The three Elemental Queens had fully manifested. However, aside from the Anemo Queen, the other two were... difficult to approach.
The Hydro Queen wore an expression of profound melancholy, as if the entire world owed her a debt. The Pyro Queen, meanwhile, possessed a fierce, almost malevolent aura that radiated hostility.
Paimon whispered nervously, "I feel like... aside from the windy one, the other two are kind of scary."
"It's likely the influence of the Demon God residue," Venti noted, his eyes narrowing. "Even with the World Tree reshaping them, fragments of their past lives linger in their essence."
As they spoke, the three Queens knelt before Su Han.
"Greetings, Father God..."
"Rise," Su Han commanded. "The World Tree relies on your protection from this day forward. Tell me, what are your names?"
The Anemo Queen smiled brightly. "I am Lilith, Father. My power is to command the tempest!"
"I am Vandini," the Hydro Queen said, her voice soft but heavy with sadness. "My domain is the tides and the deep magic of the waters. Should Father require anything, you need only call... I exist to serve."
Finally, the Pyro Queen spoke, her voice rasping with suppressed aggression. "I am Natasha. Great Father... perhaps you can sense it. My sister's power and mine are... unstable. A strange force is gnawing at our hearts. Can you help us?"
The "fierce" Queen looked at him with a silent plea. She knew this bloodlust wasn't her true nature, yet she felt a primal urge to destroy—a direct contradiction to the peaceful nature of the Elven race.
Su Han stepped forward, placing his hand on Natasha's head. As he closed his eyes and delved into her consciousness, he saw it: a jagged, walnut-sized crimson crystal radiating a thick, black miasma of resentment.
Why? Didn't the World Tree dissolve the Demon God remains?
"The power was not fully dissolved," a calm voice spoke from behind. Su Han turned to see Zhongli standing there. "Though the souls are gone, the core of their power still carries the final, bitter grievances of their deaths."
"What should I do?" Su Han asked.
"Purify the core," Zhongli replied simply. "You are the master of such things. Seeing my old 'friends' finally find peace... is enough for me. I shall take my leave. May these Queens find happiness in Teyvat." With that, the consultant vanished like sea foam.
The Baptism of the Sacred Sword
Su Han summoned the Xuanyuan Sword. "Do not fear, Natasha. I will restore you."
The Pyro Queen knelt, closing her eyes. Su Han channeled the sword's Evil-Breaking Divinity into her core. The sacred light began to peel away the dark stains of malice. For ten minutes, the black mist hissed and dissolved until Natasha let out a long, relieved breath.
"It's gone..." She stood up, her fierce expression melting into a joyful, child-like smile.
Next was Vandini. As Su Han purified her, fragments of her past memories flickered before him. She had been the Goddess of Tides, a gentle deity who never wished for war. But her people had demanded she fight in the Archon War. She was no match for Morax; when his stone spears fell, her dreams shattered. She felt no hatred, only a quiet regret that she was born in the wrong era.
Once the purification was complete, the "sadness" in Vandini's eyes turned into a calm, deep serenity.
The Coming Storm
Suddenly, Keqing's communication bird chirped frantically.
"Lord Keqing! We've detected a massive surge in the maritime sector! Hundreds of sea beasts are approaching... it looks like they're being driven toward the World Tree!"
Su Han looked toward the horizon. The sky had turned pitch black, and the ocean was churning with violent waves. A wall of water—a tsunami reaching toward the clouds—was surging toward the coast.
"Controlling the tides on this scale... this is no mortal feat," Venti muttered.
Vandini, the Hydro Queen, closed her eyes to sense the water. "It is a colossal creature. A serpent of the deep... its power is vast!"
"It must be Beisht, the wife of Osial," Ningguang said coldly. "Between the fall of the Black Dragon King and the birth of the World Tree, she must have realized her husband was truly gone. She's come for revenge."
Jean tightened her ponytail. "We cannot let those waves hit the shore. The rails and the new crops will be destroyed. We intercept them at sea!"
"No need," Vandini said, stepping forward and raising her staff. Her voice echoed across the World Tree. "Tidal Surge!"
Her pale blue hair whipped in the wind as she commanded the ocean. A counter-tsunami, miles wide, smashed into the approaching beasts, vaporizing dozens in an instant.
But many more slipped through. Natasha, the Pyro Queen, took flight. "Meteorite Strike!" Her fists glowed like falling stars, the heat so intense that the ocean spray evaporated before it could touch her. Each punch sent a shockwave through the water that disintegrated any beast in its path.
Finally, Lilith, the Anemo Queen, manifested a beautiful wind-bow. "Storm-Blade Arrow!" The arrow tore through the sea like a razor, carving a path straight toward the shadow in the deep.
SCREECH—!
A deafening, ear-piercing wail erupted from the depths as the arrow struck home. The three Queens stood their ground, their collective power halting the vanguard of the deep.
Raiden Ei watched from the summit, a small smile on her lips. "They are impressive... but Beisht is a consort of a Demon God. She won't be defeated so easily."
As if to prove her point, the ocean exploded upward. Five massive heads emerged from the foam, eyes glowing with murderous intent. Beisht had arrived.
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