Note: This is a work of fiction. Although this is based on Genshin Impact lore, not all details may be canon.
Discord User: Soulcin#0001
The Aquiline and the Cetacean
"Look after Dawn Winery diligently."
"I will, Master Diluc. Please be careful."
Diluc set off, journeying to the Stone Gate, where he had heard reports of Fatui activity. Several groups of hilichurls were being demolished by a single Fatui member, and while that would normally be seen as beneficial, the unruly battles were disruptive to the people who lived nearby. Merchants and any others who traversed nearby were at risk of being caught up in the fight and becoming collateral damage.
Diluc had just passed the lotus heads growing in the river separating Liyue from Mondstadt when he heard a commotion ahead of him. Upon arriving at the bridge where many merchants stopped for a short break with Pop's tea, he saw three large mitachurls falling to the ground in defeat. Standing above them was a tall, slender man with maple-colored hair and a crimson red mask on the side of his head. As someone who had studied all eleven Harbingers vehemently, Diluc recognized him instantly: Tartaglia, the eleventh of the Fatui Harbingers. Despite being the youngest in the group, his battle skills were not to be taken lightly.
"I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to stop," Diluc declared. "You're destroying the bridge and causing the people trouble."
Tartaglia dusted off his bow and glanced at him.
"It's just a couple of broken stands," he responded. "If you ask me, the joy of battle is worth much more-" he paused suddenly. "Wait, I know you. You're Diluc Ragnvindr."
Diluc steadily gripped his Favonius Greatsword and narrowed his gaze.
"You're the one who's been causing us a lot of trouble recently," Tartaglia continued. "What was it again? You want revenge for your father's death after he misused a Delusion?"
"So you know what happened," Diluc said. "Tell me. Now. Who gave him a Delusion?"
Tartaglia drew out his Rust bow and smirked.
"Oh I'll tell you. If you can beat me, that is."
He suddenly lunged at Diluc, firing several hydro arrows before dashing away. Diluc parried his hit-and-run tactics as the arrows bounced off his claymore.
"I'm just getting started," Tartaglia said as he split his bow into hydro-infused dual blades and clashed with the claymore. Diluc lit his weapon ablaze with fire and forced Tartaglia to jump back, the skin of his forearms just barely singed from the heat. Diluc followed with three more pyro-infused swings, refusing to give Tartaglia time to catch a breath.
"You're pretty tough after all," Tartaglia muttered. He connected his two swords together into one long blade, and with a sharp turn, unleashed a powerful slash. Diluc managed to block the worst of it with his weapon, but the long range of water slashed through some of the fabric on his clothes and cut into his skin. He jumped back and charged his greatsword with fire again. Tartaglia reverted back to using his bow and aimed at the sky above them. With a great burst of energy, he summoned a giant whale from the body of water behind him. Just as it soared in the air, Diluc's greatsword glowed brightly and he swung, unleashing a phoenix that crashed against the whale. There was a large explosion as the two collided, bursting into a shower of hot water that burned them both.
"Ngh…" Tartaglia slowly removed the mask from the side of his head. "You want to know why your father decided to use a Delusion? Let me show you how powerful a real Delusion actually is." He slipped on the mask, and the purple orb in the center began to glow.
A second vision? An electro one? Diluc thought, watching him transform into something that almost resembled a monster. No, that's… an electro Delusion!
"A Delusion is a special power granted only by the Tsaritsa herself," Tartaglia explained. "I don't know how your father managed to get his hands on one, but there's no way he would ever be chosen. It's no wonder it backfired when he tried to use it. But as for me…"
The newly emerged Tartaglia dished out several electro attacks. Several blades appeared and began circling around him, forcing Diluc to concentrate on multiple enemies at once. He was able to parry most of the attacks with his own pyro ones, and the resulting explosions forced Tartaglia to keep his distance. But because Diluc was a close-ranged fighter, there was almost nothing he could do except block the incoming attacks. With what remained of his strength, he summoned another phoenix. He circled around and caught all of the electro blades around him before finally hurling it towards Tartaglia. Diluc collapsed to the ground, exhausted, as the elements of pyro, hydro and electro collided into an explosion almost larger than the last, knocking Tartaglia out of his Delusion form.
"You're… not bad at all…" came Tartaglia's voice. As the smoke cleared, Diluc saw him dragging himself towards where he was laying. He was badly wounded, with several burn marks over his body and his clothes ruined and torn.
I can't let things end here… Diluc thought, but he couldn't bring himself to get up. Not when I'm so close to finding out the truth…
As he struggled on the ground, he saw another figure hurrying towards them in the back. It was a Fatui underling
"Sir!" he exclaimed as he rushed to Tartaglia's side. "I heard fighting and thought you might be-" Seeing Diluc, the Fatui member quickly drew a dagger and pointed it at him.
"No, don't," Tartaglia ordered. The man hesitantly put away his blade and offered his shoulder to Tartaglia, who was struggling to stand.
"That was fun," Tartaglia told Diluc with a smile. "When you're stronger… let's fight again." He turned and began to limp away with the help of the Fatui member, who gave Diluc one last glare before walking away.
No… don't run away… he lost the strength to speak, and fell unconscious.