The two continued their battle for a long time until Childe could no longer withstand the burden of his Foul Legacy transformation. Finally, he was forced to release it.
Now on his knees, his vision blurred slightly.
"...It's about time to calm down."
"That Foul Legacy transformation really takes a toll on the body."
"It didn't even give me a chance to stop and think."
Supporting himself with one hand, Childe knelt on one knee and muttered to himself.
"Oh? It's already over?"
Lying on the ground nearby, Qiu Bai muttered internally.
Then, as if suddenly gasping for air, Qiu Bai startled Paimon, who was right next to him.
"Qi-Qiu Bai, you're okay! That's great!"
Paimon wiped her eyes, on the verge of tears.
"Cough... cough..."
Qiu Bai struggled to stand, as if using up all his remaining strength.
He forced a faint smile and patted Paimon's head before slowly limping toward Lumine and Childe, clutching his chest.
"If you think about it, you really had no chance of getting the Gnosis before I did."
"No matter where the Gnosis is now, it should... have nothing to do with you."
Childe coughed weakly, looking up at Lumine as he spoke.
By this time, Paimon and Qiu Bai had already reached Lumine's side.
"Qiu Bai, are you okay?"
Seeing his unsteady steps, Lumine hurried forward to support him.
"Heh, what could possibly happen to me?"
Qiu Bai's body emitted a faint white light, and under Lumine and Paimon's shocked gazes, his so-called wounds began to heal on their own.
Of course, he was only pretending. In reality, he didn't have a single injury.
"I never expected Mr. Qiu Bai to be this strong."
"Haha, I'd really like to spar with you again."
Childe slowly stood up, his gaze fixed on Qiu Bai as he spoke.
"Sparring? No thanks."
"If I accidentally kill you, I'd have to bring you back to life."
Qiu Bai's mouth twitched at Childe's words, feeling a bit speechless.
"And you, Traveler... The strength you've shown here today—"
"It's even beyond what La Signora's evaluation of you in Mondstadt suggested. Why is that?"
Childe waved a hand at Lumine, who was still supporting Qiu Bai, his tone filled with curiosity.
Lumine simply glared at him without answering. He had nearly killed Qiu Bai just moments ago, and she was still fuming.
"Uh..."
"Don't look at me like that. Using my full strength in battle is how I show respect to a worthy opponent."
Childe scratched his head awkwardly.
From the beginning, he had felt that Qiu Bai was no ordinary person. That was why he had gone all out—because giving his all in battle was the greatest respect he could offer to a strong opponent.
"People who strive to become stronger are friends."
"Even if that friendship is built on constant fighting..."
Childe spoke slowly, addressing Qiu Bai.
"What a weird idea of friendship."
Hearing his reasoning, Paimon waved a hand dismissively, clearly not understanding.
"But for now, I have to put aside this exchange between kindred spirits and return to my mission."
"If the Gnosis wasn't taken, then could it be... it was never in the Rite of Parting to begin with?"
Childe crossed his arms as he spoke.
"More precisely, could the Rite of Parting itself have been nothing more than a diversion?"
Paimon mulled over his words for a moment.
"Wait... You mean..."
"The Geo Archon isn't actually dead?"
Lumine stared at Childe and spoke slowly.
"I'm afraid that's exactly the case. Now, that's... interesting."
"If the Geo Archon never died, then how could the Adeptus disappear?"
Childe looked at the three in front of him and continued his explanation.
Perhaps the missing Adeptus of Liyue hadn't disappeared at all.
"As expected of the guardian deity of the City of Contracts... You're quite skilled in maneuvering outside of contracts as well."
"...Sigh, in that case, I have no choice but to activate the backup plan."
Childe sighed, speaking with both admiration and self-mockery.
It was as if resorting to the backup plan was an insult to his pride.
"Backup plan?"
Paimon asked in confusion.
"I didn't want to resort to this plan—it will inevitably harm the innocent and the weak."
"I despise these underhanded tactics, but unfortunately, this is an order from Her Majesty, the Empress of Snezhnaya."
Childe looked at Paimon, who was visibly confused, and slowly explained.
"So, what exactly are you planning?!"
Paimon couldn't hold back her curiosity and raised her voice as she questioned him.
"I want to..."
"Awaken the slumbering god beneath Guyun Stone Forest."
Childe spoke without hesitation, his gaze fixed on the three before him.
"A god?!"
Paimon was shocked. She hadn't expected him to actually attempt to unleash an ancient deity.
"The Vortex Archon, Osial, was defeated by the Geo Archon, Morax, during the Archon War and was sealed beneath the ocean by his stone spears."
"If an ancient god were to attack Liyue Harbor—a city that has now lost the protection of two deities—"
"Do you really think the Geo Archon, who has deceived us all, would be able to sit idly by and watch?"
Childe explained, his voice steady.
Qiu Bai's mouth twitched at the revelation. Morax really was something else.
"But... but the Archon War ended two thousand years ago!"
"With only eight gods left in the world today, how do you plan to awaken an ancient one...?"
Paimon asked in disbelief.
"Eight gods? Aren't there only seven?"
"Or are you counting me in as well?"
Qiu Bai's mouth twitched at Paimon's words.
A nation with two gods—no wonder the Empress had sent the Doctor.
"Of course... I've already prepared the means to awaken it."
Childe raised his hand, and several golden talismans emitting a radiant glow appeared around him.
"Th-Those are the Sigils of Permission!"
"I... I remember now! We did hear about the Fatui researching them!"
Paimon stared in shock at the floating talismans surrounding Childe.
"And you were even trying to replicate them..."
Lumine took a defensive stance with one hand while supporting Qiu Bai with the other, her gaze locked onto Childe.
Qiu Bai, on the other hand, studied the talismans intently, lost in thought.
"Strange... Why don't I see any of the Doctor's Delusion-based talismans?"
"These Sigils of Permission should only be capable of temporarily releasing Osial."
Qiu Bai stroked his chin, his mind racing.
"Could it be that the Doctor and Childe aren't entirely on the same side?"
As the thought crossed his mind, Qiu Bai's mouth twitched.
It seemed Childe had been reduced to just another test subject in the Doctor's experiments.
"That's right. The one given to you was merely a byproduct of this research."
"The combined power of so many Sigils of Permission, along with the authority granted to me as a Harbinger by the Empress herself..."
"Temporarily breaking the seal of Morax's stone spears is far from impossible."