"Still no findings?"
Neuvillette frowned, surveying the endless yellow sand swirling around them. The air was so devoid of moisture it was maddening. While his current power level prevented any serious harm, the environnt still made his body intensely uncomfortable.
He shifted his gaze back to Nahida, who stood before him radiating a soft green glow. Countless erald sprouts had sprung up in a five-ter radius around her, adding a touch of vibrant life to the desert.
"I'm sorry," Nahida said, her voice weak. "My power is still too frail."
"Especially here in the desert, my strength is severely limited..."
"Let try."
Suddenly, Nahida's tone shifted dramatically, and the aura around her changed significantly.
"Back then, I learned of Deshret's intentions," Greater Lord Rukkhadevata began to explain. Her current state was too fragile to remain in the physical world for long, so she was temporarily sharing Nahida's body to preserve herself.
"I knew that problems might arise with Apep, the Dendro Dragon, in the future, so I made contact with the elental life gestating within him ahead of ti."
"I left behind a 'Spark' back then," she continued, her voice resonating through Nahida. "Perhaps I can locate Apep by sensing its position."
With that, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata channeled Nahida's power and began to search for the trace she had left behind long ago.
"I apologize," Clorinde said from the side, her face filled with regret. "I lost track of them. We wouldn't be in this passive position otherwise."
"Your condition was poor," Neuvillette stated calmly. "Gathering as much information on their movents as you did was more than enough. Without your intelligence, we would be in an even worse situation."
"Although we've lost the trail of the Cult of the Dragon's mbers," he added, "we now know their objective. As long as we find Apep first, everything can be resolved."
Logically, Neuvillette shouldn't have needed to worry about Apep, the Dendro Dragon. Even with his power significantly weakened, Apep was still far stronger than an ordinary god. How could the sches of a few overconfident mortals possibly affect him?
Yet, a sense of unease lingered in Neuvillette's heart, a premonition that sothing major was about to happen.
Just then, Neuvillette felt a heart-stopping surge of power. At the sa mont, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's voice, tinged with initial joy, rang out.
"Found him!"
But her tone quickly turned grave.
"No, that's not right. I didn't find him... he revealed himself to find us!"
"NEUVILLETTE!!!"
A deafening roar erupted in their ears, its imnse malice and fury montarily stunning their minds.
When they regained their senses, a terrifying sandstorm raged before them. A colossal figure gradually rose to connect with the sky, its crimson eyes making the very space around them feel thick and viscous.
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was utterly dumbfounded by the scene. She could feel the raw fury and hatred in Apep's voice. Turning to Neuvillette, she asked, "Do you two have a history?"
"I have never t Apep, the Dendro Dragon, before," Neuvillette replied, taking a deep breath. His premonition had indeed co true.
There was no ti to ponder how the Cult of the Dragon had managed to enrage Apep. A powerful attack was already hurtling toward him.
Neuvillette's figure flashed. In the next instant, he had teleported himself, Clorinde, and Greater Lord Rukkhadevata several kiloters away, leaving behind a protective formation to shield the two won.
A mont later, the spot where they had stood erupted in a violent surge of Dendro Elental Power.
"RETURN MY POWER SOURCE TO !!!"
The colossal figure, seemingly reaching the heavens, roared again. Countless erald-green beams of light burst forth, blanketing a hundred-ter radius around the trio. Simultaneously, Neuvillette unleashed his full power, erecting a Hydro Elent Barrier to withstand the terrifying assault.
"Stay here. I'll go explain things to him."
With those words, Neuvillette prepared to move the battlefield elsewhere.
Although Nahida and Greater Lord Rukkhadevata possessed considerable power, they weren't combat specialists. Against Apep, the Dendro Dragon, their strength would be insufficient. That was why Neuvillette had insisted they remain behind.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, please be careful," Greater Lord Rukkhadevata called out, watching his retreating figure without any false bravado.
Soon after, the two won felt the earth-shattering tremors of a colossal battle erupting far from their location.
Of course, had they been able to see the battlefield clearly, they would have realized that Neuvillette was holding back significantly, allowing Apep to vent his pent-up rage.
-
"The three of you."
"Since no attorney is willing to represent you, you will have to defend yourselves this ti."
When Lumine and her companions heard this from the Maison Gardiennage officer, they were thunderstruck. The calm they had painstakingly regained shattered, and their hearts once again pounded with anxiety.
"This is unfair!" Enjou protested indignantly. "How are we supposed to understand Fontaine's laws? Making us defend ourselves—that's completely unfair!"
