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Along with the Three Lunar Sisters and the Great Divine Beasts, the Shades had been an integral authority over the security and growth of the world of Avalon.
They are the strongest divine guardians of Avalon, able to bend the fundamental laws of the world by their will.
Their power and authority is only second to that of our Glorious God-Queen, for they are but her own aspects, fragments of her souls and past lives!
Unlike their Teyvatian counterparts, each of these all-powerful junior primordial goddesses, have hearts that can easily understand the pleas of mortals, for they too were once like them….the multiple lives lived by our Queen before her ultimate ascension!
Woe to those, who threaten Avalon or any of the Queen's domains, for her Four Shadows will show no mercy!
- The Fundamentals of Avalon written by the renowned historian, Histooboo, chief historian and librarian of the Bangboos
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After the miraculous event, Artoria found herself standing in the middle her world's arid desert, cradling her newly ascended child, Beidou, in her arms.
Her little girl...her little godling, was fast asleep, with a serene and content expression on her small adorable face.
She's completely oblivious to the monumental change that had just occurred within her.
Her soul, now whole and infused with a Alter's fragment, a fragment that ultimately originated from her, was now pulsating with a newfound divinity that was uniquely her own.
Unlike her new siblings, hers is as thunderous as the storm, yet tempered by her mother's warm glow.
"She is beautiful." Artoria lovingly whispered.
Her divine heart was swelling with an overwhelming sense of maternal love and protectiveness for her newest daughter.
"She is indeed, my liege." Alter replied, her usually stoic and cold voice was filled with her own brand of warmth.
"You...you have my gratitude, Alter. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't offered a piece of your soul." Artoria said, her eyes now fixed on the sleeping child.
"It was the right thing to do, my liege." Alter replied, her gaze now shifting towards the vast expanse of the desert.
"I would have done the same for any of your children. They are a part of you, and therefore, a part of us as well."
Artoria smiled, a genuine and heartfelt smile that reached her emerald green eyes.
"I am truly blessed to have you all by my side." She said, her voice filled with sincere appreciation.
She then thought of rewarding Alter for her great help and contribution.
'Her act of selflessness...it was something that I never expected from her.' Artoria thought, her mind now racing with ideas.
'She's not only strong, but also blunt, direct and efficient. Rarely allowing her own emotions to cloud her judgement. A trait that I've sometimes lack...' she added as she recalled her own outburst earlier.
'Yes, she will be the perfect candidate...my strong right hand.'
'The iron fist that will shatter my foes and deliver my wrath upon those who would dare to harm my family and those who lived under my dominions.'
Seeing the need for strong lieutenants in cases similar or even greater problems arise in the future, Artoria decided to take a page from the Heavenly Principles' notebook and create her own Great Rulers…her own Shades.
Alter will be the very first.
She will grant her an authority, a divine authority to call her own. An authority best suited for her role.
"Alter." Artoria said, her tone now serious and formal.
Alter immediately turned to her, her posture straightening as if sensing the gravity of the situation.
"Yes, my liege."
"For your immense contribution not only to the realm but also to me and my family...I would like to offer you a choice." Artoria began.
"A choice to go back to the Sea of Souls...or to remain here...as mytrusted lieutenant."
Alter was surprised by the sudden offer.
She had expected Artoria to perhaps reward her with some sort of gift or maybe even an heroic title of some sort, one that she could brag about to the others when she returns to the Sea of Souls.
But to offer her a position of such great importance...was something she never had expected!
"Are...are you certain of this my liege?" Alter asked, her usual stoic expression now replaced with a hint of confusion.
"I am." Artoria replied with a resolute nod.
"Let me be honest with you Alter, I have been contemplating for quite sometime now...about the possible threats that I and the realms under my dominion might encounter."
Artoria then started to explain her reasoning.
"The Abyss Order is always scheming, always trying to find a way to bring about the downfall of the current world order."
"Our most recent encounter with that damned Iniquitous Baptist and his so called legion was a prime example of how far those maniacs are willing to go to achieve their twisted goals."
"Then there's the ever present threat of the Fatui and Snezhnaya. And while I have managed to establish a good working relationship with them, I know deep down that their Tsaritsa has her own agenda. One that might not align with mine."
"But most importantly of all...I need to prepare for the day when the heavy hitters of this world decide to make any sort of move towards me...towards Mondstadt...or worst...towards Avalon itself."
Artoria's expression then darkened as she thought about the true powers that governed the world of Teyvat.
"These powerhouses are not on the same league as the likes of Haden and his Order, nor are they on the same level as that of the Tsaritsa's Harbingers."
"These are the ones that held true power."
"One of pure chaos and destruction, while the other was an order that was absolute and unforgiving."
"The True Abyss...the all encompassing corruptive void that had existed since before the beginning of Teyvat."
"And the head honchos of Teyvat...Celestia...led by the Heavenly Principles and its own enforcers, the Four Shades."
