The Court of Fontaine was bustling as ever. Children are laughing happily and running down the streets, merchants and vendors are going about conducting their business with gusto, clockwork mekas and Gardes patrol the streets, that was the sight that greeted Lucian, one that left a nearly imperceivable smile on his face.

There were indeed things that could be done better, things are still not perfect, there are still people that they could not reach and help, but it seemed that the Fontaine that he's seeing now is steadily shaping to become the vision that Egeria and him once shared; an utopia for humankind, one that is regulated and protected through the upholding of justice.

He arrived at the agreed meeting spot where he will be picking up his student. She was already there and she wasn't alone. A bubbly girl with blond hair around her age was engaged in a conversation with Clorinde, with the former doing most of the talking and Clorinde being a very good listener. A man with the same shade of blond hair as the young girl with a very distinctive eyepatch covering his right eye looked at the children with fondness and judging from the resemblance between the man and the girl, Lucian presumed them to be father and child.

"Lucian," Clorinde greeted Lucian with a smile on her face when she noticed his approach. Lucian can sense the curiosity emanating from the blond girl beside her, she wasn't being subtle about it.

"This is my friend, Navia, and this is her father, Callas. Callas, Navia, this is Lucian, my friend and teacher," Clorinde introduced both parties to each other and Lucian greeted the father-daughter pair with a polite nod of his head.

"Did you really teach Clorinde how to use a sword? You don't look much older than us."

"Navia," Callas called his daughter in a stern tone but there was no real intention of reprimand in his voice, only loving fondness. He extended a hand to Lucian, which he took.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, I am Callas. Clorinde and Navia had known each other since young and they are pretty much inseparable, I had heard many good things about you from her."

"Callas is the president of the Spina di Rosula. You were trying to investigate the young woman disappearance case but are now tied up with other matters, so I thought that you might want to meet Callas. He's a good man and I believe he might be able to help you," Clorinde elaborated and Lucian finally understood the purpose of this intentional meeting. He had heard of the Spina di Rosula in passing, an organisation in Fontaine that dedicates their time to helping the people of Fontaine and investigating matters that the Gardes would not or have difficulty with. He had even heard that the president of the Spina di Rosula was bestowed with the title of "Baron" by the Palais Mermonia but it was refused because the man thought it was hollow.

He wasn't aware that his little protege had connections with such a man.

"This is a case that has stumped even the Gardes. Investigating this matter has its own risks and might endanger your personal safety and those around you. Even after knowing this, will you still do it?" Lucian headed right to the crux of the issue and made his inquiry, never one for needless pleasantries. All he needs to know if the man in front of him has the needed resolve to see this investigation through.

"I am aware of the risk but we are citizens of the Nation of Justice. Wouldn't it be a mockery of everything we stand for if we cannot uphold justice for those who needed it?" Callas answered with a gentle yet firm tone and it was what sealed the deal for Lucian. He had no doubts about Callas' abilities based on what he already heard about the man from the officers working in the Palais Mermonia in passing.

He took out a seal from his coat and handed it over to the man.

"This is my seal that represents me, the Champion Duelist of Lady Furina. Bring it to Officer Sedene at the Palais Mermonia and tell her that I had granted you permission to take over the investigation of the disappearance case, she will understand and hand over the necessary once you present this seal to her. Also, if the investigations ever got to the point where the personal safety of you or your loved ones are being threatened, seek protection from the Palais Mermonia. If you are able to solve the case, I will also put in a good word for you to our Iudex to suitably compensate you for your hard work."

"Thank you very much," Callas thanked the Champion Duelist, promising him that he will do his best. Lucian and Clorinde soon left after the girls were done saying their farewells, starting a journey that will take them northwards from the Court of Fontaine.

"Where will we be going?" Clorinde asked once the city became a small speck behind them.

"Investigating an ancient ruin that's likely to be teeming with monsters," Lucian replied. "How's your practice with elemental infusion coming along?"

