Genshin Impact: Strength Through Bonds [181]

Time passed, and it was already deep into the night.

Moonlight poured in through the window.

In the vase, a branch that Ren had brought was placed.

A delicate bloom, quietly beginning to unfurl.

At last, it was about to flower.

"Mm…"

A small figure curled up beneath the blankets suddenly trembled.

"Big Brother…!"

In the silent room, muffled breaths broke through the stillness.

Nahida's eyes were tightly shut, as if she was enduring unbearable pain.

No… No, this isn't right.

That recurring dream was coming for her again.

"I… I can't keep running away…"

Half-conscious, Nahida raised a hand to her forehead, feeling the fine beads of sweat gathered there.

So hot.

She threw off the blanket. The cool night air helped clear her muddled thoughts a little.

She opened her eyes.

The ceiling reflected the cold, frost-like glow of the moon.

Nahida clutched at her chest, curling in on herself.

"Ugh…!"

She was burning up, her entire body on the verge of melting.

That pain she had felt earlier in the day—

It was happening again.

"Big Brother…"

Her gaze instinctively turned in a certain direction.

There, Ren lay fast asleep.

Nahida reached out, wanting to touch her sun.

If she could just get there… everything would be alright.

Thud.

Suddenly, her unsteady steps failed her, and she fell to the floor.

Something had tripped her.

In the darkness, the sweat dripping from her body gleamed like scattered pearls.

"This is…!"

On instinct, Nahida pulled at the buttons of her nightwear.

She tried to lift her arms, but an unfamiliar tightness gripped her entire body.

Her clothes… had shrunk.

An illusion?

No… this wasn't an illusion.

By her legs, long strands of white hair cascaded down like a waterfall, damp with cold sweat.

"My hair… it's grown longer."

A gleam of divine light flickered within Nahida's emerald eyes.

Struggling against her trembling limbs, she managed to remove her nightwear, forcing herself upright.

The last layer of covering slipped away, revealing an unblemished, breathtakingly pure form—like the morning dew nestled deep within a forest, untouched by any impurities.

The moonlight illuminated a delicate white-haired girl—

No.

Now, it was a young woman's body, glistening with a soft, radiant glow.

But the unbearable heat still burned within her.

"Big Brother…"

Nahida parted her lips.

Her once childlike voice had transformed—now light and melodious, like a clear spring trickling through the woods.

In her new form, Nahida hesitantly lifted a leg—

Stepping forward.

And closing the distance between herself and Ren.

"…"

Nahida's eyes slowly widened, her flushed cheeks blossoming into an exquisite smile.

She wanted to share this overwhelming joy with her one and only sun.

Under the moonlight, like a small cat, she crept toward Ren.

"Big Brother…"

Nahida lifted a hand, intending to give him a gentle nudge.

But clearly, she hadn't yet adjusted to her ever-changing body.

"Ah—!"

She let out a soft yelp.

A new, unfamiliar weight at her chest threw her off balance just as she raised her arm.

What… is this?

For once, the God of Wisdom found herself unable to comprehend.

The next moment, her body lost all strength.

Thud.

Without any barrier between them, Nahida collapsed directly onto Ren.

For a moment, the entire world seemed to sway.

"!"

Bathed in moonlight, Nahida froze.

Her upper body bounced slightly from the impact.

"Mm… mmph—"

Ren stirred, sensing something.

In his dream, it felt as if he had plunged headfirst into a sea of soft, milky-white moonlight—

He could barely breathe!

"Big Brother, Nahida has grown up."

Nahida let out a soft chuckle, whispering.

The warmth surrounding Ren finally loosened its hold.

But her chest still felt hot and stifled.

She reached out with both hands.

"Wake up… Look at Nahida."

Nahida cupped Ren's face in her hands, her voice filled with excitement.

Under the moonlight, her fair hands had grown long and slender.

"…"

A realization dawned upon her—

She had grown again.

On instinct, she looked down, only to find something obstructing her view.

Just then, a full-length mirror in the distance caught her attention.

