Neuvillette could clearly feel that both Furinas in front of him seemed... off.
The Furina possessed by Momoshiki gave off a familiar vibe, but a closer look revealed that her physical power had undergone a drastic, earth-shattering change.
She seemed to have become incredibly powerful. When did this happen? He hadn't noticed it before!
And the one beside her seemed more divine, leaning towards the Hydro Archon that people could understand. But precisely because of this divinity, she felt completely out of place with the Furina of the past five hundred years.
Her body even had an extremely difficult-to-observe state of energy accumulation, endless and immeasurable, terrifying to the extreme! It wasn't what Furina was supposed to be like in his understanding.
Thinking this, Neuvillette frowned, various guesses rising in his heart.
So, was this a clone, a projection, or a puppet?
Hearing Neuvillette's question, Focalors crossed her arms, gently tapping her chin with her index finger, striking a thoughtful pose. "How should I put it, hmm... it's quite a bother, isn't it~"
"I originally wanted to explain it to Furina alone, but on second thought, I felt it would be better to call you. After all, there are many things you have the right to know."
"Many things?"
Neuvillette's gaze gradually became solemn.
"Yes, let's start with the easiest to understand. I am the Hydro Archon Focalors."
"What?!"
Hearing this answer, Neuvillette's eyes widened in shock.
Although he had expected it in his heart, hearing her say it herself still felt hard to believe. After all, he had considered Furina the Hydro Archon for five hundred years.
But if she was the Hydro Archon Focalors, then what about Furina?
Focalors seemed to appreciate Neuvillette's shocked expression, chuckling lightly. "It seems you have many questions you want to ask immediately. Don't worry, I will answer all your doubts."
"Then tell me everything that has happened over these five hundred years in detail," Neuvillette said in a deep voice.
Furina, beside him, didn't speak, just quietly waited for Focalors to begin.
Feeling their gazes, Focalors slowly explained, "The root of everything is that prophecy."
"The prophecy..."
"That's right. Everyone will be dissolved, Fontaine will be submerged by water, leaving only the Hydro Archon crying on the divine throne."
Focalors spread her hands, her expression particularly pained and helpless.
"When the previous Hydro Archon, Egeria, entrusted this prophecy to me, I also found it too thorny."
"The people of Fontaine now are all transformed Pure Hydro Eidolons, not truly human. Therefore, they committed the sin of creating humans without permission, and the Heavenly Principles sent down the prophecy to destroy Fontaine."
"As the first Hydro Archon among the Seven Archons, Egeria also clearly knew that the Heavenly Principles could not be opposed. This was simply an unsolvable problem."
Hearing this, Neuvillette roughly understood what the prophecy meant, but there was still one thing he didn't quite grasp.
"So what was your approach?"
"My approach was to deceive the Heavenly Principles, of course."
Focalors chuckled lightly, as if talking about something trivial.
"Deceive the Heavenly Principles?"
Neuvillette was slightly stunned. He glanced at Furina, who was deep in thought, and vaguely understood something in his heart.
Using the Archons' habit of turning a blind eye, pushing a fake Hydro Archon into the public eye... so what was the real Hydro Archon doing?
"Only by deceiving the Heavenly Principles can everyone be saved when the prophecy occurs."
At this point, Focalors suddenly seemed to remember something, crossing her arms and smiling confidently.
"To think I came up with a solution, I'm truly a genius! That's why Egeria chose me as her successor, I suppose."
"I created the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale, separating my divinity and spirit, maintaining the operation and storage of energy within its core. The body I left behind became like a newborn human, acting as the Hydro Archon in the public eye in my place."
"This body, I named her Furina."
!!!
This sentence caught Furina off guard. After her brain briefly short-circuited, she quickly asked:
"So I'm your body?!"
"That's right."
Focalors nodded gently. "That's why I said we are one. I am you, and you are me."
"But more accurately, you are my ideal self, the most perfect version of myself as a human."
