Meanwhile, Neuvillette, locked in battle with Dark Furina, couldn't sense what was happening underground but suspected that Lyney and Lynette had failed to stop "The Knave" Arlecchino's advance.
Ever since Dark Furina rescued Arlecchino, Neuvillette had been pondering her true motives.
She could have rescued all of Dottore's Segments, but instead, she chose to save the relatively insignificant Arlecchino. It was only later that Neuvillette began to understand why.
Dark Furina didn't rescue the Dottore Segments because the Dottore Variant she collaborated with held fundamentally different allegiances from the Segments he had captured.
The primary reason for rescuing "The Knave" Arlecchino was likely to compel her to perform some task. After all, Arlecchino's strength remained formidable.
Though Neuvillette had persuaded Lyney and Lynette to intercept Arlecchino, he knew the chances of success were slim. The Fatui harbinger undoubtedly held leverage over her, forcing her obedience.
Neuvillette's true purpose in sending Lyney and Lynette to intercept Arlecchino was to prevent Focalors from perceiving her as an enemy and eliminating her outright.
No matter how powerful Arlecchino was, she lacked the power of an Archon. If Focalors intervened directly, Arlecchino wouldn't last long.
While the possibility of Focalors directly eliminating Arlecchino was relatively low, it wasn't entirely nonexistent. To be safe, Neuvillette established Lyney and Lynette as a defensive line around the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale.
Facing her former subordinates, Arlecchino would undoubtedly reveal some genuine emotions, allowing Focalors to assess her true danger.
Of course, it would be even better if Lyney and Lynette could persuade Arlecchino to withdraw.
They should have met by now...
Neuvillette glanced down at the ground before immediately averting his gaze.
Furina's all-out assault had subjected him and Rene to unimaginable pressure. He fared slightly better, his raw power still matching Dark Furina's, though his agility fell far short. Still, he managed to barely hold his ground.
Rene, however, was clearly at his breaking point. This forced Neuvillette to divert part of his attention to Rene's condition, ensuring no unforeseen disaster occurred.
Then there was Tartaglia's battle against the Giant Whale. Due to Tartaglia's exceptional agility, the Whale couldn't land a decisive blow, while Tartaglia's attacks barely scratched its hide. The fight had devolved into a stalemate.
Finally, Neuvillette turned his attention to Furina's situation. He was particularly focused on this battle, as Furina and her companions were directly confronting Amos, the true mastermind behind the chaos.
Through careful observation, Neuvillette concluded that while Amos possessed considerable strength, he wasn't powerful enough to simultaneously battle Furina and her two allies.
Yet, Amos currently held a clear advantage. The reason was that during the battle, Furina and her companions' limbs often seemed to act independently.
For instance, they might attempt to step with their left foot but move their right foot instead. Or try to dodge but remain rooted in place. Even their control over Elemental Power faltered, leading to absurd situations like attempting to catch bullets with their bare hands.
Initially, Furina and her companions suffered significant losses, caught off guard by this bizarre phenomenon. Fortunately, Furina's healing abilities kept them from falling into truly dire straits.
Amos's power disrupts bodily control?
Neuvillette pondered this briefly before arriving at a more precise conclusion:
Cognitive Manipulation!
Those affected by Amos's power would accept false perceptions as truth, without any self-doubt or suspicion.
In other words, the other party had been using this ability to stir up wave after wave of chaos in Fontaine.
Neuvillette's heart grew heavy as he cast a deep, lingering glance at Amos.
This man is far too dangerous. I cannot allow him to leave here alive today!
As if sensing his gaze, Amos suddenly looked up and met Neuvillette's gaze, offering him a humble and refined smile as he raised his hand.
At that very moment, Neuvillette's own hand began to rise involuntarily, causing his heart to plummet.
The opponent's ability is truly terrifying. Even I am being influenced! This man must be eliminated!
This momentary pause in Neuvillette's assault allowed Dark Furina to materialize beside him, her Hydro Element longsword crackling with a dense Abyss Aura, slashing downward.
Caught completely off guard, Neuvillette had no time to evade and could only raise his guard.
However, given Dark Furina's formidable power, a direct block might not fully deflect her attack.
Neuvillette braced himself for injury, but instead, a massive hand formed of Hydro Element slammed into him, sending him flying. As he watched, Rene's already battered body was bisected at the waist, the situation deteriorating rapidly.
Neuvillette's pupils dilated sharply as a wave of self-reproach washed over him.
If only I hadn't let my attention drift to Furina's battlefield... if only I hadn't been momentarily distracted by Amos's ability... Rene wouldn't have suffered such a devastating blow.
Yet, in that very moment, Neuvillette also discerned the trigger for Amos's power.
"Don't meet his gaze!"
Neuvillette relayed his discovery to Furina and the others. Startled by the warning, they instinctively glanced up at the aerial battle, the sight of Rene being bisected sending a jolt of horror through them.
"How is it going, Neuvillette? Do you need help over there?!" Furina called out anxiously. Though their own battle was already incredibly difficult, and she wasn't sure if her strength would even be of use to Neuvillette, she knew his situation was far more dire.
"Stay where you are," Neuvillette replied firmly.
Neuvillette's calm voice echoed in the trio's ears, followed by a brief silence.
He gazed at Rene, who appeared to be completely incapacitated, and made a decision in his heart.
"Lady Furina, it has been an honor to work alongside you for five centuries. My time as Chief Justice of Fontaine remains the most precious memory of my life."
"Miss Navia, Miss Charlotte, you are both remarkable individuals. Fontaine's future depends on your continued efforts."
"Wait, Neuvillette, what do you mean by saying all this?!"
