"Do you think... do you think I wanted this?!" Marcel suddenly roared hysterically.
"Care about you?! Why should I?! Have you ever cared about me? Have you ever experienced my pain? Have you ever watched the person I loved most dissolve before my eyes?!"
"No one helped me. No one even believed me. Decades ago, even the Court of Justice told me..."
"A human being can't just dissolve into water! They said I must have been driven mad by some accident. Vigneire's death was so insignificant to all of you that you simply ignored it!"
Marcel raged, pouring out the decades of pain that had driven him to this point—step by step, he had used the dissolution of countless young girls in his research, all in a desperate attempt to save Vigneire.
His voice echoed through the Opera House, but elicited no pity. The audience glared at him with fury and disgust.
Neuvillette, unable to bear the spectacle any longer, ordered the Maison Gardiennage to arrest Marcel.
"Don't come any closer! No one move! I still need to save Vigneire! We made a promise!"
"Go repent in the Fortress of Meropide!" the guards retorted.
Two guards seized Marcel's arms from behind, their grip vise-like, and forcibly dragged him away.
"Vigneire, Vigneire... Don't blame me, don't blame me... I truly wanted to fulfill our promise..."
Marcel was forcibly dragged away, his voice filled with bitter resentment.
Neuvillette: "It appears the trial has reached its conclusion. With Ms. Navia's accusations proven true, the charges against Mr. Tartaglia are thereby dismissed."
Neuvillette summarized Marcel, also known as Vacher's, crimes. The Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale delivered a guilty verdict, sentencing him to life imprisonment without parole.
The audience erupted in cheers. Though no young girls had gone missing in recent years, the "Serial Disappearance Case" from a few years prior had caused widespread panic. Countless young girls had been too terrified to venture out alone.
Navia's father, "Callas the Unfaithful," finally had the "Unfaithful" part of his name cleared, and his case was overturned.
Standing at the accuser's podium, Navia wept softly, tears streaming down her face.
Melus: "The day the Boss has been waiting for has finally arrived, Young Miss. You can finally breathe a sigh of relief, can't you?"
Navia suppressed her emotions, striving to appear composed. "Yes... it's finally over. Thank you all, especially my partner and Fidelle."
She tilted her head slightly upward. "Dad... the Spina di Rosula is in my hands now. Isn't that a good thing?"
In the audience, Tartaglia rose to leave, having already spent considerable time here today.
"Please wait a moment, Mr. Tartaglia," Neuvillette called out, stopping him.
"Oh? What's up?" Tartaglia asked.
"According to trial procedures, since this trial originated with you, a final judgment must be rendered regarding your own culpability," Neuvillette explained.
Hearing this, Tartaglia felt a flicker of annoyance, but he figured he could spare a few more minutes.
"...Based on the public trial proceedings, it has been determined that Mr. Tartaglia is not directly connected to the Serial Disappearance Case. The perpetrator is someone else, therefore Mr. Tartaglia should be deemed not guilty."
"Finally... the matter is entrusted to the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale for final judgment."
The Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale whirred to life, swiftly delivering its verdict to Neuvillette's hand.
Neuvillette took the verdict, his expression freezing once more.
Below, Tartaglia's heart skipped a beat. Why does Neuvillette's expression look exactly the same as when he was judging Chu Xi... or rather, "The Doctor"? Could it be...?
"According to the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale's judgment, Mr. Tartaglia... is guilty!"
-
[Hmm, what's going on?!]
[Could Tartaglia also be the Doctor in disguise?]
[No way! How could a case from twenty years ago possibly be connected to Tartaglia? You're joking, right?!]
[Could Childe have secretly done something bad that the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale uncovered?]
[Whatever, at least there'll be some good drama to watch.]
-
Inside the Opera House, Tartaglia's eyes widened considerably.
"Hey, hey, you can't be serious! You just declared me innocent!"
Neuvillette was equally puzzled. The trial, which had never before deviated from its established course, had now been disrupted twice in a single session. What was going on?
He glanced at Furina, only to see her frozen in shock and disbelief. Neuvillette quickly averted his gaze.
Having dealt with a similar situation before, handling this matter proved far simpler.
"As before, we will abide by the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale's Judgment and declare Mr. Tartaglia guilty."
Tartaglia's lips twitched. He had grudgingly accepted Chu Xi's guilty verdict, reasoning that her body had been controlled by that Doctor bastard at the time. But what was this now?!
How long had he even been in Fontaine?
Could he really be responsible for the Serial Disappearance Case?!
Neuvillette: "Maison Gardiennage, proceed with the pre-established protocol."
Tartaglia had no intention of waiting for the guards to arrest him. He first glanced at The Knave, but she remained absorbed in thought, ignoring him completely.
Turning back, he stretched briefly and leaped to the front of the stage.
"So this is the Justice the Fontainians pride themselves on—utterly absurd! If these are your rules, then I have my own!"
Having already given his Hydro Vision to Lumine, Tartaglia activated the power of his Delusion, donned his mask, and leaped into the Security Agency's defenses, dual blades in hand.
The Security Agency's defenses proved no match for Tartaglia's skill, and he swiftly dismantled them.
As reinforcements swarmed in, Tartaglia instantly activated his Foul Legacy Transformation.
This time, without interruption, he successfully donned his Foul Legacy Transformation.
With the Foul Legacy Transformation activated, Tartaglia moved with blinding speed, dismantling the Security Agency's defenses as easily as crushing chicks.
Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Neuvillette, who had been observing from the highest vantage point, rose to his feet.
Just as Tartaglia swept his spear in a wide arc, obliterating a large swath of Security Agency units, Neuvillette launched himself from the high platform with a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, striking toward Tartaglia.
At that precise moment, The Knave lifted her head.
Tartaglia noticed Neuvillette's movement, but the man's speed was simply too great. He had no time to mount an effective defense.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion shook the arena. When the smoke cleared, only Neuvillette stood upright, while Tartaglia lay unconscious on the ground.
The truth was clear: even in his Foul Legacy Transformation, Tartaglia was no match for Neuvillette, who had yet to fully claim the Authority of the Ancient Dragons. A single strike was all it took.
The only difference was how much force Neuvillette had used.
"My apologies. If you've been wrongly accused, we'll investigate thoroughly. But the rules of the court... cannot be broken."
Neuvillette turned and strode away.
-
Spy-uh I forgot to set the timer for tomorrow so uh no chap tomorrow, I'm sorry. Wn timer system is cooked.