"Using the last remnants of my consciousness to manipulate the Irminsul one final time, I will purge the Forbidden Knowledge gnawing at its roots. Though it won't be completely eradicated, the time bought will be enough for Nahida to find another solution."
The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata repeated what she intended to do. After hearing this, Rover responded cautiously:
"I think we should go to the Irminsul first, assess the situation, and then make a judgment."
Nahida also nodded slightly. She did not wish to part with the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata so soon after meeting her.
Once they had agreed, everyone's consciousness returned to the real world. The glow in the Knowledge Capsule Nahida held had faded, but a small orb of light had appeared in its place.
"Then let us set off for the Irminsul!"
...
"You shouldn't have come here, brother."
Lumine sighed. After ensuring everything was in order, she turned to face Aether, who had followed her all this way.
"How did you get in?"
Aether slowly drew his Dull Blade and pointed it at the Abyss Herald beside him.
"Intoxicating Aroma. I'm very sensitive to this scent. To fully acclimate to it, I keep an incense burner with this fragrance in my room."
Lumine's gaze gradually turned cold.
"Restrain my brother, Aether. Remember—do not kill him."
The frigid look in her eyes sent a shiver down the Abyss Herald's spine. It hastily nodded and raised the blades on its arms, advancing toward Aether.
"Brother, you won't understand my struggles. Whether it's the end of this journey or the future, everything must proceed according to the predetermined path. No matter how the Irminsul is affected, Rover must die here!"
Aether could see the deep helplessness in Lumine, but he, too, had convictions he refused to abandon. Paimon, who had remained silent during the siblings' conversation—since this was yet another reunion—could no longer hold back and spoke up for Aether.
"Must Aether only walk the path you've designed for him? Your need for control is truly suffocating!"
Lumine clenched her fists. She wanted to refute this instinctively but ultimately held back.
...
"Scaramouche? Why are you here...?"
Nahida, walking at the front, froze once more. After entering the space where the Irminsul resided and following its roots to the deepest part, she found a familiar figure already waiting there.
"Rover, I've been waiting for you."
Scaramouche smirked, raising a hand wreathed in dark energy. Purple veins crawled across his face, their cracks emitting a faint glow that dispersed into the air.
Rover frowned, drew his blade, and stepped forward, confronting Scaramouche.
"This familiar presence... Forbidden Knowledge?!"
Nahida was already shocked, and the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's tone was equally grave.
With her vast experience, the Greater Lord immediately recognized Scaramouche's current state.
"It seems this puppet has used a special method to integrate Forbidden Knowledge into his body, making it his own... Hmm... And the Abyss's aura..."
Indeed, Rover sensed it too.
Scaramouche's body contained not just three types of energy—Anemo, Delusion, and Forbidden Knowledge—but also the Abyss. Moreover, the Abyss seemed to reside in his mind, actively shielding him from the corruption of Forbidden Knowledge.
"So, there exists power in this world greater than that of the gods. What the gods fear is precisely what can slay them. And you, Rover—I remember the humiliation you dealt me twice before. I won't kill you. I'll torment you for eternity."
Scaramouche reveled in it, just as he had during his ascension to godhood, intoxicated by the shock in the eyes of the divine. But unfortunately, Rover's expression remained unchanged, showing only a hint of solemnity.
"Rover, be careful. Do not touch even a trace of Forbidden Knowledge. If you do, you'll lose your mind."
Nahida whispered the warning, and Rover nodded slightly.
The next moment, Scaramouche struck first, raising his hand to send several sharp blades of blackened wind hurtling toward Rover.
Rover reacted swiftly, firing several Havoc-infused arrows from his crossbow. The two forces collided, unleashing a massive shockwave.
Suddenly, Rover moved. Lightning erupted from his arm as he blinked behind Scaramouche.
Scaramouche stomped his foot, unleashing the full power of Forbidden Knowledge within him. Rover countered by slashing with his blade.
