Chapter 1 - The end of a future past

A young man slowly and tiredly opened his eyes. His eyes barely recognized everything as he pushed himself up. His lungs were burning due to the smoke yet, he pushed himself up. The world was ruined, seas of flame roared, and rubbles of once-mighty skyscrapers littered around him.

The moonlight was the only thing illuminating the area he remembered it. A song, a freaking song.

"Even as I was swallowed by the sea." The young man sang through his burning lungs and failing sight. The song relieving his mind albeit barely. "Dancing in flames surrounding me."

"Even as I fell down to my knees in the drought. Even as I lost my mind to the dark unknown. Devoured by the great earth. Did you think that we would, let you go on all alone?" The young man sang as he walked in the ruins with countless corpses around him. Countless weapons and vehicles broken or damaged around, either allies or Honkai Beasts.

"Screaming out as the lightning struck me down." Tears fell from his heart as he sang. "Shredded in blades of the wind. With my body and heart frozen to the ground." Removing his coat and gloves the young man kept on singing as the sight of purple and pink lines decorated his arms.

The world has been destroyed, or rather it has been decimated by the Honkai and the Herrschers. The world was ruined yet there is still hope.

But not for him.

He was dying, infected by the Honkai. The infection only slowed down and mitigated by his resistance and mastery of arts and techniques meant to use the Honkai as an energy source but it was too late.

"Crawling through fire. Knowing that in sickness and health. No matter what happens. For whatever may come. We will face all our fortune and pain as one!" The young man bitterly sang.

"Mankind... has lost the war." He bitterly noted while looking at the stars in the sky. They were so beautiful. He wanted to soar above the skies and be free. He hated it. The stares of his now-deceased comrades, the way their dying screams of pain echoed in his mind. Some of them he knew, most of them he did not but they were all warriors fighting till the bitter end.

Unable to contain himself anymore, the young man collapsed to his knees. The scent of iron and something burning assaulting his nose. The crackling of flames mixing with the echoing screams and cries in his mind in a morbid choir.

Tears fell from his eyes as he pounded his hand on the ground.

The roar of a beast and the feeling of his body flung to the side yet he was quick enough to catch himself and look at his attacker. It was a giant boar with frost covering its frame.

A hollow and lifeless chuckle echoed through the field as dark eyes widened with fearful wonder, dark hair matted stained by blood and dirt danced weakly before freezing at the heat's drop.

A blur appeared in his left arm and a nameless black bow appeared on it.

"The planet broke before the guard." The young man whispered as he pulled the string back and gazed at the charging beast. An arrow, no, an iron lance appeared on the bow and he released the string. The lanced soared through the air, stopping the beast in its tracks.

The lance pierced through its armor but not enough to kill it. But it was indeed enough to daze it and make it stop.

"Man, I wish I had a girlfriend," he whispered as he stood his ground and drew the string back and aimed it at the Emperor-class Honkai beast's injury. The lines on his hands glowed and lessened slightly until they were now only at his wrists. Another lance appeared on the bow's string and this time it glowed with power.

Letting the string go, the young man watched as the lance split the one on its way, killing the beast. The man's bow shattered and shrapnel soared through the air, and some hit his eyes.

A blood-curdling scream echoed from the young man's mouth. His eyes were gone and no longer can he see.

No! no like this!

A familiar roar of Honkai beasts and the sounds of some bodies standing up caught his attention.

Oh, God!

Former allies who died to valiantly hold the line now rose as mindless puppets controlled by the Honkai and he was alone and weaponless. No, not weaponless.

Fumbling a bit as he reached for his hand, he pressed his rings on each part and let a pair of gauntlets and greaves with a mask appeared on his body.

He was a Jaeger. A Knight-commander Rank warrior under Schicksal.

He will not go down like a dog!

Remembering a phrase a good friend taught him,

"Mou Mantai." He said as he went to a fighting stance. "The rules of war are woven to the womb." He recited as the zombies charged at him from their footsteps.

Relying on instincts alone, he managed to dodge some and defeat them all but it was not enough.

His body was covered in wounds, blood seeping out of them, and only conscious and alive by his strong will.

His shirt and coat were gone, showing his bloody and wounded body for all to see. His gauntlets, his final weapons were cracked and slowly breaking, the lines on his body now reached his shoulders yet he kept on breathing. Breathing in a specific pattern and way to keep the infection at bay.

He walked and he knew it was over.

