72 Names

I awaken, to find myself in a bush. It's better then waking up on a stone arena. "Thank you, Andrius! I will return, and I will defeat your properly!"

The wind whistles around me. He probably heard me. If he didn't? Well it doesn't really matter.

It's about time I return to mondestat. I kind of miss sleeping on a bed and eating good food. I can cook, but it doesn't compare to the food at the good hunter.

I walk to a river, wash my face and take an deep drink. I look at myself in the reflection. Black hair, black eyes, dark skin.

"Looking as handsome as ever huh?"

I feel a strange happiness and fulfillment that I lacked before. I feel like nothing could bring down my mood!

I look at the city of mondestat, and notice 3 massive tornados surrounding it.

Correction. This one singular thing can bring down my mood.

I begin sprinting toward the city, feeling the wind whip my face as I get closer. I get inside the city, and promptly begin leading people to shelters. I can't directly interfere, but I can help those who need help.

An hour passes, and the winds die down.

Now that it comes to mind, how will I hide my Pyro Vision? I could try placing it inside of my prism? I know that everything that enters it gets vaporized, but I just have the thought of doing it niggling the back of my mind, ever since I first received it.

I move to an alley, make a prism, and promptly drop my vision inside of it.

Something changes. The vision falls through, but now it's dull? I take a look back again at my tesseract, and notice that instead of being a strong purple, it's become a more warm pinkish red. It promptly reverts, and I feel a sense of warmth spread throughout me.

"Did I just... absorb the elemental energy of a vision?"

As I ask myself a question, I feel a pair of eyes pierce through my soul. As if i was laid naked on a table, and had been exposed for all to see. I whip my head around, but nobody was there.

'Who was watching me just now?

It felt like whoever was looking at me felt ... Disgusted? Angry? A mix of the 2, but why would they be? I haven't done anything to anger anyone have I?

As I draw deeper into my own thoughts I snap myself out of it.

"I have to move. I can worry about this later. I have too many things to deal with."

The first of which, is the traveler.

I walk into knights HQ, surprised that nobody stopped me. They were probably told to treat me with respect or something since I repeled dvalin. I knock, and when the door is opened for me, am met with the sight of Lisa, Kaeya, Jean, and the stars of the show, Lumine and Paimon.

My gaze falls onto paimon.

'Now that I think about it, why are each of the archons named after demons? And why does paimon share that same naming sense?'

"Uh, excuse me? It's rude to at stare paimon mister!"

I really need to fix that habit.

"My bad. My name is Jacques. I'm here to meet the person who fended off dvalin. Was it you? Quite impressive for someone of such a small stature!"

I'm just saying this to piss her off.

"WHAT? Paimon isn't small, you're all just too big, you, you Exhibitionist!"

Exhibitionist? Oh yeah, my shirt got burned off during that fight with Andrius. What a shame, I had just bought it before leaving mondestat.

"Enough jokes. Who's actually the one who fended off dvalin?"

"That would be our traveler here, lumine." Kaeya says.

"So, how did you do it? How did you fend off the 'great wind dragon'?"

"I flew and drove it away using a glider."

"So, would you consider yourself strong?"

"I wouldn't say that I'm weak."

"Then let's test that theory our? Let's have a spar, one dragon defender against another eh?"

"WHAT? Paimon can't believe than an exhibitionist like you could defeat dvalin! You must be lying! There's no way you can beat lumine! You don't even have a weapon!"

"I don't need one, my body is the weapon."

"Paimon think that's something an exhibitionist would say."

"Look lumine, do you agree? If you don't, I could always fight paimon instead. Let's see if her blade is as sharp as her tongue."

"There's no need for that. I'll spar you."

"Meet me outside then. Don't keep me waiting."

I wait outside, and lumine walks toward me with her famous unbreakable dull blade.

'I'll just use hand to hand. Don't want to show anything too important.'

"Let's begin."

Lumine dashes forward, aiming to bludgeon me with her blade. It's far too dull to cut anything after all.

Her sword swiped forward, in a downward swing. I move to the side, and send a jab at her, testing the waters to see if she has anything up her sleeve. You don't live for more than 500 years and not pick up a few tricks.

I'm shortly proven right, as my punch is dodged by a dash backward.

Seeing an opening, I take this chance to

Make small talk

"Why do you fight in heels? Wouldn't it be easier to fight in regular shoes? I've noticed that in most people I encounter actually. Even treasure hoarders."

"Focus on the fight."

She says as she readies her blade.

Sure then.

I rush forward, slipping past her guard and landing a punch on her solar plexus. I then combo with a roundhouse kick, and stand ready for retaliation.

She stands up, and as I form a smile on my face and get ready to rush in, she shouts out [Gale Palm]!

I've never understood why people do that when it doesn't give them an advantage. I will admit I do name my attacks, but I only say them out loud if they don't give up my advantage.

I stop my advance, and watch. That technique is clearly a defensive one, the way her feet are positioned. She can't really move around while holding that stance, but it also seems like if I rush in, I'm sure to be hit with anemo energy.

There's one weakness I noticed though. She can't seem to turn around quickly while using this attack. I'll attack from behind.

I zip forward, focusing all of my strengths into my legs, leaving a small imprint in the ground. I see lumines eyes narrow as she readies herself, but that attack never comes, as I'm already behind her. She can't turn in time to defend, and i press that disadvantage, by slamming an elbow into the back of her neck.

I retreat, ready for her to get up, but she just lie there.

"LUMINE! ARE YOU OKAY? DON'T WORRY, PAIMON'S HERE!"

"Damn, did I actually knock her out? Guess I shouldn't have tried to end the fight that quickly."

'Is this really the same person who beat Signora in a fair one on one duel? I know that her power is sealed, but damn. I expected more, to be honest.'

The knights that had formed a crowd around us begin to murmur, shocked that the person who fought off dvalin was so easily defeated.

"Ugh, my neck"

Lumine sits up and mutters, rubbing her neck while looking at me.

"Good fight"

I say. She just nods, and begins to get up.

Normally I would feel kinda bad, but this was a duel. Even though I went overboard, she knew what she was signing up for. I leave, buy a shirt, and go back to my inn. I lay in bed and think about what happened today.

Damn.