alone. Faced with that starry night, with the world falling around him and facing the most fearsome enemies, the man's mind was quite calm. Those Archons no longer faced a beast. Now, they would face Kirhan, The Heavenly Scourge.
A hard struggle, a legendary battle. Attacks that were parried and dodged, the Scourge's agility with that scythe was impeccable. His movements seemed guided with silent assistance. The solemn spotlight of the stars set the stage for the battle, enhancing the brutality and mastery of every turn of that starry blade. The three enemies were resistant, managed to draw sweat and blood from Kirhan, but he never gave up. Hearing the Scythe's cry and feeling its accumulated power, he held it tight and lifted it up, letting the starlight shine through.
Oh, stars above, hear my call! - He shouted.
His constellation pulsed in the sky, his scythe shone brighter, and around him, a medium-sized shower of stars fell from the sky, inflicting the unholy Archons with his cosmic onslaught. Baal tried to attack him with direct slashes of his sword after being hit, raging in fury, but her defiled blade was blocked and parried by Kirhan's scythe edge, which took all his strength possible to deflect the blow and, with the window open, perform a second attack that cuts that shadow in half, enough to knock it down and make it disappear. The defiled Barbatos tried to suck the warrior into a vortex created in the center of the battle, but he refused as he stuck his scythe in the ground and waited patiently, enduring the lashes of the slashing wind from that vortex. When he felt the breeze end, nothing stopped him from advancing on Barbatos and attacking him with a spinning blow, making him disappear after being hit and falling to the ground. Only Morax remained on that battlefield, and Kirhan was calmly approaching the last enemy to be destroyed.
Stop. As your creator, I command you. - Said that distorted and corrupted voice. I don't take orders from gods like you.
Your contracts mean nothing to me. Your wrath has already proved to be weak, and it is here that I will have my claim ultimate freedom.
A shield rose around that corrupted Morax, without flaw or flaw in its golden majesty. The god crossed his arms in arrogance, but the human cared little about it. He raised his scythe and slashed and slashed and thrashed more. Cracks appeared, spread, the jade looked fragile and weakened, losing its luster. With a horizontal blow, the shield was finally broken, allowing the man to place the scythe blade on the Archon's back, pulling him towards him and then striking diagonally, delivering a full blow to his last enemy.
The fire died, everything went dark in Kirhan's eyes, but then he looked up. Three stars, still shining in the sky, glimmering the hope left for him. In his hands, the scythe that glittered the stars in the midst of an orange dawn. Looking down again, he felt the water under his feet and the darkness around him.
Was it a dream or a vision? Probably no one will know the answer, but now, in that cave, there was no longer a beast. Kirhan noticed the three Archons, lying on the flooded ground and apparently unconscious. Besides them, there was one more member. A blonde haired girl, unconscious and with a completely broken sword in her hands. He didn't know who she was, although he had the memories of that beast. Something about that girl was different. Unawakened and in a deep sleep, the Traveler looked so calm and whole. She resembled his daughter, thanks to her blonde hair, although Lumine was older in appearance.
A pure child, being brought here by the lies and sins of the Archons... I cannot allow it.
Perhaps this was his new calling to the new life that he received, to be a true protector. Carefully, he took the unconscious Traveler in his arms and lifted her onto his lap, holding her. Starlight above glistened on the cave water, making the scene less morbid. The man's brief smile appeared, but then he was silenced when he heard something.
Don't... touch her...
Barbatos...
Leave Lumine out of it... don't take revenge on her for our mistakes! - Said the bard, heroically trying to get up from the ground, but only managing to keep his arms supported and knees bent.
Kirhan only seemed to listen…but didn't care. He held the Traveler in his arms properly as he headed towards the exit with very calm steps.
H-Hey, Zhongli, he's going to hurt Lumine! Get up! - The bard tried to wake the Consultant by shaking him, but nothing happened.
Don't be alarmed, Barbatos, but I'm not your equal to harm a child as pure as this. I will prevent her from being deceived and misguided by the lies and cruelty of the gods... just as you did with me. I don't want her to feel this pain.
Venti seemed to shut up, not holding back and letting his body weight fall to the floor again. The last thing the bard saw before the collapse was the scene of the man carrying the Traveler in his arms to the exit of the cave, from which a growing light was emerging.
Outside, already on the beach of that Island with the asleep Traveler in his arms, the man admired the view of the sunrise over the ocean, no longer covered by fog. The vegetation was better, the grass was greener, and the remains of the Hilichurls were gone, looking like a completely new and peaceful island. The great star rising from the horizon, leaving the entire sky completely clear. He noticed the disappearance of the stars and constellations, but he wasn't sad about it. After all, they would always be there, regardless of time and place. That was the last promise made by his beloved wife, so he would believe it until the very end.