Stepping out of the Goth Grand Hotel, The Knave's mind echoed with the words The Fair Lady had spoken earlier.
"Heh heh, I'm really regressing," The Knave looked at Mondstadt under the setting sun, dismissing The Fair Lady's warning.
"Well, it's time to check on Tina; the flower stall should be closed by now," People returning home constantly brushed past The Knave as she looked for Tina.
But she was disappointed; Tina was not among those returning home, and even the usual spot where Tina set up her stall was desolate.
"Did she simply close early? Or did she sense something?" The Knave lowered her head and chuckled softly, then walked towards a street. There was no escaping; her eyes were everywhere in Mondstadt City.
"Thump thump thump!" A slow, rhythmic knocking sounded. Tina was a bit puzzled; it was dinner time, who would be looking for her?
Although she had a slight grievance about being disturbed during dinner, her mood improved considerably when she remembered that she had met two flower lovers today who bought all her flowers.
"Coming!" Tina opened the door with light steps, but her smile froze when she saw who it was.
"Tina Snezhevna, it seems your life has been quite good since leaving the Fatui," The silver-haired woman stood at the doorway, her tall figure casting a shadow that enveloped Tina's entire body.
The Knave... Your Excellency? After the initial shock, Tina was calmer than she expected.
Looking at the darkness that enveloped her, Tina suddenly laughed. She had walked out of hell, and through the filth of her previous life, she had repaid Snezhnaya's purposeful kindness. It seemed she didn't owe this woman anything.
As for pain, thirty years of Burning still echoed in her mind. She didn't think anything could be more terrifying than that punishment.
"Hmm, it's The Knave. Since you're a Harbinger, I'll call you Your Excellency The Knave," Tina faced the shadow, a flower-like smile on her face.
"So, Your Excellency The Knave, what brings you here? Do you want to order flowers for the children? If so, I can give them to you for free," Bending down, Tina made a gesture to invite her in. Light returned to her, and her smile became even brighter.
The Knave heard Tina's confident and pure words, and saw the light-like smile on her face. An unbidden sense of fear welled up in her heart.
The person before her, besides having the same appearance as Tina, was completely the opposite of the old Tina. She was kind, sunny, and full of love.
It was precisely because The Knave understood the old Tina that she felt even more terrified. Aside from her appearance, everything else was different. So, was this person still the original person?
"What exactly did you go through?" The Knave's crimson eyes stared intently at Tina before her. She didn't understand; she should have absolute control over the children of the House of the Hearth.
But now, she couldn't see through Tina at all.
"Me?" Tina seemed surprised by The Knave's question. She lowered her head in thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "I just took a trip to heaven and washed away the filth from myself."
Heaven? The Knave's pupils contracted slightly. This was the first time she had heard such a strange description. Was it real? Or was it her own imagination?
However, she quickly regained her confidence. Even if Tina had many mysteries, she was now just an ordinary person without even a Delusion, not even qualified to fight for her life.
A red light flashed in her eyes, and The Knave's aura suddenly became sharp. She looked at Tina, who had already started walking back into the courtyard, and said without any emotion:
"Tina Snezhevich, you should know the consequences of leaving the Fatui!"
Tina's footsteps in the distance paused, then she turned around and said nonchalantly, "I know, but unfortunately, I've already walked into the sunlight. If you want me to be stained with filth again, I'm sorry, I'd rather die!"
After saying the last sentence, Tina smiled and spread her arms. She knew this day would come, but as she said, being stained with filth was worse than death.
"In that case, goodbye!" A crimson glow Bloomed from The Knave's hand, piercing towards Tina not far away.
"Sizzle—" A corrosive sound rang out. Two tall women had appeared in front of Tina at some point. The crimson attack only produced a puff of smoke on them and then disappeared.
The two women were so large that they seemed to exceed the scope of human beings. Tina could barely reach their waist height in front of them.
Even more bizarre was that they were entirely covered in silver-white full plate armor, with pristine white soft armor outlining their full and slender figures. The light gauze behind the armor added a touch of agility and lightness to them.
