Work Text:
Guilty .
The verdict rang through the otherwise-silent courtroom. Lumine could see Childe’s face go pale from where she was sitting. “Impossible,” she murmured. “It was proven that he had nothing to do with the disappearing girls.”
“You’d think so, wouldn’t you,” Paimon said dryly, folding her arms. “Bet he’s guilty for a bunch of other stuff though!”
Lumine barely heard her. Her eyes were on Childe as he leapt down from his seat and dusted his hands off. “What a joke,” he scoffed. He dug in his pocket and held up what looked like his Vision, but Lumine’s breath caught as she saw the glimmer of his Electro Delusion catch the light of the Opera House.
“He can’t,” she muttered, her fingers closing around Childe’s Hydro Vision in her pocket. She prepared to throw it to him, but she was too late.
Paimon gasped as purple light shot out from Childe’s Delusion, making Lumine’s hair stand on end. Lumine swore as she drew her sword from its Abyssal pocket, fully prepared to battle against the Harbinger again.
Furina peered over from her spot in the balcony, clearly horrified but trying to hold it together for the sake of her citizens. “All part of the show, of course!” she declared. Lumine detected a slight waver in her voice, and she gritted her teeth.
As Childe donned his mask, Lumine stood and raced towards him. She flashed back to Liyue, when Childe had rescued her from arrest.
It was time she returned the favor.
She summoned Hydro in her palm, bracing herself against the rush of Electro energy, and threw it around herself in a shield as she charged forward. She could almost laugh at the irony—using a Hydro shield just like the one Childe used when she fought him for the first time. She was, admittedly, afraid; Childe was powerful, but she had already defeated him once before.
She knew she could do it again.
With a cry, tears streaming from her eyes from the relentless onslaught of Electro, she extended the Hydro shield over Childe’s head, containing them both inside.
At least, that’s what she meant to do.
Before she could contain herself and Childe in the shield, she was slammed harshly from behind and thrown facedown to the floor, losing concentration over her shield. Over the crackling of Electro, she heard heavy footsteps, and she turned her head. Neuvillette .
“Wait,” she gasped out, struggling to regain her breath. “Wait!”
She pushed herself up onto her feet, swaying slightly, and prepared to run towards the two. She didn’t doubt that Neuvillette was powerful, but she knew that he intended to kill Childe. She had to stop him.
To her relief, the Electro energy cleared, but she was horrified by the scene she bore witness to. Childe had the tip of his spear pressed full force against Neuvillette’s own Hydro shield; neither of them seemed to be yielding any ground. Childe’s arms shook with exhaustion from how much force he exerted, yet Neuvillette just stood calmly behind his shield.
The Chief Justice folded his arms. “I commend your bravery, Tartaglia. Yet you attacked me in front of thirty witnesses and Lady Furina. Perhaps we should add ‘resisting arrest’ to your list of ever-growing crimes?”
Lumine tensed, unsure of whether she should support the Harbinger in the fight or not. But Childe merely grinned. “Say what you want, Monsieur Neuvillette, but you know the Oratrice delivered a false verdict.”
Neuvillette sighed. “I am aware.” He swept his arm across his chest in a fluid motion, causing his shield to push Childe back and onto the ground. He grunted as his back slammed into the floor, his spear clattering beside him.
Lumine’s sword was already in her hand when she leapt between the combatants, intercepting Neuvillette’s next strike towards the defenseless Harbinger. The Chief Justice’s eyes widened, and he reshaped the Hydro in his palm to a solidified sword, blocking Lumine’s blade. Up close, he was even more intimidating.
Neuvillette lowered his arm slowly, letting his Hydro sword hover in the air of its own volition. Sensing a stalemate, Lumine lowered her sword as well but didn’t break eye contact. “Let him go,” she said, forcing her voice not to tremble.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” he said. “He may not be guilty of the disappearing girls, but clearly the Oratrice sensed some wrongdoing in him.”
“Please,” Lumine pleaded. “I trust him. He’ll stay with me.”
“Traveler,” Childe coughed out from the floor, having given up the Delusion’s power. Lumine whipped her head around. “Don’t bother. I want to spar with Clorinde, remember?”
“But you shouldn’t have to,” Lumine spat, feeling a wave of indignation rise through her. She turned back to Neuvillette. “Your Honor. He’s not. Guilty .”
Her vicious tone seemed to take him aback. “I cannot ignore the court proceedings, Miss.” He lowered his voice. “You have also just arrived in our nation. Who’s to say you’re not in cahoots with him?”
“I’m not.” Lumine put her sword away and spread her hands. “All I’m saying is that his name was already cleared. There’s no point to keeping him in custody. He has a job to do, just like you, Your Honor.”
Silence greeted her words, and for a split second she was terrified she’d said something wrong. Then Neuvillette said, “Very well. You make a good point.”
Lumine let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding and sank to her knees. “Thank you, Your Honor. I won’t let you down.”
Neuvillette nodded infinitesimally. “Of course. Perhaps this will be your first true test in the land of justice.” To the Gardemeks stationed along the wall who were too terrified to get involved, he said, “See to it that Tartaglia is escorted safely out of the Opera House.”
“Yes sir,” the Gardemeks said in unison, and Lumine shivered at the roboticness of their voices.
“I’m fine,” Childe protested.
Enthusiastic clapping came from the balcony seat where Furina was seated. “Bravo, bravo!” she called down. “What a fantastic villain you are, Tartaglia! And my Chief Justice—the formidable amount of power you displayed is worthy of a standing ovation! And of course, the Traveler…without whom this performance would have never occurred! Bravo, again, all of you!”
Her announcement was clearly what the audience was waiting for, though the applause was heavily reluctant.
“Be careful,” Neuvillette said into Lumine’s ear as the Gardemeks approached. “Your desire to save everyone will get you in trouble some day. You do not want to make an enemy of Lady Furina—or me .”
Lumine was about to say that she had already been a criminal in four other nations, but then she decided against it. “I appreciate the heads-up,” she said tightly. She held out a hand to help Childe up, and he took it gratefully.
“You really shouldn’t have, comrade,” the Harbinger said, dusting off his clothes. “I could have gotten out of there just fine.”
Lumine snorted. “And risk dying in jail? Not a chance.”
Paimon flew over to the two in a frenzy. “What the heck was that, Childe?! You worried Paimon half to death!”
Childe rubbed his hand on the back of his neck, a nervous habit. “Wasn’t my fault my Vision was acting up. I had to at least try fighting with my Delusion.”
“Maybe that’s what the Oratrice sensed in you,” Lumine suggested. “Some kind of power impurity from your Delusion use.”
Childe shrugged. “Maybe, but I don’t know much about that kind of stuff.”
Lumine frowned. Interesting .
“Uhh…guys? I think the Gardemeks are waiting for us,” Paimon pointed out.
Childe and Lumine looked in unison towards the doors of the Opera House, where three Gardemeks were looking in their direction.
“Ah, right.” Childe strode towards the doors. “Traveler, you’ll come with me, right?”
“Well, someone needs to defend you against people who haven’t heard the news yet.” Lumine rushed to catch up with him. “And, maybe, from Paimon as well.”
“Hmph!” Paimon folded her arms. “You’ve got that right! It’s time for some Paimonial Wrath, mister!”
“Now hold on!” Childe protested, ducking away.
Lumine couldn’t help laughing, and the three of them exited the Opera House together.