Through Thick and Thin- Diluc x (female) Reader

Chapter 55: The Jade Chamber

We ran outside the Golden house, the previously bright and clear sky darkened and pouring rain. Has he already done it?
"He's already gone?" Paimon said, looking around for Childe. "That guy is fast!"
The sound of thunder echoed throughout the sky, causing all of us to turn our head upwards. The clouds swirled about, and the Jade Palace was moving overhead above the city. This isn't good...
"It's moving?" I pointed out, watching it trail across the sky. As I studied it, I noticed a figure on the horizon. "What- what the hell is that?" My ears went flat against my head, and my heart stopped. "He's... Childe actually did it," I said under my breath.
What at first seemed like several pillars of water, the long necks slithered about in the sky, rising from the sea. "Osial..." Diluc said, his usual confidence wavering ever so slightly.
Each head stopped to face the Jade Palace, which hung in the sky dreadfully. "We have to get up there!" Aether said, pointing to it. "Follow me!"

"Phew, Paimons exhausted..." Paimon said, breathing heavily. "If we hadn't seen the Jade Chamber flying overhead, we wouldn't have known which way to go!"
"This place sure is high up..." I muttered to myself. "The city isn't destroyed yet though, right?" I said, watching Osial. I was scared, terrified even. But I couldn't just stand by and let these people die. Childe was wrong, there was no way Rex Lapis was still alive, and these people were doomed without him. We had to do something to stop Osial. But... then where did the Gnosis go?
"It seems we aren't too late..." Diluc said, quickly looking around himself. The Jade Chamber sure seemed high up...
I heard footsteps approaching, and turned my head to see who it was. My ears perked in recognition, and I nearly gasped.
"What... are you four doing here?" Said the familiarly agitated voice.
"Xiao?" I asked, tilting my head. "I could ask the same..."
"You two know each other?" Aether said, confused.
"He knows you?" I asked, even more confused.
"It's the Adepti! They're all here!" Paimon said. Adepti? Was Xiao...
Looking behind Xiao, I saw a few more familiar faces. Ningguang and Ganyu were there, alongside them was a girl with purple pigtails. But what was with the two cranes and the deer? They almost seemed to glow. Were they the Adepti?
"Is... the fighting between you over?" Aether said, looking at all of them nervously.
"Faced with the calamity of such magnitude, we agreed to put our differences aside for now and unite against the common enemy," Ningguang said, with all the nobility and elegance I had imagined. The deer gave a 'hmph' noise of disapproval, but otherwise kept quiet.
"I see..." I said, glancing back at Osial.
"Ah, you and him," Ningguang said, glancing between Diluc and I. "I saw you two in the crowd. Not to worry, my suspicion of you is no longer present," Ningguang assured us.
"What do we even do? Just looking at him from over here puts a pit in Paimons tummy..." Paimon said, trembling a little.
"It's not just you," The purple haired girl stepped forward, her eyes on the enemy. "We've got new Milleleth recruits who can't even stand at attention without shaking. The presence of an ancient god seems too great for ordinary people to handle," she took her eyes off of Osial, and on Diluc and I. "You may call me Keqing."
"My name is y/n," I said, nodding to her. Was that... an electro vision she possessed?
"Diluc," Diluc introduced himself, albeit quickly considering the matter at hand. "What's our objective?" He asked.
"We must stop Osial before he can get any closer to Liyue Harbor," Keqing said quickly, returning her eyes to the ancient god.
"Will the power of the Qixing, Millileth, and Adepti together be enough to stop that thing?" I asked with uncertainty.
"We've discussed that together, and our conclusion was... not necessarily," Ningguang said. She, the Tianqan of Liyue, was unsure herself.
"Can you think of anything?" Diluc asked, keeping an eye on the threat.
"One certainly could," spoke one of the cranes, the lighter colored one. Her voice was confident, despite the situation. She looked over to Aether and Paimon. "The Guizhong Balista rings a bell, no?"
"The Adepti weaponry..." Aether said, a finger to his chin in thought. "That could be the answer here."
"The one who crafted such a mechanism is here before you," she said. Did she make Adepti weaponry? "It would take one but a little tinkering to turn this balista into an engine of war beyond your wildest thoughts."
"So there is a plan," I said with relief. "Then, we can all combine our strength to defeat Osial?"
"All of us Adepti will have to lend our power to man the ballista," Xiao spoke up.
"We haven't a moment to spare," Ninguang said, putting her hands together. "Our battle begins now!"
With precise moment of her hands, geo power began to eminate from her. I could sense it pulsing through the ground of the Jade Chamber, and then moving through the air before us. Geo energy manifested before us where empty air would be and a floor was created from Ningguangs raw power.
Three beams of light shone on the platform, a ballista taking shape at each one. Was this the Adepti weaponry they had spoke of? The two cranes and the deer took place above each of the ballistas. As they did, the weapons began to glow.
They fired shots at Osial rapidly, the several necks recoiling at the power. I watched in awe at the sight in front of me, and glanced to Diluc and Aether. Even Paimon reacted with the same sense of fascination and awe, having never seen a sight such as this one.
But then, my ears picked up another sound. Glancing at the sides of the platform, I felt a pit in my stomach when I saw portals of sorts forming at the ballistas.
I pointed in alarm. "The ballistas!"
Out of the portals poured masked warriors that I recognized far too well from our travels in Liyue. "The Fatui!" Paimon said, also alarmed. "They're attacking the ballistas!"
Keqing and Aether immediately leaped into action, drawing their weapons and running onto the platform. I looked to Diluc, who nodded and did the same.
"Let's go," Diluc said before jumping down to the platform to fight.
I nodded, and joined him. I summoned my bow, ready to fight for the people of Liyue.

