"Ha ha—little sister, give us a moment to talk tactics, alright?"
As he reached Kaeya's side, Childe turned back with a wide grin and said that to Möbius.
That little girl gave him the impression of being easy to talk to, so he tried the line as a test. Worst case, they'd just start fighting; he wouldn't lose anything important. Originally he had thought about just slipping away—"You excuse me now, ta-dah"—but after thinking it over he abandoned the idea.
No matter how confident he was in his speed, there were a lot of people watching. If he tried to run and failed, it would be an embarrassment. More importantly, facing Möbius alone wouldn't be as advantageous as staying and cooperating with the Knights. Besides, he still had the trump card he hadn't used yet: the Demon Lord Armament.
"No problem—just hurry up, big brothers~"
Möbius smiled and nodded, giving them time to discuss.
No matter what happened, she wasn't beatable by them. And she could wait for Venti to arrive; she knew the fight would alert him. He was the one who mattered to her—this was merely an amuse-bouche, a way to pass the time.
Kaeya: "..."
Diluc: "..."
After hearing the exchange between Childe and Möbius, the two of them fell silent. Were they facing an enemy or attending some bizarre performance? They were discussing tactics—and the little girl had agreed? What was going on?
The two shared a look of mutual bewilderment. This mastermind they'd hunted for days… somehow felt different. Could she really just be a little girl?
"Both of you—come over here."
Just as the two were at a loss for words, Childe moved behind them and called in a conspiratorial tone.
"Take a look."
Leaving the words hanging, Diluc was the first to step forward. He guessed Childe must have something important to say. The girl's strength was clearly no joke; for now, cooperating with Childe was the only option. If they didn't, not only might the Grand Master not be rescued—there'd be a high risk of more casualties.
"Could you have your people stand in front of us and block the view?"
When the two approached, Childe made another odd request. Both of them raised an eyebrow. What was he planning?
Despite the oddity, Diluc gave Kaeya a look, and Kaeya obeyed. "Form a square like before—fill the positions. Over here."
Kaeya issued that order to the Knights without delay.
"All right. Now I'll tell you what that little girl's ability is."
Childe glanced at the assembled knights and decided it was safe enough—the girl probably couldn't hear them.
He had to use everything at his disposal to beat her. Whether the plan would work was another matter; at least they'd try.
The Knights watched in confusion. Kaeya and Diluc—two veterans whose reputations were carved into Mondstadt's history—now showed unusual wariness. The men had seen Kaeya deal with countless threats, from Hilichurls to Abyss Mages, and Diluc—though having withdrawn from the Order years ago—had proven his might time and again. Yet they both looked unusually cautious in the face of a little girl. What was her true strength?
"First, this girl's ability is based on that ink-green liquid she conjures. She summons all kinds of bizarre things from it—giant claws, a scorpion-like tail. They can appear anywhere, and they appear fast. Don't underestimate her close-range capability either; she caught my full-force strike with her bare hand. I have one more trick I haven't used yet, and I'll need your cooperation for it. Any questions? If not, I'll start."
Childe cast another glance toward Möbius; she had not even been paying attention to them. He prayed—silently—that she couldn't overhear the plan. If their strategy was exposed, its effectiveness would plummet.
"It sounds like her power relies on that ink-green liquid. Besides what you said, she can move through the ground with it. So she must have many abilities based on that substance—if we could freeze it, our chances would improve a lot."
Hearing this, Kaeya's mind raced; freezing the liquid would severely limit her mobility and summoning.
"Haha, true to form, Kaeya—always the one with a clever idea."
Childe smiled when Kaeya voiced the plan; then Childe laid his own out. "When that liquid appears on the ground, you freeze it immediately. Diluc and I will draw her fire; freeze whatever appears. If we can freeze the liquid under her feet, she won't be able to burrow and drag time. I don't believe she can summon it infinitely; if we can freeze her summons, even better…"
"My power isn't infinite," Kaeya cut in. He knew their foe's calibre exceeded his alone—this would be a war of attrition.
"Don't worry—you aren't alone." Childe grinned and gestured to Diluc.
"So that's the plan?" Diluc asked plainly.
"Yes. Kaeya is the support. We're the heavy hitters—try to find a window to hit her with everything you've got. After that, fate takes over. We either win or lose."
Childe turned and walked toward Möbius. He no longer regretted not running earlier; anticipation bubbled up in him. He wanted to see what his Demon Lord Armament could do against this girl.
"All right—let's move."
With no better options, Diluc agreed. Even if they failed, they would buy time. Venti was away, searching for aid from Zhongli in Liyue; once he returned, things would tilt in their favor. Two genuine gods stepping into the fray was a variable Möbius didn't know about.
"Big brothers, are you done planning? Come on—let's fight!"
Möbius happily raised her head and focused on them as the trio approached.
"So does that mean we can start?"
"Yeah—if you please us, maybe I'll let you off." She smiled, which only added an eerie edge.
Behind them, the Knights exchanged stunned whispers. Three champions versus one little girl? The scenario made no sense. But the order was given: fall back.
