Since Diluc left the cave, time seemed to lose its meaning.
I no longer knew how long I had been lying here. Only the pain remained present, flaring up in waves, seeping deep into the very marrow of my bones. My left shoulder burned as if it were on fire; every breath dragged a sharp, stinging sensation across my chest. The bleeding had stopped at some point, but that blood-soaked fabric stuck tight to my skin, as if even a slight movement would be enough to tear the wound open again.
I couldn't move.
My body was heavy and numb, betraying every feeble command my consciousness tried to send. The cave before my eyes blurred, and the firelight outside was reduced to flickering patches of light and shadow, looking as if they were about to go out.
When exactly did everything go off track?
I just wanted to find a safer route than Wangshu Inn. Just wanted to survive a little longer, long enough to find a way back. But this world has never operated according to what we wrote in the game. Here, there are no “safe zones,” no checkpoints. Just one mistake, and the price to pay is one's life.
The thought made my chest tighten.
The surrounding sounds gradually became distorted. My ears rang, as if something was tearing through the air, sliding past at a terrifying speed. I tried to tilt my head to look out the cave entrance.
Eirk Forest was burning.
It wasn't chaotic flames, but deadly streaks of light tearing across the night sky, rushing straight towards me. They grew larger, clearer, carrying a pressure that made the air vibrate heavily. I knew exactly what they were.
Artillery shells.
The distance between me and death right now... could only be measured in breaths.
I wanted to call Diluc's name. Wanted to open my mouth, even just to let out a meaningless sound. But my throat was parched, the metallic taste of blood overwhelming, leaving only weak, ragged breaths.
My body reacted on instinct. I tried to push my hands against the ground, wanting to stand up, wanting to run, but those trembling arms immediately collapsed. The pain flared up so violently that my vision went black.
Couldn't run, couldn't hide.
Helplessness rose up, colder and heavier than fear itself. I squeezed my eyes shut, gritting my teeth, as if simply not seeing it anymore would make everything disappear.
Perhaps... this is the end.
But in that very instant, a stubborn thought surged.
I don't want to die here.
I haven't gone home yet. Haven't even had the chance to see them again. Fragmented images, ridiculous in their triviality, suddenly flashed through my mind: a steaming hot meal, a simple bowl of morning glory soup, a familiar voice echoing in a small kitchen. Things so incredibly ordinary, yet right now, they felt painfully luxurious.
My eyes stung.
"Damn it! I haven't even made it back home yet..."
That thought rang in my head, voiceless, like a feeble resistance against a preordained fate.
The heat from the outside surged in, scorching as if to swallow everything whole. I could clearly feel the wave of hot air slapping against my skin; the distance between me and those artillery shells was merely a hair’s breadth away.
Then, suddenly... the air around me compressed.
An invisible pressure descended, cold and sharp, choking my chest in a broken breath. All sounds seemed stifled; the world fell into a strange silence.
Then came a violent explosion echoing throughout Eirk Forest.
But the pain I was waiting for… did not come.
The heat vanished in an instant, replaced by a wave of cold air washing over me, chilling enough to give me goosebumps. Wafting through the air was the scent of cold snow from high mountain peaks, mingled with the pure fragrance of burning incense distant yet familiar.
I trembled, opening my eyes slightly.
Before me was a slender back standing between me and the burning battlefield. Sleeves of teal fluttered gently in the wind, as if blending into the surrounding space. Cold light reflected off the familiar tattoo on his arm.
My heart tightened.
I didn't need to see the face to know who it was. That familiar pressure, that presence both cold and steadfast it was unmistakable.
He tilted his head slightly, his golden eyes sweeping over me. Those eyes were as cold as ever, but to me, they were hope itself. In this moment, I felt as if I were coming back to life; the hazy feeling from before vanished, and my body relaxed completely.
That eye contact lasted only a breath before Xiao turned back to observe the outside. I stared blankly at that solitary and powerful back. My eyes suddenly blurred, not from gunsmoke, but from hot tears falling ceaselessly.
That person... that Yaksha, the one who always told me to stay away from him, the one for whose solitude I once felt heartache... had just saved me from the hands of death.
“Xiao...”
