"What's the situation now? Are we saved?"
"I think so. Wasn't the Evil God already judged?"
"Hooray! We're saved! Long live Monsieur Neuvillette! Long live Lady Furina! And long live that other person who looks exactly like Lady Furina too!"
As countless viewers watching the live broadcast witnessed Dark Furina's complete annihilation beneath the Sword of Judgment, they erupted in thunderous cheers. Some were on ships, while others watched from high vantage points.
After all, not every city had ships available for immediate rescue. However, the Maison Gardiennage officers couldn't bear to watch those who refused to abandon the broadcast and flee to safety die, especially since they were deeply concerned about Fontaine's future. In the end, they mobilized everyone to move the live broadcast devices to higher ground.
Just as everyone was cheering in celebration, someone suddenly noticed something amiss.
"Look! The sea level seems to be still rising!"
Hearing this warning, the others turned to the ever-rising sea, their faces turning pale with panic.
"Why is the sea still rising? Lady Furina, Monsieur Neuvillette, please save us!"
"We're doomed! We've only defeated the Evil God—the Prophecy's calamity hasn't been averted yet!"
"Why is Monsieur Neuvillette suddenly flying away? Is he abandoning us to escape?"
"No, Monsieur Neuvillette, come back! We'll never insult you again!"
"It's no use. Monsieur Neuvillette has completely lost faith in us."
"We deserve this fate. We've brought it upon ourselves."
Seeing Neuvillette disappear from the livestream, as if fleeing, the people once again sank into despair...
-
"Emily?" Charlotte asked, her voice tinged with confusion after hearing Furina's words. "Lady Furina, have you seen Miss Emily? Where is she?"
Neuvillette nodded slightly, confirming his suspicions. If this entire situation was orchestrated by that young woman, she must possess an exceptional understanding of Amos, allowing her to predict his final actions and devise a countermeasure.
Ah, Fontaine owes her an immeasurable debt, he sighed inwardly, yet a faint smile flickered across his face.
"Neuvillette, follow my instructions from now on!" Furina commanded immediately after hearing Emily's words.
Neuvillette didn't hesitate. He nodded firmly. This was their last hope to save these people, and he would cooperate fully.
"Tell me, what do I need to do?"
"I need to share your senses."
Neuvillette paused briefly, then agreed. "Very well."
"Then I need to borrow the last remaining Indemnitium from the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale."
No sooner had Furina finished speaking than Neuvillette lifted her into the air and swiftly transported her to the Opera Epiclese, making sure to bring Amos along.
The moment Neuvillette and Furina arrived, Focalors, whose movements were restricted by the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale, asked Neuvillette with a hint of sorrow:
"Neuvillette, have you completely lost faith in humanity?"
Focalors had witnessed the scene of hundreds of people dissolving into the sea. She had assumed this meant Neuvillette was unwilling to forgive the sins of the Fontainians, having grown utterly disillusioned with the human race during their recent trials.
"No, I've done all I can," Neuvillette replied, his expression complex. He then gestured toward Amos. "He's the one behind this."
"Him?"
Focalors stared at Amos, incredulous that he could orchestrate such events. The perceived threat posed by this mysterious force deepened further in her mind.
"Now, we must cooperate with Lady Furina's plan to save everyone."
Neuvillette didn't offer further explanation. Time was critical; every wasted second could cost countless lives.
"Lady Furina needs to use the last remaining Indemnitium from the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale."
"Useless! All your struggles are futile," Amos taunted, trying to crush their spirits.
"It seems that woman left some tricks up her sleeve after all. But no matter what, you can't erase the psychological suggestions I've planted deep within their hearts in such a short time."
"You might save a handful, but the vast majority will dissolve into the sea right before your eyes! Ha ha ha ha!"
"Enough! Stop blathering!"
"Neuvillette, seal his mouth!"
Without hesitation, Neuvillette immediately silenced Amos.
Furina fixed an unwavering gaze on Amos, her voice ringing with fierce conviction.
"You bastard! Shut up and watch! Watch me and Emily save every single one of them!"
