"How is this possible?!"
Amos, watching the events unfold at the Opera Epiclese from afar, showed his first flicker of unease.
"No. 8's calculations never err. It's always been this way."
"This... this is impossible!"
Amos turned to Dark Furina, his face contorted with rage as he barked, "Get moving, you useless wretch!"
He then turned to Focalors, raising his hand. "It's all your fault, you're the only variable. If only I could..."
Before he could finish, his body froze solid. Simultaneously, a massive axe swung down toward him, and a majestic water dragon tornado surged forward with overwhelming force.
Amos immediately shattered the ice encasing him and retreated swiftly. Though he dodged the consecutive attacks, he had lost his chance to strike.
"We won't give you another chance to attack!" Furina shouted at Amos, then turned toward the stage, her composure gradually returning.
Though she had never seen Focalors in person, Furina knew the figure on stage must be the Hydro Archon who had once made those promises to her. Furina found it strange that Focalors looked exactly like her, but now wasn't the time to dwell on such matters.
Furina, Navia, and Charlotte joined forces to launch a relentless assault on Amos, forcing him into a constant defensive retreat with no chance to counterattack.
Due to the effects of Indemnitium, Dark Furina even lost control over long-range Hydro Element manipulation, finally lifting the oppressive pressure on the others present.
When everyone witnessed the true Hydro Archon Focalors appear, expressions of utter astonishment flooded their faces.
"How can there be another Furina?!"
"Which one is Fontaine's true Hydro Archon?!"
"I can't tell! I really can't tell them apart!"
Upon seeing Focalors, Neuvillette finally understood everything. A wry smile crossed his face—he had been completely deceived from beginning to end.
As he had suspected, the Hydro Archon Focalors had indeed been hiding within the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale. However, she had forged some kind of agreement with Arlecchino.
The Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale had originally been constructed using the Hydro Archon's Gnosis, and its operation required the Gnosis's continued support.
At the same time, the Gnosis became the key to locking down their target. As long as Dark Furina remained within the Opera Epiclese, she couldn't escape the impending Judgment.
However, having lost her Authority, Hydro Archon Focalors seemed to have also lost control over the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale, now bound by the machine's own rules.
To put it simply, Focalors was now more like the Oratrice's AI. If she wanted to use the machine for any purpose, someone had to manually activate it first.
But this activation couldn't come too early. If they acted too soon, Dark Furina would notice the ploy, and her Authority wouldn't yet be fully formed.
Delaying the activation, however, presented its own problem: such an unusual action would inevitably arouse Dark Furina's suspicion. If Tartaglia hadn't intervened at the critical moment, everything would have been over.
Everything was interconnected, a series of coincidences that felt like the hand of fate guiding them. Through countless hardships and at the cost of countless lives, they had finally succeeded.
But could this truly be a coincidence?
Focalors calmly observed Dark Furina, the thought inexplicably surfacing in her mind.
This wasn't a baseless suspicion. Dark Furina's earlier behavior had been conspicuously abnormal, a fact noticed not only by Neuvillette but also by Focalors herself, who had been constantly monitoring the battlefield.
However, this could also stem from inherent flaws in Dark Furina's creation. At this point, dwelling on such possibilities served little purpose.
A colossal Sword of Judgment now hung suspended above Dark Furina. She strained against her restraints, but even with every ounce of her strength, she couldn't break free from the Indemnitium threads binding her.
"Are you ready to face your final Judgment, Hydro Archon Focalors?"
As Focalors spoke these words, a strange feeling stirred within her.
The other Hydro Archon actually took my name? Well, all the better. Let her play the Hydro Archon even more thoroughly. She's the perfect stand-in for me!
A perfect... substitute?
Focalors' expression suddenly became distracted. Her gaze met Dark Furina's in the air, attempting to discern the other's current inner emotions, but it was futile.
What am I hesitating about? Focalors thought. If I crush her along with the Hydro Authority, so that Neuvillette can regain full authority, become the Sovereign Dragon, then everyone in Fontaine will be saved!
Moreover, once the Judgment begins, it cannot be stopped.
This was something she had set up specifically back then to not give herself a chance to regret.
Even if she wanted to delve deeper into the truth now, there was no time left.
"Hahaha! This Evil God still wants to judge us? She's probably going to die now! Serves her right! What a satisfying outcome!"
"I was scared to death earlier! I thought Fontaine was completely doomed! But as expected, our side is superior! Lady Furina, Monsieur Neuvillette, and that mysterious woman—whether she's Lady Furina's sister, younger sister, mother, or daughter—they're all awesome!"
"Judge her now! I can't believe we're witnessing history—judging an Archon! This is absolutely fantastic!"