"You have joys and sorrows. You are arrogant when you should be, and timid when you should be. Your strengths are human strengths, and your weaknesses are human weaknesses."
Saying this, Focalors gently stroked Furina's cheek, her eyes filled with both heartache and longing, incredibly complex.
"During these five hundred years in the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale, I've always wanted to properly apologize to you."
"These five hundred years must have been very long, very lonely, and very painful for you..."
"I..."
Furina's eyes flickered slightly, all the grievances she felt suppressed in her heart.
It was indeed exceptionally lonely, but ever since Momoshiki arrived, all the pain seemed to have eased.
But this true Hydro Archon in front of her, for five hundred years, had been squeezed into such a narrow machine space, constantly absorbing and storing energy. She should be in more pain...
After all, she didn't have Momoshiki.
Momoshiki in the Kamui Dimension was practically chewing through his books.
There was no way around it. Watching such a spectacular plot, his childhood habit of eating melon seeds meant he had to have something in his mouth, otherwise his teeth would itch uncomfortably.
Suppressing her thoughts, Furina pretended to be strong and asked, "So what is the purpose of you storing all this energy?"
"To kill myself."
Focalors didn't hide anything, but her words startled both of them.
"Wh-wh-what?!!"
Furina almost thought she misheard, quickly confirming, "Did you just say kill yourself?!!"
Neuvillette's face showed a very obvious change in emotion. First shock, then confusion, and then he understood her actions.
"Could it be... you want to..."
"That's right. To kill my divinity, destroy the Hydro Archon's throne, and return everything that originally belonged to you, Neuvillette, back to you."
"Why?!"
Hearing this answer, Furina asked loudly, feeling wronged.
"You've done so much for Fontaine, but in the end, you have to suffer this fate! How can this be?! The story shouldn't end like this!!"
Furina couldn't understand why the Hydro Archon's throne had to be destroyed, and she had no interest in understanding.
All she wanted now was for Focalors to live, to find a good opportunity to tell her that she had forgiven her.
"I'm sorry, Furina."
Focalors gently embraced Furina, a feeling never experienced before enveloping both of them.
Was it the strange feeling of embracing oneself, or a luxury called kinship?
Furina didn't quite understand, but Focalors didn't elaborate.
Watching the two embrace, Neuvillette fell into a brief silence.
Since Furina was human, what kind of mental anguish must she have endured living like a mascot for these five hundred years?
And Focalors, plotting behind the scenes, was merely doing so to commit suicide...
What a ridiculous drama.
"When I was invited to the Court of Fontaine to become the Chief Justice, it was indeed your intention, wasn't it?"
"Constantly accumulating the energy of justice from each trial, compressing it for five hundred years, reaching a point where it could defy the rules of the Heavenly Principles, thereby rewriting the predetermined fate."
"By self-destructing your divine throne, returning the authority of Hydro to me, and allowing me to pronounce an innocent judgment on all the people of Fontaine, making them truly human. Is that your goal, Focalors?"
Neuvillette's voice was deep, but a sense of sadness was clearly audible.
"That's right."
Focalors gently released Furina, and wiped away the tears from her eyes.
"But..."
The words were on her lips but caught in her throat, leading to a slight choke afterwards.
"Haha~" Focalors covered her mouth and chuckled twice, looking at Neuvillette's expression playfully, "What's wrong? Are you sad again?"
"The great authority of the Dragon Sovereigns is about to return to your hands. Is this the expression the Hydro Dragon King of Teyvat should show?"
"From five hundred years ago until now, you've done so much, and all of it was just... to sacrifice yourself?"
Neuvillette lowered his eyes slightly, an indescribable emotion surging in his heart, perhaps sadness, or perhaps sympathy.
In any case, he couldn't understand.
"Don't think that way. Right now, I'm still gloating over having deceived the Heavenly Principles."
"..."
Neuvillette subconsciously bit his lip, looking away, forcibly swallowing back the choked feeling.