"Isn't Fontaine supposed to be the Nation of Justice, the Capital of Fairness?" he continued. "I strongly protest and condemn this arbitrary way of handling things!"
"Shut up, you Abyss monster!" the officer snapped, his anger flaring at Enjou's words. "Don't forget how many of our comrades died at your people's hands! The fact that I'm even calmly informing you about the trial is at my most rational!"
"You have the gall to talk to about fairness?!" the officer spat. "Fairness is for people! You're an Abyss monster—you should be grateful you weren't executed on the spot! But don't worry, that's coming soon enough. After the trial, Monsieur Chief Justice will surely sentence you to death, finally bringing peace to the souls of our fallen soldiers!"
Enjou started to retort but fell silent, his defiance instantly deflating. It was an undeniable fact that Ziyun had caused nurous casualties in Fontaine to save them. Though Enjou hadn't personally committed the acts, he was still a mber of the Abyss Order.
"What about us?" Paimon flew forward, her voice laced with anxiety. "We strongly protest too! This isn't fair at all!"
Originally, they had been counting on Neuvillette's help. But now that they knew he wasn't in Fontaine, they had to save themselves. Paimon refused to accept such a disadvantageous situation.
"You?" The Maison Gardiennage officer sneered at Lumine and Paimon.
"Given the mountain of cris you, No. 2, committed in Fontaine, do you honestly believe anyone would be willing to defend you?!"
"Give it up. Even if you sohow found an attorney, it wouldn't give you the slightest chance of acquittal."
"Of course, you can rest assured. As the Nation of Justice, Fontaine will naturally grant you the fairest judgnt!"
"I told you, the Traveler isn't No. 2!" Paimon protested.
"Heh, save it," the officer sneered. "The trial is about to begin. You can save those excuses for Monsieur Chief Justice, for Lady Furina, and for Lady Focalors. Let's see if they believe your nonsense."
With that parting shot, the Maison Gardiennage officer turned his back on the three and left the waiting room.
"Who are Furina and Focalors?" Paimon asked, confused, once the officer was gone.
"Focalors is the Hydro Archon's god na, and Furina is her na in the mortal realm..." Enjou replied, equally puzzled.
"Did that guy misspeak, or is the Hydro Archon schizophrenic? It sounded like he was talking about two different people."
"Maybe it's a unique custom in Fontaine," Paimon suggested. "You have to address the Hydro Archon by both her nas at the sa ti."
"But why would he list them separately like that?"
-
Paimon and Enjou's discussion didn't last long before Lumine cut them off.
"This isn't the ti to debate that," she said firmly. "We need to figure out how to clear our nas."
"Your Highness, you have to save this ti!" Enjou pleaded, looking at Lumine with a pitiful expression. "You know they lost so many people. They'll never let go!"
If Lumine could successfully clear her na and unleash her full power, Enjou believed no one in Fontaine—aside from the Hydro Archon herself—could stand against her. If she was determined to save him, he still had a good chance of survival.
Of course, doing so would make Lumine a wanted criminal throughout Fontaine. Enjou worried she wouldn't be willing to take such a massive risk for him. After all, Fontaine was clearly not to be trifled with, and it was possible they had even more powerful weapons they hadn't yet revealed.
"Don't worry, Enjou," Paimon said, patting his shoulder reassuringly. "The Traveler and I would never abandon a friend!"
Lumine nodded in agreent, and Enjou was so moved he nearly burst into tears.
In truth, while Enjou felt his own case was hopeless, Lumine and Paimon were confident they wouldn't be stuck with this false accusation forever.
Besides Neuvillette's potential testimony, Lumine and Paimon had other ways to prove their innocence.
Just then, the door to the lounge swung open. A squad of Maison Gardiennage officers marched in, their movents perfectly synchronized. They stared stone-faced at the trio and announced, "The trial is about to begin. It's ti for you to appear in court."
"This Judgnt will be broadcast live across all of Fontaine."
Hearing this, the three of them breathed a collective sigh of relief. The more people who knew about today's Judgnt, the better it was for them. Their greatest fear had been that the authorities, driven by vengeance, would rely go through the motions of a trial before convicting them without hearing their defense.
Soon, the trio was escorted by the officers to the defendant's stand. The mont they appeared, the audience below erupted into a frenzy of discussion.
Lumine, Paimon, and Enjou were all slightly stunned by the sheer number of spectators. A quick glance suggested there were at least several thousand people present.
Is Judgnt in Fontaine always this... unconventional?!
"They're finally out!"
"Just as the rumors said—there's even an Abyss Monster!"
