My Time in Teyvat [Tales of Luna, Book 2]

Chapter 41 - In the Den

Beads of sweat lined up on Yuji's forehead, she swallowed hard as she felt the weight of her sweat-damp hair.

I'm not sure how much longer I can take this.

Yuji was trying her best, but she wondered if her best was even good enough anymore.

All that power I thought I had, useless.

She used all of the strength she had to look away, but whatever spell the witches had cast on her, she didn't seem to be able to move at all.

"K- Kuni." Yuji strained herself to be able to speak. "I- I don't think I can hold on much longer."

"Do you have to do this every day? For every meal?" Scaramouche asked as he lifted a teacup to his lips. "You literally give in every time."

"Ugh! I can't!" Yuji said as she grabbed the nearest sakura mochi and stuffed her mouth with it before speaking with her mouth full. "Don't think I'm giving in to the enemy though, I'm giving in to my weakness, it's different. We will still have our revenge, I promise."

"I'm the one that wants revenge." Scaramouche said after a brief sip of his tea. "Raiden Shogun has been nothing but hospitable and kind to you. I understand if you are feeling unsure about your promise to help me get my revenge."

"A promise is a promise!" Yuji said as she put another mochi into her mouth. "These are so good, though."

Scaramouche smiled as he watched her eat.

"Don't strain yourself so much." He said as he set down his tea cup. "If Raiden Shogun wanted to kill us, she could easily have done so already."

"So you are saying she wants something, huh?" Yuji said as she narrowed her eyes, before popping yet another mochi into her mouth.

"Don't eat so fast, you will get hiccups again." He said as he filled the teacup in front of her. "She claims she wants to connect with her creations, to make a connection with us. And so far, it seems she has been trying to do just that."

Yuji stopped chewing.

"You really think she created me too?" Yuji asked. It had been over a week since Raiden Shogun had taken them into her palace after which she dropped the bomb of claiming that she was Yuji's creator. But Yuji still couldn't get used to any of it. "Why would she come for us only now? After all this time, what changed?"

"I'm not sure, but I assume it has to do with you." He said, looking pensive. "She never showed an ounce of interest in me until we paired up."

Yuji leaned over and pat him on the head.

"Well, I think you are very interesting." She said before quickly grabbing one last mochi that was near Scaramouche.

"Thanks." He smiled as he stifled a laughter. "But you can understand why I am hesitant to trust her, right?"

"Yeah, I understand." Yuji said before taking a big sip of her tea. "Oh, this is really hot."

"But should she really be your creator, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad for you to get to know her. Maybe you have questions for her." He said. "You know, make the most of it. Before I slit her throat."

"You know, Kuni." Yuji said as she grabbed some Berry Mizu Manjuu. "Sometimes you say the nicest things before ending in a horrible note. At times it makes me wonder if you really are a good guy."

Scaramouche exaggerated looking shocked.

"Dear Madam!" He said as placed a hand over his chest. "You would question my morality? My morality?"