...It Tastes a Bit Astringent

"...How is this possible?!"

Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was stunned.

Having the memory and consciousness of [Greater Lord Rukkhadevata] grasped like this was theoretically impossible—especially now, when she had already died, leaving only a remnant consciousness.

This was because Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was the manifestation of Irminsul's will. To put it simply, the tree beneath their feet was her true body.

This intimate connection meant possibilities like 'stripping away' or 'segmenting' didn't exist for her. If one wanted to eradicate the [Greater Lord Rukkhadevata] who was poisoning Irminsul like a lingering toxin, only Nahida, as her reincarnation and Irminsul's other administrator, possessed sufficient authority and ability to delete her existence through 'erasure'.

Yet now, Rukkhadevata could clearly feel the Irminsul that was her true body, along with the memories and remnant consciousness of [Greater Lord Rukkhadevata], being gathered and segmented by an external force. Finally... Rukkhadevata felt as if she herself had been seized by something.

"Ngh..."

A soft moan sounded nearby, identical to Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's voice—undoubtedly, it came from Nahida.

Like the Greater Lord, Fluffball was also biting her lip, her cheeks flushed crimson as if about to drip blood.

"What... what's happening?"

"...She's tampering with the source of Irminsul." Though surprised, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata endured the strange sensation and instantly saw what [Furina] was doing. Because Nahida shared the same origin as her, being a branch of Irminsul, when [Greater Lord Rukkhadevata]—the essence of Irminsul—was being manipulated, their close connection meant even the supposedly separate Nahida was affected.

Of course, to put it more simply—the two Fluffballs were currently in a state of 'shared sensation'.

"Why can Egeria's successor do something like this...?"

Although the peculiar feeling was hard for the Greater Lord to bear, her vast experience granted her a strong spirit, preventing her from collapsing into a W-sit on the spot like Nahida. Her delicate brow furrowed as she stared, bewildered, at the 'busy' [Focalors] nearby.

Even Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, when she was alive, couldn't have separated the consciousness of [Greater Lord Rukkhadevata] from Irminsul like this.

She was also certain that Egeria possessed no such means.

Otherwise, back when they dealt with the rampaging forbidden knowledge from Tunigi Hollow, they wouldn't have met such a dismal end.

...Mm! ...No, I can't let her continue!

Her mouth fell slightly open subconsciously. Feeling the inexplicable waves of impact, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, despite desperately wanting to understand what was happening, knew she had to stop Focalors' 'reckless' actions immediately.

Otherwise, something terrible might happen.

"Focalors, stop—!"

"Done~"

Just as the Greater Lord, suppressing her discomfort, tried to verbally stop Jiang Qiao, [Focalors] preemptively withdrew her hand from Irminsul. In her smooth palm, a somewhat cute, illusory little tree was faintly visible.

The moment that small tree was pulled out, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, who had been enduring with all her might, seemed to reach her limit and cried out:

"Eek—!"

Like Nahida, the 'World Fluffball' also collapsed into a W-sit.

At this moment, the Greater Lord's face was ashen, as if she had lost something incredibly important.

"Hm?"

Noticing the commotion, [Focalors] turned around. Seeing the two Fluffball sisters sitting in W-poses one after the other, she wore a strange expression.

"What's wrong with you two? Why are you sitting on the ground?"

Undoubtedly, this question provoked the shared indignation of both Fluffballs.

They glared fiercely at the culprit who had caused their embarrassment and 'miserable' state, grinding their teeth, wishing they could just bite him—but unfortunately, both Nahida and the Greater Lord could only glare with angry eyes, displaying their silent fury.

However, the blush quickly faded from Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's face as she regained her composure. Her eyes immediately fell on the 'illusory sapling' in Jiang Qiao's hand. Her eyes widened as she gasped:

"You... you pulled me out?"

There was absolutely no mistaking it—as the remnant consciousness of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, she could clearly sense the essence of that small tree.

That was [Greater Lord Rukkhadevata]. Not only did it possess all her memories, but in fact, the current Nahida-like form she presented was just an external manifestation for easier communication. Her actual entity was the tree now in Jiang Qiao's hand.

"Mhm~ Cute, right? It took quite a bit of effort to get this thing out of Irminsul." [Focalors], cradling the sapling, beamed as if showing off her prize.

It took quite a bit of effort to get this thing out of Irminsul... Hearing this, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata struggled to keep a straight face. She stared with wide, innocent-looking emerald eyes, momentarily unsure what to say.