Each word crackled with such raw power that even Neuvillette, who had known her longest, couldn't help but glance at her in surprise.
Furina turned to Focalors and asked, "Lady Focalors, is there any Indemnitium remaining?"
"The Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale still has some Indemnitium left," Focalors replied, snapping out of her daze. "But the amount is limited. I'm not sure if it will be enough."
"It's enough. We only need the Indemnitium to act as a bridge for transferring energy. Emily has already prepared everything at the Old Fortress of Meropide."
"Neuvillette, quickly share your senses with me."
Hearing Furina's words, Neuvillette murmured a soft "Hm" and a radiant blue aquatic aura rippled across his form once more.
Soon, through Neuvillette, Furina gained the Sovereign Dragon's perception of water.
In an instant, it felt as if all of Fontaine had become Furina's eyes. Wherever water flowed, she could see through its currents.
So this is what it feels like to wield Authority...
Furina felt a surge of enlightenment, her affinity for and mastery over the Hydro Element skyrocketing.
But she swiftly snapped out of this state of epiphany. The most crucial task now was to save the Fontainians!
After hearing Emily's final words, Furina immediately turned to Neuvillette and Focalors.
"Lastly, we need to unite enough of the people's faith. Only then can we overwrite their altered perceptions!"
Upon hearing Furina's explanation, Neuvillette grasped the method Emily had employed.
She had likely analyzed Amos's power and used the collective consciousness of all Fontainians as The Main Body to reverse the altered perceptions of those affected.
However, even with an understanding of the principle, achieving this feat would be far from easy.
Forget about analyzing Amos's power—simply unifying the thoughts of most Fontainians was an incredibly difficult task.
But...
Neuvillette looked at Furina, his faith unwavering. He believed she could create this miracle!
"Leave the task of persuading everyone to me," Furina declared.
Considering Neuvillette's awkwardness with public speaking and the Fontainians' unfamiliarity with Focalors, the heavy responsibility naturally fell on Furina's shoulders.
"Monsieur Neuvillette seems to be back!"
"Great! Monsieur Neuvillette hasn't abandoned us!"
"Don't get your hopes up too much. Even if he hasn't abandoned us, what can he do? Can he really save all of us?"
"Seriously, Neuvillette couldn't do it before, and he certainly can't do it now!"
"In the end, only the people on that island will probably be saved."
Just as the people were arguing fiercely, Furina's face appeared on the livestream, dominating most of the screen.
Ahem!
Furina cleared her throat and addressed everyone watching the broadcast:
"My fellow Fontainians, I, Furina de Fontaine, am here to announce something of great importance."
"I deeply apologize for deceiving you all. I am not the Hydro Archon; I am merely an ordinary person, just like all of you."
With that, Furina bowed deeply.
After a moment of stunned silence, chaos erupted among the viewers.
"What?! Did you hear what Lady Furina just said?"
"Lady Furina said she wasn't a god, just an ordinary person."
"Why are you still calling that fraud 'Lady'? That despicable liar! She's been deceiving us for so many years!"
"Fraud! Fraud!"
When the truth spilled from Furina's lips, the people's pent-up rage erupted. Faced with a life-threatening catastrophe, their overwhelming anxiety was unleashed entirely on Furina. But she had long anticipated this reaction and silently endured it all.
Furina had initially believed she would be terrified by this situation. Yet, now that it had actually come to pass, the mere thought of Emily being by her side filled her with profound tranquility. The insults and accusations seemed like voices from another world, distant and unreal.
Observing Furina's reaction, Neuvillette nodded in quiet approval. Furina had indeed grown remarkably resilient, a transformation entirely attributed to the young woman who stood beside her.
Focalors wore a similar expression, though her eyes held deeper emotions beneath the relief. After all, Furina was the human aspect of herself.
"Everyone, please remain calm. I know I've betrayed your trust, but this was the only way to counter the Prophecy and save us all!"
"While I publicly acted as the Hydro Archon, handling mundane affairs, the true Hydro Archon, Lady Focalors, has been tirelessly searching for a way to save us all!"
