Chapter Text
Klee was just going out to play, albeit without Jean's explicit permission, yet again.
A huge explosion is created at Starfell Lake, shaking the ground nearby and causing magic sparks to make contact with the Statue of The Seven. Out of the reaction between the sparks and the Statue, a portal appears.
The little girl in red says, "Uh oh, Klee did something bad again..." before an unusual gust of wind picks her up and blows her into the portal. The humming of the Statue and rustling blades of grass continue like nothing happened.
Diluc is a short distance away, investigating a hilichurl camp when he feels the tremors. He watches a crystalfly dissolve from the sudden disturbance and abandons the camp to inspect the site of the explosion instead.
He recognizes the residue of Klee's magic, quickly realizing a connection to her and the portal in the middle of the lake. As soon as he makes his conclusion, a wind easily shoves him into the portal as well despite the added weight of his claymore.
-
The rush of air is loud in Klee's ears, her hat is kept from flying away with her hand keeping it on her head. She realizes she's in the sky above a huge square-looking city filled with metal green things walking around, and that she's falling at an alarming speed. In a panic, she swiftly transitions into a plunge attack. A plunge at this height will definitely leave her with heavily bruised knees, her eyes water just thinking about it so she squeezes them shut.
From the ground, entrance exam students for UA look up in awe at the fireball. Soon after its appearance, a flaming phoenix materializes to intercept it. Diluc clutches Klee against his chest with his free arm and uses his heavy sword as a shield in front of them. They crash into the largest robot in the area, crushing it completely. Their combined firepower and change in trajectory caused by Diluc means that after making contact with the ground, a deep crater is created and stretches out until gravity manages to stop them. The central road of the practice city is destroyed along with anything else in their path.
Klee cracks her eyes open just as Diluc relaxes against the broken concrete and releases the hugest sigh of relief she's ever heard. Smoke even comes out of his mouth.
"Um... Thanks for saving me, Mister!" She says gratefully. She's never talked to him before, except to argue for that short moment on the Golden Apple Islands about Dodoking. Which she won, by the way.
He pats her on the back and doesn't say anything. They notice that a small crowd is beginning to form around the crater they're in, so Diluc pulls both himself and Klee up and climbs out.
"... Where are we," he mumbles, probably to himself. Klee gives a little shrug.
“Did you bring Master Jean with you?” she asks. Diluc shakes his head. His bright red hair is really eye-catching when it moves.
“She’s essential to Mondstadt, I wouldn’t ask her to come with me anywhere.”
“Mister, where’s your vision?”
At that, Diluc glances at his hip where it usually is and finds that it’s gone. He brushes his hand over Klee’s backpack and there’s an empty spot where the red gem she was given is supposed to be.
"Yours is missing as well."
"But I can still make bombs, see?" A Jumpy Dumpty mine is released from her hand and leaves soot on the ground. Diluc activates his Searing Onslaught once. They're in a world where a Vision is not required to use a power?
A little old lady approaches them, clearly a medic. Neither Diluc nor Klee are injured though, so they keep their distance. As the oldest person there, the nurse must be the one with the most authority in the area since everyone else is a teenager.
"Follow me, please," the old lady says. "You interrupted an exam."
"Sorry, it was an accident," Klee replies.
While they trail behind the woman called "Recovery Girl", Diluc speculates more about the world they're in. No Visions means there are no Archons and no Statues of Seven. It will be impossible to recreate the explosion and portal that led them here. If they're stuck for an extended period of time, he's going to need to prepare for their stay. Which means finding a residence.
-
Diluc and Klee are being regarded by a group of people wearing strange costumes. ("Why are you dressed like that?" Klee tries to say quietly, but is shushed by Diluc anyways.) They seem to be Recovery Girl's coworkers. He unequips his claymore but sets his face in a stony expression, sizing them up and determining the chances of a fight. However, carrying such a cute child in his arms reduces the effect drastically. Especially when she shoves her finger into his cheek.
They introduce themselves. ("Spark Knight Klee of the Knights of Favonius, reporting for duty!" "Diluc Ragnvindr, of Mondstadt.")
"We'll take care of your arrangements, your place of living, and your salary if you agree to stay here with us," a small white bear says after Diluc gives them the barest details of their predicament. (Diluc thinks, Is it a different form of adeptus?) (Klee thinks, I like things that are fluffy.)
Diluc is suspicious of the unusually beneficial offer, but it's extremely unlikely to receive better from anywhere else. "I accept."
The keys to an apartment on the grounds of the campus were given to Diluc. He quickly sweeps through for any surveillance devices. He only finds one. It's promptly melted down and tossed in the garbage.
The principal Nezu had handed him a large booklet of terms and conditions. He studies the pages thoroughly while sitting down with Klee at a table.
"Klee, it says here that you're required to take part in their educational courses. I will be there as well, but it's not required as I'm outside the age of being a student."
"Klee can't read that well, though?" she says and tilts her head.
