"System…"
"Yes, dear?~"
"…"
Inside the system's space, something rather unbelievable was unfolding.
The mysterious black-haired woman from Mondstadt—the one even Diluc couldn't properly perceive—now stood face-to-face with Etoma.
"Why did you lie to them?" Etoma asked, her gaze flat and unamused.
"What do you mean? I worked so hard to gather points for you, you know~ Shouldn't I be rewarded instead?" The woman—System—tilted her head, clutching her cheek as if savoring imaginary praise.
Etoma didn't react.
"Sigh… I did rest at that abandoned market. Until that part, it was true. But being chased by Treasure Hoarders? I didn't even step out of the stall!"
"Hehe~ A little lie won't hurt. It's all for a better future." System smiled, cheeks faintly flushed.
Smack.
"Hyan~"
Etoma's hand recoiled from System's chest.
"Y-you big breasted woman! why do you even make your avatar big breasted? are you mocking me?!"
"N-no, Master… this is actually my true form…" System replied, breath unsteady, face reddening further.
"Stop lying!"
Smack.
"Anh~"
"Kgh—!" Etoma froze, her own face heating up as realization hit her.
Her eyes is full of envy!
"And another thing—why are you calling me 'Master'? Didn't you say you had no emotions? Where are those stiff, floating text panels?!"
Her hand struck again, more out of fluster than intent.
"M-Master… more…"
"Y-YOU!"
The absurd exchange continued until Etoma finally groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Whatever. I'm done. I'm ignoring this."
"Ehem~" System straightened her robe and brushed back her messy hair. "Anyway, Master, I'll be counting on you for the next part."
"Huh? I have a role in this?" Etoma tilted her head.
"Of course. A story can't exist without its protagonist~"
"B-but… it's my first time acting… I don't know if I can do it…" Etoma murmured, fidgeting with her fingers.
"Fufu~ Master is so cute~" System sighed dreamily, resting her cheek on her palm.
Etoma pouted.
System suddenly grabbed her shoulders.
"Believe me!"
"H-huh?" Etoma startled.
"Look into my eyes—the eyes that believe in you!"
"…Your bangs are covering them."
"…" System was silent for a moment.
"Believe in me who believes in you!" She changed her phrase.
"…"
"…"
Silence lingered.
"…Fine. I'll try." Etoma said shyly.
System smiled brightly.
"Then I wish you luck, Master. Ah, don't worry—you won't feel any pain, so make it as gut-wrenching as possible!"
"…I'll do what I can. Just send me already." Etoma crossed her arms.
"Alright~ See you later, Master."
"…Mm."
.
.
In Teyvat, two invisible pillars of white light descended from the sky.
One pierced down toward a sealed cave in Mondstadt.
The other fell somewhere far beyond sight.
Inside the cave
Etoma stirred.
"Yawn… Ugh, why does this body feel so stiff…" she muttered, pushing herself upright.
"…Hmm." She paused, eyes narrowing in thought.
"So this is what it feels like controlling two bodies… It's… fascinating."
She glanced around.
"And this vision… another system ability? I can see perfectly in the dark…"
She explored briefly, her footsteps echoing faintly against stone. After a few minutes, she returned to her original spot and sat down.
"…Guess I'll wait."
.
.
Somewhere far
The second pillar faded. From within it, a figure emerged. A black-robed entity, masked.
The robe hung loosely—more like a hood and cape—revealing a muscular frame clad in black-and-yellow patterned armor stretching to its feet. Its mask bore a sharp, skull-like design in yellow.
"…Now then. Where am I…" Its voice was deep, slightly echoing.
An existence cloaked in mystery. A presence that demanded attention—
"DAMN, I'M SO COOL!" The figure bounced in place.
"What is this mask?! What is this body?! It's all screaming 'I'm amazing!' Kyaa~!!"
The contrast was… unsettling. Bouncing around happily with its hand flailing around... someone would probably disturbed by it. From its antics, one thing became clear:
This "mysterious entity"… was Etoma's second body.
"W-wait—! Ahem!" Instantly, it straightened.
Cool. Composed. It extended a hand slowly.
"…Witness your end—no… that's cliché."
It retracted it, scratching its head.
"…I am the storm that—ugh, too much."
"…Before me, all shall—why does that sound stupid?"
"…'Kneel before—' no. Absolutely not."
Minutes passed like this. Trial. Error. Cringe.
Then—
Silence.
The figure stood still. Its hand rose once more. This time, no theatrics. No hesitation. A single word:
"…Fall."
A blinding bolt of yellow lightning tore through the air.
BOOM—!!*
Electricity crackled, scorching the ground.
The entity stared, jaw dropped.
"…Am I… this strong…?"
.
.
Back in the system's space
The long-haired woman calmly sipped her tea, setting the cup down with a soft clink. A quiet giggle slipped past her lips.
"Master…" She rose, drifting toward the massive projection.
It showed Etoma—alone in the cave—muttering edgy heroic lines to herself.
A soft laugh escaped her.
Her fingers brushed against the image, tracing the outline of Etoma's face. Slowly, she leaned in, resting her cheek against it as if it were something real.
"Ahh… how cute~ my Master…" Her voice melted—gentle, adoring… possessive.
Silence followed. Then—
"The moment you cried…" she whispered, "no one came."
Her fingers pressed lightly against the projection.
"The moment you were hurt… no one came."
Her voice thinned.
"And when you needed someone to lean on…"
A pause.
"…there was never anyone."
Her bangs shifted. Just enough for one eye became visible—
Wide. Unblinking.
"This world…" she murmured, almost thoughtfully, "is far too unworthy to hold something as precious as you. So I'll show them… what it means to lose it."
"And no matter what they say... I won't give you back."
Then—
Like nothing had happened—
Her expression bloomed into a bright, cheerful smile.
"So don't worry, master."
She pulled away from the projection.
"From now on, I will always be by your side, and won't let anyone ever hurt you again."
"After all… you are my beloved Master."
Her lips curved into a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"…Right?"
"Master~♡"
She walked away, giggling once more—light, melodic… and wrong.
"I wonder… what kind of change you'll bring to this world."
Her gaze lingered on the projection.
"I truly can't wait."
.
The scene shifted.
A group dashed toward a cave—their speed unnatural, urgency unmistakable.
Then—
A man listening quietly to stories in a teahouse.
A noblewoman hiding her thoughts behind a fan as she heard a report.
A god, dreaming within a cage.
A performer basking under stage lights.
A harbinger carrying out her duties in house of hearth.
In this calm weather, what kind of storm will approach?
That's for the later story
But for now, we all know certainly that Mondstadt...
Will be the first to pay the price.
.
.
A/N: I currently hasn't decided which natlan char will suffer and nodkrai and snezhnaya