Chapter 15: We’ll Brave the Abyss… For the Future We Believe In (Rewrite Version)

Away from the noise of the distant battles, Lumine, Kiana, Elysia, and Miss A found a quiet cove near the river that flowed into the sea. There, they offered their prayers to the Black Serpent Knights they had fought.

Lumine slowly stood, her gaze fixed on the Inteyvat flower she had gently placed atop the simple burial site.

"Everyone, thank you... for letting me do this," she murmured.

Elysia and Kiana stepped to her side, each offering a comforting side hug.

"They fought to protect their homeland and the ones they loved," Elysia said softly. "The least we can do is honor them properly."

"They might have been forced to fight us… but they were still noble knights," Kiana said softly, resting her head on Lumine's shoulder.

Miss A placed a hand over her heart, her usual cheer softening into something gentler. "Captain would've done the same."

A gentle breeze passed through the clearing, brushing their hair and cloaks as if offering silent thanks.

Then suddenly, the ground shook around them.

The girls looked up sharply.

"That direction... it's Noah," Lumine said, her voice instantly focused.

Flashes of elemental energy burst from beyond the trees.

"...Captain sure is having fun," Miss A remarked, tilting her head.

Kiana, Elysia, and Lumine blinked at her words. Normally, they'd be worried after all, Noah was facing five elite Abyss commanders alone. But right now... they couldn't help it. They felt pity. Pity for the poor souls trying to fight him.

"Shall we check on them?" Elysia asked casually.

The others nodded, and within moments they arrived at the edge of a devastated battlefield. The ground was scorched and broken. Two wolves stood atop what was left of the Abyss Lectors and Heralds torn armor, shattered limbs, and fading elemental energy.

Up ahead, Noah stood with his blade resting at the neck of a kneeling Iniquitous Baptist.

He hadn't even broken a sweat. 

Its once majestic presence was gone, its mask cracked, limbs missing, and deep wounds. Meanwhile, Noah stood completely unharmed. Aside from a little dust on his boots and cloak, he looked like he hadn't even been in a fight.

The girls were stunned. Sure, they believed Noah would hold his own, even against five elite enemies. They trusted his strength. But this? To see those once-feared Abyss commanders unable to even put a scratch on him? That, they hadn't expected.

As if sensing their arrival, Noah turned and looked at them.

"Hey there, my beautiful stars~ glad you could join us," he said with a grin, as if he'd only stepped out for a quick errand.

This man is seriously dangerous!!! And ridiculously cool!! Our hearts just went bakyun!! Kiana, Elysia, Lumine, and Miss A all thought in unison as they held their chest.

———

A few minutes earlier, while the girls were preparing the burial site, the Abyss was engaged in a brutal, one-sided battle against Noah. Despite it being five against one, it was the Abyss that was struggling to keep up.

The Hydro and Cryo Heralds tried to coordinate, moving in a seamless rhythm as they attacked from each side. The Cryo Herald would dash in with a freezing-charged strike to lock Noah in place, forcing him to parry. In that moment, the Hydro Herald would use the opening to slide low across the ground, sending water blades from unexpected angles. Their movements were fast and well calculated, one after the other.

At times, they would swap roles mid-combo, using elemental reactions to trigger freezing effects. One would feint to bait Noah's guard, while the other lunged from his blind spot. But it was all in vain. Noah can see through every pattern, every elemental setup. He deflected their blades with precision and rotated through parries like he was conducting a well-rehearsed dance.

No matter how well they moved in sync, they couldn't find a single chance to counter him.

In a sudden clash, the Cryo Herald lunged with a fierce strike while the Hydro Herald sent a pair of X-shaped water blades toward Noah from behind. Without missing a beat, Noah hooked his right leg around, kicking the Cryo Herald in the side and sending it stumbling. He then spun his Lightsaber-Lux, channeling mana into it until the manadyte glowed brightly. As the water blades approached, Noah raised his blade with both hands and swung down hard, breaking the attack apart.

Then, a barrage of Electro lances struck Noah's Protego shield, but it held strong without crack.

"Tsk." The Baptist clicked its tongue in frustration.

Noah wasted no time. He fired a Bombarda spell straight at the Baptist, the blast sending it crashing through several trees before slamming into the ground.

The Lectors weren't doing any better. The wolves Noah had transfigured darted around the battlefield, attacking with pinpoint timing, constantly interrupting their attempts to cast support spells.

"These cursed beasts again?!" the Electro Lector snarled, swatting at one of the wolves that darted just out of reach.

"They keep on disrupting us!!" the Pyro Lector growled, sparks flaring from its fingertips.

One of the wolves steps in front of them, drawing their attention again. The Electro Lector attempted to charge a sphere of electro bomb, but the second wolf tackled its leg from behind, knocking it off balance.

"How is he even controlling them so precisely?!" the Pyro Lector hissed.

"Because we're fighting a monster in human skin," the Electro Lector muttered, eyes narrowed toward Noah's figure fighting..... maybe playing with the two heralds. "And monsters… don't play fair."

