After CatCatEatsNoMedicine made their shameless declaration as a streamer, the chat instantly exploded with question marks.
「There is only one Cao Cao, but thieves? Never expected you to be one too, streamer!」
「I am not alone in this path!」
「Themis, go in peace! Your wife, I shall care for her—worry not!」
「Ahaha, Fufu, my little jellyfish, mommy's here!」
「Themis: ...Oh no, I'm surrounded by thieves.」
Themis covered her face with one hand, feeling utterly defeated.
What's going on? Has CatCatEatsNoMedicine finally lost it?
Weren't they supposed to be my dedicated fan? Why the sudden interest in my wife?!
Thinking of her adorable lover, Furina—so delicate and soft—Themis knew she was someone worthy of everyone's love.
But…
That didn't mean Themis was willing to let a bunch of thieves steal her wife!
Feeling a bit conflicted, Themis lifted her head, gazing into the deep, starry night sky.
Dead and alive again, rising and falling—it was as if she had mastered the legendary Welt Yang sit-ups.
Yet, she really had come back to life, just not in the Fontaine she had lived in for five hundred years.
Welt Yang had his Yang-ups, Fu Hua had her Fu push-ups...
Now it was Themis's turn—should this be called Themis-ups?
Themis chuckled at her own joke.
Now, she had to endure a chatroom full of thieves trying to snatch her wife while watching her beloved through the screen.
Themis sighed. Even though she wasn't physically by Furina's side, she could tell that Furina's current demeanor resembled how she had been five hundred years ago—when she had just come into existence and taken the stage.
Humble, gentle, kind—not as noisy and flamboyant as before, but rather, exuding a steady presence that felt like a refreshing spring breeze.
However, Themis wasn't as thrilled as Lumine and Paimon imagined.
After all, her beloved had unknowingly played the role of a god for five hundred years.
Being immersed in that role for so long—how could she so easily return to her original self?
As Themis watched Furina on the screen, every action of hers—her steadiness, her humility—was so perfect.
Perfectly fitting for a leader rising in the aftermath of a prophesied crisis.
My blue-and-white little kitten! This is still so heartbreaking!
It's just like an actor finishing their five-hundred-year role in one play and moving on to another, where they must assume a new character.
Themis wanted to crack open Furina's skull: Snap out of it! Open your eyes! What's so perfect about this?!
The more the blue-white jellyfish on the screen appeared reliable, the more powerless Themis felt.
Though Focalors remained unchanged from when Themis knew her, Themis sensed she was merely putting up a front.
This woman can't possibly be so cold-hearted and emotionless!
We were lovers who shared intimate moments. She even wrote all those wild historical erotica about me.
Even if we were just casual partners, shouldn't she feel some nostalgia?
And that shameless Focalors keeps leaving me hanging at the most crucial moments!
The anticipation for our next encounter is killing me!
I'm so confident about it, though the confidence itself feels utterly absurd.
Watching Furina and Focalors on the screen, Themis's fingers itched. Being unable to embrace her blue-white kitten, to press her down on the bed and kiss her tenderly - this was truly life's greatest regret!
It feels like there's nothing left worth staying for in this world.
A long sigh escaped Themis, her once brilliant golden eyes now dim and lifeless.
Can't touch my wife, yet the live stream's full of Cao Zui wannabes.
Who could possibly understand the anguish in my heart?!
(Note: Cao Zui is a humorous way to refer to someone who "steals wives")
-
CatCatEatsNoMedicine showed not a shred of remorse for her actions, instead escalating her provocations.
"Themis, fear not! I'll take good care of your wife!"
"My inventory holds over three hundred resin. Give me a day—I'll max out Furina's affection gauge!"
"Then we'll both be waiting in bed for you!"
"Even if you don't make it, I'll ensure Furina's well-cared for!"
[Kek]
[hahaha, dying of laughter]
[Are you really not a Furina superfan?]
[Another streamer gone mad]
As CatCatEatsNoMedicine's brazen declarations echoed in her ears, Themis felt her heart seize, the pain so acute she could barely breathe.
