Inside the New Fortress of Meropide, Dottore's Segments had expected Neuvillette to return swiftly after the previous confrontation to deliver Judgment upon the captured Dottore No. N.
Yet days stretched into weeks, and Neuvillette remained absent. This delay perplexed and frustrated them.
"Whose turn is it today? Volunteer now."
Dottore No. 1, noticing the approaching hour, addressed the other Segments directly.
The Dottores exchanged glances before their gazes converged on one of the younger clones.
"Hmph, I don't need your reminders to know that," the young Dottore scoffed, clearly annoyed. He strode over to Dottore No. N, who was tightly bound to a massive iron pipe, casually picked up another pipe lying nearby—its tip stained with dried, reddish-brown blood—and delivered a brutal blow to Dottore No. N's already bruised forehead.
Du ang!
A good head is a head that rings!
Almost immediately, a large bump swelled visibly on Dottore No. N's head, while the bloodstain on the pipe deepened in color.
For the past few days, Dottore No. N had endured such assaults without so much as a whimper, whether due to complete loss of consciousness or simply having grown accustomed to the pain.
With a clank, the iron pipe was tossed aside.
"Say, is Neuvillette even coming for us anymore? It's been days! He's probably forgotten all about us by now," the young Dottore grumbled, thoroughly disgruntled.
"Heh, if only he could forget," Dottore No. 2 remarked calmly in response to the complaint. "But you and I both know Neuvillette will never forget us."
"The fact that he hasn't appeared yet likely means that the mysterious organization is acting again."
"The situation must be critical. I imagine Fontaine is in complete chaos by now, otherwise he wouldn't be delayed this long."
The other Segments nodded in agreement with Dottore No. 2's deduction.
"Since Neuvillette won't be coming here anytime soon, why not seize this opportunity to escape? Do you really want to rot in this cell for the rest of your lives?"
"This is already the second round. What else could we possibly do right now besides focus on this? It's such a waste of my time."
"If you want to leave, go ahead. I'm waiting for this chance."
Dottore No. 3 immediately rejected the proposal.
"Fontaine is facing a grave crisis. If you're still interested in the technology Neuvillette showcased, this is our best opportunity to earn his trust."
Dottore No. 3 shook his head.
"Suggesting an escape at a time like this is utter folly."
Hearing this, the other Segment sneered.
"Hah, I never thought my future self would be so naive."
"Do you really believe Neuvillette would ever let us access Fontaine's core technology?"
"Enough! Stop arguing."
Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Dottore No. 1 frowned and interrupted their bickering.
"We're all 'me.' Is it really that amusing to argue with oneself?"
"Instead of squabbling over such meaningless matters, we should focus on how to eliminate that traitor."
With that, Dottore No. 1 gestured toward the lavish room on the second floor.
Dottore No. 6 had reported all their misdeeds to Neuvillette, leaving them unable to feign innocence before him and shift all the blame onto the Prime to absolve themselves.
This betrayal had made it nearly impossible for Neuvillette to approve Fontaine accepting them.
The Dottore clones were utterly disgusted by Dottore No. 6, spending every day plotting his demise.
Of course, they knew that as another facet of themselves, he was aware of their plans and wouldn't give them the chance to act.
Neuvillette's power sealed off the passage between the first and second floors. Only those with his authorization could move freely between the levels, while the Dottore clones remained confined to the first floor.
Dottore No. 6 only descended from the second floor to greet Neuvillette during the latter's rare visits. The rest of the time, he remained holed up in his small laboratory within the suite, tinkering with who-knew-what.
For them, as long as there was research to be done, they could stay locked in their rooms indefinitely.
But for us, research is strictly forbidden. Neuvillette not only removed every potentially hazardous item, but also maintains round-the-clock surveillance.
Now, our daily routines consist solely of eating, sleeping, and... beating Dottore No. N.
As for conversation, since we all share the same memories, what's the point?
Damn it, thinking about it, our lives are far more miserable than theirs.
After a thorough comparison, the Dottore clones sank even deeper into despair.
They were now consumed by regret, wishing they had been the first to realize the truth and report it to Neuvillette. If they had, they could have been the ones with the private rooms and personal laboratories!
Simultaneously, their desire to kill Dottore No. 6 intensified.
"To achieve that, we'll need to make Neuvillette lose trust in him first," they concluded.
"I disagree. Neuvillette clearly doesn't trust him; he's merely using him to pressure us."
"Once Neuvillette realizes this approach is futile, he'll naturally lose his usefulness."
Just as the Dottores were about to begin their discussion, they suddenly sensed a disturbance in the area's seal.
Normally, the seal would only react to a powerful attack or Neuvillette's proximity.
Sure enough, moments later, the door swung open, and Neuvillette's figure appeared before them.
The Dottores felt a surge of inner elation at Neuvillette's arrival.
Whatever their ulterior motives might be, they needed him to appear for their plans to proceed smoothly.
If he hadn't shown up, they would have been stuck in this makeshift prison for an extended period.
"Monsieur Neuvillette..."
Dottore No. 1 smiled and approached Neuvillette, preparing to speak when suddenly, a crushing force descended upon all the Dottores in the area, threatening to crush their very bodies.
The Dottores' faces instantly turned ashen, their bodies trembling uncontrollably as beads of sweat the size of soybeans rolled down their foreheads.
Some of the weaker Segments were instantly overwhelmed by the force, collapsing to the ground with their foreheads pressed tightly against the earth.
