"Themis, is what they're saying true?"
Furina's eyes remained fixed on Themis. Regarding Neuvillette's words, Furina only wanted to know the truth from Themis herself.
"Furina…"
Themis gazed at her beloved, dressed in pure white robes, eyes narrowing slightly.
That face—one that made Lumine instinctively wary—was now smiling brightly, looking genuinely happy.
"You look beautiful right now… Just like a true god."
Furina didn't respond, only continuing to stare at Themis.
However, beneath her white robe, her hand instinctively clenched a little tighter. Such direct praise—even in Focalors' memories—was rare.
"But… shouldn't I be offering you my blessings first?"
"Congratulations on becoming whole."
"And now… come, Furina. Come to my side."
Themis reached out her hand toward Furina, extending an invitation.
"Let's fulfill the prophecy together. Once that's done, our part in this story will finally come to an end."
"Although you'll lose the people of Fontaine once the prophecy concludes, it doesn't matter—because at least I'll always be by your side, until the very last moment of life."
"Just like before—even if you've lost your divinity, you'll still have me."
"I can still be your support, your pillar of strength."
Lumine swung her sword. "Themis, stop talking like that! Furina is Fontaine's god—there's no way she'll ever agree to this!"
"That's right! No matter what, the prophecy crisis must be resolved!"
Paimon, though still shocked by Themis' true identity, understood the severity of the prophecy crisis. After all, the fate of an entire nation was at stake.
Neuvillette:"Themis… it's not too late to stop. You've been with us for 500 years—you should understand that no one here wants to raise arms against you."
"Ah…" Themis withdrew her hand, closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them again.
"Of course, if I had the choice, I wouldn't want to fight you either."
"If fate had given me another option, I wouldn't be standing here now."
"Furina, my dear god, come now—make your choice."
"Will you stand with me and bring about the prophecy?"
"Or will you stand with them and stop me?"
Furina:"Themis… you know I never wanted to hurt you. I don't want to fight you."
Themis:"But fate is cruel—it makes prisoners of us all."
"You should understand—I would never let you die."
"Not you Furina, and not Focalors."
Neuvillette and the others turned to Furina, eyes filled with confusion.
"How did this suddenly turn into Furina having to sacrifice herself?"
"And besides… I can't stop anymore."
Themis and Furina's gazes met across the battlefield.
"I am the envoy of Celestia, the executor of the prophecy… As long as Fontaine's prophecy remains unfulfilled, I will continue to act."
"Unless you kill me, I will not stop."
The chains binding the All-Devouring Narwhal loosened, and the once-imprisoned beast regained its freedom.
"Now that you know my purpose, you should also understand what needs to be done."
"Come! Let this battle bring the prophecy of Fontaine to its conclusion!"
The All-Devouring Narwhal let out a deep roar and charged toward the group.
The players, who had been standing in the background this whole time, were completely numb as they watched the narwhal regain its freedom and lunge toward the main cast.
Caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, they were thrown into chaos.
[What's going on!? What's going on!? We just fought this narwhal, and now it's back!]
[Seriously, close friends turning on each other! We wrote all those juicy fanfics about Themis and Furina, and this is how you repay us!?]
[Mihoyo, you son of a—!]
[I'm starting to think you did this on purpose!]
[My wife is fighting her wife to the death! Help! Am I supposed to feel happy or sad right now!?]
CatCatEatsNoMedicine controlled the Traveler, dodging the attacks with frantic keystrokes as the sound of the keyboard tapping echoed through the room.
The Traveler's tiny water gun attack was seriously testing their patience.
Also, despite the massive size of the All-Devouring Narwhal, it was never on the ground—It was either in the sky or in the sea.
It wasn't exactly hard to fight, but using the Hydro Traveler was basically tickling it, and finding an opening to attack was tough.
Running around like a headless fly, with only a sliver of opportunity to strike, and even then, barely making a dent.
CatCatEatsNoMedicine:"Thank you, Mihoyo, my mental state is officially shattered!"
Is this All-Devouring Narwhal related to that big Geo snake?It just keeps running and never stops!
[Furina: "Traveler, I will assist you."]
CatCatEatsNoMedicine's eyes lit up, fully expecting something epic from Furina.
[Furina: The All-Devouring Narwhal absorbed nearly all the Primordial Sea, which is why it could withstand our attacks.]
[Furina: As the Hydro Archon, I will draw out the Primordial Sea from its body and return it to the planet.]
Watching the CG animation on the computer screen, Furina unleashed her divine power. Her white robes billowed without wind as she locked onto the All-Devouring Narwhal. The Hydro Archon manipulated the Primordial Sea within the creature, separating it from the massive beast.