"Silence! I'd never betray my love!" Themis roared, her vision darkening as she screamed into the empty void.
The outburst left her gasping, her chest heaving with barely contained fury. As she struggled to regulate her breathing, Themis feared she might permanently blacklist CatCatEatsNoMedicine in her mind.
Don't get angry, don't get angry. Themis, you've finally come back to life this time—don't let CatCatEatsNoMedicine make you die of anger again!
Rubbing her temples, Themis took two deep breaths, forcing herself to ignore CatCatEatsNoMedicine's endless stream of Cao Zui remarks.
Standing up, Themis paced back and forth, trying to clear her thoughts.
Gazing at the starry sky and the surrounding ancient Roman-style architecture, her mind felt jumbled.
First, I successfully took Focalors' place in death in Fontaine.
Watching CatCatEatsNoMedicine's live stream, she learned that both my wives were heartbroken by my departure. How delightful!
Ahem, that's not the problem.
In short, Focalors' body is working perfectly now, taking over my duties.
Furina has obtained the seed I left with Idyia. As a memento, it's kindling a spark of hope in her heart.
Though Lumine visited Sumeru and found no records of me in the Irminsul, nor any method to make the seed grow.
But after Lumine and Paimon told Focalors and Furina about the previous Raiden Ei's residual consciousness manifesting through the seed in Inazuma's Raiden Ei's Pure Land, they chose to believe the seed might contain consciousness.
And they eagerly anticipated the day when the consciousness within the seed would awaken.
Regardless of the circumstances, this gave Furina and Focalors hope, something to look forward to—the day they might finally meet the consciousness.
Then, during her second experience of being a disembodied soul wandering without a body, she was captured by some unknown entity.
This time, though she wasn't given a physical form, she was still thrown into a city called Phosphorus City, where she became a Regent.
This left Themis feeling conflicted. Even after being reincarnated twice, she still couldn't escape the fate of becoming a Regent?
Was she bound to this position?!
Finally, the Phosphorus City where she found herself existed outside of Earth, despite sharing many cultural similarities with our world.
After wandering around for a while, Themis realized she recognized seven faces among the city's inhabitants.
It was almost like they'd been reborn from Su of Honkai Impact 3—seven siblings, with both boys and girls, completing the family roster.
Though somewhat bewildered by the situation, it wasn't a problem. Having worked for five centuries had honed her psychological resilience.
The sea's god had flung her onto this unknown planet's city.
Though she remained clueless about why they'd forcibly installed her as Regent, one thing was clear: she'd be sharing this city's governance with its managers for a long time.
Seven city agents...
Themis stroked her chin, sensing something off. But having abandoned Fontaine after Fontaine's Doomsday Prophecy and quit HI3 when Star Rail came out, she'd lost all player advantages.
"Ah... If I knew I'd end up crossing these two worlds, I'd never have quit those games!"
Still, the connection between Teyvat and the Honkai World existed - something Otto had once observed. Themis knew this.
"No matter how I think about it, I must go to Earth."
The Second Divine Key must contain search records. Whether she could return home to embrace her blue-white kitten face-to-face hinged entirely on that.
After mentally reviewing her situation, Themis' thoughts sharpened. The initial confusion of a newcomer had vanished.
She tapped on the comments, ignoring the players' antics, and used an emoji that resembled the Queen's smiling face. She kept "burning virtual incense" on the video of her body collapsing and dying, playing along with the joke.
Themis made an effort to search for information about Honkai 3rd.
After all, whether it was Genshin Impact's Teyvat or this world of Honkai 3rd, they were all Mihoyo's games. There shouldn't be any reason she couldn't find information.
Then she was bewildered. What was going on? Mihoyo's HI3 new version had inexplicably been delayed until after Fontaine.
The reason given was that they had suffered a hacker attack and needed emergency maintenance. They had only just restored HI3's version updates.
She looked utterly confused. Though Themis didn't fully understand game company matters, this seemed particularly incomprehensible.