"That doesn't even include any other potential threats that may originate from outside this world...from the Sea of Stars." Artoria added, her mind now recalling a myriad of memories throughout her previous lives.
She remembered about the Velber, the cosmic Alien God that destroyed gods and planets from one life time…
The bleaching phenomenon of another...
The emergence of the Beast class...
And a whole host of other cosmic horrors and eldritch beings that she had encountered and fought throughout her numerous existences!
'Yes...I need to prepare for any possibilities that may come about...no matter how small or improbable...' Artoria firmly thought.
'For my family, for my people, and for the world that I now call home.'
"I'm always trying to be careful Alter. Hoping to avoid stirring the attention of any of them...not because I'm afraid or powerless, far from it actually...but I wanted to avoid dragging my own people...my realms of Mondstadt and Avalon...and most importantlymy family from experiencing the horrors of war."
"Especially if the outcome of the confrontation would result to a catastrophic scenario that might be on the level of devastation experienced during the Archon War or the War of the Funerary Flame." Artoria explained, her tone now filled with a heavy sense of responsibility and weariness.
"But the recent encounter with Haden and his army, drove home the message. Rather than waiting for any more similar incidents to occur...I will take a more active initiative."
"Starting with the creation of my own powerful lieutenants...my adjutants...my very own Shadows!"
"Beings that would be able to contend with the likes of gods, Archons and even the Heavenly Principles' Shades!"
Artoria then paused for a moment, allowing her words to sink in before continuing.
"I already have the Three Sisters, my personal Handmaidens and confidants."
"I have personally granted each one of them a divine authority that I've carved out from my own. But, powerful they may be, their roles mostly align with the stability and growth of Avalon, rather than defense and offense."
"I also have Fou and Dvalin, my two most loyal companions, but let's face it, those two little scamps are just too adorable to be thrown at the face of the enemy." She added with a light-hearted chuckle.
"No...I need GENERALS, my strong right and left hands, and what better candidates to suit the role than my very own selves! My own Aspects!"
Her proclamation hung in the air, a declaration of intent that resonated with power!
Both Alter, and even Xiao were now profoundly shaken by what they just heard!
Xiao, especially, was now starting to fully realize the sheer scale of Artoria's power and ambition!
This goddess before him, the one who had saved him from the point of no return, was no run-of-the-mill divine being!
She's planning to create her own pantheon! Her own force of powerful beings that could potentially challenge the established order of Teyvat!
'Just...who...or what...is she?!' Xiao thought, as his mind was now reeling from the implications.
Alter, on the other hand, was now feeling a mix of shock, pride, and a sense of...excitement!
Finally her liege was taking the necessary steps to secure her dominion!
While Alter's heart yearned for peace and tranquility for the sake of her liege and her children, she understood that sometimes peace could only be achieved through strength!
Strength that could overwhelm and deter any potential threats!
Ignoring the turmoils that were happening inside the minds of her two companions, Artoria continued her explanation.
"I'll elevate a select few of my aspects, those who I deemed worthy to take on the roles and govern one of the many primeval and fundamental forces that keep this realm alive."
She then looked at Alter, her eyes burning with determination and trust.
The Primordial goddess of Avalon had already chosen her first general, her first Shade.
"Starting with you, Alter."
"Starting with the Authority over the concept of Destruction."
"Before the act of Creation, there must be an act of Destruction. Both are fundamentally linked to another."
"For one to rise, another must fall. For a new world to be born, the old one must be torn asunder."
"It is a fundamental law, one of the cornerstones of existence itself!"
She then reached out and gently placed a hand on Alter's shoulder.
"And in my eyes...there is no better candidate to embody that said authority and hold dominion over it than the aspect who is standing in front of me. The King of Storms, Artoria Pendragon Alter (Lancer)!"
Alter's breath hitched.
Her liege...her Prime Self had just offered to bestowed upon her an authority over the concept of… Destruction!
An authority that, if misused, could potentially unmake the very fabric of reality itself!
The sheer scale of this responsibility was...staggering!
Yet, she could also feel a deep sense of pride and honor welling up within her.
To be chosen by her liege to wield such a power…
It was a testament to the trust and faith her Prime Self had in her!
After a moment of contemplation, Alter solemnly kneeled before her liege.
"I...I accept, my liege." Alter said, her voice filled with a mixture of determination and humility.
"It would be an honor to serve you and the realm as your Shade of Destruction."
"But…" Alter hesitated for a moment.
"In exchange, could…could you grant two personal requestsof mine, my liege?"
"I won't ask right now, probably after you bestowed your authority over me."
"Of course Alter, if it's within my power then I'll grant them." Artoria smiled, agreeing to the request of her aspects.
Its was only fair and just, especially that she'll be handling over to her an important responsibility pertaining to one of the fundamental laws of the realm.
Artoria, while still cradling her still sleeping daughter in her right arm, raised up her left hand over Alter's head.
"Then let us begin."
