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warnings: traveler reader. reader doesn't have to find a twin lol. reader is not lumine/aether.
as you and paimon, a companion you met on your journey, approached the exuvia, you hear a voice from behind.
"you've already fulfilled your task as guides, so why do you still linger here? haven't you already seen enough trouble for today?" the voice interrogates you
"huh? who's there?" paimon questions
the voice sighs in response, "if you were fatui, i imagine that you would receive a generous reward from the tsaritsa herself."
it pauses before continuing again, "but now, you're nothing but dross โ and you're in my way."
"looks like i was just in time then." you say
childe scoffs, "hah! although i'm deeply grateful to you that i was able to effortlessly find this secret location...don't you think that trying to stop me now would just be wasted effort? stopping the mora mines, hiding away the exuvia..." he begins to laugh, "the qixing are really pulling out all the stops this time...!"
paimon inquires, "so you've been planning to take the gnosis from the exuvia all along?!"
he scoffs again, "as one of the eleven fatui harbingers, it's my duty to see the will of the tsaritsa fulfilled. she will get that what she desires."
"i'm afraid i can't let you do that." you speak softly, a smile plastered on your face.
he mocks, "hah! i'm not asking for your blessing, and there's nothing you can do to stop me anyway-"
you cut him off, "oh? shall we test that theory?"
"...the time for discussion and diplomacy has already passed. i mean, if it were up to me, i would have skipped that stage to begin with... but i'm willing to do as the tsaritsa deems fit."
"either way โ we now come to my favorite part. a simple pleasure, and one that i am oh-so-delighted to be sharing with you-"
you cut him off again, "y'know, when you say it like that, it sounds like you're talking about something else, no?"
you could see him getting annoyed by you cutting him off.
ignoring your previous remark, he continues, frustration in his voice, "...the battle."
paimon furrows her eyebrows, "battle?" she asks before changing her expression to an irritated one, "so you're the type that goes looking for trouble, huh?"
childe laughs, "you could say that."
"when signora offended the deities outside the cathedral in mondstadt, she swiftly left the scene once her mission was accomplished. instead of confronting you directly, she decided to rely on the snow and ice to make her escape. she wouldn't want the knights to come running towards the sound of battle, now, would she? when she faces a worthy opponent, she will prioritize her mission, weigh the outcomes, and consider the consequences of her actions...but for me, the greatest pleasure of being a harbinger lies in crossing blades with strong opponents."
"we won't let what happened in mondstadt ever happen again!" paimon threatened.
"oh? so you intend to fight me? good." childe mocked you and paimon. "i won't kill you, traveler. i'll just play along โ to feel the thrill of battle!"
he pauses, "besides, you could never defeat me. not even in your wildest dreams. but hey, try to relish the fight anyway. because if you ask me...without that, what else is ther-"
you cut the man off again, "what if my 'wildest dreams' aren't about defeating you?"
"that's besides the point. what i'm trying to say is that i can defeat you with ease." he brags.
"you seriously believe you can defeat me? just how delusional are you?" you laugh at him.
he laughs, "fighting talk, i love it! now let's see you live up to it." he grins.
you tell paimon to wait outside.
now, the battle had begun.
"this chance is hard to come by, so show me all you've got. so very few get a chance to square off with a fatui harbinger.
"no can do, my friend! if i do, you'll be on your knees begging for mercy."
"oh?" he laughs, "you're pretty confident. i can't wait to see all your confidence go down the drain once i'm done. so come now, amuse me. and don't you dare disappoint."
"you'll have to be more specific, pretty boy. those words can mean lots of things. what do you say i show you all the meanings?"
you could see him get distracted by your words.
distracted enough for you to land a hit.
he's on the floor now. you're standing above him.
"i guess i should take you more seriously..." he stuttered.
"remind me of your words again? weren't you saying you'd defeat me with ease? and now you're on the floor. under me."
your words struck him like lightning, causing him to stutter again. he forced out a chuckle, "still confident, huh? may i remind you...the fight's not over yet.."
"if it isn't over, then come on. stand up. you say it's not over, yet you won't move a muscle. not even try to get back up. if i didn't know any better, i'd say that you have accepted your defeat."
encouraged by you, he got up.
"no wonder signora was so wary of you. you really are something."
"well, that just means i can go all out! brace yourself, this is about to get tough! now, show me what you can do against the might of a harbinger!"
there's the cockiness again.
you roll your eyes, "you know, you're really irritating with your harbinger pride."
"hah! you've got some skills."
"what type of skills are we talking about?"
a few minutes later, he says,
"not bad. your swordsmanship is quite impressive."