[Furina: The Primordial Sea has been separated. Traveler, please lend me your strength!]
"Yesss!"
"Furina, you're amazing!"
CatCatEatsNoMedicine clapped enthusiastically, overjoyed by Furina's assistance.
[Furina, looking stunning as always!]
[Our Hydro girls are always top-tier!]
[Ahhh, baby, you're so cool right now!]
[Neuvillette: The Primordial Sea within the All-Devouring Narwhal has been separated. Traveler, seize this opportunity! I will assist you next!]
[Neuvillette has joined the team temporarily.]
CatCatEatsNoMedicine glanced at the party screen on the right side—The Traveler was automatically switched out, replaced with the previous team setup.
"Unyielding Bastion!"
"Ephemeral Dream!"
"This might sting a little."
"Tide, I have returned!"
"Now, you shall perish!"
"Be sanctified."
"You can't escape!"
"Storms rage to the heavens!"
The stream chat exploded with excitement as the fight raged on.What was supposed to be a casual boss fight had turned into a chaotic mess,It was practically a wall of text at this point.
A simple boss fight had reignited the players' long-lost fighting spirit.
"Take this—!"
As the All-Devouring Narwhal's health bar dropped to a sliver, CatCatEatsNoMedicine swapped in the Broke Archon and activated the ultimate.
"I will have order!"
A massive meteor descended from the sky, crashing into the All-Devouring Narwhal and finishing off the creature.
"Phew~ Just a mere little narwhal, you think it could stop me?"
Hands on her hips, CatCatEatsNoMedicine was feeling pretty smug.
But that feeling of triumph didn't last long, because the death of the All-Devouring Narwhal didn't bring the final victory they had expected.
"Ahhh! Themis——!"
As Themis appeared before everyone and tossed the All-Devouring Narwhal into a spatial gate, the livestream chat erupted in chaos, and CatCatEatsNoMedicine let out a groundhog scream.
"Wife! Wife! Calm down, please!"
"Weekly boss fights aren't that easy to get into!"
[Oh no, Themis is about to pull a Raiden Shogun weekly boss moment.]
[To keep Furina from becoming a weekly boss, Themis took the fall instead.]
[Oh no… Is this about to be a Signora + Raiden Shogun double combo?]
"Themis——!"
Furina stood in front of Lumine and Neuvillette, directly facing her beloved.
Themis: "I'm right here, Furina. You don't have to yell—I can hear you just fine."
Furina: "Stop, Themis! We can still figure this out together!"
"If fate could be rewritten, as long as we're together, there's always a way to solve it!"
"The All-Devouring Narwhal has already been defeated, and the Primordial Sea's waters won't rise again. We…"
Themis: "No, Furina."Gently shaking her head, Themis firmly rejected her plea."You can't stop me."
The reclaimed Oratrice's core appeared in Themis' hands as she sighed softly.
Themis: "Come on! This battle can't be avoided!"
"The prophecy must be fulfilled!"
"The one standing before you now is no longer the Regent of the Hydro Archon…"
"But the Envoy of Celestia!"
[Envoy of Celestia · Themis has entered the battlefield!]
Water gathered and formed into blades as Themis charged forward, clashing with the group.
CatCatEatsNoMedicine stared at Themis with a resigned expression, as if she had seen this coming.
"The fight begins!"
She quickly maneuvered her team—this time Neuvillette was out of the fight, so it was all up to her!
Themis had three health bars. In the first phase, Themis used the Oratrice's core to attack.
She would randomly teleport to the Traveler's side and launch attacks.
"No worries, we've got Zhongli!"
"With Zhongli's shield, I could win this even if I glued down the dodge button!"
CatCatEatsNoMedicine was talking big… until Zhongli's shield was shattered in three hits. Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"WTF——what just happened!"
"Dodge, dodge, dodge!"
Barely surviving a deadly attack, she watched as one hit nearly wiped out her character's health bar. CatCatEatsNoMedicine was stunned.
"Wait a minute! Mihoyo, are you serious right now? I love Themis, but isn't this strength a little ridiculous!?"
[?????]
[Streamer, dodge! Dodge, dodge, dodge!]
[Damn, time to test your skills!]
[It's over! Zhongli's gone, how will you survive without him!?]
[Zhongli! Lord of Geo! Without you, I can't survive! Rehab arc is too painful!]
[Let me pull out Kokomi's jellyfish.]
CatCatEatsNoMedicine was desperately dodging but couldn't even get close to Themis.
Without Neuvillette's support and without Furina's help, she felt completely helpless fighting Themis alone.