"I'll help explain assignments to you." He continues to flip through the packet. His occupation will be in the cafeteria kitchens for lunch. A tolerable position, he's a good cook and a quick learner. "...Abilities in this world are called Quirks..."
Nearing the end of the booklet, two uniforms in their sizes slip out. That's puzzling. When were their measurements taken? A video of a blond man with a booming voice tells them that despite their accidental participation in the exam, they're extraordinary enough to be given special privileges.
"Is it okay that I'm the one in charge of you until we return to Mondstadt?" he asks Klee.
"You're one of the weird grown-ups. But it's better than getting lost all by myself!"
Diluc and Klee have a week to get used to being in a different world. It's Klee's bedtime right about now. He'll keep watch for a short while.
The week passes uneventfully (they learn how to navigate television), but there are a few moments where she pouts for too long. It's fortunate that Pyro Vision wielders happen to be naturally cheerful.
-
The day begins. Diluc and Klee comply with the dress code. They keep their gloves, and Klee continues to wear her hat in case Diluc ever loses her in a crowd. She holds his hand on their way to the classroom labeled "1-A".
Two students are already close to coming to blows, and over how to sit at a desk properly as well.
"Hey, he can make explosions too!" Klee points.
"Don't point, it's rude," Diluc says, although he's just saying it as a courtesy. It's too late, Klee's gesture drew the attention of the people who were yelling.
"I didn't know UA had spots open for elementary schoolers," Bakugo says, probably meaning to offend someone. It goes right over Klee's head.
"Oh, they don't! But Klee's special, everybody says so, and here I am!" she says with an excited hop, bouncing around her heavy backpack. Diluc wordlessly takes it off of her shoulders and lets it hang on his arm.
"And do you happen to be her guardian?" Iida asks Diluc. A single nod is enough to answer the question, so that's all he does. Someone whispers in the back, "I thought the eight year old high schooler thing was just a joke."
The conversation changes quickly with the rest of the class entering. Something about heroism.
One of Recovery Girl's co-workers from before, Aizawa, is the teacher for this class. Everyone is taking an apprehension test.
"There's a test already? But I didn't study!" Klee says.
"It'll be more like a game for you," Diluc replies.
-
Aizawa threatens the class with expulsion if they fail. The rest of the class breaks out in complaints.
"What does ex-hull-shun mean?" Klee asks.
"It means they'll get kicked out, expelled."
"But we just got here!" she says, bewildered.
"We aren't going to be kicked out, Klee. They want us here," Diluc says.
When he sees the example of seven hundred and five meters being set, a sense of competitiveness is stirred in him. Even though he knows the apprehension test is a poorly hidden excuse for the Principal and his staff to examine his and Klee's skills.
-
When Klee starts her fifty meter dash with a "Da-da-da!" some students fawn over her. She finishes with eleven seconds, and Diluc with six.
Klee scrunches her face with exertion when holding the grip strength machine and gets twelve kilograms. The corner of Diluc's mouth lifts up slightly. Children can be rather charming. Diluc's test reaches one hundred and sixteen kilograms.
Diluc clears the standing long jump with Klee on his back. The repeated side steps are also completed in this way.
The most anticipated test is the ball throw. That girl who got infinity was amazing. The slight feeling of eagerness to show off reminds him of when he used to be Cavalry Captain. His attempt is right after Klee's. She throws it, a very impressive fourteen meters. She puts both her thumbs up at Diluc, and he gives one in return.
"Try again," Aizawa tells her.
Klee winds her arm up for another regular throw, but Diluc jogs up to her and says, "He means you should try exploding it."
Her face brightens up and she nods so fast he worries for her neck. Diluc steps away. Klee tosses the ball up, and angles her charged attack to punch it into the sky like a cannon.
It reaches four hundred and sixty meters. The shock from the teenagers causes pride to bubble up in him.
Diluc steps into the white circle and equips a baseball bat. The ball and the bat catch fire. Toss up, and hit. It looks like a meteorite, a perfect home run at his level of strength. Six hundred and eighty meters. The baseball bat returns to his inventory.
Midoriya breaks a finger to get past seven hundred meters. There's a verbal altercation between Midoriya and Bakugo. ("Mister, he's even grumpier than you are!" Klee says.) Here, Diluc witnesses that Aizawa can erase abilities. It's not a threat to him or Klee. They might not have their Visions anymore, but the powers they possess are god given gifts and can't be blocked so easily.
Diluc and Klee make idle conversation for the last three physical tests, they take seventh place together when results are revealed. The possibility of getting expelled was to motivate them.
When they go back to their current "home", the first thing Klee does is grab some blank paper and a box of crayons to recount the whole day with.
"That big guy with lots of arms... the silly green one who broke his hand and the nice girl who makes things out of her tummy! This place is so cool! We don't have anyone like them in Mondstadt!"
"Finish that page and go wash up," Diluc says.
"Mister, can you teach Klee how to hit the ball like you?"