Divine Favor

Reaching Kazuha just as the lightning fell, Allen was only able to react in one way, coating his swords in Cryo and swinging them with a cross at the approaching lightning.

"BURST!" Allen's swords started shining, preparing to release the energy within them.

*BOOOOOM* Allen's burst was unleashed just as Sara's was about to hit them, the resulting explosion stopping the lightning. However, Kazuha and especially Allen received the blunt strength of that explosion at close quarters, throwing them to the ground.

"Hg!" Allen groaned in pain, he had taken the worst part, greatly damaging his arms and even his Cool Steel broke in pieces, unable to withstand both bursts.

"We need to escape together" Kazuha helped Allen stand, pushing his back as they started running, each one with different reactions. Kazuha's eyes were fixed forward to their escape and Allen's eyes didn't leave Sara, clenching his sword in his right-hand while he waited for Sara to shot some arrows at them, but he found Sara immobile, not even preparing her bow.

"Stormcluster" Sara stated.

*Crrr* the residual lightning of the previous attack condensed over them, cracking loudly.

'The attack hadn't finished!' Allen discovered it too late as four new lightning pillars formed over their heats, falling over them.

'What can I do?' Seeing the lightning falling, Allen was out of options. The attack was too powerful to be stopped and he was unable to unleash his burst again, plus the imminent hit made it impossible to avoid it.

In that state, Allen pushed Kazuha away with his left hand while he lifted his sword with the right one, coating the sword with Cryo and facing the powerful lightning.

Why had he done that? Putting his life in line to protect Kazuha. It could be because he wanted for one of them to at least have an opportunity to escape, but the truth was it has been an unconscious movement. In that situation, with no options, Allen moved by instinct as those years back when they targeted his sister.

'I'm really weak against kids' Allen smiled for himself just as his sword met the lightning 'But at this point, I'll protect him!'

...

After the fall of the pawn, the Tsaritsa stayed immobile, her eyes fixed over the fallen pieces with her emotionless face while thinking the next action when suddenly she turned her face towards the south, her eyes shining brightly.

"Fighting, facing against the worst to protect" Then she turned around looking at the frozen girl inside the ice coffin "He had drawn himself, making the first step. It will be called..."

...

As the pillars of lightning clashed with his sword, Allen could feel little lightning passing over his sword, running over all his body and burning his inside just before it was to swallow him. But, suddenly a pillar of light pierced from over the sky, falling over Allen, showering with a blue pale light.

"Fighting, facing against the worst to protect" Allen could listen a whisper in his ears "Gladius Scutum."

*Bang* Sara's attack swallowed Allen, but strangely unlike before it didn't explode.

"It can't be" Sara's eyes went wide as she looked over the sky, an image of a sword standing over a shield formed by 6 stars with one shining brightly "A constellation!"

Sara knew full way what it was, it was the truly first and the considerated most difficult step towards godhood. It was Celestia giving their attention, favoring you with a new skill or boost of power. She had been 17 when she was able to obtain her first constellations and she was proclaimed a very rare genius. What could it be said about Allen, obtaining it at 13?

"Monster" Sara lowered her gaze looking at where her attack had impacted finding Allen standing with two floating ice swords surrounded by lightning.

For his part, Allen didn't waste the time being shocked. He looked at two ice swords floating around him that had absorbed and contained the lightning, protecting him and quickly acted taking advantage of Sara's shock.

Allen sheathed his sword with his right hand while with his left took a string, prepared inside his clothes. Allen's Vision shined as cryo formed from the air, creating an arc that clenched the string's extremes, creating a makeshift bow.

Allen held the bow with his left hand while taking the floating swords with his right, charging them over the bow as if they were arrows, Allen shotting the swords, both creating a different arc.

Recovering from the shock, Sara found one of the swords just beside her.

"This won't hit me!" Sara turned her wings, spinning her body, avoiding the sword trajectory, however, just as it passed next to her...