Since Furina still didn't know exactly how Focalors had saved Fontaine, she could only offer a simplified explanation based on her understanding.
Hearing Furina's words, the Fontainians finally realized that the divine being who had appeared alongside her, looking identical to her, was none other than their true Hydro Archon, Focalors.
The Fontainians readily accepted this revelation. They had witnessed Focalors' final Judgment against Dark Furina, a moment when even Neuvillette was utterly helpless. Focalors' appearance at that moment had radiated overwhelming divine authority.
Learning that Focalors was their true Hydro Archon filled the Fontainians with a profound sense of security.
Once everyone accepted the truth, their resentment toward Furina's deception began to fade. After all, Focalors had instructed Furina to carry out this role, and their Archon must be right!
At that moment, Focalors stepped forward to reveal her true identity, lending Furina a hand before once again ceding the stage to her.
"For the past five hundred years, our Lady Focalors has remained alone within the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale, searching day after day for a way to save us all. She has endured constant loneliness and suffering..."
Furina, recalling her own past, began to vividly describe those 182,376 days.
The people believed she was speaking of Focalors, deeply moved by their Archon's boundless love and selflessness. But Focalors and Neuvillette knew that the person Furina was truly describing was herself.
Having no knowledge of Focalors' true circumstances, Furina could only use herself as a template for her narrative.
This wasn't exactly a lie. Furina knew that whatever Focalors had endured, it could never have been less than what she herself had suffered!
"Finally, just one final step remains! Salvation is within reach for all of us!"
"Please, everyone, start recalling joyful or deeply moving memories in your minds. Think of lively dances you attended, outstanding plays you witnessed... and countless scenes that stirred your hearts. As long as they're positive and uplifting, let your minds wander through those memories now!"
"I know Fontaine has faced many hardships recently, but precisely because of this, we must never forget those beautiful moments that touched our souls so deeply."
"Let smiles grace our faces, let hope bloom in our hearts, and let's bring this world to life with joy!"
Though the Fontainians didn't understand Furina's purpose, their nerves had been stretched taut for too long. They desperately needed some joyful release. So, they unanimously began reminiscing about their happiest memories.
Then, as if drawn by some unseen force, their thoughts drifted to the recent series of absurd cases, and they burst into laughter.
"Ha ha ha ha! I just remembered that cold-joke manslaughter case! It's still killing me!"
"So you saw it too? I was rolling on the floor laughing! I heard Monsieur Neuvillette even banned cold jokes in court because of it!"
"So you guys too..."
Furina had been pondering how to unite everyone's thoughts. After discussing it with Emily, they decided to awaken the hope buried deep within people's hearts.
All positive emotions could serve as bridges, connecting people's minds.
Just like when you see someone laughing heartily, you can't help but smile yourself, even if you have no reason to be happy.
Furina, initially anxious about whether people would cooperate, shared Neuvillette's senses and saw countless Fontainians doubled over with laughter. She was momentarily bewildered, wondering what they were finding so hilarious.
But she quickly regained her composure and seized the opportunity to proceed with the next step.
The Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale once again emitted a dazzling white light. Countless streams of Indemnitium flowed through the energy transmission arrays beneath the Opera Epiclese, spreading to every city in Fontaine. Soon, those cities too began to glow with the same brilliant white light.
Following Emily's instructions, Furina manipulated the Indemnitium to etch a colossal array across the land of Fontaine. Neuvillette, witnessing this, was utterly astonished. Even he, with his vast knowledge, couldn't comprehend the intricacies of this complex array.
Though the lines appeared chaotic, twisted into a tangled mess like braided rope, as if randomly scribbled, the array miraculously functioned. It even managed to dispel the psychological suggestions buried deep within people's minds, leaving Neuvillette in awe.
What was even more astonishing was that such an array had been created by an ordinary young woman whose power barely reached the level of an Archon's Retainer.
Neuvillette grew increasingly curious about this mysterious organization. Despite all its members originating from the same group, their personalities, beliefs, and methods diverged so dramatically.