Clorinde simply held up her blade and coated it with electro in answer. Lucian was surprised at the speed of her progress because he certainly wasn't expecting her to reach this level of mastery so soon. His little protege really is a genius.

"Is this good enough?" Clorinde asked hesitantly when she didn't receive a verbal reply from Lucian.

"Much more than I could ask for, considering that it wasn't too long ago that you received your vision." Lucian reassured her. "Now that you are able to exert such a level of control over the element of electro, you need to start thinking how you want to primarily wield and shape electro to best suit your combat style. I have seen numerous applications of electro by various wielders, some of which are creative and some of which are outright devastating."

"What is the strongest usage of electro that you have seen?"

"I had seen people using electro to primarily shock and decapacitate their opponents in a non-lethal manner, I had seen people refining the electro element to the point it becomes so sharp that it could cut through the hardest steel, but the strongest electro user that I know of is an Inazuman warrior whose mastery over electro enables her to cut space itself. She is someone that could fight me as an equal and who I also acknowledged as my equal," Lucian answered and upon seeing the shocked look on her face, fondly ruffled her hair. "Don't look so shocked, the world is a big place, there are many things and people that are capable of toppling your worldview once you go out and meet them."

"Cut… space? But how? Who could manage such a feat?"

"The electro archon's kagemusha. The term kagemusha means Shadow Warrior in their local language, a nameless protector of their nation's deity. Her existence is a secret to the general populace, so most people do not actually know that she existed."

A brief silence fell upon the duo for a short moment before Clorinde finally spoke.

"And how would you have met such an important person? Judging from your words, you had even fought that kagemusha previously? But… you don't look much older than us, so… so how?"

"Indeed. How?" Lucian replied cryptically, leaving his student behind as he walked ahead while she stood rooted to the ground in shock. His student has a sharp mind and unlike the young twins who hadn't totally shed their childish innocence and naivety, it wouldn't be long before she pieces everything together to arrive at the truth.

"You are much older than you look, you are not human," Clorinde quickly ran to catch up once she realised that she's lagging behind, her mind starting to piece out the unsaid truth that she's sure Lucian wanted her to deduce on her own. The twins had stated that Lucian and Lady Furina most definitely shared a certain connection and so by that virtue alone, Lucian is very likely not human, which would actually explain most of the inconsistencies that she had observed since their first meeting.

"Correct."

"You are good with a sword. Too good, in fact," Clorinde voiced her thoughts out loud to better organise her thoughts. There were many dissents from most other Champion Duelists when Lady Furina made a sudden announcement to the entire nation out of the blue, proclaiming that she had appointed a Champion Duelist that serves her and only her, someone that many people had never even heard of before until the announcement. There was only one precedence of such an arrangement in Fontaine's history, which was Lady Egeria's appointment of the first and only Grand Duelist, Lucine Fontinas. It was why this sudden proclamation by their archon came as such a shock to all Fontainians.

Naturally, those dissents soon gave rise to disagreements among the Champion Duelists and there is only one way that duelists will settle their differences.

A duel.

The Champion Duelists who were unhappy at how an unknown nobody had "parachuted" into the coveted role of all duelists were invited by Lucian into the duelling ring with his title of Lady Furina's Champion Duelist as the stake of the challenge. The dissents were quickly quelled thereafter. Lucian had proved to the entire nation that Lady Furina was right in her judgement and why only he was deemed qualified to serve as her Champion Duelist. The Steambird had a field day reporting on the results of the duel that day.

"That's a given, go on."

"You know too much about swords and about Fontaine's forgotten practices and traditions, almost as if you had lived through it yourself. Lyney and Lynette also mentioned that you converse with Lady Furina as though you are both equals, which is a notion that would be equivalent to disrespect of our archon for most people, an unthinkable act that we would never dream of doing, unless… unless.. you are already acquainted with Lady Furina before she became an archon? Had you… lived that long?"