Artoria's voice laced with divinity boomed across the Terre Gaste desert.
Her commanding words echoing with the power of creation across all of Avalon!
She closed her eyes and allowed her consciousness to delve deep into her inner self.
Deeper than the Sea of Souls where all of her other aspects resided…
And even deeper than the empyrean draconic heart of where her immense divine powers originated….
She went towards the very heart of her existence!
The very center of her being...
Her Divine Primordial Core.
A construct...an ethereal existence so vast and powerful that even the combined might of the Seven Primordial Authorities granted to the Seven Rulers of Teyvat would pale in comparison.
When she opened her eyes, she found herself in a space akin to that of an illuminated room painted with a living tapestry of the cosmos.
Dozens upon dozens of ethereal threads, that sparkled like clothes made up of stars with varying hues and colors all swirled around this most sacred of spaces.
Each thread represents a unique authority that stems from her very existence!
Some of them shimmered with the light of creation, while others pulsed with the power of destruction.
Some of them were as warm as the sun, while others were as cold as the void.
Each one, a fundamental law, a core concept, a divine prerogative that is within her command!
Six of the numerous threads had already been partially shaved off, indicating the six authorities she had already granted to her three moon goddesses and her two companions, Fou and Dvalin.
And at the center of the room, a miniature version of her tower, The Tower of Beginnings, stood proudly.
All threads, all of her authorities, stemmed from it, as if they were roots and branches from a great and ancient tree.
Artoria then walked towards the center of the room, towards the miniature golden tower.
She then found what she was looking for: a dark bluish thread that thrums with the raw, untamed power of ruination and annihilation.
'This is the one.' Artoria thought.
She then grab the immaterial thread and carefully shaved off half of it, causing the room to tremble for a brief moment.
The shorn thread then wriggled and twist as if it was a living thing!
'Feisty little thing.' Artoria mused, a small smile forming on her lips.
She then rolled it into an orb, placing it on her left hand.
She then turned her attention back towards the miniature tower at the center of the room.
She touched the otherworldly construct which felt like malleable putty on her grasp, yet she knew that out of all the things inside that domain, this very miniature likeness of her tower is but themost important part, one of the fundamental pillars of her very existence.
The very heart and center of her Divine Primordial Core.
The very origin of her existence as a goddess.
She then carefully scooped a handful of the divine construct into her palm.
The very 'substance' that made her who she was, was now in her grasp.
Then after carefully muttering with a few incantations in a language that was beyond mortal comprehension, the golden pile of clay molded into a round shaped reliquary with the symbol of a tower surrounded by flames and lightning, the symbol of destruction.
Its done. She had created an Auxiliary Divine Core, made from the same substance as her own.
The Authority over Destruction…
The Auxiliary Divine Core of a Primordial Goddess…
The very foundation of her Shade's newest existence!
Artoria then carefully placed the newly torn and molded authority inside the reliquary shaped divine core.
The placement of the authority inside the newly formed core caused the entire room to shake violently!
It was as if the very concept of destruction itself was now being contained and given a new form!
A new vessel!
A new 'heart'!
A heart perfect for the being she had chosen to wield its power!
The birth of Avalon's first Shade is now at hand!
When all was said and done, Artoria once again closed her eyes with the newly beating Divine Core securely grasped on her left hand.
She then allowed her consciousness to slowly drift back to the physical world bringing with her the vessel that would be the center of her Shade's newest existence.
*****
Back in the real world, what looked like a scenario that happened for a span of several minutes, in reality, happened in just the blink of an eye.
For Alter, who was still kneeling in front of her liege, and Xiao who was patiently watching from the sidelines, all they saw was Artoria closing her eyes for a brief moment, only to open them again with a blazing divine glow that shined like the sun!
The ascension ritual had now begun…
The Sovereign God-queen of Avalon and Anemo Archon of Mondstadt, looked down on the kneeling aspect before her, and with a commanding voice that thundered across the desert, she began the rite of ascension!
"Hear me now, my loyal subject, my cherished self!"
"I, Artoria Pendragon, Anemo Archon of Mondstadt and Sovereign Ruler of Avalon, hereby bestow upon thee a gift so sacred that it binds the very existence of this realm!"
"TYRANT! The Storm that washes over the enemies of man!"
"Announce forth the doom of those who oppose us!"
"Let the bells of their inescapable fate be rang all across the land!"
"Heralding the Destruction of their existence!"
"Storm so strong!"
"Drown the world in your flood!"
"And allow the promised rebirth to come forth!"
Then, on her left palm, Artoria manifested a newly formed glowing orb thrumming with immeasurable power.
The orb the slowly molded into the shape of a reliquary with a symbol of a tower engulfed in flames and lighting etched into it.
The divine core and authority combined into one.
"Thus, I bestowed upon thee the authority over the annihilation of our enemies!"
"Their destruction would usher forth creation itself!"
"'The Arbiter of Destruction!"