Observing this scene, Neuvillette remained utterly composed. Azure waves of water rippled around him, and a deep indigo aura swirled around his body. Then, he gently levitated forward, gliding directly to stand before Dottore No. 1.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, what is the meaning of this?" Dottore No. 1 managed to rasp out, using the last dregs of his strength, before following the others to the ground, crushed by the overwhelming pressure.
"Monsieur Neuvillette wouldn't be one to slaughter indiscriminately, would he?" Dottore No. 2 managed to say before collapsing as well.
Neuvillette swept his gaze across the assembled figures, finally fixing his piercing gaze on Dottore No. 2.
"I do not indiscriminately slaughter the innocent. But not a single one of you is innocent."
"I gave you all a chance, but you've utterly disappointed me."
"You dared to conceal things from me."
"I wonder what Monsieur Neuvillette is referring to?"
With that, Dottore No. 3 collapsed as well.
This method of communication was rather novel, though a bit taxing on the Dottore.
"Last time, you told me that was the final Segment."
"Yet now, another Dottore has appeared within Fontaine. Do you expect me to believe you knew nothing of this?"
Hearing Neuvillette's words, the Dottore segments were stunned.
What? Another Segment? How could we, the Segments, not know about this?!
"Monsieur Neuvillette, you must be mistaken..."
Dottore No. 4, being slightly stronger, managed to remain standing after saying this. He quickly added a second sentence:
"All the Segments are present here. Monsieur Neuvillette must have encountered the Prime."
After saying this, Dottore No. 4 finally succumbed to the strain and collapsed onto the ground, muttering to himself, "The ground is so much more comfortable."
"I've brought the recording. See for yourselves."
He produced the recording and played it immediately, but showed no sign of retracting his power.
Though the recording was brief, more Dottore clones quickly buckled under the pressure, soon forming a sprawling heap on the ground.
While the first few Dottore clones might have harbored some resentment, as more companions joined them on the ground, their anger gradually subsided into resignation.
After watching the recording, the Dottore clones fell silent. They finally understood why Neuvillette hadn't come to New Fortress of Meropide to confront them all this time.
They had never imagined that Fontaine would once again have a Hydro Archon, and the recording's contents shook them to their core.
Moreover, who exactly was the "I" that appeared in the recording?
"Who is he?"
Someone voiced the question burning in every Dottore clone's mind. The figure in the recording bore an uncanny resemblance to the Prime Dottore, yet they were certain it couldn't be him.
The Prime was currently in Sumeru, deeply immersed in his research on 'the shedding of skin' and had no time to meddle in Fontaine's affairs.
Sending Dottore No. 1 here was merely a preemptive measure for future preparations. If the Prime had truly been interested, he would have come himself long ago.
But if it wasn't the Prime, then these Segments of him were indeed all present here!
So, who exactly was this impostor?!
Seeing the genuine bewilderment and panic on the Dottore's faces, Neuvillette relented and eased his power, allowing them to gasp for breath.
It was at this moment that Dottore No. 6 emerged from the second-floor room, his expression apologetic.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, you've finally arrived!"
"My apologies for the delay. I was engrossed in tinkering with a small gadget and didn't notice."
As the battered and trembling Dottore segments struggled to their feet, they glared at Dottore No. 6 and cursed him inwardly.
That dog bastard! He really knows how to pick his timing!
Neuvillette, fully aware of the Segment's sly maneuver, simply ignored it.
Among the Dottore segments, this one was the most sensible and obedient. As his earlier words had suggested, Neuvillette deliberately treated Dottore No. 6 differently, showing him slightly more leniency.
Soon, Dottore No. 6 arrived on the first floor. Under the other Dottore segments' sharp, knife-like gazes and hushed murmurs of disapproval behind him, he watched the recording.
"What do you think? Do you have any insights?" Neuvillette asked.
Dottore No. 6 didn't respond immediately. Instead, he stroked his chin thoughtfully, as if deep in contemplation, before finally answering after a long moment.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, I can assure you that all the Segments I know of are accounted for here."
"Moreover, that wasn't the Prime. If it had been the Prime, we might have already been erased from existence."
Neuvillette nodded. He too believed the Dottore he had encountered earlier wasn't the Prime. That Dottore's strength wasn't nearly as formidable; he had merely employed some special techniques to evade Neuvillette's attacks.
Neuvillette had initially suspected the Dottore segments were colluding to deceive him, but their behavior just now made that possibility seem increasingly unlikely.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, at this point, there's only one truth left."
"After eliminating all impossible options, whatever remains, no matter how unbelievable, must be the truth."
"I believe the Prime has been secretly cultivating additional Segments behind our backs. His intention is likely to replace us."
Upon hearing this, the Dottores' expressions turned cold.
So, after all their diligent service to the Prime, he not only failed to appreciate their efforts but also plotted to create new Segments to replace them, all to prevent their betrayal?
Sure, they were betraying him now, but they hadn't before! The Prime was the one who betrayed them first!
Since he sowed the seeds of treachery, he can't blame them for reaping the harvest!
Any lingering hesitation vanished from the Dottores' hearts. They had resolved to fight the Prime to the bitter end.
"No one wants to be enslaved, and we certainly don't either, especially by ourselves," Dottore No. 6 continued earnestly.
"The Prime thinks like us. He knows our innermost thoughts, which is why he plans to periodically replace his tools—that is, us."
"So it seems that faction truly had a cooperative relationship with the Prime. This individual might have been specifically prepared for that purpose..."
"Dottore!"
Upon hearing Dottore No. 6's deduction, Neuvillette's grip on his cane tightened involuntarily.