The overseer was with his older brother and the strongest brother.,

"I want to be free." He whispered. Pushing himself to the limit, the young man limped weakly while holding his biggest wound on his side shut as much as he can. He did not know where he was going until he fell.

===

In Old Mondstadt transpired the story to be told,

Where a tyrant ruled, I met a boy, not that old.

The lyre he played, and for a song he sought,

But storm-walls blocked blue sky — he was sincerely distraught.

"I do so wish to see the birds in flight"

Said he, his strong eyes filling with light.

But his voice was lost in the howling wind's churn.

For the whirlwind takes, and gives naught in return.

The true sky, and songs that cageless soar...

Were they not wishes worth fighting for?

So the boy turned, extending his hand:

"Let us cast down the tyrant and his walls from this land."

The young boy raised then the flag of revolt,

And I threw myself into freedom's tumult.

Victorious were we who fought to be free.

Gods fell, winds whipped, nations shook violently.

In the smoke, a despot met his doom,

And we watched as his great tower fell none too soon.

Mondstadt began anew, the story passed down—

And since then never has another worn its crown.

===

The young man groaned as he felt his aching body throb with pain. Where is he? Why is it so dark?

That's right he lost his eyes. Is this hell?

Damn, seems like even in hell he is still blind. No good. He was too weak now, he can't stand up anymore but just crawl. And crawl he did before stopping.

He felt power and he was near it. Before he knew it, he can feel the breeze playing with his hair. it felt so nice.

Feeling some sort of wall, the young man chuckled as he forced each and every last bit of strength he has to press himself on the wall and catch a guitar from his quantum storage.

"Hey, would you like a song?" The young man asked weakly as he heard a small growl.

"Human, you are dying and you would offer me a song?" A voice asked. IT was a green dragon with turquoise eyes and several pairs of wings.

Its eyes stared at the dying and heavily injured man carrying an instrument.

"Why not? I want to do this thing." A cough from the blind man caught the dragon's attention. "I want to do this of my own free will."

"Very well." The dragon said as it gazed a the statue the man was leaning on.

A statue of his dear friend.

"Heh, it won't be good. But here it goes." The young man said as he started to play on his guitar.

[Search Lover's Oath by Lizzzy]

"when the lilies bloom at night,

when you see the stars up high

shining for you

as the years start passing by

you will keep the strength, you'll try

I'll watch over you

though the nation's people change

they'll depend on you, my brave

feel as they do

dust to dust I may remain

may your heart find love again

may joy find you always"

The young man sung at the orb carried by the statue opened up to reveal a small statue. Despite the way, his wounds bled and his fingers were cut by the string, the young man finished his music and smiled.

"Sorry... I would have played and sung this better."

"It's fine. What's your name?" The dragon asked but the man did not know what he was.

"Rex, Rex Crozzo." The young man said with a smile.

"I see. Young Crozzo, as a sign of respect, I would love you to have this. Open your hand." The dragon said as it picked up the item from the orb and gently put it on Rex's hand.

"Huh? What's this?" He asked as he held the item. "A chess piece?" He asked and at the same time, a pair of symbols formed itself on his body. Both of them were located on his shoulders.

"Now rest, young child." The dragon said as it curled itself around the statue and the young man.

"Yeah, that sounds good," Rex answered with a yawn. "What's your name"

"Dvalin." The dragon answered,

"That's a good..." Unable to finish his sentence, Rex Crozzo age 18 died peacefully beside his new friend with a queen chess piece on hand.

===

Rex groaned as an annoying screech and soon the ground shook.

"The hell?" He asked as he pushed himself up. What the fuck was going on? Looking up, he froze as he saw who it was. It was professor Himeko Murata and he... he was back in his dorm room is St. Freya.

"Hey, stop fighting you two!" The professor shouted as tears fell from Rex's eyes.

"I think I lost it." He whispered as he looked at his ruined door, a common occurrence whenever a pair of Valkyries fought. Looking to the side his eyes widened as he saw his reflection in the mirror. It was him but heavily injured and blood around his eyes. The only different thing is the queen piece he had as a pendant before it disappeared.

"Rex! are you alright?" Himeko asked as she entered his room. A small relieved smile appeared on his face as he looked at his red-haired professor/mentor and big sister figure.

"I'm fine, professor." He said with a gentle smile as tears fell, a soft breeze caressing their hair gently. "Can you teach me o use a greatsword?" It was the last promise his professor gave to him the last time they met, and finally, the contract (promise) will be completed.

"Sure," Himeko replied. "After class head to training area C." She said as she walked away, hiding her surprise at the request.