Three hits shattered Zhongli's shield, and one scratch wiped out half a health bar.
CatCatEatsNoMedicine gave up, watching her entire team get wiped out.Then she promptly restarted the fight.
[Oh wow—Kokomi, Baizhu, Yaoyao, Qiqi—how scared of death can you get?]
[What's wrong with being scared of death! Time for the healer squad!]
[Waaahhh, Baizhu, daughter, wife—it's all on you now!]
The healer squad was great for survival, but it had a major downside: damage output was painfully low.
"...It's like chipping away at a rock with a toothpick."
Dragging out the fight too long made players restless, increasing the chances of a mistake.
But thanks to the healer squad's high survivability, they were able to slowly wear down Themis' first phase after grinding for over ten minutes.
"Phew~ Not bad, better than I expected."
Putting away her blades, Themis gazed at Furina and the others with an unreadable expression.
"But… what will you do next?"
Reaching out toward Furina, Themis silently mouthed an apology in her heart.
"The power of the Hydro Archon… I'll be taking that."
The divine power was stripped from Furina, flowing into Themis' hands.
Furina, shocked, fell from the sky. Themis caught her and gently sent her through a spatial gate back to her seat at the Opera Epiclese.
Lumine: "What did you do to Furina!?"
Seeing Furina disappear, Lumine shouted at Themis in anger.
Neuvillette, sensing Furina's lost power within Themis, murmured in disbelief:"The Envoy of Celestia… so you can steal the power of the Archons?"
Themis: "Of course…"Power swirled in Themis' hand."After all, my authority is far above theirs."
"If the Hydro Archon chooses to oppose me, then I have no reason to hold back."
"Rest assured, Furina is my beloved," Themis said. "I would never mistreat her."
"Though she has lost her divine power, it's merely a loss of power."
Paimon retorted, "You're lying! You're clearly bullying her!"
Lumine chimed in, "That's right! You know Furina wants to save Fontaine and cares deeply for you! But by doing this, you're forcing her to choose between you and Fontaine!"
"Indeed, you're correct," Themis acknowledged, her divine power coursing through her. She remained silent on Lumine and Paimon's words.
"This may seem like bullying, but for me, it's inevitable. Our positions were different from the beginning."
Divine power rippled through the Primordial Sea as Themis gazed at Lumine and Neuvillette.
"I've already wasted too much time with you."
"Now, I won't waste any more."
"The Prophecy must come!"
"The laws of Celestia cannot be defied!"
"I shall manifest the power of the Hydro Archon here. The Primordial Sea shall engulf Fontaine—!"
"Then everything will return to normal!"
The pink-purple Primordial Sea began to rise. Players watched the CG as all the seawater within Fontaine started to surge upward.
Neuvillette shouted, "Traveler! Themis is manipulating the waters of the Primordial Sea to flood Fontaine. We must stop her!"
Lumine countered, "That's true in theory! But there's no time left! Even if we defeat Themis, the Primordial Sea would have already flooded Fontaine during our battle!"
Neuvillette was anxious, and Lumine felt the same way!
"I'll share the ancient dragon's authority with you to aid you! But from now on, I'll be too focused on suppressing the Primordial Sea to fight by your side!"
"From here on out, you'll have to rely on yourself!"
After sharing the ancient dragon's authority with the Traveler, Neuvillette didn't linger. He transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the swirling Primordial Sea.
Only Lumine remained, locked in a staring contest with Themis.
Lumine's mind screamed like a certian groundhog. Even in my prime, I couldn't last more than a few exchanges against her. Now half-disabled, even with that ancient dragon authority, I have no confidence whatsoever!
"Are you... planning to surrender?" Themis asked, her smile catching the flicker of fear in Lumine's eyes.
"Never! Lumine will definitely defeat you!" Paimon cheered from her side. "Just like in other countries, you'll save Fontaine!"
Seeing Paimon's unwavering faith, Lumine's eyes welled with tears. She desperately wanted to confess that she might not win this time. But there was no choice. For Fontaine's sake, she had to steel herself and charge forward!
The battle erupted into action.
The players entered the second phase. Now, Themis wielded the full divine power of the Hydro Archon.
[Phase 1: The Envoy Themis uses the power stored in the Oratrice to engage.]
[Phase 2: The Divinity Usurper Themis wields the divine power of the Hydro Archon to engage.]
Compared to the close-quarters combat of the first phase, Themis's repertoire of attacks expanded dramatically in the second phase.
Particularly terrifying was the massive execution sword descending from the heavens - enough to make anyone lose their composure.
Targeting all characters on the field, it triggered instant death effects.
