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Upon hearing that Nahida was involved, Paimon's curious gaze immediately turned to Tighnari as she pressed, "Eh? I always thought Nahida would never let you get dragged into something this dangerous!"
Before her voice even faded, a figure quietly appeared behind the group—it was Katheryne, possessed by Nahida.
Every word Paimon had just said had reached Nahida's ears without missing a syllable. She explained, "It couldn't be helped. The situation now has gone far beyond what any of us first imagined. The Doctor is a madman—we must make sure more people know, as soon as possible."
Upon hearing this, Paimon quickly turned around. When she realized that the person standing before her was Nahida herself, she let out a gasp of amazement. "Wow! Nahida, how did you appear out of nowhere like that? When did you even arrive at Gandharva Ville?"
Nahida smiled faintly and replied patiently, "Actually, I only just arrived at Gandharva Ville myself. Those Fatui soldiers capable of self-detonation were quite troublesome to deal with."
"But fortunately, after some effort, I managed to seize control of what little consciousness they still had and forced them out of the city, where they ultimately blew themselves up."
At that moment, Tighnari turned his gaze toward Nahida, who was still possessing Katheryne's body, and asked solemnly, "Lesser Lord Kusanali, may I ask—what you told me earlier through the Akasha Terminal, was it true?"
Nahida nodded gravely, her tone full of certainty. "Yes, it's true. The Grand Sage has been conspiring with the Fatui to carry out the God-Creation Plan."
"They are utterly insane—using any means necessary. They even resorted to the cruelest of tactics, turning humans into living bombs and launching indiscriminate attacks on the innocent citizens of Sumeru City, all to stop us from advancing."
When Tighnari heard Nahida confirm this truth with his own ears, his fluffy ears drooped slightly as disbelief crossed his face.
He stroked his chin and murmured softly, 'If that's the case… then the so-called project that Sage Khajeh once mentioned about "repairing Irminsul" must have been this God-Creation Plan all along. Unbelievable…'
"I knew the Akademiya had always looked down on the Lesser Lord Kusanali, but I didn't expect them to commit such arrogant folly as to 'create a new god.' Refusing their invitation was indeed the right choice."
Just then, Paimon suddenly spoke up for some reason.
"Actually, I happened to hear Setaria mention this a few days ago."
"She said that most of the people in the Akademiya have no idea about the Grand Sage's conspiracy—they've been completely kept in the dark."
"Even the few who did suspect something chose to stay silent, afraid of the Grand Sage's power or of how the truth might ruin their futures. So, they just turned a blind eye… pretended not to see or hear anything."
'Maybe what she's implying is… even if you really had joined them, Tighnari, they wouldn't have treated you as a true accomplice.'
Tighnari fell silent for a moment, then asked again, "But I still have a question. What exactly is the connection between this 'God-Creation Plan' and the 'repairing of Irminsul'?"
Nahida paused in thought before offering her explanation.
"I believe it has something to do with me. Because I lack the wisdom of the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, I cannot repair Irminsul the way she could. That is why they wish to create a new god—one who possesses the wisdom of the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata. Perhaps that's why the Akademiya has been collecting the Divine Knowledge Capsules."
After listening to Nahida's words, Shao Yun spoke with a faint trace of mockery in his tone. "This is nothing but a ridiculous farce performed by a group of overconfident monkeys."
"Nahida, you may not be the wisest person in the world, but the most foolish of all are those who think they are. Clearly, that Azar fellow is the biggest clown among them."
As soon as Shao Yun's voice fell, Tighnari coughed lightly twice and changed the subject.
"By the way, Lesser Lord, could you please treat Haypasia? I've tried every method I know, but nothing works. I could only settle her in a greenhouse to keep her hidden."
Nahida heard his request and nodded without hesitation.
…
Shao Yun, Lumine, Paimon, and Nahida followed Tighnari into a glass greenhouse.
As soon as they entered, they saw Haypasia standing alone in the center, muttering incoherently to herself, completely lost in a world of her own.