Artoria proclaimed for all of Avalon to hear the name of the Authority she had chosen for her Shade.
An authority that gave its wielder the power not only to annihilate any being that her liege considered a threat but also to harness the power of destruction for the sake of creating something new out of the ashes of the old!
She then allowed the melded core and authority to slowly merge with Alter causing the kneeling aspect to glow ever vibrant!
The nascent world held its breath as its creator's first adjutant was now being formed…
The very first Shade of the world Avalon!
*****
At the same instant, on an island floating high near the False Skies of Teyvat, inside one of its numerous domains, a peculiar scene begins to unfold.
Amidst the dark and gloomy ethereal abode, the mother of the underworld, the one who rules over the laws of death was in a state of deep meditation.
She was allowing her powers to flow through the vast networks of the World Tree, Irminsul.
Her daily routine was to harvest, catalog and store the souls of those who had died on the world below.
This was her job, her purpose, her function…
The maintenance of the laws that govern death imposed by her master, the Heavenly Principles.
A job that has been recently…prove difficult to say the least.
"Yet, another group of souls 'taken' from the tree. How frustrating." she muttered with a cold, apathetic and slightly irritated tone.
The 'Anomaly' had once again proven that she's more dangerous than what her fellow Shades had initially considered her to be.
Ever since her arrival five years ago, souls of the recently deceased from a particular region had been unlawfully snatched from her grasp by something unknown...unseen.
Something had been constantly tampering with the functions of the world tree, yet regardless of how much she and her 'sisters' tried to find out the cause, they aren't able to see or even sense it!
Whatever is causing it, it remains invisible to their divinely-ordained eyes and senses!
Yet one thing is certain, the souls that were taken…they all came from those who had lived their lives in Mondstadt.
And it all started five years ago…
Considering the origin of the vanished souls and the exact time frame when it started, it wouldn't be hard to point out who was probably responsible for this mess!
That wretched Anomaly!
The one who hadstolen the divine seat of the Anemo Archon, and is now masquerading as the leader of Mondstadt's chivalric order!
Ronova in a rare moment of frustration, slammed her fist onto her throne.
The throne of the ruler of death made from the souls of long dead gods.
Her 'sisters', her fellow Shades, Istaroth and Rhinedottir had always been quite dismissive about the whole situation.
Istaroth, being the mischievous, bored and detached goddess that she was, had even gone so far as to call the Anomaly's action 'amusing' and 'refreshing'.
As if the souls of countless mortals were nothing but toys to be played with!
While Rhinedottir...that insane alchemist who devored the heart of her original 'sister' Naberius, was too engrossed in her own twisted experiments to even care!
But the situation just recently got worse…
As Istaroth had once pointed out, even the fate of those living within that nation had been...severed from the overall calculations of the world!
"And now, I sensed some souls from Liyuehad already been taken. She's extending her reach, if this continues, then soon every…."
Ronova suddenly stopped seething as she felt something odd...something that she hadn't felt for millennia.
She looked down at her hands which were resting on her lap and she noticed them…trembling.
A sensation of profound unease, of...fear, suddenly washed over her…
It was an alien concept, something that she had not experienced since the War of the Funerary Flame.
'How…strange?' she thought.
The Master of Death had always been indifferent and apathetic to the plights of mortals and gods alike…
She had seen countless souls come and go, and she had always remained unaffected by their passing.
So what's this?
Why now?
Why this sudden feeling of dread?
The Ruler of Death, the enforcer of fate, tried to recall any possible cause for her sudden unease…
Yet her divine mind, her vast knowledge, could not find any answers!
She sensed no alterations going on in her immediate domain, nor did she felt any direct threats to her existence or the celestial order.
So…
"Wh…why am I shaking at this moment?"
The Shade continued to ponder in her throne, not knowing that in another world, far from her reach, a counterpart had just been born.
An individual who's newly given authority does not only herald the arrival of death, but also the concept of complete and utter ruination.
For what is Death in the face of ABSOLUTEAND UNYIELDING DESTRUCTION?
*****
(Terre Gaste Desert, Avalon)
A blast of blinding light illuminated the night sky over the arid Terre Gaste Desert once more.
This time, however, it was accompanied by a symphony of divine thunder and lightning that shook the very foundation of the world!
The sky above the desert churned and swirled as dark storm clouds gathered, creating a terrifying vortex of destruction!
At the center of this divine tempest, the kneeling figure of Alter began to undergo a profound transformation!
Her very saint graph, the very blueprint of her existence, was being elevated and rewritten in order to contain the newly given divine authority and core!
Her armor, once a dull shade of black, now gleamed with an even darker metallic sheen, as if forged from a fallen star.
Numerous yet small intricate patterns of lightning began to etch themselves onto her armor, pulsating with raw, untamed power!
Her cold golden eyes now blazed with the fury of a thousand storms!
As the ascension reaches its zenith, Artoria gave the final proclamation!