CatCatEatsNoMedicine almost wanted to laugh. Four healers against a mere Themis? This was child's play!
Little Themis, watch me handle you!
Then CatCatEatsNoMedicine had a tragic moment, "What's going on now?! Where did the character's elemental skill go?!"
"What the hell is your relationship with Raiden Shogun?!"
With skills blocked, CatCatEatsNoMedicine was about to spit blood.
Head-in-hands panic mode 2.0 activated. The live stream chat erupted in laughter, "This is hilarious! Where's the promised dominance?"
While players clashed with Themis, Fontaine was under assault from the Primordial Sea.
The massive ocean surged upward with enough force to drown the entire Fontaine, its towering waves descending before the Fontainians' eyes.
"The tide returns! I've come—!"
Neuvillette, who had raced from the Primordial Sea, finally arrived at the critical moment. He unleashed the ancient dragon's authority.
The sea capable of swallowing Fontaine hung above the Fontainians' heads. Neuvillette stood alone, resisting the heavens' judgment.
-
Opera Epiclese—
Furina gazed silently at the Primordial Sea above. The disaster visible with a single glance loomed so close to the Fontainians.
"Hmm, you seem quite troubled."
"What's this? Giving up now, Hydro Archon?"
The sudden voice made Furina alert. "Who are you?"
"Who I am doesn't matter," the mysterious visitor continued. "What matters is Fontaine's Prophecy."
"Though Themis is an envoy of Celestia, she's not invincible."
"Memories, soul, personality, desires... all are peerless forces."
"Your heart hesitates because you know to resolve the Prophecy's crisis, you must personally kill Themis."
"Without this, the Prophecy will never end."
"Celestia sleeps. Resolving Themis means resolving the Prophecy."
"Hydro Archon, though this is cruel, this is fate."
"Don't attempt to defy fate."
Furina clenched her hands. "I understand fate can't be defied!"
"But how can I resolve to do it? Kill Themis? Don't joke!"
"She's everything to me! My dearest person!"
"When I was lonely and lost, she was the one protecting me!"
"Now I must face my lover in battle!"
"Of course I know Themis wouldn't kill me..."
"Do you think I'm completely unaware of her plans?!"
Furina covered her face, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Clearly, if Themis had just kept playing dumb, the Prophecy could have been resolved by the death of my focalors half and the divine throne."
"But she stole my stored Indemnitium energy and even my divine power."
"She's trying to protect me by making these choices for me. But I have no choice either. I'm the Archon of Fontaine - I can't abandon this nation and its people."
The mysterious visitor hesitated before asking, "...But doesn't this still mean you'll have to fight? And with your divine power taken away, how can you possibly fight?"
Furina shook her head. "No, I can still fight. Even though my divine power has been taken, the Hydro Archon's seat remains mine. My connection to the Hydro Archon's seat still exists."
As long as Furina maintained her position as the Hydro Archon of Teyvat, she could reclaim her divine power!
Themis could wield divine power solely because her authority surpassed Furina's, allowing her to intercept the energy mid-transfer.
By reclaiming the accumulated five centuries of Indemnitium energy and severing Themis's connection to the Hydro Archon, Furina could resolve the crisis!
The mysterious visitor mused, "A sound strategy, indeed feasible..."
"Intense desire can alter fate itself, creating miracles."
However, if Themis refused to relinquish divine power and remained determined to claim the throne, Furina would be powerless to stop her.
Given the current situation, it remained unclear how much strength Themis had truly deployed.
Yet, considering Themis's lingering affection for Furina, she likely wouldn't employ her full power against her.
This was a crucial advantage in their favor, the visitor thought with a silent sigh.
She marveled at the selfless devotion of the Celestia envoy who had resolved to die for this cause.
Within the Opera Epiclese, Furina took two deep breaths, sensing the connection between herself and the Hydro Archon's throne. Seizing the moment when the bond reached its peak, she exercised her authority to reclaim the divine power.
"Traveler, Themis has ceased her movements!"
"Seize the opportunity! Now!"
Watching her condensed technique disperse in an instant, Lumine's eyes lit up. The situation had reversed in the blink of an eye, no longer forcing her to flee like a cornered rat.
Gripping the holy sword, Lumine charged at Themis. This opportunity might not come again; who knew how long it would take for another chance to present itself?
Glancing at her hands, Themis realized the divine power within her was being gradually drained. She immediately understood - Furina was seated on the Hydro Archon's divine throne, stripping away the Hydro Archon's power from its source.
"Still, this isn't enough to defeat me."
Extending her arms, the surrounding Primordial Sea began to shift. Step by step, a staircase rose from the waters.
