"Neuvillette!"
Furina and her companions, who had been about to pursue Amos, froze in their tracks as Neuvillette suddenly appeared. They stood quietly to the side, listening to Neuvillette deliver Amos's final judgment.
As for the Cult of No. 6 members nearby, their initial advantage had crumbled as other battlefields fell. Fontaine's reawakened law enforcement officers were now arresting them one by one.
In other words, at the Opera Epiclese, Amos stood completely alone.
Though Neuvillette spared his life, the trio felt a surge of satisfaction at the far more cruel fate he had decreed.
But just as Neuvillette finished speaking, Amos erupted in a sickly laughter.
"Hahahahaha..."
"You bastard! You're still laughing at a time like this?!" Furina demanded.
Amos ignored her, continuing to laugh for several moments before gradually stopping and turning to Neuvillette.
By now, the expression on his face had completely transformed. The confident, in-control demeanor he had displayed earlier had given way to the look of a ravenous beast. From his features, they saw the shadow of No. 6.
"What's your connection to No. 6?" Neuvillette asked, his brow furrowed.
"He's No. 6's older brother, Neuvillette!" Furina interjected, explaining on Amos's behalf.
"He claims to be No. 5!"
Neuvillette took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on Amos's figure, his anger growing stronger.
No. 6 had already inflicted immeasurable pain on Fontaine. Now, his older brother, No. 5, had nearly brought about its destruction. Truly, these brothers were two of a kind—neither deserved to live in this world!
"Heh, Monsieur Neuvillette, a pleasure to meet you. I am No. 5."
Amos seemed to regain his composure, his expression gradually returning to normal as he reintroduced himself, confirming Furina's earlier claim.
But the next moment, his face twisted into a savage snarl.
"I finally understand! That woman has been manipulating me all along!"
"Damn No. 8! She even predicted that I would use my ability on her! Why would such extraordinary talent be wasted on that worthless wretch?!"
"I'm the one who deserves that kind of power!"
Amos was becoming increasingly hysterical, though to the others, his reaction seemed perfectly normal, considering the massive trap he had fallen into.
"Emily is not worthless!" Furina retorted, unable to bear Amos's slander against Emily. But Amos immediately snapped back.
"She is worthless—just like you! A complete and utter failure!"
"You can insult me all you want, but I won't let you slander Emily!" Furina countered without backing down.
"If Emily is a failure, then your current predicament is entirely her doing! If she's a failure, what does that make you?!"
Furina's sharp retort momentarily stunned Amos, but a cruel smile soon spread across his face.
"It seems you think you've already won."
"I thought you would have learned something from my brother's fate."
"Don't you understand by now that people like us can never truly trust anyone?"
"Not even someone who's already under my control."
"Stop bluffing!"
Amos's words made Furina involuntarily recall No. 6, causing her to instinctively step back two paces. Just then, Neuvillette stepped in front of her and clenched his hand in Amos's direction.
A crisp crack of breaking bones echoed through the air as Neuvillette directly disabled Amos, preventing any further complications.
"Thank you for the reminder. We should indeed exercise caution with people like you," Neuvillette said, nodding at Amos.
"Now you won't be able to cause any further trouble."
"If you were planning to threaten me into letting you go by planting bombs beneath those cities, abandon that idea now."
"One of the two cities that ultimately declared allegiance to you is actually under our control."
"That's why I know perfectly well you haven't planted any bombs beneath the cities. You never believed you would fail."
With the Who is the Spy? device, though Neuvillette couldn't quickly identify every traitor, discerning the truly loyal individuals was relatively simple.
If the enemy was so determined to infiltrate Fontaine with spies, then let them taste the bitterness of internal penetration themselves!
"Ahem, ahem... Monsieur Neuvillette, your methods are truly remarkable."
Upon hearing Neuvillette's words, Amos coughed twice, his voice remaining calmly indifferent.
Then, the cruel smile returned to Amos's face.
"But I don't care!"
As soon as Amos uttered these words, the surging sea finally breached the island's defenses, flooding into its interior.
Then, a shocking thing occurred: the very people Neuvillette had forgiven their sins began dissolving upon contact with the seawater!
Neuvillette's eyes widened in disbelief. He couldn't comprehend why this was happening. He had indeed absolved all Fontainians of their sins!
Without time to dwell on the mystery, Neuvillette immediately channeled his power to contain the sea's advance, preventing further casualties.
In that single instant, hundreds had been dissolved before their eyes.
And it wasn't just here. What would be the casualties in the other cities of Fontaine, the ones he couldn't protect?
The mere thought plunged Neuvillette's heart into immeasurable anguish.
"Hahahahaha!"
Amos erupted into another unrestrained fit of laughter.
"What have you done?!"
Furina's eyes wavered as she watched people dissolving before her very eyes, one after another.
"Why are people still being dissolved by the sea?"
Navia and Charlotte wore expressions of utter disbelief.
"What splendid expressions. Seeing how much your reactions amuse me, I'll tell you," Amos said, his laughter subsiding into a cough before he continued.
"The human brain is truly a fascinating thing. Even if something hasn't actually happened, if the brain believes it has, the body will react accordingly.
"Take this as an example: Bind a person, blindfold them, inflict a small pain on their arm, and then continuously pour comfortably warm water over their wrist."
"This method tricks the brain into believing it's experiencing blood loss. Eventually, even someone without any physical wounds will die from lack of blood. Isn't the brain fascinating?"
