"Mmm~ I commend your courage, Clorinde. Facing a duel with a God without flinching, you are truly the Duel Proxy that Mr. Yuto and I think most highly of."
"...Thank you."
After analyzing their two tasks, Furina turned her gaze to the Golden-haired Traveler, then softly said:
"So your task was to talk to me in the 'Magic Box' to distract me, so I wouldn't realize I was moving, right?"
The Golden-haired Traveler shook her head.
"You guessed wrong. I was just making... one last 'attempt'."
"If you had confessed that information, there would be no Judgment today."
The Golden-haired Traveler's words carried a hint of hope; even now... she still held a glimmer of expectation for Furina, hoping she would reveal everything before the Judgment officially began.
"Hmph... so I missed my last chance, did I?"
Furina gently shook her head, then took a deep breath, as if trying to suppress the sadness in her heart through this action.
"This is... what betrayal feels like..."
Furina slowly closed her eyes and stopped speaking.
Seeing that neither side had the intention to continue talking, Neuvillette heavily tapped the floor with his staff, then declared:
"Both parties are in place, so the Judgment begins now—"
Before Neuvillette could finish the opening procedures that should have been in the program, Furina interrupted first:
"Those tedious opening remarks are unnecessary, Neuvillette. Please fast forward directly to the part where the charges are read. As the accused, who is the protagonist today..."
"I'm curious, under what name do you intend to judge the God who represents justice?"
"Let me say this first, it's normal for mortals not to understand the actions of a God, and this cannot constitute a reason to convict a God..."
Furina looked at Neuvillette, who was standing on the high platform, with a calm expression, her eyes incredibly serene, but in her heart... she was praying that the worst outcome would not happen.
"Indeed, but the reason for judging you is not what you, as a God, did or didn't do..."
"The reason for judging you is—you are not a God at all, Furina."
The Golden-haired Traveler's words were like a fuse, instantly igniting the already tense atmosphere in the Opera House.
"Wait? What does that mean? Lady Furina isn't a God?"
"Weren't they going to accuse the Water God of dereliction of duty... why did it go straight to—"
"Right, although Lady Furina has a peculiar personality, to say she's not a God... that's a bit much..."
This time, Neuvillette did not stop the audience's discussion as he had in the past, but instead said calmly:
"The accusation is valid. Ms. Furina, do you admit to the accusation made by the accuser?"
"..."
Furina fell silent.
Her worst fear had come true.
When The Prophecy had not yet erupted, her vague approach was still effective.
But when the disaster struck, a Damocles' sword hung over every Fontaine's head, ready to descend at any moment.
This led to... her evasiveness no longer working.
Coupled with Neuvillette's inquiry that morning... they might have already concluded that she was not the Water God.
'No, this cannot happen!'
Furina thought to herself.
"Ms. Furina?"
Neuvillette's inquiry interrupted her thoughts, forcing her consciousness to break free from that somewhat terrifying notion.
"...I don't admit it, of course I don't admit it!"
"I, Focalors, Furina de Fontaine, one of the Archons, 'Queen of all waters, all places, all people, and all laws,' am undoubtedly a true God!"
"I believe the eyes of the audience here are also clear. Many people have taken my being a God as common sense since birth, and they will support me."
Having said that, Furina looked at the Oratrice Mecanique D'analyse Cardinale, which had tilted slightly due to the audience's previous disbelief, and continued:
"See, even the Oratrice Mecanique D'analyse Cardinale is so naturally leaning towards my side. Are you sure you want to proceed with such a hopeless rebuttal?"
"If you withdraw the accusation now, I will promise in the name of the God of Justice not to pursue the crime of false accusation, and to consider everything today as a popular farce, how about it?"
The Golden-haired Traveler gently shook her head, then continued:
"People think you are a God based only on 'common sense,' with no further factual basis."
Hearing this, Furina helplessly spread her hands, wearing an expression of "there's nothing I can do with you."
"Alright, since persuasion is ineffective... then I must ask, if I am not a God, then what do you think I should be?"
"It has been five hundred years since I ascended to godhood... how did I manage to sustain this lifespan of at least five hundred years?"
Hearing this, Paimon immediately thought of the earlier meeting with Arlecchino at the entrance of the ruins.
"First, you might be a 'long-lived species' like the Immortals of Ritou, whose lifespan is inherently very long."
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