Tenshukaku — Inazuma
After hearing the evaluation, Makoto let out a soft sigh.
"Though the Scarlet King and the Goddess of Flowers had good intentions… the Abyss is not something one can control so easily."
"They were too bold."
"And in the end… it was Rukkhadevata who paid."
The others fell quiet.
They had all witnessed the Cataclysm.
They knew exactly how terrifying Abyssal power was.
Yae Miko suddenly smiled slyly.
"Well, if you think about it, our Ei isn't so bad."
"She governed poorly, sure."
"But at least she didn't go chasing forbidden knowledge to resurrect her sister."
Saiguu nodded solemnly.
"Indeed. Had Her Excellency followed Deshret's example…"
"Inazuma might not exist anymore."
Makoto covered her mouth, laughing lightly.
"So perhaps being a shut-in has its merits."
"Better to meditate quietly than to cause chaos."
Hanachirusato blinked twice, then bowed seriously to Ei.
"Thank you, Lady Ei, for not pursuing forbidden knowledge."
Ei: "..."
She rubbed her temples.
Four against one.
This household was dangerous.
Palais Mermonia — Fontaine
Neuvillette listened thoughtfully.
Apep.
A Dragon Sovereign who openly opposed the heavens.
Unlike Dvalin.
Unlike Azhdaha.
Unlike even himself.
Yet—
Apep had been used.
Corrupted.
Punished.
Furina tugged his sleeve nervously.
"You're not planning to research forbidden knowledge too… right?"
Neuvillette sighed.
"I have the Curious Cup."
"It surpasses forbidden knowledge in potential."
"And it is safe."
Furina froze.
Oh right.
The system reward.
Then she grinned mischievously.
"True. Though with your luck…"
Neuvillette: "..."
The Hydro Dragon Sovereign silently vowed to prove fate wrong.
Sanctuary of Surasthana
Nahida's eyes sparkled.
"So much happened during the Archon War…"
She absorbed every detail like a devoted student reading her idol's biography.
But she noticed something important.
Apep.
A promise left unfulfilled.
She would have to deal with that.
For Rukkhadevata's sake.
And perhaps—
If fate allowed—
Gain a Dragon Sovereign ally.
(Though Fontaine had already "stolen" theirs.)
Dreams were free.
Chat — A Bold Theory
Lumine suddenly spoke.
"Wait."
"If Rukkhadevata lost most of her power and became childlike…"
"Is it possible she became Nahida?"
Silence.
Shock.
It wasn't impossible.
They looked similar.
Nahida herself didn't know her origin.
Was she a reborn Rukkhadevata?
Memory lost?
Power diminished?
Speculation exploded.
Even Ningguang and Kokomi found the theory plausible.
Alice cut through the debate.
"Let's just ask."
Nahida hesitated.
"I awoke in the rainforest… and was taken by the Akademiya."
"I don't know my connection to her."
The first-generation Archons were questioned.
None knew.
The mystery deepened.
All eyes turned back to the Light Screen.
Blue Planet — Villa
Luo Chen smiled faintly.
Ah.
The great debate of Version 3.2.
Players had fought endlessly.
Was she?
Wasn't she?
In the end—
The answer had been:
Yes.
And no.
He cleared his throat.
"Now we move to the second key moment."
"The Cataclysm five hundred years ago."
"Sumeru differs from other nations in two ways."
"First — Khaenri'ah lies beneath Sumeru."
"It was the first nation struck."
"Second — Rukkhadevata did not go to Khaenri'ah."
"She remained."
"To protect Irminsul."
Irminsul — The World Tree
"Irminsul contains all information and memory in Teyvat."
"A living database."
"If its data changes— so does reality's perception."
"Remember this."
"It will matter later."
Because it was vital—
She stayed.
As prophesied long ago by the Goddess of Flowers—
The disaster came.
The first Hydro Archon, Egeria, perished.
Her body became the Sea of Amrita.
Pure water that could not endure Abyssal land.
Rukkhadevata acted immediately.
She cultivated the Harvisptokhm from that sacred sea.
Allowing Egeria's consciousness to anchor there.
Then—
Simurgh flew.
Drank the pure waters.
Shattered into countless motes of light.
Those lights cleansed much of Sumeru's corruption.
Roots sealed the Black Abyss of Tunigi.
The disaster's source was suppressed.
In that moment—
Rukkhadevata fulfilled her ancient promise.
The Goddess of Flowers had once opened forbidden knowledge.
But her lingering light now saved Sumeru.
Intentions remained constant.
Gods love humanity.
The Final Defense
With the source contained—
Rukkhadevata rushed to Irminsul.
It was already infected.
But she did not panic.
Because thousands of years earlier—
She had faced forbidden knowledge once before.
She had experience.
She had a plan.
If not for that ancient "rehearsal"—
If not for Deshret's catastrophe—
Would she have known how to respond now?
Perhaps not.
Perhaps Irminsul would have fallen.
Perhaps Sumeru.
Perhaps all seven nations.
In a strange, abstract way—
Deshret's failure became Teyvat's preparation.
A tragic lesson that prevented a greater annihilation.
Did the Scarlet King save Teyvat?
Unintentionally.
But perhaps—
Yes.
To read advanced Chapters, head over to p@treon:
patreon.com/nani_kaito