Seeing Neuvillette maintain his strong demeanor, Focalors chuckled, imitating the tone of Fontaine children:
"Hydro Dragon, Hydro Dragon, don't cry~"
[Oh my goodness...]
Momoshiki, who was watching the show, was suddenly caught off guard by this familiar phrase, feeling a stab in his heart.
Comfort her, sure, but don't twist the knife in my chest!
Listening to the phrase that children would shout at the sky every time it rained, Neuvillette's mood calmed down slightly.
"You tricked me into working for Fontaine for five hundred years. At first, I wasn't interested in the existence of humans, but five hundred years of interaction gradually made me understand this race and feel their emotions..."
"Huff... I finally understand the true meaning of this position."
Taking a deep breath, Neuvillette's complex emotions were tinged with relief.
"You are truly cunning, Focalors."
"You should also understand that I cannot possibly pass a guilty judgment on the people of Fontaine now, can I?"
[Tsk...]
That knife was fully plunged in.
Hearing Neuvillette call her cunning, Focalors chuckled.
"Thanks for the compliment~"
Only cunning and deception could maintain justice. This was the reality under the rule of the Heavenly Principles.
"Momoshiki..."
On the other side, Furina called out to the slacking Momoshiki in her heart, with a hint of pleading.
[What's wrong? Do you want my help?]
Momoshiki rubbed his chest, lying in the pile of books, asking knowingly.
"Um... can you save Focalors? Please, I'll pay any price..."
[Don't worry, I'll definitely save Focalors. As for the price, it's not necessary. Just spend more time planting two trees with me so I can revive sooner.]
"Thank you!!"
Hearing Momoshiki agree, Furina was immediately overjoyed.
...
"Since you've told us all this, what will you do now?"
Having calmed his emotions, Neuvillette asked in confusion.
"If nothing unexpected happens, I will conclude in a trial concerning the Hydro Archon, but now fate seems to have had an accident," Focalors shrugged helplessly.
"An accident? Are you referring to..."
Neuvillette thought of something, turning to look at Furina, or rather, Momoshiki.
[It seems it's my turn to speak.]
The Karma lines quickly spread over half his body, and Momoshiki possessed her again.
"After Mr. Momoshiki's arrival, all of fate has changed. Just as we stand on a planet in this universe, something we couldn't even imagine before."
Listening to Focalors' words, Neuvillette crossed his arms and fell into a brief silence.
"Looking at your expression, you don't believe I can do good deeds?" Momoshiki also crossed his arms, his tone carrying some dissatisfaction.
Neuvillette didn't speak, but his expression was already very clear.
Someone who likes to mess with dragons can be a good person?! What a joke!!
"I haven't done anything bad."
Saying this, Momoshiki raised an eyebrow, "At least not yet."
"..."
Neuvillette's eyes still showed distrust.
He always felt that Momoshiki would secretly cause trouble, or seek profit.
After all, based on five hundred years of experience, people with this kind of personality didn't seem like they would help others for no reason.
Seeing through Neuvillette's thoughts at a glance, Momoshiki didn't deny it, directly nodding, "I do have something to gain, but don't worry, it won't harm you at all."
"Hmm... okay."
Neuvillette thought for a moment. It seemed that believing Momoshiki was the only way to go, otherwise he would just have to accept his fate.
"Although our first meeting was a bit... uh... unexpected, since both Furina and Focalors trust you, then you should also be righteous."
Although he said this, Neuvillette clearly still felt that Momoshiki, this visitor from outside the world, had ill intentions.
After all, such a large tree beside him, its operation was too obvious.
Just by feeling it with his heart, he could know that it lived by devouring vitality, and to grow so large, it must have devoured planets, right?
Was this really a good person?
Anyway, Neuvillette didn't believe it, but he had no other choice.
"Don't worry, my heart and actions are as clear as a mirror, and everything I do is for justice."
Momoshiki said, imitating the style of a certain president.
===
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