[A/N: Childe Boss Fight heck yes! Xiao senses something amiss and goes to intervene. However what he finds...is about to make this Yaksha bare his fangs in all his rage in more ways then one. Also enjoy an epic remix of Xiao's theme!!]
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It had happened all too fast and Lumine's frightening intuition had proven factual as she and Paimon had entered Golden House. Upon return from gathering the glaze lilies with Zhongli from Dihua Marsh, the Millith were everywhere at the city gates pulling the Fatui and others aside. It was so bad the chaos had reached the funeral parlor forcing Zhongli to hurry to quell the situation for his employer, Hu Tao. Lumine though had sensed something amiss about this entire situation and raced for Golden House where Morax's vessel was being kept.
Which now brought her to this situation as she summoned her sword gripping the black hilt in fury and frustration. She felt hurt and betrayed as she had thought she and Childe had started to become friends. "How did it come to this?"she thought as she stood her ground.
"We won't let what happened back in Mondstant ever again!"growled Paimon.
"Childe, I was starting to trust you a little, maybe even saw you as a friend."Lumine slowly took a step forward. "But it seems I was wrong."
"Oh ho oh~! So you intend to fight me, Ojou-chan? Good. I won't kill you, but I will play along — the thrill of battle must be savored after all!"laughed Childe in delight. "Besides you could never defeat me."
"The world is vast, Childe and I've seen things that would make your blood run cold. You say I can't defeat you!? You're completely delusional stupid Fatui!!"hissed Lumine. Oh she was feeling livid as the ginger harbinger laughed. Lumine had seen many, many things. Things that others would not be able to comprehend. Though, her memories were fuzzy in places due to the seal that she had only woken from months back before she met Paimon.
"Fighting talk, I love it~!"Childe smirked as his hand went to his mask. "Now lets see if you can back it up!"
"You will regret this day Childe!"Lumine hissed as she charged forward. Her blade radiating with geo energy making direct contact with Childe's hydro arrows as she leaped right for him with tigress like grace and fury.
"This is outrageous!"
The meeting and the trip towards the harbor had been like this the entire time. To the point it was slightly irritating Xiao. The older adepti had always been quick to argue on occasion amongst themselves. But Morax and Guizhang had used to always been the peacekeepers at such important matters. "We don't have either of them now to lead the way."he thought bitterly.
"One has heard your grievances since we left, Cloud Retainer, calm yourself."soothed the deer adeptus.
"If one wishes to voice their protests then one should do it away from this one's ears."grumbled Mountain Shaper.
"How about all of you just shut up? We're getting nowhere with this."huffed Xiao.
"Please, calm yourselves. What would Lord Morax's spirit think if he saw this?"pleaded the young half adeptus, Ganyu. Neither her human nor her qilin blood were too fond of this conflict between her adeptus brethren. After all the qilin had always been the most docile out of all the adepti and the closest to human world. That closeness had resulted in Ganyu's very existence.
"Now, now, there is no need for that temper Cloud Retainer. We are only going for answers, and only answers."soothed the elderly woman. This was one of the oldest adeptus, maybe even older then Lord Morax himself.
Xiao was not sure since for an adeptus he was seen as a what humans called a young adult he believe the term was? He was not sure. Xiao though grew bored of this senseless bickering as it threatened to bring his sour mood due to this karma snapping at him a little today like some swarm of bees. He had noticed how whenever Lumine was gone he felt hollow and it infuriated him and confused him as to why. He wasn't even sure how to process all these emotions as he tuned them out. Still some how they had managed to come to a conclusion and an agreement to go to the Qixing and confront Ningguang, the current leader of the Qixing to get answers.
But also to demand that the Exuvia be handed over to them to take back to Jueyan Karst where their beloved lord belonged. Still Xiao couldn't help but wonder was Lumine alright? Was She safe and watching out for herself? So many questioned bounced around his head and none of them about Lord Morax he was stunned to realize. His nerves began to get the better of him as they finally reached Dunyu Ruins. His anxiety growing as he felt a chill run up his spine. Why did he feel such an odd tension? So speeding on ahead he found a spot and reaching out with his keen senses.