"Judge her!" "Judge her!" "Judge her!"
At first, the cries might have stemmed from genuine relief or gratitude for survival, but they soon coalesced into a single, thunderous voice fueled by hatred and fear of Dark Furina.
Hearing the countless voices echoing from the scene and the distance, Focalors suddenly realized the Prophecy seemed to be back on track.
Yet a crucial element still seemed to be missing.
ROAR!
The Giant Whale, now freed from its restraints, surged into the air, unleashing a monstrous tidal wave.
The injuries inflicted by Dark Furina had ignited a seething hatred in its heart. Seeing her restrained, the whale seized the opportunity to obliterate Dark Furina along with everyone present.
But Neuvillette intervened. He couldn't stand by and watch the whale harm the ordinary citizens.
Though severely weakened, Neuvillette was no worse off than the Giant Whale. A massive wave crashed against the whale's belly, forcing another anguished shriek from the creature and halting its rampage.
The pain jolted the whale back to its senses. Casting a venomous glare at Neuvillette, Dark Furina, and the unconscious Tartaglia sprawled on the ground, it prepared to flee the scene.
Neuvillette wouldn't give it a second chance to escape. He first suppressed it with all his might, then patiently awaited the opportunity for it to fully recover.
At that moment, the Sword of Judgment suspended above Dark Furina finally stirred, its white radiance surging anew.
As Dark Furina was bathed in the blinding white light, the expression on her face finally changed.
The icy coldness melted away like snow, replaced by a serene smile. Her eyes narrowed slightly, yet her gaze revealed a deep longing for this world.
Seeing the look of release on Dark Furina's face, Focalors' mind exploded with a deafening buzz, followed by a suffocating sense of panic.
No, it can't be! Why is the truth like this?!
Focalors' mind reeled in chaos, yet her body had already lunged toward Dark Furina.
Startled by Focalors' sudden movement, Dark Furina paused, then shook her head gently.
At that very moment, before the eyes of everyone present, one of Dark Furina's hands slowly broke free from the Indemnitium's restraints. This sight sent a chill through everyone's hearts, fearing that the situation might take an unforeseen turn.
When Focalors saw it, her heart jolted violently once more.
The other party possessed the means to break free from the Indemnitium's restraints, yet had deliberately refrained from using them. The implications were clear:
They had never intended to evade this Judgment!
This aligned perfectly with the final thought that had surfaced in Focalors's mind. No wonder she had sensed something abnormal in Dark Furina's behavior, as if she were waiting for something.
Now Focalors knew what she had been waiting for: this grand Judgment against her!
Dark Furina watched Focalors's figure gradually approach, then slowly extended a palm.
The palm seemed to transcend space, striking Focalors directly in the chest.
Having lost her Hydro Authority, Focalors's power had dwindled to that of a mere Oceanid. With Dark Furina's overwhelming power, crushing her would have been as effortless as snapping a finger.
Yet when the palm struck Focalors's chest, it merely gently pushed her back.
"No, don't!"
Focalors's body was flung backward at an even greater speed. As she watched that receding figure grow distant, despair crept into her voice.
Just then, Focalors spotted Neuvillette's figure and, as if grasping at a lifeline, she cried out to him:
"Neuvillette, save her!"
Neuvillette, focused on suppressing the Giant Whale, had no spare energy to attend to other matters. Startled by Focalors' pleading voice, he paused momentarily.
With no time to consider the reasons behind her desperate plea, Neuvillette immediately released his hold on the Giant Whale, channeling all his power toward Dark Furina's position.
But it was too late. The Sword of Judgment, hovering above Dark Furina's head, plunged down with the full force of the Indemnitium accumulated by the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale over five hundred years. In the next instant, Dark Furina's figure was completely engulfed in a blinding white light.
As Neuvillette watched Dark Furina's final, serene smile, a faint understanding stirred within him.
"Ah..."
Neuvillette felt the same emotional resonance he had experienced when facing No. 6 earlier, yet the sensations evoked by these two situations were profoundly different.
Focalors finally regained her footing, landing directly beneath the throne where Furina had once sat.
Focalors flinched slightly, then shifted her gaze to Dark Furina, just in time to witness the final scene.
As Dark Furina's petite figure was completely engulfed by the blinding white light, Focalors closed her eyes in anguish and self-reproach.
The moment her eyes shut, two warm streams of tears began to trickle down her cheeks.
Focalors lifted her hand to touch her face, her fingers tracing the damp streaks. Only then did she realize that she herself had completed the final link in the Prophecy.
According to her plan, it was Furina who should have been besieged by the people and who should have wept. Yet Furina was never the true Hydro Archon; she was merely an actor playing the role.
