"I heard Lady Furina will take charge personally!"
"That's fantastic! It's about time!"
"Those useless Maison Gardiennage bastards take our taxes every moon, yet they can't even catch the killer!"
"Hmph, once Lady Furina steps in, it'll be game over. She'll track down the culprit and haul them in immediately!"
In recent days, the serial suicide case in Fontaine had left the citizens on edge. When news spread that Furina would personally intervene—rescuing the next would-be suicide to uncover the culprit—a crowd quickly gathered, blocking several streets solid.
At that moment, a contingent of Maison Gardiennage guards cleared the way. Furina approached with deliberate grace, followed by Clorinde with her head slightly bowed. As Furina passed, the guards on both sides showered the path with petals, creating a dramatic entrance worthy of a grand performance.
"Look! It's Lady Furina!"
"Lady Furina, you must find the real killer for us!"
"Lady Furina, I'll always support you!"
The crowd erupted in excitement at Furina's appearance, though the overall order remained intact.
Furina faced the crowd's cheers, feigning composure as she approached the raised platform already constructed in the open space. In truth, her heart was already bursting with joy.
Hmm, the cheering today is far more enthusiastic than usual. It seems everyone has finally realized Fontaine's peace still depends on me!
Excellent, excellent. Maintain this momentum, and the Fontainians will undoubtedly grow even more reverent and devoted to me, the Hydro Archon, in their hearts. Ha ha ha ha!
Amidst the people's jubilation, Furina ascended the platform and stood atop a wooden crate. The podium before her concealed the situation behind it from the crowd's view.
Clorinde positioned herself beside the lectern, her sharp gaze sweeping across the scene below. At this moment, she stood half a head shorter than Furina.
"Silence! Lady Furina has words to share."
Clorinde spoke coldly, and as her words reached the crowd, the clamor below gradually subsided. All eyes now turned expectantly toward Furina standing at the podium.
Meeting the weight of their anticipation, Furina cleared her throat with a practiced "ahem" before addressing the assembly.
"My dear subjects, I am aware a pall has hung over Fontaine these past days. Each of you fears becoming the next victim of the serial suicide case."
"But from this moment forth, Fontaine's gloom shall vanish. You need no longer live in dread."
"For I am here. So long as Furina remains, no further victims shall fall!"
"Bravo!"
"Truly worthy of our Furina!"
"With Furina among us, we stand secure!"
Hearing the crowd's cheers, Furina's expression grew even more triumphant.
"Hahahahaha! As long as I, Furina, am here, no scheme will escape my gaze!"
"Every evil will ultimately be brought to justice!"
"You lowly scum hiding in the shadows, manipulating hearts—just hearing my name must make you cower in fear!"
"Come on, if you've got the guts, rack your brain and create new victims before me!"
"If you dare do that, I might even praise you for having a shred of courage to challenge the gods!"
"That rat hiding in the shadows—I, Furina, formally declare war on you in the name of God! Do you dare accept?!"
Furina's eloquent speech immediately stirred the crowd's fervor.
"Yes! That's how it should be! A mere murderer wouldn't dare show his face before Lady Furina!"
"It's precisely because of Lady Furina that Fontaine is called the 'Land of Justice'!"
"Lady Furina, we'll always support you!"
As the people's praises continued, Furina found it increasingly difficult to suppress her rising smile, her expression growing more evident with each passing moment.
To maintain her noble demeanor, Furina had no choice but to tilt her head upward. Combined with the height of the platform and boxes, this allowed her to effectively conceal her facial expressions.
Then Furina noticed what appeared to be a "large bird" in the sky, flying directly toward Palais Mermonia.
When Furina finally made out the creature's true form, she froze in shock.
Noticing Furina's unusual behavior, many onlookers also turned their attention skyward, emitting cries of alarm.
"What is that?!"
"It looks like a bird!"
"But that bird is far too massive!"
"What nonsense are you spouting? That's clearly a human!"
Witnessing this scene, the Maison Gardiennage officers maintaining order shuddered involuntarily, their bodies instantly recalling the terror of having their wages docked not long ago!
However, upon remembering Furina's presence at the scene, they quickly regained their composure.
The crowd shared similar thoughts, all eyes turning toward Furina.
Feeling the weight of everyone's gaze upon her, Furina also regained her calm and addressed the crowd to soothe their emotions:
"There's no need to panic or fear. Everything is under my control!"
"Let's have the Maison Gardiennage verify this person's identity and purpose first... Wait, no need for verification now."
Seeing the figure plummeting rapidly from the sky, Furina's lips twitched.
Well, well, he really did break through all obstacles and layers of security just to commit suicide by jumping from the platform before Palais Mermonia!
How strange. Not quite sure about this. Let's observe a bit more!
After careful observation, Furina concluded that the victim was a robust young man. No matter how she looked at him, he didn't seem like someone who had reached the end of his rope and given up on life.
However, there was no more time for Furina to ponder. When the man reached a certain height, she finally took action.
A sphere of water shot toward the man at high speed, covering a large distance in the blink of an eye.
At that moment, Lofan—mid-fall and lamenting how increasingly difficult it was to earn points—saw a deep blue sphere of water enveloping him in his field of vision. He froze momentarily before his expression changed drastically.
Not good! Someone's trying to save him!
Which little brat is so malicious, wanting to ruin his grand plan?!
Lofan looked toward Furina, and their eyes met.
So it's you, you little brat! You're the one trying to save me!
A sinister expression appeared on Lofan's face, sending a sudden sense of foreboding through Furina, who had been constantly monitoring his condition.
Just as the water sphere was about to catch Lofan's body, he seized the moment and threw his head backward with all his might.
A sickening "crack" echoed as his neck snapped.
Everyone present stared at the corpse Furina had saved, and the scene fell into a deathly silence...