Chapter 98: Just Suck It Out
"Hah... How cunning of you, Focalors."
After hearing Focalors’s entire plan, Neuvillette’s heart was filled with a mix of emotions. He felt no joy at the prospect of his full draconic authority being restored, only a profound sadness.
At the same time, the rain in Fontaine intensified.
Although Focalors’s plan had been a massive gamble, there was no doubt she had succeeded. Neuvillette knew in his heart that he would have been incapable of delivering a guilty verdict. If he had been even a little more indifferent, Focalors’s plan would have failed at the final step, even if he had regained his full authority.
"Neuvillette, I will make sure you regain your complete draconic authority," Furina promised, patting her chest. With the power of an Emanator of Preservation, she no longer needed to exchange for the authority herself. The points required for an incomplete authority were cheaper than for a complete one, and Neuvillette didn’t need the whole thing—just the part that was missing.
Neuvillette said nothing. At this point, he just wanted to be left alone.
"Hmm ♪? Kenji, is that... the aura of a consciousness inside this fragment?"
Elysia looked at the God-Shattering Sword fragment in Kenji’s hand. Although it was still very weak, she could feel a flame burning within it, one that was unyielding, warm, and gentle...
"The consciousness inside belongs to Himeko," Kenji nodded. "It was just a remnant before, but I’ve been nurturing it with my starlight energy. Now, it’s no longer a candle in the wind."
He had sensed it the moment he first touched the sword fragment. What he didn’t understand was how a piece of a blade could preserve a conscious remnant, whereas usually, only a Herrscher Core could. Kenji planned to try and restore this remnant, then use it as a coordinate to find the Earth of the Honkai world.
"She must have been a very passionate and gentle person, right ♪?" Elysia asked with a smile.
Himeko looks at you gently, saying no more.
"We have time now. Teyvat has seven nations, so we can visit the others."
First Sumeru, then Inazuma. As the avatar of Irminsul, even after Greater Lord Rukkhadevata perished, a sliver of her consciousness remained within Irminsul’s space. Similarly, Raiden Makoto had left a faint will within the Plane of Euthymia.
As for The Hour of Judgment... if the Raiden Shogun won’t make it for me, then she can’t blame me for what comes next. Ei, you don’t want to be unable to see your sister Makoto again, do you?
Although he could exchange for it in the chat group, it was better to save points where he could by getting it directly from the source.
"Count me in! I’ve never been out of the country before!" Furina said, raising her hand. The reason she had never left before was her fear of being identified by the gods of other nations. But now? If they found her out, so be it. Since Focalors was out, she could give the title of Hydro Archon back to her and go live her own carefree life.
And if Focalors disagreed? Well, Furina knew a thing or two about fisticuffs.
"Alright. Just make sure to let Focalors and the others know," Kenji said without objection. It was time for Fufu to have some fun and be a carefree, silly roe deer.
"So many mosquitoes."
Upon entering Sumeru, they found the climate was perfect for mosquito breeding. You didn’t see them in the game, but in reality, all sorts of insects lived here, including mosquitoes the length of a finger. The local water and soil certainly nurtured some impressive local mosquitoes.
"Allow me! Power of Preservation!" Furina directly cast a water-blue crystalline shield around the three of them. Since she was a Hydro user, her shield also had watery elemental characteristics.
A giant mosquito crashed into the shield and was instantly turned to dust by the rebound force.
The Preservation Crystal Wall: You think you’re the ghostflame train driven by the Ghostflame Star God?
Using a cannon to kill a mosquito? Kenji’s mouth twitched. The power of an Emanator suddenly felt a bit cheap. Still, it was very effective. The insects wouldn’t be bothering them anymore.
"The Hydro Archon of Fontaine... why have you entered Sumeru?"
A voice that only they could hear rang out. Kenji smiled. The remnant consciousness of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata couldn’t sit still after all. An Emanator of Preservation entering Sumeru was the equivalent of someone bringing a nuke for a tour of your house.