"So, I simply used my power to modify their perceptions."
"I made their brains believe that any contact with seawater would dissolve their bodies—nothing more."
"That's right! Seawater is all it takes—even Primordial Sea Water isn't necessary!"
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
"I've already implanted psychological suggestions into everyone affected by my ability."
"Well, Monsieur Neuvillette?"
"Do you like this final gift I've given you all? To Fontaine?"
Hearing Amos's explanation, the mood in the room immediately grew heavy.
How many people had been affected by Amos's power?
Neuvillette carefully recalled that even his Marechaussee Phantoms had been infiltrated by about a third, and he immediately realized the severity of the situation.
What about those whose emotions have been driven to extremes by your influence, leading them to commit crimes? Are they also included in the scope you mentioned?
If even these people were to be counted, Fontaine would face the most catastrophic loss of life in its history!
"Amos!"
Neuvillette glared at the man he could crush with a mere thought, yet who laughed wildly, utterly indifferent to the consequences. His fury toward Amos now far surpassed even the rage he had felt toward No. 6 back then.
But could he stand by and watch these innocent lives be sacrificed?
The answer was no. Even if it meant compromising with this madman, Neuvillette could not bear to see at least a quarter of Fontaine dissolve into the sea—such a terrifying number!
"What do you want?"
The moment Neuvillette asked this question, he had already conceded.
"What do I want?"
"Haven't I already told you? I am an avenger."
"Everything I've done is solely for avenging my poor brother. Nothing more."
"I'm not telling you this to negotiate. I simply want to savor your expressions of helpless despair!"
"Yes, exactly that expression on your faces right now!"
"Truly delightful!"
Amos let out a sigh of satisfaction.
"Being able to witness such a magnificent sight... even dying here wouldn't matter."
"Oh, and Monsieur Neuvillette..."
"Didn't you promise to show me the fruits of Fontaine's progress?"
"Go ahead. Let me see how those Fontainians dissolve one by one!"
"Heh heh heh, I can hardly wait!"
Neuvillette's eyes had lost their luster. Despite his meticulous preparations and having reclaimed his full power, he couldn't defeat this man.
He had lost, and the price of this defeat was too great to bear.
The best-case scenario would be to rescue those affected by Amos's power in time and then ensure they never come into contact with seawater again for the rest of their lives.
Perhaps this was the best way to save as many lives as possible, but only if Amos was telling the truth.
If Amos truly was the same kind of being as No. 6, then what he said was likely true—but incomplete.
For some reason, Neuvillette suddenly thought of a parasitic worm.
This worm would seize control of its host's brain, driving it to seek out water sources before forcing it to drown itself. The parasite would then return to the water, ready to infect its next host.
How eerily similar this was to Amos's ability! He was perfectly capable of orchestrating such a scenario.
If the psychological suggestions Amos had implanted were more than just what he claimed, if they concealed hidden agendas, then the scenes of despair he longed to witness would continue to unfold for years, even decades. This was the true reason he had willingly accepted his fate!
Yet even after deducing Amos's scheme, Neuvillette remained powerless to stop it. This realization plunged him into utter despair.
Meanwhile, Furina's face drained of color as she listened to Amos's words, her body trembling slightly.
Why? Why did things end up like this?
Hadn't they already won?
Why did they still have to pay such a terrible price?!
Furina couldn't accept it. Even though they had saved three-quarters of the Fontainians this time, hundreds of thousands would still perish.
The cost of this victory was too heavy for anyone to bear.
Each person represented a family. If such a tragedy truly came to pass, could they really call it a victory?
Furina's eyes welled up with tears, threatening to spill over at any moment.
Looks like leaving me, Lady Furina, really wasn't a good idea after all!
Hearing that voice, Furina startled, and a wave of overwhelming emotion surged through her.
Emily, is that you?
It's me.
The Anemo Vision hidden beneath Furina's clothes emitted a vibrant green glow. Sensing its presence, she retrieved it from her pocket.
Now that her role as the Hydro Archon was over, there was no need to maintain the facade any longer.
When Navia, standing nearby, saw the Anemo Vision in Furina's hand, she nearly lost her composure, despite having previously witnessed Furina wielding Anemo Energy.
Their Hydro Archon has been a devotee of the Anemo Archon all along?!
Meanwhile, Charlotte and Neuvillette, who were privy to more of the truth, remained considerably calmer.
New variables seemed to have emerged, and the two watched Furina in silence.
But none of this mattered to Furina. Hearing Emily's gentle yet playful voice after so long filled her heart with overwhelming excitement.
Emily, thank goodness! I knew you wouldn't abandon me!
Emily, you must have a plan, right?
Amos implanted psychological suggestions in many people, causing their bodies to dissolve upon contact with seawater.
After sacrificing so much to reach this point, to finally free everyone from the Prophecy, Amos committed such a cruel act.
Emily, you must have a way to save them, right? You're so capable.
Furina's voice trembled slightly, fear creeping into her tone. She dreaded that even Emily might not have a solution to their current predicament.
Though the last fragment of my consciousness can no longer sense what's happening outside, I had already foreseen this outcome before it faded.
That's why I left behind this fragment—to assist you in times like these.
I've already analyzed No. 5's abilities. By reverse-engineering his methods, we can break the psychological suggestions he implanted in everyone.
Hearing Emily's words, Furina couldn't help but shout excitedly.
"Emily, you're absolutely amazing!"