How can a tree be cute... No, wait, Egeria's successor does have a decent eye.

Regarding the evaluation of her 'body', Greater Lord Rukkhadevata initially felt odd, but realizing it was her body made her feelings even more complex.

She hesitated for a moment, then asked seriously:

"How... did you do it?"

"You mean how I took it out?"

"Simple."

"First, find the thing you need, then 'cut' it off from the whole. Use a new carrier as its main body."

"Mah... Although the specific operation wasn't that difficult, it was actually quite troublesome."

"Speaking of which, haven't you done something similar before?"

[Focalors] gently stroked the sapling in her hand, attempting to describe the process with gestures, then pointed at Nahida, who had come back to her senses.

"That's completely different..."

The Greater Lord's lips twitched, slightly displeased.

True, Nahida was her reincarnation; one could even say she was her.

After all, she herself was the consciousness of Irminsul, and Nahida, as a newborn branch, shared the same origin.

But what Jiang Qiao did, while seemingly sound in theory, was fundamentally different from how she had created Nahida.

"Also... could you please stop touching it!"

The usually good-tempered Greater Lord Rukkhadevata puffed out her cheeks like an angry chipmunk, glaring furiously at [Focalors]. However, due to the height difference, even though [Furina]'s body was also petite, she still had to look up.

She really didn't want to get angry, but this guy... touching her body right in front of her was too much! Miss Tree Lord, who could feel the corresponding sensations on her own body, clearly couldn't just stand by while Jiang Qiao 'played' with her physical form.

"Hmm~ Could it be..."

But seeing the utterly adorable, red-faced Greater Lord, [Focalors] paused, glanced at the sapling with surprise, and then revealed a mischievous expression.

Poke~

"Ah~ Don't touch there!"

"It tickles..."

"No... not there..." Every time that slender index finger slid over a corresponding area, starting to 'touch' and 'rub', Greater Lord Rukkhadevata would bite her lip, clutching the related spot on her own body and struggling.

And [Focalors], like finding a fun new toy, used this to tease her—of course, Nahida suffered as well.

—Why does Lesser Lord Kusanali have to suffer along when Greater Lord Rukkhadevata is being pranked!

"...Playing pranks on a god, I'm going to punish you!" Miss Tree Lord, 'played' with until she puffed up like an inflatable toy, finally couldn't take it anymore. Her flushed little face was etched with two words: 'ANGER'. She then charged towards [Focalors].

I must get my body back!

Unfortunately, her attempt ended in failure.

Fluffball was stopped dead in her tracks, unable to advance an inch, as [Focalors]—Jiang Qiao—simply held her head. He smiled, "Not yet~"

One could see an ominous dark red tinge on the vibrant little tree.

It was the antithesis of life force.

"It's Forbidden Knowledge...!" Greater Lord Rukkhadevata instantly recognized the source of that strange color on her body.

"You separated it from Irminsul?!"

"Of course. After all, it's also a part of what constitutes [Greater Lord Rukkhadevata]."

"Besides, if this thing remained in Irminsul, that probably wouldn't be something you'd want to see, right?"

Greater Lord Rukkhadevata fell silent for a moment, then said sincerely:

"Playing with my body is infuriating! But... thank you."

If it had remained within Irminsul, she could only have saved the World Tree by 'eliminating Greater Lord Rukkhadevata'.

The price was too heavy, even causing the world to forget her entirely.

Honestly, this was an incredibly difficult choice for Greater Lord Rukkhadevata too.

She didn't mind if her past achievements were attributed to someone else; in her view, that might even be a good thing, as her efforts could better empower and help others.

But, if no one remembered her at all, wouldn't that be truly lonely?

But if things were like this now...

Greater Lord Rukkhadevata smiled, then made a solemn request:

"For the sake of the world, please destroy it."

Forbidden Knowledge was a 'potent poison' to Teyvat. Even though it had been separated from Irminsul, as the former God of Wisdom, she had to prevent this 'toxin' from spreading across Teyvat, as it would only bring disaster.

Therefore, even if the price was the destruction of her own body, her very self, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata didn't hesitate for a second.

Nahida shook her head violently:

"No... we can't do that... We can find another way! Since it's already separated from Irminsul, I can definitely find another method to help you get rid of the Forbidden Knowledge."

"...This is the best way. There's no need to feel sad for me. Even if I depart, your existence as my continuation represents my rebirth."

