Anastasia seemed like a masterpiece meticulously sculpted by time, a breathtaking painting in her own right within the magnificent hall.
Yet, before the girl's intoxicating presence, every cell in Tartaglia's body instantly sounded an alarm. His hand subconsciously tightened around the brocade box containing the Gnosis, his fingertips pressing against its cool lid.
Just as he was about to demand why she had dared to come to Liyue without permission, Anastasia's figure abruptly vanished from its spot.
The next second, a bone-chilling coldness swept in from behind, carrying the faint scent of snowflakes.
"So this is the Gnosis?" Anastasia's voice was as nonchalant as if she were critiquing an ordinary toy. "It feels quite mediocre."
Tartaglia instinctively pivoted sideways, putting three steps of distance between them. His muscles tensed automatically as the Electro element condensed into a pale purple glow in his palm.
But before he could solidify the power, a sudden sense of emptiness washed over his left hand.
The brocade box he had been clutching so hard his knuckles turned white had vanished from his fingers without a trace!
"Looking closer... it really is quite interesting."
Anastasia's voice sounded in his ear, so close it was as if her lips were pressed against his earlobe, her breath carrying the chill of snowflakes.
Tartaglia shuddered violently, his body instinctively pivoting and spinning as a Hydro Blade erupted from his fingertips in a blinding arc of light, slashing toward the source of the voice.
But the blade only sliced through the frigid air, failing to even touch the hem of her clothes.
He looked up to see the girl already floating beside a bookshelf three steps away, her right hand idly tossing the dark red brocade box.
Her wrist turned slightly, and the box spun in her palm, her movements as elegant as if she were playing with a precious piece of art.
"When did you—" Tartaglia's pupils constricted, his eyes filled with disbelief.
His heart felt as if it were gripped by an invisible hand, both shocked and enraged, his breathing turning rapid.
Anastasia chuckled softly, the sound crisp like clashing ice crystals, devoid of any warmth.
She applied a slight pressure with her fingertips, and with a "click," the brocade box slowly opened in her palm.
A pale golden light spilled from the box as the Geo Gnosis hovered between her fingers. Morax's divine power flowed slowly within it, like a sleeping morning sun, yet it was tightly wrapped in a thin layer of ice mist, preventing even a single ripple of energy from leaking out.
She lowered her gaze to the Gnosis in her palm, her pale blue eyes showing no hint of awe, only a casual scrutiny, as if she were appraising an ordinary stone: "The legendary Gnosis is nothing more than this."
Only then did Tartaglia realize what she had done.
Her right hand had remained in a lifting posture the entire time, appearing casual, but in reality, it had already locked onto the brocade box.
Meanwhile, in a moment no one noticed, her left hand had condensed several ice needles so thin they were almost invisible, precisely striking the acupoints in his palm.
The ice needles carried a bone-chilling cold, causing his grip to slacken in an instant, and even his neural reactions were delayed by half a beat.
By the time he realized something was wrong, the Gnosis had already changed hands, and it was all too late.
Anastasia raised her head, a mocking curve forming at the corners of her lips as she lightly tossed the Gnosis, letting it spin in her palm.
The pale golden light intertwined with the ice mist on her fingertips, forming a striking contrast.
"Dottore said you trust your own strength too much, throwing even the most basic 'vigilance' to the back of your mind." She took a step forward, her icy aura almost brushing against Tartaglia's cheek.
These words were like an ice pick, stabbing cruelly into Tartaglia's heart.
His fist clenched tighter, his eyes burning with fury.
When Anastasia had approached just now, those seemingly casual movements were all a ruse; she had used mocking words to distract him, while in reality, she had already calculated his every move with perfect precision.
"Give me back the Gnosis!" Tartaglia roared, the lightning of his Foul Legacy exploding all around him.
Purple electric serpents coiled around his arms, spreading along the lines of his muscles, even the air crackling and snapping. Papers in the office were sent flying by the resulting gusts of wind.
He had never been in such a wretched state, not only losing his beloved but also having the fruits of his contract with Zhongli snatched away.
Yet Anastasia remained completely unruffled, even raising a hand to tuck a strand of silver hair behind her ear, her movements as composed as if she were admiring Tartaglia's fury.
As she watched the lightning erupt around Tartaglia, Anastasia's pale blue eyes showed no hint of panic, but instead flashed with a trace of amusement.
She lightly pivoted, and the moment her toes touched the ground, her figure blurred into an icy afterimage, narrowly evading the fist entwined with electric serpents.
The punch smashed into the bookshelf behind her, the solid wood instantly shattered by the lightning, scattering books all over the floor without even touching the hem of her dress.
"Still relying so much on brute force." Her voice came from behind Tartaglia, accompanied by the crisp sound of ice crystals clashing.
Before Tartaglia could even turn, Anastasia had already raised her hand to condense an Ice Shield, blocking the Hydro Blade he swung her way.
The Hydro Blade struck the Ice Shield, sending a mist of ice flying into the air.
Using the mist as cover, she teleported to his side again, the icy particles on her fingertips lightly grazing his wrist.
Tartaglia felt a sudden chill on his wrist, and the flow of the Electro element momentarily stalled.
His heart tightened. Just as he was about to intensify his attack, Anastasia seemed to anticipate his move, flipping over to land on the other side. Stepping on the scattered documents, she lightly raised her right hand, and several Ice Spikes shot toward his limbs.
These Ice Spikes were not meant to kill, but they precisely blocked his escape routes.
Tartaglia was forced to retreat, but after only two steps, he felt a sudden chill on his lower back. Anastasia's palm was already pressed against his waist!
Feeling the icy touch on his lower back, Tartaglia's pupils constricted sharply. The ice element was seeping through the gaps in his clothes, attempting to freeze the elemental flow within his body.
"Have you had enough?" he growled, the lightning around him suddenly erupting. The purple electric serpents coiled frantically around his arms like living creatures, and the overwhelming pressure of the Foul Legacy instantly spread outward.
His previous anger and disarray were forcibly suppressed. Now, he had finally cast aside all contempt, his eyes filled only with cold battle intent.
He was the Fatui Harbinger "Childe"; even if he lost the Gnosis, he would never allow himself to be toyed with like this.
Tartaglia kicked off the ground with all his might, the floor cracking in a spiderweb pattern as he shot toward Anastasia like an arrow from a bow.
Several sharp Hydro Blades condensed in his palms. Wrapped in Electro energy and piercing the air with a sharp hiss, they shot toward her vital points.
This attack was no longer a blind flurry of punches. Each Hydro Blade's angle was carefully calculated, sealing off her ability to teleport.
Yet Anastasia remained calm.
With a light raise of her hand, a curved Ice Shield instantly formed in front of her. The Hydro Blades struck the shield, producing a sizzling sound as water vapor and ice mist intermingled.