Tartaglia wielded his bow with deceptive ease, downplaying his mastery.
Hydro-charged arrows erupted from the string, cratering stone and earth alike.
Xander wove through the onslaught, phantom swords firing back in a relentless storm.
His mana surged fast, fueling an barrage that could stretch for hours.
Tartaglia's ranged assault faltered, outgunned by spectral steel.
He grinned—distance wasn't his forte, nor his thrill.
Swapping bow for twin hydro daggers, he lunged at Xander.
Close quarters suited Tartaglia, and Xander met him blade-first.
"Bold move!" Tartaglia crowed, exhilaration sparking in his eyes.
Shadowfang clashed with hydro blades, magic and water igniting the air.
Their duel wove a tapestry of afterimages, each strike splitting stone.
Shockwaves rippled, the mine trembling under their ferocious dance.
Rounds passed, and Tartaglia felt the strain—Xander outmatched him.
Strength and speed tilted against him, a tide he couldn't stem.
Xander swung hard, forcing Tartaglia back a dozen meters.
His boots gouged the dirt, hands tingling from the blow's force.
Yet his grin widened, the challenge stoking his battle-hungry soul.
"Here's the real fun!" he declared, unleashing his Foul Legacy.
The Demon King's power surged, his form cloaked in wild hydro might.
Daggers morphed into spears—one long, one short—thrusting forth.
Xander parried, Shadowfang meeting spear-tip with a resounding clang.
The ground fissured beneath them, a web of cracks swallowing ore.
Tartaglia's short spear lashed out, a swift arc aimed at Xander's flank.
Blue light flared as Xander stepped back, evading the strike.
He countered instantly, Shadowfang slicing toward Tartaglia's shoulder.
The move caught air—Tartaglia's instincts, honed by countless wars, prevailed.
A hydro shield shimmered around him, deflecting the deadly edge.
His spears crossed downward, driving Xander back with brutal force.
Tartaglia pressed, stabbing swiftly, only to pierce blue phantoms.
Xander danced through the flurry, echoes of the Golden House in his steps.
Dodge after dodge, his elegance mocked Tartaglia's fervor.
The harbinger's zeal burned hotter, impatience creeping into his strikes.
Time for the big play, he decided, his grin turning feral.
"Whale's Lament!" he roared, spears slashing a massive hydro crescent.
Seven meters wide, it carved a trench, hurtling toward Xander.
Xander channeled mana into Shadowfang, blue energy extending the blade.
He swung down, meeting the crescent in a cataclysmic clash.
Dust and debris erupted, a crater yawning before him.
Tartaglia swapped to his longbow, loosing hydro arrows into the haze.
Explosions thinned the smoke, yet Xander's form eluded him.
"Above!" Tartaglia snapped, senses screaming as he raised his bow.
Shadowfang descended, striking the bow with jarring might.
Tartaglia staggered back, shock coursing through his arms.
He steadied, only to see Xander sheathing his blade.
The stance rang familiar—Inazuma's samurai had taught him its weight.
A draw-cut loomed, but from this distance?
Dread spiked, honed instincts blaring a warning.
Xander's hand twitched, the blade barely leaving its scabbard.
Tartaglia bolted, raw speed carrying him from the kill zone.
Blue slashes erupted where he'd stood, a chaotic rift in space.
The air itself seemed cleaved, a dimensional wound lingering.
Xander's lips curled—his trump card had grazed the mark.
Tartaglia panted, exhilaration warring with the brush of death.
"Magnificent!" he laughed, undeterred by the near miss.
Xander sighed, the fight an unwelcome detour from sweeter pursuits.
The Shadowfang Blade pulsed, sated by the clash's intensity.
Liyue's mines stood silent, blind to the storm they'd birthed.
The broadcast slept, its next jest a shadow on his horizon.
Tartaglia's challenge lingered, a duel unresolved in dust.
***
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