Tartaglia stood above the gaping hole left by the All-Devouring Narwhal's departure, turning his head. His armor was tattered beyond recognition.
He gazed down at Neuvillette below, a torrent of unspoken words swirling in his heart. In the end, condensing all he wanted to say into a single gesture, Tartaglia slowly lowered his thumb...
-
[ "Pfft—hahaha! I'm dying of laughter!" ]
[ "You can tell Childes's not happy about getting knocked out by Neuvillette with a single slap!" ]
[ "Wait, how many times has Tartaglia passed out now?" ]
[ "LOL, thumbs down!" ]
-
Inside the Opera House, after his taunting display, Tartaglia's body went limp and he was about to fall. Lumine swiftly flew over, grabbed his hand, and yanked him back to Neuvillette's side.
Lumine: "Are you okay?"
Tartaglia: "..."
Staring at Lumine and Neuvillette beside him, Tartaglia abruptly closed his eyes and collapsed onto the floor without a shred of dignity.
"Hey, Tartaglia?"
Tartaglia didn't respond, clearly having passed out completely.
After the All-Devouring Narwhal departed, the crowd gathered around.
Paimon: "That was so dangerous! Why did it suddenly burst out of the Opera House like that? Was that the giant narwhal you saw in your dream?"
Lumine: "Yes, it's likely the same one Childe encountered as a child, but..."
On the ground, Melus and Silver had already helped Tartaglia up, supporting him on either side.
Paimon: "Just?"
Lumine: "The one I saw in my dream wasn't this big, and its body wasn't this color either."
Navia: "Could there be another one?"
Lumine shook her head. "No, it must have undergone some kind of transformation to become this massive. It's nearly twice its original size! And the aura radiating from it... it's the Abyss!"
"Ah?! The Abyss?!"
Paimon jumped in fright. Every time the Abyss appeared, it brought terrible consequences. Could this be another such disaster?
"Traveler, what should we do?"
Neuvillette: "The Traveler is correct. I indeed sensed that... Abyssal aura within it. That Narwhal doesn't belong to Teyvat. It's a perpetually weeping monster that roams between worlds."
"It's greedily devouring the energy of the Primordial Sea, growing ever larger, and is the primary cause of the rising sea levels. When the Primordial Sea's energy runs dry, its next target will be..."
Clorinde: "You said that when the Hydro Archon created the Fontainians, she used the Primordial Sea..."
"The Fontainians' blood is immensely alluring to that narwhal," Neuvillette explained. "Thus, when it left the Primordial Sea, the Opera House, teeming with citizens, became its optimal target."
Navia asked anxiously, "We only repelled it just now, right? If that's the case, won't it return to the Land and target the Fontainians again once it recovers?"
"Yes," Neuvillette replied. "In truth, it has long sought to reach the Land. Its first appearance before us is largely thanks to that Fatui Harbinger."
"Judging by his exhausted state, he must have been battling the narwhal for quite some time."
At this, everyone turned to look at Tartaglia, who was being supported by Melus and Silver. His Foul Legacy Transformation had dissipated, leaving his face and hands covered in wounds. His lips were pale, as if he were utterly drained and on the verge of collapse.
After a few more exchanges, the conversation shifted to devising strategies to confront the narwhal.
Navia, Clorinde, Lyney, Chu Xi, and the others all declared their willingness to fight to the death.
Suddenly, Lumine recalled Witch N's earlier warning. The Abyss had already surfaced in Fontaine, and Lumine's hesitation to summon the Gods stemmed from N's dire prophecy.
A blind spot in the God's perspective... What could be about to happen?
"Lumine, look over there! That person looks so strange."
Paimon pointed a tiny finger beneath the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale, where an Intellitron stood.
Lumine's heart skipped a beat. She had completely forgotten about that thing! How could she?
Neuvillette and the others also turned to look, each displaying varying degrees of surprise.
The Intellitron took a few steps forward. "Please do not be alarmed. I am here only to witness. If my presence is offensive, I will leave immediately."
"Wait!"
Lumine glared warily at the Intellitron, about to question him when the Oratrice suddenly stirred.
The sound of gears grinding echoed from within the Oratrice, which began to glow, emitting waves of pale blue energy.
"What's happening?" Navia asked.
Neuvillette narrowed his eyes. "I believe... the execution is about to begin."
Furina remained seated in her usual pose, the energy emanating from the Oratrice ruffling her hair.
Lumine noticed the Intellitron had vanished, but he was no longer the priority.
"Furina!"
The commotion caused by the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale grew increasingly violent, time was running out.
"We still need to get some answers from her!"
Lumine soared upward, reaching for Furina.
A single tear slid down Furina's chin. The moment Lumine touched the tear, darkness enveloped her vision, and her consciousness was pulled into another realm.
The Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale blazed with unprecedented brilliance, and Neuvillette was also pulled into this alternate space.
Neuvillette shielded his eyes from the Oratrice's blinding radiance. When the light faded, he opened his eyes to behold a massive blue sword suspended high above... and beneath it stood... the God Focalors...
-
Inside the Opera House, after a blinding flash of light, Clorinde, Navia, Lyney... all of them found themselves in a strange space. Here, pitch-black shadows surrounded them, as if they were the only beings present—aside from... the astonishing sight unfolding before their eyes: Neuvillette's meeting with Focalors.
It wasn't just the people in the Opera House; every Fontainian was now witnessing, from a player's perspective, everything Neuvillette and Lumine were experiencing.
"Where are we...?" Clorinde initially remained cautious, but she quickly realized, "Neuvillette?"
Neuvillette, his gaze fixed on Focalors, didn't hear her. After several attempts to get his attention proved futile, she began to carefully observe the unfolding scene before her.
Navia found herself in the same space, her eyes fixed on Focalors beneath the colossal sword. A sudden realization struck her.
Similar scenes unfolded across Fontaine, drawing in Escoffier, The Knave, Wriothesley, and countless others. All were pulled into this realm, staring in astonishment at the unfolding events.
The architect of this phenomenon was undoubtedly Fidelle. While her primary goal was to burn souls to attract the Abyss, the souls she consumed served a purpose beyond mere fuel.
Focalors and Furina had sacrificed so much for Fontaine; their sacrifices must never be forgotten!
The Fontainians they saved must never utter the words, "The Prophecy was a lie." Their peaceful lives were built upon the burdens shouldered by Focalors and Furina!
They needed to know. Fidelle wanted them to see, to remember!