Chapter XII

Author's note: Here are some tissues and Ice cream for you guys... No one can escape the fate of someones ends...

-

"Cheers!!!"

All people from Angel's Share were congratulated and celebrated their young master Diluc who turned into an adult and became the cavalry captain at the time as they are raising their mugs of beer to the air.

It was not long ago before Elaine arrived at Mondstadt who was visiting the infamous hometown doctor recently, for taking care of her own business with him.

"Come on, have a drink!" Offered a blonde-haired coworker to Diluc who is now a grown man with a bright future in his path.

The red-haired young man smiled politely at him as declined his offer. "Thanks, but... I'll pass this time." He said.

The carefree man only laughs lightly along with his friends and coworkers. "Right! I forgot were still on duty!"

Meanwhile, Crepus patted him behind his back with a grin on his face that made Diluc glance at his father with an amused smile. "Hahaha! Don't worry! Feel free to stop by our winery anytime and we drink together to our heart's content!"

"How generous of you, Mr. Crepus!"

Then Diluc's father looked at his son. "Let's get going, Diluc. We should head back home before it starts raining, don't you think? I believe Elaine will also come home soon for a rest." Diluc perked as his father mention her and looked over the sky that is now covered with dark clouds, it was supposed to be a sunny day in the morning which he hoped for at the end of the day.

"Yes, father." The young man agreed with his father and was secretly overjoyed to see his sister again.

As they are now outside to pack their alcohol beverages which is sealed safetly in wooden boxes while some locals were helping them and watching them go with a warm warning to be careful, but there was one person under the crowd that has rage and envy fired on his eyes who summoned a mechanical beetle-bird on his shoulder then it flapped to the direction to the carriage and was stuck to it.

-

Now back at the current situation. Elaine felt something off when a faint sinister aura slowly heading towards where her father and Diluc were at the middle of the road. It has becoming a perk of her ever since she practiced her magecraft up to it's peak to track down many mysterious things in this world... with a little knowledge Abyss technology that Elaine learned when she accidently was stuck in the Abyss for three years ago along with a boy named Ajax.

She blindly rushed without hesitation to the direction in her high speed carefully as the Demi-Servant was still middle of the city and encountered a grown-up Kaeya who was in his patrol duty.

"KAEYA!"

His ears are twitching when someone called him at the distance, he turned his eye towards her and Kaeya was perplexed as he saw Elaine running towards him in panic.

"Elaine? Since when did you... No more importently, tell me what happen why are you in distress?" He asked in all serious why his dearest sister looking like this and noticed how she grown into a fine lady.

'She looked like the pale princess from the fairy tale that we constantly read for her when she bedridden since that day...'

"There is no time for explaining right now! Call the troupes! Our father and Diluc are going in danger! There is something that are coming towards them." Elaine said in haste and was about to go after them but her foster-brother stopped her tracks when grabbed her shoulders.

"Please calm down, Elaine. Rushing ahead is going to no where and our family is going fine since the inspector already stated that the traveler route is clear." As Kaeya tries to explain it to her but he paused when her eyes and find something odd that her pupils are now white instead of black.

"Please, believe me."

He then, finally gives in from her firm yet sweet words to convince him that he needs to trust her.

"I will do however I can... Not sure if the others will be convinced but I give it shot and if you said it's true then we, the knights are truely indebt by the adventure guild."

Elaine cannot be helped but smiled thinly as he mention it. "It's our duty to protect our citizens, after all... aren't we on the same sides despite the job difference and all that?"

Kaeya couldn't helped but chuckled that gave out a pleasant tune that calmed her heart down a little and agree with that fact.

"Then I'll go forward."

"We will come after you. Be careful, Elaine." He warned her. She nodded and Kaeya kissed her forehead unexpectedly which the Demi-Servant took a step back with wide eyes as her guard was jerked off a bit.

Her brother showed her his playful smile on his face and Elaine couldn't helped but shook her head at him then she ran off, which Kaeya still watches her until she became one in horizon.

Then the knight looked over the clouded sky as his doubt returned in his mind.

'Believing, huh... Why am I still trusting you again? Right... Even though you still have secrets that never told us, you are still the most purest and kindest person in this cruel world... You always go to the others who needed help... A truly, remarkable hero you are. Me too... will everything reveal it soon or someday... Will you also put your trust on me when I needed you in direst situation?'

-

"You know Diluc... I wanted to become a knight too, when I was in your age." Crepus spoked in the carriage while caressing a small wooden box he holds and Diluc quietly listen to him as he turned his head slightly at him. "However, I wasn't fit for the job. The Gods have- No the world also had plans for me... but you suceeded where I failed... the knight of favonius are lucky to count someone as brilliant as you among their ranks." He praised his son over the achievements that Crepus dreamed to be by his side and teaches him all lot about knights stuff together with Kaeya and Elaine.