Themis's attire transformed into pristine white divine robes. Feathers fluttered behind her as long, flowing white hair cascaded down.
[Shard of Celestia: Themis]
"What you see now is my true power!"
"Traveler, our battle has only just begun!"
Themis waved to block the Traveler's attack before soaring into the heavens.
"The hour of judgment has arrived—"
A golden cross-shaped spatial gate unfolded behind her. Themis' golden eyes transformed, diamond-shaped pupils gleaming within.
"Now is the moment—of judgment!"
Golden spears shot forth from behind, catching Lumine completely off guard.
Furina has reclaimed the power of the Hydro Archon.
Themis has entered the final phase—
[God of the Void, Shard of Celestia: Themis]
CatCatEatsNoMedicine: "Holy shit—! The queen herself?! You've actually come to Genshin Impact for a second career!"
Covering her head as she watched her doctor perish, she hastily devoured a fried egg.
Witnessing Themis' true form, CatCatEatsNoMedicine couldn't help but mentally applaud Mihoyo, setting aside the debate about Genshin Impact's Honkai 3rd plagiarism.
"Truly worthy of being my wife—rich and generous!"
"Those legs are so fair! That heart is so beautiful! Ahem! Who could resist this side view?"
"That waist... sigh~"
Covering her face, CatCatEatsNoMedicine felt herself about to lose control.
"Save me—she's still barefoot!"
"And there's a leg ring at the thigh—!"
"Darling! You're dressed like this? It's so easy to get violated!"
[Just tell me if this looks good or not!]
[Heh heh heh, Themis, my Themis, ah heh heh, wife, marry me!]
While Themis was undeniably beautiful, the real battle was yet to come!
Then they witnessed what true power meant—Shard of Celestia. The heavens shook, stars fell, and the earth cracked. Who could withstand this?!
The ultimate move instantly teleported to Celestia, unleashing space-based weapons that wiped the area clean with instant-kill effects. CatCatEatsNoMedicine, though reluctant, swallowed several more fried eggs with tears in her eyes.
"Thank you! Thank you, QiQi! You weren't just worth drawing C6 for! You truly saved my sorry hide!"
The same amount of disdain she'd felt toward QiQi before now turned into equal gratitude for this child who delivers from calamity!
If she could wish for anything, she'd hope QiQi wouldn't come next time.
No particular reason, really. Mihoyo's wish system is not cursed at all...
Having reclaimed her strength, Furina once again donned her divine dress. After exchanging glances with Neuvillette, she rushed to support the Traveler.
It was time to give Themis an answer.
She would save Fontaine, but she would also rescue Themis!
Reclaiming the mixed energy stolen by Themis, this time not for suicide, but to wrest Themis from Celestia's control and restore her freedom!
"Furina! You're alright?!"
Paimon saw Furina restored in her divine dress, overwhelmed with emotion. The Traveler wouldn't have to fight alone anymore - that was all that mattered.
At least since Furina's arrival, Themis' attacks had become gentler, no longer carrying that life-or-death intensity from before.
"Traveler, I'll fight with you from now on!"
"This time, you'll create the opening. I'll sever Themis' connection to Celestia!"
"Once we break that bond, she'll be free from Celestia's control. She won't need to keep fighting us."
Furina gazed at the Holy Sword in the Traveler's hand, extended her palm, and channeled divine power into it. She bestowed a blessing, infusing the blade with the strength of her five-hundred-year-old wishes and memories.
The Holy Sword, now radiating with renewed brilliance, filled Lumine with a surge of power as she beheld its golden glow.
"Themis, I've made up my mind!"
"I'll save Fontaine in my own way! Then I'll save you!"
Standing shoulder to shoulder, Furina met Themis's gaze with unwavering resolve, her eyes locked on the white-robed figure.
"Is that so?" Themis arched an eyebrow, her smile glinting. "I'll look forward to it, then. But don't expect me to hold back."
"...Because I'll be the one getting pummeled!" Lumine's expression turned complicated, her non-flying form brimming with conflicting emotions.
Swinging the Holy Sword in tandem with Furina, Lumine began their coordinated assault.
The blade, now imbued with Furina's wishes, blazed with extraordinary radiance. The scattered energy from their previous battle with Rene coalesced once more, gathering around the Holy Sword.
In the real world, players diligently performed their "scraping" ritual. With Furina's assistance, they joined the fray against Themis.
Through Lumine's efforts, Themis momentarily let her guard down, revealing a critical weakness.
Furina seized the opportunity to reclaim the stolen Indemnitium Energy.
Themis: "?"
She stared silently at Furina, halting her assault.
