"Well, well... so you actually think I don't know that the 'Darknight Hero' is your brother, and that name was slapped on him by someone else?"
Gu Sanqiu glanced back at Kaeya, grinning.
Sometime soon, I'll have to spill the truth to Diluc… sit back and enjoy the show with a few snacks in hand.
Fast-forward to Diluc launching a full-fledged elemental attack on Kaeya, turning him even darker than his current tan, maybe singeing a bit of hair in the process.
Mondstadt's Top Stylist—Diluc.
As they moved closer to the blazing scene, the searing heat and a deadly aura pulsed through the air.
In the clearing ahead, a dark-red-haired, masked man was wielding a black iron claymore, cutting through waves of monsters with lethal efficiency.
In short, he looked pretty damn cool.
But Gu Sanqiu fell silent when he saw the familiar movements, and that unmistakable flaming sword technique.
Guess knowing his identity made it impossible not to recognize him. Even with the change of weapon and some flimsy disguise, every slash and step gave away exactly who it was.
What a joke!
On the way over, Gu Sanqiu had considered why people wouldn't recognize Diluc's secret persona. Most of the time, it's dark, right? No one sees his hair or face too well. And really, most people would rather admire the vigilante's skill than question his real identity.
Yet, with how obvious it was to him now, not outing Diluc's identity felt like willful blindness.
The hero's disguise: slap on a random mask, and as long as you don't look like you're from a nearby region, no one bats an eye.
The villain's disguise: you could fool everyone, but the heroes will still "sense" the truth somehow.
Absolutely ridiculous.
Gu Sanqiu glanced back at Kaeya, still watching the battle.
"Are you seriously telling me you don't know who that sword-swinging guy is?"
"Oh? And who might that be?" Kaeya responded, his tone intrigued but cautious. He figured this was just Gu Sanqiu fishing for answers.
"Heh."
Gu Sanqiu decided to take a more straightforward approach.
"In Liyue, martial arts are a big deal. We've even got a whole sect for cultivators in Minlin. This guy's 'disguise' is literally just a change in weapon and stance. You think that's gonna fool me?"
"And this 'estate work' he claimed he had at the winery tonight... Did the entire winery expand to cover all of Mondstadt?"
"Ah? Haha… You got me there."
Kaeya let out a stiff laugh, realizing there was no point in pretending. But saying something like, "Oh, so Darknight Hero's actually my brother!" would make him sound like an idiot.
"Alright, so you know."
Gu Sanqiu's grin widened. "But hey, the fact that you didn't immediately try to eliminate me once I figured him out proves you've got a heart, at least."
Kaeya sighed. "Hey, now, it's not some dark secret. My dear brother just has his… particular way of doing things. No reason to go around silencing people."
"Yah!"
A group of Hilichurls caught sight of them, and their reaction was immediate outrage.
They'd come all this way, planning to catch Mondstadt off guard, only to be intercepted. But what really stung was that these two were casually chatting right in their faces!
You're dead!
Gu Sanqiu didn't move. Kaeya stepped forward, ice racing from his feet to engulf the Hilichurls, rooting itself in their bodies until they evaporated into dark smoke.
He spread his hands as icy tendrils shot outward, obliterating the rest of the riffraff in their path.
"Nice move! Looks like something worth copying."
Gu Sanqiu scratched his chin. "Came up with that yourself?"
Kaeya nodded. "I did. But Gu, how about you give it a try?"
"Oh, I don't mind."
Gu Sanqiu raised his right hand, barely breaking a sweat as he brought it down.
A streak of lightning flashed from the sky, obliterating a Pyro Abyss Mage and its shield in one strike, leaving behind a few glittering Ley Line branches on the ground.
"Whoa. Now that's an interesting power."
Gu Sanqiu gave Kaeya a side glance. "But really, are we just going to stand here, letting Diluc fight off all those monsters alone?"
"Hah? We're not 'standing around.' We already cleared a bunch of monsters, and now we're just, uh… taking a breather while our energy recovers."
With Kaeya's mischievous smirk and that hint of a devilish glint in his eye, Gu Sanqiu could only nod in exasperation.
From the outside, Kaeya's suave, 'warm guy' act was perfectly in place, but around his brother? He lived to mess with him. The decorative vase at the winery that clashed with every single other piece of decor there was testament enough.
It probably showed they were close in their own way.
"You two."
Diluc's voice finally broke through, edged with impatience. "If you have so much free time, why don't you lend a hand? I could use some backup."
"Oh? Is that how the Darknight Hero asks for help?"
Kaeya flashed a grin. "If you want our assistance, a little humility might be in order. You know my rank, right?"
"Try saying something like, 'Please, noble, dashing Cavalry Captain Kaeya, come to my aid,' and maybe I'll persuade this friend of mine to join in?"
The Darknight Hero didn't reply, but his claymore blazed hotter as he slashed with even more ferocity, clearly channeling his rage at Kaeya into his strikes.
Gu Sanqiu, chuckling, stepped forward to fight. His dragon-scale shield sent a charging Hilichurl Bruiser flying.
"Maybe ease up a little? You'd be the one to regret it later if things go south."
Kaeya's smirk froze. Oh, right.
This guy already recognized the Darknight Hero as Diluc. At the end of this fight, there'd be no need to pretend they didn't know each other.
If Gu Sanqiu hadn't figured it out, Kaeya could have had fun poking at his brother's nerves and getting away with it. But now…
What was I thinking? I can't believe I forgot such a basic detail!
Gritting his teeth, Kaeya unsheathed his sword, putting on a face of resolute valor.
"The Knights of Favonius would never forsake someone fighting for Mondstadt!"
"I, Kaeya, Cavalry Captain of the Knights, am here to assist!"
"Fall, you fiends!"
---
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