31 Dark Clouds, Dark Days [3/3]

Meanwhile, outside the Favonius Church.

"What's the situation?" Jean asked. She was currently wearing her Knight's Master uniform.

A knight nodded. "It seems like a barrier has been erected around the church. The said barrier seems to be an Anemo barrier. It can block sounds as well as keep us from entering..."

"A barrier?" Jean hummed.

"I suspect that it's a vision-wielder, perhaps multiple of them," Albedo said as he looked at the church. "The barrier must have been erected to keep the sounds from inside from reaching the citizens' ears."

"Then that proves your theory then..." Kaeya said at the back. "Since Ezio was the one that notified us then..."

"He really has formed an organization in Mondstadt," Eula said. "He could not have possibly been able to do this alone."

"Yeah..." Kaeya slowly nodded. He then looked at a knight. "Huffman, what about—"

"Excuse me." While Kaeya was speaking, a voice of a girl was suddenly heard.

All the knights looked where the voice came from, and a saw person that had a red hood covering her head. On her face was a half-mask, thus, only showing her eyes.

"Our mentor has told us not to let anyone in." The girl said.

"Mentor..." Kaeya said before analyzing her. He then understood what she meant. "Wait... You're..."

"Are you from the Brotherhood?" Jean approached her.

"Yes," Amber slowly nodded her head.

"Then that proves it," Albedo said with a sigh. "Since a member of the brotherhood is here, then that means the barrier is your doing, is it not?"

"Indeed." Amber nodded once more. "Mentor told us to keep anyone from entering since it is too dangerous."

"But he's facing abyssal monsters," Kaeya said with a scoff. "He sure has some archon-level of confidence in himself..."

"Forgive me, but this is all I can say. Please understand." Amber insisted.

"Or what?" Kaeya said as he approached her. "As far as I know, you are under our reach of arrest."

"That is true..." Amber sighed. "But that doesn't mean my brothers and sisters are not."

"Brothers and sisters..." Eula hummed before sighing. "They're surrounding us, aren't they?"

Amber didn't say anything and merely looked at her. But everyone understood it.

"It's fine, Kaeya." Jean tapped Kaeya's shoulder. She then looked at Amber. "Tell me, what is your brotherhood planning to do? If you let the knights in, we can help your mentor— Ezio inside."

Amber didn't reply and just shook he head, denying Jean.

Seeing that the girl in red wasn't responding, Jean sighed and tried to persuade her again. "Look—"

However, before she can continue, the barrier surrounding the church suddenly started crumbling.

Shortly after the barrier crumbled, the loud noises coming from the church were heard.

Boom!

Bang—*

Explosions were heard everywhere as what seemed to bomb exploded underground.

"Quick! Evacuate the perimeters!" Jean said. She then looked at Kaeya. "Stay here, keep an eye out!"

After saying this, she moved swiftly towards the church. She forcefully opened the doors with her Anemo Visio and entered.

"Hey— wait!" Kaeya tried to run after her but was stopped when the door's doorframe collapsed, blocking the entrance.

"Tch..." Kaeya clicked his tongue.

Meanwhile, Amber looked around in bewilderment. 'What's going on? Why did Arnold, Casper, and Otto's barrier disappear?'

* * *

Meanwhile, on top of the Favonius Church.

"What's happening?!" A tall man said. His robe had three cyan stripes on them.

"I don't know!" A man with orange hair replied. His notable feature was the bow on his back.

"Someone forcefully entered the barrier!" Another man said. His face which was filled with fat jiggled as he spoke.

"What?!" The two of them said, surprised. "But who could have done that?!"

Unbeknownst to them, the "someone" that just entered was the 500 years old Bough Keeper.

* * *

Boom!

Boom!

The Geo Herald and the Abyss Herald kept exchanging blows whilst Albert kept summoning more bladed and puppets.

'I can't keep doing this...' Albert felt pain aching from all over his body. His mind felt numb from the mental stress he was experiencing at the moment.

Biting his lip, he continued. 'No, I must defeat this guy!'

With this, Albert's geo vision glowed brighter as more geo elements gathered around it.

More and more blades began to form from the ground and launch themselves toward the abyss herald.

"Kurgh— curse you..." The Abyss Herald was being pushed back due to the number of attacks it was receiving from all sides. "Disintegrate— all of you...!"

After roaring this, the Abyss Herald shot countless blades from its body and attacked in all directions.

The Geo Herald took most of the hits, but because Albert was constantly supplying it with Geo Elements, it quickly regenerated.

But there was one problem. The Geo Herald's time limit is about to finish.

Looking at the Abyss Herald, Albert bit his lip more until blood oozed out. 'I'm feeling more and more tired... my geo herald is about to expire... and most of all, the abyss herald might succeed...'

Meanwhile, the Abyss Herald was faltering back more and more.

With Albert's constant barrage, it was not able to keep up with the attacks.

Suddenly, it leaped backward and began drawing energy from its energy outwards.

"The abyss..." It groaned as it spoke. "Shall devour all...!"

After saying this, more and more abyssal energy gathered around the Herald's arms, intending to unleash a powerful move.

