A/N: Warning! this is a time skip. since if I will write as well the Liyue, Inazuma & Sumeru Arcs it will be over 100 chapters just to proceed with the next step which will introduce the other members.
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"...Ughhh, I'm tired. So tired." someone groaned, slumping face-first onto the table without a shred of elegance.
"There, there, Fufu~ You did great today," Elysia cooed, gently patting her on the back like comforting a sulky child.
"That's pretty sloppy for the so-called Hydro Archon," Kiana teased, taking another bite of cake. "Aren't you supposed to be the face of Fontaine?"
Lumine blinked, pulled from her thoughts. Her mind had been drifting months back to when they left Mondstadt, before their journey led them here: Palais Mermonia, seated with none other than Fontaine's dramatic Hydro Archon, Furina de Fontaine.
"...It's fine. It's just us here," Furina muttered, still slumped over the table like a lifeless doll.
Kiana, staring at Furina. "Seriously, what is it with gods in this world? One's a lazy bard, another shops without Mora, and then you've got shut-in otakus."
"Ahaha! At least Nahida and Buer seem relatively normal," Elysia chuckled.
Kiana raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? One became the consciousness of Irminsul, and the other was locked away."
Elysia blinked. "...When you put it like that, it really does sound insane."
"Insane but weirdly fitting," Kiana muttered, poking her fork into her cake again. "I guess that's just the kind of story we are."
"...Just what kind of adventures did you all go through?" Furina asked, blinking in disbelief at the stream of ridiculous stories.
Kiana and Elysia exchanged a knowing look before grinning in sync. "You know… some totally normal, absolutely insane stuff~" they said at the same time.
Furina stared at them, utterly deadpan. She slowly turned to Nahida, who was watching them with curious eyes. "Are they always like this?"
"Ehehe, give it a little time, Senior Furina. You'll get used to it," Nahida said cheerfully, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Honestly, it's been a chaotic journey… but fun," Lumine added warmly as she joined them. "Definitely never boring."
Furina let out a soft sigh as she sat upright, just in time for Lumine to place the freshly brewed tea on the table.
"Thank you, Lumine," she said, reaching for her cup. The others also thanked her before taking a careful sip.
Lumine simply smiled, brushing her hair behind her ear before settling into the seat beside them.
"By the way," Furina asked, glancing around the room. "Where are Noah and Miss A? I haven't seen them since earlier."
"They're with Buer," Kiana replied, stretching a little in her chair. "Captain and Achan are finalizing the details for the plan with her help."
"They're conducting a series of experiments with the Origin Crystal," Nahida added, gently blowing on her tea. "It's to make sure the plan to save Fontaine from the prophecy proceeds smoothly."
"I see…" Furina nodded slowly. "Is there anything we can do to help them?"
Nahida tilted her head in thought for a moment, then gently shook it.
"According to the calculations of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, along with big brother Noah and sister Alice, the plan to turn Mr. Neuvillette into a 'complete dragon' using the Origin Crystal as a catalyst paired with the data on the Dragon Sovereign found in Irminsul is sufficient. All that remains now is to execute it."
Furina let out a slow sigh. Even though the biggest burden on her and Focalors had been lifted thanks to Noah's group, a knot of unease still clung to her.
The idea of deceiving the Heavenly Principles… it simply is not easy as it sounds.
Then she felt familiar arms wrap around her shoulders. Furina turned only to be met with her own face. Focalors were grinning at her.
"Relax, Fufu~ I double-checked the plan. It's solid," Focalors said confidently, giving her a reassuring squeeze.
"And if by some twist it doesn't work… we still have the original option."
"…You mean the one where you die?" Furina shot her a pointed glare. "Absolutely not."
Before either could argue further, Nahida's voice gently interjected. "Ah, welcome, Senior Focalors."
"NAHIDA! you precious radish~!" Focalors squealed and dove toward her.
"Ehehe! Senior Focalors!! That tickles!" Nahida laughed as the enthusiastic Archon wrapped her up in a tight, playful hug.
Lumine smiled softly as she watched Focalors cradle Nahida with such gentle affection. This... this really made everything worth it. Smashing the Akademiya into dust doesn't sound so bad after all.
