Genshin Impact: A Fool

By the end of the second year, Heins once again sparred with Skirk.

Skirk's purple eyes narrowed as she beheld the transformation in Heins before her. Gone was the hesitant, struggling boy she had first taken under her wing.

In his place stood a man, tall and muscular, his crimson eyes blazing with a cold, focused intensity that she had never seen before.

As they clashed and sparred, Skirk could feel the difference in Heins's attacks. Gone were the wild, desperate swings of a year ago.

Now, his strikes were precise, calculated, and filled with a murderous intent that threatened to consume all in its path. It was as if Heins had finally embraced the darkness within himself, had learned to wield it like a weapon rather than being consumed by it.

Skirk parried and countered, her ethereal form a blur of silver and steel as she matched Heins blow for blow. She could feel the ground trembling beneath their feet, the very air crackling with the power of their exchange.

It was a dance of death, a deadly ballet that would have left lesser warriors shattered and broken.

But Skirk was not a lesser warrior, and neither was Heins. They were two titans, two forces of nature, locked in a battle that would decide the fate of all that they held dear. And as they fought, Skirk knew that Heins had taken a crucial step in his journey.

He had mastered his power, had learned to control the Red Blood Electro that had once threatened to consume him. It was a feat that few could claim, a testament to the strength and willpower that lay at the core of Heins's being.

As the battle raged on, Skirk found herself feeling a sense of pride, a fierce and burning joy she herself did not realize at the sight of the man that Heins had become.

He was no longer the oblivious boy she had found in the depths of the Abyss. He had became a somewhat qualified warrior, a champion, forged in the fires of adversity and tempered by the trials he had faced.

And as the splendorous sky casted its shy light, casting a warm, ethereal glow over the battered and bloodied ground, Skirk knew that Heins was ready, but not quite yet.

With a final, devastating blow, Skirk stood tall over the panting Heins, her chest heaving slightly and her weapon lowered. She had pushed him to the brink, had tested the very limits of his power and skill.

And as she stood there, locked in a moment of silent communion, Skirk knew that Heins had earned her approval, the prerequisites she had set for him to achieve by the end of the second year.

"Well done," she said, her voice a low, resonant murmur. It was a rare compliment from the normally stoic and unyielding Skirk, and Heins knew that he had earned it through the sheer force of his determination and the countless hours he had spent honing his craft.

This time, he held on for a day and a half.

Heins met her gaze, his crimson eyes still blazing with the heat of their battle. "Thank you,"

As he watched Skirk coldly turned around and left, he pondered deeply.

Heins understood that Skirk stopped the match because if she went further, it would no longer be a mere spar. It would turn into a fierce battle. And Heins... Was still not qualified to force her to reveal a part of her true power.

He still had a long way to go. And by the time he left the Abyss, it would most definitely be impossible for him to match her. However, an insurmountable wall often become the greatest trial, a trial that if conquered, would prove one of their strength.

Heins put a hand on his chest, feeling how his heart beat with excitement. He couldn't wait for the day when he could fight her in an equal footing, same with how he always wished to be strong enough to be with his Mistress.

He smiled as he looked upward, looking at the blank canvas of indigo and mystic blue that is the Abyss's sky. He grasped his sword and swung it.

There's no time to waste. He must continue his training.

Heins sighed as he once again burst out in a cacophony of crimson thunderous currents of the Red Blood Electro covering his visage, his charcoal hair and crimson eyes striking and menacing. He performed the same moves taught by Skirk, perfecting and honing his muscle memory.

The deadline of three years was close, and he could feel as his heart beats in fierce longing for his Mistress. He will apologize and he would follow every of her demands in order to receive her forgiveness.

Heins chuckled wryly. He felt never-ending guilt by leaving her behind, but he never regretted what he did to save Mondstadt.

Thus, the day continued. Until the day of divergence come when he will leave the Abyss.

As the days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months, Heins threw himself into his training with a fervor bordering on obsession.

He awakened each day, his heart already pounding with anticipation. The Abyss was his world, its dark expanse his classroom, and Skirk his stern, unyielding teacher.

Heins pushed his body to its limits and beyond, honing every muscle, every reflex.

He practiced the forms Skirk had taught him until they became second nature, until he could perform them in his sleep.

The crimson currents of his Red Blood Electro danced around him as he moved, a terrifying and beautiful sight.

But it wasn't just his physical prowess that Heins sought to improve. He delved deep into the mysteries of his Vision, learning to wield it with precision and control.

He discovered new ways to channel his power, to shape it to his will. The Abyss became his laboratory, a place for him to experiment and innovate.