At that moment, the live broadcast showed the same array being etched. Combined with the astonishment etched on Neuvillette's face, viewers gradually grasped the situation, eagerly recalling the intriguing cases they had followed. An atmosphere of excitement permeated the air.
Fontaine presented a bizarre spectacle: the rising sea threatened to engulf those gathered on higher ground, yet instead of fear, the crowd erupted into laughter.
Above, the wealthy who had selfishly fled in their private airships witnessed the bizarre scene below. Several airships, their pilots' hands trembling in terror, accidentally hit the wrong controls and wobbled erratically before plunging toward the sea.
As the formation gradually perfected, the crowd's anxiety eased. Though they couldn't comprehend its intricacies, even Neuvillette wore an expression of astonishment at its complexity—it must be incredibly powerful.
Ha! We're saved!
Their confidence soared as they watched corresponding sections of the formation light up in distant locations.
Meanwhile, sweat streamed down Furina's forehead. Sharing her senses with Neuvillette to process such vast information while simultaneously controlling the Indemnitium to inscribe the formation was pushing her to her limits.
Yet, fueled by her unwavering determination to save her people, Furina refused to falter.
Noticing the strain on Furina's face, many people's eyes softened with sympathy.
"Hang in there, Lady Furina!"
The anger many felt toward Furina for deceiving them had completely dissipated.
"When you think about it, even though Lady Furina deceived us, she's just an ordinary person who played the Hydro Archon for five hundred years! It couldn't have been easy for her!" someone remarked, prompting others to ponder the matter.
The fact that she had maintained her charade as the Hydro Archon for five centuries without a single slip made them realize the immense effort she must have poured into it.
After all, she was just an ordinary person like them!
Just then, the Old Fortress of Meropide, which served as the array's focal point, suddenly flickered violently before going dark.
Immediately afterward, the entire array began to extinguish, segment by segment.
Seeing this, countless hearts leaped with dread.
"What's happening? What's going on?!"
"We're doomed! Are we all going to die?!"
"Why is the array suddenly failing? We're not having enough fun! Everyone, laugh louder!"
Following this, wild, howling laughter erupted from every shelter.
Alarmed by the situation, Furina urgently questioned Emily.
Emily, what's happening? Did I make a mistake somewhere?
Emily paused briefly before replying:
No, Lady Furina, you did everything perfectly. We succeeded.
Succeeded? Furina asked, her voice tinged with doubt. But Emily, didn't you say the formation wasn't complete yet?
Ah, what we've already drawn is enough.
All Fontainians have been saved.
If you don't believe me, Lady Furina, take a look for yourself!
Emily, how could I ever doubt you?! Furina replied instinctively. Yet her body betrayed her: through the shared vision with Neuvillette, she saw a shelter completely submerged in seawater, yet every single person inside had survived.
Overwhelmed by this sight, Furina immediately relayed the news to everyone.
"We succeeded!"
Did it work?
Neuvillette's expression was bewildered. Could the formation truly have succeeded?
Yet the evidence was undeniable, leaving him no choice but to believe.
At long last, a great weight lifted from Neuvillette's heart.
"Are we all truly saved?" Focalors, lacking the duo's vision, anxiously sought confirmation from Neuvillette.
Neuvillette slowly nodded in response.
A radiant smile bloomed across Focalors' face.
"Wonderful!"
"We actually did it!"
"All these centuries of effort weren't in vain!"
Focalors recalled the hardships she had endured over the centuries. Today, every sacrifice felt worthwhile, and she had survived.
Yet the thought of Dark Furina, who had died in her place, filled her heart with profound sorrow.
She should have realized sooner that the Abyss amplifies one's inner negativity. Yet she had been confident that even tainted by its power, her nature wouldn't drastically change, clinging to a fragment of the pure innocence she had retained from her days as an Oceanid.
If Dark Furina had truly been born to take her place, then their essence should have been similar.
In the end, it proved true. Dark Furina had concealed her true intentions flawlessly, then surrendered the Authority to Neuvillette in her stead.
But by the time Focalors understood this, it was far too late...