The flower cart swayed gently as Nahida slowly opened her bleary eyes.
The curtain of night was gradually descending over Sumeru City, adorned with countless bright stars that twinkled brilliantly, illuminating the eager gazes of the crowd.
Nahida smiled and stretched out her hand, her chubby little fingers waving even more vigorously amidst the cheers of the people.
"Nahida! Nahida!"
The children cheered as the Flower Knights ahead scattered candies.
At some point, a tear traced down the curve of Nahida's smiling lips.
On the central stage, dancers performed a ritual dedicated to Her.
Everything seemed so peaceful, yet Nahida's eyes twitched uncontrollably. She wiped her tears fiercely, but they refused to stop.
Nahida lowered her head, her hair obscuring her face, but the erratic rise and fall of her chest betrayed her trembling emotions.
When... would she truly be acknowledged by everyone?
Her stifled sobs were drowned in the cheers, yet at this moment, they rang painfully clear.
"Nahida, the day will come when everyone recognizes you."
Nahida jolted in surprise, lifting her tear-streaked face as the makeshift dream shattered with a gentle voice.
The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata reached out to Her, surrounded by countless virtual panels projected by the Akasha.
Words began to flow around Her like a river.
That was... the voices of everyone... Since when...?
Verina stepped through the floating text and patted Her head.
"So, at this final moment, don't lose yourself in the dream you created. Everyone already knows your resolve. We're all here, witnessing your brightest hour."
Rover also offered a faint smile, as if acknowledging everything Nahida had done. He nodded slightly at Her before turning his cold gaze toward the colossal Irminsul ahead.
"Civilizations flourish because of humanity's existence. History should not be tainted by forbidden knowledge, nor should it be altered at will."
Rover strode forward, raising high a torch burning with black flames.
Scaramouche, nailed to the tree trunk, widened his eyes in disbelief, staring at Rover with the gaze of a madman.
"You... you're insane!? This is Irminsul! How... how dare you!!!"
Panic seized Scaramouche as he struggled violently.
Like a judgment from the heavens, the torch traced a brilliant arc through the air before landing deep within Irminsul.
Instantly, black flames crawled up the roots, devouring everything they touched.
The inferno roared skyward, transforming the once-beautiful illusion of Irminsul into a hellscape. Countless branches burned, and falling embers crashed to the ground like fireballs.
The scorching heat warped the air, and the raging black flames surged higher and higher.
The crackling of fire filled the entire space as the blaze spread rapidly. Soon, a wave of heat surged forth, leaving only an endless sea of flames in its wake.
"Rover!!! You damned—!!!"
Like a vengeful spirit clawing its way out of hell, a flaming hand burst from the fire, followed by Scaramouche's entire body. His skin burned under the black flames as violet tendrils of forbidden knowledge corroded his mind.
His eyes turned blood-red, and his skin oozed with the filth of forbidden knowledge, evoking nausea and revulsion.
Rover hadn't expected Scaramouche to be so tenacious—and now, it seemed he was determined to fight to the death.
"Rover, thank you for everything you've done for us. Now, please..."
The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata guided the last remnants of Irminsul's power, infusing it into Rover's body before the tree was completely destroyed.
A Dendro sigil formed on Rover's arm.
"Purge this corruption completely!"
...
"Madman... a complete madman!"
Lumine staggered back, watching as the towering Irminsul was engulfed in flames. The black fire spread like locusts, consuming the world tree entirely.
Aether focused, seizing the moment to raise his hand. Dendro energy manifested, binding the Abyss Herald's legs. Then, his fingers brushed over his sword's edge, summoning a lightning blade dozens of meters long that cleaved through the Abyss Herald.
Under the thunderous strike, the Abyss Herald was obliterated without a trace.
Step by step, Aether walked up behind Lumine and looked up at the raging inferno that was Irminsul.
Just as in the dream, he had prepared himself mentally—yet the sight before him still left him stunned.
"See, brother? He's a lunatic. And you still insist on traveling with him!?"
Aether remained unmoved by Lumine's words. He raised his sword, its tip pointing at her.
Lumine's hands crackled with Abyssal energy, channeling the forbidden knowledge within. Even if Scaramouche had failed, it didn't matter—so long as she held onto a fragment of this knowledge, she could always find a way to reinfect Irminsul. Sumeru would forever be plagued by inexplicable calamities.
