“You idiot…”
Makoto heaved a sigh of relief as Luo Qing’s eyes fluttered open.
Her initial relief quickly gave way to irritation as she glared at him. Pulling her hand free from his grasp, she gestured toward the battle raging in the skies above the Opera Epiclese.
“These matters can wait. Right now, there’s something far more important for you to deal with.”
“Something more important?”
Following her gaze, Luo Qing turned his attention skyward.
There, high above the shattered opera house, four streaks of light clashed against the backdrop of stormy clouds. Each collision sent shockwaves rippling through the sky, scattering clouds and shaking the ground below.
“This is…”
Luo Qing’s pupils dilated in disbelief.
If his eyes weren’t deceiving him, the figure battling his loved ones in the heavens was—
“The Sustainer?!”
The realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.
“How… Why is she here?”
Before he could process what he was seeing, Makoto gently shook her head and began explaining.
“She is not the true Sustainer of Heavenly Principles,” Makoto clarified.
“She’s merely a puppet, a construct designed to maintain the balance of Teyvat in her stead.”
Even so, Makoto’s voice grew somber.
“Yet even as a puppet, she is a force we cannot hope to match.”
Makoto turned to face him fully, her eyes softening with an emotion that hovered between warmth and sorrow.
“Luo Qing… Only you can face her.”
“Only me?”
Luo Qing frowned, a hint of doubt flickering across his face.
He knew he was strong, a force to be reckoned with in his own right. But he also knew his limitations—he was not yet as powerful as Ei, let alone capable of surpassing Neuvillette or Nahida.
How could he possibly succeed where they had failed?
“Yes, only you,” Makoto repeated, placing a hand lightly over his chest.
“I think you already know what I mean.”
Luo Qing fell silent, his thoughts turning inward.
With a flicker of his will, seven chess pieces materialized around him, orbiting his body in a radiant display.
These pieces, known as the Chessboard of Ascension, glimmered with vibrant elemental hues.
At first, he noticed only the familiar green light from one of the pieces. But now, all seven pieces were glowing in unison—emerald green, icy blue, golden yellow, pale cyan, fiery red, deep violet, and cerulean blue.
They corresponded perfectly to the seven elements of Teyvat.
“So that’s it…”
Luo Qing lifted his gaze toward the puppet in the sky.
The closer he moved to her, the brighter the pieces shone.
He could feel it—an insatiable hunger radiating from them, as if they recognized her as their ultimate prey.
“Luo Qing…”
Makoto’s voice brought him back to the moment.
She stepped closer, her expression filled with an almost painful tenderness, as though she were saying goodbye.
“Promise me you’ll return,” she said softly.
“Please… come back to us.”
“I will.”
Luo Qing gave a small nod, his resolve solidifying. He reached out to ruffle Makoto’s hair gently.
Then, turning toward the chair where Furina sat, her vacant eyes brimming with tears, he added, “Take care of her for me.”
Without waiting for a response, he activated his powers.
Deep violet energy surged around him, forming a suit of armor reminiscent of a samurai’s, and with a powerful leap, he launched himself into the sky toward the battlefield.
—
The battle against the puppet had raged for what felt like an eternity.
Ei, Nahida, and Neuvillette fought tirelessly, their combined might seeming to push the puppet onto the defensive.
But they knew the truth: despite appearances, their attacks were achieving nothing.
No matter how destructive their elemental assaults were, they simply slid off the puppet as though she existed on a plane untouched by Teyvat’s elements.
In contrast, the crimson cubes summoned by the puppet weren’t just devastatingly powerful—they absorbed energy, sapping their strength with each strike.
“She’s immune to elemental attacks…”
Neuvillette’s voice carried a grim finality as he observed their struggle.
“All our power stems from the elements… and they’re useless against her.”
The three fighters exchanged a heavy silence, the gravity of their situation sinking in.
To face an entity immune to the very foundation of Teyvat’s world was to face an impossible foe.
She was, without a doubt, an invader—an outsider unbound by this world’s rules.
Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed from the Opera Epiclese below.
The three turned their attention downward just in time to see a figure clad in violet armor ascending toward them, seven radiant chess pieces trailing behind.
“Luo Qing…”
“Daddy…”
Ei and Nahida’s voices overlapped, a mix of relief and hope breaking through their exhaustion.
Knowing that Luo Qing was safe brought a renewed sense of calm to their hearts.
For Neuvillette, however, it was Nahida’s quiet “Daddy” that gave him pause.
The distance between them disappeared in moments.
Soon, Luo Qing hovered beside them, his pieces glinting like stars in the storm.
“You’ve worked hard,” he said, positioning himself protectively in front of Ei and Nahida while completely ignoring Neuvillette.
“Leave the rest to me. Go protect Makoto and the others.”
“But that thing…” Ei began, worry evident in her tone.
Luo Qing cut her off with a soft smile.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”
Ei hesitated, but the confidence in Luo Qing’s expression was enough to convince her.
“…I understand.”
She gave a small nod and began her descent.
“Be careful, Daddy,” Nahida added, casting a spell that surrounded Luo Qing with glowing green protective circles before following Ei back to the Opera Epiclese.
Now, only Neuvillette remained.
“If you leave now, you can still walk away from this,” Luo Qing said, his tone growing colder as he turned to the Hydro Dragon.
Memories of the events that had led to this moment stirred his irritation.
If not for this guy stirring up trouble, I’d be cuddled up with Furina right now… Instead, I have to fight a freaking puppet of the Sustainer?!
Neuvillette shook his head.
“This started because of me. I will see it through to the end.”
“Suit yourself,” Luo Qing muttered with a snort, before turning his attention to the puppet.
The seven chess pieces circling him flared to life, their glow intensifying as they neared her.
He clenched his fists, a cold determination settling over him.
“Now… it’s just you and me.”
—
T/N: wow imagine the cliffhanger 5 chapters ago if i was doing the 5 chapters thing lmaoo
This is a fan translation of 原神：这个见习执行官太屑了 by 何一乐. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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