"But thanks to this, I've pinpointed No. 6's location," Lofan continued, taking a deep breath. "I'll guide you there."
"Monsieur Neuvillette, to prevent him from resorting to further tricks, please pursue him at full speed."
With those final words, Lofan's face turned as pale as paper, and his eyelids began to tremble, threatening to close at any moment.
Neuvillette hesitated for a moment, then nodded solemnly.
"Monsieur Henry, you need to rest! Your body can't handle any more strain!"
Navia spoke with great hesitation, knowing that pressing their advantage now was their best chance, but she couldn't bear to push Lofan any further in his weakened state.
"We don't have time! Let's go!" Lofan urged, struggling to stand. Even with the small movement, sweat streamed down his face. Seeing this, Navia immediately offered, "Let me carry you."
Lofan didn't refuse.
"This way," he instructed, pointing to the wall behind Navia from the start. Just as she was about to protest that there was no passage there, a jet of water blasted a massive hole through the wall, revealing a passage filled with countless mechanical gears.
Navia swallowed her protest and immediately entered the newly opened passage.
Guided by Lofan, Neuvillette swiftly breached several more metal walls.
Neuvillette deliberately controlled his strength to minimize collateral damage and avoid harming any innocents.
Though they hadn't yet caught sight of their quarry, both Navia and Neuvillette sensed they were closing in. Many of the traps they encountered had been hastily activated, some even failing to function properly.
Some passages attempted to reroute them through rotating mechanisms, but with Lofan's guidance, Neuvillette simply blasted new paths directly through the obstacles.
Finally, the trio spotted a figure standing motionless in one of the rooms, as if awaiting their arrival.
The figure was nearly identical to the Masked Men they had encountered earlier, with a mask covering its face.
However, the trio could immediately sense that this person was different from the others and came to an abrupt halt.
At that moment, the figure finally spoke.
"I never expected you to be one of them. This is quite a surprise."
"When No. 2 captured you, you remained in a deep slumber, concealing your true nature from us."
"Letting you escape was a grave mistake on our part."
"But no matter. I'll rectify that error now."
The figure paused, then continued.
"You must be desperate to save that Melusine, aren't you?"
"Very well. Trade your life for hers."
"Of course, you understand that I don't mean your physical death. I want your consciousness to simply vanish!"
Hearing these words, Navia and Neuvillette tensed simultaneously. Neuvillette immediately stepped sideways, positioning himself protectively in front of Lofan.
Navia glared at their opponent with a deadly intensity, while Neuvillette launched into action.
A torrent of water enveloped the opponent's body, lifting them entirely off the ground.
Even suspended in the air, gasping for breath, the opponent remained eerily calm.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, are you sure wasting your time here is wise? Take a look over there!"
The opponent gestured to the side, and only then did Navia and Neuvillette notice the multiple surveillance screens lining the wall. Some of the screens showed Lyney and Lynette, while others featured Arlecchino and other Fatui soldiers.
They seemed to have already discovered each other's presence nearby, yet they kept circling around, deliberately avoiding a meeting.
This was because the other party had rotated sections of the base's structure, altering the paths forward and backward.
"Do you know where they are now?"
The masked figure chuckled. Even through the mask, Neuvillette and Navia could hear the unrestrained joy in his voice, imagining the radiant smile that must be stretching across his face.
"Take a look here."
The figure gestured again. Neuvillette and Navia followed his gaze to one of the screens, their pupils contracting slightly at the sight.
It displayed an unimaginably vast accumulation of Pneumousia Energy!
"This Pneumousia Energy was originally used to maintain all operations within the base. The molten iron pool you passed earlier was a pressure-balancing mechanism."
"Now, Neuvillette, you have personally shattered that balance."
"You both understand perfectly well what will happen next, don't you?"
Hearing these words, Neuvillette and Navia suddenly felt suffocated.
Only now did they realize that the earlier setup hadn't been an attempt to target Neuvillette directly, but rather to force him to act, cooling the molten iron and thereby disrupting the equilibrium of Pneumousia Energy.
They had only a short time left to rescue Vinani, the Fatui agents, and any other innocent bystanders from this place.
If any innocent lives were lost in the impending explosion, Neuvillette would be haunted by guilt for eternity.
This was their true goal all along!
"You think this is the end?" the voice taunted, sounding even more gleeful.
"Oh, right, I almost forgot to tell you."
"This isn't just a monitoring room. It's also the central hub controlling all the devices that broadcast the images."
"From the moment you entered this area, everything happening here has been broadcast live."
The voice chuckled, then continued, "But I've delayed the broadcast by a short interval. Simply put, the images will reach the people of Fontaine a little later."
"Now you're probably wondering, what's the point of that?"
"I'll tell you directly: near the nearest town, I've already deployed several devices capable of inducing rainfall."
"And the material filling these devices is none other than... Primordial Sea Water."
Upon hearing this, Navia and Neuvillette felt a sudden chill run down their spines.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
"Just imagine it! Primordial Sea Water mixed with rainwater falling from the sky, drenching those engrossed in watching the broadcast—what a magnificent spectacle that would be!"
Neuvillette couldn't help but tighten his grip, causing a series of bone-cracking sounds to erupt from his opponent. Yet the man seemed utterly unfazed by the pain, his voice still brimming with arrogance.
"You have approximately ten minutes left."
"Do your best, Chief Justice!"