"Rise, Avalon's Shade of Destruction!"
"Goddess of the Storm and Annihilation!"
"Artoria Pendragon Alter (Lancer)!"
The ascension ended with the biggest and loudest lightning and thunder strike that reverberated all throughout the Terre Gaste Desert!
The ground shook, the air crackled, and the very world itself seemed to bow down before the newly born subordinate primordial goddess!
When the glow of divine transformation ended, Alter now stood with a divine halo made of pure lightning on her back.
Her very presence now exuded an aura of absolute power, one that could make even the most powerful of gods tremble in fear by just her mere presence!
Alter then checked her hands, opening and closing them, feeling her new found overwhelming might that courses all over her newly ascended form.
It was a feeling of...completeness.
As if a missing piece of her very being had finally been found and put into its rightful place!
She then promptly kneeled once again and pledged her undying vow to her liege.
"My Liege...My Queen...my most noble Prime self, I pledge my unwavering loyalty and service to you, to the realm of Avalon, and even to your nation of Mondstadt."
"I am your sword, your shield, and your instrument of destruction!"
"Your enemies will be my enemies!"
"Your wrath, my command!"
"I shall not falter. I shall not fail. For I am now your Shade, your shadow and my existence is bound to your will!"
The very words that Alter spoke were not just mere promises…
They were a sacred vow, an unbreakable oath that was now etched into her very soul!
An oath that was now being enforced by the very laws of Avalon itself!
Xiao, who was watching the entire divine ceremony, almost lost his consciousness.
The sheer pressure that Alter's ascension had generated was overwhelming!
He an Adeptus, a revered Yaksha, felt like his very soul was being squeezed like a balloon by the sheer raw power that radiated from just the mere presence of this newly born ascended goddess!
He just saw earlier theelevation of a young mortal girl into a godling…
And now he had to witness the creation of a being whose power far eclipses that of his master, the Geo Archon, Rex Lapis!
Just what kind of fate had he signed up for?!
He was starting to have second thoughts about his decision to follow this foreign goddess from Mondstadt….
A GODDESS WHO JUST REVEALED HERSELF TO BE THE ANEMO ARCHON BARBATOS!
HOW?! WHEN?!
He recalled Lord Barbatos to be a jovial fellow, a drunk that CONSTANTLY TEASED his Lord Rex Lapis whether the two of them meet.
Though he was always seen hooded, he had heard his Lord refer to the god of Mondstadt as a guy, a male…
Could it be….
Could it be that the Lord Barbatos that he knew was actually a woman all along? Apparently, his choice of clothing back then was….a bit revealing and feminine…
It.. wouldn't be too far off, especially that her grace just told him earlier that she had lived multiple lifetimes, and she's currently the culmination of all those lives!
He and his Lord felt no surge of energy from Mondstadt over the past centuries that would indicate the death of a god or the ascension of a new one….
That notion only reinforced the logic behind her grace unique existence!
So….
He was saved, all along by the archon who lives just north of his Lord's domain.
An archon, a goddess of unparalleled kindness…
The memory of her compassion and mercy, the way she had saved him from the abyssal corruption that was slowly consuming him...it was something that he could not easily forget.
It was a debt that he could never repay.
But still, being in the presence of his Honored Lady's altered twin was...taxing and downright scary!
Alter noticed the pale and trembling form of the Yaksha and scolded him, her voice now had a hint of amusement in it.
"Well well, well, look at what we have here. A chicken boy who's about to faint from a mere display of power! What a disappointing sight!"
"You should consider yourself lucky, fool! Not everyone gets to witness such a display of pure unrivaled divine ascension!" she added with a smug look on her face.
Oh how she reveled in her newfound power and the sight of those weaker than her cowering in fear!
It was a guilty pleasure that she had always enjoyed!
She can already picture her other selves, the other aspects who were still lounging around the Sea of Souls, beingjealous of her newfound status!
'In your face Casino Queen! And you too, Santa Alter! And to the rest of you lazy bums, I may not have a swimsuit version, but who's the big shot now?!' Alter thought with a triumphant glee.
As Alter was busy basking in her new found glory, she didn't noticed a firm left hand speeding in a few miles an hour, coming in contact with the back of her head.
SMACK!
A resounding slap echoed across the desert as Artoria, with her face now masking a slight hint of annoyance, had just smacked the back of her annoying Shade's head!
"Ouch! My Liege what was that for?!" Alter cried out loud.
Nursing her throbbing head, the goddess of destruction, was now being treated like a misbehaving child!
"I will not have you bullying our new friend Alter. Xiao is a guest in our realm, and you will treat him with respect!" Artoria scolded.
The now annoyed Primordial goddess then turned her attention to Xiao and began to gently pat his head.
"There, there Xiao, its alright. Alter here was just being...well, Alter." Artoria said with a sigh.
Xiao, who was still trembling from the shock of witnessing the ascension and the subsequent verbal lashing from the newly appointed head maid, was now being comforted by the goddess who had saved him.
