"The Grand Tournament?" Childe blinked in surprise at Amber's question, sending a curious glance in my direction. "What about it?"

Amber nodded along. "What was it like? Since anyone can join, I bet you were the first to sign up."

"Well, I can't give you any details."

I had a good hunch for the reason behind that. It was probably because he didn't remember anything. Wiping everyone's memory of the Champion wouldn't be easy without masking the Grand Tournament entirely.

"I was suspended at the time," he grumbled. "They don't allow students on suspension to participate in anything fun. You know what? I've had plenty of time to think about it, and they probably didn't want me to join because they knew I'd wipe out the competition in an instant."

I rolled my eyes. "Really?"

"What exactly did you do to get suspended?" Thoma asked. "I remember hearing something about illegal monster activity."

Bennett gasped, and a chunk of his Teyvat Fried Egg fell from his mouth.

"They were just slimes," Childe sighed. "I finally managed to swipe one of each element from the Academy's inventory, and the plan was to release them before the Alchemy final to cause some chaos and delay the exam by a day. I meant to keep them contained in my room until the day of. Did you know slimes can adjust their size at will? I didn't. All seven slimes shrunk down and squeezed into the vents to escape."

I snickered. "You got suspended over missing slimes?"

"No, I got suspended after the slimes bumped into each other one too many times." Childe let out a humorless laugh. "The combination of elemental reactions in the dorm walls caused the electrical and plumbing systems to malfunction."

Thoma's snapped his fingers. "I remember that. We couldn't take a proper shower for nearly a week."

"How did they find out it was you?" I asked.

"There was a trail of slime condensation that led back to my room."

"You're lucky they only suspended you." I shook my head. "What if you got expelled?"

Childe scoffed. "Over something like that? Not in a million years. I can think of plenty of other times when the Academy would have loved to expel me, but diplomacy is diplomacy. It doesn't hurt to be in good relations with my homeland."

"Signora got expelled." Xiangling tapped her fork on her lip. "I bet Snezhnaya was pretty unhappy about that, right Childe?"

"There are limits," he frowned. "Signora was undeniably at fault, and there is no excuse for attempted murder."

I shivered at the memory.

Xiangling scrunched up her nose. "Her name does kinda leave a bad taste in my mouth—oh! I almost forgot. The culinary club is meeting today. I've been meaning to join something fun like that! I should get going now if I want to be there on time."

"Me too," Amber gasped. "Except I was looking into the dance club. I want to visit all the clubs here at least once, and I heard good things about dance."

Childe rose up from his seat. "Now that you mention it, I think it's about time for us to get going too. At this rate, I should be an honorary student council member."

"You guys are helping out Kaeya again?" Xiangling asked, finishing off her plate in a hurry.

Bennett visibly wilted. "You guys are all leaving? I didn't plan to join any clubs because I figured no one would want me there to screw things up."

"Don't be like that," Amber tsked. "I'm sure you can have loads of fun in any club of your choice. If it's meant to be, you'll fit right in."

"Do you think I could dance?" Bennett asked.

Amber froze. "Well, dancing for you might be a little…"

"How about cooking?" Xiangling clapped her hands together. "There's a lot more than luck that goes into cooking. You should come with me, and we'll see what sorts of dishes you can throw together."

"Really?" Bennett grinned. "Okay, I'll give it a shot!"

"I'm so glad everyone is expanding their horizons," Thoma smiled. "It'll be great for you to meet other students and learn from upperclassmen. I hear Eula is a key member of the dance club, Amber."

Childe cleared his throat. "As much as I'd love to stay and chat longer, Lumi and I should get going. And Thoma."

It was finally time to meet up with Kaeya for our duel. My hands tingled with anticipation as I reached to pick up my empty tray, but Thoma beat me to it, stacking it on top of his. I should have expected that—next time I would need to be faster. I couldn't have Thoma cleaning up after me all the time. Standing, I bent down to grab my bag only to find that it wasn't there. Childe had already picked it up and slung it over his shoulder.

"I can carry my own bag."

"You don't have to," he shrugged and pointed to it. "This barely weighs a—hey, what is this thing dangling off the side, anyway?"

"It's an omamori—for good luck."

"Where have I seen this before?" Childe hummed. "It seems annoyingly familiar."

Thoma came back after dropping off the trays. "Are you talking about the omamori I gave to her? I have one on my bag, too." He pointed to the amulet hanging from his bag.

