Earlier, Fidelle had secretly dived into the waters off Fontaine, only to feel that familiar stinging sensation.
Primordial Sea water!
Has it already spread this far?
Though the concentration wasn't yet strong enough to dissolve a person, this was the sea right beside Poisson!
The clues about the Prophecy that Fidelle had given Furina before leaving were no mere fabrication.
The Primordial Sea beneath the Fortress of Meropide had been highly unstable lately. Fidelle had investigated all the connecting passages over the past two days, ultimately zeroing in on Poisson.
The town's low elevation and extensive underwater channels made it particularly vulnerable. With Primordial Sea water already seeping into the sea, further infiltration would undoubtedly make Poisson the most dangerous place.
Poisson.
After the Gate beneath the Fortress of Meropide was breached, Fidelle immediately surfaced from the underwater passage in Poisson. Ignoring the stunned residents, she quickly asked for Navia's location and raced toward her.
"Eh? Fidelle, what brings you here?"
Navia was taken aback by Fidelle's unexpected appearance.
Fidelle rarely ventured out alone; she was almost always seen trailing behind Furina.
Based on what Navia knew and her own intuition, Fidelle was someone highly skilled, reliable, and trustworthy.
Was she also Furina's... uh... die-hard fan?
Navia and Fidelle had a pretty good relationship.
Fidelle's sudden appearance here, drenched and visibly agitated, made Navia's own anxiety spike.
"Navia, evacuate the residents of Poisson immediately! Hurry!"
"What's happening?"
"The Primordial Seawater is about to surge out! Forget your belongings—get people out now!"
"What?!"
Knowing Fidelle wouldn't lie about something this serious, Navia immediately turned to her companions. "Melus! Silver!"
As expected of those who had followed Navia for so long, Melus and Silver sprang into action without needing further instructions.
Navia and Fidelle also moved swiftly. Navia mobilized every member of the Spina di Rosula to organize the evacuation.
Poisson was densely populated, and many families had to be roused from their homes. Despite this, once everyone grasped the gravity of the situation, the evacuation proceeded with astonishing speed.
Boom!
Fidelle heard the explosive crack as the pipes beneath them ruptured. An unnaturally colored water surged forth immediately, forming a tidal wave that crashed toward the residential district of Poisson.
Though Navia and her group had acted swiftly, the town's large population meant that many elderly and disabled residents hadn't yet managed to evacuate.
The residents who hadn't evacuated stared in terror at the approaching Primordial Sea water.
"Hurry! Everyone, run!"
Navia cradled an elderly woman in her arms, swiftly carried her to a temporarily safe location, and entrusted her to a group of young, strong men. Turning back, she saw the massive wave bearing down.
"No!!"
Many people remained in the low-lying areas, including several members of the Spina di Rosula, with Melus and Silver among them.
At that critical moment, Fidelle acted.
As an Electro Vision wielder, her powers were far less effective than Cryo Vision in this situation. Still, electricity was a form of energy. Unable to freeze the water, she braced herself and charged head-on, determined to buy them time.
With this thought, Fidelle leaped into the air, her weapon, the Adjudicator, rapidly transforming into a massive hammer. Her eyes blazed crimson, crackling with Electro energy as she gripped the hammer's handle tightly.
Her Vision blazed at its maximum intensity, Thunderbolts gathering rapidly around the hammer. In the blink of an eye, the weapon was fully charged. Fidelle swung the Thunder-infused hammer down upon the onrushing wave of Primordial Sea water.
The Thunder-infused hammer clashed with the tidal wave, the Primordial Sea water surging backward with immense force, buying precious time for the crowd below.
"Hurry, get up here!" Navia shouted anxiously from above, so desperate she was about to jump down to help when a Spina di Rosula member grabbed her from behind.
"Boss, you can't go! It's too dangerous!"
Melus and Silver raced upward at top speed.
Bringing up the rear were a few young people who had dismissed the Spina di Rosula's evacuation warnings earlier. Fidelle had merely pushed back the Primordial Sea water; she couldn't control its flow. With the Primordial Sea water still surging relentlessly, some of those trailing behind were overtaken by the torrent. After a desperate scream, they dissolved into the water.
Though dissolving incidents had occurred at the Opera House before, those affected had mostly been citizens of Fontaine.
For the residents of Poisson, this was the first time they had witnessed a living person dissolving right before their eyes!
Overwhelming terror and fear instantly gripped everyone's hearts.
The screams from behind only intensified the panic of those ahead, driving them to move even faster. A woman, swept forward by the crowd, desperately cried out, "My daughter! My daughter hasn't come out yet!!"
As the Primordial Sea water surged forth, the once-orderly crowd descended into chaos, becoming a frantic, disorderly mass. She and her daughter had been separated!
Unable to find her daughter, the woman wept and screamed, but her cries were drowned out by the screams and commotion behind her.
Fidelle stood on the roof of a tall building, gasping for breath. She had poured nearly all her Elemental Energy into that single hammer strike, fearing it wouldn't be enough.
Fortunately, the results were significant!
Waaah~
Crying?
Fidelle's expression changed abruptly as she turned toward the source of the sound.
It was a little girl, clinging tightly to protruding rocks on a low platform.
"What's going on here? What's the Spina di Rosula up to?!"
Without hesitation, Fidelle leaped down, scooped up the child, and bolted toward the exit!
By this point, everyone had already evacuated; those who hadn't been able to escape had long been dissolved by the Primordial Sea water.
Fidelle's silhouette stood out starkly against the Primordial Sea water that now blanketed the ground of Poisson, her figure agile as she stepped across protruding walls and scattered rocks.
"Fidelle, watch out behind you!" Navia shouted a warning.
Fidelle glanced back to see the Primordial Sea water she had just pushed back surging toward them again.
She quickened her pace, but just then, an even larger wave of Primordial Sea water erupted from her side, blocking her path.
With a swift leap, Fidelle spun gracefully in mid-air, dodging the surging water while keeping the little girl securely in her arms.
Unfortunately, the Primordial Sea water churned up too many waves, and some splashed onto Fidelle's right foot.
A searing pain shot through her right foot, and for an instant, Fidelle could barely feel it.
Before dissolving completely, Fidelle forcefully threw the little girl in her arms away.
As the girl was flung through the air, her tearful, wide eyes remained fixed on Fidelle. Fidelle managed a weak smile before being completely submerged by the Primordial Sea water.
"Fidelle!!!"
That was the last thing Fidelle heard—Navia's desperate scream.
Though her body had completely dissolved, Fidelle's consciousness persisted within the Primordial Sea water. She sighed inwardly, realizing she would now have to expend Emotional Value to sustain herself.
After all, she wasn't ready to take her final bow yet. There was still a grand performance she had yet to deliver!
As for why she could reappear after dissolving... well, Fidelle was a Pure Soul, after all!
Absurd as it might seem, this served as a clue for Lumine.
Whether Lumine would grasp it... that remained to be seen.