"I have complete faith in your ability to save everything!"
"I believe this task is far too easy for someone like you."
"So, I've decided to add just a little extra challenge."
"I've planted a bomb near that Melusine named Vinani. The moment Monsieur Neuvillette leaves this place, I'll detonate it, reducing her to ashes!"
By now, fury blazed in Navia's eyes, and even Neuvillette struggled to maintain his composure.
Neuvillette sank into deep turmoil, unsure how to achieve a perfect outcome.
Should I rescue Vinani and the Fatui first, then deal with the rain-making device filled with Primordial Sea Water?
Is there really enough time...?
Just then, Neuvillette released his grip.
Even if he killed his opponent in a fit of rage, it would achieve nothing. Since the man had dared to manipulate him into disrupting the balance of Pneumousia Energy, the death of this body would be meaningless to him.
After crashing heavily to the ground, the man coughed a couple of times, then stood up as if nothing had happened, observing their reactions with amusement.
Navia gripped her claymore tightly, desperate to cleave the man in two, but she couldn't bring herself to strike.
How could someone be so utterly depraved?
Even the notoriously wicked Vacher had cherished a beloved lover in his heart.
But this man... she felt no trace of a heart within him!
"What's wrong, Monsieur Neuvillette?" the man taunted. "If you just stand there, you'll end up with nothing!"
He continued mockingly, his voice dripping with condescension. "How about I give you another choice?"
"Hand him over to me, and Miss Vinani will return safely to the surface."
"As an added bonus, I'll give you five more minutes."
Neuvillette rejected the proposal without hesitation, but then Lofan's voice rang out.
"Agreed! But you must keep your word!"
"Relax, I'm a man of my word!"
Hearing this, Lofan nodded, then stepped off Navia's back and walked toward the other party.
Neuvillette immediately stepped forward to stop him, but Lofan's resolve was unshakable.
Despite his weakened state—his face pale as paper—his voice remained unwavering.
"As a Maison Gardiennage officer, I take immense pride in my duty."
"For the people of Fontaine, I would sacrifice myself without hesitation or regret!"
"Even if that person weren't Miss Vinani, I would make the same choice today."
"As long as they are an innocent civilian awaiting rescue, as long as their life is worth saving, I will save them, no matter the cost."
Lofan paused, then fixed Neuvillette with a deep gaze before whispering,
"Monsieur Neuvillette, please respect my choice."
"Miss Vinani is in your care now."
Neuvillette's body froze, profoundly shaken by Lofan's words.
Once again, he witnessed something more precious than life itself in another person.
Neuvillette fell silent, neither speaking nor obstructing Lofan's progress. He watched as Lofan dragged his heavy steps forward, inch by inch, the wound on his severed arm a gruesome sight. Blood soaked through half of the Maison Gardiennage officer's uniform.
Neuvillette gripped his cane tightly, but at that moment, he sensed something amiss.
His gaze shifted to Navia, who remained completely motionless.
"Heh heh heh! Such heartwarming sentiments!"
"As expected, the dying always speak so boldly!"
Unmoved by the taunts, Lofan continued his advance.
However, halfway across the distance, he abruptly stopped.
Seeing this, the enemy voiced their displeasure.
"What now? After all that fine talk, you're having second thoughts?"
"No, I just wanted to tell you something."
"Actually, there's another option!"
Lofan reached behind him, gave Navia a prearranged signal, and suddenly collapsed, all strength leaving his body.
At that moment, Navia surged forward like a cannonball, her body wreathed in scorching flames.
"Damn you! What have you done?!"
Simultaneously, the enemy's limbs began to twitch uncontrollably. Seizing the opportunity, Navia swept past him and, when she stopped, found two remote controls in her hand.
"Looks like we've won, No. 6."
Lofan's voice emerged from the enemy's mouth. Neuvillette instantly understood the anomaly he had sensed earlier.
No wonder Navia didn't stop Lofan. As his friend, she should have been the most vehemently opposed to him sacrificing himself to save Vinani's life—especially considering the enemy's cruel nature and likelihood of breaking his promise.
It turns out Lofan had secretly coordinated with Navia. As Lofan acted, Navia had simultaneously seized the remote controls, one for detonating the explosives and the other likely controlling the rainmaking device.
The enemy hadn't set a timer after all; he was controlling it manually.
If he had truly believed the opponent's words and abandoned everything to destroy the rainmaking device as a precaution, the enemy would have pressed the remote control at the last moment, forcing him to watch helplessly as countless townspeople dissolved into water.
The thought ignited a surge of rage within Neuvillette, a powerful aura erupting from his body.
"You think you've won? How naive!"
"By doing this, aren't you leaving your physical body completely defenseless...?"
Before the enemy could finish speaking, one of their hands suddenly lifted, and an ice spike shot directly toward Lofan's fallen body.
The spike pierced Lofan's heart, and the sudden attack stunned both Navia and Neuvillette.
"Wh-what are you doing?" the enemy's voice trembled.
"You're destroying your own body!"
"Now you'll never have another chance, No. 6!"
Lofan's voice emanated from the enemy's mouth once more. The hand that had released the ice spike conjured another ice blade and swung it toward his own legs.
This time, however, the attack failed, as the other hand intervened, preventing further action.
The mask had fallen off unnoticed, revealing the gaunt face of a young man.
Veins bulged on the young man's forehead, his face contorted in furious rage.