What is will?
The Thunderhelm Lawachurl let out a deafening roar. Its massive body leapt high into the air, both arms raised like a pair of colossal hammers, crashing down with terrifying might.
The nature of will was as difficult to comprehend as spiritual power was to ordinary people who had never experienced it. Yet lack of understanding did not mean nonexistence.
Victor Wang threw himself backward using the full strength of his body, watching as the floor of the Mystic Onmyou Chamber shattered under the Lawachurl's strike. The electro crystals on its back, horns, and arms exploded, scattering into a thousand shards that wove together into a net of lightning sweeping toward him.
What's the difference between will and emotion? Since the 'Heart Sword' was considered a form of sword intent, emotion must also be a form of will. But as the saying goes, 'hearing only one side leads to darkness; hearing both brings clarity.' Last time, my killing intent nearly lost control—perhaps it's better not to listen at all than to listen to just one side.
Victor Wang carefully avoided letting his sword touch the electro crystals directly. At the same time, his blade aura slipped through their gaps, tearing a rift wide open.
Will could be trained. Yet the Favonius Sword Intent could only be used within the bounds of Favonius Bladework—that was not the path to strength. True mastery lay beyond form, unbound by technique.
The Thunderhelm Lawachurl's heavy steps shook the floor. The electro crystals across its body glowed brilliantly. The scattered fragments resonated, lightning arcs linking them together as they spun around it, forming a swirling violet nebula.
"So how did those samurai ever take down something like this?!"
Victor Wang leapt nimbly, driving the Wentian Sword into the ceiling. Its sharp aura dulled, anchoring him so he wouldn't fall.
"I said I wouldn't use elemental power!"
The Thunderhelm Lawachurl jumped too, its crystalline horns aimed straight for Victor Wang's back. A direct hit would run him clean through—and that violet nebula of electro crystals was closing in, leaving almost no room to dodge.
Just before impact, Victor Wang swung his body and landed on the Lawachurl's furry head. He slashed toward its neck, but the blade hit something not just stone-hard—harder than stone itself.
The Lawachurl's strike missed. Feeling someone on its back, it swung its thick arms behind it, but in its distorted form, it couldn't reach the middle of its back. Meanwhile, Victor Wang kept striking—clang, clang, clang—until, in a flash of sword intent, the blade sank half a meter deep.
"Rrraaaagh!!"
With a furious roar, the remaining electro crystals on its back exploded. Even though Victor Wang reacted swiftly, the shockwave still sent him flying.
The explosion tore open its back, exposing purple flesh and bone. The Lawachurl's aura faltered, yet its monstrous vitality drove it forward again, lunging toward Victor Wang just as he recovered his stance. But its wound was too deep—Victor rolled aside, then drove his sword into the weak spot from behind. With a loud bang, the Thunderhelm Lawachurl dissolved into a talisman.
"Samurai back then really lived dangerously… If Shiki Taishou were here, using the power of the talismans, this would've been easier."
After realizing that the Mystic Onmyou Chamber had lost its purpose, Kamuna Harunosuke had left. Shiki Taishou had waited for him—at least four hundred years—before falling into slumber.
That slumber had lasted too long, and the domain's reappearance in the world was too brief. Shiki Taishou hadn't awakened yet, left outside by Victor Wang. Now no one could control the mechanisms here, nor call upon power of the talismans.
"At least I've still got my elemental powers when things get rough."
Victor Wang brushed the dust off his cloak and headed toward the next chamber. Before he could even begin the next challenge, the door across from him suddenly opened.
"…?"
"…!"
Oh no, oh no, oh no. After the Tenryou Commission's arrival, Hanachirusato had been summoned back to the Grand Narukami Shrine by Yae Miko. Lumine and Xinyan hadn't arrived yet. Right, I thought with Lumine around, I wouldn't have to worry about Childe trying anything—but she's supposed to show up later. Of all times, it had to be now…
"So, you're the one they call Fox Mask?" Tartaglia rolled his neck and flexed his wrists, eyes shining with excitement—like a hunter spotting prey. "Didn't expect to run into you here!"
"And you are…?"
"Don't play dumb. You wrote this letter, didn't you?"
