Zhongli sat silently inside the small pavilion of Liyue Harbor, his amber eyes slowly opening as the warmth circulating through his veins settled into a deep, steady rhythm. The golden sigils along his forearms flickered faintly—an ancient glow not seen in ages.
For the first time since the Archon War, since the slow march of millennia, since erosion began quietly gnawing away at his memories…
He felt whole.
Or at least—more himself than he had in centuries.
A long breath left him, fogging in the cool Liyue air.
Zhongli:
「…This feeling… it has truly been a long time.」
His fingers flexed, the geo energy inside him resonating with renewed stability.
He opened the chat.
> Group Chat
Zhongli:
「The healing function works. More than expected.」
Akeno:
「Eh?! It really healed a god's erosion??」
Fujiwara Chika:
「That's crazy!! Even erosion can be healed?? That sounds like a divine miracle!」
Sagiri:
「Brother Takumi, this is super amazing!」
Bronya:
「So the healing item is basically full restoration? This is a bit broken…」
Himeko:
「Makes me wonder whether even something like Astral Afflictions could be treated…」
Takumi looked at the stream of messages while yawning into his soda bottle.
The morning sun washed into his abandoned skyscraper home. A hollow city outside, yet full chat window inside.
He cracked his fingers.
Takumi:
「Old man, how much did it fix exactly?」
Zhongli closed his eyes again, gauging his internal state.
Zhongli:
「Approximately ten percent recovery. The erosion remains, but… much weaker. And I recovered a fragment of power and memory.」
Takumi raised an eyebrow.
Ten percent for one purchase?
At this rate, two more purchases might fully restore a literal Archon.
He whistled.
If this scale was consistent… then healing transcenders from various worlds would be nothing more than a matter of points.
He immediately had a dangerous, empire-building thought:
Could I heal gods and have them owe me favors?
The seed of a dark yet oddly benevolent strategy blossomed in his mind.
A Moment of Quiet Godhood
Takumi stood, soda still in hand, and went to the balcony overlooking the dead city.
His world—empty, silent, decayed.
He spread his senses across the entire planet.
His Herrscher Authorities rippled through the air:
Void
Reason
Corrosion
And the faint awakening of Knowledge
His perception covered endless ruins, broken streets, collapsed skyscrapers. Nature reclaiming humanity's absence. A quiet earth with only Takumi alive.
Yet he felt different now.
He wanted people here.
He needed civilization.
Knowledge was useless without hands to apply it. Herta's star-destroyer blueprints, Liyue's immortal alchemy, Akeno's magic, Bronya's technomancy—they meant nothing without infrastructure, researchers, engineers, educators.
A civilization of one was still primitive.
Takumi closed his eyes.
"I must bring people in. The children first. Then specialists. Then the seeds of nations."
A quiet determination flowed from him—strangely soft but unyielding.
A god who wanted followers not for worship, but for progress.
Back to the Group
Takumi:
「Old man, borrow points from the others next time, not just me.」
Zhongli:
「You are the richest. It was logical to ask you first.」
Takumi:
「That's not how lending works!」
Akeno:
「Ara ara~ Takumi-kun being responsible is rare~」
Bronya:
「He's more like a banker at this point.」
Sagiri:
「Takumi Bank…?」
Chika:
「Ooooh! Then Takumi should set interest rates!」
Takumi's eyebrow twitched.
Takumi:
「Stop trying to turn me into a capitalist demon king!!」
The entire group sent laughing emojis.
But Takumi returned to seriousness almost immediately.
Takumi's Realization: The Healing Ability's Hidden Rule
He rubbed his temples.
"Ten percent recovery… for someone like Zhongli…"
That meant the healing function wasn't linear—it scaled with the user's level.
Low-level injuries healed instantly.
High-level erosion healed partially—but still significantly.
Takumi murmured:
"So the healing ability adapts to the target's origin laws."
That was huge.
He opened the chat again.
Takumi:
「Old man, did you feel anything else? A change in your connection to Celestia? Your Gnosis?」
Zhongli paused.
Zhongli:
「…A faint stabilization. Not full restoration. But a step toward it.」
Takumi nodded slowly.
Himeko's message came next, calm but sharp.