The call escaped so softly that even I wasn't sure if I had actually made a sound. My breathing was chaotic, my vision blurring.
I tried to reach out, just a little, as if to touch this reality to ensure I wasn't dreaming. But my last bit of strength ran out.
“Please...”
The thought dissolved in my mind, weak and fragmented.
“If this is a dream... please don't wake me up.”
Darkness descended, gentle but unforgiving, pulling me completely into the void of unconsciousness.
---
Diluc’s eyes swept over the young man standing not far away.
Just a brief glance was enough for him to realize this person did not belong to the mortal world. An invisible pressure radiated around that slender figure, carrying an ancient and sharp sensation, like a blade suspended in mid-air. But Diluc sensed no killing intent.
Not an enemy that was enough.
He turned back to the burning battlefield before him. The remaining Fatui trembled, unsure if it was from pain, fear, or the invisible pressure squeezing their every breath.
Diluc dropped the weapon in his hand. The blade hit the ground with a dry thud, marking the end of all hesitation.
The Vision at his hip glowed brilliantly.
Crimson flames erupted violently, coiling around his right arm. The fire did not radiate chaotic heat but was compressed, sharp and savage, gradually crystallizing into a blazing elemental greatsword. Its light illuminated the entire Eirk Forest, dyeing the night in a suffocating shade of red.
Diluc charged straight into the Fatui formation.
No shout, no warning. Only the afterimage of the sword tearing through the wind and flames swallowing everything in their path. His swordsmanship was decisive, ruthless, leaving no gap for hesitation. Every slash carried the will to incinerate, burning the mortal bodies of the enemy down to the very bone.
In that moment, Diluc was like a beast unchained; the rage suppressed was finally unleashed.
A marksman tried to fire from behind. Diluc leaned to dodge by a hair’s breadth, the fire grazing his cheek. In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance, breaking the opponent's limbs with two clean strikes. The sound of snapping bones rang out chillingly, followed by a scream of agony tearing through the night.
The battlefield quickly tipped to one side.
Diluc raised his hand. The elemental sword hovered in mid-air, vibrating as if responding to its master's command. With just a wave of his hand, it dissolved into a violently surging sea of fire, rushing forward like a proud phoenix, incinerating every obstacle in its flight path.
The flames swept through Eirk Forest.
Trees were scorched, the ground cracked, and the air heated to the point of distortion. The smell of burning permeated everything, leaving behind charred tree trunks and shattered Fatui masks scattered in the ashes.
When the fire died down, a heavy silence descended.
Xiao remained standing there from beginning to end. The wind brushed past his sleeves, gently stirring his hair. His amber eyes narrowed, quietly observing every moment of the fury that had just unfolded. Within him rose a thin sliver of admiration not for pure strength, but for the iron will hidden behind every strike.
Diluc did not stop yet. His gaze quickly shifted to the high cliffs in the distance, where the Fatui elites were lurking. That cold, sharp look gave the enemy no room for hesitation.
Realizing the plan had utterly failed, the remaining Fatui immediately retreated, vanishing into the darkness.
Silence returned to Eirk Forest.
Only then did Diluc turn toward the young man. His gaze held neither provocation nor fear, only the alertness of one accustomed to standing on the line between life and death.
“If he were an ordinary mortal, that pressure alone would have exhausted him.”
“If he were an enemy, his killing intent would have surfaced long ago... but this person has none.”
Diluc narrowed his eyes. He knew very well that things... not belonging to the human world were present here.
The two stood facing each other. Tension permeated the air, though it lacked malice. Finally, Diluc broke the silence:
“Is she alright?”
“She is.”
Xiao’s voice was deep and cold, without a single ripple.
Diluc nodded. After a moment of silence, he spoke, his voice calm yet unwavering:
“I will take her back to Mondstadt.”
The statement fell neither heavily nor loudly. Yet, it touched Xiao in a way that felt all too familiar.
His eyebrows twitched slightly a reaction so subtle that none would have noticed had they not been looking closely.
For a moment, a strange sensation surged in his chest; it wasn't surprise, but a stale, old feeling, like a wound that had never fully healed.