"You're matching," Childe's eyebrows shot up before drawing together. "Why are you matching?"

"Kaeya and Diluc are probably waiting for us," I blushed. "We should get to the waypoint quick before they tear each other's heads off. I need Kaeya in one piece in order to fight him properly."

Childe ignored me, blatantly staring daggers at Thoma who had his lips pursed in a suppressed smile. I hesitated, watching the two. We were way past the point where Childe didn't get along with my friends, but this was different. Thoma was more than my friend.

"Well," Thoma smiled innocently, though I was sure he sensed the mood shift. "Why do you think we're matching?"

We really were going to be late.

"Come on, you two," I grabbed both of their hands, pulling them away from the sudden face-off. "I've been waiting for this moment for too long now. We'll talk about this later."

"Will we?" Childe asked.

"Sure," I quipped lightly, hoping that something—anything would happen down the line to distract him.

Childe's hand tighetned on mine. "That's a promise."

"You're late." Diluc stood by the campus waypoint with his arms tightly crossed. "I was beginning to think drowning Kaeya in this fountain here would be my only relief from his incessant chatter."

"Now, now, Diluc. I was only appreciating this rare chance of seeing you in the outdoors," Kaeya smirked. "All that tavern work and winery business will give you wrinkles if you don't take time to relax."

"Speaking of taking time to relax," I reached for my bag on Childe's shoulder, and he bent down enough for me to rummage through its contents until I pulled out a file. "Jean really needs a break."

Kaeya nodded. "That she does."

"She gave this to me."

"Did she now?" Kaeya took a slight step back.

"To give to you," I held the file out to him. When he didn't immediately grab it, I walked forward and lightly slapped it on his chest instead. "You're behind on work."

"What is this betrayal?" he gasped lightly, grabbing the file from my hands. "I thought we were friends."

"Friends hold each other accountable," I shrugged.

"I'll remember this," he chuckled. "I was planning to go easy on you today, but I've had a sudden change of heart. Funny how that turned out."

I frowned. "Easy on me? You're supposed to—"

"Push you to your limit," Kaeya finished. "Trust me, I know. I was only kidding about going easy on you. It is my full intention to push you past your breaking point, Lumine. Let's see how well you work under pressure."

I tried to ignore the way the drop in his voice set butterflies to life in my stomach. Still, a light blush crept onto my cheeks as I remembered what I learned from Jean earlier today. The way Kaeya acted around me wasn't how he was around everyone else, not like I had thought. Nothing in his words just now suggested that he wanted anything…more, but I couldn't help but let my thoughts wander. Focus, Lumine. I had to keep my attention on beating him in our duel.

"Are we ready to go?" Diluc asked gruffly, and I snapped out of my stupor. "I would prefer we get to the spot as soon as possible since I've yet to see it for myself and scout the area. Who knows how long it will take?"

"I already told you," Childe stepped up. "My memory of the camp's location is spot on. I never forget where a place is once I've taken the time to get there. We just need to follow the path that starts at the forest's edge closest to the town. I'll lead from there."

Our goal was the hilichurl camp that Childe and I stumbled across a long time ago. Given that those monsters had been hiding out for who knows how long without getting caught before we discovered them, we all agreed that would be the best place to stage the duel. If Childe really did remember how to get there, I was impressed. The encounter with the hilichurls and saving Timmie felt like ages ago, and the only thing I could recall about the surrounding area was an abundance of leaves.

"I'll go first." Diluc walked up the fountain steps and touched the teleport waypoint with no hesitation.

The waypoint glowed bright white, encapsulating his body in a glow before Diluc disappeared entirely. The waypoint returned to normal, humming lightly with energy above the fountain.

"He's going to try looking for the spot before I even get there." Childe stepped up with a sigh. "See you on the other side, girlie."

He was gone in a flash.

"Nervous?" Kaeya looked at me.

About the awful bodily experience that comes with teleporting? Yes. I'd built up somewhat of a tolerance to the effects the last time I teleported, but it's been a while. I hoped I could still withstand it without falling over in front of the guys. That would be embarrassing.

"Don't be," Kaeya chuckled and patted his side. For the first time, I noticed he had two swords strapped in their own sheaths at his waist. Those must be for us. "I'll take good care of you."

He winked and hopped up to teleport next.

It was just Thoma and I left now. I took a breath to steady my queasy stomach. At this point, teleporting was more of a mental hurdle. I just had to get over it.