The sudden shift in the atmosphere, from the overwhelming pressure of an ascended divine being to the gentle and comforting touch of a motherly figure, was too much for the poor Yaksha to handle!
His mind was a complete mess, a jumble of fear, awe, and now...comfort!
It was as if he was a kitten being petted by its owner after being scolded by its older, more aggressive sister!
The legendary Yaksha who had fought countless battles against the forces of evil, was now but putty in the hands of the gentle and overwhelmingly motherly archon!
Artoria's gentle and comforting head pats seemed to have a calming effect on the worn out adeptus, as his trembling slowly subsided and his breathing became more even.
HE WAS AT PEACE! So much so that he inadvertently transformed into his illuminated beast form!
But unlike the usual majestic garuda-like form that he usually takes, this one was different!
This one was that of a small, fluffy, and somewhat round and pudgy adorable bird-like creature, resembling a mix between an overweight chick and a finch!
Kinda like that adeptus teapot spirit, Tubby!
But CUTER!
The transformation was so sudden and so unexpected that even Artoria was surprised!
Her green emerald eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the now adorable and tiny creature that was currently nuzzling her left palm!
'SO ADORABLE!'
She couldn't help but gush at the sight!
'He's like a living, breathing, feathered dumpling!'
'A fluffy little dumpling that I just want to cuddle!'
'Damn you Morax, you old fossil!'
'How could you force such a cute and innocent little thing to do all those horrible things for you!' Artoria thought, her motherly instincts now going into overdrive!
"AWWWW! Look at you! You're so cute!" Artoria squealed, her voice now filled with pure, unadulterated delight!
She then proceeded to gently pick up the now tiny and fluffy Adeptus and began to cuddle him, much to Xiao's embarrassment!
She then placed the fluffy ball of feathered fluff to her cradled daughter, Beidou.
The little sleeping godling, then instinctively, proceeded to nuzzle and cuddle the little bird-like creature, using it as some sort of plush toy pillow!
The entire scene was so overwhelmingly adorable and heartwarming that glittering flowers started to appear all around the now blissful divine mother!
A phenomenon that can only be explained as a manifestation of her profound joy and happiness!
Everyone was happy....except for one.
For the newly ascended Shade of Destruction, the entire scene was....so sickeningly sweet!
It was so sugary sweet that it almost gave her cavities just by looking at it!
Alter just facepalmed.
How...HOW?!
How can her liege suddenly treat a being who's age is almost as old as their combined existences like some sort of fluffy little child?!
This was one of the things she found...annoying, yet...utterly endearing about her Liege.
Her Prime Self had a strange habit of collecting and mothering all sorts of powerful and dangerous beings!
First, it was that lost and highly emotional attached sky dragon.
Then that little white furry creature who her liege had in fact molded from the very likeness of Cath Palug, a Beast of Calamity!
Hell! She even planned to grant some sort of power to that pet turtle she had given her eldest daughter, Jean! The turtle who was named after hergoddamned adopted big brother!
And now...she had ensnared alegendary Yaksha while he was still in his adorable fluffy form!
'Think about the implications my liege! THE INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC IMPLICATIONS!' Alter wanted to scream.
She can already picture her liege going to court (probably a Fontainian court) against her fellow archon, Rex Lapis, for the sole custody of the adeptus!
'Your honor! That utterly penniless fossil, Morax, had been forcing this cute little dumpling to fight and suffer for thousands of years under an unjust contract! THIS IS CHILD ABUSE! I demand that he surrender the 2000 year old child (?) to my custody!'
'As per the final judgement of the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale, I find the accused, Morax, to be guilty! The defendant, Artoria Pendragon Gunnhildr, the Anemo Archon of Mondstadt, is hereby granted full custody of the Adeptus, Xiao!'
She could see the numerous headlines in the Steambird newspaper and other media outlets now!
'ANEMO ARCHON FOSTERS ADEPTUS! GEO ARCHON OUTRAGED!'
…..
'ADOPTION DISPUTE? OR ANCIENT HIDDEN MARITAL QUARREL DUE TO UNPAID CHILD SUPPORT?!'
…..
'DIPLOMATIC RIFT BETWEEN MONDSTADT AND LIYUE IMMINENT! MOTHER SAYS THE HOUSE BELONGS TO HER!'
The sheer absurdity of it all made Alter's head ache!
'Goddamnit Alter, pull yourself together!'
She needs to distract her liege before her nightmare becomes a reality...and quickly!
"Ahem!" Alter cleared her throat, drawing the attention of her cuddling liege.
"My Liege, if you're quite done with your... cuddle session, perhaps we should now discuss the terms with agreed upon earlier." Alter said, trying to keep a straight face.
Artoria, who was still gushing over the fact that her newly ascended daughter was now quite literally hugging the avian fluff ball to death, seemed to snap out of her motherly daze at Alter's words.