"Brother..."
Just a little more... just a bit more time... if only she had a little more time...
The cold edge of a blade pressed against her neck, freezing her movements. In that instant, she felt as though she had been plunged into an icy abyss.
"Sister, stop this."
Aether closed his eyes, the sword unwavering at her throat. One wrong move, and the lethal blade would pierce forward.
Cold, resolute, without the slightest hesitation... Was this still the brother she remembered?
Lumine stood frozen for a long moment. A stray ember drifted onto her cheek, its faint burn doing nothing to dispel her disbelief.
"You've changed."
She lowered her hands, her eyes reflecting only the blazing inferno and the familiar figure before her.
"And you? For the sake of so-called revenge, for Khaenri'ah, you'd harm innocent lives?"
Aether held his ground, his hand steady as he kept the blade poised.
"The people under the gods' rule deserve death! Were we not innocent too!? Since when did you, the prince, start sympathizing with them!?"
Lumine gritted her teeth, lashing out at Aether—yet she failed to realize that he had never experienced what she had.
Quickly, she reined in her out-of-control emotions.
"At the end of your journey, brother, you'll understand."
Without another word, Lumine turned and stepped through a portal, leaving only a single crystalline tear behind.
Aether sheathed his Dull Blade and sighed softly.
In the end, he still couldn't bring himself to strike her down. But...
He turned his gaze back to Irminsul. Even Paimon hovered beside him in shock.
"Will this... really be alright?"
Aether shook his head, recalling a past conversation.
"If one day I truly burn down Irminsul and become an enemy of all Teyvat, would you still believe in me?"
Aether chuckled.
"Of course. Because you're Rover, after all."
...
Rover's expression hardened once more as Scaramouche lunged at him with manic fury.
The energy swirling around his hands was chaotic, pitch-black—a single touch would be disastrous.
Yet Rover remained unfazed, effortlessly dodging each wild strike.
This power came from Irminsul itself—like the Akasha, it could predict an enemy's movements.
Though not true precognition, the real-time data calculations were near flawless.
In Rover's mind, a model of Scaramouche had already been constructed. Every attack's trajectory and endpoint were calculated with precision.
This was the power of Dendro—or rather, the power of Irminsul. One could say Rover now carried a miniature Akasha within his mind.
"Time to end this farce!"
Rover's eyes sharpened. In the split second between Scaramouche's attacks, his blade shot forward, piercing straight toward Scaramouche's chest. Releasing the hilt, Rover spun and delivered a devastating kick to his abdomen.
Scaramouche's body bent like a crumpled ball before hurtling back into the raging black flames.
"I'll be waiting for you in hell, Rover!!!"
His howls of hatred were swallowed by the inferno as Irminsul finally collapsed with a thunderous crash.
The flames purified all, leaving only ruins in their wake.
...
No one knew how much time had passed. Even the people of Sumeru held their breaths, watching through the Akasha.
Verina cradled a small blue flower, planting it upon a charred stump.
Then—a sprout emerged from the scorched earth, growing rapidly as vibrant green spread across the withered bark.
Everyone bore witness as a new Irminsul took root, untainted by forbidden knowledge or corruption.
When the tree reached its full height, a shower of starlight descended upon Sumeru City at night.
Dunyarzad sat on a bench, tears in her eyes as she basked in the warmth of the starlight—just like the countless times in her dreams when her beloved Lesser Lord Kusanali had comforted her.
The moment the starlight touched her, her illness vanished. The same happened to all those afflicted with Eleazar. This was the blessing bestowed by the Lesser Lord Kusanali, Nahida.
"I mustn't cry... I mustn't..."
Dunyarzad wiped her tears and turned to Nilou, who was equally overcome with emotion. Before she could react, the crowd had already pushed Nilou onto the stage.
"Please... dance for the Lesser Lord Kusanali once more."
A voice rose from the silent crowd, soon joined by countless others. The Grand Bazaar was packed to the brim.
Nilou pressed her lips together and nodded firmly, quickly wiping her tears before performing the dance she had prepared for so long.
At the very least... this time, during the Sabzeruz Festival, the little Dendro Archon would surely be happy!