Unfortunately, their faces were hidden behind a dark veil, leaving only infinite room for imagination.
However, somewhat spoiling the scene, the two women's silver-white armor was adorned with many fresh flowers, which seemed out of place with their Kill aura.
"Heh heh, Shi Yi, you or me?" Ba looked at the wary Knave before her, letting out a pleasant chuckle.
"You go, I'm faster, I can save people," Shi Yi plucked the flowers Ba had forcibly stuck onto her armor while carrying Tina and jumping onto the roof.
"The Knave? A strange title?" Ba looked at The Knave, who was wearing a silver-white suit and dress, and couldn't help but curl her lips.
Fighting in such clothes? Had she been beaten too little, or was she too confident in herself?
"You're not bad either, Ba? What an awkward name," Looking at the tall woman who suddenly appeared, The Knave felt somewhat unfathomable.
What faction was she from? How was there no news at all?
Actually, at this point, The Knave was already thinking of backing down. Fighting directly without gathering any intelligence was not her style.
But how to gather intelligence without contact? The Knave gently raised her gloved hand, and a pillar of fire suddenly erupted from under Ba's feet!
Unfortunately, Ba merely leaped, dodging the attack.
"A mage?" Ba grinned. She loved fighting mages, especially in such a confined space.
Without waiting for The Knave to make her next move, Ba directly turned into an afterimage and darted out, instantly arriving beside The Knave.
"Boom!" Just as Ba was about to thrust, a huge force came from her waist, sending her flying.
"Hmm?" The Knave frowned. Her attack had used her hidden power, but it was like hitting water when it struck Ba, all the force dissipating.
The moment The Knave struck Ba, Ba quickly changed her body posture based on her combat experience, causing most of The Knave's power to be nullified.
Ba, who had been sent flying, performed a backflip, then landed lightly and steadily in the courtyard using The Knave's force, without suffering any DMG.
Ba saw the continuous surge of ominous black-red aura from The Knave's white gloves, realizing this was the reason for her immense power.
If it were her old self, encountering her might indeed require a temporary retreat. But now, she had the King's Blessing!
Firelight appeared in Ba's eyes. At this moment, every part of her body completely obeyed her command.
Life begins with one. To return one to life is to allow life to completely control all of them!
After activating the Blessing, every cell in Ba's body obeyed her command. Every part of her body was so coordinated that the power hidden deep within Ba's life was now unleashed.
The Knave only saw Ba disappear instantly before her, then a murderous intent came from behind her.
She no longer hid anything. The fierce black-red aura corroded her white gloves, revealing her hands, which were completely different from ordinary people's.
Dark with specks of crimson, beautiful yet full of danger.
The black-red aura shot out from her palms and covered her entire body, while a giant black hand formed by dark energy pushed towards Ba behind her.
"A bit slow," Ba's reconstructed compound eyes beneath her veil looked at the slowly advancing black palm and chuckled softly.
She hadn't expected the mosquitoes of The Lands Between to see the world like this—a peculiar experience.
She easily bypassed The Knave's attack and arrived beside the black cocoon. Looking at the thin black cocoon before her, Ba dared not be careless.
The fellow before her was not weak.
Black flames began to appear on the black blade in her hand, then Ba thrust at the cocoon. The black blade pierced the black cocoon like a hot knife through butter, without any resistance.
The black flames of the regained Rune of Death were specifically used for god-slaying in The Lands Between.
"Boom!" Ba didn't hesitate. Huge black flames spewed from the tip of the black blade, incinerating the spot in an instant.
Ba retracted her black blade, sniffed the smoke in the air, and said with a smile:
"It seems this world won't be boring."
--+--
T/N: Although I'm an inexperienced Editor, I do have a Patreon account! Although it seems like I don't have many supporters right now, my webnovel will be released in full every day, and the advanced chapters will be uploaded to Patreon.
It may not be worth it now, but who knows, it might be different in the future. Who knows!
patreon.com/Greyhounds
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