What the hell?
What was that sound?
Childe snapped his head up and swept his gaze around him, every instinct suddenly on edge. It didn't take long before he pinpointed the direction the sound was coming from.
What is that?
Peering toward the source of the noise, Childe could make out a massive silhouette lumbering through the darkening sky toward him, each heavy footfall sending another thunderous boom rolling across the ground.
A Hilichurl?
That was his first guess, staring at the hulking shape. His body shifted automatically into a combat stance. Whatever it was, it wasn't coming to shake hands.
Hm?
What the—?
As the silhouette drew closer, Childe spotted something that made him go rigid: dark crimson markings traced across the creature's body, vivid and unmistakable even against the blackening night.
At that point he was certain — it was a Hilichurl. But whatever had been done to it had changed it fundamentally.
...Right.
Mobius.
This has to be her work.
He hadn't seen Mobius herself yet, so he couldn't be completely sure. But in his gut, he was already ninety percent certain.
—BOOM—
The mutant Hilichurl ground to a halt a short distance away, and the world around Childe went dead silent, as though nothing had happened at all.
But Childe wasn't fooled. The thing was right there, staring him down.
So what's the play here?
Are we fighting or not?
This Hilichurl was clearly unlike any he'd faced before, and the prospect lit something up in him. He was itching to see what it could do. But then it just... stopped. Stood there like a statue. Childe wasn't sure whether to charge in or wait it out.
Then, as if it had received some silent command, the creature lurched back into motion, closing the distance with ground-shaking steps.
Now we're talking.
Seeing that the thing was clearly ready to throw down, Childe couldn't help but grin. This was exactly what he was here for.
A weapon materialized in his hand, forged from condensed Hydro energy.
ROAARRR—
The moment the weapon appeared, the Hilichurl let out a furious bellow and launched itself into the air, hurtling straight at Childe.
"Now we're having fun!" Tilting his head back to track the airborne behemoth, Childe leapt forward to meet it head-on — a deliberate collision, strength against strength.
The massive body came crashing down on top of him. A thunderous impact rang out, and a cloud of dust swallowed everything around them.
"Ha! A Hilichurl actually pushed me this far — I have to say, that's genuinely entertaining!"
A bolt of violet lightning tore through the billowing dust as Childe rose into the air, his Delusion released, his full power radiating off him in waves.
Truthfully, he hadn't needed to resort to his Delusion yet. But the fact that a Hilichurl had actually made him eat dirt once? That alone was reason enough to stop holding back and come out swinging at his absolute best.
Honestly, he never would have imagined he'd be standing here, in this state, going all-out against a Hilichurl of all things.
But then he thought about Mobius, and it made perfect sense. Kaito had spoken of her like she was something else entirely — and if she was that formidable, then naturally anything she created would be as well. That tracked.
He still couldn't confirm for certain that this Hilichurl had a connection to Mobius. But his instincts were screaming that it did. The first time he'd laid eyes on Mobius, she'd been standing right in front of a Hilichurl — and everything Kaito had told him since only reinforced that feeling.
So if that was the case, then facing something like this called for everything he had. And if Mobius happened to be watching from somewhere nearby, well — a little show of strength never hurt a potential partnership.
He had no idea whether she was actually watching. But whether she was or not, he'd beaten up what was likely her creation. She'd know about this fight one way or another. That made it matter.
"Let's see just how much punishment you can take." The words had barely left his mouth before Childe vanished from where he stood.
An instant later, arcs of violet lightning began streaking in from every direction at blinding speed — from the front, from behind, from angles that seemed impossible, as though Childe existed everywhere at once.
Against that kind of velocity, the Hilichurl couldn't track him at all. It could only stand there and absorb the relentless barrage, roaring in impotent fury.
Tough bastard.
Hovering in midair, Childe studied the Hilichurl below with a grudging sense of respect. He'd hit it again and again, and still it refused to fall.
"Fine then. Let's see if you can take one more."
Lightning erupted around his hand the moment the words left him.
He dove, wreathed in crackling electricity, rocketing toward the Hilichurl below — and just as he was about to connect, an enormous claw erupted from the ground, dark green and massive, intercepting his strike cold.
What in the—?
Childe wrenched himself backward the instant his attack was blocked by the claw that had burst from nowhere beneath the earth, retreating a significant distance before he steadied himself.
When he looked back at the spot where that dark green claw had appeared, the Hilichurl was gone — dragged down into the ground as if it had never existed.
A moment later, the area looked completely undisturbed. As if nothing had ever happened there at all.
What...
What was that thing?
Childe stared at the spot, his expression grave. Without even realizing it, he had drifted considerably higher into the air.
He couldn't help it. The thought of being dragged underground by whatever that was — or somewhere worse — was not appealing.
His focus was razor-sharp now, every sense stretched to its limit. And yet the world around him was utterly, completely still — as if everything that had just happened was a figment of his imagination.
But Childe knew better. This was the calm before the storm. Whatever that thing was, it had retreated somewhere and was watching him right now, biding its time. He had to stay ready.
Still, the silence stretched on. Nothing came.
...That's...
That's it?
He scanned the darkness around him, waiting for something that never arrived. The thought crept in despite himself.
The night was fully dark now, and his field of vision had narrowed considerably.
"Enjoying the view, Fatui Harbinger?"
A voice broke the silence — from directly behind him.
____
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