"What if I did? What if I didn't?"

"If you had lived that long, as someone who had mastered all Fontainian bladework, as someone with such unparalleled mastery over the hydro element, someone who knows all of Fontaine's history by the back of his hand, someone who had known Lady Furina and Monsieur Neuvillette before Lady Furina became the second Hydro Archon, someone important enough to be able to meet and duel the kagemusha of Inazuma's archon at least once, then… then… T-There's only one such figure that I can think of who might fit all of those requirements," Clorinde's voice turned a little shaky towards the end when she finally connected all the dots. It's impossible, why on earth would she have caught the eye of such a renowned and revered legendary figure in their nation's history if what she suspected is true?

"So who do you think I am?"

"You are… You are… The Sword of Fontaine, Lady Egeria's Champion, Fontaine's Grand Duelist, you are…" Clorinde whispered and finally looked up to the person who she had been striving to emulate ever since they first met. Now that she had arrived at the truth everything suddenly seemed so clear and obvious. The same person who she had been striving to emulate had suddenly become the same person who she had been dreaming to be ever since she heard of his legendary tales and stories as a young child, the legendary figure who protected their nation since its founding, the legendary figure who inspired her to learn how to wield a blade and why she aspires to be a Champion Duelist.

"You are… Lucin-"

"Yes, I am," Lucian affirmed his student's guess with a small pat on her head, cutting her speech prematurely, "but as you can see, I am no longer him, merely a shell of his former glory and power. In front of you and the twins I am, and will always be, Lucian. You do not need to see and treat me any differently from before."

"I-I…" Clorinde struggled to string her messy thoughts into a cohesive sentence at the sudden revelation. "Why… Why me? I'm just human, why would you choose me?"

"There were many people asking, even begging the Grand Duelist to take them in as his student for as long as he could remember. Indeed, from the perspective of a long-living species, taking in a human student would be a waste of his time and effort, for a human's lifespan is too short and they age too soon, resulting in the deterioration of the craft which they painstakingly mastered. It was one reason why he did not take in a student despite Egeria's suggestion, only finally doing so under Egeria's wish when our current archon, Focalors, was born and joined Fontaine. She was his very first student and he, her teacher in the art of the sword."

The wind blew, carrying over the scent of the sea as they continued to walk and converse.

"The person that you see now is very different from how he used to be before the Cataclysm. His experience from participating in that calamity has changed him, for better and for worse. The death of the archon whom he had sworn to serve and his failure to carry out his sworn duty had changed him and with it, his view of the world. Truthfully, he only intended to impart some basic knowledge of Fontainian bladework to his newest student at the start. If you really want him to specify a reason why he eventually decided to take in a new student, it probably was a mixture of fate, the talent she displayed, and the resolve that she had shown in their lessons. Everything happened at the right place and time, and so he decided to take in a new student. You are a natural duelist, Clorinde. You are a talent that would only be seen once in thousands of years, you are one of the two who had passed the Grand Duelist's preliminary test that thousands of others had failed, the only other who had passed that same test was our archon with an excessive love for dramatic flair. It's a duelist's duty to protect the nation and the children, so why would it be so surprising that a duelist would want to guide and help young talents when they have the chance to do so?"

"But I-"

"You said it was your dream to be a Champion Duelist. As someone who has walked this path I can assure you that this is a path fraught with thorns and perils, it's not going to be easy. Do you still want to be a Champion Duelist in spite of that?"

"I do!" Clorinde exclaimed. Walking upon the path of a Champion Duelist was something that she had decided upon a long time ago, a decision that she will not change nor waver in the slightest.

"Then why not learn from the best that the nation has to offer?" Lucian answered before walking ahead. "Come, my student, we do not have too much time to dawdle away. While the sights on our journey are picturesque and I would also love to spend time admiring them, the mission that I am bringing you on might be crucial in determining Fontaine's continued existence. If you have any further questions you can ask me again after we return."

