"What was that... sound?"
Neuvillette wasn't the only one who heard it. Furina, already on edge due to the day's tensions, shot to her feet.
"Look! Lady Furina seems to have something to say!"
The audience turned to Furina in surprise, murmuring amongst themselves.
"Maison Gardiennage officers, evacuate everyone immediately!"
Neuvillette, realizing the gravity of the situation, attempted to evacuate the crowd, but it was already too late.
A massive purple rift suddenly tore open in the air.
"What is that?"
The nearby audience members, still unaware of the impending danger, even reached out to touch the rift. In the next instant, everyone witnessed their bodies disintegrate into fragments like cotton fluff.
After a brief moment of deathly silence, the hall erupted into a cacophony of screams.
People scrambled desperately towards the exits, but just as they began to flee, the purple rift expanded exponentially. At that moment, everyone present heard the bellowing cry of a Giant Whale.
Roar
Even with just its head emerging, the creature nearly filled the entire Opera Epiclese. Terrified, the crowd fled for their lives, but the whale's arrival also brought massive quantities of Primordial Sea Water. Many who were touched by the water dissolved instantly.
Seeing this, Neuvillette's pupils constricted sharply.
Moments ago, he had pledged to safeguard the lives of everyone here, yet already, there were numerous casualties.
Fueled by fury, Neuvillette instantly materialized atop the Giant Whale, radiating an aura of terrifying power that instilled fear in all who sensed it.
His entire body now glowed with a deep azure light as he tapped his cane against the whale's massive form. The seemingly gentle strike sent tremors through the whale's body, momentarily halting its rampage.
"Maison Gardiennage officers, evacuate the civilians!" Neuvillette commanded.
Hearing his words, the Maison Gardiennage officers snapped out of their panic. Without hesitation, they risked their lives to help the audience flee the Opera House.
The Primordial Sea Water surged forward, but Neuvillette dispersed its consciousness with a powerful force.
Still, many who couldn't escape in time were swallowed by the Primordial Sea Water and dissolved into its primordial mass.
"My child!" a woman screamed, pointing frantically at a small boy about to be engulfed by the advancing Primordial Sea Water. "Please, save him!" she begged the officers.
"Please, save him!"
Undoubtedly, this was an extremely dangerous act, yet several Maison Gardiennage officers immediately rushed forward without hesitation. Seeing this, the woman tearfully expressed her gratitude.
"Thank you... thank you so much!"
However, the officers were ultimately just ordinary people. They couldn't possibly reach the child in time before the Primordial Sea Water swallowed him whole.
Just as the child was about to perish before everyone's eyes, a figure swooped in and rescued him moments before the Primordial Sea Water could engulf him.
The woman wanted to thank her rescuer, but when she saw who it was, she was left speechless.
In his Abyss Monster form, Jacob said nothing. He simply placed the child beside her and turned to rescue others who hadn't escaped in time.
Remembering how she had once been among those who clamored for his immediate execution, and now realizing he had saved her child's life, the woman felt overwhelmed with shame.
Rene stood nearby, attempting to control the Primordial Sea Water. However, having lost all his authority, the water showed him no response whatsoever.
Rene shook his head helplessly, then turned his gaze to Neuvillette.
"Lady Furina, please evacuate immediately to a safe location."
The voice beside her startled Furina out of her daze. Though her heart pounded with terror, she retorted firmly, "No, I won't leave. How can the Hydro Archon flee now?! You should be the ones evacuating!"
With that, Furina left her position and soared into the air, joining Neuvillette's side, her own Hydro Element swirling around her.
"Neuvillette, I'm here to help!"
Though she had no idea what she could possibly contribute against such a foe, Furina knew she couldn't run.
"This is madness!" Neuvillette snapped, his composure cracking as he saw Furina hadn't evacuated.
Even suppressing the Giant Whale strained his full power to its limit. He was already pushing himself to the brink just to buy time for everyone's retreat. Furina's arrival at this moment was nothing short of suicidal. She stood no chance against an enemy of this magnitude.
"Lady Furina, please evacuate immediately."
"No! As the Hydro Archon, I have a responsibility and a duty to protect everyone here!"
Furina stubbornly refused Neuvillette's words.
Neuvillette took a deep breath, unsure of Furina's intentions. Was she truly willing to sacrifice her innocent life for the hollow title of Hydro Archon?
To make her leave, Neuvillette fixed Furina with a serious gaze, ready to confront her directly.
Furina seemed to sense his intent. Locking eyes with Neuvillette, she swallowed nervously.
"Lady Furina..."
Neuvillette began, but suddenly sensed something and glanced to the side.
There he saw a figure, battered and bruised, clinging desperately to the Giant Whale's massive body.
Though his appearance had changed drastically, Neuvillette recognized the familiar aura—it was Tartaglia, who had disappeared during their last encounter.
Neuvillette had assumed Tartaglia had escaped from prison, never imagining he would reappear here.
Judging by Tartaglia's current state, he had been battling the Giant Whale for some time.