Suddenly, Haypasia burst into manic laughter, her voice echoing eerily within the quiet greenhouse.
Then she broke into tears, her sobs spilling freely down her cheeks.
Moments later, her tear-streaked face transformed into an expression of utter reverence, as if she were gazing upon something sacred and untouchable.
"Exalted god, exalted will, exalted emotion!" Haypasia cried, raising both hands toward the sky.
"Ah… what a pity, what a pity…" Then, like a deflated balloon, her arms fell, her whole being sinking into despair.
"Alas, within my chest beats a filthy, human heart… O divine one, will you forgive me? Will you redeem me?"
Tighnari stood quietly to the side, watching her current state, and could only sigh softly.
Then he turned to Shao Yun and the others, his tone heavy. "This… this is Haypasia as she is now."
Paimon's eyes widened, staring at the delirious woman in fear and pity.
She turned anxiously to Nahida beside her. "Nahida, you're so powerful—you have to be able to help Haypasia, right?"
Hearing that, Shao Yun thought to himself, 'If she could really save Haypasia so easily, Sumeru wouldn't be facing so many problems in the first place.'
As expected, Nahida stepped forward, examined Haypasia closely, and gently shook her head.
"Her trauma is of the mind. I can't cure that… but I'll try. I can't promise it will succeed."
Then Nahida took Haypasia's hand. A mysterious power flowed between them, forming an instant link of consciousness.
The deranged, uncontrollable Haypasia gradually calmed down under that warm, gentle force.
Yet even though she was no longer frantic, her eyes remained vacant, her expression distant—as if her soul were still trapped somewhere far away.
Paimon watched with concern as Haypasia slowly quieted. She hurriedly asked, "How is she, Nahida? Is Haypasia all right now?"
Nahida opened her eyes, hesitated briefly, then turned to Lumine and said softly, "I saw something deep within Haypasia's consciousness."
"Lumine, please, lend me your hand. Through our link, you can see it too."
Lumine blinked in surprise but didn't hesitate long. She reached out her slender hand.
As Nahida's soft fingertips touched her palm, a strange sensation rippled through her entire body, and a stream of visions flooded her mind.
She stood in silence, replaying the shocking images she had just witnessed, lips pressed tightly together.
After nearly a full minute, Lumine finally spoke. "If I'm not mistaken… that person must be the Fatui Harbinger called Scaramouche—the one Yae Miko once mentioned to me."
"I remember he was a failed experiment of the former Electro Archon, Beelzebul, created to hold a Gnosis."
Nahida blinked and asked, "He's also one of the experimental subjects in the God-Creation Plan. How much do you know about this Scaramouche?"
Lumine nodded slightly and began recounting everything she knew about him—mostly tales she'd heard from Yae Miko, Sangonomiya Kokomi, and Gorou.
By the end, her voice grew tight with restrained fury. "To escape, that man even tried to blow up Shao Yun! No matter what, I'll make him pay with his life!"
Nahida froze for a moment at the sudden intensity in Lumine's expression.
But soon she composed herself again, speaking softly, "So that's how you feel…"
Shao Yun, hearing Nahida's tone, sensed something off. 'Wait—don't tell me this merciful goddess is about to…'
Before he could finish the thought, Tighnari had already completed his preliminary examination of Haypasia's body.
He gently helped her lie down on a nearby bed prepared for her and carefully pulled a blanket over her.
Once Haypasia was settled, Tighnari turned and bowed slightly to Nahida. "Thank you for your help, Lesser Lord. If it weren't for you, the consequences of being discovered by the Sages would have been unimaginable."
Seeing Tighnari speak, Shao Yun temporarily set aside his own suspicions.
Nahida smiled faintly, waving her hand lightly. "There's no need for thanks. This is my duty."
"However, I've only temporarily taken control of her cognitive functions, leaving just her most basic bodily instincts—simple eating, sleeping, and other necessary habits."
She paused, her tone growing more serious. "We must resolve the problem with Irminsul as soon as possible. But without the power of a Gnosis, ah…"
Without the power of a Gnosis, Nahida was truly powerless.