As the deadline of three years drew closer, Heins felt a growing sense of urgency. He knew that when he returned to the world above, he would need to be at the pinnacle of his power.

He would need to be worthy of standing before his Mistress, of earning her forgiveness.

So Heins trained with a single-minded intensity, driven by a desire to prove himself and a longing to be reunited with Arlecchino.

He envisioned her face in the swirling mists of the Abyss, her voice echoing in the depths of his mind. It was a motivation and a punishment, a reward and a torment.

The deadline loomed, but Heins never lost sight of his ultimate goal. He would become strong enough, not just for himself, but for her. He would be the sword that Arlecchino needed, the weapon to strike down any who dared to oppose her.

With each passing day, Heins grew stronger, honing his skills and his resolve. The Abyss bore witness to his transformation, the dark depths reflecting the fiery determination in his crimson eyes.

With a heart full of anticipation and a body honed for battle, Heins looked to the future, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. He would make things right with Arlecchino, no matter the cost. He would be the sword she needed, the loyal and devoted servant she deserved.

The Abyss had made Heins into a weapon, and he would not hesitate to use himself to defend his Mistress and the Fatui. For Heins, there was no greater purpose, no higher calling than to stand at Arlecchino's side and be her blade in the dark.

The Abyss was as still as the strongest fortress, its indigo, mystical sky and blue, shimmering ground became the things Heins saw every single day. There's no sun or moon, only the blank expanse of canvas that held such a strange beauty.

Heins ate the bland, nutritious food Skirk got from somewhere everyday for three years straight, though admittedly his sense of time here dulled, since there was no threshold he could use to decide it. It was only because Miss Skirk always kept him in check of time that he was still aware of its flow.

Half a year from the deadline, Miss Skirk finally gave him the new clothes. It was a simple pair of smooth black trousers, a matching shining belt, a handsome black shirt with high collars and a silver tie. Heins turned puzzled when he saw the formal clothes, but under Skirk's silent and boring violet eyes, he had no choice but to wear it.

Well, it looked very handsome, so he had no complaint whatsoever. The pair of trousers was also very flexible, serving no blockage to his fighting style.

Thus, before the day Heins left the Abyss, he once again stood before Skirk. The three years transformation... Was surreal.

Heins is now 14 years old. His angular handsome face looked striking with his icy crimson eye and charcoal lock stirring on his forehead. His chest muscle was showcased through the unbuttoned part of his black shirt, with its long sleeves hugging his strong, compact arm muscles.

His legs were cladded in black trousers, secured by a shiny silver belt that held the sheath of his sword. Skirk couldn't help but appreciate him. In her opinion, although she was cold and indifferent, Heins looked quite good.

His form showcased strength, agility, purpose, and also charm. As an opposite sex, Skirk held no adversion to reject this notion, though it stirred nothing within her. She had long abandoned such a mundane thought.

"Ready?" As always, she delivered her words so concisely and precisely, not intending to waste even a single word.

Heins nodded, and then, he disappeared. Skirk also disappeared. Then, they met in the middle, a crimson beam of Heins's Red Blood Electro and a silver flash of Skirk's splendorous silver hair grinding.

Heins now held a confident smile, not out of arrogance, but out of contentment. Skirk remained cold, but her eyes held a look of approval.

Their swords danced in a deadly performance as the sparks flew each time an exchange was made. As if a consensus was made, they played with their swordplay, with Heins using forms taught by Skirk while Skirk herself used the same. They sparred fast and intense yet graceful and calm in a controlled sense of pace.

Gone was the murderous Heins three years ago. Now, Heins became graceful, but it was even more dangerous, since his killing intent was hidden until he decides to reveal it. Red Blood Electro danced around him as he countered a sweep from Skirk, holding it off with his sword's guard as he performed a quick thrust.

It was not a savage battle, but a controlled spar.

The sparks from their clashing blades painted a mesmerizing dance in the air, the crimson and silver hues intertwining like a deadly ballet. Heins moved with a grace and precision that belied his youth, each step and strike calculated and purposeful. His charcoal locks swayed with each parry and thrust, the icy crimson of his eyes glinting with a newfound intensity.

Skirk watched him with her usual cold indifference, but there was a flicker of something else in her purple gaze - a glimmer of approval, a hint of respect for the young man Heins had become. Her silver hair whipped around her as she matched him strike for strike, their swords singing a symphony of steel and sparks.

They danced around the glimmering expanse, leaving a trail of electro-infused light in their wake. Heins's Red Blood Electro crackled and snapped, a testament to his mastery over the element. It was a far cry from the wild, untamed power he had wielded three years prior. Now, it was a weapon, honed and controlled, an extension of his will.