"Ah, yes! Of course! My apologies Alter, I got a bit carried away there." Artoria said with a sheepish smile.
Alter then proceeded to remind her Liege about her requests she made earlier.
"Ah yes, yourtwo requests." Artoria nodded, she will honor the promises she had made to her Shade.
Her shade had already done more than enough to prove her loyalty, and she was more than willing to grant her these simple request, especially that her mood right now was very much... elated.
"MY FIRST REQUEST my liege, as per our agreement, is to be granted authority over the hundreds of homunculi servants that roam around your citidel, the Tower's Homonculi servant corp and the rest of the household staff, and that I be made Head Stewardess of the Tower....." Alter momentarily paused.
"Alright, granted. I see no problem with that...." Artoria said, wondering where this was going.
"...AND BE EQUIPED WITH MATCHING AND STUNNING MAID UNIFORMS!" Alter finished with a triumphant grin.
...
....
.....
"...Excuse me?" Artoria asked as she looked at the now proudly grinning Shade with a look of disbelief on her face.
"You've heard me my liege! I want to be the Head Stewardess of the Tower, and I want to be equipped with matching maid uniforms for myself and all the staff under my command!" Alter repeated, her grin growing even wider.
'Yes, I can see it now.' Alter pleasantly thought to herself.
She can already imagine it. Her, the premier goddess of destruction leading the vast legion of homunculi maids as they ANNIHILATE DUST AND GRIME!
THEY WILL BE THE MOST EFFICIENT, MOST DUTIFUL, MOST TERRIFYING MAID CORPS THE UNIVERSE HAS EVER SEEN!
NO STAIN SHALL ESCAPE THEIR WRATH!
NO DUST BUNNY SHALL BE SPARED!
THEY WILL CLEAN WITH THE EFFICIENCY OF A THOUSAND SUNS!
THEIR CLEANSING POWER WILL BE ABSOLUTE!
THEIR DUTIES, UNYIELDING!
THEY WILL BE THE ULTIMATE CLEANING MACHINE!
And the uniforms!
Oh how she had always wanted to wear one of those pristine and elegant maid uniforms!
She had always been a secret admirer of the profession, for what was a maid but a humble servant who dedicated her life to the betterment of her household!
Alter was so lost in her power fantasy that she didn't notice that her Liege was currently having a mental breakdown.
Her face now had a blank and soulless expression!
'Am I seeing a pattern...why do all my Alter-selves gravitate to the most unlikely hobbies?!
Rider Alter too has an obsession with perfecting the art of being a maid!
There's also Santa Saber who wanted to spread the joy of gift-giving by absolutely obliterating a mountain and turning it into gifts!
MHX Alter who wanted to be the biggest pop idol in the galaxy!
And many more others with their own unique and quirky personalities!
'Maybe...it's an Alter thing?!' Artoria thought as she was still trying to comprehend the request of her newly appointed and now...eccentric Shade.
"Okayyyy...but why?" Artoria hesitantly asked, fearing that the answer would just be as absurd as the request itself.
"Because my liege, being a maid symbolizes one of the most important managerial professions in any household or institution!"
"They are tasked with the management of the most basic day to day functions of the institution they serve!"
"They are the backbone of any well-run household! Without them, everything would fall into chaos!" Alter passionately explained.
"The First Responsibility of a Leader is to define Reality. The Last is to say Thank you. In between, the Leader is a servant...or in this case a maid or stewardess!" She quoted.
.....
...
.....
'Huh?' As crazy as it may sound, Artoria slowly began to realize where Alter was going.
Out of all her aspects, Alter had always been the most pragmatic and the one to micromanage everything!
Even in her previous life as a tyrant, Alter's realm never once crumbled because of how well managed it was, with Alter being involved in almost all of the important decision-making!
Maybe this was Alter's way of helping her manage the ever-growing and complex systems of Avalon, a way to express her... micromanaging skills?
But still…..WHY A MAID?!
Artoria's mind was currently a whirlwind of confusion and disbelief. Trying to come to terms with the reality that was now shoved into her in a silver platter!
She then remembered about Alter's second request….
"Okay, I'll grant you your...unique request complete with….the matching maid uniforms, Alter." Artoria said with a sigh, her face now showing the expression of a tired mother who had just given in to her child's ridiculous demands!
"Now for your second and last request. Please, for the love of all that is holy and good, do not make it any more absurd than your previous one!" she pleaded.
Alter just nodded triumphantly to her Queen's seemingly desperately plea…
"As for my second request, I want a large luxurious room in the tower, the size of a decked out mansion."
"Okay cool, that is to be expected for someone of your status..." Artoria said, a bit relieved that this one was... somewhat normal.
...
"AND I WANT IT TO BE FILLED TO THE BRIM WITH SHELVES STACKED WITH ALL THE VIDEO GAME TITLES EVER MADE!"
"...A LITERAL GAMING CRIB!"
....
.....
...
"SERIOUSLY?!"
