An ordinary person would have given up in such a situation, but Childe was different. With a slight upward flick of his water blades, the Anemo energy on Lumine's sword created a powerful thrust.
It was too late for Lumine to react. Childe used the momentum to launch himself toward Rex Lapis's body. Seeing his graceful movement, Su Bai was surprised.
Childe's skills were quite impressive. Only someone with extensive combat experience could use such a technique. Even Su Bai, despite his knowledge, couldn't pull it off yet. Used well, it could save your life. Used poorly, it would be the end of you.
Lumine took a deep breath. As a beautiful young woman old enough to be Childe's ancestor, she had never been toyed with like this. It seemed she would need to improve her swordsmanship once this was all over.
Childe wasn't feeling great either. If it were just Lumine, he could handle her. But with Su Bai watching menacingly from behind, he found himself in a difficult spot.
Forget it. He'd grab the Gnosis first and worry about escape later. With that thought, Childe thrust his hand into the lifeless dragon's body. But his hand came up empty.
Not believing it, he felt around again. Confirming the Gnosis wasn't there, he withdrew his hand. He was puzzled. Surely someone as important as Rex Lapis would carry something as precious as the Gnosis with him?
Before he could figure it out, a bolt of lightning shot toward his face, accompanied by an angry shout.
"Childe! Take your hands off Rex Lapis's body!"
Gone was Su Bai's usual calm demeanor. His three tails bristled and swayed erratically. Electro and Anemo surged across his body. His normally dark pupils had become beast-like.
The cold, emotionless eyes made Paimon pity Childe. She had known Su Bai for a while now. This was the first time she had seen him this angry. Childe was in for it.
Seeing the wild Electro and Anemo around Su Bai, Childe inwardly groaned. He loved fighting and growing stronger through battle, but he didn't have a death wish.
The look in Su Bai's eyes made Childe regret his earlier actions. If he had known touching the body would provoke this reaction, he wouldn't have been so bold. Provoking an opponent while outnumbered was never a good idea.
But since he had already angered Su Bai, he had no choice but to face both of them. Still, Childe tried one last time. He gave an awkward smile.
"Um, what if I said this was all a misunderstanding? I was just checking how Rex Lapis died. I didn't mean anything else."
"Heh, since you care so much about Rex Lapis, I'll give you a chance to have a proper conversation with him."
Su Bai approached, crackling with Electro. Adeptal energy flowed through him, giving his body a hazy quality.
"I'll seal you inside a stone pillar. You like talking to Rex Lapis so much? Once you're in that pillar, you can talk to him all you want."
"Haha, is that so? Well then... die."
Realizing there was no peaceful resolution, Childe formed water blades and struck first. The sharp blades aimed straight for Su Bai's neck. If he was going to act, he would end it in one blow.
Unfortunately, Childe underestimated Su Bai. His confident strike passed right through Su Bai's body. If Childe hadn't reacted quickly enough to steady himself, he would have ended up face-first on the ground.
"This is... an illusion!"
Childe's expression darkened. He had no good way to deal with illusions. They had always been a headache for him.
The rest of the fight unfolded as he had feared. His attacks hit nothing but phantoms, while his own body accumulated more and more wounds.
"Heh, Adeptus Su Bai's illusions certainly live up to their reputation. Across all of Teyvat, very few can push me this far with illusions alone."
"Then let me show you my true power. Foul Legacy!"
As he spoke, a strange energy surged around Childe. It felt not only evil but also carried a hint of unhealthy madness. This was the power of a Delusion. Su Bai had seen it on Scaramouche and knew it was no ordinary thing.
"That power has no place in this world."
Pushing his questions aside, Su Bai watched Childe transform. He could sense that Childe had grown significantly stronger. Moreover, Childe was no longer using his eyes to fight. He relied on Foul Legacy's innate perception instead.
Childe hadn't wanted to use Foul Legacy in this situation. It put too much strain on his body. If he couldn't finish off Su Bai and Lumine while it was active, he would be done for.
Realizing illusions were no longer effective, Su Bai regretfully dispelled the adeptal energy filling the Golden House. He had hoped to deliver a satisfying backstab, but Childe had started cheating when things got tough.
Childe raised a polearm and swung it lightly at Su Bai. A bolt of lightning streaked toward him. Watching the fast-approaching strike, Su Bai pulled out a sword from his Vision's subspace and slashed. The lightning split cleanly in two.
"It seems Adeptus Su Bai's Electro control isn't inferior to mine. How about we call it a draw for today?"
"Heh, Childe... die."
Su Bai gave him no chance to continue. He charged at Childe with his sword. At first, Childe had the upper hand in the exchange. But as the fight went on, something felt off. This fox's improvement was far too fast.
From being on the defensive to matching him blow for blow, his talent was astonishing. Even Childe, a prodigy himself, was shocked by Su Bai's rapid growth.
Though Su Bai hadn't used a sword in a long time, his fundamentals were still solid. Thanks to Xiao's recent training, the blade felt more natural with each clash against Childe.
Childe, on the other hand, was frustrated. If you're going to fight, fight. Don't use him as a practice dummy. He was a Fatui Harbinger, the youngest one at that. Had he been reduced to being a training tool?
The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he became. He forced Su Bai back with one strike, then began drawing water from his surroundings. Childe was about to show Su Bai his ultimate technique. Su Bai looked at him with a hint of regret. Such a good sparring partner, and he had to stop.
"I say, Childe, since you're going to die here anyway, why not keep practicing with me a little longer? I'll make sure you get a proper burial."