Shit!
SHIT!!
Lumine had not expected Childe to have a second element at his beck and call. Heck how was he even using a second element to begin with!? Wasn't his Vision of the hydro element? So many questions raced through her skull as she just barely dodged a huge narwhale made of hydro energy. The damage from this fight could be seen everywhere and on them. To make matters worse Childe was frighteningly fast and got even faster if that was possible!
A parry to the left, a ducking roll to the right.
Blow after blow his electro struck like lightning strikes. However his attacks with his electro lances and blades were far more vicious. Each time it took everything she had to dodge and redirect them so they would not hit her vitals. Unfortunately her luck had run out and a clean slash from his lance sent her flying and rolling across the ground in agony. Her body giving off sparks of electro as she staggered to her feet, Paimon looking nervously between her and Childe as he approached joining together his electro blades into a single lance as he twirled it with ease. "Not bad, your swordsmanship is very impressive. But that is as far as you'll get."
Lumine though was fast to stop the advance of Childe's electro lance with an anemo vortex in her palm. At the same time with a skid of her foot of her injured leg spread out to cause a wave of geo crystal spikes to shoot out to counterattack. Childe had been taken completely off guard by the fact Lumine could command not one but two elements without a Vision or Delusion. The result causing a long gash along his flank as he just been barely able to get out of the way into the cloud of dust. However it had been too much as she clutched her right side that was bleeding rather heavily from the blow she had sustained.
What none had expected was the sudden dark mist to appear and out from it came the young yaksha as he caught Lumine and steadied her. Xiao's blood run cold at the state he saw her in as he felt the sticky, sickening warmth of her blood on his skin and seeping through his clothes. Wounds from arrows and blades and minor burns from electro covered her body. Her body was positively soaked from hydro. "Lumine!"he gasped in alarm.
"Xiao..."came her pained, weakened whimper. It was getting difficult to stay awake right now due to the amount of pain she was in. Her petite hand clinging to him desperately as sobbed wrecked her body as tears flowed through half lidded eyes.
"When did you get hurt!?"Xiao demanded.
"....I'm alright, I've had worse."croaked Lumine.
"You always say that, 'I'm Alright', Lumine. Why are you so stubborn? Why didn't you call out for me!? Why won't you rely on me, Lumine?"Xiao thought in frustration. But Lumine just smiled up at him weakly. "Please Lumine don't be so reckless like that anymore."he found him himself rebuking in worry, holding her close. Still she gave him that smile that could shatter the stars as her head went to rest on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Xiao. N-Next time I'll be more careful...I'm so sorry to make you worry...for me..."Lumine's voice before long trailed off as her body gave into the darkness of unconsciousness.
"Lumine!"whimpered Paimon. "Come on, wake up!"
"Well, well, I was not expecting that surprise nor was I expecting another uninvited guest to this party."Xiao's sharp gaze instantly turned up at Childe over his shoulder, his pupils narrowed to dangerous slits. He clutched Lumine protectively close in one arm and his polearm in the other. His fury only growing at seeing this human...this Fatui standing on the lifeless vessel of his lord. Like an old child's puzzle cube everything clicked together. He was to blame for everything!!!
"You dare touch her Fatui!? That wasn't enough for worthless scum like you!? You even defile Lord Morax!?"he snarled venomously. Oh he was right to have been keeping an eye on her. Lumine had even discovered the whereabouts of the body and the foolish mortal that dared this blasphemy. Howling winds of anemo surrounded the inside of the chamber before all their eyes as adeptal energy began to run heavy and thick. Before Childe's eyes was no human acquaintance or regular ally of Lumine's at all. No, before Childe's eyes was a real live adeptus of Liyue and not just any adeptus. No this was the Slayer of Demons and he had the 11th Harbinger in his sights like a tiger eyeing its prey and he was beyond furious and his retribution for what had befell the precious girl in his arms.
To Be Continued...