Thoma surprised me by grabbing my hand, giving it a squeeze.

"I've already teleported before." I squeezed back. "I don't need to do the physical contact link with the waypoint."

He laughed. "I know. You seem a little hesitant, and I wanted to give you my support."

"Oh," I blushed. "Thanks."

"I also wanted to hold your hand again." He brushed his thumb lightly over my knuckles. "Are you ready?"

With Thoma as my anchor, a sudden calm filled my chest. I nodded. Together, we stepped up to the waypoint, avoiding the splashes of water coming from the fountain. Our palms pressed firmly at the base, and I was too busy focused on the warmth of our overlapping fingers to worry about the blinding white light that whisked us away.

I was back in the town. I was steady. No side effects.

A relieved grin spread across my face, and I pulled Thoma in for a tight hug. "That went so much better than I expected."

He didn't say anything.

"Thoma?" I pulled away to look at him, but half of his face was turned away. The side visible to me burned a bright pink, and I quickly let go. "Sorry, that was a bit sudden. I just got really excited and—"

"It's fine—more than fine," he jumped in. "I was just taken by surprise, that's all. You never have to apologize for hugging me, Lu. I even—"

"Great. We all made it," an ice-cold voice said.

I turned to see Kaeya and Diluc sitting on opposite ends of the same bench while Childe stood directly in front of the teleport waypoint wearing a stormy expression. Thoma shuffled lightly by my side, but he didn't let go of my hand. We were still holding hands. I shot a second look at Kaeya and Diluc, but neither seemed to have any reaction. At least, no reaction quite as severe as Childe's.

"You know what?" Childe blew a raspberry. "My memory…it's faded. I'm afraid I won't be able to locate that hilichurl camp again after all."

Diluc rose with annoyance. "What?"

"Because I was searching for the kid with Lumi that day…hm, yes. There's only one way to jog my memory." Childe held an open hand out to me.

This guy.

I pretended to begrudgingly slip my hand into his, and a light shock surprised me at the contact. His eyes widened by a fraction.

"Did you feel that too?" I whispered.

He spoke with a light breath, pulling me toward him. "You're going to have to be more specific."

"Residual energy from the waypoint," Thoma let go of my other hand. "If I had to make an educated guess."

Childe set his jaw. "Right."

"Diluc just took off," Kaeya called out. "We should get going now if we ever want to see him again."

"Got it," I chirped and forced my expression to remain neutral even as Childe tightened his hold. Seriously, it was like he was worried I might run away.

Luckily for us, it was easy to spot Diluc stalking away down the street. His cherry red hair made for the perfect beacon. Unlike the last time I was here, there wasn't much activity going on. Without the sound of the blacksmith rhythmically striking his anvil or the tavern's tipsy patrons milling about, the town felt rather empty. I had to remind myself that it was a weeknight, after all. People had probably just gotten home from their jobs and were taking a break for the night.

We caught up to Diluc at the forest's edge, which looked just as unassuming as I remembered. I couldn't let my guard down, though. Even though Childe and I cleared the camp before, and even though the Sakoku Order was canceled after no monster activity, anything could happen.

I wasn't the only one hyper-aware of our surroundings. With Childe leading the way and me attached close behind, Diluc made wide passes to our left and right, scanning the area. Kaeya hung in the back, periodically checking behind us to see if anyone had followed. Thoma kept up in the middle, now carrying the swords Kaeya had brought along.

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Diluc trampled through dead leaves. "We'll be lucky if there is any sunlight left at our destination."

Childe cut back. "We're close."

"How close?"

"That bush," I pointed ahead to where the shrubbery was half-collapsed. "I remember this is where that hilichurl shooter popped out before you took it down."

"You bet I did," Childe grinned. "The camp should be on the other side, then."

Diluc said nothing and brushed past the foliage, his bright hair disappearing into the darkness. Childe and I stepped through the partial hole in the bush, and he swept an arm out to push back the remaining branches so I could step through. After ducking my head to avoid getting smacked in the face with dry leaves, we emerged on the other side.

"This place seems to be untouched." Diluc kicked at one of the abandoned sentry towers. "I'll do a perimeter check to be sure."

Thoma stumbled out from the bush beside me, surprise coloring his face as he took in the state of the camp. "You said there were hilichurls hiding out here? How many?"

"A handful of the normal ones, one of the big ones, and the tiny staff one," Childe stretched. "I handled them all."