"I… am…"

Nahida gently traced her fingers over her face.

The breathtaking woman reflected in the mirror moved as she did, her expression frozen in shock.

That face was all too familiar.

Her body—

Had transformed into…!

"Greater Lord Rukkhadevata?!"

Nahida's breath hitched.

She turned her head sharply toward the window.

That chilling voice just now—

It hadn't come from her!

Crack—!

A piercing violet light swallowed the once-gentle moonlight.

And it illuminated Nahida's face.

Her slightly widened emerald eyes reflected the figure standing before her—

Wielding a blade of lightning, her violet hair flowing as if caught in an invisible breeze.

"What were you trying to do to Ren?!"

The air froze in an instant.

She was the embodiment of thunder's wrath.

One of the Seven who governed the world—

The Raiden Shogun.

She had left Tenshukaku, arriving here the very moment she sensed something amiss.

She had only intended to take a brief glance at Ren before quietly leaving.

But instead, she saw a white-haired woman—completely bare.

And that woman was none other than the first Dendro Archon—

The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.

Ren… had already been subdued by her.

Even in his unconscious state, his expression was one of distress—

He was struggling to breathe!

"Are you choosing to become my enemy?"

Overcome with emotion, Ei drew her Musou Isshin without hesitation.

There was no time to question how the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had appeared.

"I was just—"

Nahida shook her head, about to explain.

Crack—!

But the only answer she received was the crackling of thunder.

"Step away from Ren."

Ei raised her blade, her tone cold as ice.

Ren wasn't harmed—

That was the only reason she was holding back.

"I…"

Faced with the terrifying might of the Raiden Shogun, Nahida bit her lip.

Her divine form had taken on the appearance of the Great Tree King.

But her power—

Remained unstable.

And yet, even so—

Nahida slowly lowered her head, her hands clenching into fists.

Ren was her only source of warmth.

"No."

She lifted her face again, determination blazing in her eyes.

"I refuse to give up my sun to you!"

Boom!

The moment her words fell—

Thunder roared over Narukami Island.

Ei's pupils contracted, violet light gathering around her.

In an instant, a terrifying slash was about to descend—!

"…"

The little Dendro Archon gathered all her strength, ready to face it head-on.

Even if she knew she couldn't win—

She would still—!

Just then, a gentle voice whispered in her ear.

"Are you afraid, little sprout?"

Nahida's expression shifted.

The world around her stilled.

She had entered a dream.

At the same time—

A vast forest stretched out before her.

"Hello, child."

Suddenly, someone patted her shoulder from behind.

"You are…?"

Nahida turned, only to be met with an all-too-familiar figure.

The clear waters beneath her feet rippled.

Two identical figures wavered, as if about to merge.

"The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata…?"

Nahida murmured, her emotions tangled.

"Who are you?"

The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata gently embraced Nahida, her voice soft.

"I'm sorry we had to meet like this.

These past centuries… they must have been lonely for you."

"…I wasn't lonely."

Nahida whispered.

"I found my sun."

She smiled warmly.

Then, she wrapped her arms around herself, falling into a long silence.

"By the way—"

"This is our first time meeting. My name is Nahida."

Nahida stepped back from the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's embrace.

"Hello, little one of the forest."

The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's gaze was filled with fondness.

"…Are you my mother?" Nahida asked.

"You are me, but I am not you."

The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata nodded—then shook her head.

She was meant to be forgotten by the world.

That was how it should have been.

But Ren's presence had disrupted everything.

"…Heh."

Nahida slowly crouched down, letting the water engulf her.

The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata gently embraced her from behind.

"I will help you keep your sun by your side."

She smiled.

"No."

Nahida softly grasped her hand.

"He is our sun."

The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata paused for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes. Our sun."

…

The dream lasted only for a moment.

When Nahida lifted her face once more, meeting Ei's gaze—

A brilliant divine light flared in her emerald eyes.

It was the authority of one of the Seven—

The power of the first Dendro Archon!

The battle between two gods—

Was about to begin.

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T/N: look im fucking evil cliffhanger time.