"All Knights, move back one hundred meters—now!"
Kaeya's command sent more confusion through the ranks. "Why such a distance?" someone whispered.
"Don't ask—just obey," Kaeya barked. Then he leaned close and murmured to them, "If we fail, you must retreat immediately—don't look back."
Hearing that, the Knights' eyes widened; they did not know what they were truly facing.
"Möbius—beginning!"
Childe drew his bow and loosed several water-formed arrows in quick succession.
As expected, where the arrows flew, the ink-green liquid swelled up once more.
"What is that?!"
"Is that girl making it?!"
"Unbelievable…"
"Now I see why Kaeya reacted like he did…"
Even from a distance, the Knights saw the ground break as the green slime erupted and a giant claw emerged from its center. The claw easily caught and crushed Childe's water arrows.
If such a thing had grabbed them, they would have been done for. A chill crawled up the onlookers' spines—this little girl wielded terrifying power. How could that be? She looked so tiny.
"Freeze it!" Kaeya seized the moment and unleashed a blast of ice from his blade. A crisp cracking sound rang out as the claw and the slime around it instantly froze.
"Eh? It can be frozen…" Möbius observed with genuine curiosity. The frozen appendage did not inconvenience her, but the spectacle was interesting.
With Kaeya buying them a window, Childe felt more confident. If the summoned matter could be frozen, they only needed to handle her melee proficiency. For once Kaeya had done something crucial.
"Kaeya's the best, huh?"
"Every time Kaeya fights it's so thrilling!" whispered a Knight, admiration in his tone.
"Look—another wave!"
"This one's bigger!"
"If I'm in that…I'd be dead."
Fear pitted across the onlookers' faces.
Before they could relax, the ink-green substance surged from the earth in dozens of places, quickly coating tens of meters of ground. Dozens of summoned weapons and constructs erupted—drill-like spikes, scorpion tails sweeping the ground, spear shapes thrusting upward. They burst up and withdrew at random, making defense chaotic.
Those who had been applauding moments ago fell silent, suddenly grateful for Kaeya's precaution. Otherwise, they'd have been overwhelmed. But could Kaeya, Diluc, and Childe hold out? A terrifying thought spread through the ranks—some even prepared to flee.
Childe was stunned by the sheer scale. There was no time to dwell; he had to keep moving to avoid being impaled by any sudden summons. The other two did the same. Even if standing on the slime now seemed harmless, there was no guarantee more threats wouldn't erupt beneath their feet.
"Freeze it—now!"
Seizing a brief gap, Kaeya vaulted down and slammed his weapon into the ground with all his remaining strength. Cold radiated through the stone as he channeled his element, and the crackling sound of freezing spread outward. In little time, the ink-green ooze in a wide radius was locked in place—drills, claws, spears—all turned to a glossy green ice.
"Not bad." Möbius, perched on her toolbox, watched with interest. Kaeya had earned a begrudging nod.
Kaeya, however, collapsed in a heap. He relied on the weapon embedded in the ground to stay upright. He had used everything he had; for now, the girl's constructs were neutralized. But if those ice blocks melted…
"Leave it to me—then I'll make the reaction with fire," Diluc said, voice steady.
Before Diluc could act, Childe changed forms—his Demon Lord Armament flaring to life. He leapt high, spear-of-light in hand, a violet streak cutting through the air.
Möbius clicked her tongue. He'd transformed several times already—Liyue, Mondstadt—four times in total. The pattern was almost pitiful. She smiled at his plight.
A thunderous impact rang as the violet streak struck. Purple lightning danced and a deafening roar filled the ruins—an explosion that seemed to split the sky.
"In this—judgment!"
At the moment Childe landed, Diluc unleashed his full power. From his blade, a massive phoenix of flame materialized, shrieking with a fierce cry as it hurtled toward Möbius.
The convergence of lightning and flame produced a cataclysmic blast. The shockwave flung Childe, Diluc, and Kaeya far aside. Even the Knights staggered—some nearly blown off their feet.
"Is it—over?"
"It must be—go see Kaeya and Diluc!"
"That was like a battle between gods!"
"Get moving—go check the center!"
As the dust and smoke settled, the Knights pulled themselves together and advanced—only to freeze in place at what they saw. Möbius sat calmly atop that strange device; she was unscathed, gazing at them with idle curiosity.
Impossible. How could she be unharmed after such an explosion? The Knights' breaths hitched; their hearts sank. Even from a distance they had been knocked about by the blast. The crater left behind was enormous.
Möbius looked down at the cavern beneath her feet. A giant pit yawned where the impact struck. Kaeya, Diluc, and Childe lay motionless in scattered places—at least temporarily out of the fight.
Silence pressed in; faces were pale. They had used everything—and yet she still stood. What could they do?
A fresh breeze stirred, cool and clear, and the collective gloom eased a bit. Someone pointed skyward, hand trembling.
"Look—there! The Wind God!"
Relief erupted. Venti had arrived.
Finally,
Möbius regarded the two familiar silhouettes in the sky with a composed, almost bored expression.
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