"but, thats about as far as you'll get."
he charged towards you, and you used your elemental attacks. both anemo and geo.
his weapon had struck the floor, causing you to wonder where he went. you looked behind you, to the exuvia and saw the ginger again.
"didn't think you had that card hidden up your sleeve."
"i see, you were just playing me to get to the exuvia. i'll be honest, i do feel a little betrayed."
"oh, quiet down. stop acting like some wide-eyed recruit. you've seen this world, you of all people should know. this should've been expected!" he charged at the exuvia.
"well then, i'll be taking morax's gnosis now!- huh?" he opens his fist to find nothing in it.
he laughs, "i see. well this is most unexpected. you...you beat me to it didn't you?!" he was enraged. his earlier remark about him not wanting to kill you seemed false now.
his voice had nothing but anger within it. it truly sent chills down your spine.
he transformed into the twelve foot monster.
"not bad. but this is going to cost you!"
his weapon, which was previously lying on the floor was now charging onto the floor, causing big purple lightning bolts of appear. the floor cracked into a million pieces. if even the floor couldn't have been spared, what about you? he probably hated you more than anything now. you suddenly regret everything you've said to him. you're not leaving this place alive.
the final part of the battle had begun.
childe is enraged. absolutely enraged. nothing could possibly stop him from killing you.
"you got to the gnosis ahead of me, didn't you?! did you move faster? or...did you leak the information regarding the golden house to me on purpose? no matter. hand the gnosis over. now. don't make me take it from you."
if you weren't so terrified right now, you would've said something like "and what if i don't?" or "how would you take it from me? share your methods." instead you said
you were trying your best to land hits on the 12 foot giant.
about 20 minutes of helpless fighting, childe returned to his normal state. he was panting.
you'd feel much more comfortable saying one of your usual remarks now.
"mgh, well then... time to cool off. it seems the burden of.. the foul legacy transformation was too great for my body. i lacked the opportunity to think this through.. and now that i consider the matter more carefully, you never had any chance of beating me to the gnosis. you had no connection to the gnosis, no matter where it had been taken."
"that's what i told you! i didn't take it!"
"your ability today far surpasses that of signora's initial assessment of you in mondstadt. tell me, how could that be?"
"a magician never tells their secret." you shrug
"if that is a secret you wish to keep, i guess i'll just have to curb my curiosity."
"this battle has already left me satisfied. anyone who strives as i do to grow stronger shall be called a friend, even if our friendship can only be shown in battle against one another."
"if you want, we could always be more than friends. trust me, it'll leave you more satisfied than any battle ever could." you winked.
"i.. have to go now.. given that the gnosis wasn't taken by anyone, then we must look once again to the beginning. perhaps it was never in the exuvia to begin with. in fact, it might be that the exuvia was just a diversion of sorts."
"wait so mean that the corpse was fake?"
"yes, it appears so. interesting to say the least... it seems that the guardian deity of the capital of commerce is also well-versed in little maneuvers beyond the boundaries of contracts. as such, we must now look to our backup plan."
"i had hoped it would never come to this. i absolutely detest working with those who are weaker than i. the truth is, the world belongs to those of us who desire to become strong. i seldom willingly mingle with any dull and boring weaklings who think otherwise. unfortunately, we cannot be picky about our methods as fatui harbingers. children must all learn to eat their vegetables sometime."
"so what're you gonna do?"
"i will awaken the god that lies beneath guyun stone forest."
"osial, overlord of the vortex, who was defeated by morax, the geo archon in the archon war, and who remained pinned beneath the waves by the geo archon's stone spears ever since. if such an ancient god were to be unleashed upon liyue harbor, defenseless without the protection of its deity... do you think the cunning rex lapis would just stand aloof and watch the ensuing destruction?"
"the archon war ended 2000 years ago how could an ancient god appear in a world overseen by the seven?"
"simple. i've already obtained the means to awaken it." sigils of permission were now orbiting around childe.
"sigils of permission! your little gang has been researching them! you've been trying to duplicate them!"
"indeed. the one that was given to you was just a by-product of our research. with the power of so many sigils of permission concentrated in one place, along with that which was bestowed upon me as a harbinger by our tsaritsa... breaking the subduing might of the geo archon's spears for a time should be no obstacle. using the power of ancient gods in such a situation fails to interest me and is largely against my principles. but knowing that such an action will not only force the geo archon to show its hand, but you as well... that makes matters more intriguing." he explained his whole plan to you.
"i shall leave now. and i have not forgotten your offer...i will consider it."