Location: Romaritime Harbor, Fontaine
Current Form: Human
Status: Critiquing the architecture, eating a baguette
The view from the Aquabus was breathtaking. Waterfalls cascaded from the high plateaus of Fontaine, defying gravity and engineering logic. The nation of Hydro was sleek, industrial, and elegant.
"So this is the Nation of Justice," Raiden leaned against the railing, chewing on a freshly baked baguette he bought at the port. "Smells like perfume, steam, and... looming existential dread."
"The water level is really high," Aether noted, looking down at the ocean below. "Nahida was right. The prophecy is real."
"And the water tastes weird," Raiden tore off a piece of bread. "I dipped my finger in it earlier. High concentration of Primordial Sea particulate matter. It's like drinking evolutionary soup."
"Please don't drink the soup," Paimon begged. "Paimon doesn't want you to dissolve!"
"I won't dissolve," Raiden scoffed. "I'm insoluble."
They arrived at the main elevator. As they stepped off, a spotlight—literally, a spotlight aimed by a mechanical drone—hit them.
A crowd had gathered. Standing atop a crate (to appear taller), striking a pose that would make a Jojo character proud, was a girl with white hair, a blue top hat, and mismatched eyes.
Furina de Fontaine. The Hydro Archon (Focalors).
"Hahaha! Welcome, Travelers! And... the Anomaly!"
Furina flourished her cane. "You stand before the God of Justice! I have heard of your exploits in other nations. You incite rebellion, you fight gods, and you... eat landmarks!"
The crowd gasped.
"But here in Fontaine," Furina pointed her finger dramatically. "The law is absolute! Do not think your brute strength will save you from the judgment of the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale!"
Raiden stopped chewing his baguette. He looked at Aether.
"Is she for real?"
"I think so," Aether whispered.
Raiden swallowed. He walked up to Furina. The crowd parted, terrified of the man who supposedly ate the Jade Chamber (a rumor that had mutated significantly).
Raiden loomed over Furina. She didn't flinch - outwardly. But Raiden's [Magic Sense] picked up her heartbeat. It was going 180 beats per minute.
"Analysis. Subject: Furina. God Status: Questionable. Aura: Cursed. Fear Level: Critical."
"You're loud," Raiden said, dusting crumbs off his shirt. "And you're standing on a crate."
Furina froze. She kicked the crate backward discreetly. "I... I am merely elevating myself to project my voice! It is a theatrical choice!"
"Right," Raiden leaned in close. "Listen, Lady. I'm just here for the show. I heard the opera house has good cake. Unless you want to charge me with 'Eating without a License', get the light out of my face."
Furina sweat-dropped. This script wasn't going as planned. Usually, people were awed. This man looked at her like she was an annoying younger sister.
"Hmph! Very well!" Furina spun around, flipping her hair. "I shall let you pass for now! But know this: My eyes are always watching! The drama of your arrival has been... sufficient!"
She marched away, her entourage following.
"She's shaking," Raiden noted to Aether. "She's terrified of me."
"You are scary," Paimon pointed out.
They took the Aquabus to the Court of Fontaine. On the boat, they met a pair of magicians.
Lyney and Lynette.
Lyney was charming, performing card tricks. Lynette was a stoic cat-girl (literally) sipping tea.
"A pleasure to meet the famous Traveler," Lyney smiled, making a rose appear. "And the Gluttonous Sovereign. Is it true you ate a Fatui Harbinger?"
"Just a clone," Raiden corrected. "He was high in iron."
Lynette's ears twitched. "Your scent... is dangerous. Like the deep sea."
"I get that a lot," Raiden looked at the water.
Suddenly, the sky darkened. The sunny weather vanished in seconds, replaced by heavy, sorrowful rain.
"It's raining," Lyney looked up. "Strange. The forecast was clear."
"The Hydro Dragon is crying," Freminet (who was diving nearby) surfaced and mumbled.
"Hydro Dragon?" Paimon tilted her head. "Is that a legend?"
"They say the Hydro Dragon weeps when he is sad," Lyney explained. "But the Dragon Sovereign has been gone for eras."
Raiden smirked. He looked toward the massive building at the end of the line - the Palais Mermonia.
"Oh, he's not gone," Raiden whispered. "He's just working a desk job."
They arrived at the station. Standing there, waiting for them under an umbrella, was a tall man with long white hair, blue streaks, and a presence that demanded silence.
Neuvillette. The Iudex (Chief Justice).
He held a cane. His expression was unreadable.
The rain fell harder as Raiden stepped off the boat.
Neuvillette's slit pupils locked onto Raiden.
Raiden's slit pupils locked onto Neuvillette.
"System Alert. Entity Detected: Hydro Sovereign (Reincarnation). Threat Level: High. Affinity: Water."
The air pressure between them grew heavy. The pedestrians instinctively gave them a wide berth. It was a silent standoff between two Apex Predators.
Neuvillette spoke first. His voice was deep, resonant, and polite.
"Raiden Ragnvaldr. Welcome to Fontaine. I am Neuvillette."
"Chief Justice," Raiden nodded. "Nice weather we're having. A bit emotional, isn't it?"
Neuvillette didn't react to the jab. "I sensed a disturbance in the Primordial waters. A presence that carries the authority of the sea, yet reeks of the Void. It is... unsettling."
"I ate some Vishaps in Enkanomiya," Raiden shrugged casually. "Picked up a few tricks. Hope you don't mind me swimming in your pool."
Neuvillette's grip on his cane tightened slightly. "As long as you abide by the laws of Fontaine, you are free to do as you please. However..."
The rain turned into a downpour.
