High above the skies, several streaks of light paused beside Zhongli. Hiroshi gazed downward, watching the distant Navy ships retreating as a glimmer of insight flashed in his eyes.
In the distance, the thunderous Sabaody Archipelago transformed in his vision into something new. Beneath the surface, enormous roots extended deep into the earth, spreading in all directions. As Hiroshi lifted his gaze, he saw these endless roots stretching further outward, growing like a vast net encasing the planet, siphoning the essence of the world.
Below them, Mariejois, the so-called Holy Land, was the very center of this web, the origin of it all.
"Zhongli, Infinity, it's time. Let it emerge," Hiroshi said, turning to the two figures beside him. Infinity and Zhongli stood, weapons in hand, suppressing the frenzied struggles of the massive tree below.
"Everyone is in position," Hiroshi added with a nod.
With a trace of sentimentality, Zhongli looked down at the ruins of Mariejois.
"Once, in the lands of Liyue, gods and demons rose together. Amid endless calamities, humanity suffered greatly. Yet, even then, such horrors as these were unseen."
"But for Teyvat today, if the defeated demon gods of old were to return, their twisted ideologies might lead to similar atrocities."
Withdrawing the spear embedded in the air, Zhongli cast his gaze upon the tumultuous ocean and land below.
Hiroshi silently etched Zhongli's words into his memory. Asking directly would be pointless; the old enigmatic sage was unlikely to explain further.
Infinity stood silently, her floating sword glinting beside her. Nearby, Luo Xiaohei held his blade, ready for battle.
Boom!!!
With a deafening sound, the Red Line cracked and shattered. Below, from the abyssal seas, countless roots burst into the sky, spiraling upward to engulf the heavens and seas alike. Across the world, colossal roots erupted, with their density and girth growing as they neared Mariejois, the epicenter.
The vast Red Line, originating from Mariejois, began splitting apart, revealing writhing roots within its fissures. Amidst the crumbling land and boiling seas, the Celestial Dragons' king and the steward of the Demon Tree, Imu, gathered all their power to resist the impending doom.
Global chaos ensued. The retracting roots caused oceanic upheavals, falling debris from the collapsing Red Line created new dangers, and lightning storms illuminated the darkened skies. Beneath the waves, massive shadows left their habitats in panic, fleeing across the globe.
"Venti, it's your turn," Riku's voice echoed from the communication group.
On Fish-Man Island, Venti, having secured his territory in the New World, smiled faintly.
Wrapping the island in an endless gale, he shielded its inhabitants from the apocalyptic crisis. Stroking his lyre, he extended a hand toward the towering mermaid princess before him.
"Princess Shirahoshi, would you care to perform a duet with me?"
The timid Shirahoshi, kneeling beside him, hesitated but was encouraged by Venti's warm smile. She nodded softly.
"Alright."
Her clear voice rose above Venti, who closed his eyes as azure winds began to swirl around them. These winds spread across the world, bringing calm wherever they passed.
In the darkened world, monstrous waves surged across tumultuous seas, hurling displaced Sea Kings from the vanished Calm Belt toward the islands. Yet, wherever the azure winds flowed, tranquility followed. The storms quieted, and the seas calmed.
The serene melody reached every corner of the globe, soothing terrified citizens. Recognizing the tune from prior broadcasts, many remembered the new Navy admiral, Venti, who had played his lyre during those moments of crisis, easing their hearts. Now, the world knew who had brought them peace—Admiral Venti, along with a kind and beautiful girl.
Around the crumbling Red Line, beams of light radiated immense power, containing the destructive aftershocks of its collapse.
Raising a hand to suppress a tsunami below, Shirou Emiya wiped nonexistent sweat from his brow and waved toward the sky.
"Miyu, doesn't your big brother look handsome now?"
After stabilizing the vast sea below, he reported the situation to Riku.
Stretching his arms, he glanced toward Mariejois.
"Once that side finishes, the mission will be complete. It seems the new member, Soma Yukihira, has mastered some extraordinary culinary skills. I should ask him for lessons afterward."
"Shirou, there's a massive island 3,000 miles ahead with a city affected by the recent disaster. Go assist them," Riku instructed.
"Understood," Shirou replied, flying toward the designated location.
Back at Mariejois, Hiroshi observed the world recovering from its apocalyptic state. He focused on the towering tree before him, its power converging from all corners of the globe, breaking through the atmosphere and growing into the stars.
At the tree's peak, a figure sat on a throne, its eyes closing as countless branches extended to encase it. With a pulsating motion, everything disappeared.
The rapidly expanding tree finally stopped growing. Its trunk alone pierced through the atmosphere, and its crown spread into the cosmos, where countless Devil Fruits began to grow beneath its canopy. A divine presence emanated from the Demon Tree, its will awakening from an endless slumber.
Memories insignificant to its grand existence surfaced briefly. Understanding the current situation, the tree's dark glow flickered. With a distortion of space, the towering tree transformed into a woman.
Opening her pitch-black eyes, the Demon Tree, now in human form, brushed green hair from her forehead and frowned at those before her.
"Uh… can I surrender?"
"Huh?" Hiroshi froze, his raised hand halting mid-air as he stared at the green-haired woman.
"Do you think it's that simple?" he exclaimed.
Raising her hands in surrender, the woman crouched and cradled her head.
"I was just looking for a place to sleep and recover. How was I supposed to know this world's people were so troublesome?"