"Good sword skills, but not enough. This isn't enough to make me serious," Durandal said, looking at Diluc, whom she had defeated, and dispelling the great scythe in her hand, inside the training room of Dawn Winery.
A Claymore, she had seen such weapons on swordsmen corrupted by the Ghost Hand, but those swordsmen were different from Diluc. Diluc needed both hands to skillfully use sword techniques, but that group of sword fanatics could lift a greatsword with one hand and wield it as if it were part of their body.
However, that was for swordsmen from another continent. Diluc's strength was much greater than that of the Vision wielders Durandal knew, but he was still too far from being able to spar with Durandal.
"...I lost."
Diluc looked at his broken greatsword. This outcome was already within his expectations; he just hadn't expected Durandal to be so powerful.
"I've met your request. Can I see those materials now? To be honest, I don't like being in crowded places, nor do I like being stared at."
Durandal looked at the butler hiding in the shadows, secretly observing her, and said to Diluc with a displeased expression.
"Someone will take you to the library in a moment. I think they've already prepared the relevant books."
Diluc patted the dust off his clothes, resuming his initial calm expression, as if he hadn't just been beaten to the ground by Durandal.
He had originally wanted to see Durandal's strength and the gap between himself and her, but he hadn't expected Durandal to defeat him so easily, as if she were just playing.
He had used his full power later on, even his elemental burst, but it still couldn't make Durandal take him even slightly seriously.
Hearing that Diluc had prepared what she wanted, Durandal didn't linger and turned to walk towards the library.
Diluc watched Durandal's retreating back until the butler handed him a towel before he looked away.
The God of Poison—Durandal. The intelligence he had received from the Knights of Favonius was indeed correct. After his repeated confirmation, he could be certain that this God was a benevolent God, just as recorded.
However, this kindness was not directed at everyone. She also had people she wanted to protect, and if those she protected were harmed, she could take the lives of others without hesitation.
Should it be called fortunate or unfortunate? He hadn't expected such a formidable existence to be hidden in Mondstadt. It seemed that even if Mondstadt and Snezhnaya became hostile, and the Fatui threatened Mondstadt City with a national-level battle, Mondstadt City would have nothing to worry about.
What if Grand Master Varka wasn't in Mondstadt? What if Barbatos, the Anemo God, never appeared? There was still a God here, and the most terrifying God of Poison at that.
If Durandal were provoked, it wouldn't just be one person who would suffer. The Fatui at the Goethe Grand Hotel, who were about to suffer, were just a microcosm. If she went to Snezhnaya to spread a Virus, Snezhnaya would be annihilated in the shortest possible time.
What if Snezhnaya's overall strength was relatively strong? What if it had the protection of the Cryo Archon? The Cryo Archon couldn't do everything.
Diluc, who had intended to wash up, saw the bar counter where Durandal had just been served. Remembering Durandal's comment about the bad-tasting wine, he stroked his chin.
"Should I specially concoct a wine she likes?"
It would be quite good if he could satisfy Durandal here. He couldn't just serve her Milk every time she came, could he?
Dawn Winery was the best place for winemaking, yet they had to serve Milk to guests. If this news got out, it would definitely be a laughingstock.
Don't think Diluc had no solution. Durandal's taste was simply like that of a Children. As long as he understood her preferred flavors, it would be no trouble at all to concoct a wine she liked.
Not to mention that fruits like Apple could also be made into wine, even dandelions could, and they were warmly welcomed after their appearance. From this, one could see Dawn Winery's ability to develop new products.
To satisfy this God's taste, Diluc prepared to go into seclusion. If he succeeded in researching it, future cooperation with Durandal could also be smoother.
Thus, time passed unknowingly.
During this time, Venti's script was slowly unfolding. He had already reached a consensus with Jean and Dvalin. When Lumine returned to Mondstadt City after completing the adventurer's guild commission, Dvalin suddenly "attacked" Mondstadt City. Then, Venti secretly used the power of wind to sweep Lumine into the air, guiding her to "fight" Dvalin, allowing the residents of Mondstadt City to witness Lumine's heroic figure repelling Dvalin.
Everything progressed very smoothly. Lumine successfully became the hero who repelled the Dragon, accepted the summons from the Knights of Favonius, and became an honorary knight.
While Lumine was experiencing these events, Durandal was also not idle. Based on the information provided by Diluc, she developed a new type of Virus specifically targeting the Fatui.
This new Virus initially didn't attract attention because it had no symptoms at all. The Fatui continued to do what they usually did, and nothing seemed to happen.
As time progressed, they began to cough, feel dizzy, develop fevers, and experience various physiological problems.
These were nothing; they could be controlled with good rest. But what most alarmed the Fatui was that once they used their power, their symptoms would become even more severe.
Although they relied on technology to fight enemies, they couldn't escape the fact that they were becoming increasingly weak.
Even The Lady, a Harbinger, was the same. Although her condition was slightly better, it was due to her strong willpower.