"This is such a heartwarming sight, isn't it?" Elysia beamed, snapping a photo with a spark in her eyes. "Two gods, one hug, infinite sparkle~"
"Hmph! Absolutely worth demolishing that pompous Great Sage and his Akademiya into dust," Kiana scoffed, folding her arms. "No regrets."
Lumine glanced at the two with a wry smile. Thank you, Kii... Ellie... both of you always say exactly what I'm thinking.
"Absolutely outrageous! If only we could drag those people back to Fontaine, I'd sentence them to death penalty!" Furina slammed her fist on the table, her voice sharp with righteous fury. "Imprisoning a newborn, even if it's a god? That crosses every line!"
"Fufu's right!!! Those self-proclaimed 'heralds of wisdom' had no conscience at all!" Focalors added, her voice just as fierce. "Neuvillette really held us back on that one… tch."
Lumine gently set her teacup down, trying to cool the rising emotions for the two Hydro Archons. "We feel the same way, believe me. But right now, Fontaine isn't in the position to act on something that happened outside your jurisdiction. What happened in Sumeru… it's a wound we're helping heal. One step at a time."
"Ehehe, thank you both! But Nahida is okay now," the little Archon said, still curled up in Focalors' arms. "Big brother and all the big sisters… they saved me and even the Greater Lord too."
Kiana let out a small sigh, then turned to Elysia with a half-smile. "Good thing Ellie has this Origin Crystal, plus being a Pathstrider of Remembrance… and with Captain's Void Archives mimicking the Key of Sentience, we were able to save Buer's remaining consciousness. And we were even able to remove the 'forbidden knowledge' from Irminsul cleanly."
"Ehehe~ it really was a team effort," Elysia replied, cheeks pink from the praise. "Besides, thanks to Achan's help, we found a way better than just erasing Buer along with the corruption."
"If Noah were here," Lumine said with a small grin, "he'd probably say it was thanks to Kii's innocent heart. You're the only one who could see the Aranara, which led us to the dead zone, then learning the truth about Buer from the Aranara, then to searching for the new Dendro Archon who turned out to be imprisoned and finally, all the way to Irminsul to save her."
Kiana froze mid-bite, her cheeks twitching. "...Are you praising me or just calling me childish?"
"Hehehe, of course we're praising you," Elysia chimed in with a playful wink. "Your ever-childlike heart didn't just save the Aranaras, it saved Nahida, Buer, and even Sumeru."
"Yes! Both Nahida and the Greater Lord are truly grateful to you, Big Sister Kiana!" Nahida added enthusiastically. "It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say your innocent heart saved Teyvat itself!"
"Nahidaaaa~!" Kiana suddenly lunged forward, snatching Nahida from Focalors' arms and squeezing her tight. "Don't ever change, you precious little radish!"
"Ehehe~ Big Sister Kiana, stop! It tickles!" Nahida giggled, but her radiant smile said she didn't mind one bit.
Watching Kiana and Nahida play together warmed the hearts of Furina, Focalors, Elysia, and Lumine alike.
"Ehehe~ Captain is so going to regret missing this precious moment," Elysia grinned as she quickly snapped a photo with her device.
Lumine sipped her tea, her eyes calm but amused. "I can already picture his face freezing when you show him that."
"Ahahaha! He'll act all composed, but deep down? Totally dying inside from regret," Elysia said with a mischievous grin.
"…Careful, Ellie," Lumine added with a teasing smile. "He might get back at you. Remember what happened in Inazuma? That miko dress? All because you teased him too much."
Elysia's smile froze, and her cheeks turned bright red just thinking about that moment. She slowly put down her camera, eyeing Lumine warily.
"...You're not gonna tell Noah about that, right?"
Lumine responded with a dazzling, innocent smile.
"Lumi?! You wouldn't!!" Elysia gasped.
Lumine chuckled softly, her gaze shifting toward the afternoon sunlight pouring through the window.
After all the fighting against the Abyss in Liyue and Inazuma... a peaceful day like this really did feel like a gift.
"Lumi! I'll give you my cakes, even my secret stash of Noah cookies! Just please don't tell Captain what I was thinking earlier!" Elysia whimpered, practically hugging Lumine's waist in desperation.
"Hmmm~ That's a tempting offer…" Lumine replied, tapping her chin with mock curiosity. "But I don't know… this kind of intel is worth a lot."
