Archons of the Elite

Vol.2: Forging bonds

Zhongli POV

I sighed slightly, my shoulder aching from the injury as I sat waiting in Arisu's room for for the exam tomorrow.

I glanced at Arisu who'd been extremely quiet, not even looking at me since the fight, I knew she'd been worried but this was... Painful to see.

Reaching over I stroked her hair, the girl barely looking up before trembling and staying silent.

It's not like I didn't know what was happening, she clearly saw this school as a game, one of wits and deception, and above all she was still young, so to see someone suffer, especially when she herself was unable to step in...

As much as I pitied her I knew that this would be bad for the class, any longer and her faction would suffer, as well as her grades.

I decided to snap her out of it by picking her up and holding her tightly on my lap. I vaguely remembered doing so back when some of the adepti had been younger during the archon war, with only Xiao being too stubborn.

The young girls face went red as she began look at me in shock.

"What the hell Zhongli!?"

I chuckled and stroked her hair.

"You've been out of it for days now, and I don't think I've heard you speak a single word, so I need you to get better."

She looked away nervously before pouting awkwardly.

"Well I'm fine. Just... Well..."

I let her gather her thoughts for a moment.

"I always thought that my mind could make up for my illness but... In comparison to you and Ei's physical abilities, my own skills are like a small candle before a campfire... And beyond that... You've learnt at a pace that should be nearly impossible and... I..."

I gently stroked her hair as I began to speak softly.

"That doesn't mean I could rival your knowledge or cunning you know."

"B-but... What if you do... What use am I then?" She muttered, tears pricking at the corners of her vision. "I always tried to prove that a genius would always outperform hard-work but... What happens when someone's a genius beyond the rest!?"

I sighed softly, I wasn't sure what to say, any reassurance saying that she didn't have to be the best would be useless and anything else wouldn't be true, it wasn't like it was my nature to be boastful but my experience meant that it would take maybe half a year to surpass her in academics.

So I made a choice.

"Perhaps I will, but then you'll just have to prove yourself against me, like how you want to against Kiyotaka."

I took a deep breath as I spoke.

"I'll treat you as a younger sister, and nurture you until you surpass me, okay? I'll be your older brother, if that's okay."

I watched her eyes go wide and a small smile of determination spread over her face.

It was strange considering someone millennia younger than me as just a younger sister, but anything else would be questioned.

The smile grew until her smug grin returned, an ambition greater than the one caused by the class competition forming in her mind.

"Deal, but I'm going to embarrass you, I hope you understand that, nii-san~"

I simply chuckled and nodded, the girl before me seemingly getting over the crisis she'd suffered.

"Do you want a game of chess nii-san?"