"It seems this isn't your first time opposing us Fatui." The Mirror Maiden opposite Ember heard his words and immediately realized that these two were likely repeat offenders.
"Too many to count." Ember waved his hand, then swaggered with Shikanoin Heizou into the even gloomier secret chamber.
The secret chamber beyond the gate had no light source, only faint purple light creeping and crawling on the ground, emitting an almost imperceptible glow.
"Then you should know how formidable our Harbingers are. Leave now, and I can pretend nothing happened." The Mirror Maiden couldn't help but retreat a few steps as she saw Ember and Shikanoin Heizou approaching.
She had practically smashed the alarm bell behind her, yet no reinforcements arrived.
There was only one reason for this situation—all the guards of this Evil Eye Factory, except for her, had been dealt with by these two.
Although she couldn't believe such powerful beings existed in Inazuma, the Mirror Maiden couldn't think too much now. She only hoped to scare these two away with the name of a Harbinger.
"Harbinger?" Ember pondered for a moment, then said, "Your Harbingers are indeed quite resilient, but besides that, they don't seem to be particularly formidable, do they?"
"Could it be that there's someone stronger in here?"
As Ember spoke, he looked around. In such an important place, it wasn't impossible for a Harbinger to be stationed. In that case, it would be fun.
"Uh…" Ember's single sentence stumped the Mirror Maiden. If not for most of her face being covered by her mask, her embarrassment and panic would likely have been exposed.
"Precisely, a Harbinger is on their way. By then, you will only have a dead end!"
The Mirror Maiden's words weren't wrong; there should have been a Harbinger stationed here, but it seemed a small accident had occurred.
The Sixth Seat had not arrived, and the control of the Evil Eye Factory, which should have been overseen by a Harbinger, was still in her hands as a Hall Supervisor.
"So, he hasn't arrived yet?" Shikanoin Heizou breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to face a character like a Harbinger.
"Even if he comes, it's useless. Xiao Lu, hit her!"
"Understood!"
Shikanoin Heizou didn't hesitate. He strode forward and delivered a direct punch to the Mirror Maiden's face, showing no mercy.
Unfortunately, Shikanoin Heizou was too short, and the Mirror Maiden's height, as if she had eaten hormones, meant the punch could only land on her prominent chest.
It was clearly a vicious straight punch, but it looked like a lecherous hand.
The fist, covered in Anemo element, viciously struck the Mirror Maiden's upper body. However, the sensation in Shikanoin Heizou's hand was not the softness of flesh, but extreme hardness.
It was like hitting a piece of glass.
"Crack!"
Then, the Mirror Maiden in front of him truly shattered into fragments like glass, causing Shikanoin Heizou to freeze.
"Kid, you fell for an illusion." A familiar voice sounded beside Shikanoin Heizou's ear. When he came to his senses, what Mirror Maiden was there in front of him?
He had just been randomly attacking an empty space.
"Sure enough, you've fought other Maidens." The Mirror Maiden saw Ember easily awaken Shikanoin Heizou from the illusion. Her gaze towards Ember became even more serious.
Illusions are most effective when they are unexpected; if the enemy knows about them in advance, their effect will plummet.
"And it was a one-shot kill." Ember smiled at the Mirror Maiden, then rubbed his wrist and said, "Should I come, or will you surrender yourself?"
The Mirror Maiden smiled charmingly upon hearing this. "One-shot kill? It seems you haven't seen this move before."
"Ember, stop her!"
Seeing that the Mirror Maiden was clearly about to unleash a big move, Shikanoin Heizou immediately rushed to stop her.
"No hurry. I want to see what other moves the Mirror Maiden hasn't used yet. If they only know illusions, then they're too useless."
Ember stopped Shikanoin Heizou and watched with interest. He had only seen Mirror Maidens among the Fatui in Inazuma.
The Fatui in Mondstadt and Liyue didn't have this type of soldier, which made Ember very curious about how they differed from other Fatui.
"How arrogant! You will regret this!" The Mirror Maiden in the distance saw Ember's nonchalant actions and loudly reprimanded him.
It seemed she was very displeased with Ember's underestimation of her.
"Sister, instead of wasting time with threats, you should hurry up and unleash your ultimate move."
Ember yawned and said to the Mirror Maiden.
"Very well, if that's the case, then take this!"
"Hydro Mirror Art, I'm running!"
"???"
The Mirror Maiden raised both hands, and with the flashing of her Delusion, a diamond-shaped hydro mirror appeared behind her.
Without any hesitation, the Mirror Maiden took a step back and completely disappeared into the hydro mirror behind her.
Faint ripples spread across the hydro mirror. The Mirror Maiden was like a falling stone plunging into the deep sea; besides the surface ripples, no trace of her could be found.
"Hmph! Trying to escape?"
Two long greatswords appeared in Ember's hands, and his armor had, at some point, turned silver-white.
The helmet he wore was no longer a plain knight's helmet, but a Banished Knight's Helmet engraved with a small flying dragon.
His breastplate, naturally, was also a Banished Knight's Breastplate embroidered with storms and eagle claws.
"Sol Castle Secret Technique, Lightning Whirlwind Slash!"
With that, Ember's figure seemed to be erased by something, completely vanishing into the secret chamber.
"Light… Lightning Whirlwind Slash?" Shikanoin Heizou rubbed his eyes. He didn't see lightning or a whirlwind, but he clearly saw the two red glows from the helmet's visor.
Thinking of the two red glows from Ember's helmet just now, Shikanoin Heizou couldn't help but shiver. Under that light, he felt that nothing could hide.
Sure enough, a moment later, the Mirror Maiden's screams echoed through the space.
"Stop hitting me, stop hitting me."
"Don't hit my face!"
"Help me!"
..."Thump!"
After a series of screams, the vanished hydro mirror reappeared. It wobbled a few times as if vomiting, then spat out the Mirror Maiden.
However, whether the current Mirror Maiden could still be called a "Maiden" was questionable.
Are there Maidens whose heads are swollen like a pig's?
"Whoosh—"
The sound of a longsword being sheathed echoed. Ember, imitating the Banished Knights, sheathed the two greatswords in his hands into the two long scabbards at his waist.
Combined with his silver-white armor, an invisible pressure assailed them.
So-called Banished Knights are those who, though exiled from their homeland, are still granted the title of "Knight."
The oppressive feeling of their armor is not low for ordinary people.
"Clack!" The longsword was fully sheathed, and the blade vanished. Banished Knight Ember went offline, and Lesser Knight Ember came online.
Yes, the armor Ember often wore was Lesser Knight armor; he had just worn it for so long that he was used to it.
"Clap, clap, clap!" As soon as he sheathed his greatswords, Ember started clapping.
"Very good, very good. If I hadn't specifically studied in Sol Castle for a period, I'm afraid you really would have escaped."
The Banished Knights of Sol Castle, once they see an enemy, no matter how far away, they can instantly teleport behind them.
Possessing such a terrifying move, after giving Sol Castle a good beating, Ember naturally followed and studied for a while.
"Wuwuwu…"
The Mirror Maiden lay on the ground, trying to say something, but only managed a few whimpers.
Perhaps it was because Ember had slapped her face a few times with his sword. Anyway, Ember, like Shikanoin Heizou, never showed mercy.
"Sister, you should rest for a while." Ember ran to the Mirror Maiden's side and squatted down.
"Next, I ask, you…"
"Forget it, next, whatever I tell you to do, you do it, understand?!"
"Mhm mhm mhm!"
The Mirror Maiden immediately nodded.
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