"ENOUGH!!" the Pyro Lector roared, gathering a surge of Pyro energy before unleashing a fiery wave. The wolves yelped as the flames burn them, forcing them to retreat momentarily.

Noah tilted his head slightly as the Hydro blade passed by. In one swift motion, he caught it mid-air, bent his body, and slammed the Hydro Herald into the ground. As he adjusted his stance, the Cryo Herald closed in, aiming a slash at him. Noah dodged with minimal movement but the evasion put distance between him and the downed Herald.

Hmmm. The girls should be done by now, Noah thought. I guess it's time to wrap this up.

As the Cryo Herald's blades came down again, Noah sidestepped and immediately closed the gap. In a smooth arc, his blade sliced clean through the Herald's arms. Without hesitation, he pivoted, raised his left hand, and used the Force to pull the struggling Hydro Herald toward the Cryo one, positioning them both exactly where he had just been.

A second later, four Pyro bombs detonated around them, engulfing the two Heralds in flames.

Noah didn't waste the opening. Channeling more prana into his Lightsaber-Lux, it glowed intensely before he vanished in a rail of blue light leaving a mirage of himself in a different stance around the heralds. He then physically reappeared right in front of the Electro Lector as his blade was already in motion. One of the wolves moved in to cover him as he swung in a clean diagonal slash, cleanly beheading the Lector. As his mirage surrounding the Heralds faded, their arms, legs, and torsos severed and scattered.

The Baptist hadn't even processed what had happened when Noah flicked his blade again from a distance, slicing off its left arms with frightening precision.

The Pyro Lector attempted to form six Pyro spheres, but before they could fully charge, Noah released Force lightning towards the sphere causing an elemental reaction. The explosion rang across the field just before his two wolves pounced, giving the Lector no room to breathe.

The Baptist glared at Noah in fury. It launched another volley of Hydro blades—but instead of breaking them like before, Noah parried them smoothly, redirecting all six toward the Pyro Lector. The blades struck clean, impaling it. Friendly fire at its finest.

Noah calmly walked toward the Baptist. It unleashed a desperate flurry of elemental attacks, but he deflected, parried, or shattered each one without pause. When he reached it, he sliced off its remaining arms in a single motion.

"Nice try," Noah said, placing his blade gently at its neck.

"Human…!" the Baptist growled, rage in its voice but all it could do was glare.

Noah glanced to the side and spotted the girls, standing frozen with stunned expressions.

Huh. That's adorable.

"Hey there, my beautiful stars~ glad you could join us," he said with a grin, his tone light to ease their worry.

Heh, maybe now I won't get smacked later for worrying them, he thought smugly.

Spoiler: he got smacked. Hard.

-------

"..ku... kukukuk... so even with all the elites of the Abyss... it still wasn't enough to stop just you five..." the Baptist muttered, his voice heavy with disbelief and a bitter laugh.

Noah raised a brow as he turned his attention back to the battered figure of the Baptist. The girls stepped forward beside him, their expressions sharpening.

"Hah... but it won't matter," the Baptist growled, defiance flickering in his eyes. "Even if I fall here, the Abyss will keep spreading. This world will fall, piece by piece... and in the end, it will be devoured!"

His eyes glowed as he stared at Noah. A small pulse of abyssal energy pushed onward the surroundings, enough to make the girls tense instinctively.

"Maybe... but it won't be today," Noah replied, voice quiet but unwavering. A small smirk tugged at his lips. "And not tomorrow either. Because no matter how hard you try to drag this world down..."

Noah raised his arm high, the manadyte on his Lightsaber-Lux glowing with intensity.

"There will always be people who brave the abyss... to fight for the future they believe in."

The Baptist stared at him in silence, eyes still glowing, resignation finally replacing defiance.

Noah brought his arm down.

A clean, precise strike.

The Baptist's head dropped as its body collapsed.

"Goodbye, Abyss. You won't be missed," Noah muttered.

He exhaled deeply, tension draining from his shoulders after the long confrontation. Just as he relaxed, a sudden warmth wrapped around him.

When he opened his eyes, Kiana was hugging him tightly.

"Thank you for your hard work, Captain," she whispered.

Noah gave her head a gentle pat, letting her stay just like that for as long as she needed.

"Fuu... I guess we do deserve a little reward, huh?" Elysia sighed with a small smile, strolling over to Noah and Kiana before gently slipping into the hug.

"...We all worked hard after all," Lumine added quietly, stepping in with a soft, almost shy smile as she joined them.

"Fuhfuhfuh! Like I'd ever let this moment pass me by!" Miss A cheered before throwing herself dramatically into the group, wrapping everyone in her arms with all the force of a cannonball.

Kiana, Lumine, and Elysia groaned as they were squished between Miss A and Noah. But then, a ripple of laughter broke the silence. Noah's deep chuckle came first, followed by Miss A's playful giggle. Then Elysia's soft laugh of relief, Lumine's gentle chuckle, feeling the heavy feelings left from her chest and finally Kiana's exasperated but affectionate laugh.

It was a strange chorus, but it felt right. A rare, earned moment of peace.

Then, the wind around Mondstadt changed.

The five of them turned toward the distant plains of Windrise, where the battle still raged.