Now, every detail of the Prophecy had come to pass. Both she and Dark Furina could be considered the Hydro Archons of Fontaine.
This was the true deception against Celestia!
But this was not the ending Focalors had envisioned. I should have been the one to die!
At that moment, Focalors desperately wished that Dark Furina could survive through her own strength. Yet such a miracle was clearly impossible.
The Indemnitium was simply too immense, powerful enough to shatter even the Hydro Authority—a fundamental law of the world.
Even if Dark Furina had ultimately reached a higher Domain, she couldn't have survived such a devastating energy attack. Focalors understood this outcome the moment she sensed Neuvillette's aura soaring to unprecedented heights.
Neuvillette's body shone with a brilliance far surpassing anything he had ever displayed before. He ascended from the ground, reaching hundreds of meters into the sky in an instant, surveying everything below.
The rain, which had been gradually subsiding, intensified once more, engulfing Fontaine in its torrential downpour. Neuvillette first scanned the situation across the city before meeting Focalors' tearful gaze from afar.
"Focalors, I am now the Sovereign Dragon."
"But this power... it weighs too heavily upon me..."
Neuvillette, too, had come to understand everything. In truth, all that had transpired until now had been orchestrated by some unknown entity. This mastermind had even manipulated the Hydro Archon Focalors into their grand scheme, ultimately pulling off a daring feat of deception that could shake the very heavens!
But who was the mastermind behind this extraordinary scheme?
Suddenly, a poignant figure flashed through Neuvillette's mind, and he sighed deeply once more.
Both Dark Furina and Focalors had stirred profound emotions within him. After all, Focalors had initiated all of this with the sole purpose of bringing Judgment upon herself.
All this was to restore his full power and then pass judgment on the sins carried by all Fontainians.
"How cunning of you, Focalors."
"I finally understand the true meaning behind your invitation for me to become Fontaine's Chief Justice."
"After all you've done, how could I possibly remain uninvolved?"
"Originally, I had no interest in humanity as a species. But after centuries of coexistence, I gradually integrated into this society."
Neuvillette swept his gaze across the members of the Cult of No. 6 below, his expression turning grave.
"Since you have entrusted the final judgment to me, then I, Chief Justice Neuvillette, hereby declare!"
"I will pardon the sins of all Fontainians!"
"But... not this one!"
Neuvillette pointed at Amos, the Cult Leader of No. 6, who lay prostrate on the ground.
"This man alone... I will never forgive him!"
As Neuvillette's words fell, the torrential rain intensified dramatically. Though there was no great commotion, something had subtly shifted.
The Fontainians had truly become human!
Sensing something amiss, Amos broke free from Furina and her companions, looking up just in time to meet Neuvillette's majestic gaze.
In the next instant, Neuvillette descended with lightning speed, appearing before Amos in a blink, his eyes fixed silently upon him.
Neuvillette pondered the most fitting punishment for Amos, this vile villain.
Soon, an idea struck him: dissolve Amos into the Primordial Sea and permanently seal away that portion of liquefied remains, preventing his return to his "Homeland." Let him taste eternal solitude and torment—perhaps that would be the harshest punishment imaginable.
As for the other members of the Cult of No. 6, Neuvillette had embedded a "Who is the Spy?" device within a section of the newly constructed passage leading to the Opera Epiclese. This would allow him to identify those with suspicious connections.
The passage's opaque, soundproof walls ensured that no one would notice the hidden surveillance.
Initially, Neuvillette had no intention of pardoning the sins of these individuals. However, after discovering Amos's abilities, he could no longer determine how many among them had been seduced by Amos's influence.
Even now, Neuvillette couldn't discern the truth. Yet he believed the situation would improve dramatically after Amos's demise.
By this time, the Giant Whale had seized the opportunity to slip back into the Primordial Sea. In retaliation for its forced breach of the Primordial Sea Water's outlet, the sea level within Fontaine was rising rapidly.
The surge was so swift that many who couldn't escape in time were swallowed by the encroaching seawater. However, none of them would be dissolved by the water again.
"Amos, I have decided your fate."
"You shall be eternally reduced to a puddle of liquid, retaining consciousness but forever devoid of form, forced to witness Fontaine's flourishing prosperity."
"Every Fontainian, generation after generation, will be able to come before you to curse and humiliate you. You will be forced to silently endure all these indignities, powerless to react."
"Now, savor this eternal solitude and torment."
"I hope you will spend the rest of your days repenting for your sins."
Neuvillette glared at Amos, his voice colder than ever before.
"Of course, no matter how much you regret it, the pain you inflicted upon the Fontainians will remain an undeniable truth. No one will ever forgive your sins!"
Faced with Neuvillette's icy words, Amos paused briefly before erupting into unrestrained laughter...