"Signora!"
"Lady Signora!"
Inside Heyu Teahouse, the rapidly shifting situation left everyone dizzy.
Who could have imagined that just a moment ago, Signora had been standing tall, utterly confident that Bai Ge couldn't do anything to her—
Only for the next moment, Bai Ge's incomprehensible lightspeed combo to shatter her absolute defense outright!
The Fatui were stunned.
Watching Bai Ge's greatsword about to fall upon Signora, cries of alarm rang out among them.
Some looked on with concern for Signora, while others desperately searched for Childe.
After all, the Fatui's ability to run rampant across foreign lands relied not only on Snezhnaya's national strength or the Tsaritsa's might—but above all, on the power of the Harbingers.
A Harbinger was of critical importance to the Fatui!
At this moment, the Anemoboxer who had initially wanted to drive Bai Ge away was filled with shock.
He must have been out of his mind to think about chasing off such a monster!
At the same time, he searched frantically for Childe, hoping Childe could step in and save the situation.
But he couldn't find him.
Because at that very moment—
Tartaglia was already charging in.
He stared at Signora ahead, who stood dazed in front of Bai Ge's descending blade, utterly baffled.
"Damn it, Signora, what are you thinking?! You're spacing out at a time like this?"
Childe cursed inwardly and quickened his pace.
And indeed, right before Bai Ge's blade, Signora truly was lost in thought.
If anyone here was the most shocked, it was undoubtedly Signora herself.
Having once been romantically involved with the Vice Captain of the Knights of Favonius, Signora had a high standard of combat understanding—she wasn't ignorant of close combat.
She had clearly seen every one of Bai Ge's moves.
Strictly speaking, they weren't overwhelmingly powerful.
Her ice cocoon had been formed with full effort. Aside from not invoking the Tsaritsa's power directly, it could be said to represent her current peak state.
And yet—
That peak had been effortlessly broken by attacks she had looked down upon.
Even worse, she hadn't even reacted to how it was broken!
In this world, ideals must be proven by strength.
Under Bai Ge's assault, some of Signora's beliefs began to crack—just like the "unbreakable" ice she had trusted so completely.
In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through her mind.
It was as if the searing heat had awakened something deep within her heart.
For reasons she herself couldn't explain, a sudden impulse rose within her—
An impulse to let this heavy blade tear open the shell called "Signora,"
to expose the true visage of the Crimson Witch of Flames beneath.
And so, as a top-tier powerhouse—someone who should have been able to struggle—
Signora instead adopted a completely non-resistant posture before Bai Ge.
However, her thoughts were interrupted by Tartaglia.
Not knowing what was going on inside Signora's mind, Childe couldn't afford the responsibility of a Harbinger dying on the spot.
He rushed in and raised a bow wrapped in dense Hydro energy, blocking Bai Ge's final strike!
Hiss—
The sound of flames being extinguished by water echoed through the teahouse.
Bai Ge's heavy blow was easily stopped by Childe.
Which made sense—after breaking the ice cocoon, that strike had already been the end of Bai Ge's momentum.
The faint flames were quenched by rushing water, revealing the Thousand-Rock Greatsword's true form—yellow at the center, dark on both sides.
Then Bai Ge smoothly withdrew his blade.
"So," he asked casually, planting the greatsword into the ground in a victor's stance,
"have you had enough?"
Seeing Bai Ge sheath his intent, Childe also lowered his bow.
He glanced at Signora behind him, who was still in a daze, and showed a wry smile.
"I think so. She doesn't look like she wants to keep fighting…"
To be honest, Childe hadn't expected that coming to listen to an opera would end like this.
And from the moment Bai Ge appeared until now, Childe's evaluation of him had risen by countless levels.
The Thousand-Rock Greatsword.
The Ancient Thousand-Rock Sword Art.
A clearly master-taught Geo-element technique.
Then dual-element usage at the end.
And no visible Vision.
Even more astonishing—
With his broad experience, Childe felt that Bai Ge's earlier downward strike that induced petrification carried a hint of the legendary "Falling Star"—Dominus Lapidis.
He inferred that Bai Ge was likely a descendant of an adeptus, trained under a uniquely Liyue-style immortal lineage!
And Childe was certain of one thing—
Bai Ge possessed dual elements.
In this world, dual-element wielders were exceedingly rare.
The Fatui achieved it through the combination of a Vision and a Delusion.
But Bai Ge had neither a Vision nor a Delusion.
That left only one possibility—
He possessed the bloodline of a god, or of an adeptus.
After all, many ancient gods wielded multiple elements.
Even Andrius, the Wolf of the North in Mondstadt, commanded both Cryo and Anemo.
But a god with both Pyro and Geo… who could that be?
Childe pondered this deeply.
At the same time, he was also thinking about how to wrap things up—and how to build a relationship with this mysterious powerhouse.
Although neither side had gone all-out in the clash with Signora, Childe could clearly tell:
Bai Ge was absolutely not weak.
Guided by his assumptions, Tartaglia never even considered the possibility that—
This had been Bai Ge's full strength.
It could only be said—
Childe had truly misunderstood.
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