On the steps surrounding the Duel Arena, the Intellitron rose and turned to gaze at something behind them.
Though cunning was the preferred approach, they couldn't afford to bring no formidable combatants. At the very least, they needed a target for the gods' pent-up fury—something to show them where to direct their attacks.
And that target was the Narwhal from the Primordial Sea...
The Abyss had already possessed so many creatures; pulling one of limited intelligence into their ranks wouldn't be difficult.
Neuvillette stared into the distance for a long time, unable to discern the source of the commotion.
He turned back to Furina:
"Lady Furina, will you continue to participate in the Duel or proceed with the Trial?"
Furina gently patted Fidelle's back as the latter's figure gradually faded away. At that moment, the necklace in her hand briefly illuminated.
Tucking the necklace away, Furina said to Neuvillette, "I choose the Trial. Come then, let me see how you intend to judge me!"
-
[ Player World ].
Chen Xiyao had sensed something was off ever since her conversation with Furina in Poisson. In Fontaine, are we playing the villains?!
So many people were pressuring Furina and Fidelle, pushing Fidelle to her breaking point. Even though she knew Lumine and the others were acting under duress, wasn't this... going too far?
After learning that Fidelle possessed a Pure Soul, Chen Xiyao became convinced she couldn't possibly be a bad person. This was only natural, considering the examples set by Rola and the others. Fidelle was undoubtedly a kind soul.
Fidelle had always supported Furina, the two practically inseparable. Now, despite clearly knowing quite a bit, Fidelle remained steadfast in her loyalty. There must be countless secrets hidden within this loyalty.
Oh well, I'll just wait and see. It probably won't be long before we learn everything.
Inside the Opera House, the Trial resumed.
"Before we proceed, allow me to ask... Just how much did you prepare to get me into this position?"
Furina, her tears wiped away, stood in the Defendant's Stand with her arms crossed.
Lumine had explained their entire plan to Furina over the past few days. Originally, they had intended for Neuvillette to preside over the trial directly. However, due to the incident at the Opera House and Fidelle's sudden return, they adapted their strategy, bringing Furina here instead.
"I see. So, Traveler... your mission was to keep me talking, distracting me to prevent me from discovering your plan, until the very end, when you would confront me as the Accuser..."
"No, you're wrong," Lumine replied.
"Oh?" Furina raised an eyebrow.
"My mission was to make one last attempt—to hear you personally reveal the hidden information before we reached the Trial."
"Heh, is that so? Looks like I missed my last chance then... Well, no matter."
Despite her words, Furina showed no trace of regret. Even if given countless opportunities, she would never reveal the truth.
"The die has been cast. The Unavoidable Trial has begun, so there's no reason to stall and no reason not to see it through to the end!"
After the recent commotion, Neuvillette felt a faint unease, but as Furina had said, now that things had come this far, they should proceed with the trial.
"Both parties are now in position. Let the trial commence..."
Furina: "Skip the tedious formalities, Neuvillette. Just get to the charges already. As the defendant—the star of today's show—I still don't know what pretext you're using to try me."
"Let's make one thing clear: it's perfectly normal for mortals to misunderstand the actions of gods. That alone can't be grounds for convicting a god..."
Furina quickly slipped into her usual persona. She already knew her charges, but tradition demanded she ask anyway.
Lumine: "Exactly. But you're not being judged for what you did or didn't do as a god. You're being judged because you're not a god at all, Furina."
-
While the Trial of the Hydro Archon unfolded in the opera house, deep within the Primordial Sea...
Tartaglia, locked in a desperate battle with the colossal Narwhal, was pushing his body to its absolute limit. Clad in his Foul Legacy Transformation, he relentlessly shifted between the surface of the Primordial Sea water and its depths.
Until recently, he had managed to hold his own against the Narwhal. But without warning, the creature had suddenly become frenzied, its body shifting to a violent purple as its size swelled dramatically.
The Narwhal's combat prowess had surged along with its physical transformation. Whereas Tartaglia had previously been able to barely evade fatal blows through sheer agility, now he could only flee for his life!
"Damn it! Why has this thing's Abyss Power suddenly become so concentrated? And its strength has skyrocketed too! I need to figure something out—or I'm dead!"
As he fled, Tartaglia frantically searched for a way out. He had too much left to accomplish—he couldn't afford to perish in this place.
Dodging another of the Narwhal's attacks, he retreated further into the depths.
After fleeing for some time, Tartaglia noticed a pattern: during several attacks, the Narwhal would plunge into rifts in space, only to emerge moments later from different locations. He realized these spatial breaches might be his only chance of survival.
Though he had no idea where these rifts led, anything was better than waiting here to die!
-
Inside the Opera House.
The trial had concluded, and the final judgment had been entrusted to the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale.
Neuvillette, having received the verdict, began to speak: "According to the ruling of the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale, I hereby pronounce... hm?"
Neuvillette's words trailed off mid-sentence.
Paimon: "What's wrong? Does the verdict say Furina is innocent?"
Neuvillette: "...No. The Oratrice's verdict still declares her guilty. But the exact wording here is... 'The Hydro Archon, guilty...'"
After a long pause, Neuvillette finally forced himself to pronounce the verdict: "...Death penalty."
A collective gasp swept through the crowd.
-
On the Hydro Archon's Divine Throne, Furina sat with vacant eyes, clear tears streaming down her face, utterly indifferent to the chaos unfolding below.
When she heard the words "death sentence," her pupils flickered slightly before quickly returning to their empty, vacant state.
"Lady Furina, you've done wonderfully. Fontaine is saved, and you are too. Leave the rest to me now..."
Fidelle's voice echoed directly in Furina's mind. Lost in her grief, Furina only registered the words after several seconds.
"Fidelle...?"
"I'm here, Lady Furina. From now on, you only need to remain seated here."
"Fidelle, the Prophecy... will it truly end...?"
"I assure you, Lady Furina. Please trust me."
"I... I trust you..."
"Very well, Lady Furina. They're coming now. I must leave temporarily. Take care."