Images of Mei flashed vividly in his mind. The first time they met, that silly girl sitting on the ground, terrified as she watched a Hilichurl dissolve into dust. Or the time she knelt, desperately clutching his sleeve, begging him to come with her... and that night she handed him a gift with a sorrowful smile:
“Perhaps… I won’t bother you anymore after this.”
Xiao realized he had heard similar words and met mortals like her many times before. But human life is transient and fleeting; to an Adeptus, it is but the blink of an eye. They all eventually depart... a preordained conclusion.
That familiar feeling returned the sensation of one who always stands outside of settled destinies. He would not hold on, for he had never learned how.
Xiao lowered his eyes, masking the flicker of emotion within, and turned away. His voice rang out cold and detached:
“Suit yourself.”
The wind began to howl.
His figure dissolved into countless teal afterimages, merging into the night gale and vanishing without a trace. Only the desolate Eirk Forest remained, with the lingering chill of his presence haunting the air.
Diluc stood still for a moment, then turned and entered the cave.
When he saw that Mei was still breathing, merely unconscious from exhaustion, he finally let out a sigh of relief one he hadn't even realized he was holding.
Lantern lights gradually appeared through the darkness of Eirk Forest.
Initially, they were just a few flickering spots of light behind scorched trees, but soon, the sound of hurried footsteps, fabric brushing against dry branches, and the heavy breathing of people in a rush grew distinct.
Elzer was leading the way.
The lantern in his hand cast a wavering pale- yellow glow with every step. As the light reached deeper into the forest, the scene before them forced Elzer to a halt.
What lay before them was no longer the familiar Eirk Forest.
The ground had been incinerated into a blackened patch of ash and soot. Charred trees leaned precariously, their branches shattered, emitting a suffocatingly acrid stench of smoke. The hot, humid air, mingled with the smell of burnt blood, made their throats burn with every breath.
Then, they saw them the corpses.
No longer recognizable as human, they were merely charred, contorted forms scattered across the woods. Beside them lay shattered, twisted Fatui masks, discarded like trash. Some were not even whole, leaving only burnt fragments blending into the soil.
For a moment, the group stood paralyzed.
Someone behind let out a choked sob, turning away to retch. Another stumbled, forced to lean against a scorched trunk for support, their face deathly pale.
Elzer stood frozen.
The lantern trembled in his hand, illuminating the blackened earth where embers still glowed and cracks were warped by the intense heat. His heart pounded wildly as a terrifying thought crossed his mind.
Elzer’s gaze frantically swept the ruins in desperation. When he spotted Diluc standing near the cave entrance, alive and unharmed, he let out a breath of relief but it caught in his throat halfway.
Because then, he saw Mei. She was unconscious in Diluc’s arms, her face ashen, her body covered in dried blood. Elzer’s heart tightened; his throat felt constricted.
He rushed forward, his voice trembling despite his efforts to remain calm:
“Master Diluc...”
Diluc turned his head, his face unnervingly calm, as he handed the unconscious Mei to Elzer.
“Take her back to the Winery. I still have matters to attend to.” His voice was ice-cold, a command that brooked no refusal.
With a single look, Elzer understood this was not the time for questions or hesitation. He quickly took Mei into his arms, noting how terrifyingly light she felt, her breathing weak but steady.
“I understand. Please, be careful.”
Diluc turned to leave, but his gaze suddenly locked onto the surviving Fatui skirmisher, who was writhing on the ground clutching a broken arm.
His voice dropped, chilling to the bone:
“Bring that one back as well. I will ‘take care’ of him personally.”
Then, he turned and stepped away, merging into the night, leaving the ruins of Eirk Forest behind. The fire had died out, but its echoes would smolder for a long time to come.
Behind them, a few members of the group began to regain their senses, staring at the death-filled woods with terror-stricken eyes.
Someone whispered, their voice cracking:
“Was this… caused by a human?”
No one answered.
Only the wind blew through the blackened trees, carrying the scent of smoke and ash a silent reminder that they had just witnessed something far beyond their imagination.
Elzer held Mei tightly, his palms cold.
He didn't know exactly what had happened here. But he knew one thing for certain.
Tonight, if not for the raging flames of Diluc, those lying beneath the ash... would surely have been them.