“Madman…”
La Signora’s gaze remained fixed on Jia Changjiang, whose injuries only continued to multiply. Despite his condition, there was no sign of him stopping.
For a fleeting moment, she couldn’t help but wonder—was he here to die?
The Fatui’s intelligence had revealed no significant ties between Jia Changjiang and Mondstadt. In fact, most of what he knew about the city seemed to have been learned after his arrival.
What was the point of going to such lengths?
“Are you really willing to risk your life for that bard?!”
La Signora raised her hands, conjuring multiple towering ice pillars that trapped Jia Changjiang in an icy prison. Massive icicles descended from above, ready to crush him like a millstone grinding grain.
But in the next moment, the ice was shattered.
Using a weapon he had seemingly pulled from thin air, Jia Changjiang smashed his way out of the glacial encasement. The weapon, though of exceptional craftsmanship, broke under the strain, leaving splintered shards. The recoil from the impact left his hands bloodied, droplets staining the shattered ice beneath him.
Discarding the broken weapon, Jia Changjiang now stood just steps away from La Signora.
“Risk my life? Not a chance!”
He produced two one-handed swords from nowhere, swinging them simultaneously toward La Signora. Her response was immediate: an ice pillar surged from the ground, intercepting his attack.
“I’ll win. I will be victorious! A victor doesn’t die!”
Throwing the swords aside without hesitation, Jia Changjiang lunged forward, reaching for La Signora with his bare hands.
“Do you think someone as greedy as me would be satisfied with falling in battle here?!”
“Let me see… the true power of a god! Show me what lies above—what it truly looks like!!”
As his hand reached for her, an intense cold erupted from La Signora.
Centered around her, a chilling explosion transformed the battlefield into a frozen wasteland in an instant.
Jia Changjiang’s body was encased in a massive block of ice, with only one hand still exposed outside the frost.
La Signora staggered back, wiping blood from her face, her breath shallow.
Despite her efforts, his outstretched hand had grazed her cheek, leaving a smear of blood on her porcelain skin.
“Madman…”
Frozen in ice, Jia Changjiang could only be described by that single word.
Another battle-crazed lunatic—just like Tartaglia!
“Lady Signora.”
The Fatui Vanguard reached her side, kneeling as they awaited orders.
“Retrieve the Gnosis,” she commanded without turning her gaze away from Jia Changjiang, her mind racing.
She seriously considered killing him.
Someone like this—so unpredictable, so tenacious—could jeopardize the Tsaritsa’s plans in ways she couldn’t foresee.
Her decision made, she flicked her fingers, summoning a razor-sharp blade of ice that hovered in the air, poised to pierce Jia Changjiang’s frozen form.
But just as the blade was about to strike, his exposed hand caught it.
La Signora’s eyes widened in disbelief. She instinctively began channeling her power to finish him off before he could escape, but it was too late.
With a deafening crack, the ice encasing Jia Changjiang exploded outward.
The force of the blast sent La Signora stumbling back. Emerging from the icy prison, Jia Changjiang stood tall despite his numerous wounds. In his hands was a massive longbow, its surface gleaming like crimson jade.
The bow radiated intense heat, melting the frost around him. Its imposing aura made it impossible to ignore—this was no ordinary weapon.
La Signora tried to freeze him again, but the gap between them had all but vanished.
The next moment, she felt a hand close around her neck. Jia Changjiang’s powerful grip pinned her in place, pressing on a vital artery. His other hand held the enormous bow steady, keeping her from escaping.
“Was that just now… the power of a god?”
Though exhaustion was etched on his face, Jia Changjiang’s eyes burned with exhilaration, the thrill of the fight still coursing through him.
“A Harbinger truly is formidable.”
Jia Changjiang’s grip tightened as he turned his gaze to the Fatui soldiers nearby, who hesitated to intervene. “But I’ve won.”
“…As long as you carry the Gnosis, the Fatui will never stop hunting you,” La Signora said, her voice strained but still defiant. “Our march cannot be halted.”
“Your arrogance isn’t much softer than mine,” Jia Changjiang replied with a smirk. “I told you I’d make you pay for what you did to Venti and Lumine, and clearly, I delivered.”
His fingers pressed harder against her neck. With his free hand, he stowed the bow and drove a solid punch into her abdomen.
La Signora doubled over, her composure shattered by the searing pain. Beneath her icy exterior, Jia Changjiang sensed something peculiar—a heat akin to fire, but suppressed by the power of his bow.
Even the flames of the sun would fall before this bow. What’s a little heat compared to that?
“Ugh…”
La Signora’s knees buckled, but Jia Changjiang’s iron grip kept her from collapsing.
If she unleashed her full power now, he would undoubtedly die.
But for this moment, the victor was Jia Changjiang.
“That bow… is that your trump card?” she hissed, her face pale from pain. “Do you really think a single weapon is enough to stand against the Fatui?”
“My bow,” Jia Changjiang said coldly, tightening his hold on her neck, “is far more reliable than the power you borrowed from your master. And it’s certainly better than the self-destructive Delusions you hand out to your soldiers.”
He lifted her higher, forcing her to meet his gaze.
“What is the Cryo Archon planning? Tell me.”
La Signora remained silent, refusing to answer.
Seeing her defiance, Jia Changjiang released her neck and reached into his pocket, retrieving the Anemo Gnosis.
The three choices the system had offered him earlier resurfaced in his mind.
Even if I abandon it, someone else will raise the banner of rebellion against Celestia. Perhaps that someone is the Tsaritsa herself.
But Jia Changjiang had already made up his mind.
“To hell with your choices,” he muttered, tossing the Gnosis at La Signora’s feet.
“The Gnosis wasn’t stolen by you. It was… given to the Fatui by us.”
“Go back and tell the Cryo Archon something for me,” he said, flashing a feral grin. “One day, I’ll come to Snezhnaya. And when I do, I’ll be much stronger.”
“If Venti doesn’t need it, and I don’t need it, then she can have it. But…”
Jia Changjiang grabbed La Signora by the collar, pulling her close.
“When the time comes, I’ll defeat her. I’ll shatter every last Gnosis!”
With a final shove, he let her crumple to the ground, gasping for air.
Fixing her with a piercing glare, Jia Changjiang asked, “Look at me. Do you think… I can do it?”
—
This is a fan translation of 武器大师在原神绝不死于徒手 by 徐人双 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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