"How can an Abyss Monster participate in a sacred Judgnt?! Just drag him away and humanely destroy him! There's no need to hear his defense!"
What's wrong with being an Abyss Monster? Abyss Monsters need human rights too! Enjou fud silently at the comnts.
Besides, he thought, I was a dashingly handso man five hundred years ago! I didn't ask to beco this!
Though, it's still much better than turning into a Hilichurl. I can't even bear to look at their faces!
"Is that girl No. 2?"
"She doesn't look like him at all. Did the Maison Gardiennage make a mistake?"
"Unlikely. This is a huge deal, and it's being broadcast nationwide. A mistake would be a colossal blunder."
"I heard No. 2 disguised himself to sneak into Fontaine. Don't be fooled by her appearance! The eyes don't lie—the mont I saw her, I knew her hands were stained with the blood of countless people!"
Lumine: "..."
She wanted to refute the claim, but she couldn't really deny it.
She might not be a ruthless killer, but she was close enough. Too many Treasure Hoarders, Fatui, and Nobushi had fallen by her hand.
"By the way, what's that white floating thing?"
"Could it be the latest evil technology from that organization?!"
"I see! It looks so purely stupid, but that's just a deceptive appearance!"
Hearing this, Paimon couldn't hold back any longer. She shouted down at the crowd below.
"You're the stupid one! Paimon is way smarter than you!"
"Whoa, the little thing can even curse people! The technology of that organization really is advanced!"
"Maybe it's a language-learning AI!"
"I wonder when Fontaine will have technology like this. My parrot is such a pain to take care of—I've been wanting to get rid of it for ages!"
"Aaaah! Paimon isn't a robot! This is so infuriating!"
Paimon stomped her little feet in anger, a gesture that only drew more attention.
"So she's No. 2?"
"What an incredible disguise!"
"But under the accusation of , the great detective Furina, she'll be forced to shed her facade and have nowhere left to hide!"
Furina, seated on her throne, looked down at the silent Lumine with unwavering confidence.
Then, Furina turned her gaze to Enjou on the other side, gritting her teeth in anger.
"That damned Abyss Order! For so many years, they've done nothing but cause trouble for Fontaine."
"In the past, Fontaine's technology wasn't advanced enough, so we could only defend passively. But once this is over, I'll order a complete sweep of all monsters in Fontaine!"
"This Abyss Monster and that No. 2—not a single one will escape! Death penalty for all of them!"
"A blood debt can only be repaid with blood!"
Focalors, who was also squeezed onto the throne beside her, was slightly calr. She spoke up.
"We still haven't reached a final conclusion on whether she's No. 2. Don't be so quick to judge."
"However, that token Abyss Monster can be executed imdiately after the Judgnt. Every single Abyss Monster is steeped in sin—there's no chance of a wrongful execution."
Few people living on the continent of Teyvat had any goodwill toward Abyss Monsters.
Moreover, the Abyss Order had inflicted such heavy casualties on Fontaine. Naturally, this debt would be settled with him.
In fact, neither Furina nor Focalors had any intention of accusing Enjou. They had no need to listen to an Abyss Monster's defense.
They were even a little puzzled why the previous Maison Gardiennage officers hadn't eliminated him on the spot. Fontaine had no need for Abyss Monster prisoners.
Of course, Rene and Jacob's situations were special. Both could provide imasurable contributions to Fontaine's developnt. They were currently atoning for their sins while contributing their talents in the Fortress of ropide.
"Focalors, you're being too cautious!"
"The evidence is conclusive! She must be No. 2!"
"The Abyss Order wouldn't launch such a large-scale operation for an insignificant mber."
Focalors actually agreed with Furina's reasoning.
Due to the unique nature of Abyss Monsters—they could resurrect shortly after death—the Abyss Order was utterly indifferent to casualties. Even if they lost a hundred of their own warriors for every one of the enemy's, they still considered it a loss.
Therefore, the target of the Abyss Order's last rescue operation was likely the other two individuals. It could now be basically concluded that that faction had already ford an alliance with the Abyss Order.
Perhaps it was because No. 2 hadn't given up yet that she ordered the Abyss Order to act. This way, even if the rescue mission failed, she would still have a chance to argue her case.
If they had actually believed her explanation and acquitted her, then she would have truly had a chance to infiltrate their ranks.
"In any case, let's hear her defense first."
Focalors then turned to the high-ranking figure on the other side and spoke.
"The ti for the trial is almost here, isn't it, Monsieur Chief Justice?"
