Childe's martial skills were far inferior to Xiao's, but they were well suited for Su Bai's current level. At least Su Bai had regained some confidence fighting Childe, which made him quite excited after constantly being overpowered by Xiao.
Watching Childe prepare what looked like a big finishing move, Su Bai reluctantly put away his sword. Such a good sparring partner, and he wasn't going to continue with weapons. What a waste.
"Lumine, it seems like the two of them have forgotten about us. Shouldn't we do something?"
Lumine snapped back to attention. That's right. Why bother with honor when dealing with the Fatui? Watching Childe gather Hydro energy, she realized he was completely focused on Su Bai. He hadn't even noticed her presence on the battlefield. Was she too weak to be worth his attention?
Lumine's gaze toward Childe turned sour. Ignoring the Traveler, were you? Fine. She would make him remember.
She signaled Paimon to stay put, then used the same light-footed approach she had practiced on the pigeons near Mondstadt's bridge. Step by step, she crept closer to the oblivious Childe.
Su Bai was also finding the situation tricky. Though Childe's elemental control and techniques were inferior to his, Childe's unparalleled combat experience made him a tough nut to crack.
Su Bai had wanted to use the Electro techniques he'd learned from Yae Miko to give Childe a taste of that tingling Electro-Charged sensation. But the abundance of Pyro in the Golden House and its special function forced him to abandon that idea. He didn't want to destroy the place's ability to produce Mora after dealing with Childe.
Childe knew Su Bai couldn't use any large-scale destructive attacks inside the Golden House, so he felt safe gathering Hydro energy in front of him. As long as Su Bai didn't use anything big, Childe was confident he wouldn't get hit.
After all, he and his master had both fought in the Dark Sea. When it came to combat experience and instincts, they were top-notch.
Speaking of the Dark Sea, he wondered how his master was doing. According to intel, some adventurers were heading there. What were they after?
Su Bai noticed Lumine's movements. Seeing her creeping toward Childe, he understood her intent. He noted with some amusement that even the naive Lumine had learned to sneak attack. Keeping a straight face, he continued talking to Childe, buying time and creating an opening for her.
Su Bai was stalling, and Childe was gathering Hydro for his big move. The scene was oddly peaceful. If not for the killing intent they occasionally let slip, they might have looked like two friends chatting.
But both knew the other wouldn't let them live. They watched each other, waiting for an opening, ready to strike.
Ten seconds. Twenty. One minute. Two. Under Foul Legacy, Childe was reaching his limit. The strain on his body was immense. Realizing he couldn't drag this out, Childe decided to strike first. He was in a hurry and opted for his strongest attack.
He poured all the Hydro he had gathered into the ground. A massive whale made of Hydro slowly emerged, rising into the air.
Childe looked up at the giant whale above him. In terms of both power and range, this attack was top-tier. There was no way Su Bai could take it head on.
A grin spread across his face as he let out the signature laugh of a Fatui Harbinger. But then he saw Su Bai looking at him like he was an idiot.
"What's wrong? Scared speechless? Aren't you afraid?"
"Afraid? Why would I be afraid?"
Su Bai rolled his eyes and flicked his three tails, feigning confusion.
"Don't you know foxes eat fish? That little fish you made wouldn't even fill the gap between my teeth. Why would I be afraid?"
"Little fish? You're calling my Whale of Devouring something little?"
Childe was furious. This was one of his strongest techniques, the culmination of countless battles. And Su Bai was looking at it like garbage.
"You can insult me, but you can't insult my Whale of Devouring!"
"Whale of Devouring? Nice name, but is it really that powerful? I'm not seeing it."
"Hmph. I won't argue with a dead man. When my whale crushes you to pulp, I hope your mouth is still that tough."
Despite his bravado, Childe had his doubts. Could this fox really have some powerful defense? He trusted his whale, but Su Bai's calmness was unsettling.
Su Bai looked up at the massive Hydro whale that nearly filled the Golden House's ceiling. With feigned disdain, he nitpicked.
"A slow attack like this... have you ever actually hit anyone fast with it?"
"Um... well..."
Childe, already affected by the Delusion and not thinking clearly, felt embarrassed. It was true. He had never landed this attack on anyone fast.
"Looks like you've never hit anyone with it. Guess that makes sense. With your intelligence, coming up with a decent technique is probably too much to ask."
Childe wanted nothing more than to strike Su Bai with lightning. But his body was already past its limit, pain wracking every inch. Still, he kept up the tough talk.
"Hmph. Slow as my whale may be, it's more than enough for you. In this confined space, you can't possibly dodge."
"Then I'll just leave the Golden House. Once your whale lands, I'll come back and deal with you."
Su Bai started walking toward the exit. Childe's composure finally broke. He stared at Su Bai in disbelief. He had never imagined anyone would do this.
"How can you do this? Isn't this supposed to be a 1v1 duel between real men? You're running away! What about your pride as an adeptus?"
"Don't be ridiculous. This isn't running away. This is what I call a strategic retreat. See you later~"