Thud—
As the last Fatui soldier fell to the ground, Keqing shook the blood off her Lion's Roar and turned to the Millelith medics tending to the wounded.
"How are their injuries?" Keqing's eyes were filled with concern. Strictly speaking, the plan to use some Millelith soldiers as bait to lure the Fatui into a trap was directly related to her. In fact, she had proposed it.
Although these soldiers had volunteered, if any of them had been seriously injured or killed, Keqing would have felt guilty.
"Lady Keqing, since the soldiers on the bait mission were wearing protective armor, most of them were only knocked unconscious by the force of the attacks. The more serious cases will only need a few days of rest to recover," the Millelith medic reported.
"That's good," Keqing sighed in relief, a look of relief spreading across her face. The medic, who had been watching her, was momentarily stunned but quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts.
Lady Yuheng truly is peerless in beauty.
"Where is Fengyan?"
"At your command!" Fengyan, the Millelith drill instructor clad in heavy armor, stepped forward from the ranks and saluted Keqing.
"Take three hundred elite soldiers and guard the perimeter of the Golden House. Don't let a single enemy escape."
"Understood!" Fengyan responded loudly. "Millelith squads Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain, form ranks and surround the Golden House! Capture the enemy!"
"Yes, sir!" xN
Half of the Millelith soldiers separated from the main force and followed Fengyan's orders.
"The rest of you, follow me inside!"
"Keqing has grown. The old Keqing would never have been so decisive in battle. It's truly heartwarming."
Yun Fan cast a spell to conceal his and Griseo's presence, standing openly just a few dozen meters from the battlefield, watching the battle up close.
"Brother Yun Fan, aren't we here to protect Liyue? Why are we just watching?" Griseo looked at Yun Fan with confusion, her clear eyes filled with questions.
"Uh... Griseo, you're still young. You wouldn't understand..."
"Griseo isn't a child anymore! Yun Fan brother, you're just here to watch the show, aren't you?!"
"W-What? Of course not!" Yun Fan, caught red-handed, awkwardly made up an excuse. "It's not the right time for us to intervene yet. If we show ourselves now, we might let the biggest fish get away."
"Fish? Griseo likes fish."
Slap! Yun Fan facepalmed. Why was Griseo so sharp at times and so adorably clueless at others?
However, as Yun Fan covered his face, he didn't notice the fleeting glint of mischief in Griseo's lovely purple eyes.
"Wind Blade!" Lumine activated her elemental skill, using the suction of her Windblade to gather the incoming arrows, then detonated the compressed air.
Whoosh! Whoosh!... Several arrows scattered like buckshot, raining down on Tartaglia.
"Full of openings!" Tartaglia switched to his dual blades. In a blur of motion, the arrows were sliced apart and fell to the ground.
"Monoceros Caeli!" Seizing the opportunity, Tartaglia's Hydro Vision glowed brightly. A clear whale song echoed as a Hydro-constructed narwhal leaped out of the "water," charging toward Lumine.
"Wind, protect me!"
Lumine chanted softly, and Anemo energy condensed in front of her, forming an indestructible green barrier. The barrier, made of high-speed wind particles, not only defended but also had offensive capabilities.
Hum—
The Hydro whale collided with the Anemo shield. For a moment, the two forces were evenly matched. However, whether due to Tartaglia's incomplete recovery or Lumine being stronger than in the original story, the Anemo shield ultimately prevailed. The narwhal let out a mournful cry before dissipating into mist.
Clang! Tartaglia broke through the mist with a thrust. By now, he had activated his Delusion, entering the first stage of his Foul Legacy transformation. His dual blades, now connected by Electro energy, transformed into a spear that struck the back of Lumine's Dawn Sword.
'Two elements?' Lumine, unfamiliar with Delusions, glanced in surprise at the Electro "Vision" on Tartaglia's waist. Hadn't Paimon said that people in Teyvat could only wield one Vision? Why did Tartaglia have two?
Before Lumine could ponder further, Tartaglia's relentless attacks came crashing down like a tidal wave. She had no choice but to set aside her thoughts and focus on the battle.
Clang! Clang! Clang...
Compared to Visions, Delusions traded self-harm for more corrupt and destructive power, causing significant damage to both mind and body.
Moreover, Tartaglia hadn't fully recovered. Forcing his Delusion put a heavy strain on him. He could already feel the muscles in his injured leg twinging with pain.
Tartaglia tried to hide his condition, but Lumine noticed. Although she didn't know what was wrong with Tartaglia, she understood the principle of "strike while the iron is hot."
Lumine twisted her sword, changing her stance. The Dawn Sword thrust toward Tartaglia's injured leg.