Hearing these words, Furina, Navia, and Charlotte panicked, a dark premonition creeping into their hearts.
Yet Neuvillette didn't immediately respond to their urgent questions. Instead, he exchanged a cold, distant gaze with Dark Furina across the battlefield before letting out a deep sigh.
What a colossal loss! Not only did I work for free for five centuries, but now I might even lose my life here.
And after all this, I still haven't even seen what the Hydro Archon looks like. Unbelievable!
In this final moment, Neuvillette couldn't even see the mastermind who had deceived him so thoroughly. He felt utterly gullible.
But what choice did I have? The mere thought of all the diverse faces he had seen in his daily life vanishing one after another filled him with overwhelming sorrow.
He had spent five centuries integrating into human society, initially intending only to observe this complex species in order to discover himself.
Now, however, he could no longer extricate himself. He had forged an inseparable connection with humanity.
Therefore, he would never allow Dark Furina to wreak havoc on Fontaine's soil!
"Tell the others goodbye for me, once this is over."
"If there's still a chance, you might see the next me, Lady Furina."
"Now, it's time to say goodbye."
"Neuvillette, wait! Don't do anything reckless..."
Before Furina could finish speaking, Neuvillette severed the connection.
Furina tried to rush toward Neuvillette, but a barrage of projectiles blocked her path.
On the ground, she could at least use the terrain for cover, but in the open sky, survival would be entirely a matter of fate.
Neuvillette cast one last wistful glance at the scenery of Fontaine, knowing this might be his final farewell.
Though he might not perish, the best-case scenario would likely be an indefinite slumber. He had already steeled himself for this fate.
Perhaps this will at least partially atone for my mistakes...
Just as Neuvillette was about to follow Furina's example and burn his life force in a desperate gamble, a strange sound suddenly pierced the air.
Beep... beep... beep...
It was an alarm of some kind, but far too loud.
Tracing the source of the sound, Neuvillette soon spotted Rene, his body now reduced to less than half.
A flashing red light was pulsing from Rene's chest, emitting the alarm.
"Monsieur Neuvillette..."
Seeing Rene's hesitant expression, Neuvillette understood, and his inner sorrow deepened.
Initially, Neuvillette had thought Rene's injuries were merely severe. But the glaring alarm signals on Rene's body and the pained look on his face left no doubt: his condition was critical, and he might collapse at any moment.
It's my fault he's like this!
"Monsieur Rene, rest assured, I'll arrange for someone to care for Monsieur Jacob."
Hearing Neuvillette's guilt-laden words, Rene looked at him strangely.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, what nonsense are you talking about? I'm perfectly fine, see?"
"Oh, and Monsieur Neuvillette, I've noticed something very strange..."
Rene's puzzled expression quickly gave way to excitement as he continued.
"For some reason, I feel remarkably well right now—even better than when the battle first started! I feel like I'm overflowing with energy!"
Neuvillette: "???"
Oh no, could Rene's brain have been damaged?!
Neuvillette stared at Rene, whose body was reduced to half its original size. No matter how he looked, he couldn't reconcile Rene's perfect composure with his ravaged state. Yet Rene's head remained unscathed.
So that's how it is!
A sudden realization dawned on Neuvillette.
He must be saying he's fine to ease my guilt.
Monsieur Rene is truly a good man...
Seeing the skepticism in Neuvillette's expression, Rene quickly added, "Monsieur Neuvillette, I know you might find this hard to believe. Even I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't experienced it firsthand. Just leave the rest to me. I feel like my current strength is several times greater than before."
With that, Rene crossed his arms over his chest. In the next instant, a blinding light engulfed the entire area, and an overwhelmingly powerful surge of energy erupted from his body. The energy attack struck Dark Furina almost instantaneously, leaving her no time to dodge.
When Neuvillette regained his vision, he saw Dark Furina had been blasted a great distance away by the energy attack, leaving him slightly dazed.
"See, Monsieur Neuvillette? I'm quite strong now!"
Hearing Rene's boastful words, Neuvillette paused before replying.
"Monsieur Rene, were you intentionally concealing your true strength before?"
"How could I, Monsieur Neuvillette? I only discovered it myself just now!"
Rene wore a look of helpless resignation, though the corners of his lips remained subtly upturned.
As expected of Alva's creations—always top-tier! This is far more effective than the Holy Sword.
The thought of Alva gifting him such a formidable weapon filled Rene with profound gratitude.
Don't worry, Monsieur Alva. With what you've given me, I'll fight with all my might to protect Fontaine—the Fontaine you were willing to give your life to defend!
Rene muttered to himself, while Neuvillette finally felt a sense of relief. His earlier plan to fight Dark Furina to the death was now shelved. They still had a chance to win!
Neuvillette wasn't foolish. If he could hold Dark Furina at bay with his current strength, why would he risk his life?
Even if he fought with all his might, Neuvillette estimated he had less than a 20% chance of restraining Dark Furina. The final outcome would ultimately depend on the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale.
Neuvillette glanced at the Oratrice's location before turning to Rene.
"Monsieur Rene, your current state likely won't last long. Let's seize this opportunity to exhaust her stamina together."
"Very well, Monsieur Neuvillette! I'll take the lead!"
Just as Neuvillette was about to launch the first attack, he froze, watching Rene—now only half-bodied but moving faster than him—charge ahead. After a moment's hesitation, Neuvillette followed closely behind.
Rene had become several times stronger than before, finally reaching a level comparable to Neuvillette and Furina. With this righteous two-on-one, the situation finally stabilized.
At that very moment, Arlecchino, her expression calm, emerged from the Oratrice's core chamber, the Hydro Archon's Gnosis in her possession...