At this point, the Fatui realized that the person who had targeted them last time had struck again, and this time it wasn't a problem that could be solved by just having diarrhea. This time, she had delivered a harsh blow.
In just a few days, the Fatui who usually acted in the shadows were all incapacitated, only able to hide in the Goethe Grand Hotel, lying in bed and constantly coughing.
Not only the Fatui in the Goethe Grand Hotel, but also those who had established outposts outside Mondstadt City were infected because they had come into contact before the symptoms appeared.
Ultimately, almost all the Fatui stationed in Mondstadt City were infected with the Virus, coughing uncontrollably every few minutes. Some severe cases couldn't even speak.
Because of the severe coughing, some merchants were unwilling to sell them anything, and even unwilling to let them approach, fearing that the other party would transmit the illness to them.
This behavior caused some Fatui members to harbor resentment. Since they weren't doing well, these Mondstadters shouldn't think they were safe.
They had done many bad things, including secretly poisoning. Although they were unclear how they contracted this Virus, their Harbinger, The Doctor, had taught them how viruses spread, so it went very smoothly.
Just as they were preparing to watch the show, they found that the Mondstadters were still as lively as before, with no signs of illness whatsoever.
This is impossible! This is absolutely impossible! Why is this happening? Is this a Virus that only targets us Fatui? Who exactly is the person who poisoned us?
When the Fatui were in trouble, where were their Harbingers?
The Agent who had found Durandal previously had already reported Durandal's information to The Lady when he went to apprehend her.
It was initially thought that the Agent would soon be captured by Durandal, but after so many days, there was still no news of the Agent.
Without even thinking, it was clear that the Agent had been dealt with by Durandal. The Lady showed no fluctuation of emotion over the Agent's death, simply realizing through this incident that Durandal was very likely a Vision wielder.
If that were all, The Lady would not have paid any attention to Durandal; a mere Vision wielder was not enough to threaten her.
She had her own pride, and besides, Snezhnaya's reputation was thunderous; she believed no one would dare to oppose Snezhnaya for any reason.
Since the Agent couldn't handle Durandal, The Lady decided to act personally. Through the Fatui, she tracked down Durandal and, bringing her still-mobile subordinates, found Durandal in the wilderness.
Facing the numerous Fatui vanguard troops before her, Durandal showed no change in expression. She gazed indifferently at The Lady, meeting her murderous stare.
"Is that you? How dare you oppose the Fatui? Do you wish to become an enemy of Snezhnaya?"
Using power to intimidate was a tactic the Fatui excelled at, but The Lady disdained such words. After all, she possessed formidable strength herself; even without invoking Snezhnaya, her name alone was enough to overwhelm others.
But Durandal was clearly no ordinary person, so she simply brought out her backing.
Durandal remained unmoved, even leisurely putting away the items she had just collected. This action caused The Lady to frown.
"I am the Eighth of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers. There are ten more like me. Do you think you have the ability to oppose us?"
The Fatui present, upon hearing The Lady's words, already imagined Durandal being terrified. They knew that the reason the Fatui could be so overbearing in diplomacy was due to their powerful diplomatic strength.
Even nations were wary of this power, let alone individuals.
"There are ten more people like you? Are you saying... there are ten more people as weak as you?"
Durandal spoke carelessly. These words felt like a harsh slap across The Lady's face, causing The Lady's expression to darken significantly.
No one had ever dared to give such an assessment. The Fatui Harbingers were weak? How arrogant must she be to utter such words?
Just as The Lady was about to say something more, she heard the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground.
Her gaze fell upon a Fatui member collapsed on the ground. The Lady frowned at the sight. Before she could speak, one Fatui member after another fell to the ground, wailing.
"It's the first time."
Durandal seemed to recall something and couldn't help but laugh aloud: "Since my birth, it's the first time someone has blocked my path. In the past, everyone who saw me wished they could stay as far away as possible. Being blocked and troubled like this is truly a first."
This feeling was much like when a man who could run at lightning speed was robbed for the first time. Durandal was somewhat... happy?
To be honest, this situation was really interesting, but it also depended on the context. For example, if you were buying something at a convenience store and a primary school student provoked you, saying they would hit you, your feeling wouldn't be good.
Ahem! Ahem! Back to the main topic, only The Lady and Durandal were still standing. At this moment, Durandal also released her hidden aura.
At the same time, she also released the plague she had always concealed—a Plague Aura containing millions of deadly Viruses. Just one breath was enough to Melt a person's body, turning them into a puddle of corrosive liquid.
A God! The Lady instantly understood Durandal's identity. This gorgeously dressed Damselette before her was not a Vision wielder at all; she was a God! And a God with extremely terrifying clearance!
"Now... let's continue our conversation, Fatui Harbinger."
Durandal extended her right hand, and a great scythe appeared in her grasp.
"You ask if I have the ability to oppose you? I have a question: does your Snezhnaya truly wish to make an enemy of me?"