Lumine didn't understand it herself.
From the very first moment she locked eyes with Ye Luo, something in her chest tightened — a strange, indescribable familiarity.
As if meeting an old friend again after ages apart.
She tried to recall why… but no matter how she searched her memory, she couldn't remember ever meeting him.
Logically, they had never crossed paths.
And "before"? Even less likely.
He was a mortal who had only just obtained a Vision.
How could someone like that have lived long enough to overlap with her past?
Besides, that ancient, eerie aura carried by true old monsters… Ye Luo didn't have it.
Yet the moment they began sparring, the déjà vu only grew stronger.
—Clang!
Lumine's delicate brows twitched.
She was the one jolted awake moments ago, and yet—
Why was he the one losing focus during a match?
Annoyance flickered inside her chest.
Her grip tightened as the wooden sword whistled sharply through the air, forcing Ye Luo back several steps.
Ye Luo steadied himself, eyes unfocused.
The silhouette before him flickered.
One Lumine turned into two… then three.
I can't tell anymore… I really can't tell… Dammit, Red Zhong Boss.
Damn it! This must be that meditation backlash!
If he'd known the aftereffects were this strong, he would've gone training alone.
My apologies, Lumine-boss… I failed to let you fight to your heart's content!
Gritting his teeth, Ye Luo's left hand flashed—
A second wooden sword appeared out of nowhere.
Alright then.
Time to use his full strength.
He raised the two swords, eyes blazing.
Sorry — I'm dual-blade style!
————————————————————Reality.
On Genshin Impact's official account, a brand-new short animation suddenly appeared.
The thumbnail alone showed a blurred figure sitting in a quiet courtyard.
Before him, a black-haired, red-eyed child stood in horse stance with tiny wooden bowls balanced on both arms.
[?? What's this short film?? Hoyoverse, if someone took over your body, send ten Intertwined Fates to my mailbox as a signal!]
[Aaaah little shota!! I'm in love!!]
[Black hair and red eyes? Don't tell me… is that Ye Luo as a kid??]
[Wait—didn't he only look like that AFTER getting his Vision?!]
[Waaaa my adoptive father was this cute as a kid! I want to pinch him!!]
[I'm Happy Superman — when I'm happy, I pinch children!]
[Genshin players are insane I swear]
As gentle music flowed, the little boy gradually grew into a young teen.
Day after day he trained with a sword…
Morning light to sunset… without missing a single day.
Morning? Practicing sword.
Afternoon? Still practicing sword.
Even at night, as he underwent body conditioning, he flipped through sword manuals.
"What is the purpose of your sword?"
His master's hand stroked his hair lovingly.
The voice was perfectly neutral — one couldn't guess their gender at all.
"Master, you must understand something. Sword users are the coolest. Especially dual-blade users."
Little Ye Luo's voice was soft but unwavering.
The master froze mid-motion, clearly stunned by the answer.
"…Fine. One day, you'll understand."
With a fond smile, the figure looked into the distant horizon.
Time passed.
The boy who once struggled to hold a sword had become a young warrior.
He still trained relentlessly — even without his master's presence.
[D-dual-blade?!]
[Grandpa Kirito's will… has finally been inherited in another world!!]
[When is he coming out?! I'm pulling EVERYTHING!!]
[Hoyoverse's music team cooking again!!]
[Hurry! Skip to the final lesson!!]
[You— you monster!!]
The music suddenly shifted — becoming lively and urgent.
"Wuhu~ Khaenri'ah tech, kid."
The screen flashed white.
A towering Gundam, dual blades in hand, descended like a meteor and instantly obliterated a wave of monsters.
When the mech dispersed, a crowd immediately surrounded Ye Luo, cheering wildly.
[??? Did I hear that right?! THAT Khaenri'ah??]
[You're telling me he's from Khaenri'ah's era?!]
[GUNDAM + DUAL BLADES = peak masculine fantasy]
The scene shifted again, music softening.
Ye Luo stood before a meteorite.
Inside it lay a girl with short golden hair, sleeping peacefully.
He touched the surface gently—
The meteor shattered.
The girl opened her eyes, confused, staring straight at him.
He didn't know who she was.
But he was also on a journey.
So they traveled together.
A short, warm journey.
Until—
A catastrophe struck.
When he returned, everything was gone.
Then her twin appeared.
He forcibly took Lumine away.
Ye Luo understood — her brother was protecting her.
The sky burned red.
Even his pupils turned crimson.
He raised his sword, fury blazing, and pointed straight at—
The sustainer of heavenly principles.
And so—
He launched his glorious attack upon that supreme being.
[HELLO?? Are you floating or is Celestia just weak now?!]
[He actually challenged the Heavenly Principles — SOLO??]
[Even the twins at their peak lost to her!!]
[And he didn't die?? He survived??]
[Kid… you're built different.]
Just as the audience was still screaming about Ye Luo vs. Heavenly Principles—
The 2-minute-and-30-second PV abruptly ended.
[???? THAT'S IT??? Why'd you stop?? DROP THE FULL THING NOW!!]
[Where's the fight scene?! Where's the finisher move?!]
[Even the twins had battle shots — how come Ye Luo doesn't get one?!]
[INFO DUMPS?! GET OUT!!]
[This animation is as short as the dev team's patience]
[Seconded!!]
[Huh?? Why doesn't my Ye Luo have a voice actor?!]
[You give me a short PV AND it's bugged?!]
[Urgent urgent URGENT I am the King of Urgency!]
[Urgent urgent I am Raiden Mei — FAST AS LIGHTNING!!]
[Urgent urgent I am Lei Yi — THOUSAND-BIRD SPEED!!]
Advance Chapters available on Patreon
patreon.com/pikachu614