Furina sat cross-legged, meditating as she tried to cultivate, but she hadn't made any progress at all. She was starting to worry—did she lack the aptitude for chakra cultivation?
But then she overheard Hinata and Lint's conversation.
Suddenly, her heart lifted with renewed hope.
So that's how it is!
It's not that I don't have talent—it's just that I'm in the wrong environment!
Once I return to Teyvat, where the conditions are right, I'll be able to cultivate elemental power and truly become a god of water!
With that power, playing the role of my other self—Furcalors—will be even easier and more convincing.
Having come to this conclusion, Furina opened her heterochromatic eyes and ended her meditation. She placed her hands on her hips and looked at Lint and Hinata.
"Once I return to Teyvat, I'll be able to cultivate. But what about you two?"
She struck a proud pose. "After coming into close contact with me—your great Hydro Archon of Fontaine and God of Justice—didn't your strength increase significantly?"
Though she spoke with bravado, Furina was fully aware of her limitations. She knew she was just an ordinary human right now, and the enhancement she gave them was likely minimal at best.
But then, to her surprise, Hinata gave a small nod—then immediately sprang into action.
Right there in the Hall of Chaos, Hinata swiftly weaved hand seals:Tatsu – Ushi – U!
Water Release: Wild Water Wave!
Fwooosh—
Hinata puffed up her cheeks and exhaled forcefully.
What erupted from her mouth wasn't just a small stream of water—but a massive, surging torrent, at least several dozen meters wide, shooting out of the hall and into the black mist beyond. The wave was so powerful that it churned the darkness, roaring as it crashed outward.
"!!"
Furina's eyes widened in utter disbelief.
"This is the C-rank Water Release: Wild Water Wave that we saw in your memories?" she gasped."How can a low-tier C-rank jutsu have power like that? This isn't just Wild Water Wave anymore—this is on the level of an A-rank technique like Great Waterfall Jutsu!"
Hinata let out a long breath, turned to Furina, and smiled.
"Normally, when I use Water Release: Wild Water Wave, I can only produce a small stream—maybe a few meters at best. But this time, after spending a little while near you…"
She touched her chin thoughtfully. "I suddenly understood how to manipulate water's nature transformation. Then when I released the jutsu, its power skyrocketed."
"So it was me?" Furina gave a laugh—though a rather awkward one.
She had assumed that being near Hinata might slightly improve the girl's physical abilities—she never imagined it would boost her ninjutsu to such an extent. That wasn't a garden hose; that was a waterfall!
But the bitter truth struck immediately: Furina herself—Fontaine's so-called Hydro Archon—still couldn't control water at all.
Forget waterfalls—she couldn't even create a water ball.At most, she could spit.
And then, Lint moved.
He raised his hands and mirrored Hinata's seals
Tatsu – Ushi – U!
Water Release: Wild Water Wave!
Boom!
Another massive wave, nearly identical in size to Hinata's, exploded from within the Hall of Chaos, flooding out toward the black mist outside and stirring up a violent cascade of sound.
Furina's eyes were practically bulging now.
So Lint also gained water release after coming into contact with me?
Does that mean… out of the three people in the Hall of Chaos, the only one who can't control water is me—the so-called Hydro Archon of Fontaine, the mighty God of Justice?!
A wave of silent despair rolled through her chest.
Sensing her mood, Lint turned to her and offered a few comforting words.
"Don't worry. Once you return to Teyvat, you'll definitely be able to use elemental power."
Then his expression grew serious.
"And more importantly—when you return, you have to try to persuade the other you—the one inside the mirror. The one without Lint's memories. Furcalors.nTry to get her to abandon her plan to activate the Oratrice Mecanique and destroy the Hydro Archon's throne in five hundred years—just to return the authority of the ancient dragons to the Water Dragon King."
"Tell her you've already obtained power from beyond the world, and that in the next 490 years, before Fontaine's prophesied destruction arrives, you'll be able to change everything."
"I will," Furina said earnestly, nodding.
Then she added, "But I'm not going back just yet. I want to stay here a bit longer, spend more time with you two—get close to you. Draw out your physical strength… even your power."
"Of course," Lint said with a smile.
Hinata met his gaze, and they nodded in agreement.
The three of them clasped hands again.
And almost immediately, their physical strength began to rise rapidly. Hinata and Lint both gained even deeper insights into water-nature transformation, and the chakra within their bodies increased steadily.
A full day passed.
Eventually, the black mist outside the Hall of Chaos began to churn. It swallowed the temple once again and forcibly expelled all three of them.
Just like that, they each returned to their own world.
At the same time, they received a shared message:
"The Hall of Chaos will reopen in seven days."
Not long after, Furina returned to Fontaine—specifically, to the Palais Mermonia.
To her surprise, the entire nation was calm. Not a single disturbance had occurred during her daylong disappearance.
In fact… no one had even noticed that the Hydro Archon had vanished.
Furina sighed—but she understood.
In today's Fontaine, all governmental responsibilities had been handed over to Neuvillette. As the Hydro Archon, Furina was more or less a figurehead. A mascot.And since yesterday had been her day off, no one questioned her absence.
That said, there was one being who had definitely noticed—Furcalors, the true Water Archon, sealed within the mirror of the Oratrice Mecanique.
She had completely lost her connection with Furina for an entire day—and had spent the whole time filled with anxiety and dread.
Only when Furina returned to Fontaine and reappeared in her sensing range did Furcalors finally relax.
But she didn't waste any time.
\Using divine power, Furcalors projected herself into the mirror and immediately summoned Furina.
"Where were you?!" she demanded.
Furina stood in front of the mirror, hands on her hips, looking at her white-robed mirror image—identical in appearance—and gave a playful snort.
"Heh. Mirror me, I went somewhere far beyond your imagination."
Furcalors' face went pale. "Was it Celestia? Has the Heavenly Principles discovered my plans?"
"Of course not!"
Furina stomped her foot and puffed out her cheeks in protest.
"What are you thinking? Obviously, I can't tell you exactly where I went. After all, everything in this world is recorded by the leylines."
With that, she raised a hand and pressed it against the mirror.
"Let's use the secret method that only Furina and Furcalors know—our unique way of communicating."
Furcalors hesitated… then placed her own hand over Furina's. In that instant, a surge of information flowed directly from Furina to Furcalors.