Watching as Furina channeled her divine power, blending it with five centuries of Indemnitium Energy, then forced it into the Traveler's Holy Sword.
Themis had to admit this Holy Sword truly posed a threat.
However, there was one thing Furina hadn't anticipated.
"Themis—! This is our final strike!"
Swinging the Holy Sword to shatter all obstacles, Lumine struck at the momentarily stunned Themis.
The Holy Sword sliced through Themis' body without resistance.
There was no expected gushing blood, no visible wound.
Through Lumine's hand, the Holy Sword delivered its damage.
Themis: "..."
She stared silently at Lumine, blinking as she gazed at the Holy Sword in her hand.
"Um... how should I put this..."
"It's truly like a light has come into my eyes."
"Furina..."
Turning to look at Furina behind her, the water avatar created by the Hydro Archon's power dissipated in the distance.
"Themis..."
The divine power in her hand acted upon Themis from behind - the strength of the holy sword, the mixed energy accumulated over five centuries, and Furina's own power as the Hydro Archon.
All three forces converged on Themis simultaneously, severing her connection to Celestia.
However, something occurred that Furina hadn't anticipated.
"Cutting my connection to Celestia... ah..."
Themis withdrew the now dematerialized holy sword from her body and turned to face Furina.
"A clever method indeed. This way, I won't continue either voluntarily or involuntarily. I have no reason to oppose you now."
"Themis?"
Furina watched in panic as Themis' face began to disintegrate.
Paimon: "Themis... what's happening to your body?!"
Lumine: "?!?"
"...Ha, it's nothing. Just a severed connection."
With a smile, Themis shrugged nonchalantly.
"This could be considered one of my secrets."
"After all, my only connection to Celestia is my own body..."
"Severing that connection means the dissolution of my physical form."
"The dissolution of your body...? What do you mean?!" Paimon didn't understand. "Are you saying you'll only exist as a spirit from now on, Themis?!"
"Paimon... I think it might be worse than that..."
Lumine sheathed her holy sword, watching Themis' body continue to disintegrate. A heavy expression clouded her eyes.
Though Themis had dominated the fight earlier, it was clear the goddess had held back, never truly unleashing her full power.
"Themis... What will happen to you if you lose your body?!"
Furina grew panicked, her intuition screaming that this couldn't be as simple as losing a physical form.
At the same time, Furina was filled with regret over her previous plan to sever Themis's connection.
She had only thought that cutting the connection could stop Themis from continuing to oppose her, but she hadn't realized that Themis's body itself was the true source of that connection.
"Ah, who knows? Maybe I'll just dissipate like this."
"Haha, seeing you on the verge of tears, I suddenly feel like I'm really bullying you."
"Furina, don't cry."
Themis reached out to lift Furina's face, gazing at her tear-streaked cheeks as she brushed away the tears with her fingers.
"See? This resolves the final method of fulfilling the Prophecy."
"The Primordial Sea will return to its source, no longer rising."
"Celestia's surveillance over Fontaine will vanish alongside my dissipation."
Paimon: "Don't speak of this with such casual ease! Isn't this serious?! According to you, when your body disappears, won't you die?!"
Paimon's words instantly snapped the still-dazed players back to reality. What nonsense! Body gone equals death?!
CatCatEatsNoMedicine: "No! My wife! You can't just die like this! What about Furina and me? You're joking, right? You're the Shard of Celestia!"
[The Shard of Celestia refers to one whose body embodies Celestia.]
[That's not right! The body's gone, but the spirit's still here!]
[Could there be something we haven't discovered yet?]
[Themis... So she wasn't the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles after all?]
"Don't... Themis, I don't want you to die!"
Holding Themis's hand and gazing at her crumbling body, Furina burst into tears.
"Furina... This is fate."
"If fate could grant me a second choice, I'd choose to stay by your side forever."
"But that's impossible. This outcome is already the best we could hope for, isn't it?"
"Look, all the Fontainians remain intact in the Primordial Sea."
"If only one sinner's death could save Fontaine..."
"I'd never want that sinner to be you, Furina."
Furina's face was drenched in tears as she clutched Themis' hand, sobbing uncontrollably. "But I don't want it to be you either! Themis! From the very beginning, there was no need for your death!"
Themis embraced Furina, gently stroking her hair and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "It doesn't matter. It's all the same. Furina, it's all the same."
"If someone must die, let it be me - the Regent of the Hydro Archon."
Lumine and Paimon stood to the side, looking like players still utterly bewildered by the situation.
What does this mean about the Hydro Archon's death? Why did Furina need to die in the first place? What other secrets are we being kept in the dark about?!