"One more question," Clorinde asked after she quickly caught up once more. "Are we telling the twins about this? Everything that we had said?"

"The Grand Duelist had made many enemies while executing his duties. Most are already dead, but there are some who are not humans that might still be alive and biding their time. Their association with him might bring them more harm than good if they learnt the truth now, especially when they are still unable to truly fend for themselves on their own power unlike what you are now capable of. They will be let in on the truth eventually, but that time is not now. The world believed that the Grand Duelist had been slain in the war 500 years ago and it was his wish to keep it that way if possible."

"Will he… Will he ever return?"

Silence filled the space between them once more, but her question was eventually answered.

"As I've said in our very first meeting in the Opera Epiclese, if there comes a day where Fontaine finds herself in a crisis of unprecedented scale that nobody can resolve, the Grand Duelist will wield his blade once more for Fontaine. This is after all, the nation which the Grand Duelist had sworn to protect and everything that he had been fighting for over two thousand years."

"If so, it might be selfish of me to say this, but while I don't wish to see Fontaine be plunged into another calamity, I do wish to see the return of our Grand Duelist, even if just for a short moment. I wish… to gaze upon his full strength with my own eyes."

A small smile graced his face.

"According to what I had heard on the grapevine, perhaps, if you ever managed to climb to the peak and mastered the art of our craft, our nation's Grand Duelist might just return to answer your challenge for a duel. After all, there can only be one Grand Duelist in Fontaine and it is your dream to become the best duelist in Fontaine. Challenging the Grand Duelist to a duel will be an inevitable hurdle that you will have to overcome if you want your ambitions to come true."

"Then I shall be the best duelist there ever will be in Fontaine, so that I will one day have the right to challenge him for his title at his full strength."

"And I'm sure that he will be there to honour that promise when that time comes."

"Again."

The powerful knockback from the parry that sent the Champion Duelist flying away had all the other Champion Duelists nearby reactively held onto their swords tighter in an uneasy grip.

In the centre of the ring, deep within a secret training area of the Palais Mermonia, stood their archon, Lady Furina. Gone are the usual dramatic and expressive emotions on her face, now replaced with an unreadable look void of emotions. She held her personal blade, the Splendor of Tranquil Waters in her hand as her emotionless gaze swept across the room, sending an uncontrollable slight shiver down the spines of the most trusted and skilled duelists of Fontaine who stood facing her, surrounding her in a circle, yet not a single soul dared to take single step forward.

Fontainians are no strangers to their archon. Lady Furina made public appearances on a near daily basis, her love for the performing arts, entertainment, drama and theatrics is an open secret. She is many things but there's one thing that nobody had ever associated with Lady Furina despite knowing that she is a God, their God, and their archon.

Had their archon always been this… powerful?

"Stand up," she ordered coldly, impatiently tapping the flat side of her blade on the palm of her free hand as if to emphasise her impatience. "Is this what the best in Fontaine can offer? Is this how you would defend our nation and our people when calamity strikes? And you people had the audacity to eye for the position of being my Champion Duelist with such mediocre skills and swordsmanship?"

"F-Forgive us, Lady Furina!" The duelists immediately got to their knees and bowed their heads in deference. They had all severely underestimated their archon, believing her to be all talk and no substance because that was indeed how she had presented herself ever since she ascended onto the throne. Nobody ever took her seriously, treating her more like a mascot than a deity.

Fontaine had forgotten that despite how quirky she carried herself in public she was the only student of their Grand Duelist. Fontaine had forgotten that at a point in their history where their nation was falling apart it was she who single handedly drove the Oceanids away from Fontaine with nothing but her sword to avert a civil war centuries ago.

Furina de Fontaine is not a weak and helpless damsel like the characters that she often acted out in the plays she performed.

The tense silence was eventually broken by a defeated sigh.

"Nevermind, leave."

"H-Huh?"

