Rukkhadevata's return greatly uplifted the spirits of all of Sumeru.
With Dottore and Scaramouche already punished by Aerin, Rukkhadevata's very first action after her revival was to thoroughly investigate the Akademiya's God Creation Project.
Aerin himself did not care much about Sumeru attempting to create a god.
However—
The moment that project involved manipulating and consuming the will and consciousness of Sumeru's people, it became an entirely different matter.
Anyone who had supported or approved the use of Sumeru citizens' will and consciousness—
All of them were sentenced to be sent back into the Ley Lines.
There was no room for mercy.
At the same time, Rukkhadevata's revival triggered a world-shaking tremor across all of Teyvat.
The dead had truly returned.
No one needed to guess who was responsible.
Everyone knew—
This was Aerin's doing.
He didn't just show terrifying power through the future projections.
He had proven that he could truly bring hope to Teyvat.
Inazuma — Grand Narukami Shrine
Freshly promoted to a Valkyrie, Yae Miko was admiring her own newly enhanced form.
In her excitement, her fox tail even flicked a few times unconsciously.
Beside her, Raiden Ei trembled slightly, disbelief filling her eyes.
"Ei? What's wrong?" Yae Miko asked curiously.
"Y-Y-Yae…"
Raiden Ei stammered, visibly shaken.
"Guess who I'm chatting with right now."
Yae Miko's gaze sharpened.
She didn't even need to think.
Combining this with Rukkhadevata's return, she swallowed and asked softly,
"…Makoto?"
Raiden Ei nodded furiously.
"No wonder Master told you all last night that he'd choose two others."
"Rukkhadevata is one… and the other is actually Makoto."
Yae Miko was equally thrilled.
Rukkhadevata's return—and Makoto's return—were merely signals.
If Aerin wished, or if he was simply in a good mood—
He could bring others back as well.
"I want to see her," Raiden Ei said, already lifting herself to open the Imaginary Space.
Yae Miko immediately grabbed her and glared.
"Didn't Master tell you not to go? Are you trying to cause trouble?"
Raiden Ei instantly deflated.
"…Then what should we do?" she asked pitifully.
Yae Miko rolled her eyes.
She endured five hundred years of loneliness, yet now she couldn't even endure a few days.
Still—understandable.
Sudden happiness often makes people impulsive.
"We'll wait until tonight," Yae Miko said.
"After the light screen ends."
Snezhnaya — The Ice Palace
The resurrected Rosalyne recounted everything she had experienced to the Tsaritsa.
The Cryo Archon listened quietly, nodding.
"So you're saying that terrifying Crimson Witch claimed she would go after Dottore and Scaramouche?"
Rosalyne nodded repeatedly.
The Tsaritsa sighed deeply.
"Then they are most likely already dead."
"They concealed the God Creation Project from me while operating in Sumeru."
"And yet… the Lord of the Woods has returned."
"You've been traveling nonstop and missed too much crucial information."
The Tsaritsa proceeded to recount everything that had occurred across Mondstadt, Liyue, Inazuma, and Sumeru.
Rosalyne was left utterly stunned.
"And another thing," the Tsaritsa continued quietly,
"I could not sense Barbatos before… but recently, his presence has returned."
Her icy eyes trembled.
"The day his aura returned… was the same day you revived."
"I suspect…"
She stopped herself.
The Gnosis collection plan had begun long ago.
She had even spoken to Morax about it in the past.
Yet now, the plan had gone completely off the rails.
A few days earlier, she had personally visited Morax in secret.
But the old fox revealed nothing about Aerin, evasively sending her away.
Even so, she sensed something deeply wrong.
When she combined that with the Mondstadt war and the strange golden light in Inazuma—
The conclusion was obvious.
"This is all because of that man… Aerin."
"For now, we can only observe."
Rosalyne had never seen the Tsaritsa so dispirited.
"My Queen…"
Rosalyne sighed with her.
To change the subject, she asked,
"Then… what about Arlecchino?"
"She went to Fontaine," the Tsaritsa replied calmly.
"The House of the Hearth is there. She worries about the children."
"And the sea level in Fontaine has been rising faster than before."
With the Gnosis plan effectively dead, the Tsaritsa no longer emphasized the Harbingers' movements.
When Arlecchino requested to return to Fontaine, she approved immediately.
"And Childe went as well."
"Why?" Rosalyne frowned.
"At a time like this, they should be guarding your side."
The Tsaritsa shrugged and—rarely—smiled.
"Childe claims something in Fontaine is calling to him."
Rosalyne's face twisted.
"What kind of nonsense is that? Fontaine calling him?"
"He must've been frightened out of his mind by recent events."
—
"Honestly, that's not wrong," Rosalyne muttered.
House of the Hearth
Arlecchino's teacup trembled in her hand as she stared at the light screen.
"…This is bad," she muttered.
"Why is that monster suddenly talking to Lynette?"
As Lynette's brother, Lyney's heart shot into his throat.
If Lynette angered Aerin—
That would be the end.
Fontaine — Harbor
A girl stood quietly by the sea.
Rather than a normal girl, she looked more like a cat-eared girl with atavistic traits.
A gentle voice sounded beside her.
"Are you all right?"
Lynette turned slightly and shook her head.
"I'm fine."
Aerin smiled.
"I thought you might be troubled… maybe considering jumping."
At the House of the Hearth, Arlecchino nearly stood up in shock.
Lyney felt his heart stop.
Lynette placed a hand over her chest.
"…Some things can only stay in the heart," she said softly.
"I was just thinking about places I used to play with my brother."
She pointed toward the sea.
"That little hill over there."
Aerin glanced over.
There was nothing left—only water.
Unfazed, Lynette continued sharing childhood memories with him.
But as the sea level continued to rise—
Those memories had all been swallowed by the ocean.
Aerin listened quietly, nodding.
Soon after, Lyney approached.
"An unfamiliar face," he said warmly.
"Are you my sister's new friend?"
"She often comes here to reminisce. You don't need to worry."
"I'm Lyney. This is my sister, Lynette."
Aerin nodded.
"I'm Aerin."
Internally, he evaluated Lyney.
No wonder Arlecchino had chosen him as her successor.
His polite demeanor made people instinctively lower their guard.
"Aerin?" Lyney repeated.
"That sounds like someone from Liyue."
Aerin nodded.
"Welcome to Fontaine," Lyney smiled.
"But I heard something happened in Liyue recently…"
Aerin lowered his voice.
"Our Geo Archon appeared in a dream and told us it was a trial from higher gods."
Lyney's voice dropped as well.
"Really?"
After Aerin explained the disappearances and reappearances—
Lyney frowned.
"That doesn't match our missing-girl cases at all."
"Missing girls?" Aerin asked, feigning surprise.
"That kind of thing wouldn't target only girls."
"But what exactly happened?"
Lyney explained the recent disappearances.
"I see," Aerin said thoughtfully, then suddenly brightened.
"I heard Fontaine has a terrifying prophecy."
"The sea level keeps rising."
"And the people of Fontaine… will dissolve in seawater."
"What if," Aerin said calmly,
"those missing girls were dissolved?"
Lyney and Lynette turned pale.
The prophecy existed—but no one truly believed people could dissolve.
Yet when Aerin said it—
It sounded disturbingly plausible.
Before they could react—
A furious voice exploded behind them.
"What are you talking about?!"
"What do you mean missing girls were dissolved by seawater?!"
"This is blatant fearmongering!"
"Are you deliberately spreading rumors to destabilize Fontaine?!"
The three turned around sharply.
Lyney gasped.
"L-Lady Furina?!"
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