Rex was in a dilemma. The Anemo archon was stuck between a rock and a hard place. 

He has discovered that he can make a wind sword. A wind sword! He can be a fucking samurai now! But sadly, he did not like Katanas. He preferred a longsword or a rapier. So why is he in a dilemma? Well...

"What do you mean you want me in an underground rap battle?"  Rex said to his earphone as he went down the stairs and into the kitchen. 

"No, fuck you. I am the motherfucking emperor." Rex whispered as he entered the kitchen-living room hybrid and saw the Nagzaora trio sitting on the couch. 

"Fine... But I get most of the cut." He said while taking his sacred stash of premium coffee beans and his coffee maker. "Yeah, fine." 

Curious about this, a certain Kaslana peeked her head out and looked at him. 

"Kiana-chan..." Mei scolded as she looked at her junior, only for her to stare at the tattoo on his left shoulder. Was it a brand? 

(the symbol of Anemo is his tattoo.)

"Want a cup?" Rex offered while glancing at them over his shoulder. The girls were surprised by this and blushed in embarrassment while Bronya shook her head. 

"I already drank some," Mei said with a smile while the dumb one...

"Sure! I want one!" Agreed quite easily. 

"Okay," With practiced ease, the young man expertly prepared four cups of coffee. One for him, one for Kiana, one for his big sister Himeko, and one for his adoptive mother. Theresa. "Sugar? Cream?" 

"One spoon of sugar, please!" Kiana said, smiling as she watched him move. She can only see him like he was dancing in the wind at how he moved. Blue eyes widened as she saw him glance over her with a smile and her heart skipped a beat. She saw his eyes turn aqua green for a moment, and a white glow covered his form. 

"Here," Rex said as he handed her a cup of coffee.

"Thank you," Kiana said with a smile. 

"Rex..." Seeing his mother walk groggily towards him while dragging a Homu doll and messy clothes.  The young man approached her, fixed her clothes, put her on a chair, and gave her a cup of coffee. "Thank you..." 

Rex nodded at his mother and took a sip of his coffee. He missed times like this. Just simple times spent together by mother and son. 

"So good!" Kiana squealed as she took a long sip of her cup of coffee. It was the best cup she had ever tasted! Even better than Mei's tea. 

"I'm glad you like it," Rex said with a smile, pulling out a notebook. Bronya's eyes narrowed at the familiar symbol on the cover as he wrote. "I'm heading out this Saturday, mother," Rex told Theresa as his friend invited him to an underground concert. He needed money to pay for a new weapon.  

"Where?" Theresa asked, unaware or just ignoring the eavesdropping Bronya who sat near Mei so she could hear them. 

"Just a concert. A friend of mine invited me." The young man repeated while his mother thought about it. 

"I see, very well. Also, don't forget we will be visiting a lab for a new weapon." Theresa said with a smile as she gracefully drank the coffee her son made for her. It was better than usual, a significant improvement from the last time he made one for her. 

"Well, a cross would be a good weapon..." Hearing this, Theresa could barely contain her joy! She can teach her son to use one!

'I did use a special punisher cross before I returned here.' The young man thought, missing his punisher cross. It was his favorite weapon alongside his Blood embrace, but it was still in... 

"I have it!" Giving his mother a quick kiss on the cheek, the young man put on a jacket and ran away from the dorms, leaving the girls dumbfounded. Theresa was quite surprised at the kiss on her cheek because Rex would only show her familial affection if they were alone. 

Year ????

A young man with black hair and dark armor stared before a girl sleeping alongside a shrine maiden with pink hair. The young man removed his cape and wrapped it around them, saying nothing as he ensured they were not cold. 

"Honestly, the ground is not good to sleep in." He said as he watched blue eyes open with a teasing glint. 

---

 Rex walked towards the labs alone. He remembered Blood embrace. She was his best friend, and she stayed with him until the final battle.  

He wanted and needed her back. His beloved best friend. "I just hope she won't get mad at me." 

Entering the labs, the young man saw a red and black blur approach him.

"Rex!!!!" Shouted a familiar voice. Opening his arms, the young man joyfully embraced the red and black-themed girl with tears in his eyes. 

"Blood!" Rex cried out as he held his beloved ELF companion and best friend. 

"You idiot! You promised to stay with me, and you sent me away!" Blood Embrace cried out as she held her master and friend. 

"I'm sorry! You were the only one I had left, and I did not want to lose you." He said as he held his best friend tightly, his little sister in all but blood. 

"Don't leave me again, master!" Blood embrace whispered as she cried into his chest. 

"I won't this time... wait. how do you know who I am?" Rex asked only to yelp when a tiny fist hit his head. 

"I woke up in a crate, and when I felt your presence, I rushed here. IT seems like we traveled through time," 

"Yes, a few years before the final battle. Blood... will you join me again?" Rex asked his friend with a smile while holding her miniature form in his hands.

"No matter how many lifetimes we experience, I will always be by your side, master!" Blood embrace said with a smile as Rex reflected it happily. Dark eyes glowed aqua green as a breeze danced around him. 

Inside a room, a young man with brown hair and glasses on his face watched everything that happened. 

"So, you are the fourth Herscher. Otto must not know about you." The man said