Tartaglia enjoys combat, but he doesn't like one-sided battles.
What he truly revels in is the thrill of facing strong opponents and the joy of growing through battle.
Thus, anyone he challenges is either on par with him or stronger.
The first time he met Bai Luo, he sensed Bai Luo's extraordinary nature. His battle instincts told him that this seemingly harmless individual was far stronger than he appeared.
Back then, he only thought of sparring with Bai Luo, but it was far from a situation where a fight was necessary.
However, after Bai Luo returned from Inazuma, Tartaglia's instincts once again detected something different about him.
Although Bai Luo seemed unchanged—perhaps even appearing half-dead after some skirmish—Tartaglia could sense an air of danger emanating from him.
Yes, a sense of danger.
This meant that Bai Luo now possessed the power to kill him. This discovery thrilled Tartaglia to no end because it had been a long time since he'd encountered such a dangerous opponent.
And now—
Tartaglia lifted his head and looked ahead at Wuwang Hill.
Bai Luo was waiting for him there.
Thinking of this, his pace quickened.
"No wonder he never mentioned the exact location in Wuwang Hill before. Turns out, he had already made up his mind."
Upon entering Wuwang Hill, Tartaglia was pleasantly surprised to find that Bai Luo (Zhongli), unlike usual, had not concealed his aura. Instead, he allowed the dangerous energy to freely influence everything around him.
In Wuwang Hill, Bai Luo (Zhongli) stood out like a beacon in the dark—particularly conspicuous... and tempting.
This dangerous aura was enough to make Tartaglia tremble with excitement. To fight an opponent of this caliber—even if it meant dying—would be worth it.
But—
Tartaglia loves battle, but that doesn't mean he's reckless.
As the youngest Harbinger in the history of the Fatui, Tartaglia had every right to act freely and without restraint.
Although his maverick ways made him unpopular among the Fatui and out of sync with the other Harbingers, behind his independent demeanor lay a steadfast sense of responsibility and meticulous caution.
Thus, as he lowered his mask, lightning and water enveloped his body in an instant.
When he broke free from the constraints of the elements, the one who appeared at Wuwang Hill was no longer the previous Tartaglia—
He was now the Demon King of Everlasting Calamity.
With the power of thunder and the speed of sound, Tartaglia charged toward the sole light in the darkness.
"Hmm? He's here?"
Just as Zhongli had not concealed his aura, Tartaglia responded in kind.
That overwhelming, sinister presence alerted Zhongli to his arrival immediately.
"No wonder he agreed so readily that day—so he was hiding this power all along. With this level of strength... he indeed qualifies to challenge the gods."
Zhongli did not doubt that the person coming was Bai Luo. After all, besides Bai Luo, no one else knew of the contract between them. Moreover, the moment his opponent arrived, the contract they had made was fulfilled.
Unless Bai Luo somehow exploited a loophole in the contract again…
But a contract is a contract—how could there be so many loopholes? He was probably overthinking it.
After all, the boundless battle intent of his opponent was entirely unrestrained—how could it possibly be fake?
"Shatter!"
The thunder-imbued spear spun as it flew toward Zhongli, shattering earth, water, and trees in its path. Even some well-known Vision holders would likely hesitate to take this blow head-on.
Zhongli turned calmly and leapt gracefully.
Boom—
The once-spinning spear, under Zhongli's step, was as if crushed by a weight of a thousand tons, embedding entirely into the ground, leaving only a small portion visible above.
Zhongli clasped his hands behind his back, one foot pressing down on the end of the spear, as he gazed at the approaching figure.
'Did this guy change his appearance again?'
This was the thought that simultaneously crossed the minds of both parties upon their meeting.
Those most familiar with Bai Luo had long grown accustomed to his peculiar ability to switch appearances at will.
But this transformation wasn't merely superficial. Bai Luo could alter his aura, his techniques, and even his fate.
Zhongli had witnessed firsthand how Bai Luo transformed from a harmless-looking assassin clad in black into a flamboyant wanderer from Inazuma.
And each time Bai Luo transformed, a distinct symbol would appear on him—the mark of the Fatui.
Sure enough, upon closer inspection, there it was.
It really was Bai Luo (Childe).
Compared to Zhongli's cautious observation, Tartaglia spared little thought for such details.
The Foul Legacy Transformation enhanced Tartaglia's power, but it also eroded his reason.
What he remembered, however, was Bai Luo's ability to adopt the guise of a red-clad swordsman, eating and drinking his way through all of Liyue, so convincingly that even the Pyro Agent—one of Tartaglia's closest comrades—failed to uncover his true identity.
Zhongli's impressive attire struck Tartaglia as vaguely familiar, though he couldn't immediately recall where he'd seen it before.
If it felt familiar, even after a transformation, it had to be him, right?
"I've been waiting for you," Zhongli said.
With a slight glance at Tartaglia, his diamond-shaped pupils glinting, Zhongli tapped the spear lightly with his foot. The weapon immediately rose into the air, retracing its original trajectory but now moving at an even greater speed.
Boom—
The steady force of Geo collided with the violent power of Electro, creating dazzling crystalline shards of elemental energy.
Tartaglia was pushed back several dozen meters by the immense force before barely managing to halt his movement.
Such incredible power from a casual move—this "Bai Luo" was indeed extraordinary.
No wonder the Tsaritsa made an exception to grant him the Twelfth Harbinger seat. It made sense now.
"Should I say, as expected of you? It seems going all out from the start was definitely the right choice."
Feeling the oppressive aura radiating from "Bai Luo," Tartaglia wasn't scared. On the contrary, his fighting spirit grew even more intense. His grip on the spear tightened.
The stronger the enemy, the more exhilarated he became.
This was the essence of battle.
Only by continually breaking past his own limits could he grow stronger. It was this philosophy that had elevated him to the Eleventh Harbinger.
"Celestial Voyager!"
Water began to swirl around his spear, forming a massive, sky-darkening whale. Its pure blue hue stood in stark contrast to Tartaglia's menacing Foul Legacy Transformation.
Accompanied by an ethereal whale song, the creature surged directly toward "Bai Luo."
As promised, he opened the fight with a whale.
"Dominus Lapidis!"
Perhaps to respond to "Bai Luo," or to settle a previous two-blade grudge, or maybe… well, the reasons were too many to list—summarize it yourselves.
In short, after witnessing "Bai Luo's" strength, Zhongli also chose to unleash a grand move.
"Can you feel my overwhelming battle intent?"
"Come, fight me!"
"Bai Luo!"
"Bai Luo!"
Zhongli: "???"
Tartaglia: "???"
. . . . .
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