A/n: I apologize for any OOCness from Xiao. I know he's more of a standoff-ish person and someone who prefers to be alone due to the fear of corrupting others with his karmic debt, but I want a story where he is close to someone and doesn't fear tainting them because of their own darkness. Hopefully this prologue is somewhat decent and interesting. Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~
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"Kill her!" A man bellowed, throwing a spear towards a nine-tailed fox. The sharp tip grazed her white and red fur as she leapt out of the way. Dodging more spears, the shinigami searched for the quickest way out of Konda Village. She jumped over a house amd headed towards the beach. The villagers and the Shogun's Army chased after her with their weapons at the ready. They cursed her name, demanding she return the souls of their loved ones.

Reaching the coast, the nine-tailed fox didn't hesitate to leap onto the surface of the ocean. Platforms fabricated from pure blue flames formed under her paws as she ran across the surface of the water. She kept running and soon the sounds of the villagers and soldiers were gone. Alas, she kept running. She needed to escape Inazuma.

As the sky grew dark and lightning struck the surface of the ocean, she didn't stop. The storm created by Baal to keep unwanted guest from entering Inazuma brewed relentlessly above. The churning waves threatened to drown her while the lightning terrorized her. She was struck a few times, wounding her severely, but it wasn't enough to stop her.

Pushing through the storm, she eventually reached Liyue. She ran past Liyue Harbor and traversed the mountainous region until her strength finally extinguished like a bellowing fire in a downpour. She crashed into a cliffside, creating new wounds and irritating her older ones. She laid on her side, breathing heavily and half conscious.

The faint odor of hilichurls reached her nose. The scent was getting stronger and she knew they were heading towards her location. She had to defend herself, but she was too weak. She couldn't even move her legs or tails.

Opening her eyes, she saw a large group of hilichurls running towards her. Among them were two mitachurls wielding axes. In her half-conscious state, she cursed the Raiden Shogun and those who fell for her trickery.

As the hilichurls and mitachurls closed in on her, she welcomed her demise. She closed her eyes. She waited for them to strike her down with their weapons and end her suffering.

However, nothing came.

Wondering why the enemies hadn't struck her, she cracked her eyes open and saw they were all dead. Near the pile of corpses stood a person who's face was concealed by a mask. In their hand, they wielded a jade spear.

She was curious about them, wondering why they would save her. She watched them approach her as their weapon vanished. Feeling no ill-will from this person, she didn't bear her fangs. She allowed them to stroke her neck.

Slowly, her eyes began to shut. Before she fell unconscious, she heard the person say, "You can rest now. I will take care of you."

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A few days later, the nine-tailed fox regained consciousness. She was still laying in the same spot, but her wounds were healed. Not a single inch of her body ached. She felt as if she could conquer the world with her rejuvenated body. Pushing herself onto her stomach and tucking her paws underneath her body, she looked around. In the distance, she saw a grand structure located on the bank of a river.

Transforming, the nine-tailed fox reverted to her human form. Her hair was white with the tips colored a deep crimson. Two white fox ears, the tips colored crimson, protruded from the top of her head. A tail matching her ears extended from a small hole fashioned in her outfit. The same red markings that once spread across her white fur now decorated her pale face and arms. Her golden eyes with slit pupils wandered away from the structure to analyze her surroundings. She had slammed into a cliffside located along a small riverbank.

"You're awake."

The girl's ears twitched before turning in the direction of the voice. She spun to face the person  and saw it was the boy who helped her. Unlike before, he wasn't wearing a mask. She could see his piercing golden eyes, but that wasn't all. She could sense a dark aura resonating from him, one that matches her own. As a shinigami, it was normal for her to be enveloped by the shadows of death. It was her job to claim the souls of the deceased and escort them to the afterlife. But she could tell he wasn't a shinigami. He was something else and she wanted to know what other being could have such darkness attached to them.

"You're the one who helped me," she spoke up. "Words alone cannot express how grateful I am for your aid."

In the blink of an eye, the boy disappeared and reappeared in front of her. "Who are you?"

She was taken aback at his sudden appearance. Although she didn't sense malice, she couldn't trust him. She wasn't sure how far Baal's connections reached outside of Inazuma and she didn't want to trust someone who could possibly be working for the Raiden Shogun. "Sorry, but I must..."

The boy, who wasn't known to pry into the affairs of others or even take the time to get to know others, couldn't allow her to escape. Just like her, he could sense the same darkness that weighed her soul down just like his. He grabbed her wrist to stop her from running away. "The darkness... I can sense it. You and I are similar."

Her eyes widen. "How...?"

"Who are you?" he repeated himself.

The shinigami could see how desperate he was. She thought if she told him her name, he would attempt to inform the Raiden Shogun of her location. However, she wanted to tell him who she was just because of the emotions that were swimming through his golden eyes. In the end, she decided she would trust him based on his reaction to her identity. "I am Izanami. I am a shinigami. My duty is to reap the souls of the deceased and escort them to the afterlife."

The boy's brows furrowed together. He had heard of shinigami. They were spirits who were worshipped by many, but they were only found in the island nation of Inazuma. "You are far from Inazuma. Why would a shinigami be in Liyue?"

From his question, she knew he wasn't aware of the Shinigami Hunt Decree Baal put in place. That meant he wasn't affiliated with her or Inazuma. "The Raiden Shogun declared me a murderer and traitor. She issued the Shinigami Hunt Decree and turned all of Inazuma against me. I managed to escape before I was killed by the people who once worshipped me."

Now everything made sense. The boy understood why she fled her home and was injured. "Liyue is a safe place and you do not need to fear being hunted."

"It is safe for now, but the Raiden Shogun will soon send her army to Liyue to search for me. If I don't keep moving, I will be caught and dragged back to Inazuma just so I can be killed before her." Izanami yanked her wrist out of his grasp. "I really do wish I could repay you for your help, but I must go."

The boy didn't want her to leave. For the first time in over two thousand years, he's found someone who intrigues him. She was immortal just like him and knew what it felt like to be drowned in darkness. Never had he met someone like him in his long life. It was unlike him to want someone to stay. He didn't want to miss the chance of getting to know the one person that intrigued him. Never did he think he would become enamored by one person simply because of the darkness dripping from their being. "I am adeptus Xiao. It is my sworn duty to protect Liyue and those who dwell within."

Izanami was familiar with the adepti, but she was surprised to hear he was one. Now she understood the darkness she sensed within him—karmic debt. Over the ages, the five yaksha rallied by Morax were consumed by their karmic debt and fell victim to the darkness within them. Out of the five yaksha, only one remained and he stood directly in front of her.

Pushing the story she read out of her mind, Izanami stared into his golden eyes. "I admire your conviction to protect Liyue and its citizens, but I am not one of them."

"You are," he corrected her. "You stand within the land of Liyue. Regardless of where you come from or where you go, I protect all within this domain. As of now, you are within Liyue therefore I will protect you. It is safe here, I assure you."

Izanami looked away from Xiao. She stared at the calm water of the river, debating if she should stay or not. She weighed the possibilities. If she kept wandering aimlessly, she would be on the run until the day she died. If she stayed in Liyue, she could settle down and possibly live peacefully. Even if the Shogun's Army did show up, she could go into hiding and wait for them to leave Liyue.

Sighing, she gave in. "All right, Xiao. You've convinced me. I'll stay in Liyue for the time being." 

Although his face didn't show it, he was glad she'd be staying. "Under my protection, you will be safe."