"I'm not a mature god yet! The people of Sumeru need Greater Lord Rukkhadevata more! Even if I become a better god than you in the future, right now... I still hope you can teach me..."

The two Fluffballs argued back and forth.

"Um, aren't you going to ask for my opinion?"

"Eh?... Alright, let Fontaine's God of Justice make the choice!" Nahida paused for a moment, then thought of a suitable method and proposed it.

Undoubtedly, the judgment made by the God of Justice would be the fairest—probably.

She knew it would be difficult to persuade the stubborn Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, but if another god made the decision, especially the one who had saved her, then Rukkhadevata surely wouldn't object.

Of course, Nahida was slightly worried that [Focalors] might side with Rukkhadevata.

But recalling his previous actions, she felt somewhat confident, especially—

"Focalors, please make the most just judgment. I trust the God of Justice's decision... Hmm..." Saying this, Nahida leaned close to Jiang Qiao, grabbing his hand with utmost sincerity—If you help me save the stubborn Greater Lord, letting you rua me constantly wouldn't be out of the question...

Greater Lord Rukkhadevata saw this and raised an eyebrow... Using such despicable tactics?!

...It's a bit embarrassing, but for the greater good, I'll risk it!

Thinking that her body was already in the hands of Egeria's successor anyway, and she'd already been thoroughly touched, the long-single Rukkhadevata decided she had nothing left to be reserved about and copied Fluffball's approach.

Of course, she couldn't promise constant 'rua-ing', since if that tree were truly destroyed, she'd be gone.

However, Rukkhadevata, possessing world-stunning wisdom, instantly had an idea—wasn't Nahida her reincarnation? Then they were one and the same! Since her successor was being so unreasonable, she couldn't blame her elder sister for making a small sacrifice! This was also for the people of Sumeru!

"Focalors, after I'm gone, please take good care of Nahida."

Translation: I'm mortgaging Nahida to you! Is there even a need to think about how to choose?

Nahida's eyes widened in disbelief and annoyance.

What the heck?

I sacrifice my dignity to the neighboring god to save you, and not only do you not appreciate it, you bundle me up and sell me off?! You're too much!

Fine, fine, fine! You mortgage me, then don't blame me! Like teacher, like pupil! You started it! (Literal idiom: If the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be too!)

The two Fluffballs ended up grabbing one of [Focalors]'s sleeves each, beginning their 'Sumeru Sell-a-God Treaty' that compromised their divine dignity.

It was hard to imagine that one was Sumeru's former God of Wisdom and the other the current one.

They looked more like children arguing over something trivial—

Jiang Qiao found this somewhat regrettable.

Fluffball was already remarkably childlike.

As for Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, she shouldn't have had such a childish disposition; she should have had the appearance of a child but the heart of a mature woman.

But due to the separation, although handled expertly, consolidating her essence into the small, newborn tree had somewhat affected her mentality, making her disposition match her appearance.

Being pulled by the hands by two Fluffballs should have been quite amusing, but having to act as judge, Jiang Qiao directly experienced the kind of difficulty Paris faced in the Greek myth, choosing between the three goddesses. (Context: Judgment of Paris)

However, that didn't matter.

Because regarding their dispute, Mr. Jiang Qiao had a better solution—

"I have a good method that can solve both of your problems."

"What method?" Nahida and Rukkhadevata spoke in unison.

They glared at each other, matching pouty faces on display.

—Why is the Greater Lord so stubborn!

—Why is this child Kusanali so unreasonable!

This pair, which should have been perfectly harmonious, had turned into a quarreling mother and daughter over the 'wanting to die vs. not wanting you to die' argument.

And naturally, they were very interested in the so-called solution.

After all, the God of Wisdom should resolve problems with more understanding methods, not by squabbling like elementary school girls.

What kind of gods were these? This was clearly kindergarten!

Thinking back now, even Rukkhadevata couldn't help blushing.

Under their confused and curious gazes, the diseased tree in [Focalors]'s hand instantly transformed into a small branch—since this was the world of dreams, the tree wasn't actually solid, allowing for considerable freedom in manipulating its appearance; it was merely an external manifestation.

"Watch closely~"

Holding the tiny branch before his eyes, like a magic trick, using techniques learned from Vill-V... probably magic techniques? The blue-and-white-haired 'girl' brought the branch to her lips and performed—a 'vanishing trick'.

Post-meal... magic show review:

...It tastes a bit astringent.