My Archaic Jewel [Childe X Zhongli] (Fanfic)

Chapter IV: Ungodly Massacre

Panting furiously, he sprinted at godlike speeds while yelling out the name of his dear acquaintance. It had almost been an hour since he last sighted him, waves of worry overwhelming his veins and fatigue punished him like chains tugging at him aggressively. Regardless of the predicament he was in, the youthful Harbinger was determined to locate the man that his eyes could not resist. Where could he possibly have gone? Had the Abyss Order seized the convenient opportunity to capture him and interrogate him about their relationship to obtain further intel on the Fatui? Whatever it was, he had to act. Fast.

While looking far across the greenery that swept the lands of Liyue, he identified a large hilichurl campsite. The total amount of tentage and shelters tallied up to 10, highly above average amounts which meant this camp was not ordinary. He noticed the hilichurls wielded crossbows were marksmen that kept distant intruders at bay, while wielders of torches and battered wooden shields were disposable pawns that patrolled the perimeter of the campsite; front line defenders.

He elevated himself on a nearby ledge and clambered atop it to grant himself a clearer view. Standing in the middle of the camp was a Hilichurl Chieftain, a Stonehide Lawachurl, that towered over a man that held a special spot in the Harbinger's heart.

Relief flooded his mind, before a fury that resided in the dormant abyss of his heart awakened with a wicked desire to sever all the heads of the Hilichurls that were present in the campsite. His teeth were grit tightly like tectonic plates forcing themselves upon one another. Zhongli appeared to be speaking to the Chieftain, which meant there was still time for Tartaglia to release him from the grasps of the meddling Hilichurls.

Devoid of hesitation, Childe launched himself off of the ledge and glided towards the campsite. He landed near the vicinity of the entrance, equipping his bow first to execute the marksmen first before engaging the patrollers. He aimed at the four marksmen with back hunched over; the embodiment of horrendous archer's posture.

He fired four consecutive arrows with excellent precision, all piercing through the Hilichurls' hollow skulls. Nearby Hilichurls were alarmed and rushed onto Childe's location. Unfortunate it truly was, that they had to engage him on a day that Childe abandoned all his patience.

Sparks of lightning burst from his torso, turning into outright bolts that struck and eliminated another four hilichurls. They screamed in anguish and their bodies scorched to a crisp. A faint amethyst tint spread into his retinas and his fist clenched with a thunderous rage. He held out his dagger which then a bolt of purple lightning struck to transform it into a ferocious polearm outlined with navy blue, embodying his Hydro element. His outfit peeled off to make way for the surging lightning to replace it with legendary chest plate and leggings suited for intense warfare. Fur formed itself next to his neck and a horrifyingly sinister mask shrouded the Harbinger's face, shielding the hilichurls from the monstrous look on Childe's face. Palpitating in helpless fear as they gazed upon the ultimate form of the Eleventh Fatui Harbinger.

He went on to eviscerate numerous amounts of hilichurls, all of which had their heads thrown off their shoulders to grace the floor. The bloodstained polearm had blitzed the mindless enemies, leaving their entrails littered all over the ground. He lunged forth and delivered a collateral swing, slitting their stomachs with surgical accuracy in half.

He drove his polearm through another hilichurl and slammed it against the hard ground, exhaling its final breath abruptly. The last of the hilichurl defenders were defeated in an almost effortless fashion, yet the gruelling strain that the Harbinger's Delusion had placed upon his body was too much to bear. The grand amour pieces dissipated and he fell to the ground, reverting to normal. He stumbled to his feet and stormed the campsite, finally able to meet the Chieftain that held his dearest captive.

Zhongli turned around to realize that Childe was barely able to move after placing himself through strenuous battle. He faced the Chieftain once again, an ancient power that slumbered under the soul of the Geo wielder slowly resurfacing.

"It appeared that not only did you not possess any Mora, but you also assaulted innocent inhabitants of Liyue Harbour and put my Tartaglia through rigorous fights. I cannot tolerate such hostile and unacceptable behaviour. Therefore, my negotiation here with you ends now."

The Chieftain was suddenly consumed with wrath and beat its chest until the ground shook. Cracks formed and the tentage began collapsing, leaving nothing but a horrid mess. Childe reached an arm out to Zhongli, mustering every ounce of strength residing in him to help his ally. However, the cold expression that was exhibited on the Geo element wielder told Childe that he was ultimately nowhere close to being helpless.

"I will have order."

Pride having left his soul, the Hilichurl Chieftain stared helplessly at what was a meteorite in the sky which blocked out the luminous light of the sun, its magnitude rivalling the size of a building that left a dark shadow on the land. Zhongli pulled Childe up and the two walk out of the ruined camp. Childe sneaked a final glance at the petrified Chieftain as the meteorite fell upon it, exploding savagely and broke apart into unrecognisable chunks of meat and rock. Everything in the vicinity was annihilated without a trace of there ever being a campsite to begin with. Zhongli sighed while they trekked back to Liyue Harbour.

Out of the blue, a small grin formed with Childe's lips.

My Tartaglia, he said?

xx

Credit to @leslievernon2 on Pinterest for the chapter cover art!