The overwhelming firepower quickly left Dottore and Arlecchino disoriented and reeling.
Just as their senses began to waver, the relentless missile barrage abruptly paused, giving them a brief respite.
Seizing this moment—likely while their opponents reloaded—Dottore and Arlecchino desperately caught their breath.
Arlecchino appeared relatively composed, but Dottore's face was ashen, clearly drained. His advanced age might have contributed to his rapid exhaustion.
They had attempted to breach the Sealing Array, but their full-force attacks didn't even ripple the barrier, forcing them to abandon the idea.
With Neuvillette's power, he ranked among the top Archons. In contrast, Arlecchino and Dottore had only vaguely touched the threshold of Archonhood. This vast difference in strength left them no chance of resistance.
Now, they could only wait—wait for Neuvillette to appear and negotiate with them.
"Arlecchino, your intelligence network is seriously lacking," Dottore snapped irritably. "How could you not know Fontaine possessed such a powerful weapon?" Ever since meeting her, nothing good had happened to him. Is she cursed? And now her bad luck is dragging me down with her, he thought.
If he could turn back time, Dottore would avoid Arlecchino like the plague!
"Fontaine's weapon manufacturing facilities are located within the Fortress of Meropide," Arlecchino retorted. "But two months ago, the Fortress of Meropide purged all my informants. How could I gather any intelligence on these weapons?"
Arlecchino herself was genuinely surprised. She had initially assumed the purges were ordered in anticipation of Hydro Archon Furina's impending arrival at the Fortress of Meropide, meant to eliminate potential risks.
Now, it seemed more likely that Wriothesley had used Furina's imprisonment as a cover to conceal something far more critical.
Arlecchino had been completely outmaneuvered.
In an instant, her wariness toward Wriothesley intensified several levels.
Meanwhile, Wriothesley, who was busy with work inside the New Fortress of Meropide, suddenly sneezed.
"Why does it feel like someone's talking about me?" Wriothesley rubbed his nose.
"Surely that's unnecessary. I've already suffered enough."
"Maybe I'm catching a cold. I'll ask the Head Nurse for some medicine later."
"Hmm, after afternoon tea break ends, I'll go..."
Back on the small island, Arlecchino and Dottore hesitated, seeing no further activity from the distant mountain peak. Should they initiate contact with Neuvillette to negotiate?
So much time had passed, yet the enemy hadn't launched another attack, and Neuvillette hadn't revealed himself for negotiations. Were they waiting for them to surrender?
It wasn't that they found the situation unbearable, but given the enemy's overwhelming power, there was no logical reason for them to resort to such tactics.
Just then, a sudden explosion echoed from the distance.
Hearing the blast, the pair immediately went on high alert.
What puzzled them was that the explosion was a single, isolated event, a stark contrast to the earlier, continuous barrage that had sounded like firecrackers.
As they spotted a missile leisurely arcing toward them from afar, their confusion deepened. Why is it moving so slowly?
But as the missile drew closer, a bone-chilling dread washed over them. Their faces paled instantly, and they scattered frantically.
Yet the Sealing Array offered only a limited space to maneuver. There was nowhere to truly hide.
In truth, the missile wasn't even aimed at their original positions, but rather at a spot fifty meters ahead of them.
The moment the missile struck the ground, a blinding light erupted, dwarfing the very heavens and earth. For an instant, everyone present seemed to lose their hearing, the world becoming eerily silent.
Under Neuvillette's watchful gaze, the light gradually contracted, coalescing into a massive five-pointed star-shaped energy orb.
The orb then imploded again, revealing a colossal crater in the ground.
Only then did the deafening roar of the explosion finally reach their ears, as a mushroom cloud billowed skyward.
Unimaginable energy radiated outward, instantly flattening everything in its path before slamming violently against the Sealing Array's boundaries, creating violent ripples across its surface.
If Neuvillette hadn't preemptively deployed the Sealing Array, the members of the Court of Justice might have been in grave danger.
However, as he felt the impact against the Sealing Array, Neuvillette's expression shifted slightly.
The destructive force was utterly terrifying, reaching the level of an Archon—and not one of the weaker ones at that.
Although Neuvillette had anticipated the Weapon's formidable potency, this scene still exceeded his expectations.
Individually, such a Weapon might not concern him, but in large numbers, even he would find them troublesome.
What made this situation truly alarming was that while mass production of these Weapons wouldn't be easy, both their cost and manufacturing speed remained within acceptable limits.
Given enough time, Fontaine might even possess the capability to challenge the other Six Nations simultaneously.
This realization filled Neuvillette with more anxiety than joy. Until they developed effective countermeasures against the mysterious faction, their research fruits could easily be harvested by their adversary, making that mysterious power even more formidable.
Of course, completely halting weapons research at this juncture would be a foolish decision. To maintain Fontaine's self-defense capabilities, they needed to ensure their weaponry remained at the cutting edge. Fontaine had passed the point of no return.
Neuvillette shook his head, sensing Dottore and Arlecchino's auras weakening within the Sealing Array. He finally decided to intervene.
He erected a barrier around them, shielding them from the immense shockwaves of the explosions.
By aiming away from their location, he had deliberately avoided instantly eliminating them, creating an opening for his intervention.
After all, this Dottore was merely one of many "Segments," not the mastermind. Judgment should fall upon the true culprit.
As for Arlecchino, Neuvillette extended her this mercy in recognition of her past assistance to Fontaine.
After ordering the Court of Justice's Special Task Force to remain on standby, Neuvillette advanced toward Dottore and Arlecchino.
He soon stood before them and preemptively declared:
"Monsieur Dottore, Lady Arlecchino, I hereby arrest you both on charges of illegally entering Fontaine and attempting to steal classified information about Fontaine's weaponry."