"Yes, Lady Focalors."
The Chief Justice wiped the sweat from his brow. He never expected both Hydro Archons to attend today's Judgnt. The pressure was imnse.
"Everyone, please quiet down," the Chief Justice addressed the crowd, but few paid him any mind.
The scene left the Chief Justice feeling awkward. He wanted to lose his temper but didn't dare.
Although he was a Justice representing fairness and righteousness, he wasn't Neuvillette. He still needed to navigate social connections, and many in the audience were people he couldn't afford to offend.
In the end, it was Furina's voice that finally quelled the commotion.
The Chief Justice cast a grateful glance toward the throne, sweat beading even more heavily on his forehead.
After wiping his brow again, the Chief Justice bellowed.
"Court is now in session!"
"We will now hear from Lady Furina, representing the prosecution, to present her case."
Hearing this, the three looked up at the throne, surprised to see that there were indeed two Hydro Archons seated there.
Good heavens, are the Hydro Archons actually twins?!
But that can't be right—isn't there only one Divine Seat?!
Furina, who had been waiting impatiently, imdiately stood up from the throne the mont the Chief Justice finished speaking. She pointed an accusing finger at Lumine and thundered:
"No. 2, you have committed countless cris in Fontaine! According to our records, you are responsible for the deaths of 149 innocent people—with no survivors—and have caused direct and indirect economic losses totaling 200 million Mora!"
"Your cris are an affront to both gods and mortals, despised by all!"
"And now, unrepentant, you've disguised yourself, daring to infiltrate Fontaine's law enforcent agencies to sow even more chaos! Fortunately, our quick-witted and courageous Maison Gardiennage officers saw through your disguise and exposed your sche at a glance!"
"No. 2, you can't escape! I advise you to abandon any hope of getting away with this, confess your cris, and reveal your true objective. If you cooperate and atone for your actions, you might—just might—have a chance to live!"
Furina's words seed to stir up painful mories among the crowd, and the atmosphere in the courtroom grew heavy and somber.
"We won't admit to anything! The Traveler isn't No. 2! You've got the wrong person!"
Lumine and Paimon gulped when they heard the figure of 200 million Mora.
Good heavens, how many commissions would we have to complete to pay that off?!
No way are we taking the fall for this!
"You claim the Traveler is No. 2? Where's your proof?!" Paimon shot back, pointing an accusatory finger at Furina. Even though she knew she was facing Fontaine's Hydro Archon, she'd t enough gods by now to be completely unfazed!
"Of course I have evidence, and every piece is ironclad!"
Furina lowered her arm and planted her hands on her hips, her expression one of absolute confidence.
"A Maison Gardiennage officer witnessed her wielding at least three different Elental Powers without the aid of a Vision! Is this not true?!"
"Furthermore, at your side is an Abyss Monster disguised as a human! Is this not true?!"
"And while you were being escorted to Fontaine, the Abyss Order mobilized a legion of over a thousand monsters in an attempt to rescue you! Is this not true?!"
Furina's three thunderous accusations, delivered with overwhelming force, imdiately tipped the scales of justice to the right.
"Even now, are you still trying to make excuses, No. 2?!"
As soon as Furina finished speaking, the audience began to chi in.
"Seriously, just admit it already!"
"How pathetic!"
"What a completely one-sided 'Judgnt'!"
"Damn you, No. 2! Pay for my older brother's life!"
A wave of imnse malice washed over the trio. Paimon's bravado instantly deflated, and she retreated fearfully behind Lumine.
"Execute them!"
"Make them pay in blood!"
So of the more agitated audience mbers even started throwing Mora at the three of them.
There was nothing else they could do. The Opera Epiclese had strict security, especially after the recent shooting incident. Now, they had nothing on them to throw except Mora.
Mora!
Paimon's eyes lit up at the sight of the Mora. If the atmosphere weren't so tense, she would have zipped down to the floor at top speed, scooped up all the Mora, and stuffed it into her socks!
Of course, Paimon didn't forget to hide in a spot where the Mora couldn't reach her. After all, getting hit by Mora still hurt quite a bit.
Lumine, nearly buried in Mora: "..."
"Still not admitting it? No matter. I have another, more crucial piece of evidence!"
Furina spoke again, unhurriedly.
"No. 2 has never spoken a word before. Perhaps he has a speech impedint."
"And as far as I know, you haven't said a single word from the beginning until now!"
"No. 2, what excuses can you possibly make now?!"
Hearing Furina's deduction, the trio's faces instantly paled!
"No. 2, you can't hide anymore!"
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