*Boom* The sword exploded unleashing the lightning within it, pushing her uncontrollably over the sky until she was finally able to stabilize.

"Thanks for your teachings, Sara!" Allen grinned as just in the place where she stopped it was at the trajectory of Allen's second shot. "Bull-eye!"

That was what Sara had taught Allen while they practiced the bow. Hitting a moving target was difficult, so the best was to guide it for it to take the arrow for itself. Of course, a shot like that, a double shot with different directions would have been usually impossible for Allen, but while in close range, Allen was able to have some control over them and he was able to decide when they exploded.

"Shit!" Sara covered with her wings, completely unable to avoid the second sword.

*Boom* The sword hit her wings, exploding and electrocuting her, causing her to lose consciousness and fall to the ground leaving a black trail.

'I'm at my limit' Allen fell over his right knee while panting exhausted. Forcing his senses to contemplate Tomoki's fight, unleashing his burst multiple times, receiving damage from it and even the new boost thanks to the constellation, he was too tired.

"Kazuha..." Allen found his body being lifted by him.

"I won't let you go. We will escape together!" Kazuha said with determination.

With Sara having fallen, the most dangerous chaser has disappeared so if Kazuha decided to escape now, there was an opportunity for him to escape from normal soldiers, but it would be impossible while taking Allen with him.

"Yes, we will" Allen answered, perfectly knowing Kazuha won't abandon him, no matter what he said. If one fall, the other will follow.

"Yes!" Kazuha smiled and just before him, a green light shined brightly, a green gemstone appearing. It was clear what it was, a Vision.

Kazuha took the Vision with left hand, the Vision started to shine bright as he tightly held Allen over his arm.

*Bang!* Kazuha kicked the ground, the wind bursting with force under him as he leaped through the air.

"It seems that the gods really like us" Allen hummed.

"STOP!" The soldiers shouted.

'We are now faster than them, but we still hadn't escaped' Allen thought 'Being unfamiliar with hhis Vision, Kazuha won't last long. We need to leave this place immediately. We can hid-' Allen thoughts broke, remembering Tomoki's letter.

"Go to the west!" Allen ordered Kazuha.

Kazuha looked at Allen in his arms confused but nevertheless, he changed their direction in the air, reaching the cliff.

"JUMP!" Allen shouted.

Kazuha made an unsure face. He had only one more leap and in that direction, there was only the ocean so it won't help much and if they were to fall to the ocean in their state, they will most probably drown...

'No' Kazuha quickly shook his head 'He had risked his own life to save me, the least I can do is trust him' Kazuha kicked the air one last time, jumping over the cliff, the vast ocean opening in front of them and under them, a warship.

Seeing the warship, Kazuha knew it was the only way, making his last leap, dashing over it, covering Allen with his body, protecting him.

*Bang* Kazuha and Allen clashed over the warship's deck "Hah!" Kazuha grunting due to the hit, hurting his body.

Kazuha looked at Allen who was fine, but their problems didn't end as they found themselves surrounded by more than a dozen people.

Looking at their clothes, it was clear that they were not part of Inazuma's army, resembling more pirates or mercenaries, making them no less dangerous in their situation.

"Please, save us!" Kazuha pleaded "We need to escape Inazuma" There was no other option, Kazuha needed their help and leave Inazuma, if they were negated, brought to Inazuma or abandoned, it was their end.

*Clak* *Clak* A loud steps resounded and the mercenaries surrounding Allen and Kazuha moved, clearing some space for a woman to enter.

The woman had long dark brown hair and her right eye was ruby colored while her left eye was kept covered by a red eyepatch. By the strong air around her and the reaction of the men, it was clear that she was the one in charge.

"Pleas-!" Kazuha tried to plead again but was cut by the woman.

"We were only expecting one package, but I suppose he paid enough for two" The woman said and drank some alcohol from a jar "Ah!" she shouted delighted by the drink "We'll bring you both to Liyue" She grinned "I am Beidou" She extended her arms "Welcome to the Alcor."