So, in the end, the one who was abandoned was ?
As Dottore No. N watched the final Segnt make his entrance—the very one who seed to have gained Monsieur Neuvillette's special favor—he felt like he was trapped in a dream.
Who dared attack him with his still-incomplete dream Weapon?!
Just then, Dottore No. 6 descended the stairs from the second floor, the other Dottore Segnts parting respectfully as he passed.
It wasn't out of reverence, but pure loathing that they sought to isolate him.
Dottore No. 6, however, remained unfazed. He retrieved the mory Restoration Device he had prepared long ago and fitted it onto Dottore No. N.
Then, all the Dottore underwent another mory share. This forced procedure left Dottore No. N dazed and disoriented.
This ti, the mory share wasn't reciprocal. He received nothing, clearly indicating that the other Segnts had completely sold him out!
"What the hell are you all plotting?"
No one answered his question. Although they had suspected this all along, when they finally confird that the Segnt collaborating with Fontaine's mysterious forces wasn't him, a mischievous glint appeared in their eyes.
Interesting... If it wasn't any of them present, nor the Pri, then was the information recorded in the intelligence true or false?
Regardless, as long as they could transmit this news...
"Monsieur Neuvillette, I have newly acquired leads!"
Seeing Dottore No. 6 rush to Neuvillette's side first, the other Dottore inwardly cursed him vehently. The chatroom erupted into another round of condemnation against Dottore No. 6.
"Just as we suspected! He's the one collaborating with Fontaine's mysterious forces!"
"To avoid exposure, he disguised himself during etings, making himself appear much younger. That's why his appearance differs from the information in the reports."
"What nonsense are you spouting? I've never been to Fontaine before!"
Though Dottore No. N didn't yet understand the specifics of the accusations, he imdiately sensed their gravity and vehently denied them.
"Denial won't help you. We've all seen your mories. If Monsieur Neuvillette doesn't believe , he can ask the others."
Hearing Dottore No. 6's words, the other Dottores—excluding Dottore No. N—swiftly changed their attitude towards him.
If you're going to throw him under the bus like that, we have no choice but to give you a thumbs-up!
"Hmm, indeed, that is the truth."
Feeling Neuvillette's gaze upon him, Dottore No. 1 wore a conflicted expression, yet nodded solemnly. It gave the impression that he didn't want to betray his own kind, but was compelled to reveal the truth.
The other Dottores wore similar expressions, even adding insult to injury:
"That's right. He collaborated with that mysterious organization to conduct human experints on the lusine."
"Not only that, he corrupted dozens of Fontaine citizens with Abyss Power, transforming them into Abyss Monsters."
Now that they had decided to abandon Dottore No. N, they needed to ensure a clean sweep. After all, they knew themselves best, and they were notoriously vengeful. Leaving even a single root untended would lead to endless trouble later.
Therefore, Dottore No. 6's actions were precisely what they had in mind.
"Moreover, Tartaglia claid it was his first ti in Fontaine before his imprisonnt."
"So, I suggest you reconsider your excuses and co up with sothing more convincing."
Dottore No. N glared coldly at Dottore No. 6. If he weren't still restrained by Neuvillette, he would have beaten No. 6 senseless imdiately.
"Hmph, your attempt to pin everything on is too obvious."
"Is that so?"
"I might be able to lie or fabricate evidence on my own."
"But so many people believe you are guilty. Are we all lying?"
As No. 6 gestured toward the other Dottore segnts behind him, Dottore No. N's breathing grew rapid with rage.
Damn it! You're all just segnts of the sa person! If one of us lies, the rest inevitably follow suit!
We're all segnts of the sa being. Isn't this going too far?
Born from the sa root, why must we turn against each other so fiercely?!
Neuvillette's expression grew increasingly cold, and the pressure restraining Dottore No. N intensified.
Sensing the shift, Dottore No. N realized the situation was growing dire and quickly spoke up.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, they're all lying."
"This has nothing to do with . They're just looking for a scapegoat."
Dottore No. N desperately wanted Neuvillette to believe him, but his denials sounded feeble against the chorus of accusations.
"Who are the key figures in this mysterious organization?" Neuvillette asked, his tone calm but those who knew him well could sense his growing displeasure. Outside the New Fortress of ropide, the storm intensified into a torrential downpour.
"I don't know."
Hearing Dottore No. N's response, Neuvillette nodded before continuing.
"What is the organization's objective?"
"I don't know."
"Do you know the locations of any other bases belonging to this mysterious organization?"
"I've already told you, I had nothing to do with any of this!"
Neuvillette took a deep breath, then spoke slowly to Dottore No. N.
"It seems you're unwilling to reveal anything."
"Then we'll proceed directly to the Judgnt process."
"Monsieur Dottore, I will return tomorrow to inform you of the date and ti of your Judgnt."
With a shake of his head, Neuvillette turned and left.
The restraints on Dottore No. N's power finally gave way, but before he could even exhale in relief, a brutal blow struck the back of his head. He grunted and collapsed to the ground.
In his final monts of fading consciousness, Dottore No. N desperately wanted to scream, "What the fuck?!"
Dottore No. 6 clapped his hands, casually tossed the baton aside, glanced at the other Dottore clones, and leisurely returned to the second floor.
Witnessing this, the other Dottore clones raised their eyebrows in unison.
They had only just conceived similar plans, yet Dottore No. 6 had already executed them. It was clear that even among clones of the sa madman, there were varying degrees of inhumanity.
To prevent Dottore No. N from causing any trouble before the Judgnt began, the other Dottore clones first delivered a few more blows to his head before tying him up securely.
Dottore No. 1 gazed at the unconscious Dottore No. N and murmured softly, "It can't be helped. Soone has to quell the Chief Justice's wrath."