As they fought, Heins couldn't help but reflect on the journey that had brought him to this moment. The countless hours of training, the grueling physical and mental trials, the solitude of the Abyss - it had all led to this. He had emerged tempered and forged, a blade honed on the whetstone of adversity.

Skirk, for her part, watched him with a critical eye. She had seen potential in him from the beginning, a spark of greatness that needed only to be nurtured and guided.

And guide him she had, with a firm hand and unyielding patience. She had taken a boy on the cusp of manhood and molded him into a warrior, a hero in the making.

As the sparring match reached its crescendo, Heins and Skirk stood facing each other, blades crossed, chests heaving with exertion. A sheen of sweat glistened on Heins's brow, his shirt clinging to the lean muscles of his chest and arms. His trousers, though black, seemed to shimmer with the reflection of his electro-infused aura.

"Well done," Skirk said, her voice as cool and precise as ever. "More than expected. Good."

Heins smiled, a confident and contented smile, not one of arrogance or boastfulness. "I couldn't have done it without you, Miss Skirk. Thank you for everything."

Skirk inclined her head slightly, a rare gesture of acknowledgment from the normally stoic woman. "You are ready now."

With that, she stepped back, lowering her blade. Heins did the same, the crimson light of his Electro fading from his eyes. The sparks dissipated, the dance of their duel coming to an end.

But as they stood there, amidst the stillness of the Abyss, they both knew that this was not an ending, but a beginning. A beginning of a new chapter, a new adventure.

And Heins, the once lost and angry boy, now stood tall and proud, ready to face whatever challenges the world of Teyvat had in store for him. With Skirk's guidance and his own unyielding determination, he would forge his own path, a warrior in his own right.

Thus, a day had passed, and now, Heins stood before Skirk. His crimson eyes, shimmered with longing and guilt for his wronged Mistress, looked down on Skirk's violet ones. His height was something he always felt incredulous about. Just a 14 years old boy, yet even his tall Mistress could only reached his ears now.

As he stood there, he began, his voice low and deep, "Miss Skirk, I... Enjoyed my time with you thoroughly. I once thought that when the abyssal core swallowed me back in that ruin, it was meant to be a dreadful fate. What I had not expected, however, was my meeting with you. You brought me unbelievable changes, one that I cannot thank you enough."

Heins's crimson eyes softened, an expression he only showed to those who he trusted, "One day, when I am strong enough, I will force my way through to arrive within this expanse and ask you of your objective. That day, I hope I could help you with your goal. I will lend you my strength."

Skirk stayed silent, her only response was the soft nods each time he finished. At the end, she hesitated for a moment, but she ultimately push through. She asked in a low tone, her words finally not just few but plenty, "Why don't you... Acknowledged me as your teacher? I could teach you a technique..."

Heins blinked, realizing that the cold and distant Miss Skirk finally said more than a few words. However, as he heard her request, he merely showed a saddened smile, "Miss, the fact that my Mistress heard the news of my death which was caused not for her but for others was bad enough. If she found out that instead of dying, I actually accepted a new master, who knows how she would react? If I did so, I simply cannot forgive myself."

Skirk did not react, she just turned her back on him and waved her hands. As she did so, a small spatial crack appeared, revealing the world of Teyvat. Heins slowly walked into it, but not before facing the ethereal beauty that is Skirk and bowed deeply, "Thank you. Thank you for everything, Miss Skirk."

She stared at his wide back as he disappeared in the spatial crack. After Heins was gone, Skirk finally showed a look of dissatisfaction, as if she was not pleased by his words, "Fool's Mistress... I want to see just how great she was for him to reject my offer." With a soft, quiet 'hmph', she turned around, her silver hair swayed as she disappeared into the folds of the mystical Abyss with a violet trail.

An: It's quite short. Even I was disappointed by myself. The good part is, the story finally reached 100k words! Whoo! Anyway, I intend to make him as a character of Genshin Impact, so the main plot of the game would still continue nine years later (When the Traveler wake up. It will be Aether. No, I would not let Heins tap Lumine).

Genshin is not a bad game, but not a good one either. However, I absolutely love the lore (Aside from the same lines and story for the male and female main characters, which is complete bullshit. Now I can't witness Aether tapping those chicks, since if he did, I'd have to witness the sheer awkwardness of when Lumine would do the same thing. A severe disadvantage for games with male/female main character, gotta keep what they call 'neutral'. I know you're freaky, but not me. I just want wholesome and casual shits.) hence why I keep writing despite not being a gamer myself.

Just a ramble to celebrate 100k words.