CHAPTER 6 : I COULD DO SO MUCH BETTER

After team three's long run around through the gigantic forest. The white-haired girl dropped on the ground, catching her breath and let an ash blond haired guy carry her. " Agghh.. How much farther.. ", Iris grunted, her muscles relaxed on Lyney's arms. The sun setted and the skies were drowned by clouds. The brightly lighted stars swam on the night sky, the moon leading it's armies of beauties. " かわいい.. ( Pretty.. ) ", Iris muttered as she noticed how exquisite the night was under the trees. " あなたの瞳はどの銀河を合わせたよりも美しいです,プリンセス.. ( Your eyes are prettier than any galaxies combined, Princess. ) ", Iris's eyes shifted on Lyney's, the two stared each other longingly yet eventually the romantic scenery was shuttted down by a certain egoist.

" Get a room. ", Scaramouche landed next to Lyney who dropped Iris out of shock. " Aw!. ", Iris stood up with her hands on her back. " Ah.. sorry, sorry! Also.. I didn't know you could speak japanese? ", Lyney asked in amusement, before the conversation went on further, Scaramouche had butted in. " Iris, make yourself useful and get us some tree branches to light up. Just stay around near this place. Me and Lyney will hunt for food. ", Iris and Lyney couldn't object as he started to move on his own. " Here's a reminder so you won't get lost. ", Iris looked down at Lyney who knelt down and dug the ground. Lyney put a small rose on the ground, he lifted his head and smiled at the heated up Iris. " Tha-thank you.. ", " Well, I'm gonna get going! "

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' Dark. Darkness looms over me. Chained from behind my trophies. I'm someone who doesn't really need to do my best. I just put a little effort and I erased everyone's achievements. I'm perfect. But why? '

' The way Xiao moves with no emotions on his eyes, mindlessly and carelessly slashing towards his friend, Scara. And that's where I couldn't do anything, a pierce that goes through Scara's body yet I'm the one that felt the extreme pain. '

" No! ", I shot up. " Iris? ",

" Hey, Iris? ", ' everythings a blur. I can't feel myself. I can't control the way I breathe. All I could picture was his face. He was monstrous. In that dream, he didn't really stab Scara, he was coming after me. '

" Iris! ", a pair of hands held me tightly on the shoulders and I stared at his indigo eyes.

" What's wrong? ", he asked firmly, I looked down at my arms. " I-I.. just had a bad dream.. ", I heard him sighed, like what Xiao did before. Scara held my head with one arm and his other arm on my back. " We're here. ", his voice was comforting. Although, he sounds forced to comfort me. I pushed him away, " Don't force yourself. It's nothing, really. ", and here I thought that I'll be someone special here, too. ' But what if I'm not? What if in this world.. what if they're not like the genshin impact characters?.. There's similarities but what if I actually get killed!? I don't want that painful sorta death! '

" Hey, hey. Let's get moving. ", Lyney lifted me up. " Strain your mind once you're on the battlefield. While you were fast asleep. Scara found some leads. ", Lyney informed me. I nodded and looked at Scara who folded his arms. A favourite pose, I presume. " Are you okay now? Crybaby. ", I playfully smacked him on the head. " ばか ( Idiot ), I'm ready. ", I smiled and as usual, his answer was to glare at me as if his gaze could kill me. " They're near. Get in your places. ", Scaramouche ordered.

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Scaramouche were faster than them and parkoured from tree branches to tree branches. On the contrary, Lyney matched his speed to Iris, who was surprisingly fast. " Don't underestimate me, Lyney. I won first place in sprinting. ", Iris boasted and sped her way to the direction that the egoistic anemo boy was taking them. Lyney was left to dust yet was able to catch up when they hitched a stop.

" Why did — ", Iris covered Lyney's mouth and pulled him behind the tree with her. The two peeked over and both of their eyes widened. Their eyes captured a tanned skin student with medium length grey hair, unconscious on the grassy field while another student, a slender young man with ashy light blond hair, had a bleeding head. Lyney's eyes was fixated on the two yet Iris's focus was on Xiao. He held his head high with his glowing Primordial Jade Winged Spear on his arm, ready to slash towards a cowering young and short girl. ' No. This is too much. But.. this is where I can prove I'm something! I should be on top like how it's always been. Try a little harder, just a little bit. ' Iris summoned her dull sword and rushed at the scene with immense speed.