A perfectly ordinary sheet of paper flew from Tartaglia's hand like a dart straight at Victor Wang.
"What… do you mean?" Victor Wang asked innocently.
The moment he saw the first word, he recognized it—the letter he'd written back in Liyue, warning Childe to rescue the Ninth Battalion. But how had it been exposed?
"I recognized your handwriting!"
Handwriting?
Victor Wang frowned. I've barely used my left hand, right?
Ah. That letter he'd given Kujou Masahito… Tch, careless. That letter must've been taken back by Kujou Takayuki and passed on to The Fair Lady, who in turn gave it to Childe to clean up the mess. Should've just cut words out of a newspaper and pasted them together!
"Heh… heh-heh." He sighed. "Alright, you got me. I wrote it. So, what now? I helped you people, and now you're here to kill me?"
"Kill you? I heard you blocked three strikes of the Musou no Hitotachi. With that kind of power, you're scared to fight me? Don't worry, for the Ninth Battalion's sake, I won't go for the kill."
"Fight…" So, it's just Childe after me—not the entire Fatui. That realization eased Victor Wang's nerves considerably.
"You look relieved. Don't tell me you're underestimating me?"
"Eleventh of the Fatui Harbingers—'Childe'? Who'd dare underestimate that?"
Victor Wang's mind raced, searching for a way out.
Childe himself had once said, "The Harbinger ranks are based on strength." He was Eleventh, The Fair Lady was Eighth, and Scaramouche Sixth.
Although it has been said that 'Childe grows stronger with every second,' and even had energy to spare after using his Delusion's power to block the Musou no Hitotachi—a strike that defeated the Fair Lady in her weakened state—then intercepting his full-powered attack... might be something worth attempting.
The real issue was that Victor could only use that level of power once every five minutes, twice per battle at best. Meanwhile, his opponent could sustain that level of strength continuously.
A normal fight would mean certain defeat.
"…How about this? You and I go all out—one blow decides it." Facing the battle-hungry Childe, Victor Wang made his proposal again. Unlike Kujou Sara, a true warrior didn't fuss over weapons or methods.
"One strike, all or nothing? Sounds fun. But that means I can't hold back—someone might die."
Childe trusted his instincts as a warrior. In just this brief conversation, he'd sensed Victor's presence—or rather, confidence—surge twice.
If it came down to one decisive blow, neither of them could pull punches. Yet Victor seemed more confident under those terms. What did that mean…?
But how could he refuse?!
"Oh, right," Victor Wang suddenly said, just as the air grew thick with tension. "You came here on some kind of mission too, didn't you?"
Childe's smile froze.
That Gnosis—the one Scaramouche had taken—was of utmost importance to the Tsaritsa. She'd poured Snezhnaya's strength into retrieving it. Every Harbinger was circling around it, ready to face Scaramouche if necessary.
And the man before him was confident he could win in a one-blow match, had blocked the Shogun's Musou no Hitotachi thrice in front of Inazuma itself. Even if Childe was sure he wouldn't die, he still had to save his strength to face Scaramouche—failing his mission wasn't an option.
"Tch! Fine, then we'll fight another way."
This time, it was Victor Wang's turn to be surprised.
Huh? Wait, that's not right. Isn't this where we call it off? Why does it sound like he's making it worse?
For Childe, rejecting a duel was against his warrior's creed. But a one-strike match risked his mission—he couldn't agree to that.
For Victor Wang, the one-strike duel was the only chance he had to win. He didn't even want to fight at all. And now Childe wanted to change the format—if it turned into rock-paper-scissors, would he even agree?
The air grew tense.
Both waited for the other to propose the next form of duel.
Creak.
Lumine, Xinyan, Paimon, and Shiki Taishou pushed open the side door and entered.
"There are people inside the domain? Normally no one would dare enter a place like this…"
"Victor? And… Childe?!"
"Childe! What are you doing here? Don't tell me—this domain is another one of your schemes!"
"That masked guy—he came to one of my concerts! And that other one's 'Chil—de'? People actually call themselves that?"
Victor Wang finally relaxed. "How about this—we see who can take down more monsters in this domain?"