Neuvillette could see that Tartaglia's condition was dire, on the verge of losing consciousness at any moment.
But the moment Neuvillette's attention wavered, his control over the Giant Whale completely collapsed.
Roar!
The Giant Whale stirred again. Even a simple turn of its colossal body could unleash catastrophic destruction.
Seemingly enraged by Neuvillette's earlier actions, the moment it broke free of restraint, the Giant Whale unleashed a cataclysmic assault against him.
With Furina at his side, Neuvillette couldn't dodge. He had no choice but to forcibly withstand the attack, but he soon found himself unable to fully neutralize the assault, and he and Furina were driven backward in a series of retreats.
Furina's back was drenched in cold sweat; the earlier attack had sent her life flashing before her eyes.
Thank God Neuvillette was there to shield me, she thought. Without him, I'd be toast.
Just then, Tartaglia transformed into a bolt of Electro, darting across the Giant Whale's body in rapid strikes. Stung by the sudden pain, the Giant Whale interrupted its assault on Neuvillette, thrashing violently to shake Tartaglia off.
The colossal body slammed against the wall. Though Tartaglia was agile, his injuries were too severe, and his strength was nearly exhausted. After dodging several impacts, his rapidly moving body suddenly froze, his mind reeling.
Boom!
Tartaglia was finally thrown off the Giant Whale, crashing violently against the wall before being buried beneath the rubble.
Seeing this, Neuvillette immediately cast a shield around Tartaglia to prevent any further harm.
With no one left to obstruct it, the Giant Whale roared triumphantly and unleashed even more Primordial Sea Water from the spatial rift.
Neuvillette's heart sank at the sight. He immediately channeled all his power to stem the tide.
Initially, the two forces were locked in a stalemate. But as the Giant Whale drew inexhaustible power from the Primordial Sea Water, Neuvillette gradually found himself being pushed back.
Furina watched in disbelief. The seemingly invincible Neuvillette, the one she had always believed to be unmatched in power, was being outmatched in a direct confrontation. This was a scenario she could never have imagined before.
Furina had initially believed that Fontaine's greatest threat was Dark Furina. Yet even though Dark Furina's power still fell short of Neuvillette's, this Giant Whale possessed such immense might. What kind of being was it truly?
"Go, go, Water-Spraying Older Brother!"
Amidst the fleeing crowd, a child suddenly turned back to cheer for Neuvillette. Others followed suit, pausing to encourage him.
They understood all too well that if Neuvillette fell here, none of them would survive.
"Fight on, Monsieur Neuvillette!"
"Neuvillette, you can't lose!"
"There are thousands of innocent people here! If you fall, they're doomed!"
Furina joined in the rallying cries. While the scene stirred something within Neuvillette as he clashed with the Giant Whale, reality remained stark: he had already pushed his power to its absolute limit, unable to muster even a sliver more.
Yet all was not lost. Neuvillette had prepared a contingency for this day, though he hadn't anticipated Furina's absence or the sudden, unforeseen circumstances that had caught him off guard.
Seeing that Neuvillette remained silent, his aura showed no signs of intensifying, instead growing steadily weaker, the people who had resigned themselves to their fate still desperately scrambled toward the exit, clinging to even a single extra second of life.
This scene made Furina waver. She didn't know if she should flee.
Though she hated the thought of abandoning her post, with her limited abilities, staying would only make her a burden. If she escaped, she could at least maintain her role-playing act for as long as possible.
What if I really die here? Wouldn't that let Dark Furina win? Then no one could stop the Prophecy, and I'd fail to keep my promise to Emily.
But after all those brave words she'd just spoken, wouldn't fleeing now be utterly humiliating?
If only Neuvillette would speak first, she thought. Then I wouldn't be the one actively running away.
With this thought, Furina gazed at Neuvillette with expectant eyes.
Neuvillette had no idea what scheme Furina was plotting now, but he lacked the mental energy to dwell on it. If she refused to leave, let her activate the contingency he had prepared. He hoped it would work.
"Lady Furina..."
Before Neuvillette could finish, Furina's eyes lit up, and she blurted out, "I understand! I'll lead everyone to safety!"
"I'm leaving this place to you, Neuvillette. I believe in you! Just hang in there!"
With these words, Furina swiftly fled.
Neuvillette: "?"
Engaged in battle with the Giant Whale, Neuvillette stared dumbfounded at Furina's retreating figure, nearly getting hit by the whale's attack.
At that moment, Neuvillette's urge to abandon his responsibilities reached its peak. Fortunately, he regained his composure, though he couldn't help but feel exasperated by Furina's actions.
Well, it's for the best she's gone. At least now I won't have to worry about her.
Left with no other choice, Neuvillette ordered the Gardemeks to handle the evacuation while he focused entirely on the battle, striving to contain the Giant Whale's destructive rampage.
Half of the Opera Epiclese had already collapsed, leaving the venue exposed to the open sky. A significant quantity of Primordial Sea Water had accumulated on the ground, only prevented from flooding outward by Neuvillette's power.