'GREAT! FIRST A MAID, NOW SHE'S A GAMER TOO?! HOW DOES THAT EVEN WORK?!' Artoria shouted at her mind.
"VI...VIDEO GAMES?! HOW?! WHY?!"
"Use the GRAIL my liege! That fancy Goblet of Fire had done nothing but shit out Mora by the tons for these past few years! Use it! Make my long desired dream come true!" Gleefully requested the recently promoted Shade of Destruction.
"And also please include Space Marine 4 while you're at it."
"GODDAMNIT ALTER! THERE WASN'T EVEN A SPACE MARINE 3 BEFORE I FIRST GOT ISEKAI'D IN THIS PLACE, LET ALONE SPACE MARINE 4!" Artoria retorted, her sanity now slowly starting to crumble.
She was a gamer too, back when she was still just Emily, and quite frankly it was an addicting hobby!
Gaming her life away as a sort of coping mechanism for her loss....
But one thing was certain, gaming made her practically lazy to do other stuff!
So how does that even work? Being the head maid but at the same a gamer?!
.....
Wait... wait just a goddamn minute!
She requested EVERY SERVANT AND STAFF to be placed under her command.....
'Don't tell me she plans on spending her days being cooped up on her grand roomplaying video games, while at the same time, a steady stream of staff members deliver her reports and stuff!'
'Hell, she could even picture her being served hand and foot by the homonculi maids with one hand signing documents and another grasping a controller!'
It's now Artoria turn to have a massive headache!
She hopes that the Tower would still be functional after a month when Alter takes over!
But a promise is a promise, and she'll honor those goddamned promises!
'Dear heavens, I can almost see stars of glee sparkling on Alter's eyes!' Artoria fearfully thought.
"My liege, can Llamrei too..."
"NO ALTER! LLAMREI STAYS ON THE STABLES! THAT MARE IS NOT ALLOWED TO ROAM THE INSIDE THE TOWER OR EVEN YOUR ROOM!" Artoria immediately rejected the request!
Oh hell no! She's not going to let her powerful warhorse, the steed that had carried her into countless battles, be turned into some sort of glorified pet or, even worse, a beanbag for her newly appointed Shade to lounge on!
Artoria shuddered at the thought of Llamrei being forced to wear a custom-made horse maid uniform!
Alter looked like a kicked puppy after hearing her liege's refusal.
Her little request for her noble horse friend had been denied.
How could her liege be so cruel?!
Meanwhile, for Artoria, the all powerful Primordial goddess from another world, she was now questioning whether or not her Shade project was a BAD IDEAall along…..
'I just hope that the next ones to be elevated would be more tamer and refined than Alter.' the God-queen of Avalon lamentated.
Thus, started the era that would forever be recorded deep in the annals of Avalon's glorious history…
The first day of Avalon's very own... unique Shade and her... interesting reign as the Tower's Head Stewardess!
(End of Chapter)
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(Authority - Fate)
- Authority is a classification of special abilities possessed by the likes of Gods, Divine Spirits and the agents of the world like True Ancestors and High class Fairies. They are a Mystery far beyond magecraft said to be a manifestation of 'omnipotence'.
- Authorities are not just power, but rather absolute conceptual rights bestowed by the world to manage natural phenomena.
- Authorities are unique from the likes of Codecasts, Skills, and Noble Phantasms. They are on thelevel of creating a World, including event shifting, time-flow manipulation, and kingdom-building, among others. While normal Skills 'achieve a certain result based on some logical process or principle,' Authorities 'realize a result simply because the user has the right to do so.'
- Normally, gods can only possess one or two authorities, but deities on the level of a chief god or primordial deity who usually controls multiple domains can possess several. This concept is especially true if the deity in question was formed from an amalgamation of other gods or beings of higher spiritual calibur.
- Authorities, especially Divine Authorities cannot be bestowed to ordinary mortals.
Authorities can be shared, though they cannot be fully given, for each authorities are inherently unique and connected to the being of whom they had originated. Rarely though, some authorities can be passed down or inherited from one god to another depending on the nature of the authority and it's wielder.
(Here's a list of authorities that had been already shared by Artoria)
- Arbiter of Destruction (Artoria Lancer Alter)
- The Guiding Hand of Souls (Aria)
- Cultivator of the Realm (Canon)
- Fate's Twice-blessed Handmaiden (Sonnet)
- Overseers of the Moon (shared by all three sisters)
- The Great Behemoth
- King of the Ether Ziz
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(Llamrie)
- Along with Dun Stallion, Llamrei is one of the two famed horses of Artoria.
- Llamrei usually appears as a grey steed with a disheveled white mane and red eyes. It wears a black caparison with a ragged red edging and a few plates of silver barding.
- Llamrei usually has a cool and aloof personality, but she can show a side of violence against perverts.
-Llamrei is naturally quite lazy, preferring to bask and graze in the meadows or sleep the entire day inside the stables.
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