Himeko:
「Takumi, if this function can repair erosion… it might repair my world's 'decay of concepts.' …Even memories lost through the Disruption.」
The chat froze.
Even Takumi stilled.
That was the first dangerous implication.
Repairing erosion was one thing.
Repairing erased concepts…
That bordered on challenging Aeons.
Takumi replied carefully.
Takumi:
「Let's not test that yet. Your world is way too dangerous.」
Himeko:
「Fair. I won't push it.」
Takumi Resets His Priorities
He sat down on his floating chair—a self-made anti-grav metal seat he built out of boredom.
Step-by-step decisions formed in his mind:
Rescue all Cursed Children
Bring Miori Shiba's family + core engineers
Build Phase 1 Civilization: Shelter Era
Establish governance (not him)
Introduce education systems
Begin industrial rebuilding
Gradual migration from safer worlds
Magic-tech integration labs
He felt calm.
Fulfilled, even.
This was what he wanted:
A civilization that blended…
magic
cultivation
science
reason
imagination
Not as a king—but as the foundation.
Miori Shiba Returns
A message popped up.
Miori Shiba:
「@Takumi I've begun converting my family's assets. My father agrees.
We will emigrate with engineers, technicians, researchers…
And we'll assist in creating your civilization.」
Takumi smiled slightly.
Perfect.
Takumi:
「Good. I'll prepare housing. And food factories. And the educational framework.」
Miori:
「…You're building a country, aren't you?」
Takumi:
「No.
I'm building a future.」
Her typing stopped.
The "Not an Assassin" Speaks
Megumi Kato quietly appeared.
Megumi:
「Takumi-kun. If you're building a new world… can normal people… really live there?
Won't they feel afraid?」
Takumi paused.
Good question.
Takumi:
「There will be schools. Culture. Art.
I want that kind of peace too.
Not just power.
Peace.」
Sagiri sent a little cat sticker.
Akeno smiled softly.
Even Bronya paused typing for a moment longer than usual.
Zhongli's Curious Observation
Zhongli:
「Takumi, your tone has shifted.
You sound more… grounded.」
Takumi stopped.
Was he?
Maybe absorbing Herta's star-killer designs, Himeko's tech, and a dozen worlds' knowledge had been too dizzying.
But building things with his own hands…
Planning a city…
Saving children…
Sharing responsibility…
It made him feel human again.
He answered honestly.
Takumi:
「Maybe I'm starting to understand what a civilization needs.
And what I want to protect.」
Silence followed.
Then—
Chika:
「That's… kind of cool actually.
President Chika approves!」
Takumi:
「I didn't ask for approval—!!」
A New System Message Appears
Suddenly, the group chat flashed.
[DING—World Key Function Unlocked]
Everyone froze.
Sagiri:
「Huh?!」
Akeno:
「A new function already??」
A window appeared before Takumi's eyes alone:
WORLD KEY (Leader Exclusive)
Allows the leader to open a stable passage to one selected world.
Costs: 500 points per opening
Duration: Unlimited until closed manually
Restriction: Must have world coordinates through a member
Travelers: Unlimited (leader may bring anyone)
Takumi grinned.
Perfect timing.
Takumi:
「Miori Shiba. Get ready.
I'm coming to rescue your world.」
A golden ripple of Imaginary Space spread behind him, carving a door of infinite possibility across reality.
His eyes shone with a calm, almost terrifying surety.
Takumi:
「Time to save some children.」
Zhongli:
「…A righteous cause.」
Akeno:
「Takumi-kun… good luck.」
Bronya:
「Record footage. For research.」
Sagiri:
「Brotheeer!! Beat up the bad guys!!!」
Chika:
「Takumi, bring back EVERYONE safely!!」
Megumi:
「…Be careful.」
Himeko:
「If you need orbital support, tell me.」
Takumi chuckled.
Takumi:
「I'll be fine. It's just a world-ending apocalypse.」
「Be back before dinner.」
He snapped his fingers.
The Imaginary Gate roared open.
Light swallowed the room.
And Takumi stepped through to the world of Black Bullet—
humans trembling behind walls, cursed children dying in the streets, and monsters lurking in every shadow.
A god had arrived.