"Did I stutter?" Furina sent a look at the duelist who questioned her and everyone immediately vacated the training room, leaving her alone. Furina only dared to let her facade break a little once she was alone, slowly sliding her back down a nearby wall until she sat down listlessly on the floor with her back against the wall, and closed her eyes tiredly.

The stress really had been getting to her lately. What was she thinking, hoping that Fontaine's best duelists could help to stop that prophecy? Their swords couldn't possibly stop a flood.

She's being stupid again, just like usual.

She's glad that Focalors allowed her to retain their memories before the split and along with that, the skills that they mastered under Lucine's tutelage before everything turned awry. She was certain that Focalors had seriously contemplated not giving her any of her memories at all when she had decided to split herself into Focalors and Furina but she had changed her mind at the very last second. As to why Focalors made that choice, only Focalors would know.

"How long more…" She whispered under her breath. That dreadful suffocating pressure had lessened ever since Lucine had returned but it's still there, holding her by the neck in a vice grip. How long would she need to keep up with this farce? How long will it take until everything ends?

It's been five hundred years. She's tired.

We can only deceive the Heavenly Principles if we are able to first deceive even ourselves

Focalors' last words to her rang within Furina's mind. The prophecy… She knew the final outcome to avert it would be to die on behalf of her people and become the ultimate sacrifice, but for the umpteenth time since she was thrusted into this role she really wanted to know just how Focalors intended to see it happen. The day where there will be no more pretences, no more lies. The day where justice will be served and the sins of their nation be purified.

When will it come?

The soft sound of footsteps drew her attention towards the door. With Lucine currently away from the city, only one other person could enter this place without her prior permission.

"Neuvillette?"

"Lady Furina," the Iudex greeted her respectfully as a look of concern appeared on his face. "Are you…"

Her initial instinctual response was to say that she was fine, but her words of deceit that were on the verge of leaving her lips suddenly got swallowed down back to her throat. She hung her head and shook her head without a word. Who's she kidding, she's not fine. It's been getting harder and harder to put up this farce ever since she reunited with Lucine that day, especially after he so easily tore down her lie at a glance that had fooled even Neuvillette for five centuries. That's Lucine for you, Fontaine's Grand Duelist, the man who could discern the lie from the truth at a glance, the person who should have been the Hydro Archon instead of her worthless self.

She doesn't even know how she should start apologising to her Iudex for her deceit.

It took Neuvillette everything he had to hide the grimace on his face after seeing Furina's silent answer but he ultimately chose to sit down beside his archon, keeping her company in silence. They had worked with each other for more than five centuries. Much like how Lucine was to Egeria and vice versa, his relationship with Furina was of a similar nature. They are superior and subordinate, archon and vassal, but also close friends with each other that are akin to family.

He could understand her rationale and her stance on this issue but it still hurt him sometimes, that Furina was planning to sacrifice herself for Fontaine all along to avert the prophecy, and he had never once suspected a thing. Who knows for how long more he would have been kept in the dark if it wasn't for Lucine's unexpected return. He wouldn't have known until the very last moment but it would be too late then, he would have lost Furina forever.

"I'm so useless, aren't I?" A shaky sob was heard and Neuvillette's heart clenched painfully at the sound of her cry. "I-I could never do anything right. I thought I c-could at least play my p-part p-properly until the final t-trial comes b-but even that-"

"Furina-"

"I-It's w-was the only thing left that kept me going f-forward, you know? My f-final secret act to deliver justice? L-Lucine, h-he just had to s-spoil my grand performance. It's always like this, he was always the one that prevented me from lying my way out of trouble, I could never fool him even when I had fooled everyone else."

"There… There has to be a better way-"

"And what would that be?" Furina wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and looked up at her Iudex, her eyes boring straight into his in desperation for an alternative solution. "It's the Heavenly Principles. How… How are we going to go up against that? Answer me, Neuvillette."

