Qiu Bai, the king of acting

"Ding!"

"System quest!"

"Perform an evenly matched battle in front of Lumine!"

"Reward unknown!"

The system notification chimed in Qiu Bai's mind.

A faint smile tugged at his lips as he looked at Lumine, who was fighting Tartaglia.

A bow suddenly appeared in Childe's hands. He drew it, gathering a dense mass of Hydro at its center, and fired at Lumine in the distance.

Lumine flipped out of the arrow's path.

Then she planted one hand on the ground. Green Anemo appeared on the Dull Blade in her other hand, and she shot toward Childe.

Childe remained calm. His bow transformed into two blades, and with a feverish thirst for battle on his face, he charged forward to meet Lumine's attack head-on!

Bang!

The two did not separate after colliding, instead locking into a contest of strength.

Lumine twisted her wrist, thrusting the Dull Blade toward Childe's waist. Childe hurriedly swept the blade in his right hand downward.

A grating screech rang out, sending sparks flying!

Then Childe suddenly pulled back before attacking Lumine again!

Not to be outdone, Lumine coated the Dull Blade in Anemo and charged forward once more!

A metallic clang rang out!

A shock wave mingled with wind and water erupted between their attacks, sending both Lumine and Childe staggering several meters backward.

Then Childe and Lumine rushed at each other, locking into combat again!

"Qiu Bai, do something! They look evenly matched!"

Watching the Traveler and Tartaglia locked in battle, Paimon spoke anxiously to Qiu Bai beside her.

She wondered whether they could defeat Childe if Qiu Bai went over to lend a hand now.

Qiu Bai patted Paimon's head.

His gaze turned to Lumine and Tartaglia as they fought.

"Here~ I~ come!"

Then Qiu Bai charged toward the pair, sword in hand.

Lumine looked utterly bewildered at the sight of Qiu Bai rushing over, then backed away.

Childe noticed Qiu Bai charging at him, and his pupils abruptly contracted.

"Whoa! Baldy!"

Qiu Bai swung his sword, sending a black-and-white slash of energy hurtling toward Childe!

"An opening! Gone in a flash!"

Childe joined his two blades together, forming a long Hydro shaft with the paired blades at its tip, making it look rather like a spear.

Then a powerful Hydro blade swept horizontally toward Qiu Bai's attack!

The Hydro slash clashed with Qiu Bai's black-and-white sword energy for a moment.

But Qiu Bai's black-and-white sword energy was clearly no match for Childe's attack. Childe's Hydro broke straight through it.

"Oh no!"

Qiu Bai's pupils contracted as he watched Childe's attack close in on him.

"Qiu Bai!!!"

Lumine rushed toward Qiu Bai as fast as she could!

But she was still a step too late. The attack slammed into Qiu Bai!

The tremendous force sent Qiu Bai flying backward, straight through the wall behind him!

Stones from the wall fell onto Qiu Bai, raising a cloud of dust.

"Qiu Bai!"

Ignoring whether Childe was still there, Lumine hurried over, her delicate hands constantly searching for Qiu Bai.

"Qiu Bai, Qiu Bai!"

Some time passed without any sign of Qiu Bai, but Lumine refused to give up.

She pulled away one small stone after another, tears falling drop by drop as her delicate hands were scraped raw.

Seeing this, Childe did not take advantage of Lumine's search to attack. Instead, he turned and walked toward the Exuvia.

Paimon quickly flew over as well, searching with her little hands.

Meanwhile, Qiu Bai lay buried beneath the stones.

Even Yun Jin would applaud this acting.

I wonder if this counts as performing an evenly matched battle.

Qiu Bai muttered inwardly, feeling a little unsure.

"Ding!"

"It does not!"

The system's voice echoed in Qiu Bai's mind.

"What?!"

Qiu Bai knocked the boulder away simply by sitting up.

By now, Lumine's face was streaked with tears, and Paimon's little hands were scraped raw too.

They stared blankly at Qiu Bai, who had abruptly sat bolt upright as though rising from his deathbed.

"Qiu Bai?"

Her face stained with tears, Lumine stared dazedly at Qiu Bai, still holding a small stone in her scraped hand.

Qiu Bai froze at the sight of Lumine's expression.

Then he smiled at Lumine and Paimon before him. "Sorry, Lumine. I made you and Paimon worry."

"But didn't I tell you? I'm really strong!"

Qiu Bai took the scraped little hand of the still-dazed Lumine, and a white light flashed.

Lumine felt warmth in her palm. Her injuries had actually healed.

Qiu Bai patted Paimon's head, and another white light flashed. Her little hands returned to normal too.

Under Lumine and Paimon's shocked gazes, Qiu Bai slowly stood up and casually brushed the dust off himself. He did not even have a scratch.

"I'll be taking Morax's Gnosis!"

Childe's voice suddenly rang out from afar, drawing Lumine and Paimon's attention.

Lumine and Paimon looked toward the source of the voice and saw that Childe's appearance had changed.

He wore a red mask, and something resembling a Vision hung at his waist.

Then Electro crackled around his hand as he reached into the Exuvia!

After a while, Childe withdrew his hand, holding nothing. He turned to face Qiu Bai and the other two.

"So that's how it is!"

"It seems you got here first!"

Then, under Lumine and Paimon's astonished gazes, Childe underwent Armor Fusion. Dark stars flickered across the enormous cape on his back.

Having lost his reason, Childe smashed his long blade into the ground, breaking straight through the Golden House's first floor!

The three lost their footing and fell straight down.

Qiu Bai easily pushed aside the enormous stone in front of him with one hand.

Lumine pushed aside a nearby stone with all her strength, while Paimon remained airborne.

Still, she hurried over to check on Qiu Bai and the Traveler, looking worried.

Just then, a violet orb of light descended through the dust-filled air. It was impossible to make out what it was.

After a shock wave rippled outward, the figure inside was revealed.

Indeed, it was Childe after his transformation, in his strongest form!

"You took the Gnosis before I could, didn't you!"

"Did you act faster than me? Or... was the information about the Golden House deliberately leaked to me!"

Childe glared at the three before him and spoke angrily.

"No, we didn't take it!"

Paimon hurriedly waved her hands at the irrational Childe.

Having lost his reason, Childe paid no attention to what Paimon said and charged straight at them!

Lumine was just about to act.

Qiu Bai rushed forward from beside her, the Yin-Yang Chaos Sword in hand!

Childe unleashed a full-power strike at Qiu Bai, and Qiu Bai swung his longsword to meet it!

Clang!

Sparks flew everywhere!

"Tch, what a pain. I still have to act!"

Qiu Bai had already dialed his strength back to roughly Childe's level, afraid he might accidentally kill him.

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