"The interlopers are no more!" The deer boomed, his voice deep and confident.
Thanks to Xiao and Ganyu, we managed to hold our ground against the Fatui since they lent us their strength. I still wasn't used to being able to run so swiftly, although I would thank Xiao and Ganyu for the power later.
"Now we may commit ourselves fully," the deer Adepti said.
I watched in awe as a beam of light began to form in front of the platform, heading straight for Osial. Was this Adepti energy, converging together from all three of the ballistas?
The beam hit Osial straight on, and he let out a great roar. He recoiled, his neck slithering about like wild snakes. However, he didn't dip below the waves quite yet.
"It hit him, but..." I said, watching as Osial roared with rage.
"It's working! We just need to keep this up, right?" Paimon asked, looking over to the Adepti.
Before she could get a response, three spheres of energy began to converge as Osial roared. "What is-" Diluc said before stopping, his eyes widening.
They combined into one, shooting a great beam into the heavens. "That can't be good," Aether said, the light piercing the dark clouds.
Then, it stopped. I thought for a moment that it was over, until my ears twitched. A new sound?
I raised my eyes to the sky above us. I gasped, pointing to the air. "Up there!"
A hundred bright blue stars began to fall from the sky, heading straight for the platform. "Everyone, to the chamber!" Keqing ordered, and we all started to run for the Jade Chamber.
Millileth and vision holders alike all flocked for the security of the Jade Palace. Some of the 'stars' hit Millileth soldiers, bringing the chapters of their lives to a close. With only one goal in mind, I ran to escape.
When I reached the platform, I turned to make sure everyone was okay. Aether and Paimon managed to make it close behind me, and I sighed in relief. Where is...
Turning my attention to the platform, Diluc was still running over. I beckoned to him, my throat closing in fear. I gasped as my ears picked up a cracking noise. The platform!
The cracks ran across the whole platform, but Diluc was still on it. "Come on, run Diluc!" I called to him, my stomach clenching.
He was nearly there! "Just a little further, come on!" I yelled. Aether and Paimon watched helplessly, for if any of us went on the platform we were bound to fall.
I reached my hand out to him, at the edge of the platform. I looked down at it. It was falling apart, and fast.
Diluc wouldn't make it. Not at this pace.

"Would you make sure he isn't hurt? Again?
...
"I'll make sure he isn't hurt. I promise."

I promised.

Without hesitation, I ran onto the platform, grabbing his hand. With newfound strength I've never had before, I swung his arm around, throwing him to safety.
He fell forward onto the stone floor of the Jade Palace, slightly stunned. In doing what I did, I had thrown myself backwards a little, further out onto the platform. I stumbled, trying to stay on my feet. But it didn't matter. Not a second later, it shattered.
The last thing I saw before I fell was Dilucs face. His eyes were wide, staring at me in confusion and fear. It was a look I had hoped I would never see from him.

Despair.