Early morning, in a guest room at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, bright sunlight filtered through the gauze curtains, casting a peaceful and serene atmosphere over the room.
"Ah~" Amid the chirping of birds and the fragrance of flowers, Yun Fan yawned and sat up in bed.
"Hmm... what time is it?" Rubbing his sleepy eyes, the young man glanced out the window at the blazing sun. The intense sunlight stung his half-open eyes, and suddenly, he remembered something.
"Oh no, I overslept!" Yun Fan jolted awake. Judging by the height of the sun, it was no longer early morning. It was probably already past 9 a.m. If he didn't hurry, he'd miss the exciting showdown.
"Yun Fan brother, where are you going?" After hurriedly washing up, Yun Fan smoothed out the wrinkles on his clothes in front of the mirror and prepared to head to the Golden House to watch the show.
"Ah, little Griseo. Brother is going to protect Liyue. You stay home, okay? If you get bored, you can go play with Hu Tao."
Yun Fan affectionately tidied Griseo's messy hair, speaking to her like a child.
"Griseo isn't a child anymore. I want to go with Yun Fan brother," Griseo pouted, her adorable eyes "glaring" at Yun Fan in dissatisfaction. However, the expression wasn't intimidating at all—it was more like she was being cute.
"Haha, of course you can. As long as Griseo is happy," Yun Fan pinched Griseo's puffed-up cheeks and smiled.
Yun Fan was pleased with the changes in her personality. Compared to the Griseo from the Elysian Realm, this version of her was gradually expressing more emotions, no longer as detached as before.
For example, this adorably unfair "glaring" expression was something a girl her age would naturally have. Hmm... it really made him want to pinch her soft, white cheeks.
"Stop pinching, or Griseo will get angry..." Griseo muttered unhappily, but Yun Fan only responded with a warm, gentle laugh.
Near the Golden House...
"Lord Harbinger, as you predicted, there are only a few squads of Millelith guarding the Golden House—less than thirty people. I'm confident we can take them out quickly!" A Pyro Sniper handed a military telescope to Tartaglia, reporting respectfully.
"Just as I expected," Tartaglia took the telescope and observed the surroundings of the Golden House. Then he lowered it and examined the telescope with interest.
"These new telescopes from Fontaine are quite good. Let's stock up on more when we get back. Everyone, prepare to move out."
Tartaglia casually tossed the telescope to a soldier beside him, then took out his bow, the Rust, and drew the string. Thick Hydro energy condensed at the tip of the arrow.
Whoosh—
The arrow flew out, crossing a hundred meters in an instant. With a cry of pain, a Millelith soldier was struck and fell to the ground.
"Who's there?!" Although the average Millelith soldier was no match for a Fatui Harbinger, they were still well-trained.
The moment their comrade fell, they reacted quickly, forming ranks and searching for the hidden enemy.
Whoosh— Whoosh— Whoosh—
Several more arrows shot through the air. The Millelith soldiers, now on guard, swung their spears to deflect the arrows. However, they underestimated Tartaglia's strength. With a clang, the spears were knocked out of their hands and embedded deep into the ground.
"Such terrifying strength! Everyone, be careful! Don't try to block them head-on!" The Millelith soldier who had lost his weapon warned his comrades, his hands still tingling from the impact.
"Charge!" Tartaglia put away his bow and waved his hand. The Fatui vanguard surged forward like a tidal wave, with Tartaglia leading the charge, dual blades in hand.
"Enemy attack! Follow me—" The Millelith captain, wielding a white-tasseled spear, led the remaining soldiers into close combat with the Fatui. In an instant, the sounds of battle cries, clashing weapons, and shattering filled the air.
The Millelith soldiers fought valiantly, but the Fatui vanguard outnumbered them several times over. In the end, they were overwhelmed and forced to retreat.
"Ha!" Tartaglia channeled Hydro energy, sending out several water blades that instantly knocked down the Millelith soldiers guarding the entrance.
"Leave half the troops outside to guard. The rest, follow me into the Golden House!" Tartaglia kicked open the door and led the vanguard inside. Once they were all in, the Fatui soldiers outside closed the door and stood guard.
"Swift as the wind!"
Not long after the Golden House doors closed, before the Fatui vanguard could form ranks, a sharp voice rang out from the side. In the next moment, the heroic Keqing teleported in front of them, slashing with a lightning-infused blade.
"Soldiers, surround and eliminate the enemy!"
Keqing raised her sword, the Lion's Roar, to the sky and shouted. In an instant, the ground shook as hundreds of Millelith soldiers emerged from all directions.
Unlike the standard-issue spears used by ordinary Millelith, these soldiers wielded a variety of weapons—spears, swords, bows—each specializing in their own combat style. At a glance, it was clear they were the elite of the Millelith.
With their superior strength and numbers, the Millelith quickly formed a massive encirclement, trapping the Fatui soldiers inside and launching a coordinated attack.
"Lightning flashes, cutting through all obstacles!" Keqing transformed into lightning, disappearing into a flash of sword light. In an instant, she had slashed dozens of times.
With each Fatui soldier that fell, a beautiful yet tragic blood flower bloomed in the air, accompanied by agonized screams.
However, Keqing didn't soften at the sight. She continued her relentless assault, slaughtering the enemy without mercy.
Keqing's elders had once told her, "Mercy to the enemy is cruelty to oneself." If she spared these Fatui today, more people might die because of them in the future.
Inside the Golden House...
"Why are you here?" Tartaglia looked at Lumine, who was standing in front of the Exuvia, his expression one of surprise. He thought his plan was flawless. Why was the Traveler here? And from the looks of it, she was here for him.
"Ahem, Tartaglia..." Lumine felt a bit awkward. As the saying goes, "If you eat someone's food, your mouth softens; if you take someone's money, your hands shorten." She had taken several million Mora from Tartaglia.
Although Lumine wanted to get back at Tartaglia for what La Signora had done, now that the moment had come, she couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed.
"Haha, it seems you're here to stop me too. In that case, let's have a fair fight!"
Tartaglia didn't mind. He laughed heartily, twirling his dual blades, and walked to the center of the Golden House's platform, challenging Lumine.
"Lord Tartaglia, we can..."
"All of you, stand down! This is my fight, and no one is allowed to interfere!" Tartaglia barked at the vanguard soldiers who wanted to help, then turned back to Lumine.
"Well? Will you fight me?"
Lumine didn't hesitate. She summoned her Dawn Sword and pointed it at Tartaglia's forehead.
"I'll take you on!"