Completely immobilized by Neuvillette's overwhelming power and writhing in agony from the Pneumousia Obliteration Bomb, Dottore and Arlecchino nearly lost their composure at his words.
They admitted to entering Fontaine illegally, but accusing them of trying to steal Fontaine's weapon intelligence was going too far! Hadn't they been blasted senseless by those weapons themselves?
Since when did the Chief Justice learn to lie through his teeth?!
Though Dottore was inwardly raging, he refrained from making a scene. After taking a couple of deep breaths, he addressed Neuvillette.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, I believe there may be some misunderstanding between us."
"I had no intention of spying on your nation's weapon intelligence. As for why I came to Fontaine, I simply wished to take a vacation here."
After delivering this statement, Dottore glanced at Arlecchino before turning back to Neuvillette.
"As for Arlecchino's motives, I couldn't possibly know. We merely happened to be traveling in the same direction."
Dottore surmised that Neuvillette's true target was Arlecchino, and that he himself was just collateral damage. He immediately distanced himself from her, inwardly cursing his misfortune.
Arlecchino showed little reaction to Dottore's maneuver. She cleared her throat lightly and smiled at Neuvillette.
"Fontaine possesses such formidable weaponry? Monsieur Neuvillette, you've been hiding your hand remarkably well."
Neuvillette cast a complex glance at Arlecchino before turning his gaze back to Dottore.
"Monsieur Dottore, the previous charges were against both of you. The following charges are specifically against you."
"In my capacity as Justice, I formally accuse you of plotting to harm the citizens of Fontaine and conducting human experimentation."
Dottore's heart jolted upon hearing Neuvillette's words.
How did Neuvillette know about the Prime's private orders to me?
Is he bluffing?
Has he learned to use such tactics?
For a moment, Dottore was at a loss for words.
Arlecchino, meanwhile, was equally bewildered. She had initially assumed Neuvillette's target was her, but now it seemed she was merely an unfortunate bystander caught in the crossfire.
Why did I even agree to travel with Dottore? I could have just entered Fontaine along the planned route.
Her luck seemed to have run out today. Despite the vastness of the sea, she had somehow collided with Dottore's ship.
If not for that chance encounter, none of this would have happened.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, I believe you may be mistaken. I came to Fontaine with no ulterior motives."
In the end, Dottore remained convinced that Neuvillette was bluffing. After all, the only ones who knew about his mission were the Prime Dottore and his two Segments. These entities were utterly incapable of betraying him, being integral parts of himself.
More likely, Neuvillette had uncovered something through his own informants and was deliberately probing his reaction with these accusations.
Hearing Dottore's response, Neuvillette shook his head with a hint of disappointment. He had hoped to give the Segment one last chance, but it seemed this particular Segment lacked the wisdom of the others, despite sharing the same essence.
"Whether it's a misunderstanding or not, Monsieur Dottore will soon come to understand," Neuvillette declared.
With that, Neuvillette ceased further conversation and led the other two away, simultaneously ordering the Special Task Force to round up the remaining Fatui soldiers.
Before long, Dottore and Arlecchino arrived at their new residence within the New Fortress of Meropide.
Fully furnished and move-in ready—complete with all the essentials!
Moreover, it was brand-new, freshly constructed and never occupied!
"Miss Knave," Dottore said, "I'll return later to hear your explanation regarding the previous incident."
After uttering these words, Neuvillette led Dottore alone to an area completely sealed off by his power. There, Dottore saw Dottore No. 1, Dottore No. 2...
In an instant, Dottore No. N understood everything, his eyes twitching twice.
Not only do I have to take the blame for the Prime, but now I'm being betrayed by my own Segments? This is unbearable!
"A rare guest," Dottore No. 1 and Dottore No. 2 said, their faces lighting up with satisfaction, as if they had accomplished some great feat.
"Hmph," Dottore No. N responded with a cold snort.
But when he saw Dottore No. 3, Dottore No. 4, and countless other Dottore Segments emerge from the chamber, he truly began to lose his composure.
"You!" Dottore raised a trembling arm, pointing at them, his shock far outweighing his anger. "Have you all betrayed me?"
"Betrayal?" Dottore No. 1 chuckled. "No, we've simply decided to pursue a brighter future."
Dottore No. 1 smiled, inexplicably relishing the look of shock on his counterpart's face.
"You could call it... turning from darkness to light."
"Have you all lost your minds?"
Dottore No. N finally grasped the gravity of the situation. A quick glance revealed that nearly all the Segments were present.
No, wait... there's still one missing. He must be the only other Segment who hasn't defected.
This realization brought Dottore No. N a flicker of comfort, a sense of not being entirely alone.
"Aren't you afraid the Prime will simply erase you all?"
"That's not your concern," Dottore No. 1 replied calmly. "You should be more worried about your own predicament."
"The things you've done for the Prime have crossed Monsieur Neuvillette's bottom line."
"To be honest, I'm quite surprised to see you here unscathed. Monsieur Neuvillette truly lives up to his reputation as Fontaine's Chief Justice."
Watching Dottore No. 1 mock him while subtly sucking up to Neuvillette, Dottore No. N nearly vomited. He felt an overwhelming urge to strangle his past self.
Wait a minute... why can't I remember ever being this obsequious?
Back then, he had been quite naive, full of curiosity about everything, but he shouldn't have been so eager to please others.
And betraying one Segment was one thing, but for all but him and another Segment to have defected—that made no sense at all.
Could Neuvillette have found a way to free them from the Prime's control?
But that seemed unlikely. If the Prime's constraints were so easily circumvented, they would have discovered a method long ago.
"Well, well, it seems all the brothers have finally arrived."
Hearing that familiar voice, Dottore No. N looked up and froze. The final Segment emerged from a luxurious room on the second floor, a faint smile playing on his lips.