"Why did you stay in Snezhnaya? You can't bla us for this."
"You can only bla your own misfortune. As fellow 'selves,' you must understand us."
anwhile, Neuvillette arrived at the cell where Arlecchino was imprisoned.
His feelings toward her were deeply conflicted. He was grateful for her intervention during the No. 6 Incident, but the subsequent massacre had crossed his moral line.
Even knowing she had fallen into a trap set by Amos, the Cult Leader of No. 6, and even if every person she executed had indeed been guilty, they were still Fontainians. It was not for her, a mber of the Fatui, to decide their fates.
Moreover, the vast majority of these individuals had no criminal records. While they might have pledged allegiance to that mysterious organization, their offenses certainly didn't warrant the death penalty. Arlecchino's actions had been far too extre.
"Lady Knave, I demand an explanation."
"Hmph. There's nothing to explain, Neuvillette."
Arlecchino didn't even bother to look up at him.
"Before you stands nothing but a complete and utter failure."
"Ultimately, it was my own weakness that allowed that man to exploit ."
Had it been anyone else, Arlecchino would never have descended into such madness.
But Lyney was different—the child she saw as her successor, her most beloved.
In the end, Arlecchino couldn't bring herself to completely disregard his life. She sacrificed her own withdrawal to ensure the safety of Lyney and Lynette, the twin siblings.
"I've lost this ti, Neuvillette."
"Soon it will be your turn, Neuvillette."
"You can't defeat that man. Your principles are even more rigid than mine, making your weaknesses even more glaring."
"That man is far more formidable than No. 6 ever was."
Neuvillette deeply understood Arlecchino's words. He carried far too many burdens of responsibility.
Just as last ti, even when he knew there was a traitor among the Marechaussee Phantoms, he couldn't take decisive action. He couldn't even reveal the truth, lest it plunge Fontaine into chaos.
So mbers of the Marechaussee Phantoms were directly responsible for the personal safety of Fontaine's nobles. If their identities were compromised, Neuvillette couldn't even begin to imagine the chaos that would engulf Fontaine.
He still hadn't devised a way to break the deadlock. Arlecchino's thods were far more thorough and cautious than No. 6's.
"You've already escaped Fontaine. Why did you, Arlecchino, feel the need to return?"
This was the part Neuvillette found most baffling. Arlecchino had no reason to return to Fontaine now; it would have been wiser to wait for the situation to cool down before resurfacing.
"The reason? Haven't you already seen it?"
"I can't be sure how many of my subordinates remain loyal to ."
"If they don't want to be disposed of for being useless, Fontaine is their only refuge now."
After hearing Arlecchino's explanation, Neuvillette finally understood her motives and sighed softly.
"I deeply regret not being able to provide Mr. Lyney and Ms. Lynette with the assistance they deserved."
"But that doesn't give you the right to act with impunity in Fontaine, Lady Knave."
"I will preside over your Judgnt the day after tomorrow."
With those words, Neuvillette prepared to leave.
But just then, Arlecchino suddenly spoke.
"Neuvillette, aren't you curious about where I've been these past few days?"
Hearing her words, Neuvillette frowned and paused.
By this point, he didn't believe Arlecchino would say anything trivial. Yet if she considered sothing important enough to ntion, it likely wouldn't be good news.
"In fact, I went to see Dottore."
"I hoped he could erase whatever influence was clouding the minds of my subordinates. But he utterly failed."
Neuvillette had already learned a great deal about Dottore, especially since he had captured all of his Segnts. This knowledge was now quite detailed.
Dottore's genius was undeniable, leaving Neuvillette in awe. Though he loathed the man, he couldn't deny that even in Fontaine's current era, brimming with talent, Dottore's abilities ranked among the very highest.
Moreover, Dottore specialized in biology, a field where even modern Fontaine lagged behind Suru.
If even Dottore couldn't handle this matter, it would truly be a grave situation.
Arlecchino then recounted the events that had transpired in Suru to Neuvillette.
As Neuvillette listened, his mood grew increasingly somber.
This was the first ti in centuries he had encountered such a situation.
What kind of ability is this? Could it be related to a newly designated mber of the Nuri?
Neuvillette hesitated to dwell on such thoughts. Dealing with Amos alone was already a headache; the prospect of another Nuri mber surfacing left him utterly uncertain how to ensure the safety of Fontaine's citizens to the fullest extent possible.
With these concerns weighing on his mind, Neuvillette resolved to return to Fontaine imdiately to arrange follow-up asures.
Seeing Neuvillette preparing to depart, Arlecchino didn't attempt to detain him further. Instead, she said, "Neuvillette, please don't ntion my imprisonnt to the children at the House of the Hearth."
"Lady Knave," Neuvillette replied, "rest assured on that matter. If your situation were to beco public knowledge, it would create trouble for both Fontaine and myself."
Hearing Neuvillette's response, Arlecchino nodded once and fell silent.
Neuvillette left the New Fortress of ropide and returned directly to Fontaine, not even saying goodbye to Wriothesley.
However, when Neuvillette arrived back at Palais rmonia, his heart sank again upon seeing a lusine hurrying toward him, her face etched with anxiety.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, you've finally returned!"
"What's happened?" Neuvillette asked softly, praying inwardly that it wasn't the worst-case scenario.
But his prayers went unanswered. The gravity of the situation far exceeded his expectations, though this incident might not be connected to the mysterious organization he was investigating.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, just now, a massive surge of Primordial Sea Water suddenly flooded Poisson."
"The entire town has been completely subrged by the water and is now completely cut off from communication!"
Neuvillette's heart lurched. He had been expecting the Cult of No. 6's next move, but instead, he received the devastating news that the Prophecy was drawing near...
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