Tick tock

The time was ticking. Their little game was about to reach its end but there was no victor yet. It was now a '1 vs 1' battle between a yaksha and an archon. Perhaps you thought the archon will win, he was a god after all. But, please do remember that they couldn't unleash their true power. They could only rely on their physical strength, making it quite a fair fight.

"It was only us now, apparently," Xiao said, revealing the obvious.

Xiao had fought in many battles. He had so many experiences. But he was still tense and on edge. I mean, how could he not? To others, Zhongli was just a mere mortal but Xiao knew the truth.

"It's better if you surrender, Xiao" Zhongli advised him. His tone was gentle but it sent shivers down to his spine.

"That is not an option."

Without further ado, Zhongli went straight to him with one of his hands reaching out to his body. Xiao immediately tried to dodge. If he was late only for one second, it would've been game over for him.

Xiao went to left, right, and even to the back by bending down his body. He was very lucky that he was flexible enough for this.

Zhongli decided to step up his game. He used his feet multiple times to make Xiao lose his balance and fall down. This tactic did cause Xiao to be troubled but not enough to make him lose.

Meanwhile, the girls who got caught by the hunter were sitting in front of a Statue of the Seven. They were watching the entire scene, their eyes following their every move.

"Who do you think will win?" Hu Tao asked. Her words were pointed to the female adepti besides her but her eyes didn't look at her at all.

"Maybe Xiao, you?"

"Zhongli of course! I'm sure he won't let me down," Hu Tao then stood up and called out to her consultant. "Zhongli! If you win, I'll give you extra payment!"

Ganyu looked at her confusedly. She was wondering if she forgot that Zhongli is their enemy.

"Did you hear that? Please let me win."

"What the-"

Before Xiao had the chance to tell him how pathetic he sounds, Zhongli made him slip down using his feet. Xiao, who was realizing that he was on the verge of losing, put both of his hands in front of him. Technically, that act won't save him. It was simply his reflex.

"Time's up!"

That sudden announcement managed to make Zhongli lose his balance a bit. His focus was broken.

Xiao slowly let down his hands and took a deep breath to calm himself. He then remembered that the hunter didn't touch him. A slight smile appeared on his face due to how glad he was.

"The rebels won, yey!" Hu Tao screamed happily and hugged Xiao from behind. Xiao wasn't used to this kind of thing so he looked like an awkward boy in Hu Tao's embrace.

"Good game, Xiao," Zhongli said and at the same time, Hu Tao finally let go of Xiao. A sigh of relief could be heard from him.

"You too, Zhongli." He probably just imagined it, but Xiao swore he saw Zhongli sent a fatherly smile to him.

"Here are some drinks for you two. Let's take a break for a while."

And so, the four of them rested together under the clear blue sky.

A/N:

The title was inspired by Bnha lol, it was Uraraka who said it. I thought it sounds funny so why not use it? Ehe.