A violet shockwave surged forth, but Rover maintained his offensive. By then, he had already cloaked his entire body in Havoc, the black flames on his blade slicing deep into Scaramouche's shoulder.
Yet Scaramouche remained unfazed, watching Rover's movements with mocking amusement, as if observing a clown.
Rover tightened his grip on the hilt and forcefully severed one of Scaramouche's arms. The Havoc energy immediately began corroding his body from the wound.
Scaramouche's grin widened as he willingly shed the infected flesh, allowing the power of Forbidden Knowledge to fully regenerate his body.
"You can't kill me, Rover. As long as the Forbidden Knowledge beneath the Irminsul remains, I will never die."
Scaramouche spread his arms and laughed, taunting them with the truth. What did it matter if they knew his weakness? Would they dare lay a hand on the Irminsul?
Rover also felt a hint of frustration. He leaped into the air, condensing a spear of pure Havoc in his palm, and hurled it at Scaramouche with blinding speed.
Scaramouche didn't dodge. He relished watching his prey struggle in despair.
Thus, Scaramouche was impaled against the trunk of the Irminsul.
To prevent him from breaking free, Verina used vines to bind his body tightly, the Spectro energy within them paralyzing his limbs.
At the very least, this bought them some time to think.
"Is there any way?"
Rover looked to Nahida, who was still deep in thought. Even the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was uncharacteristically silent.
Seeing both gods lost in contemplation, Rover turned his attention to the roots of the Irminsul. But at a glance, he already knew the answer.
It would be extremely difficult to destroy.
It wasn't that Forbidden Knowledge couldn't be devoured by Havoc, but rather that it had completely fused with the roots. To truly eradicate it, they would have to purge not just the roots but also the trunk and every branch of the canopy—leaving no trace behind.
Nahida looked at Verina, who sensed her gaze and turned to meet it.
Verina slightly parted her lips. She could see the resolve hardening in Nahida's eyes. But she said nothing, instead offering an encouraging look—as if to say, Go on. I believe in you.
"I want to burn the entire Irminsul."
The moment these words left her mouth, even Rover was taken aback. He did not question the god before him but instead seriously considered the feasibility of such a plan.
The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata immediately understood what Nahida intended to do. She couldn't help but say with sorrow:
"My child, have you... truly thought this through? If you do this..."
Nahida nodded firmly and took out the small blue flower she always carried with her. It remained in full bloom, as beautiful as ever.
"Verina once told me to be like this lovely little flower—to always present my best self to the world.
I know I am not the most competent god, nor am I one skilled in combat.
But I have the determination to protect Sumeru and Teyvat, just as you once did.
So, just as a flower must eventually bloom, I, as a god, have reached the most critical decision of my existence.
Rover, burn the tree."
Rover did not act immediately. He needed to fully understand the situation, so he turned to the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
She explained to him:
"As part of the Irminsul, Nahida can inherit all its functions and the memories of the ley lines. When the current Irminsul is burned, I can use my authority to transfer its essence to Nahida. But the memories of Teyvat span countless millennia—they will inevitably strip Nahida of all her humanity and divinity, reducing her to something like the Irminsul before us: a mere vessel that collects the memories of the ley lines.
In other words, this is trading Nahida's life for the rebirth of the Irminsul. It is... a form of reincarnation."
Verina stepped forward and joined Nahida in holding the small blue flower.
"No matter what, I will always remember you."
Rover understood. Now was not the time for sentimentality. He quickly picked up a fallen branch from the canopy and ignited it with black flames of Havoc.
"I ask you once more, Lesser Lord Kusanali—are you certain?"
Nahida smiled, clutching the flower Verina had given her tightly. Instead of answering, she pressed her lips together and nodded firmly.
This time, she could finally stand tall—as a god should—and make the decision befitting a ruler of a nation.
"I am ready. I, the Lesser Lord Kusanali, am willing to sacrifice myself for the future of Sumeru and Teyvat!
This is what I, the God of Wisdom Buer, must do."