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On their second time in the Mystic Onmyou Chamber, Lumine makes a decision. When Xinyan and Paimon go through the portal, she grabs onto the end of Childe’s scarf. He pulls up short and turns to look at her with a curious "hm?".
Lumine stares at him until a sheepish look of realisation dawns on his face.
“Okay, alright, you got me,” he admits. “I didn’t go through the portal the last time.”
“I knew it!”
“Hey, think of it this way,” Childe begins, “what if the only reason you were able to come back was that one of us had stayed back inside? In that case, am I not the most fitting candidate for the task?”
Lumine rolls her eyes. “You and I both know that’s a flimsy excuse. You stayed back because you wanted to.”
Childe laughs, raising his palms in a gesture of surrender. “I’ve made no secret of that fact. You are no stranger to my passion for combat, Lumine.”
“However, the portal is gonna disappear soon if you don’t rush,” he says, nodding his head at the glowing blue vortex. “See you in a few days, comrade.”
“I’m staying back too.”
“Oho! Could it be that you were just a little bit worried about me after all? I’m flattered,” he grins, and Lumine resists the urge to smack him.
“Not in the least,” she replies, “but someone needs to keep an eye on you. Don’t think I believed that bullshit lie of you ending up here on a ‘coincidence’. You’re up to something.”
“Aw, no faith in my words? You wound me.”
“Poor you, how will you ever recover from this,” Lumine says in a deadpan tone, making him throw his head back in laughter.
“Ah, I always forget how interesting you can be,” he says, wiping away tears of laughter from his eyes. “Really, I missed seeing your annoyed little face.”
“Keep that up and it’ll be the last thing you’ll ever see,” Lumine mutters, letting go of his scarf.
The portal pulses with a blue light.
“Last chance, Lumine. After this you’ll have to tolerate this for three whole days until they get back again.”
Lumine raises an eyebrow at him. “Really eager to get rid of me, aren’t you?”
“Quite the contrary,” Childe smiles, watching the portal fade away, leaving them alone in the maze. “I’m positively delighted to have you here. If fighting you was so satisfying, I can only imagine how exhilarating fighting next to you is going to be.”
Lumine lets her sword materialise in her grip, and watches Childe’s eyes almost gleam with anticipation as he looks at the sharp blade in her hands.
“My eyes are up here,” she jokes, doing a lazy flip of the sword. Yes, she’s showing off, sue her. She has grown a lot stronger since she last met the Harbinger.
“Oh, believe me, you have my attention,” he grins, summoning his own bow with a flick of his palm.
The room around them starts rumbling as the maze rearranges itself. A door opens on the other side of the room, and a group of hillichurls and abyss mages pour in.
Lumine tightens her grip on her sword, and feels Childe automatically step into place beside her, notching an arrow on his bow.
“Wanna bet on who can take down more monsters in this room?” he asks, aiming at the Mitachurl preparing to charge at them.
Lumine channels Electro energy into her sword.
“Try to keep up,” she says, before charging into battle.
She doesn’t need to turn around to hear Childe’s delighted laugh.