Inside the City of Mondstadt, several squads of knights took turns patrolling.
Lawrence stood at the city gate, looking at Mondstadt Bridge.
Before him lay the battlefield of the day; behind him shone the lights of Mondstadt's countless homes. He looked every bit like a lone guardian holding the pass against ten thousand foes.
He had already mastered his elemental burst: Wisdom and Courage, My Heart Soars.
With a little more practice with his abilities,
surely it wouldn't be long before he had a title of his own.
Should he call himself the Clearwater Knight, or something else...
"Lawrence, what are you doing here?"
"Swan, you came at just the right time. I was wondering what my title should be. I have a Hydro Vision, so I want a title related to water. Help me think of one."
Without a moment's thought, Swan replied, "How about the Drowning Knight?"
Lawrence protested, "I really can swim! My armor was just too heavy that time."
Lawrence couldn't understand his past self. Why hadn't he taken off his armor when he jumped into the water to save someone?
But his explanation earned him nothing more than a sound from Swan.
"Heh..." Swan drew it out.
Swan's teasing made Lawrence's face turn bright red. He hurriedly changed the subject. "Right, Swan, what are you doing here? I should be the one asking that question. It isn't time for your shift yet, is it?"
Swan explained, "Someone told me to come relieve him, but I couldn't find Bruce."
Lawrence was puzzled. "How could you not find him? You know the deployment plan too. Every knight has a fixed post."
Swan said, "That's why I came to find you."
Lawrence nodded. "All right, cover for me a while. I'll go look for him. Bruce must have found another place to slack off."
Lawrence had only taken a few steps when he spotted an armored figure in the northern corner, leaning against the city wall, apparently asleep. It was Bruce.
"Bruce, Bruce." Lawrence called his name, but got no response.
He realized something was wrong.
He approached carefully and saw that Bruce's face had lost all color, his head tilted to one side.
He had clearly been dead for some time.
A chill ran down his back. He quickly sidestepped and followed it with a roll, dodging a fatal blow.
He drew his sword and looked toward his attacker. "A Hydro Abyss Herald?! So you still haven't given up on your wicked schemes."
The Hydro Abyss Herald said, "Are those your last words? They're rather short."
Lawrence cried, "My heart is like iron, indestructible!"
Countless bubbles obscured the Hydro Abyss Herald's vision.
"Such paltry tricks, and you dare flaunt your axe before the master carpenter?"
When it came to controlling the Hydro element, how could Lawrence, who had only received his Vision a few days ago, compare to the Hydro Abyss Herald?
It swept its arm, and all the bubbles burst. Once they vanished, he saw that Lawrence had fled.
That direction led to the city gate.
Lawrence had a Hydro Vision and couldn't break the Hydro Abyss Herald's Hydro shield at all. He needed Swan's help. Swan could use Electro.
"Swan, there's an enemy!"
Swan drew his silver sword as well and joined Lawrence in facing the Abyss Herald as he caught up.
The Hydro Abyss Herald approached at a slow walk.
"Oh? I thought you'd run to the Knights of Favonius headquarters and find someone to save you. What, do you think teaming up with a piece of trash who doesn't have a Vision will let you beat me?"
Lawrence replied, "My idol is the Knight of the Young Wolf, Rustam. I dream of becoming a great hero who saves Mondstadt, just like him. A hero can't run away from a fight."
"Swan is my brother. Even without a Vision, he's an outstanding knight. The two of us are enough to stop you here."
Swan snorted. "Why waste words on him? Let's go, Lawrence."
"Right, Swan."
To back up his lie that he could only use Elemental Power with alchemical potions, Swan really had gone to the Knights of Favonius and collected quite a few elemental potions.
Now was the time.
Swan threw a red bottle, and a sword of water formed in the Hydro Abyss Herald's hand.
He cleaved it in two, setting off an explosion.
Lawrence praised him. "Nice work, Swan."
While his enemy was down, Lawrence moved in for the kill. He charged with his sword and fought the Abyss Herald, their blades flashing and crossing, but he was no match for the enraged Abyss Herald.
The Favonius Sword was knocked from his hand, and Swan hurriedly took his place. With the power of his Electro Delusion, he fought the herald to a standstill for a time.
But the Delusion placed too great a burden on his body. Swan couldn't keep it up for long and was knocked flying as well. He pulled out another alchemical potion, this one with the Cryo attribute.
The Hydro Abyss Herald dismissed his Hydro shield, so the Cryo potion wouldn't freeze him at all.
"The same move won't work on me twice. Perhaps you should have brought it out at the start and caught me off guard."
Lawrence had retrieved the Favonius Sword and caught his breath. "Don't forget, you're fighting both of us."
Countless bubbles surrounded both him and the Abyss Herald, and the two clashed again.
Lawrence shouted, "Swan, now!"
Swan understood what Lawrence meant and threw the potion over. The instant the bottle burst, both Lawrence and the Hydro Abyss Herald were frozen.
Before the Hydro Abyss Herald was frozen, his water blade pierced Lawrence's chest.
Swan was about to step forward and finish off the Abyss Herald when a Pyro Abyss Mage appeared from nowhere and melted the ice.
The Hydro Abyss Herald kicked aside the shattered potion bottle on the ground.
"It seems I've won. Your efforts have been one of the few pleasures in my dull days, but you were still one move short."
"You didn't think I'd infiltrate Mondstadt alone without bringing a subordinate, did you?"
The Pyro Abyss Mage was about to praise his boss to show his loyalty when he saw a chilling sight. "Watch out!"
"What?!" The frozen Lawrence in front of the Hydro Abyss Herald turned into a puddle of water, and the Favonius Sword plunged straight into the herald's body from behind.
He spat blood and raised a water shield with the last of his strength, blocking Lawrence's next strike.
The effect of Lawrence's elemental burst, "Wisdom and Courage, My Heart Soars," was to create a Hydro double while rendering his real body invisible for a short time.
The Hydro Abyss Herald's voice turned hoarse. "This is what you call a hero? What kind of hero attacks from behind?"
Lawrence said, "A hero has to know how to adapt. Against Mondstadt's enemies, using any means necessary is also an option."
The Pyro Abyss Mage covered his retreat into the darkness. Lawrence wanted to give chase, but his feet wouldn't move. After using his skill and burst one after the other, he was completely drained.
"...We finally drove the enemy away." He leaned on his sword, panting. "Swan, it's just that Bruce... we'll never see him again."
"No."
The voice behind him was close.
"You'll see him again very soon."
Lawrence froze.
"What do you mean-"
A sword tip emerged from his chest.
It was in exactly the same spot where he had just stabbed the Abyss Herald from behind.
Swan's hand was still on the hilt. Right behind him.