Nahida's expression shifted the moment the two men locked eyes.
She knew Idris too well.
If there was one thing the Grand Sage of Sumeru did not possess, it was patience.
Once he decided that words were useless—action always followed.
And Neuvillette was the same.
Absolute fairness, unwavering conviction, blind faith in his Oratrice and its judgment.
When two men like that clashed, the outcome was inevitable.
Nahida's heart sank. It's going to happen…
Without hesitation, she extended her hand. Emerald vines burst from the ground, wrapping around Furina's waist just as the goddess instinctively stepped forward.
"Furina! Don't go near them—come back!"
"Eh?!"
Before Furina could protest, the vines yanked her backward. A heartbeat later, the air between Idris and Neuvillette exploded.
A deafening shockwave tore through the plaza.
Wind, water, and dendro energy collided in a storm of blinding light, throwing guards and onlookers into the air like autumn leaves.
Only two remained standing unharmed—Furina, shielded by Nahida's vines, and Arlecchino, who lazily raised a hand to project a protective barrier around herself and her "children."
"Well now," she murmured with a faint smile, eyes gleaming crimson. "What a magnificent spectacle. Two titans crossing blades—Fontaine hasn't seen a performance like this in centuries."
She leaned back in her seat. "Children, keep your eyes open. This is how true power moves."
Lyney and Lynette exchanged wary glances but obeyed, turning their attention skyward where the battle raged.
High above the Opéra Épiclèse, Idris and Neuvillette floated amid the fractured mist, their powers coiling and twisting like opposing storms.
The first clash was pure pressure—an invisible collision of will. Neither yielded an inch.
Then, with a sweep of his arm, Neuvillette rose higher, his calm eyes glinting coldly as if to say: Come, meet me in the sky.
Idris smirked. "Hmph. You think you can look down on me from above?"
"Elemental Arts—Wings of Verdant Insight!"
With a roar of Dendro energy, luminous green wings burst from his back, each feather formed of condensed elemental light.
The wings unfurled with a deep, resonant hum.
Down below, even Arlecchino's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"Elemental manifestation flight… how rare."
She chuckled, voice low and appreciative. "He's truly a prodigy. To condense pure elemental energy into physical wings—less than one in a hundred Vision holders could ever dream of doing that."
The Fatui Harbinger had seen such a phenomenon only once before—when the Traveler themselves had wielded the power of the stars.
As Idris ascended, Nahida watched in quiet awe from the plaza.
Those wings weren't granted by the system, nor by divine intervention. They were his own creation—a technique born purely from enlightenment and experience.
Her lips curved in a small, proud smile. He really has grown stronger…
Neuvillette's voice rolled across the air like thunder.
"Impressive. Then let us not hold back, Grand Sage. A battle on the ground would endanger too many innocents—let the skies bear witness instead."
His staff glowed with oceanic light. "Judgment Tide—Aqua Spear!"
A column of water surged upward, splitting the clouds as it fired toward Idris like a beam of liquid light.
Idris laughed. "As you wish!"
He spun his sword—Frostmourne—and met the beam head-on.
The impact rang through the heavens like steel on steel, sending ripples of energy through the entire district.
The sheer pressure numbed his wrist, but he grinned wider.
"Not bad, Chief Justice. You hit like a leviathan."
The duel spiraled upward. Idris dove and slashed through the rain, each swing releasing crescents of emerald light; Neuvillette countered with sweeping waves and serpentine torrents, their movements perfectly measured.
Blades of wind and water clashed again and again, painting the sky above Fontaine in streaks of blue and green.
Below, panic spread among the citizens as the heavens themselves seemed to fracture.
"Lady Furina!" a member of the Maison Gardiennage cried, stumbling toward her. "What should we do? The Chief Justice and the Grand Sage—if they keep this up, it could start a war!"
"Me?!" Furina blanched. "You expect me to stop them? I'd sooner fight Fatui!"
Her face twitched as she forced an awkward laugh. "Ahem—no need to panic! This is, ah… perfectly normal male behavior. You see, men sometimes need to… 'discuss' things with their fists before they can talk properly afterward!"
She straightened, trying her best to look wise. "They're just… exchanging ideas! Don't worry! Isn't that right, Lady Nahida?"
Nahida blinked once, then smiled politely. "...Of course."
She didn't have the heart to correct her.
Because she knew the truth—Idris wasn't just fighting out of pride.
This battle had been coming long before either of them spoke.
Something in him needed to face Neuvillette.
And though she didn't understand the reason, she could feel it: Idris had no intention of holding back.
Meanwhile, on the far bench, Arlecchino's gaze had shifted from the duel above to the two goddesses below.
Her lips curved in a sharper, more dangerous smile.
"The little Archon," she murmured. "The one who carries the Dendro Gnosis… the Doctor's little failure."
With Idris occupied, no one was left to guard Nahida.
Furina? Too weak. The Maison Gardiennage? Mere mortals.
Only one person in Fontaine's plaza posed any real threat now—and that was her.
Lynette noticed the subtle shift in her father's expression. "Father," she whispered, "you're thinking of making a move… aren't you?"
Lyney frowned, tension flickering across his usually playful face. "If you're going after the goddesses now, everyone in Fontaine will see."
Arlecchino's gloved fingers tapped against her armrest, her voice soft, silky, and utterly cold.
"Visibility is of no concern, my dear children. The only question is…"
She tilted her head, eyes glinting like bloodied glass.
"Which heart should I claim first—the Water God's, or the God of Wisdom's?"
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