"Lumi!! My precious sister!! Don't do this to me!!" Elysia cried, squeezing her tighter. "I swear, I'll melt in embarrassment again!"
"It's kind of fine, right?" Kiana chimed in with a nonchalant tone. "I mean, if you didn't melt here in Fontaine, how else would you complete Captain's collection of 'Elysia's Embarrassing Moments – Teyvat Edition'?"
"W-WHAT?!" Elysia froze. "K-Kii?! What collection?! Since when?!"
"Captain has your embarrassing photos saved on his phone," Kiana said casually, gently adjusting Nahida in her arms. "Remember in Mondstadt? Our first day after meeting Rostam and Rosalind? When those two bowed to you, and suddenly the townsfolk thought you were some kind of saint, herald of love, or goddess blessing couples?"
"Ohoho~?" Furina's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "A blessing, you say?"
Focalors leaned in with a playful smirk. "I demand to witness this miracle of romance."
Even Nahida giggled, her eyes shining. "Sister Elysia was a love goddess? That sounds adorable~"
"AS IF I CAN DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT!!" Elysia cried out with a mix of panic and frustration.
"Then there were those Treasure Hoarders who purposely committed petty crimes just so they could get caught and scolded by you," Kiana said, resting her chin on her hand. "You lectured one of them so hard, he ended up bawling and swore he'd live a clean life from then on."
"'We are Lady Elysia's Dogs!'" Lumine echoed with a deadpan tone, mimicking the bizarre chant. "They kept bowing like you were some divine priestess."
"And then there's that time in Inazuma," Kiana continued with a smirk, "when a new religion almost started after you wore that miko outfit."
Elysia shudders and buried her face in her hands.
"Lastly, when that time Achan tricked you into wearing a teacher cosplay to fluster Captain back at the new Akademiya," Kiana added. "The students saw it, and before you knew it—bam, you were famous again."
Elysia groaned, holding her head as a visible twitch ran through her cheek. "I was just trying to inspire good study habits… and maybe get a blush from Noah.... just how did that turn into that?!"
"Ah!" Furina suddenly gasped, tapping her fist to her palm.
The others turned to look at her.
Furina gave a sheepish smile. "That reminded me… there's actually a rumor going around in the Court of Fontaine."
"Rumor?" Lumine tilted her head, curious.
"Well, you see… you were the ones who exposed those nobles who framed the Melusine Carol, right?" Furina asked, swirling her teacup thoughtfully.
"Yeah, that was us," Kiana replied, blinking at the sudden question. "Honestly, it was thanks to Nahida's sharp reasoning we caught them before things went south."
"Ehehe… it really wasn't much," Nahida murmured, rubbing the back of her head with a sheepish smile.
"...Please don't tell me…" Elysia slowly turned her gaze toward Furina in suspicion.
"Ah! That rumor?" Focalors suddenly perked up. "I heard about that too!"
Without missing a beat, Focalors leapt to her feet and struck a dramatic pose, pointing toward the ceiling.
"For justice and truth, Detective Pink Elf shall uncover this mystery!"
"Pfft—!" Lumine couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.
"Wahahahaha!!" Kiana joined in without hesitation, practically falling off her chair.
"Whaaaa! Let me sink into the deepest sea already!!" Elysia cried as she curled up into a ball, hiding her flushed face with both hands.
Nahida giggled quietly, covering her mouth. Even Furina, who tried to keep a straight face, couldn't hide the amusement in her heterochromatic eyes.
"NOAAAH!! SAVE ME!!!" Elysia screamed toward the window, forgetting entirely that he was the one who collected all of her most embarrassing moments.
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"Achoo!!" Noah sneezed suddenly, breaking the silence in Irminsul as the glowing stream of data from the simulation of the plan to save Fontaine played.
"Captain, are you alright?" Buer, who looks like a teenage version of Nahida, turned to him with concern in her voice.
"Yeah... probably someone talking about me," Noah muttered, rubbing his nose.
"Hmmm~ Definitely Kii-chan and the others! We've only been gone a couple hours, and they already miss us!" Miss A chirped, grinning. "Honestly, what are we going to do with that clingy family~?"