This time, it was his turn to hang his head in silence. He does not have an answer, not when his power is still incomplete and severely lacking.

"Why was I even born? Why did Focalors create me?" She whispered to nobody in particular. "I could never help anyone, all I did was to inflict hurt upon my people, deceive my people year after year. He should have been the Hydro Archon, I should have been the one to die at the Tunigi Hollow-"

"Lady Furina," Neuvillette quickly interrupted his archon when he realised that her thoughts were straying into dangerous places.

"-if it was him he would have found a solution by now. Fontaine would have been so much better-"

"Furina!" Neuvillette finally raised his voice and it finally snapped Furina out of her self-loathing. He always knew that she suffered from a serious case of imposter syndrome but this was the first time he saw this side of her with his own eyes, this was the first time she allowed herself to break down in front of him.

This was the first time that her mask, her facade, finally cracked, and seeing it happen before his eyes hurt him more than anything else.

"I… I am unable to come up with a better plan, nor am I able to change the past," Neuvillette hesitated a little but he still placed his hand on her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze as a show of support and reminding her that he is still here. "I'm sorry, Lady Furina, I should have been more aware, I should have done more instead of letting you shoulder everything alone, but know this: you are not alone. You still have me, you still have Lucine. Whatever may come, whatever will come, we will see through it together until the very end, just like how we had done so in the aftermath five hundred years ago. This, I promise."

A faint smile slowly tugged at the edge of Furina's lips at the memory of those trying times. He's right, they had already been through so much hardships together. What's one more?

"If it helps, I did make some headway into my own investigations at the Fortress of Meropide. I originally wanted to wait until Lucine returned so that we can discuss this in detail, but I thought it might cheer you up if you knew that we finally found what could possibly be the location of the Primordial Sea," Neuvillette spoke and he finally had Furina's undivided attention.

"You found it? The Primordial Sea? You mean, it was at the Fortress of Meropide all along?"

"Yes, it was there, I had ascertained it for myself with help from the Duke. It was a recent discovery on his end too. He had his suspicions about what lies beneath the gates at the depths of his fortress but wasn't able to verify it until I came along. I had reinforced the gates with my own power and it should hold, for now at least, but it would be best if you and Lucine could come along and take a look too."

"Lucine only just left this morning, he won't be back anytime soon," Furina shook her head but stood up with a determined look on her face nonetheless. Finally, a significant breakthrough. Knowing where the location of the Primordial Sea might be will be a great help in trying to plan their next step because now, they at least had the idea where the epicentre of the disaster will originate from when it finally strikes. They can now start to plan ahead.

"Let's go take a look first, we can't always rely on that boring guy for everything, can we?" Furina stated and Neuvillette dutifully followed after his archon. He had bore witness to everything that Furina had silently carried on her shoulders ever since the Cataclysm and yes, there were things that she had done that Egeria probably could have done better in comparison, but Furina had tried her best. Furina is the reason why Fontaine is still around instead of being torn apart from a civil war, she was the one who rallied the nation together when the great beast Elynas threatened to crush their homes and she was the one who led the nation to subjugate it. Despite her many flaws and mistakes, nobody can deny that she is the reason why Fontaine is still around.

Despite her flaws, she is still Fontaine's archon, the Regina of All Waters.

So despite her doubts and insecurities, despite everything that she had done and not done, she had already done her best as the archon of Fontaine. To Neuvillette, that is all the reason he needs to continue sticking by her side as her Iudex. That is all the reason he needs to keep a close eye on her so that she wouldn't go through on her suicidal plan to sacrifice herself for the nation as Lucine had so easily exposed where he, on the other hand, was deceived.

His grip on his cane tightened a little before he forced himself to relax. The prophecy… Celestia… If there comes a day where his powers return, if there comes a day where he actually had to take a stance, it will be on the opposing side of Celestia, and when the day comes…

He will pass judgement onto Celestia, as he rightfully should.