"Huh? We're already saved?"
The livestream viewers exchanged bewildered glances.
"It doesn't feel real at all."
While they were undoubtedly relieved to be rescued, the reality fell far short of their expectations. There was no grand spectacle, no dramatic climax. The final sealing formation simply seemed to collapse on its own.
Doubt began to creep into their hearts.
"Could Furina be deceiving us again?"
"Silence, you cur! How dare you speak of Furina like that? After all she's suffered, you still have the audacity to slander her!"
The man was stunned by the sudden reprimand.
"Wait, where did you come from? This city has already broken free from Fontaine's authority!"
"Watch your tongue, you scoundrel! We are Furina's eyes, and we will not tolerate anyone who dares slander her!"
With that, the person threw off their coat, revealing a shirt that read: "Furina (crossed out) Focalors (crossed out) Lady Furina is the cutest in the world!"
This sight left the other person completely dumbfounded. Damn, your internal conflict must be intense!
"Furina would never lie! She's already saved everyone! As her most devoted fan, let me prove it!"
"How are you going to prove— Holy shit!"
The person couldn't help but curse when they saw the other person jump into the sea without hesitation.
Are you out of your mind?!
"Crazy! Crazy! This person's completely lost it!"
"Hey, look! I'm perfectly fine!"
"Apologize to Lady Furina right now!"
Seeing the person floating in the seawater without dissolving, the crowd breathed a collective sigh of relief. They also learned a crucial lesson: never mess with Furina's fans...
-
"I'm going to release my suppression of the sea water," Neuvillette announced to the others.
"We don't know when the sea water will recede. Even I can't maintain this state for long."
The Primordial Sea Water possessed its own consciousness. The Giant Whale and Dark Furina were able to borrow its power because their purposes aligned with its own. Neuvillette, however, stood in opposition to it, capable only of sensing its emotions.
At that moment, the surrounding sea ceaselessly conveyed its devouring intent to Neuvillette.
"Prepare yourselves," Neuvillette warned the others. When he saw their resolute gazes, he finally released his suppression of the sea water.
Instantly, a massive wave over a hundred meters high crashed toward the Opera Epiclese. Neuvillette waved his hand again, conjuring layers of pale blue Hydro Element Barriers to protect everyone within, before they were swallowed by the Primordial Sea Water-infused ocean.
Two streams of light shot into the sky, coalescing into the figures of Neuvillette and Furina.
Neuvillette had also brought along Rene, utterly exhausted from overusing his power and completely debilitated, and Amos, whose bones had been crushed beyond repair.
To condemn Amos to eternal solitude as punishment, Neuvillette naturally couldn't allow him to dissolve into the sea.
As for Focalors, having lost her authority and physical form, her consciousness remained anchored to the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale and couldn't stray far from the Opera Epiclese.
Moreover, lacking a corporeal body, she was immune to the effects of the Primordial Sea Water.
Of course, this situation was only temporary. Once a suitable body was found, her consciousness could be transferred at any moment—
Or return to her original flesh...
Neuvillette glanced at Furina, his gaze infinitely complex.
Knowing Focalors as he did, he was certain she would never choose such a path. Yet if she refused to reclaim her original body, how long could this fragment of her consciousness endure without her authority?
Meanwhile, below them, the people who had surfaced after clinging to floating debris in the sea exchanged glances, then erupted into jubilant cheers.
"We're alive! We're alive!"
"The Prophecy has been broken!"
"Long live Monsieur Neuvillette! Long live Lady Furina! Long live Lady Focalors!"
Seeing the scene below, Furina's face lit up with a radiant smile.
Finally, everyone is saved.
Finally, she can be herself again!
An overwhelming sense of relief flooded Furina's heart. She turned triumphantly to Amos beside her.
"Well? What do you have to say now?"
"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue? You were so chatty earlier. Why are you suddenly silent?"
"Don't tell me you're sulking? Oh dear, after all that scheming for so long, to have it all undone so easily—it must sting a little!"
"Still not talking? You are sulking, aren't you?"
"Aww, your grumpy face is just too hilarious!"
Furina finally seized the opportunity to unleash a torrent of mockery upon Amos, savoring her revenge.
However, observing Furina's behavior, Neuvillette's face twitched with an odd expression. After clearing his throat twice, he spoke:
"Ahem, Lady Furina, I haven't yet released Amos's ability to speak."
Furina: "..."
Furina's expression froze instantly, her inner turmoil a tempest of mortification.
Amos's utterly contemptuous gaze only amplified her humiliation, nearly causing her to explode with rage.
After Neuvillette released Amos's gag, Furina unleashed a torrent of mockery, determined to reclaim her lost dignity.
But Amos refused to give her the satisfaction, merely snorting coldly before falling silent.
Furina felt a surge of frustration choke her throat, unable to vent her anger. Yet, upon reflection, Amos's silence actually served their interests.
After all, when such a man refuses to speak, it means he's exhausted all his remaining schemes.
"Hmph! I won't let you have the last word!" Furina retorted with a final defiant snort, unwilling to concede defeat, before hurrying off to speak with Emily.
Emily, are you still there?
I am.
But we don't have much time left.
Hearing Emily's reply, Furina's expression softened with reluctance.
You're leaving again?
I'm merely a fragment of consciousness tethered to the Vision; it's not as if we're truly parting.
