After Furina finished displaying her inner monologue.
Lumine discovered that she was being controlled and couldn't do anything while sitting in her seat.
On the stage, the spotlight shone on Furina.
The surroundings were completely silent, with only a single beam of light.
This scene was too lonely.
The camera turned to Neuvillette's side.
There were still some details of this plan that hadn't been explained clearly.
Neuvillette didn't understand. "So even Furina herself didn't know the truth? You never told her your complete plan?"
Focalors shrugged. "Yes. To deceive the Heavenly Principles, you must first deceive yourself."
She then praised Furina.
"She really is amazing. Over these 500 years, if her will had shown even the slightest slack, Fontaine would have only been left with the worst possible outcome."
"Believing in humanity was indeed the correct choice."
Things had developed to this point, and the parts about the plan had been clarified.
However, the most critical part was still: after deceiving the Heavenly Principles, how exactly would they save the people of Fontaine from the prophecy?
Focalors asked in return, "You should have noticed long ago that the Oratrice Mécanique d'Analyse Cardinale isn't that simple, right?"
Neuvillette had indeed suspected that the Oratrice had its own consciousness.
First Lyney heard human voices, then Childe…
Now it was clear that Focalors had hidden herself within it, step by step guiding events toward the direction of the prophecy.
Focalors smiled and praised Neuvillette for his good analysis.
But it was still a bit superficial.
"Actually, the Oratrice wasn't a machine meant to carry out justice… The truth is, it was a machine meant to kill the God of Justice."
Only then did Neuvillette understand the meaning of the giant sword hanging above Focalors' head.
[Hydro Archon! Death penalty!]
[So it was me judging myself]
[French tradition?]
More precisely, it was a machine that would destroy the God of Justice's throne along with her.
Focalors smiled self-mockingly. "Hehe, I'm not the kind of person who watches Furina suffer while I enjoy myself with peace of mind."
Over these five hundred years, Focalors had indeed not been slacking.
She had been continuously accumulating Indemnitium energy inside the Oratrice.
Only a small portion of this enormous energy had been used for Fontaine's power supply.
The rest had all been accumulated, converging into the blue giant sword above her head —
The giant sword used to carry out the death penalty.
Today's trial of Furina, along with the Hydro Archon's death penalty, everything was within Focalors' calculations.
The massive energy accumulated over five hundred years.
Only energy of this magnitude.
Had any hope of shaking the rules set by Celestia.
Had any hope of breaking the structure of the Seven Sovereigns of the mortal world and destroying the Hydro Archon's throne.
"So the 'guilty' result given by the Oratrice means that the one sentenced to death is neither Furina nor Focalors. It is the [Hydro Archon]…"
Neuvillette continued thinking further. After destroying the Hydro Archon's throne, that power…
"You guessed correctly. Of course, it's to return what originally belonged to you."
In simple terms, Focalors' entire plan was to return the authority of the Hydro Archon to the Hydro Dragon Sovereign of this planet.
[From now on there will be no more Hydro Archon, only the Hydro Dragon]
['Only the Heavenly Principles cannot be opposed' — look at what you've done]
[Saying the most cowardly words while doing something even the Wind and Rock Archons might not dare to do]
[Why is anyone still talking about the whale? The prophecy was definitely going to happen]
The Hydro Dragon began to feel distressed.
He had never imagined that things would ultimately lead to this outcome.
Everything.
Focalors had done so much, all just to sacrifice herself.
"Hydro Dragon, Hydro Dragon, don't cry."
"Right now I'm still feeling quite pleased with myself for successfully deceiving the Heavenly Principles."
"If I were to judge the Heavenly Principles, hasn't he also committed a serious crime just like Egeria?"
"Egeria stole the power of the Primordial Sea, while the Heavenly Principles stole the power of you ancient dragons."
"Since I am the God of Justice, returning the power that originally belonged to you is the way to carry out justice. It lives up to the name of justice!"
The justice that Focalors understood was allowing the people of Fontaine to continue existing and live normal lives.
For this, even sacrificing herself was fine.
"Chief Justice Neuvillette, after you regain all the power of the elemental dragon, what kind of verdict will you give us?"
What else could Neuvillette say?
Thinking back now, when he had been invited to the Court of Fontaine to become Chief Justice.
Focalors' plan had already begun.
The original dragon had no interest in humans.
But after spending five hundred years with the people of Fontaine.
He had gradually come to understand this race and tried to feel what they felt.
"You really are cunning, Focalors."
"At this point… you already know I can no longer issue a guilty verdict, right?"
Hearing this answer, Focalors finally felt completely at ease.
Even though she was heading toward death.
"Oh dear, it looks like the time for execution is almost here. This sinner should also take her curtain call."
She looked at the sharp blade hanging above her head. Although her words sounded light.
When truly facing death, who could possibly feel no trace of fear?
Perhaps this was one of the rare common points between gods and humans.
"Goodbye, Neuvillette. I hope you enjoyed your part in this five-hundred-year play."
Both stages began their final dance at the same time…
[Sinner's Dance Steps Spin]
[No way, don't do this wuwuwu]
[Elegant, so elegant]
[The music here is just as cheerful as when the God of Dendro made everyone forget]
[With music this happy, it must be a good ending, right ()]
Lumine always felt that something about this situation wasn't right, but she couldn't move while seated…
Until she sensed An's power and the Narzissenkreuz Holy Sword in her backpack.
Relying on the power of the holy sword, Lumine finally slashed through everything in the instant Furina finished her dance.
However, nothing like that happened on Focalors' side.
Her divine body, under the impact of the enormous energy, turned into the original water.
The water vapor drifted toward Furina and bid her a final farewell.
"I've worked you hard all this time, Furina."
"Please live happily as a human, just as I had always envisioned."
At this moment, because of Lumine's final outburst, Furina's spirit did not collapse.
"You… the me in the mirror, did we… succeed…"
The water vapor dissipated. No one could answer her question anymore.
Only Lumine silently placed the top hat back into her arms.
This counted as an acknowledgment. As for the cost…
[You succeeded, Fufu. From now on please live happily]
[Tears in my eyes]
[Mihoyo you can't house wuwuwu]
[My Hydro energy is also overflowing. Does that mean I'm also the Hydro Archon?]
Fontaine, heavy rain.
Neuvillette appeared high in the sky and, in the name of the Chief Justice, pardoned the sins of all those who had shared the burden.
This rain would thoroughly wash away the entirety of Fontaine.
At the same time, in the Narzissenkreuz Ordo.
The hands of the Doomsday Clock also fell at the exact same moment…