Boom—
Dust flew, and shattered stones scattered in all directions.
A loud explosion echoed as the doors of the Golden House were blown open from the outside, leaving behind a pile of debris. The Fatui soldiers guarding the door were also severely injured by the sudden attack.
"Huh?"
Both Lumine and Tartaglia, who were in the middle of their battle, were distracted by the commotion and turned their attention toward the entrance.
Tap, tap, tap...
Amid flashes of lightning, Keqing, holding the Lion's Roar, slashed through the dust and appeared before everyone. Behind her were hundreds of heavily armed Millelith soldiers, charging in with fierce determination.
"The Millelith main force? Did they already deal with those monsters? No, it's more likely that the plans at Tianqiu Valley and Lingju Pass failed," Tartaglia muttered to himself, his expression darkening. As he suspected, the monsters hadn't been defeated by the Millelith—they had never even been released in the first place.
This was thanks to Xiao. Yun Fan had warned him that the Fatui planned to cause chaos at Tianqiu Valley and Lingju Pass, so Xiao had gone there early to wait. When the Fatui vanguard arrived, he swiftly eliminated them all.
"Lumine, I'm here to help!"
After quickly surveying the situation inside the Golden House and seeing Lumine locked in combat with the Fatui Harbinger, Keqing rushed forward without hesitation to join the fight.
The Fatui soldiers weren't about to let Keqing interfere with their master's duel. They raised their weapons, trying to block her path.
"Hmph! Thunder—strike now!" Keqing swung the Lion's Roar, and in an instant, bolts of lightning danced through the crowd. Those struck were either killed or severely injured.
"Soldiers, cover Lady Keqing!" the Millelith vice-commander shouted, leading the charge into the Fatui ranks.
"Kill!" "Kill!" "Kill!"...
The Golden House was filled with the sounds of battle, a storm of blood and steel.
"Impressive, Yuheng. But I'm curious—how did you get here so quickly?" Tartaglia set down his weapons and asked Keqing in a low voice.
"Hmph, if you really want to know, then fight me like a warrior and let the duel speak for itself!" Keqing flicked her purple hair, the Lion's Roar humming softly, radiating a fierce fighting spirit.
Hearing Keqing's words, Tartaglia's mouth twitched. 'We were already in the middle of a sacred duel, weren't we? You're the one who barged in.' Tartaglia thought to himself but said aloud, "Fine, then come at me together. I'll take you both down and then claim Morax's Gnosis!"
'Gnosis? That sounds familiar. Is that why the Fatui invaded the Golden House?'
Keqing quickly pieced together part of the story. Meanwhile, Lumine whispered to her, "Keqing, Tartaglia is injured in the leg. Let's focus our attacks there."
"Really? That's interesting," Keqing nodded, her gaze locking onto Tartaglia's slightly trembling leg. A sweet smile spread across her face, making Tartaglia shiver involuntarily.
"Hey, hey, is it really okay to plot so openly? At least show me some respect!" Tartaglia couldn't help but complain, but his words were met with cold blades and a sudden assault.
"Sword out—shadow follows!"
Keqing activated her Elemental Burst, disappearing into a flurry of sword shadows. In an instant, she slashed at Tartaglia from all directions, each strike aimed at his injured leg.
'Damn it!'
To avoid further injury, Tartaglia had no choice but to retreat, dodging frantically. For a moment, he was forced into a defensive position.
Clang! Clang! Clang!...
Keqing's relentless attacks rained down on Tartaglia's Electro-infused spear, sending shocks through his hands.
'Such terrifying strength...'
"Fall!" Seizing the moment while Tartaglia was focused on Keqing, Lumine struck with her Starfell Sword. A massive meteorite descended toward Tartaglia's back.
"Wind Blade!" The unscrupulous Traveler pressed her advantage, using her Windblade to create a powerful suction force that momentarily immobilized Tartaglia, leaving him vulnerable for half a second.
But that half-second was enough for the meteorite to land.
'I @#$%...' Tartaglia was cursing inwardly. 'I may not be human, but you two are really something!'
Boom!
A deafening explosion rang out as the Starfell Sword smashed through the platform, sending Tartaglia tumbling down to the minting area below.
"Follow me!" Keqing called out to Lumine and jumped down first. Lumine followed closely behind, entering the underground space.
The minting area, located beneath the Golden House, was where Mora was forged. It was surrounded by scorching magma, filling the air with an unbearable heat.
For an ordinary person, surviving here would be a challenge, let alone fighting.
"Ha!"
As soon as Lumine and Keqing landed, before they could react, a thunderous blade shot toward them from behind, aiming directly at Keqing's neck.
"Watch out!" Lumine, sensing danger, instinctively raised her Dawn Sword to block the attack.
Clang—
The Electro energy on Tartaglia's spear clashed with the Anemo energy on Lumine's Dawn Sword, triggering an elemental reaction. A storm of lightning and wind erupted around them.
Failing to land a hit, Tartaglia quickly retreated. Fighting two opponents at once, especially two as strong as these, was no easy task.
"Let's go!" Lumine and Keqing exchanged a glance, their elemental powers intertwining. Then, they charged at Tartaglia from both sides, their blades flashing.
"Ha!" Tartaglia roared, the color of his Delusion deepening. Malevolent Electro energy solidified, covering his shoulders, legs, head, and waist... eventually forming a menacing suit of armor that encased him completely.
"You've angered me!" Tartaglia's deep voice came from behind the mask. The frustration of being pushed back by the two of them finally erupted.
He raised his spear, channeling all his Electro energy into it. At this moment, he was gathering his strength for a decisive strike.
"Be careful. He feels extremely dangerous right now," Keqing frowned, her expression serious as she observed Tartaglia charging his attack. She was considering the best way to counter it.
As for interrupting his attack, she had thought of that too. But judging by the elemental energy surrounding him, forcibly stopping him might lead to unpredictable consequences.
"Mm," Lumine assumed a defensive stance, her ornaments turning the earthy yellow of Geo energy. An unshakable aura emanated from her.