Lady Furina, your performance this time was truly commendable.
Hehehehe...
Furina scratched her head sheepishly, then suddenly remembered something and quickly spoke up.
Emily, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I really am just an ordinary person, not the Hydro Archon.
As she said this, Furina felt a flutter of anxiety in her heart.
Emily had initially approached her because of her supposed status as the Hydro Archon. Now that she had shed this pretense, Furina knew Emily wouldn't distance herself because of it. But Emily meant so much to her that she couldn't help but worry.
Silly girl, I've known that all along.
I'm not silly! I'm even smarter than Neuvillette! Wait, Emily, what did you just say?
Emily's words stunned Furina.
You've known all along that I'm not the Hydro Archon?
Heh, who could help but notice when someone talks in their sleep every night?
Oh, and I remember Lady Furina even confessed to wetting the bed until she was seven!
Aaaaaah! Just forget about that already!
Furina was going mad. She talked in her sleep, and Emily had discovered her greatest secret. This was utter madness!
Wait, what was I like when I was seven? Why can't I remember?
Is it just because the memories are too distant?
But if it surfaced in my sleep-talking, it must have been a deeply ingrained memory, right...?
Just as Furina was lost in thought, Emily's voice snapped her back to reality.
Alright, Lady Furina, it's almost time for me to leave.
Wait! I still have so much I want to tell you!
Hearing that Emily was leaving, Furina's heart surged with reluctance.
Emily, since you've known all along that I'm just an ordinary person, why did you pretend not to know?
And... you must have realized Amos was using his powers to control you, right? That's why you never mentioned him to me—because you were never under his influence at all.
You're wrong about that.
Of course I was affected by No. 5's ability. How else could I have earned his trust?
But even under its influence, I could still calculate the changes being made to my memories, allowing me to maintain my sense of self.
Hearing Emily's explanation, Furina's eyes widened, and she couldn't help but shout inwardly, Emily is amazing!
No wonder Amos was so jealous of you! This ability is practically invincible!
Heh, every ability has its limits, and my computational prowess is no exception.
When you can foresee every future event, life becomes unbearably monotonous. So when I told Lady Furina I was tired of this world, it came from the bottom of my heart.
Huh?
Furina froze for a moment, then frantically tried to comfort Emily, but Emily interrupted her.
However, there's one exception: you, Lady Furina.
I can't calculate any of your actions, which is why I've been so focused on you.
At first, I thought it was because you were an Archon, making your actions impossible to calculate. But later, I realized that wasn't the case.
You're truly just an ordinary person, but you hide your true self remarkably well.
Lady Furina, do you know? It was you who saved Fontaine, who saved everyone.
Back then, I was torn between saving and destroying. I ultimately decided to wait until I met you. The time I spent with you convinced me to help you save everyone.
You changed my mind. You saved all of Fontaine.
And now, I've finally completed what I couldn't finish back then. I'm giving you this gift...
After hearing Emily's words, Furina froze, completely stunned. She had never imagined the truth would be like this.
It turned out that it was because of her that Emily had ultimately decided to save Fontaine.
Logically, Furina should have been proud of her charm, which had swayed Emily's thinking. But she felt like she was missing something.
What could it be?
That's right!
Furina's eyes suddenly cleared and brightened. With utmost solemnity, she declared,
You're lying, Emily!
If you truly wanted to destroy Fontaine, to destroy the world, then why are you crying?!
Because you've seen it, haven't you? The end of Fontaine, the end of the world—a scene of utter despair. You're crying for this world, for everyone in it!
Furina's words left Emily in silence for a long moment, before she finally let out a faint sigh.
No. 5's mouth is truly sharp.
This sentence unmistakably confirmed Furina's deduction, clearing her mind completely.
From the very beginning, you decided to try and save this world. Your hesitation stemmed from calculating that even if you did, the final outcome would remain unchanged!
But Emily, your abilities aren't omnipotent. There are things you can't calculate, like me back then.
Right! The Primordial Sea Water flooding out of the Fortress of Meropide back then—that clearly caught you off guard too.
Though I don't know the exact cause, this proves that the future you saw isn't necessarily set in stone. There's still hope!
Sigh...
Emily sighed again.
Alright, alright, enough said.
Isn't that precisely why I wanted to see how far humanity could go?
I've done all I can. The rest is up to you.
But let me give you one final warning: the enemies of this world far surpass your imagination.
If you don't act, it won't be long before everyone is trapped forever in a dark, dreamless slumber, and this world will be utterly destroyed.
The reason I'm considered a failure is because my original purpose was to find a way to save this world. But in the end, I saw not a single glimmer of hope.
Beware of that one. He created me, No. 5, No. 6, and the others. When he realizes conventional methods can't save this world, he'll inevitably resort to something desperate.
Stunned by the immense revelation from Emily, Furina froze.
Goodbye, Lady Furina. I'm glad to have shared this unforgettable time with you. I hope we'll meet again someday.
Wait, Emily! Who exactly is this "one" you're talking about?!
Please, tell me! If we're going to stop him, we need at least some information!
Faced with Furina's persistent questioning, Emily fell into an even longer silence, so long that Furina began to fear she had already left.
But finally, Emily revealed a single, crucial piece of information.
I can't disclose any more details. The only thing I can tell you is...
We all call him No. 0.