CatCatEatsNoMedicine watched Themis' body crumbling and dissipating, her heart turning to ice.
"Stop! Mihoyo! Don't let my Genshin Impact wife become Honkai: Genshin Impact!"
"Is my precious Themis wife really going to perish like this?!"
Her heart felt like it was about to explode. CatCatEatsNoMedicine could barely contain herself!
She had been anticipating this wife for an entire country's worth of time!
Glancing at the available options, CatCatEatsNoMedicine selected "Truth".
"I want to know the full truth!"
"I need to know everything!"
"She's dying! Can you stop being so cryptic?!"
"Quick, quick, quick! I must know the truth!"
"Urgent, urgent, urgent! What's really happening in Fontaine?!"
As Furina began her account, the truth gradually unfolded before all the Traveler players.
Five hundred years ago, when Egeria passed her divine position to Focalors before her death, Focalors understood the Prophecy's thorny nature.
After much contemplation, she devised a plan:
She would separate her divine essence from her human persona. The Human Furina, devoid of any memories beyond the Prophecy's impending arrival, would assume the role of the Hydro Archon. Meanwhile, her Divine self would accumulate power within the Oratrice, waiting until the moment she could shatter the Hydro Archon's divine throne.
However, contrary to the Hydro Archon's expectations, an envoy from Celestia appeared in Fontaine and became Regent to the human Furina.
When Regent Themis first saw the Oratrice, she also detected the presence of the divine Focalors within it.
But at that time, perhaps it didn't matter to Themis. The Prophecy was inevitable, and while Focalors' affairs might prove useful, they couldn't alter the overall fate.
As the human Furina played the role of the Hydro Archon, Regent Themis diligently served as her advisor.
Even when the human Furina neared collapse after five centuries of this charade, Themis became her emotional anchor.
Perhaps centuries of companionship with Furina had changed Themis's perspective.
"But the truth is, the first time I saw Furina, I was captivated by her pure and kind heart."
"At that time, I possessed neither memories of Celestia nor recollections of wielding power."
"So for me, throughout these years, protecting Furina and safeguarding Focalors has been my deepest wish."
"Since both Furina and Focalors wish to protect Fontaine, I too will not hesitate to use my life to alter the course of the future."
"Thus, as repayment for this one-sided sacrifice, may I invite you to dance with me in our final moments?"
Themis extended her hand, gazing tenderly at Furina.
Traveler Lumine and Paimon watched this pair of legendary lovers—both willing to sacrifice their lives for each other—and felt their hearts fill with sorrow.
They could never have imagined the truth would be like this!
Traveler Lumine couldn't comprehend it, and neither could the countless players observing this scene!
Someone had actually planned for five hundred years, all to kill themselves! And not just one person—two were vying to die!
CatCatEatsNoMedicine observed Themis dancing her final dance in the Primordial Sea with the Hydro Archon Furina, her body riddled with cracks. Finally, she couldn't hold back her laughter any longer.
At the beginning of the performance, Themis and the complete Hydro Archon began dancing together. Their movements were graceful, but the music carried a profound sense of sorrow.
The scene shifted to the Opera Epiclese. Themis, dressed in Regent attire, danced with Furina, who wore a small evening gown.
As they smiled at each other, their figures turned into the Regent Themis and Focalors, clad in a white dress, dancing on an empty stage.
In the final transition, Themis, now fully transparent and wearing divine robes, held hands with both Furina and Focalors. Together, they completed their final dance in the Primordial Sea.
Facing Lumine and Paimon, the trio ended their final joyful moments hand in hand.
"In the very end, let me conclude everything. Furina, Focalors."
"Though my body is near collapse, my remaining power is sufficient to shatter the Divine Throne and return its ancient draconic authority to the newly ascended Dragon Sovereign."
"The divine portion within your body shall be replaced by fragments of my body and my own essence."
"In this way, I will merge with you completely, leaving my final imprint upon your heart."
"Furina, Focalors... you have long been two distinct individuals in my heart."
Themis extracted her divine essence from her collapsing body, replacing the Hydro Archon's divine essence.
Furina's body split into two beings, granting both true freedom.
Observing Focalors in her new body and Furina's tearful face, Themis found this outcome quite satisfactory.
The Hydro Dragon Sovereign would now wield complete authority. Through their five centuries of companionship, Neuvillette would forgive all Fontainians' sins, elevating them to true humanity. They would no longer fear Celestia's Prophecy.
Even if Celestia awakened again in the future, the Fontainians, now true humans, would escape the punishment of the Gods.
The plan unfolded flawlessly.