"Who’s there?" Furina had never met Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, so she didn’t recognize the voice, but she sensed no malice in it.
"I am Buer. If you don’t mind, please come in for a chat."
A spatial vortex appeared in front of them, leading to the space within Irminsul. In principle, no one besides a being like Rukkhadevata could enter, but Furina represented the principle now. Through Irminsul, Rukkhadevata knew that Furina now possessed the power to overturn Teyvat. She could even feel Irminsul itself admitting defeat, which made her want to laugh and cry at the same time.
Irminsul: Lady Furina, right this way, please.
The group entered the space within Irminsul and saw a young girl standing there. She had white hair with green highlights, and her emerald eyes had clover-shaped pupils. It wasn’t the loli form of Nahida. Kenji was a bit surprised. This version of Rukkhadevata was somewhere between an adult and a child. Her eyes seemed to hold wisdom as vast as the sea, as well as a divine compassion for all humanity. The first Dendro Archon, Buer, avatar of Irminsul, was a truly special existence among the gods.
"Greetings, travelers from beyond this world, and the Hydro Archon of Fontaine," Buer said.
"You’re Greater Lord Rukkhadevata?" Furina’s brow furrowed. She could sense a very detestable aura on her. The aura of the Abyss?
"Barely," Buer shook her head slowly. "I am but a sliver of Buer’s consciousness."
"What have you come to Sumeru for?" Buer asked, getting straight to the point.
"Just taking a stroll. And to see you, while we’re at it," Kenji said. "Do you want to live, or do you want to die?"
"Honorable guest, I am tainted with Forbidden Knowledge," Buer said softly. "If I do not disappear, the Forbidden Knowledge will never be completely erased from Irminsul." Forgetting her alone could save many more people.
"Forbidden Knowledge? Just suck it out and you’ll be fine."
Kenji stepped forward. "This time, no one will forget you." He leaned down and kissed her. It was soft and tender, with a unique, fresh scent of plants. This was a necessary procedure. He hadn’t expected to actually be able to kiss her, let alone for it to feel real. Wasn’t Buer just a consciousness right now? Why?
Well, whatever. First, let’s suck out the Forbidden Knowledge.
The so-called Forbidden Knowledge tasted mediocre. His Gourmet Cells weren’t very fond of it, but they could digest it. Whether it was Forbidden Knowledge or Forbidden Postures, they could take it up with his Gourmet Cells.
Forbidden Knowledge: Gasp! Save me, Lord of Dendro! I don’t want to die!
Corrupt Kenji? Impossible. It was directly refined into nothing. This is a monster! Ahh, it’s over for me!
The Forbidden Knowledge was quite stubborn. Hurry up and come over here.
(Ehehe♪, when I gave Kenji a lap pillow, no one noticed that I kissed him. The little Herta puppet doesn’t count as a person.)
Elysia’s eyes widened. So "sucking it out" was meant in the most literal, physical sense. Forbidden Knowledge probably doesn’t affect a Herrscher, right?
Furina’s face turned beet red. She turned her head away, but her eyes uncontrollably peeked back. The allure of "Forbidden" Knowledge was not so easily resisted. So far, she had only read about such things in novels. But Kenji is already with Big Sis Elysia... is he a scum man from a novel? Will Big Sis Elysia be heartbroken?
My first kiss... is it gone just like that?
Buer’s cheeks were flushed, and a watery mist clouded her eyes. Her consciousness was experiencing a rapidly beating heart. She could feel the Forbidden Knowledge entering Kenji’s body. Worried he would be harmed, she tried to push him away, but her feeble strength was nothing. The torment of the Forbidden Knowledge was fading, and he seemed to be fine. This was an otherworldly substance that even the gods found troublesome.
Buer slowly closed her eyes. Oh, well. Half of the Forbidden Knowledge is already gone. Can’t stop halfway.
Two lightbulbs shone brightly in the background.
Elysia: I feel a bit redundant standing here. But if it were the three of us...
Furina: Just one more peek. Seriously, just one more peek.