I dropped his hand in annoyance. "I helped."

"How could I forget?" Childe burst into a hearty laugh. "Lumi grabbed that little guy's staff and snapped it in two. She was amazing."

"A samachurl, eh?" Kaeya finally emerged. "You should have tried giving the staff's elemental energy a try. Who knows? Maybe you could add a third element to your skills."

I shook my head. "Two is enough. Assuming I'm able to make use of Geo today, that is."

"You can't fight without a weapon." Thoma handed one of the swords to me, but Kaeya swiped at it before I could accept.

"Ah, ah, that one is for me."

Thoma gave me the other sword with a light shrug, and I examined the hilt of the blade. Mine had a silver grip with black and gold accents and a stacked cross-guard. Kaeya's hilt was far more slender, and the grip held a purple-tinged ombre in combination with a jeweled pommel and a cross-guard that curved with an indigo flourish.

"Your sword looks cooler," I frowned.

"Technically not mine," he winked. "Just borrowed from the armory. Though, if you would like to see my personal sword sometime, I wouldn't mind."

"Your personal—" I snapped my mouth shut and unsheathed the sword given to me, spinning away from him to hide my flaming face. "I'm going to test this out with some practice swings."

Shaking my head to clear away the thoughts that invaded my mind, I found a nice spot in between the two watchtowers and swiveled the sword in the air. This blade was wider than what I was used to, and it took several tries to get the balance of my swings right without my stance wobbling.

"Looking good, girlie," Childe's voice came from above, and I peered up to find him perched atop one of the watchtowers. "Mind if I give you a tip?"

I sheathed the sword. "Against Kaeya?"

"Go for his legs," he smirked. "He relies on footwork more than anything. Mess that up, and you're in the clear."

"Isn't the goal to let him take me down?"

Childe shrugged. "He won't go all out unless you do."

"Thanks for the tip."

Go for his legs. I could work that into my attacks somehow. Bringing the sword out once more, I practiced a few low cuts but found it difficult to keep the weight of the blade from drooping and the tip from knocking into the ground. With some effort, I did manage a few successes after building up speed. Polishing my skill was one thing, but maintaining stamina was another. Just how long would this duel take?

In the corner of my eye, I spotted Kaeya also warming up with his sword. Though, it seemed more like he was performing with the blade. I'd never seen his attacks before, and I was momentarily floored by his graceful movements. Childe wasn't kidding about the footwork. Kaeya's swordplay resembled a deadly waltz.

It was even harder to look away when Kaeya shrugged off his academy jacket and blazer. Tossing both to the side, he rolled up the sleeves of the white dress shirt underneath. Considering how the top half of the shirt's buttons were undone to expose skin, a tiny voice in my head whispered he was better off not wearing anything at all.

"The area is secure." Diluc reappeared, looking sharp and bringing me back to reality. "There should be no disturbances."

Kaeya bowed slightly. "Perfect. Thank you, Diluc."

"I didn't do it for you."

"Thanks, Diluc," I offered him an appreciative smile, but that did nothing to relax his composure. "I'll be okay. It's just Kaeya."

He scoffed. "Just Kaeya."

"Hey, Alberich," Childe shouted from the watchtower. "Enough showing off."

Diluc spared one final glance at me, giving a slight nod before climbing the other watchtower. Thoma sat cross-legged at the mouth of the outpost hut where everyone's belongings were piled up. His head picked up the moment my eyes landed on him, and he waved with an encouraging smile. Kaeya lazily twirled his pretty sword in the air as he walked into the empty space of dirt and leaves, and I took a steady breath before joining him.

We spaced ourselves apart and turned to face each other directly. My hand tightened on the hilt of my sword as I held it to the side in my right hand. Kaeya lightly rested his sword's blade on his shoulder, examining me with his signature smirk. I couldn't tell if he was serious or not, but I was about to find out.

"Ready when you are," he jutted his chin in my direction.

I widened my stance. "Just waiting on the signal."

A beat of silence.

Childe blew out a high-pitched whistle.

Wasting no time, I sprung into action, and Kaeya didn't hesitate to meet me in the middle.

are there any guesses as to what the two swords are? they both serve some type of purpose—in the context of the upcoming duel for one of them & a callback to the game for the other!

joining us today are the illustrious typos: smkirned, eeus, regetrs, and joingin...i challenge u to use one in a sentence