[A handsome ginger-haired young man steps out from behind the rocks.]
[A warm, friendly smile rests on his face, yet deep within his eyes churns a thick, dangerous intent.]
["Long time no see, Kael."]
[Childe lifts a hand and gives you a casual wave, his tone so enthusiastic it feels like a neighbor greeting an old friend.]
["You really surprised me. I had no idea your combat strength was this impressive."]
["I thought those small fry would be enough to deal with you."]
["Didn't expect I'd have to step in personally in the end."]
[The one who appears is Childe, someone you dealt with in the past.]
[Among the Fatui Harbingers, every one of them operates differently.]
[Childe and La Signora are almost always the ones sent out on missions.]
[La Signora has absolute confidence in her strength and intelligence. She never relies on the information network built by The Knave.]
[Since you belonged to The Knave's faction, you never had contact with her back then.]
[Childe is the complete opposite.]
[He rose to the rank of Harbinger purely through combat skill and martial prowess.]
[Schemes and strategy were never his strong suit.]
[When you were undercover in the Fatui, Childe approached you several times to obtain useful intelligence.]
[Even when he needed something from you, his gaze carried an unmistakable hint of contempt.]
[To him, the weak were nothing more than cockroaches, insects to be crushed without a second thought.]
[You hid the Vision well, so he believed you were merely a clever intelligence operative.]
[Now, you've shown him your true strength.]
[And his attitude changes instantly.]
[Childe flashes a bright grin, eyes burning with excitement as he looks at you.]
["Good thing I came to Liyue for this mission. Otherwise, I would've missed an opponent like you."]
[You see him pull out his weapon, Polar Star, and charge straight at you without hesitation.]
[Childe's speed is astonishing. It's almost like teleportation as several afterimages close the distance in an instant.]
[But you've been on guard this whole time. With a slight shift of your body, you dodge his rush.]
[The moment you evade, Childe twists around and fires three arrows in rapid succession, each carrying surging torrents of water.]
["A mission?"]
[You lift the blood-stained ice sword in your hand and flick it aside, knocking every arrow away.]
["Two Fatui Harbingers appearing in Liyue at the same time?"]
["You're working with La Signora? The same mission?"]
[Childe raises an eyebrow at your question.]
["I may not be good at schemes, but your probing is way too obvious."]
["I'm still a Fatui Harbinger, you know. Treating me like an idiot is a bit insulting."]
[As he speaks, he shoots an arrow straight into the sky.]
[A massive wave of cascading water crashes down from above.]
[You immediately activate your Elemental Skill.]
[A dome of solid ice forms around you, completely enclosing your body and blocking the waterfall-like deluge.]
[Childe's hydro element is restrained by your cryo.]
[His attacks are fierce and swift, but they pose little difficulty for you.]
[Although his words didn't reveal any concrete information, you still catch the flicker of surprise in his eyes.]
[It seems Childe doesn't know La Signora is also in Liyue.]
[You originally thought she had leaked your whereabouts to him.]
[Now it appears that isn't the case.]
[Then why would Childe set up an ambush at the exit of The Chasm?]
[The news of Chenxi being taken shouldn't have spread this fast.]
[You parry Childe's attacks with ease while quietly analyzing the source of the information leak.]
["Tch."]
[Childe quickly notices your lack of focus.]
["You're actually distracted while fighting me?"]
["Looks like I'm being seriously underestimated."]
[You give him a provocative smile.]
["So this is all a Fatui Harbinger can do."]
[You deliberately needle him.]
["No wonder your ranking is so low."]
["It's hard to go all out against someone like you."]
["You want me to take this seriously?"]
["Then let's make a deal."]
["Tell me how you found my location."]
["As expected of one of the top intelligence operatives in Teyvat. Even at death's door, you're still gathering intel."]
[Childe lets out a cold laugh and slowly pulls out a dark red mask, placing it over his face.]
["I was planning to savor this fight."]
["But you're getting too arrogant."]
["In that case, I'll show you my true strength."]
["I won't hold back."]
["I'll make sure you understand what real despair feels like."]