"The Time of Farewell Has Come... like a field of flowers blooming in parting..."
"O Celestia, I return to your embrace!"
Themis turned her gaze back towards her precious archons.
"Furina...Focalors...I Lov-"
Her form crumbled into golden light, vanishing into the heavens.
-
As Themis' power ascended to the heavens, it followed the trajectory traced by her earlier theft of the Hydro Archon's divine essence, shattering the Hydro Archon's Divine Throne.
The ancient dragon's authority was released, merging back into the body of the Hydro Elements Dragon Sovereign.
Neuvillette felt this regained power, yet instead of joy, only sorrow filled him.
After five centuries of companionship, it would be false to claim he harbored no emotions toward Themis.
When Neuvillette first arrived at the Court of Fontaine and was ostracized by all, it was Themis who first accepted his existence.
To Neuvillette, Themis was an indispensable family.
Now, just like Furina, he had lost his most important person.
The Primordial Sea of Fontaine had receded, and Neuvillette had pardoned all the Fontainians' sins.
But the sky over Fontaine remained dark and oppressive, suffocatingly heavy.
CatCatEatsNoMedicine wept bitterly, mourning her deceased wife!
"Accursed Mihoyo! Do you find this amusing?!"
"My wife is gone!"
"Wahh! The Hydro Archon lost her wife! I lost mine too!"
"The Prophecy has ended, the Fontainians are saved, but the Regent is gone!"
"Waaah...!"
Unable to contain it any longer, Mihoyo's gentle blade pierced CatCatEatsNoMedicine, dealing critical damage.
[For some reason, I see the Overseer from five hundred years ago!]
[The difference is the Overseer accidentally harmed his wife, while the Regent successfully saved everyone.]
[Everyone was saved. Only the Regent died, who pretended to be the villain. Laugh! Why aren't you laughing?!]
[Maybe Otto wasn't that bad after all...]
"You, Themis, you are the true Archon! You saved the wife, you saved everything!"
"Then dance with me for the final dance!"
"The sinner's final dance! Evil! The sinner is fake! The execution is real!"
"Themis's full name is Themis de Fontaine!"
"The Oratrice issued Fontaine's death sentence!"
Crying, CatCatEatsNoMedicine could only think: Mihoyo really deserves to die!
"And at that time, Focalors was manipulated and knocked out. That means the wife sentenced herself to death!"
[In this day and age, who plans for five hundred years just to kill themselves?!]
[Are you Otto? It's for the same reason.]
[The time of farewell has come, like a field of flowers blooming in parting...]
After the main plot concluded, it was time for the epilogue. CatCatEatsNoMedicine forced herself to control the characters and run around completing the final tasks.
The story of Regent Themis sacrificing herself to save Fontaine had spread throughout the city. Every Fontainian expressed their grief and disbelief over the Regent's sacrifice.
To the Fontainians, Themis's death felt like the complete disappearance of an omnipotent parent from their childhood.
"I... can't even imagine what Fontaine would become without the Regent."
"But no matter what, this Nation of Fontaine will never stagnate."
"It's no wonder the Hydro Archon and Neuvillette have been so dispirited lately. To be honest, Themis's departure has affected them greatly too."
"If possible, we would never wish for anyone to pass away."
"Traveler, since you know Furina and can speak with Neuvillette, please offer them much comfort."
"Fontaine has already lost its Regent. We can't let anything happen to these two lords."
CatCatEatsNoMedicine agreed wholeheartedly and led the Traveler to Palais Mermonia.
Focalors was working for Furina. Themis's departure had dealt a heavy blow to Furina, who still hadn't recovered from the loss.
But Palais Mermonia couldn't be without a leader, so Focalors had no choice but to suppress her grief and take over the Regent's duties.
"Sometimes I think, if I had hidden better back then, perhaps Themis wouldn't have sacrificed herself."
Themis' departure dealt a devastating blow to Focalors. But as an Archon, hiding sorrow and loneliness was an innate talent she possessed from birth.
After receiving news about the next nation, Natlan, from Focalors and Neuvillette, Fontaine's main quest could finally be considered completely concluded.
CatCatEatsNoMedicine, tearful and sniffling, delivered her emotional reflections on Fontaine to the live stream audience before collapsing and logging off on the spot.
Fontaine's gentle blades truly struck with every critical hit.
When the Hydro Archon revealed her plan, it became clear that Furina's five centuries of effort, the eighteen thousand scenes of her plays, Themis' gentle and responsible leadership, and Focalors' solitary divine guardianship had all been for naught.
Fontaine's people were truly blessed to have them!
-
Title: The Time of Farewell Has Come-Goodbye Furina