The group stared at the empty space where Luo Qing had been, exchanging uncertain glances.
They had planned to stall him, even for a short while, but his overwhelming strength shattered their blockade in an instant.
For a mont, none of them moved, unsure whether to chase after him.
---
anwhile, Luo Qing raced back toward Furina's location after breaking free from Lumine and the others.
However, when he arrived, Furina was nowhere to be found.
With a frown, he activated his link to Furina's Void Terminal, using it to trace her location.
But when he reached the coordinates indicated by the terminal, all he found was the small device lying abandoned on the ground.
It must have fallen during her escape.
Picking up the Void Terminal, he noticed sothing odd about the street ahead. A patch of emptiness stood out starkly amid the crowded, tallic shantytown of Whitespruce.
It looked as though a house that should have stood there had been entirely removed—walls, roof, and all.
Focusing his mind, Luo Qing activated a detection card, casting his spiritual energy across the entirety of Whitespruce Town. His power covered every corner, yet Furina's na didn't appear on the results.
That's impossible.
With Whitespruce's only exit still blocked and Furina's short stature, there was no way she could have escaped on foot so quickly.
There was only one explanation: she had been abducted.
Luo Qing clenched his fist as the realization dawned.
This was a trap all along.
From Neuvillette stoking public animosity toward Furina in the Opera Epiclese, to Lumine luring him away—it was all part of a plan to separate him from Furina.
He thought back to the people at the Opera House, who had loudly declared themselves survivors of Whitespruce Town.
It was all to bait Furina into coming here.
"This is all part of the script, isn't it?" Luo Qing muttered to himself.
At this point, he could no longer tell if these events were a preordained part of the world's story or if his own existence had altered the tiline.
Regardless, he had chosen to stand by Furina—and he would see this through.
"So, where are they taking her..."
Luo Qing's thoughts raced. He considered returning to Lumine and the others to force the truth from them.
As he turned to leave, a familiar figure erged from the shadows.
"'Father'..." Luo Qing muttered, his voice low as his eyes narrowed with hostility. "Have you co to stop ?"
"Of course not," Arlecchino replied with a faint smile. "I thought you might need my help."
"Help?" Luo Qing let out a derisive laugh. "Funny. From where I stand, you seem to be working with Lumine and Neuvillette."
"What you think is your business," Arlecchino said calmly, brushing off his accusation. "I'm simply hedging my bets. No matter the outco, I stand to gain."
She paused, her voice turning pointed.
"The Traveler and her companion are gone now, but as we speak, at the Opera Epiclese, Lynette and Lyney are performing a carefully prepared magic act..."
She gave him a knowing look.
"Can you guess who their special guest is?"
"Furina..." Luo Qing growled under his breath.
He hadn't anticipated that the siblings would also be involved.
I should've kept Lynette under mind control when I had the chance.
"Why don't you go find out for yourself?" Arlecchino suggested with a cryptic smile before turning and walking away, leaving Luo Qing standing alone.
---
At the Opera Epiclese
A deafening sound shattered the silence as Furina's vision was flooded with blinding light.
She had taken refuge in a small iron shack to escape the angry crowds, only to have it turned into her prison.
Now, the prison had been opened, and the glaring stage lights made her eyes sting. Shielding her face with her hands, she could hear the hum of a lively audience in the distance.
When her vision adjusted, Furina realized she had been transported—shack and all—onto the stage of the Opera Epiclese.
"This is..."
She scanned her surroundings anxiously. The audience below was abuzz with excitent, while onstage, Lyney and Lynette bowed to a roaring ovation.
Above her, in the judge's seat, Neuvillette sat with an unreadable expression, watching silently.
Suddenly, Lyney's voice rang out, amplified by the stage's acoustics.
"Ladies and gentlen, our warm-up act has concluded. Now, the real show begins—the trial of a god!"
A wave of exhilarated cheers swept through the audience.
A trial of a god?!
This promised to be an unprecedented spectacle, far more thrilling than any opera or courtroom drama.
"So that's their plan..."
Hearing Lyney's announcent, Furina's initial confusion faded, replaced by understanding.
Her expression shifted from panic to a familiar, theatrical arrogance.
"Well done," she said, her voice dripping with mock approval. "Your efforts to create drama are comndable. However..."
Furina straightened, her usual haughty deanor fully restored.
"I am Focalors, the God of Justice—the embodint of righteousness itself. Do you not find it absurd to put justice on trial?"
"Lady Furina," Neuvillette's calm voice cut through the clamor. "Am I to take this as your refusal to stand trial?"
"If that is the case, then you are entitled to defend your honor through combat."
At his words, two figures erged from backstage: Lumine and Clorinde, both appearing slightly out of breath, as if they had rushed to get there.
Clorinde stepped forward, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. She approached Furina slowly, her eyes unwavering.
"Oh?" Furina sneered, feigning indifference. "You intend to challenge a god?"
Clorinde didn't respond. She simply drew her blade, leveling it at Furina.
"..."
"Fine," Furina said, raising her hands in mock surrender.
The audience gasped at the sight, thinking she was admitting defeat.
But Furina's deanor shifted once again as she let out a cold chuckle, her regal air returning in full force.
"If the trial cannot be avoided, then let's not waste ti with pleasantries."
She turned her gaze to Neuvillette, her voice cutting.
"Spare the long-winded speeches and get straight to the charges. I, the God of Justice, am curious to see what cris you intend to accuse of."
Neuvillette was silent for a mont before lifting his gavel.
"Very well," he said, his tone as asured as ever.
"I hereby declare the trial of Furina, accused of impersonating the Hydro Archon and deceiving the people of Fontaine, to begin!"
---
...
If you're reading this, then you've wandered all the way to the end. I'm impressed. Stories are like wine—ant to be savored, not rushed. So if you took your ti? Thank you.
Of course, the real thanks goes to WiseTL—the one who turned tangled words into sothing beautiful. I just got asked to wrap things up with a ribbon. Hopefully this counts!
If you enjoyed the journey and want to support the person who made it possible, you can find them here:
👉 /WiseTL]
Go on. Be generous. They've earned it.
Until next ti—read well, rest often, and maybe co visit at the Hostess of Fertility soti.
– Syr ✨
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