Seeing a clear danger, Albert's face became grim. At that moment, in a split second, various thoughts crossed Albert's mind.

Either exhaust every last bit of mental energy he has left to draw in more elemental energy to stop the herald or... let the Herald continue and let it succeed.

Just as Albert was about to make a decision, something or someone ran towards the Herald and head-locked it with their arms.

"Quick! Help me restrain it!" The man said as he locked onto the Herald.

"Argh... You!" The Herald recognized who latched onto him and became even more engaged. With a furious raspy voice, the Herald roared. "DAINSLEIF!"

The enemy of the Abyss and the former Royal Guard of the fallen kingdom of Khaenri'Ah— The Bough Keeper, Dainsleif!

The man named Dainsleif then looked at Albert. "Did you not hear me? Restrain him!"

For a moment, Albert wondered why Dainsleif was here, but quickly shook that off of his mind and focused on the task at hand. 'Dainsleif actively hunts Abyss Heralds. Of course he would be here!'

In an instant, Albert recovered most of his energy by pushing his body to the limit and stood up.

He stopped summoning Geo blades to save more energy for himself.

He then dashed to the Herald and summoned four more puppets and held it in place.

After holding all for of its limbs, Albert asked Dainsleif. "Alright, now what?"

"Good," Dainsleif nodded and picked up the Herald's arm.

Crack—!*

Albert heard the audible snap of something snapping as he looked at Dainsleif who dislocated the Herald's joints.

Soon, a strange dark-blue miasma resembling a fire appeared in Dainsleif's hands and was channeled to the Herald's arm.

"A-Arghh!!!" The Herald screamed in pain as it experienced what Dian was doing to it. "To actually... use this method...!"

"You... hypocritical scum!" The herald furiously roared.

"Hmph." Dainsleif scoffed and continued channeling the strange energy.

After a few more moments, the Herald's hand forcefully opened and a portal appeared behind him.

"It's here!" Dainsleif said. He then looked at Albert. "Quick, push him in!"

"Alright!" Albert nodded and commanded all of his puppets to drag the Herald.

He then summoned more puppets and all of them pushed the Herald.

"Kukuku..." However, the herald soon began cackling. "KuHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Do you really think I would allow this plan to work?!" The Herald said. It then began to unleash more energy and condensed it in its center. "Die here with me!"

"Killing you with my death would be my greatest contribution to her majesty and the abyss!" The herald maniacally laughed as its energy became more and more unstable.

Woom—*

Woom—!*

Woom!*

"Shit," Dainsleif cursed under his breath before looking at Albert. "Quick! Push him to the portal with me! Or else the entirety of Mondstadt would be devoured with Abyssal energy!"

"Yes!" Albert nodded, however, he also saw this as an opportunity for an escape.

He summoned one more puppet and took the Holy Lyre and placed it into his inventory. 'This should do it...'

"Hold it right there!" Suddenly, a third party joined and yelled at them.

'No... why are you here...' Albert bit his lip before proceeding with Dainsleif's request and pushing the Herald to the portal.

"Quick!" Dainsleif yelled as he helped Albert to push the herald.

"Let me help!" Jean was about to approach them and help when she was stopped by a hooded puppet.

"Don't!" Albert yelled at her. "Get away! Run away from here!"

"You're Ezio, right?!" Jean recognized who he was in an instant. "You've been helping Mondstadt for the past year! Although you're a vigilante, you still care for Mondstadt!"

Because of the intense wind emanating from the herald's condensing energy, Albert's hood was lifted up, revealing his Ezio face.

"So this time, let us protect you!" She said with a determined face.

"In...sole...nce!" The herald saw them talking and raised its arm to attack Albert. Because it was about to self-explode, it had trouble speaking.

However, right before it strikes Albert, its hand was cleanly sliced by Dainsleif, thus only touching Albert's hood... as well as another item.

Tang—*

A white mask fell to the ground and shattered, revealing Ezio's real face.

"...huh?"

For a moment, it felt like time had stopped for the two. Albert and Jean's eyes met.

The other had her face in full disbelief, wide-eyed while the other had a warm smile on his face and an apologetic look while restraining an abyssal monster.

"Almost there!" Dainsleif said as the herald's body touched the portal.

Albert slowly opened his mouth and uttered some words, clear enough for Jean to hear and see them.

After that, he softly smiled before fully pushing the herald into the portal. Because of the puppets, with one strong push, he was able to push it in.

"No—!" Jean tried to reach out for Albert but his figure along with the other figures entered the portal. And in less than a second, the portal closed.

Silence soon descended upon the room as if nothing had happened at all. Apart from the Geo elements present everywhere and the destroyed floor, walls, and ceiling, of course.

Tud—!*

Jean's legs felt weak and one of her legs dropped to the ground. She then supported herself with her sword.

Tears began to form around her eyes as she was not able to utter a single word. She was still in disbelief and in shock at what had happened.

She still clearly remembers what Albert had said before disappearing. It was in her mind, cementing itself in her memories forever.

"Sorry... Maybe we'll get our official date in the next Ludi Harpastum..."

* * *

A/N: Liyue arc!