When Greater Lord Rukkhadevata appeared above Sumeru City,
in Mondstadt, Venti, asleep atop the great tree at Windrise, opened his eyes. As one of the Original Archons, he was intimately familiar with Rukkhadevata's aura.
"Buer..."
Wasn't she supposed to have fallen long ago?
Venti rose to his feet, preparing to journey to Sumeru. He had been at loose ends lately anyway.
Before departing, however, he set up a few simple precautions around Mondstadt. The memory of his home being raided still stung.
-
Liyue.
Zhongli also sensed Rukkhadevata's aura, but he made no move to investigate.
Unlike Venti, Zhongli had resumed his role as the Sovereign Lord of Judgment, overseeing Liyue's affairs once more. While he no longer handled every matter personally as before, he was far from idle like Venti.
Moreover, Rukkhadevata had only just awakened. Whatever the reason, her current state couldn't be optimal. It would be best to visit her after she'd had time to recover.
-
Snezhnaya.
"Buer... what exactly happened in Sumeru? How could a dead god be resurrected?"
-
Sumeru.
Lumine and the others returned to the Sanctuary of Surasthana, all in silent contemplation.
"We just saved Irminsul and the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, right?" Nahida asked.
Lumine nodded.
"But... why do I feel like crying?"
Nahida turned her head, tears still glistening at the corners of her eyes.
"Nahida," Lumine said, "do you remember how we saved Rukkhadevata?"
"Hmm? Is something wrong?" Nahida tilted her head. "Well... we used the power of the Gnosis to erase the corruption in Irminsul, then harnessed Irminsul's ability to record all of Teyvat's information to travel back in time..."
As Nahida recounted the events, Lumine lowered her head.
So... everyone has forgotten Silaya after all...
"Traveler, Paimon," Chu Xi said, "I feel terrible and dizzy, like I've lost something very important. Do you feel the same way?"
Alhaitham pressed a hand to his head, indeed feeling dizzy. He noticed the dampness at the corner of his eye and gently touched it.
What's happening? Am I... actually crying?
"This energy... it's Greater Lord Rukkhadevata!"
Sensing the familiar yet overwhelmingly powerful aura that shared her origin, Nahida immediately rushed outside.
Alhaitham, Paimon, and Chu Xi hurried after her.
"Lumine, come quickly!" Paimon called.
Lumine acknowledged Paimon's call but didn't immediately move.
Silaya... has she truly been forgotten so completely...?
-
As Lumine emerged from the Sanctuary of Surasthana, she witnessed Greater Lord Rukkhadevata descending from the sky.
The Dendro Archon no longer resembled Nahida. Her long hair, transitioning from white to verdant green, cascaded down her back, adorned with leafy green ornaments. She wore a flowing gown that mirrored her hair's gradient, radiating regal dignity.
Nahida stood before Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, the two deities resembling a mother and daughter.
"This... is... your true form!" Nahida exclaimed, her voice filled with awe.
Born after Rukkhadevata's passing, this was Nahida's first time seeing the Dendro Archon's true appearance.
Rukkhadevata slowly knelt, placing her right hand on Nahida's head and stroking it with tender affection.
"You've worked so hard all this time, Nahida..."
Rukkhadevata's tender touch deeply moved Nahida's heart. Coupled with the inexplicable sorrow and tears she had shed moments before, she now felt utterly wronged. Without hesitation, she threw herself into Rukkhadevata's embrace, burying her small face deep against the deity's chest.
Though she didn't sob aloud, tears streamed down her cheeks incessantly.
Rukkhadevata cradled the tiny Nahida, patting her back soothingly.
-
Player World
This scene deeply moved many players, especially Nahida's devoted fans. Seeing Rukkhadevata and the Dendro Archon embrace drove them wild.
But the most heartbroken were the fans of Silaya and Chu Xi. Those who shipped the Chu Xi/Silaya pairing were utterly devastated.
To have one of their beloved ships destroyed, and the other completely forgotten—was there anything more cruel?
[This is all because of Silaya, yet no one remembers her anymore.]
[Ugh, it feels like my heart is being squeezed tightly. It hurts so much.]
[Chu Xi... I just saw her crying. The poor child...]
-
Outside the Sanctuary of Surasthana, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, who was holding Nahida, immediately stood up, her expression grave as she gazed toward the Desert.
Nahida also sensed the powerful aura emanating from that direction, and she tensed.
Sumeru currently possessed no formidable combat power. Neither she nor the recently awakened Greater Lord Rukkhadevata possessed such power, and there was more than one such overwhelming presence...
What's going on? When did so many powerful combatants appear in Sumeru?
"What's wrong, Nahida? Is something the matter?" Paimon, sensing the unease, leaned close to Nahida's ear and whispered.
"This aura... it's the Abyss!"
"The Abyss?!" Paimon's face drained of color, swiftly turning to terror.
Not the Abyss again!
Every time the Abyss appeared, it caused immense destruction. Paimon already had nightmares about them. What do they want this time?
Does Sumeru even have someone with a Pure Soul? Damn it, we haven't found them yet!
Lumine also felt the oppressive aura.
This must be the impending crisis Silaya warned us about...
-
Sumeru, the Desert.
A Great Serpent slithered freely beneath the desert sands, bursting through the gobi dunes and rearing its massive head.
The serpent was entirely black, save for the two small purple horns on its head, which crackled with arcs of Electro energy.
Between the serpent's horns stood a humanoid figure clad in purplish-black armor. At first glance, this figure bore a striking resemblance to the earlier Malice.
Behind this humanoid creature stood another figure, hooded and draped in a black cloak. The hooded figure held a longsword in its left hand and a crescent-shaped blade in its right.
(Spy-Bro made Flame Reaver...)
These two humanoid monsters and the Great Serpent were the new Abyss Boss designed by Jiang Mumu.
In addition to these, numerous smaller monsters spawned continuously through the Abyss Gates.
The Great Serpent, accompanied by its two humanoid minions, advanced relentlessly toward the Sumeru Rainforest.
-
Outside the Joururi Workshop:
"Hey, if you're not dead, get up! Dragging you around is exhausting!" Angie tossed Scaramouche aside and clapped her hands.
Scaramouche remained motionless, his eyes closed, looking for all the world like he was dead. He neither spoke nor stirred. If Angie hadn't known his condition, she would have sworn he was gone.
"Beelzebul's here..."
"Rukkhadevata has revived..."
It seemed he was indeed dead—but not truly dead; it was a death of the heart, or feigned death.
"The Traveler brought the Gnosis... Eh? Traveler, what's this...?"
Angie wondered, puzzled. The Traveler had actually brought the Gnosis—were they here to thank them?
Lumine's expression turned grave. "A powerful enemy has appeared in the Sumeru Desert. Rukkhadevata has already gone ahead. We're here to retrieve Shouki no Kami, the Prodigal, and activate it using the Electro Archon's Gnosis as its energy source..."
"Shouki no Kami, the Prodigal? Didn't we beat that big guy into a pulp?"
Lumine said, "By infusing it with Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's power, we can repair it."
Scaramouche, who had been lying still and feigning death, suddenly opened his left eye. Seizing the opportunity, Angie immediately poked him.
"Hiss..."