As the Fontainians recovered from their joy at survival, the focus shifted to post-disaster recovery efforts.
After Furina used Emily's method to overwrite the Fontainians' consciousness, many former members of the Cult of No. 6 began to weep bitterly, confessing their crimes relentlessly.
According to the Special Task Force's investigation, these individuals retained complete memories of their past actions. However, at the time, they didn't perceive anything wrong with what they were doing. It was only after regaining their normal minds that they realized the gravity of their deeds.
Many members of the Cult of No. 6, unable to bear the weight of their sins, attempted to end their lives through various means, significantly increasing the workload for law enforcement officers. Now, officers had to not only escort these individuals to appropriate detention facilities but also maintain constant vigilance to prevent further suicide attempts.
Of course, there remained a faction whose minds remained unchanged, still steadfastly following Amos.
The most severe Judgment awaited them!
Meanwhile, medical personnel were working tirelessly to treat the injured. Rene, Tartaglia, and others were carried away for treatment.
Originally, medical staff had also prepared to take Lyney and Lynette, but Arlecchino firmly refused.
"I was the one who struck them," she stated, "and I was very measured. Lyney and Lynette sustained only minor injuries. A few days of rest will have them as good as new."
Of course, there were deeper reasons behind Arlecchino's refusal to let the medical personnel take the two away.
Grabbing one in each hand, Arlecchino lifted them both effortlessly and prepared to leave.
However, members of the Special Task Force blocked her path, their expressions surprisingly calm.
"Miss Knave," one of them said, "you remain a wanted criminal in Fontaine. Until Monsieur Neuvillette returns to resolve this matter, you cannot leave."
Despite Arlecchino's earlier cooperation and her crucial activation of the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale, which ultimately secured Fontaine's victory in the conflict, the Special Task Force officers were bound by protocol. They had no choice but to detain her.
Whether Neuvillette would pursue further action against Arlecchino later was beyond their concern.
"You can't stop me," Arlecchino stated calmly. Her words immediately put the Special Task Force members on edge.
"Miss Knave," one of them pleaded, "we're merely following protocol. Please understand our position."
"We acknowledge the good you've done for Fontaine, but the final decision rests solely with Monsieur Neuvillette."
The Special Task Force had tried their best to persuade Arlecchino to resolve the matter peacefully, but she refused to listen.
"Move aside."
The situation escalated sharply.
Hearing the commotion, Chevreuse rushed over first, followed closely by Navia and Charlotte.
"Please cooperate with our investigation, Miss Knave," Chevreuse said, drawing her spear and aiming it at Arlecchino, her face stern.
"I have no interest in Fontaine's rules," Arlecchino retorted. "Move aside, or you'll regret it."
Arlecchino had no intention of waiting for Neuvillette's return. She knew he would never overlook her past crimes in Fontaine simply because of her recent contributions; at best, he might consider mitigating her punishment.
But returning to the Fortress of Meropide was out of the question!
Sensing Arlecchino's readiness to fight, Navia and Charlotte drew their weapons alongside Chevreuse, their eyes fixed on Arlecchino warily. The atmosphere crackled with barely suppressed hostility.
"Alright, alright, leave this to me."
Seeing the situation escalate, Focalors immediately materialized to mediate.
"L-Lady Focalors..."
"Let them go. I'll explain everything to Neuvillette."
Hearing Focalors' words, the crowd hesitated before parting to clear a path.
Arlecchino glanced at Focalors, nodded, and strode through the parting crowd.
"Did you forget something?"
Hearing the voice behind her, Arlecchino frowned, initially thinking Focalors had changed her mind. But when she turned around, she saw a glowing chess piece flying toward her.
Arlecchino caught the Gnosis in her hand, paused briefly, then said to Focalors, "Thank you."
With that, Arlecchino's figure swiftly vanished at the end of the road.
"I'm the one who should be thanking you..."