"Tsu?!" Kiana, Elysia, and Lumine said in unison, eyes wide.

"This...?" Noah's gaze sharpened as he narrowed his eyes.

"...Looks like Lord Barbatos has decided, it's time to end this war," Miss A murmured, her tone unusually serious.

Before long, the wind grew violent and dense, spiraling into a massive vortex in the sky. A colossal Anemo formation like a gaping, swirling hole emerged above the battlefield. It began pulling in the Abyss creatures, one by one, sucking them in with a roar of howling air.

"...Oh my god. Was that really Venti's doing?" Kiana asked, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Such overwhelming power..." Elysia murmured, mesmerized by the sight.

"The title of Anemo Archon is well earned," Noah said, voice lace with admiration.

Lumine stood silently. Her gaze wasn't on the sky, but on the wind itself the same kind of divine wind she had seen a year ago during the fall of Khaenri'ah. Her expression turned somber, the memory weighing heavy.

She felt a gentle hand rest on her shoulder. Miss A stood beside her, eyes filled with understanding, offering a small knowing smile.

Then, with a thunderous burst, the Anemo vortex imploded. A brilliant shockwave of wind rippled across the sky, clearing the dark clouds and erasing the last bits of the Abyss's corruption.

The battle was over. 

------

Let us return to a few minutes before Venti unleashed his anemo vortex. In the skies above the snowy mountain, what would be known 500 years later as Dragonspine, Dvalin and Durin were locked in the final clash of their deadly battle.

Dvalin folded his wings tightly and surged forward at sonic speed, releasing a hail of concentrated anemo blasts at Durin as he flew past.

The corrupted dragon could do nothing but endure the assault. The storm of anemo bullets tore through his scales, but he remained airborne, blood and miasma dripping in its body. In a last-ditch attempt, Durin began gathering every ounce of abyssal energy and poison festering inside his body, preparing to retaliate with everything he had left. 

"Hmph, a desperate move," Dvalin muttered, narrowing his eyes as he felt the shift in Durin's energy. Without delay, he summoned a dense stream of Anemo around his body, forming a barrier as he prepared for his final charge.

With a deafening roar, Durin released a surge of abyssal energy and poison in a massive wave, using his own body as the core of the blast.

"Kuh—!" Dvalin grunted, pushed back slightly by the violent force of the wave. It hit him like an invisible wall, shredding through his barrier. But he held on, using the Anemo currents to stabilize and propel himself forward through the storm. wind gathered rapidly in his mouth as he focused everything into a final Anemo blast.

Closing the distance, Dvalin slammed his body into Durin's, locking them in a fierce spiral as they fall down together toward the snowy mountain below.

Durin thrashed wildly. His claws raked across Dvalin's wings and shoulders, while his spiked tail wrapped around Dvalin's frame, tearing through scale and flesh. Dvalin let out a roar of pain but refused to let go.

In one last attempt to break free, Durin lunged and bit deep into Dvalin's neck, injecting not only poison but also abyssal corruption directly into his body.

Dvalin's vision blurred. His hold on Durin loosened. The venom and abyss began to burn and corrode him from inside, trying to drown his mind in chaos, but so.....he endured.... for Mondstadt that he loves.... for its people.... for his friend. 

His vision blurred, his strength faltering bit by bit, and he felt his consciousness slipping away until a distant sound reached him.

The soft, familiar melody of a lyre carried by the wind from Windrise.

"...!"

Dvalin's eyes snapped open. He could feel the wind around him change, embracing him, reinforcing his fading will and slowing the spread of corruption through his veins.

Summoning what strength remained, Dvalin turned to face Durin and gathered every last trace of Anemo into his mouth. With a deafening roar, he unleashed a final, devastating blast directly at Durin's head.

The impact heard through the mountains. Durin let out a piercing cry before falling limp, its massive body plummeting toward the snowy peaks below.

Dvalin spread his worn out and injured wings to slow his own descent, cushioning his crash. He landed hard beside Durin's lifeless form, snow and ice scattering in all directions.

Gazing at the fading light in Durin's eyes, Dvalin didn't hesitate. He raised his wings once more, condensed a final orb of Anemo, and launched it into Durin, shattering whatever lingering trace of life it might still have.

"...Kuh... goodbye, my kin. If there had been another path... maybe we could have been friends..." Dvalin murmured, panting heavily as he stared at Durin's lifeless form.

The soothing wind that Barbatos had sent began to fade, its purpose fulfilled. It lingered just long enough to make sure Dvalin was safe, then gently dispersed into the cold air.

A few minutes later, Dvalin sensed a surge of wind gathering in the direction of Windrise.

"...Hmph. Making a grand move now, are you, Barbatos..." he muttered, his eyes catching sight of the massive Anemo vortex high in the distance. It pulled the remnants of the Abyss inward, compressing them into a singularity before releasing a shockwave that dispersed the dark clouds .

"Tsk... you're only reliable when it counts, huh." Dvalin slowly pushed himself up, his voice tinged with dry amusement.

A gentle nudge of wind swirled around him in response, playful teasing.

He snorted. "Yeah, yeah. I get it."