Paimon: "Now that it's all been laid out, there's no use in Furina trying to argue her way out of it!"
Neuvillette looked around and lightly tapped his cane, speaking in a grave voice. "I believe that, at this stage of the trial, the outcome is already clear. If no one has any further objections, we shall proceed to the verdict."
Furina could no longer hide the sobs in her voice. Her head spun, the light around her dimmed, and all sorts of voices kept ringing in her ears.
(No one will listen even if you keep talking...)
(There is already so much evidence that Lady Furina isn't a god.)
(Lady Furina... Lady Furina...)
Neuvillette's voice rang out again. At the same time, everything around Furina went completely dark, without a single ray of light.
"In my capacity as the Chief Justice of Fontaine, I find that Furina, an ordinary human, impersonated a god and deceived the people..."
Furina saw the Traveler and Paimon nearby and reached out, wanting to grab hold of them. Yet after merely glancing at her, they walked away without mercy.
"Guilty!"
As Neuvillette uttered those final two syllables, Furina broke free of that dark world.
At the same time, something shattered. Furina knew that what had shattered was the hope of survival for everyone in Fontaine.
Almost five hundred years, and everything had turned to dust in this trial. Fate truly could not be overcome, and the Heavenly Principles truly could not be opposed.
She had still failed. Furina did not hate the people judging her. She only wondered whether, if she had tried a little harder and stayed a little more vigilant, all of this... might never have happened.
Furina could hold on no longer. She collapsed weakly into her chair and just sat there in a daze. The tears that had long filled her eyes finally spilled over, running down her cheeks and neck. Furina slowly lowered her head without a word...
Perhaps this was the first time the people had ever seen their former Hydro Archon so quiet...
[Hu Tao: All of that just now was Furina's inner world, right? Watching the people she trusted most leave him one by one, she seemed so helpless!]
[Ganyu: Furina really is amazing. An ordinary person managed to impersonate the Hydro Archon for hundreds of years without being discovered. That alone is already incredible!]
[Sigewinne: I hope Lady Furina in the video won't be sad anymore. Playing a god for hundreds of years must have been exhausting. Why not take this opportunity to come to the Fortress of Meropide for a good rest?]
[Wriothesley: That's not wrong, but what sort of normal person goes to prison for a rest?!]
[Venti: I don't know why, but at least nothing Furina has done over these past few hundred years has had any negative effects on Fontaine. For ordinary people like us, that's already pretty good.]
[Xingqiu: Then if Furina isn't the Hydro Archon, where is the real Hydro Archon?]
[Yae Miko: Furina is crying. Does the sight of her sitting in the defendant's seat, shedding tears in silence, remind any of you of something?]
[Yelan: You mean...]
[Arataki Itto: Forget about that for now. Seeing Furina cry makes me want to cry too. Shinobu, bring me some tissues.]
[Barbara: I want to cry too... She's so pitiful... Sob, sob, sob!]
[Ningguang: Sigh!]
[Lyney: This is the first time I've seen Lady Furina like this. She's just like one of the puppets among my magic props, utterly lifeless.]
[Charlotte: Yes, I'm so used to Lady Furina's usual flamboyant manner that it's really hard to adjust to this!]
The footage continued.
Neuvillette: "Then let us leave the final decision to the [Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale]!"
Neuvillette inserted something into the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale. Then the entire machine began working furiously, making rattling noises as its various components collided, and all the blue power of faith gathered inside it.
A few seconds later, another document popped out. This was the statement of Furina's crimes.
Neuvillette picked it up and began reading the words on it. "According to the judgment of the [Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale], I hereby pronounce..."
But Neuvillette's expression suddenly changed. Rather than continuing to read, he let out a startled, "Hmm?"
Paimon and Lumine rarely saw such an expression on Neuvillette's face, and their hearts rose into their throats.
Paimon: "Wh-what's wrong? Why did you stop?"
Lumine: "Could it be... that the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale's verdict is not guilty?"
Neuvillette shook his head. "...No. The verdict written on this paper is also guilty."
Paimon: "Then what's with that look on your face?"
Neuvillette continued, "It's just that the verdict given by the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale is-[the Hydro Archon] is guilty..."
"...And is sentenced to death!"
[Barbara: Huh? No way. That doesn't warrant death, does it? Furina only impersonated a god. She didn't do anything else...]
[Lyney: This is unprecedented, an outcome I never imagined. Lady Furina may have neglected her duties a little, but at most, she just listened to operas!]
[Navia: That's right. The Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale has never handed down a sentence like this.]
[Hu Tao: Now I really suspect that machine is broken. No matter who you asked, they wouldn't think Furina should be executed. I'd even dare to impersonate Rex Lapis in Liyue right now. Let's see who could execute me. Then I'll play Rex Lapis in the future, and you can play his lackey, Consultant Zhongli.]
[Zhongli: Er-the director's train of thought always leaps about like this.]
[Xiao: ...]
[Arataki Itto: You dare talk about playing the Geo Archon, but I wouldn't dare talk about playing the Electro Archon. Still, this machine probably really is broken. Maybe I should give it a proper fixing.]
[Kujou Sara: For a fool like you, you've actually said something smart for once.]
[Venti: Everyone's playing someone, so I'll join in too. My devout followers, rejoice, for the one standing before you is Barbatos himself.]
[Barbara: Acting Grand Master Jean, please do something about him!]
[Diona: Those awful drunks are the ones who should be sentenced to death!]
[Tartaglia: Wait, something just occurred to me. This story says I'm guilty too. When you all said Fontaine didn't have the death penalty, I thought I'd be fine. But looking at this, you don't know what's going to happen in the future either. I won't be sentenced to death too, will I?!]