Tartaglia enjoys combat, but he doesn't enjoy one-sided battles.
What he relishes is the joy of facing strong opponents and the pleasure of growing through battle.
Therefore, those he challenges are either on par with him in skill or stronger than him.
When he first met Bai Luo, he sensed something extraordinary about him. His combat intuition told him that this seemingly harmless individual was likely far stronger than he appeared.
At that time, Tartaglia only wanted to spar with Bai Luo, but it wasn't at the point where a fight was absolutely necessary.
However, after Bai Luo returned from Inazuma, Tartaglia's intuition once again picked up on something different about him.
Though Bai Luo didn't seem to have changed much, and even appeared half-dead from some recent conflict, Tartaglia could sense an aura of danger emanating from him.
Yes, an aura of danger.
This indicated that Bai Luo now possessed the strength to kill him. This discovery excited Tartaglia to the extreme, as it had been a long time since he had faced someone so dangerous.
And now...
Tartaglia lifted his head, looking toward the Wuwang Hill ahead.
Bai Luo was waiting for him up there.
At this thought, his pace quickened.
"No wonder he never mentioned the exact location on Wuwang Hill before. He had already planned this."
Upon entering Wuwang Hill, Tartaglia was pleasantly surprised to find that Bai Luo, unlike before, hadn't concealed his aura. Instead, he allowed that dangerous feeling to radiate freely, affecting everything around him.
In Wuwang Hill, Bai Luo was like a bright lantern in the darkness—exceptionally conspicuous... and alluring.
This sense of danger even made Tartaglia tremble with excitement. If he could fight an opponent of this caliber, even death would be worth it.
However...
Tartaglia enjoys battle, but that doesn't mean he's foolish.
As the youngest Harbinger in the history of the Fatui, Tartaglia has every right to act as he pleases, unbound by conventions.
Though his independent nature has made him somewhat unpopular among the Fatui and his style doesn't quite align with the other Harbingers, beneath his self-assured demeanor lies a steadfast sense of responsibility and meticulous caution.
So... as he lowered his mask, lightning and water instantly enveloped his body. When he broke free from the elemental restraints, what appeared in Wuwang Hill was no longer the Tartaglia from before.
But the Foul Legacy Transformation.
With the force of thunder, Tartaglia created a sonic boom as he charged toward the only light in the darkness.
"Hmm? He's here?"
Just as the Geo Archon hadn't hidden his aura, Tartaglia responded in kind.
That powerful and sinister feeling immediately alerted the Geo Archon to his presence.
"No wonder he agreed so readily that day. So he was hiding this kind of power. With this strength... he truly has the qualifications to challenge a god."
Zhongli didn't doubt whether the person arriving was Bai Luo, because aside from him, no one else knew about the contract between them. Moreover... the contract they had drawn up was completed the moment the other party arrived.
Unless Bai Luo had found some loophole in the contract, but...
A contract is a contract. How many loopholes could there be? Perhaps he was overthinking it.
After all, the other party's overwhelming fighting spirit was unmistakable. How could it be fake?
"Shatter!"
A spear wreathed in lightning spun toward the Geo Archon. The earth, water, and trees were all shattered under its force. Even some of the more renowned Vision holders probably wouldn't dare to take this attack head-on.
Zhongli calmly turned and leaped gracefully.
"Boom—"
The rapidly spinning spear, under the Geo Archon's foot, was pressed down as if by a thousand-ton boulder, sinking entirely into the ground, leaving only a small portion exposed.
The Geo Archon stood with his hands behind his back, one foot resting on the spear, and looked at the newcomer.
[Did he change his appearance again?]
This was the thought that both of them shared upon meeting.
The two who had interacted with Bai Luo the most were well aware of his ability to change his appearance at will.
And this transformation wasn't just a change in appearance—it could alter his aura, his techniques, and even his destiny.
The Geo Archon had personally witnessed Bai Luo's transformation, from a harmless black-clad assassin to a flamboyant Inazuma wanderer.
And after his transformation, there was always a distinct mark on him—the symbol of the Fatui.
Upon closer inspection, sure enough, it was there.
So it really was Bai Luo.
Compared to him, Tartaglia didn't overthink it. The Foul Legacy's armor enhanced his strength but also eroded his rationality.
He only remembered that Bai Luo had once taken on the appearance of a red-clad swordsman, indulging in food and drink all over Liyue. Even the Pyro Agent, who had spent the most time with him, hadn't discovered his true identity.
The Geo Archon, clad in divine armor, felt familiar to him, but he couldn't quite recall where he had seen him before.
If he felt familiar, even with the changed appearance, it must be him, right?
"I've been waiting for you."
With a glance from his diamond-shaped eyes, the Geo Archon lightly stepped on the spear, causing it to rise and fly back along its original trajectory at an even greater speed.
"Boom—"
The steady Geo element clashed violently with the wild Electro element, bursting into dazzling elemental crystals. Tartaglia, also known as Childe, was forced to slide back dozens of meters from the sheer force, barely managing to stop himself.
With just a casual strike, the power was overwhelmingly immense. This "Bai Luo" was indeed extraordinary. It seemed the Tsaritsa had good reason to make an exception and appoint him as the 12th Harbinger.
"Should I expect nothing less from you? It seems using my full strength from the start was the right choice."
Feeling the oppressive aura emanating from "Bai Luo," Tartaglia wasn't frightened. On the contrary, his fighting spirit grew fiercer, and his grip on his spear tightened.
The stronger the enemy, the more excited he became.
This was the true meaning of battle.
Only by constantly pushing his limits could he grow stronger. This was precisely why he had become the 11th Harbinger.
"Devouring Whale!"
Water began to swirl around his spear, surging and transforming into a massive whale that blotted out the sky. The pure, azure whale stood in stark contrast to Tartaglia's menacing, demonic armor.
With an ethereal whale's cry, the colossal creature crashed down toward "Bai Luo."
He had kept his promise—meeting his opponent by throwing a whale at them first.
"Planet Befall!"
Perhaps it was a response to "Bai Luo," or maybe it was simply to settle the score from the previous two slashes. Or perhaps... there were too many reasons to list without sounding redundant. In any case, after witnessing "Bai Luo's" strength, the Geo Archon, Morax, also decided to open with his ultimate move.
"Can you feel my burning fighting spirit?"
"Let's fight!"
"Bai Luo!"
"Bai Luo!"
Zhongli: "???"
Tartaglia: "???"