Diluc reassured him. "Please don't be betittle yourself, father... You contribute to Mondstadt as much as the knights but in different way." The young man admired his father from his young age as he saw how kind and charismatic towards his surroundings, how he raised him with love along his foster siblings who also saw Crepus as their father. Their father is their number one hero that no one can replace him.

"You're right, haha!" Crepus laughed shortly.

"I know I am."

Then Crepus opened his box which reveals a glove with red orb and he decided to risk his life for his only son. The old man was aware that something will happen since being a business man slash aristocrat of a very old line under his veins who made a deal with a devil when he got this delusion from the Fatui and some enemies under his work.

"I guess you won't need this anymore..." Crepus mumbles as he referring to Diluc who looking at him puzzling.

"Do you understand that this power cost your entire lifespan, Father? Why do you have this? Do you not care that you quickly throw your life away?"

He closed his eyes when Crepus still remembers these questions ringing through his ears and a expressionless Elaine with her trembled hands.

'When that day will may be perhaps this day come... then this will end my melancholy for not having the recognition from the gods and my broken dream... So, please forgive me...'

At that time... it was to late for Diluc to realized that something was amiss as his father act like this way, that he never knew.

Not only that flocks of Hilichurls appearing out of nowhere as if they expecting them or something controlling the Hilichurls since they usually doesn't come near to the travel route.

It doesn't make them any sense, until that purple dragon appeared.

Ursa the Drake.

Things were out of hand as if time itself snapped their fingers as the scene happen so fast that Diluc barely blinked. People were lying dead on the ground while he leaned his back against the carriage and gazed the creature in fear as he can't do anything since he was heavily injured that are caused by Ursa.

Deep inside, Diluc realized how naive it was to deal with a dragon that was around before the foundation of the knight of favonius.

Crepus stepped in when he starts to walk towards Drake the Ursa in Diluc's disbelief and shook.

"Father!" Diluc shouted at him, but his father didn't looked at him when he started to use his delusion which it summons those black chains that were appearing out of nowhere and chained the man dragon into the ground.

"That power... How..." Diluc grunted as he couldn't believe what he had witness that when somebody behind him rushed towards the dragon and smashed it with a cross-shaped shield, and that is none other than his sister, Elaine who came to help.

She looked toward her father and they noticed that she was sweating as if she knows that they are in danger. "Father! Please turn off these power fast! You do know the consequence what will happen to you!" Elaine yelled at him anxiety that Crepus used his Delusion.

"Elaine... You came... I'm so glad... That I see you one more time... You all grown up now... I'm so sorry... Please forgive me..."

Is all that came from their father's mouth when the mechanic bug started to trigger as Crepus used his Delusion that Ursa the Drake reacted when its eyes turning red and roared madness which the old man used his delusion once more to tighen the dragon to death out Elaine's dismay.

"Good job. You and Elaine managed to defeat it... Now we..."

Diluc slowly got up his feet and congratulated them but Crepus nearly fell to the ground which Elaine caught her father in time with grim expression on her face that shooked the red-haired young man.

"Hey... Father?"

Tiny drops fell on their father's exhausted face but Elaine knew it wasn't as Crepus' body growing cold and placed one hand on her cheeks as she realized that she is the one who is crying with amount of guilt that was building inside her which Galahad saw that as her inner world started to rain.

'Am I... Crying? I am feeling devasted and sad...' Elaine thought as it was her first time that her heart was in pain and she couldn't take it anymore but to cry.

Shortly. The knights arrived that are companied by Kaeya who shouted at them, "We came to help! Are you Alright?!" Then he frozen as saw the Crepus dead body that Elaine was holding now alongside with Diluc who trembled.

They all had that thought: 'Why does this everything happening so fast... Why...? Why couldn't we do anything to stop it?'

'If only...' The gray-haired girl clenched her teeths in frustration.

"Father..."

"Papa..."

Rain started to pour it down as they lamented one who raised them passed away. The carriage was in bad condition, so all they can do was joining the knights as they leave this place.

'If only I can stop time... If only I can reverse time... If only I should stay with them at that time... Nothing could happen today...'

Elaine clenched her hands hard enough that she wounded herself and now understood that everything will come soon to the end. Those so-called Gods above her laughed at her mistake and misery.

Whatever tomorrow will come, the Demi-Servant must faced forward and break these hardships alone that are hidden in the storm.