Opera Epiclese — the Chamber of the Oratrice of Fontaine's Final Judgement.
"Furina, they say that back then you once claimed that as long as someone stood before the Oratrice for judgment, even the gods themselves could be tried."
Koji laughed softly as he teased her.
Rukkhadevata watched Furina with clear amusement.
"…"
Her knowing gaze made Furina's cheeks burn. A boomerang thrown out centuries ago had finally come back around and hit her squarely in the face again.
"Ahem… I was young and didn't know any better."
Furina lowered her head, wishing she could crawl into a crack in the floor. It was social death in its purest form.
At the time, she just wanted to perform well as the Hydro Archon. Naturally, the more imposing she sounded, the better. So every proclamation had to be loud and resounding.
"Oh? Furina, you were really brave back then."
Lumine looked at her with mischievous eyes.
To boast like that with no real power… If it had been one of those petty, thin-skinned gods, they truly might have come knocking.
Venti and the others had definitely heard her old speech as well. They simply didn't take it to heart. She wasn't insulting them, and people's mouths couldn't be controlled anyway.
"In fact," Koji added meaningfully, "if Venti and the others really came to Fontaine, they absolutely would be judged."
Lumine blinked, confused.
Was this little Furina actually daring enough to judge other gods?
"Furina, if someone dined in Fontaine and refused to pay… you'd put them on trial, right?"
Furina nodded. Something that small wasn't a big deal. A simple trial would do.
Then she suddenly froze.
"Wait—are you saying… those seniors don't bring money with them when they go out?!"
Koji nodded. "Mm. The gods themselves have virtually no concept of Mora."
Furina stared speechlessly.
Please. You're gods. Could you stop embarrassing yourselves?
She suddenly realized that the god she had been performing all these centuries was… far too serious.
The other gods clearly weren't nearly as solemn.
"Enough about that. Focalors—are you not letting us inside?" Koji looked toward the Oratrice and smiled.
Humm—
The moment the words fell, space shifted. In the blink of an eye, they appeared upon a grand stage.
Fontaine outside was already deep into the night, but this space was brightly illuminated.
A barefoot, white-haired girl stood at the very center. Above her head hovered a massive water-blue blade, like the blade of a guillotine, brimming with terrifying, overwhelming power.
"A pleasure to meet you, Great Dendro Archon."
Focalors bowed gracefully.
"This level of energy… yes, it truly can destroy the Hydro Archon's divine seat," Rukkhadevata said, calculating silently before nodding.
"Destroy the Hydro Archon's divine seat…?"
Neuvillette's brows tightened. He clearly realized what she intended.
"Focalors… don't tell me you're trying to—"
"That's right. I intend for you to become the true Sovereign Dragon of Water, restoring to you the complete authority of the ancient dragons."
Focalors nodded.
"Heavenly Principles stole the power of the ancient dragons. As the God of Justice, I will return to you what was originally yours. That is what justice dictates."
Koji suddenly interrupted her.
"Focalors, I disagree with that statement."
She looked at him, puzzled. What had she said wrong?
Koji continued calmly:
"'Stole'—that implies taking something by trickery. But in the war between the Primordial Dragons and the Heavenly Principles, it was the Heavenly Principles who won. So the dragon authority taken from the defeated party is nothing more than spoils of war."
"The victor is king; the defeated are outlaws."
"How is that stealing?"
Good grief. The Heavenly Principles beat the dragons, and still weren't allowed to keep the spoils?
Focalors fell speechless. She couldn't find a way to refute him.
Cold as Koji's words were, they were undeniably true.
"He's right," Neuvillette added. "The dragons lost. Dragon authority became the spoils of war. There was no theft involved."
Prideful as the dragons were, they would never deny such a simple truth.
Focalors sighed helplessly.
It seemed she had been overly sentimental.
Up above Celestia, the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles—overseeing everything—smiled faintly.
Koji was absolutely correct.
Taking what belongs to the defeated is called a war trophy.
How could it be theft?
"If I'm not mistaken, Focalors—destroying the Hydro Archon's divine seat and returning the authority—means you expect me to use the restored dragon authority to alter the bodies of the people of Fontaine, correct?"
Focalors nodded. "Yes. Though I didn't expect all of you to appear at this moment."
She truly hadn't.
This wasn't how things were supposed to go.
She genuinely didn't understand why the Great Dendro Archon was here. Wasn't the first Dendro Archon supposed to be long gone?
"And you're so certain," Neuvillette asked quietly, "that if I gain the full authority of an ancient dragon… I would do such a thing?"
Focalors shook her head.
"No. I'm gambling. I don't have absolute certainty…"
Neuvillette could only laugh wryly.
He had thought Focalors might be more reliable—but she was no different from Furina.
Of course—she was literally the same god.
If he gained the complete ancient dragon authority… he could simply walk away and refuse to cooperate.
"The energy is almost ready. Once I return the dragon authority to you, I leave the rest to you, Neuvillette."
Focalors pressed her hands together, making her plea.
They were early, but the accumulated "law-recompense mixed energy" was already enough to shatter the divine seat.
Neuvillette massaged his forehead, exasperation plain on his face.
"Focalors… after you destroy the Hydro Archon's divine seat, what happens to you?"
Furina finally spoke.
What would happen to her?
Though she could be silly at times, even Furina understood the importance of the divine seat. Destroying it would never come without consequences.
At Furina's words, Focalors looked at her—those eyes marked with intricate patterns flickering with guilt and remorse.
"Furina… I'm sorry. I made you bear all the suffering these years."
She knew all too well how agonizing the mental erosion was for a human like Furina.
"But don't worry. I'm the only one who will die. You'll be fine."
"Remember what I told you? Everything ends with a grand trial."
Focalors smiled gently.
"That's it? That's supposed to be acceptable?!"
"What kind of joke is this?!"
Furina shouted, voice cracking.
For five hundred years she lived every day in torment—terrified of slipping up, terrified of ruining the plan for the "her" within the mirror.
And now she was being told that the plan… ended with Focalors' death.
How was she supposed to accept that?
The "her" in the mirror was like an elder sister. How could she possibly endure this?
"I…"
Focalors clenched her fists. She didn't know how to comfort the furious Furina.
It was because of her that Furina had taken up the burden of playing a god. Focalors truly owed her too much.
She should compensate Furina somehow…
But if she didn't die, Fontaine's crisis would never be resolved.
(End of Chapter)
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