𝚂𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝙰𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚝 [𝚐.𝚒 𝚟𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚡 𝚐𝚗!𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛]

XXXI

There was always one thing you forgot about when in this world. Despite the fanfiction and the memes and whatever that you had seen from the safety of your bed, behind a screen, these characters were dangerous, and they could hurt you if they tried. Even though Childe views most fights, even ones he's serious with, as opportunities to test his skills, you didn't know if you could even bear that. When you sparred with Andrius, you knew that even though it was serious, the wolf would never actually kill you, but you weren't sure how far Childe was going to go, especially because he didn't interact with you as much as he did Aether.

"If you were Fatui, I imagine that you would be entitled to a generous reward from the Tsaritsa herself." Childe's tone still held some kind of lightness, but it didn't overcome the firmness of his lips as they pressed to a serious line. "But now, you're nothing but dross - and you're in my way."

"It looks like we made it just in time then." Aether said, calmer than Paimon looked, and I felt.

"Although I am so deeply grateful to you that I was able to effortlessly find this secret location. Wouldn't stopping me now just amount to a waste of effort?" There was a smugness to his tone, something that grated you on the inside.

Childe continues his monologue and exposition, and the unskippable dialogue is making you incredibly antsy to get the fighting part over with. You just want to either walk out of here injured or dead and the waiting to get to that ending, is killing you.

But Paimon eventually declares war, Childe laughs in our fucking faces (rude), and Aether doubles down, only getting Childe to laugh more. But when Childe begins to strut back to the center of the Golden House, you realize there's no more wait time.

"Tag team?" You mumble, holding my hand out to Aether in a low high five.

"Tag team." Aether slaps your hand and rushes forward, bringing his sword out in a quick slash that Childe manages to dodge with ease and, in the process, summon his bow.

From the farther platform you bring out your bow, it's sleek design fitting easily into your hands as it has a hundred times before. You prefer your bow to any of your other weapons, especially because it's the one you've had the most practice with, and with the teachings of Ariel, you knock the arrow and aim it precisely at the back of Childe's right knee.

You take a breath and fire the arrow, nailing it right at the back of Childe's dominant knee. The Harbinger cries out as he switches his bow for his hydro blades when Aether suddenly bursts forth with a swift strike a little too close to Childe's heart. You could see the snarl on Childe's face as the arrow in his knee causes his dodging to get sloppier.

You stayed on the higher platforms. Arrows that didn't bounce off Childe's now well-placed shields grazed him, forming small cuts in his clothing and skin as he was now mindful of your precision, dodging both you and Aether. You were so focused that you didn't notice Childe powering up and the huge ass water whale emerging from the floor.

Aether had been standing in front of you on the lower platform and the whale was aimed for him. Though he ran out of the way, the aftershock of the whale's collapse still hit you. A giant wave slammed straight into your stomach, forcing your breath from your lungs, black spots darting across your vision, and buckled knees as you curled over.

You were definitely going to have a bruise tomorrow, but you couldn't think on that for long as the moment you gained your footing once more, a shield of water circled around Childe before exploding outward to reveal a more Fatui-like outfit with his delusion now hanging from his hip.

With your quiver now empty, you pulled your jagged sword from its sheath and ran to Aether's side. With one look the two of you knew exactly what to do. Relying on your speed and stamina, the two of you darted around Childe like mice, slashing at any chance you got and making sure to block any strike that would hit the other.