Noah chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Let's finish this up so we can get back to them before they start causing another scene."
"Haaaai~!" Buer and Miss A responded in unison, their eyes returning to the floating data as they refocused on the simulation before them.
Buer or commonly known as Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was the former Dendro Archon of Sumeru. She sacrificed herself during the Khaenri'ah cataclysm two years ago to erase the widespread corruption of Abyss and Forbidden knowledge in Teyvat. Though her efforts mostly cleansed it, she herself was tainted by the Forbidden Knowledge. In her final act, she broke the purest branch of Irminsul and used it to reincarnate as Nahida. Before vanishing, she left behind a trace of her consciousness in Irminsul as a clue, hoping Nahida can use it on how to remove the remaining taint.
Yet, instead of the original future she planned where she will be forgotten, Buer was saved. Through the combined efforts of Noah, Elysia, Miss A, and Nahida, not only was her remaining ego recovered but the Forbidden Knowledge itself was completely removed.
Noah used Void Archives to mimic the Key of Sentience and carefully transfer the remaining consciousness of Buer into the memory feather. Meanwhile, Elysia summoned her memosprite, Waltz, a pink manta ray that embodied her Concept of Origin. Working together, they separated the tainted parts from Irminsul and sealed them safely within the Origin Crystal.
With Miss A and Nahida's help, Noah slowly restored Buer's fragmented ego, piece by piece, until her sense of self was whole again.
Now, even without a physical form, Buer lives on as the avatar of Irminsul. After the crimes of the Great Sage and the Akademiya were revealed, particularly the unjust imprisonment of a newborn god, Noah, who was recognized by both Buer and Nahida as their sage, led the mission to dismantle the corrupt system and rebuild a better future for Sumeru.
Nahida joined Noah and the others under the guise of wanting to learn more about the outside world. Together, they helped ease the long-standing tension between the desert dwellers and the people of Sumeru.
Along the way, they uncovered the truth behind King Deshret's death and the real source of the Forbidden Knowledge that once corrupted Irminsul.
Once peace returned to Sumeru, the group set off for Fontaine—a land with its own share of troubles. But that's a story for another time.
"Hm, as expected. This plan now has a 98% success rate," Buer concluded as the hundredth simulation completed.
"Indeed. Once the grand trial of the Hydro Archon concludes and the Oratrice passes its sentence, the Origin Crystal which contains the authority of the Hydro Archon will shatter," Miss A explained with confidence. "Iudex Neuvillette will be able to gain the full power of the Dragon Sovereign. It's basically Focalors' original plan... just without the part where she dies."
"That's a relief." Noah let out a breath, his shoulders loosening slightly. "So all that's left is to wait for the right moment... and hope Neuvillette grants Fontaine its pardon."
Noticing the slight crease in his brow, Miss A gave him a playful nudge. "Relax, Captain! Trust in the power of bonds!"
Noah blinked, caught off guard by her sudden burst of energy. "...Huh?"
Miss A gave a proud nod. "Neuvillette's bond with Fontaine is already changing. We've paved the path, now we just need to trust them to walk it. Believe in them, Captain."
"…What makes you so sure this will work?" Noah looked at her, skeptical. "Don't tell me—you saw this too?"
"Nope~!" Miss A replied cheerfully, grinning.
"…Oi." Noah deadpanned.
"Hehehe~ Honestly, even I was not sure anymore about how things will play out. You've already changed the fates of so many people since arriving in Teyvat," Miss A said with a shrug.
"I understand that," Buer added gently. "Originally… I was meant to be erased, forgotten, to disappear, so Irminsul and Teyvat could be saved. And yet now, I'm still here."
Noah exhaled through his nose, his voice low. "Yeah… I see."
"That's right, Captain! Just believe in the bonds we've made! Isn't that what you always tell us?" Miss A beamed as she hugged Noah's arm tightly. "There's nothing stronger than the connection we share with others."
"Haha… you got me there," Noah chuckled, his shoulders finally relaxing a bit. "I just hope all of this truly turns out for the better."
"It will," Miss A and Buer said in sync, both smiling.
"We believe in the future we're building together," Buer added with certainty.
Noah looked at the two of them for a moment. Then, with a soft nod and a faint smile, he replied, "Then I guess we've got nothing to fear."