"...If you threaten the stability of this nation, or harm Lady Furina, I will be forced to pass judgment."
"Relax, Judge," Raiden walked past him, patting Neuvillette on the shoulder.
A spark of purple Void energy clashed with blue Hydro energy at the point of contact. The ground cracked slightly beneath their feet.
"I'm just a tourist," Raiden grinned. "Unless, of course, the food is bad. Then we might have a problem."
Neuvillette watched him walk away. He touched his shoulder where Raiden had patted him.
"A True Dragon," Neuvillette murmured to himself. "And one that consumes... everything. This trial will be complicated."
Later that day, they attended Lyney's magic show at the Opera Epiclese.
The opera house was grand. The Oratrice - the massive judgment machine - hung over the stage, humming with Pneuma and Ousia energy.
Raiden sat in the VIP box (stolen seat). He was eating a box of popcorn.
"This machine," Raiden stared at the Oratrice.
"Great Sage. Analyze."
"Analysis. Structure: Divine Construct. Function: Harvesting 'Indemnitium' (Belief Energy). Core: Hydro Gnosis. Secondary Signature Detected: A Divine Soul is executing a self-termination algorithm inside the core."
Raiden choked on his popcorn.
"Self-termination?" Raiden thought. "Focalors is killing herself inside the machine? That's... hardcore."
Before he could dwell on it, the magic show began.
Lyney did the teleportation trick. The box closed.
Count down.
The box opened.
Lyney wasn't there.
But neither was the assistant, Cowell.
Instead, a water tank smashed onto the stage. Glass shattered.
Inside was Cowell's body. Dissolved. Or rather, crushed? No...
"Murder!" someone screamed.
The crowd panicked. Furina stood up from her throne.
"A murder in the Opera House!" Furina shouted, pointing at Lyney. "The magician did it! I, the Hydro Archon, demand a trial immediately!"
"And here we go," Raiden sighed, dusting off his popcorn. "Ace Attorney: Teyvat Edition."
Aether stepped up as Lyney's attorney. Furina acted as the prosecutor. Neuvillette presided as the judge.
Raiden sat in the audience.
"They are missing the point," Raiden muttered as Furina made wild accusations about Lyney being Fatui (which was true, but irrelevant to the murder).
"Paimon thinks Lyney is innocent!" Paimon whispered.
"He is," Raiden said. "I can smell the blood. It wasn't Lyney. It was the water."
He stood up.
"Objection!" Raiden shouted, his voice booming through the opera house.
Neuvillette looked up. "Mr. Ragnvaldr. You are not part of the defense."
"I'm an expert witness," Raiden jumped from the balcony, landing on the stage floor. "On the subject of liquids."
He walked over to the puddle of water remaining from the tank.
"Furina says this is Primordial Seawater, right? That it dissolves people?"
"Yes!" Furina crossed her arms. "The prophecy is coming true! The people will dissolve!"
"Let's test that."
Raiden dipped his finger into the "murder weapon" water. He licked it.
The crowd gasped. "He's going to melt!"
Raiden smacked his lips.
"Salty. High mineral content. And..." Raiden's eyes glowed. "...it tastes like a Halsey. Specifically, a Halsey from the House of the Hearth."
He looked at Lyney. "Your assistant didn't dissolve, kid. He was already water. Primordial Water dissolves people. But this water... it contains the memories of a victim named Halsey."
Neuvillette leaned forward. "Elaborate."
"Someone kidnapped a girl," Raiden explained, pacing the stage. "Dissolved her. Turned her into water. Then swapped the water with the assistant. The 'victim' in the box... was just juice."
"That's disgusting!" Paimon gagged.
"It's efficient," Raiden countered. "But the real killer is still in the building. I can smell the Primordial Water on them."
Raiden turned and pointed directly at a guard standing by the exit.
"You. You smell like soup."
The guard panicked. He tried to run.
"Neuvillette!" Raiden shouted. "Catch!"
Neuvillette raised his cane. [Hydro Pump].
A blast of water knocked the guard down.
"Order," Neuvillette stated, "has been restored."
Lyney was acquitted. It was revealed he was Fatui, which caused tension, but he was innocent of murder.
Outside the Opera House, Raiden leaned against a pillar.
Lyney approached him. "Thank you. You saved us back there. Even if you exposed my affiliation."
"I don't care if you're Fatui," Raiden said. "I ate your boss's clone. We're practically family."
Lyney blinked. "You... what?"
"Ask Arlecchino when she gets here," Raiden grinned. "Speaking of The Knave... tell 'Father' I said hello. And that if she tries to assassinate Furina, I call dibs on eating the Hearth's fire."
Lyney bowed nervously and left.
Neuvillette walked out of the opera house. The rain had stopped.
"You disrupted my court," Neuvillette said.
"I solved your case," Raiden corrected.
"True," Neuvillette conceded. "Your insight into the nature of the Primordial Sea is... concerning. You are immune to it?"
"I'm immune to everything, Judge," Raiden said. "But you... you're worried. About the Prophecy."
Neuvillette looked at the Fountain of Lucine. "The water levels rise. The sins of the people cannot be washed away. I do not know if I can stop it."
"You're the Hydro Sovereign," Raiden whispered. "You control the rain. Just tell the water to calm down."
"It is not that simple," Neuvillette sighed. "My authority... is incomplete. The Archon holds a portion of it."
"Ah," Raiden looked at the Palais Mermonia. "The Usurper's curse. Well, Neuvillette. Maybe you'll get your full power back sooner than you think."
Raiden turned to leave.
"Where are you going?"
"To find a croissant," Raiden said. "And then... to the Fortress of Meropide. I hear there's a giant tea party going on down there."