Even amidst the battle, Neuvillette didn't forget to warn Rene and Jacob, who were standing nearby.
"You two should evacuate immediately. I can't guarantee your safety while fighting."
This was the first time Neuvillette had felt such overwhelming pressure. Though the Giant Whale's divine rank was no higher than his own, it could draw upon the Primordial Sea's power.
Under these circumstances, victory would only be possible if he reclaimed his full authority and transformed into the Sovereign Dragon.
"If we can't stop it, fleeing won't matter. This world is destined for annihilation," Rene stated calmly.
"However, Monsieur Neuvillette, there's something I must clarify. The apocalypse I foresaw isn't merely the world being swallowed by Primordial Sea Water."
"Rather, this world will lose its life force completely, with no next cycle of reincarnation. Everyone will fall into an eternal slumber in darkness."
Rene's words weighed heavily on Neuvillette's mind. He had initially believed Fontaine's greatest crisis was the Prophecy, but Rene's analysis suggested otherwise. Teyvat seemed to be facing an even more terrifying threat.
With a brief moment of contemplation, Neuvillette refocused on the battle. The Giant Whale, now clearly enraged, surged with heightened energy. A terrifying surge of energy coalesced in the sky above.
Neuvillette's pupils constricted sharply. If that attack were to land, it could sink this entire island. He couldn't allow its power to fully coalesce!
Fortunately, at that moment, Gardemeks armed with strange devices arrived on the scene. They unleashed countless purple rays at the Giant Whale and the Primordial Sea Water on the ground.
"Aaaaargh—!"
The Giant Whale roared with far greater fury than before, its attack frequency accelerating significantly. Yet Neuvillette parried with even greater ease than before, now that the creature's power had been weakened.
It's actually working!
Even Neuvillette was astonished by this sight. On one hand, this device had originally been intended to counter Dark Furina. On the other hand, the Academy had produced results with such astonishing speed that he had harbored deep skepticism.
Yet not only was it effective, its effects were remarkably pronounced!
Perhaps this device could truly help them confront the crisis foretold by the Prophecy!
For so long, Neuvillette had felt helpless against the Prophecy. He never imagined he would glimpse a glimmer of hope today—and that this hope would come from ordinary citizens. How could he not be deeply moved?
First, the Pneumousia Obliteration Bomb, and now the Primordial Sea Suppression Ray. Could technology truly reach such heights?
Neuvillette was dumbfounded, but Rene was even more so.
Rene recognized this device; he had seen it in action and knew how effectively it suppressed the Primordial Sea Water.
But this was enemy technology! When they had captured it, it was already damaged. How could they have deciphered it so quickly and deployed so many replicas so soon? It seemed almost absurd!
As a researcher himself, Rene understood the immense difficulty of deciphering a new technology. Yet here he was, witnessing something so astonishing that it made him question whether Fontaine had possessed this technology all along, and Neuvillette had simply been toying with him.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, you've been hiding quite the ace up your sleeve!"
Rene finally couldn't resist complaining. "If you'd brought this out sooner, would I have lost all hope?"
Neuvillette remained silent. He sensed Rene's misunderstanding, but he couldn't immediately find the words to explain. After all, even he would have found it absurd had he not witnessed it firsthand.
Never mind, he thought. Let the researchers sort this out later. For now, driving the Giant Whale back is paramount.
Taking a deep breath, Neuvillette channeled his remaining strength to conjure a colossal array in the sky. The array intercepted the Giant Whale's hastily launched attack, preventing it from gathering full power.
The array rapidly contracted, enveloping the Giant Whale's entire body.
Sensing the dire situation, the Giant Whale knew it had to escape now or risk being trapped. With a desperate surge, it broke free from the array's suppression and plunged back into the Spatial Rift.
Neuvillette made no attempt to stop it; he lacked the power to seal the creature. As the Giant Whale vanished, the array further shrank, gradually suppressing the Primordial Sea Water and forcing it back into its source.
In the end, Neuvillette sealed all the Primordial Sea Water brought forth by the Giant Whale and hurled it back into the closing Spatial Rift. Only when the space had finally calmed did he breathe a sigh of relief.
The immediate crisis had been averted.
Neuvillette descended slowly from mid-air. Before he could even catch his breath, he rushed to where Tartaglia had collapsed, digging him out from the rubble of collapsed buildings.
Thankfully, Tartaglia was still alive.
Now Fontaine can regain the upper hand in diplomatic relations with Snezhnaya, Neuvillette thought, preparing to immediately take Tartaglia to the Melusine Doctor for treatment. But just then, Tartaglia unexpectedly regained consciousness.
"Cough... cough..."
Tartaglia coughed twice, then noticed Neuvillette beside him. Speaking in a weak yet smug tone, he said, "Monsieur Neuvillette, my Foul Legacy form isn't bad, is it?"
"Hmph. Next time, don't interrupt my transformation, you people..."
With these resentful words, Tartaglia gave Neuvillette a thumbs-down before losing consciousness again, a satisfied expression on his face.
Neuvillette: "..."