Focalors watched the departing figures of Arlecchino and her companions, sighing softly.
At that time, Fontaine's fate rested entirely on Arlecchino's shoulders. Had she refused to cooperate, the consequences would have been disastrous beyond imagination.
Focalors had initially believed Dark Furina rescued Arlecchino because she was stronger and easier to control than Dottore. But now, she realized Dark Furina must have recognized Arlecchino's deep love for Fontaine.
The true reward Dark Furina gave Arlecchino wasn't merely rescuing her from the Fortress of Meropide, but entrusting her with the Hydro Archon's Gnosis.
Just as the Sword of Judgment was about to strike her down, Dark Furina tossed the Gnosis away. Had she not done so, the Gnosis would have vanished from the world alongside her.
After all, the Sword of Judgment, capable of obliterating Archons and their Authority, could certainly destroy a mere Gnosis.
This Gnosis, representing the shared will of Focalors and Dark Furina, was gifted to Arlecchino.
"Lady Focalors, are we really going to let her go just like that?" a Special Task Force member asked.
Focalors smiled faintly. "Yes," she replied. "She's earned her freedom."
"You don't need to concern yourselves with this matter. I have already made my decision."
"If any serious consequences arise, I will bear full responsibility."
After delivering these resolute words, Focalors sensed movement behind her and turned to see Furina slowly approaching.
"What's the casualty count?" Furina asked anxiously, her heart pounding with dread.
Earlier, through Neuvillette's shared senses, she had witnessed the horrific scenes unfolding across Fontaine. Though they had averted the worst-case scenario this time, Fontaine had still paid a heavy price.
Especially during the final, rapid surge of the sea, the Opera Epiclese likely suffered the lightest casualties with only a few hundred deaths.
Furina had steeled herself for grim news, but when she learned the final death toll was approximately sixty thousand, she still gasped in shock.
Truthfully, this number was far lower than she had anticipated, yet it remained staggeringly grim.
Human lives are not mere numbers.
This was already far better than any other possible outcome, and Furina couldn't reasonably expect Emily to have done better; demanding zero casualties would have been absurdly unreasonable.
Furina sighed softly and continued listening to Emily's report on the subsequent developments.
As she heard reports from various cities, Furina couldn't help but find it odd that some cities had suffered surprisingly few casualties.
Under Furina's detailed questioning, it was revealed that in those cities, countless ships from the Spina di Rosula had appeared at the critical moment, rescuing countless people.
It turned out that ever since learning about the Prophecy's crisis, the Spina di Rosula had been investing heavily in building ships, precisely to save as many lives as possible when the Prophecy came to pass.
Of course, the Wingalet from the Fortress of Meropide had also rescued tens of thousands of people, equally deserving of praise.
Normally, ordinary ships couldn't withstand the Primordial Sea Water, but with the Primordial Sea Suppression Ray installed, the ships became relatively safe havens—far safer than remaining on high ground. Nearly everyone who boarded the ships was saved.
Upon hearing this, Furina immediately sought out Navia and showered her with lavish praise, making Navia blush with embarrassment.
"Really, it's nothing, Lady Furina. This is simply what we should be doing."
"Just call me Furina," she said with a smile, waving casually at Navia. "I'm no longer the Hydro Archon."
"The real Hydro Archon is right here," Furina declared, pointing at Focalors.
Focalors shook her head with a sigh and replied, "That's not necessarily true. If you still want to be the Hydro Archon, you're welcome to continue."
"No way, no way! I'm so tired of playing the role after all this time. Being the Hydro Archon? It's not worth it!" Furina shook her head vigorously, waving her hands to emphasize her refusal. "I think I'm better suited to being an actress anyway."
Seeing Furina's dramatic reaction, Focalors chuckled and said, "Since you're so adamant about it, I won't force you. But being an actress must be quite interesting, right? Call me when you have a show—I'll be your stunt double!"
Furina: "?"
A question mark slowly materialized above Furina's forehead.
