Evening, Liyue, in the mountains.
A figure raced through the forest at astonishing speed, a fierce wind whipping through the trees in his wake.
Soon, he spotted a group of people surrounded by a large pack of Hilichurls.
The mortals stood tense, weapons drawn, bracing themselves against the encroaching threat.
Boom!
A sudden explosion rocked the air, thick smoke billowing outward.
The startling blast sent shockwaves through the crowd, leaving them shaken and panicked.
From within the smoke, a shadow slowly rose.
The Hilichurls and the mortals all held their ground, wary of whatever had emerged. No one could tell if the figure was friend or foe.
As the smoke cleared, a young man with green hair, a clear face, and a long spear stepped into view.
At once, the mortals exhaled in relief, smiles breaking out across their faces.
The Hilichurls remained alert, chattering in their unique tongue, seemingly discussing what to do.
Then, as if they could sense Xiao's overwhelming presence, the Hilichurls all turned their focus on him alone.
But no matter how vigilant they were—it was useless.
In an instant, Xiao became the wind itself, tearing through the Hilichurls like a storm.
Within moments, the dozens of Hilichurls were all slain—none survived.
The onlookers stood frozen in awe, eyes wide in disbelief.
"Amazing… so powerful!"
"My god… is this the power of Adeptus Xiao…? Unbelievable!"
"I've heard the rumors—that in times of danger, you can call upon an Adeptus in Liyue. I never thought I'd see it with my own eyes!"
"Liyue is so lucky to have someone like him!"
"Adeptus Xiao, we're merchants from Inazuma. Thank you for saving our lives."
The mortals dropped to their knees in reverence before Xiao.
Xiao gave a small smile. "It's nothing. Night's coming soon—leave the forest quickly and stay safe."
"Yes, of course! We'll go right away. Thank you, Adeptus Xiao!"
They obediently resumed their journey.
"If you encounter trouble in Liyue—call my name," Xiao said softly as he watched them leave.
"Thank you for the warning, Adeptus Xiao. We'll be careful…" they called out, waving farewell.
...
Since Elliot's departure, Xiao's reputation had grown explosively, and though he had become increasingly busy, he didn't mind.
By now, tales of him had spread to Mondstadt and Inazuma.
More and more people had heard of the green-haired youth who carried a long spear—the one known as Xiao, guardian of Liyue.
Whenever there was trouble, all one had to do was call his name, and he would appear to solve it.
He had saved so many that people no longer looked at him with fear.
There was a time when even after saving someone, Xiao would be met with frightened stares. Hearing a simple "thank you" was nearly impossible.
But now, everything had changed.
Mortals respected him deeply. His presence and influence surpassed even the other Adepti.
Though... not everyone was pleased by this.
Once upon a time, mothers could scare their children with, "Go to bed, or the demons will come and take you."
It always worked.
But now?
"Not true! Adeptus Xiao will protect us!"
That was what kids said now.
Hearing this, the mothers would always pause—then scramble to come up with a new way to get their children to sleep.
...
Xiao had also learned to gauge the urgency in the calls for help.
Otherwise, he'd be overwhelmed.
There were always children who wanted to play with him—or just see him.
But Xiao fought demons every day, and the karmic energy clinging to him wasn't something he wanted near children. So unless the calls were truly urgent, he wouldn't respond.
"It's time to head back."
Watching the sun set and the sky grow darker, Xiao turned and made his way back.
Back to the forest with the densest evil presence.
Back to where Elliot was buried.
Before meeting Elliot, Xiao had hated this place.
This forest was always the most infested with demons. Whenever he entered it, the karmic burden in his body would flare violently, sometimes even causing erosion.
But after laying Elliot to rest here, the forest no longer felt cursed. It had become home—a place filled with a familiar warmth.
...
As evil spirits surged once again, Xiao raised his spear and dove into battle.
He fought through the entire night.
By dawn, the malevolent forces had dissipated.
Xiao leaned against Elliot's grave, staring in the direction of the rising sun.
"I wish we could spar again..." he whispered, closing his eyes.
...
"I do too."
A familiar voice echoed in his mind. Xiao's eyes snapped open.
He stared at the hazy figure—eyes widening.
As the form came into focus, he realized it wasn't Elliot—it was Zhongli.
But he was certain… he had heard Elliot's voice.
…Maybe it was just a hallucination.
Thinking this, Xiao rose to his feet.
"Lord Zhongli. What brings you here?"
"I brought something for you."
Zhongli handed him two bowls of almond tofu.
"Give me a moment."
Xiao didn't take them right away. Instead, he knelt and carefully wiped down Elliot's grave. Only then did he accept the bowls.
He gently placed one before the grave, then sat back against the headstone with his own and began to eat.
"Even now, you still treat him with such care," Zhongli said quietly.
At those words, Xiao paused.
Had that much time really passed?
Why did it feel like it had just happened yesterday?
Even now, he could still remember Elliot's annoying face.
...
"Don't worry, I'm strong. You won't get caught in the crossfire."
...
"You're not gonna bail on me, are you? No way! Don't go soft on me!"
"Pull yourself together!"
"A real man doesn't say he can't! Are you a man or not?! Come on, fight me three thousand rounds!"
...
"I was 0.2 seconds behind you."
"The grass here is taller than the grass on your side."
"Bullshit."
...
"If you can do it, why can't I? What, you think I'm not good enough?"
...
"You like almond tofu too?"
"I've never tried it."
"Then why'd you order it?"
"To get close to you. Heard you liked it. I figured if I ate it too, we'd have something to talk about."
...
"I even left one for you—so you wouldn't feel too crushed."
"I'm the ultimate, unbeatable, snake-skinned good guy."
...
"With our short human lives, in your timeline, we're probably not even a ripple in the stream."
...
"Take a good look. He's the Great Yaksha—Xiao. You called him here."
"He didn't even finish his meal. He came running to save you. And you look at him like that?"
"What are you afraid of, huh?! Your savior?!"
"Look at him, damn it!"
...
"Adepti answer all calls and expect nothing in return."
"Don't give me that crap. I'm telling you, the only difference between an Adeptus and a mortal is the lifespan. That's it. You save people and they still look at you with fear in their eyes—how could that not sting? Nobody buys that 'no emotions' crap."
"I'm used to it."
"Well, from now on, I'm coming with you to save people. I wanna see who dares to give you that look again—I'll rip their damn eyes out."
...
"Why are you looking at me like that? I told you—I'm not into guys. Quit giving me that creepy stare."
...
"Kill me."
...
"Stop crying. You look hideous."
...
"Smile when you see me off. I don't like sad endings."
"Bury me in the usual spot. Drop by when you've got time."
...
He smiled—and a tear fell into the bowl of almond tofu.
A soft breeze rustled the leaves. The swaying branches whispered in the wind. The air smelled of grass—fresh and peaceful.
The sunlight bathed the forest in a warm, gentle glow.
"It's autumn..." Xiao looked up slightly and murmured.
After all, it was on an autumn night that they had first met.
...