Childe narrowed his eyes.
"Hey hey hey, that's not funny at all… You literally just said I should be innocent."
"So what's with this result now? Don't tell me your machine's malfunctioning?"
The crowd below began to murmur in confusion.
"Huh? This is the first time I've seen the Oratrice give a different verdict than the Chief Justice…"
"The Fatui Harbinger must have committed countless crimes. Maybe the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale saw through to his deeper guilt and is just executing justice."
"But isn't this trial specifically for the serial disappearance of the young girls? If it's about unrelated crimes, it shouldn't be delivering a verdict now, should it?"
Neuvillette lowered his head, silent in thought for a moment, before suddenly lifting it again.
"Apologies. This is a first for me as well, but according to the original laws established by the Court of Fontaine, the final verdict must follow the Oratrice's judgment."
"I am simply carrying out justice as prescribed. As for why the Oratrice reached such a conclusion, I believe there is someone else better suited to answer that."
All eyes instantly turned to Furina, who had already been flustered and overwhelmed by the situation.
She took a deep breath. Shajin had once told her that the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale housed Focalors herself—so there must be a reason She had to make that ruling.
"Ahem… ladies and gentlemen, do you truly believe such an absurd misjudgment could happen? That verdict—do you really think it was a mistake? A fluke?"
"Surely… you're not suggesting I don't know what's really going on?"
"Given the situation, I must reveal that everything just now was an orchestrated performance designed to maximize the dramatic effect—including my own behavior."
"But no drama can exist without a script. Everything was within my expectations. The Oratrice is the embodiment of 'Justice'—it would never hand down a verdict without cause!"
"You believe Childe has no connection to the disappearances? That's only because your eyes have been blinded by superficial illusions…"
Furina pointed directly at Childe, who stood just a bit lower than her on the platform.
"Everything he's done—his danger—it's immeasurable and unforgivable!"
"Let time reveal the truth! You will come to understand the intention behind my decision today, and the righteousness of this verdict! Hahaha…"
Neuvillette also spoke.
"Following the ruling of the Oratrice, we will proceed with the 'guilty' judgment."
"Guards, carry out your duties according to protocol."
Childe snorted coldly, expression dark as night. In a flash, his figure blurred like a ghost, leaping from the towering platform high above.
But waiting for him below was a squad of heavily armed, meticulously trained clockwork enforcers. With mechanical precision, they surged forward and surrounded him in the blink of an eye.
Childe paid them no mind, casually sweeping his gaze around. His eyes revealed nothing but unhidden disdain.
Then he slowly raised his head, locking eyes with Neuvillette and Furina atop the platform.
"Hmph… The so-called judgment that Fontainians take so much pride in…" A mocking smile curled his lips. "What an absolute farce."
As his words fell, Childe suddenly raised his arm. In that instant, both his Vision and Delusion erupted with dazzling light—like the brightest stars piercing through the night sky.
"If this is the law you choose to uphold…" His voice was ice-cold, enough to freeze the very air around him.
"Then I'm sorry—but I have rules of my own!"
With a deep growl, a powerful wave of energy exploded from Childe's body—Foul Legacy: Transformation began.
Hydro and Electro elements intertwined and condensed into a razor-sharp bladed weapon in his hand.
Gripping the bladed weapon, Childe shot forward like the wind. In just a few heartbeats, the weapon slashed through the air, leaving behind fierce, deadly arcs.
The mechanical enforcers that had surrounded him—once so imposing—didn't even have time to react. They were instantly dismembered, reduced to heaps of scrap metal.
Witnessing such a terrifying display, the crowd screamed in terror. Their faces went pale as they turned and fled en masse, afraid that even a second's delay might earn them a place in Childe's path of destruction.
But the enforcers weren't finished. With thunderous roars, several heavy artillery rounds streaked across the sky like comets, roaring straight toward Childe.
He didn't panic. With a flick of his wrist, the bladed weapon morphed into a twin-headed spear. Gripping it tightly, he spun and swung with all his might—meeting the shells head-on and knocking them out of the air.
Then, a flash of killing intent gleamed in his eyes. Muscles tensed, he hurled the spear with explosive force—aimed straight at Furina's position.
The spear screamed through the air like a thunderbolt.
Furina barely reacted, instinctively raising her hands to block.
The Oratrice flickered faintly—but no one noticed.
In that instant, a wall of dense Hydro energy appeared in front of her, intercepting the attack and deflecting it violently away.
Childe grinned with excitement.
"So this… is a god's power?!"
His Foul Legacy armor reshaped around him. He summoned the twin-bladed spear back into his hands and crossed it before his chest.
Boom!
A tremendous impact struck him. He blocked it—but barely. His Foul Legacy dissolved, leaving him battered and ragged. Still, his voice rang out with exhilaration.
"Again!"
That's when Neuvillette moved.
Water energy swirled around him. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Childe. With one hand, he grabbed his head and slammed it into the stage floor, smashing open a massive crater.
Childe didn't even have time to resist before he passed out cold.
Neuvillette slowly stood up.
"…Forgive me."
"If there's been any injustice, we will uncover the truth."
"But the rules of the court…"
"…must not be broken."
He turned to leave, brushing a hand over the wound on his face—left by Childe's split-second counterattack.
That wasn't a calculated strike.
That… was pure instinct.
Neuvillette let out a heavy sigh.
"So this… is what it means to be a Harbinger…"
He gestured for the gaurds to take the unconscious Childe into custody and escort him to the Fortress of Meropide.
_
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