"Let's put aside the fact that I'm a top-tier actress who doesn't need a stunt double."
"If you're going to be my stand-in, who will be the Hydro Archon?"
"Why, Neuvillette, of course!"
Focalors spread her hands with an innocent shrug.
"Look at me now. I've already lost most of my power. Even if I were to remain as the Hydro Archon, I wouldn't be able to do the job properly."
"I bet you're just trying to slack off!" Furina retorted immediately after hearing Focalors' explanation. "Is it really okay to keep exploiting Neuvillette like this?"
"Don't worry about it. He's been handling it all along," Focalors replied casually. "Besides, he's grown even stronger now. Even if he works the same hours, it won't be any more tiring for him than before."
Furina was utterly bewildered by Focalors' reasoning.
Good grief! So this is how you do the math!
"And look at my current condition. I can't even stray too far from here for the time being. How am I supposed to fulfill the duties of the Hydro Archon under such circumstances?"
"I think I should leave early."
Seeing Focalors' unwavering resolve to keep Neuvillette working around the clock, Furina felt a growing sense of alarm. She worried that if Neuvillette finally lost his temper and couldn't get revenge on Focalors, he might simply kidnap her and force her to work instead.
The mere thought of that scenario sent a shiver down Furina's spine, hardening her resolve even further.
I have to leave. Now. If I wait for Neuvillette to return, it'll be too late!
It was a cruel twist of fate—the very thing she dreaded had come to pass.
Just as Furina was about to make her escape, a massive hole tore open in the sky, and Neuvillette emerged through the opening.
Immediately after Neuvillette's appearance, the spatial rift expanded a hundredfold, and the colossal head of the Giant Whale burst through.
At first, the crowd assumed the whale had been relentlessly pursuing Neuvillette, but the restraints binding the creature quickly revealed it was also Neuvillette's captive. A wave of triumphant cheers erupted once more.
Trying to escape, huh? Those who dare trespass on Fontaine's soil will be crushed by Monsieur Neuvillette!
The Giant Whale appeared visibly weakened, leading many to speculate that Neuvillette had engaged it in an epic, 800-round battle.
Neuvillette casually tossed the Giant Whale onto a vacant clearing on the island before approaching Furina and Focalors.
"I've captured it. I'd like to hear your thoughts on how to proceed."
Suddenly, Neuvillette noticed something and looked around before asking, "Where is Miss Knave?"
Upon hearing Neuvillette's question, the Special Task Force members immediately tensed up, but they didn't immediately shift the blame onto Focalors. In the end, Focalors took responsibility herself.
"I let her go," she said.
"Miss Knave has made significant efforts to save Fontaine. I don't think it's appropriate to pursue her past transgressions and punish her now."
Neuvillette nodded in agreement.
If the matter were to go to court, he would indeed render a fair judgment. But outside the courtroom, he could turn a blind eye, just as he had done with the nobles before.
"Then announce to the public that Arlecchino ignored all obstacles and forced her departure," Neuvillette instructed.
The Special Task Force members quickly acknowledged their orders and departed.
Neuvillette wasn't lying. Before his return, no one in Fontaine could have stopped Arlecchino from leaving. However, if he pursued her now, he still had a high chance of catching up.
The arrest warrant would certainly not be withdrawn. Even now, Neuvillette couldn't forgive Arlecchino's actions, but he had no jurisdiction over her activities in other nations.
With that matter settled, the conversation shifted back to the Giant Whale.
"During the battle, I entered its body and learned its true intentions," Neuvillette explained.
"It's called the All-Devouring Narwhal. Its repeated attempts to destroy Fontaine stem from its own vision of Teyvat's future."
Neuvillette paused before continuing.
"The All-Devouring Narwhal's thinking is remarkably simple. Unable to find a way to avert the impending doom, it devised a solution."
"To devour all living beings and even the world's very essence, so that it could carry everything within it and escape the pitch-black future."