" Xiao, you're going to— ", a clang and scraped of metal boomed the area that might have awoken him. " Iris? ", he muttered and smirked as he saw how the freshman struggled under him. " I was holding back, Yanfei. They're not in a critical condition and Albedo's in that condition because of her. ", Xiao peered over the young woman who struggled to keep her stance as he put a bit more of his strength on his spear. " I'm surprised you can hold your stance. Let me handle this. ", Xiao uttered and with a single swing of his spear, Iris dropped on the ground and her dull sword flew on the other side. She looked up at him, envy and jealousy steaming inside her. ' Why do you..why are you like this? Holding back? You're not even trying the way your arms slumped when I fell. This is so belittling. Is this how most of my friends felt, too? That's why they left? '

A hat was thrown between Xiao and Iris, the small minty-haired woman took advantage of their puzzlement and ran towards her two teammates. She smashed a small bottle on the ground and the three dispersed into thin air. " Xiao! ", Lumine yelled, all of them were surprised when Lyney hopped out of the hat and kicked Xiao in the face. Xiao was pushed back and Lyney's hat disappeared. He lifted Iris up and bowed as if he's bowing to nobles of the land. " My opening act is perfect, it seems. The puzzled and shockness written on your faces shouldn't be written yet. Let's get started on the main act of Team Three's show! ", the magician held his hand high. The pyro adepti laughed, " Let the games begin then. ", Lumine smirked. Yanfei took a step back and started to shoot medium-sized fireballs by the use of her palm towards Lyney and Iris.

Lyney scooped Iris and dodged magnificently. He held Iris with a gentle touch and his dodges were swift and precise. Xiao bent his left foot backward and his right foot slightly bent forward, he rushed through forward. He was stopped by a sudden windblade attack from above, he dodged it by a flip and landed next to Lumine. Iris let Lyney drop her, she summoned her dull sword on her hand with ease this time. Her mind echoes thoughts that she shouldn't do hard work in this world either. Her thoughts scream she's special, she'll make herself an mc, she'll unlock her great power by a desperate situation. ' I said I won't try too hard, but why do I want to beat Xiao up? After the moment we had, why does he seem so different? '

In a sudden move, Yanfei dashed on Lyney and flames bursted beneath them. Lyney dodged on time yet Iris had a small burn on her right elbow, " Damn. ", is what she can utter. Lumine rushed towards Lyney, a two-on-one currently happening as Lumine and Yanfei focused on Lyney. ' Why isn't anyone caring about me..? ' Iris thought as she gazed towards Xiao who had found Scaramouche. The hidden anemo student had no choice but to drop down and fight the yaksha who went out of control earlier.

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" Are you serious..? ", I muttered to myself as I looked up at the bright sky. ' What if it was just luck? What if.. I'm not like them here. Ah.. Iris, I thought you wanted to be looked up to and do whatever the hell you want like in your past. But, it's not that way isn't it? Everyone is towering over you. ' My gaze dropped on Scaramouche and Xiao. Scara got too cocky and focused too much on Xiao that he forgot this is a team versus team. He got distracted by Yanfei's fireball and also twisted his ankle, he fell on the ground. ' Should I try harder?.. But.. trying harder would hurt me more. I shouldn't try harder. My parents made me special. '

" Iris! ", ' should you even help? why does everything seem like it's in slow motion? ' Xiao was supposed to knock Scaramouche down, he was surrounded by Xiao and Yanfei. He carelessly used his mana up because he was probably pissed at how useless I'am or how he got tricked. Even if he tried to do something, Lumine and Xiao are stronger than us. ' Should I really keep on thinking I'm special? My parents were just rich and all I knew was basic crap. I'm not special, but maybe I'll give this life a chance where I'll try to do my best. He's not here. I have no one to disappoint. '

" Xiao! I know what you are too! ", I suddenly yelled. Without hesitation, I summoned my dull blade again and rushed towards the scene. An excitement and powerful sensation ran through my veins.

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Eyes widened. Everyone was shocked by the sudden change of the wind's direction. Iris's dull blade glowed slightly of purple, and purple lightning reappeared and appeared around her blade. " You don't know me, Xiao! But I know you! ", her voice echoed through the forest and Xiao was pushed far away by the sudden strength Iris got. ' Who cares if I can't be like them? I have all the time in this world to surpass them. ' A vision floated down in front of Iris, yet her eyes focused on Xiao who had slightly burnt marks on his fingers from Iris's sword. A smirk was on her face and she grabbed her vision the way Scaramouche accepted his anemo vision in the game. " Looks like this is the main act. ", Iris looked behind her and threw her dull blade at where Yanfei was. Yanfei dodged.

" LYNEY! LET'S GO! ", Iris attempted to carry Scara on his back but she couldn't.

" You're not going anywhere, Iris. "

CLANG! SWISH!

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