Moreover, if such an event had truly occurred before her transmigration, there was no way she wouldn't have heard about it.
As Themis browsed the forum, she began to doubt whether the world connected to this forum was actually her Earth.
Themis had a headache, in every sense of the word.
Why specifically had the HI3 section been targeted? They'd been locked in a constant battle of wits with hackers, leading to the new version's delay until now, with the preview only released a few days ago.
The delayed update of HI3 made Themis recall the endless wait for Kamisato Ayaka's gacha banner back in the day.
Shaking her head to dispel these distracting thoughts, Themis focused on gathering intelligence.
After relentless searching, she finally found a clue in the live stream PV for HI3.
In version 6.9's new story, a mysterious character would join the cast.
Themis tilted her head, her silence deafening with confusion.
This... what's this...
No matter how she looked at it, wasn't that silhouette extremely familiar?
At the PV's end, Themis stared at her own fleeting figure from behind and felt utterly lost.
Holy cow, am I actually part of HI3's new story?!
Not only was she featured, but judging by this, her role seemed major!
Themis was utterly shocked.
Still, this was undeniably good news.
Drawing on her Fontaine experience, she knew player stories were cobbled together from various fragments.
In truth, her own Fontaine experiences had been far more extensive than the main storyline players followed.
However, due to the players' limited understanding of the storyline, they sometimes rushed ahead and exposed plot points prematurely, forcing Themis to settle for a makeshift prophetic experience.
Now that she had been transported into the new version of HI3, although the main story hadn't truly begun yet...
Themis still remained calm about future events.
After thoroughly understanding her situation and making necessary preparations, Themis switched the forum back to the live stream.
CatCatEatsNoMedicine, unaware that Themis had been observing her earlier, was now earnestly progressing through the story.
Though Themis had left the stream briefly, reviewing the previous chat messages helped her piece together what had occurred.
CatCatEatsNoMedicine controlled the Traveler, revealing Nahida's words to both Furina and Focalors, and even disclosed Raiden Makoto's circumstances.
This filled Furina and Focalors with hope for the future.
As they bid farewell to the two Hydro Archons, they passed by Katheryne.
Their conversation naturally drifted to the topic of quests.
It concerned the Troupe - the troupe leader was far away in a foreign land, but their scheduled performance dates were approaching rapidly.
The leader couldn't return in time, the lead actress was ill, and the performance dates loomed ever closer.
So they urgently needed a theater actor to help the Troupe with their performance.
(TL Note: If only Luna was here...)
Themis watched the live stream's plot development, tilting her head in confusion. How can they possibly connect these dots?
This posed no challenge for Mihoyo—could it truly be a genius?!
The plot had been so thoroughly altered by her own hand.
Lumine, ever the enthusiastic helper, heard about the situation and after a brief discussion with the quest giver, puffed out her chest and declared, "I'll handle this!"
A female lead? That's simple. We know someone perfectly suited and available.
Still, she couldn't guarantee anything outright. "I can at least ask."
But it was obvious—Furina would help for various reasons. Without her cooperation, the legendary quest couldn't progress.
Themis silently observed the screen as Furina, after much consideration, decided under Focalors' encouragement to assist the Troupe mentioned by the Traveler.
Facing Lumine and Paimon's surprised expressions, Furina smiled. "See, even though I've discovered I'm the Hydro Archon..."
"...my five centuries of unwitting performances were flawless. I'm still quite skilled, you know."
"Besides, that quest giver must be desperate. Since no one's better suited than me, as your friend, I'm happy to help."
"Consider it repayment for your assistance in Sumeru."
Clutching the golden seed, Furina felt more gratitude toward Lumine and Paimon for revealing the truth about Raiden Makoto.
Furina's heart swelled with hope as she contemplated Themis's consciousness residing within this seed, and her mental state improved considerably.
For various reasons, Furina had agreed to assist with the performance.
"Let me make this clear—I have very high standards."
"If the script isn't up to par, I won't lower myself."
"After all, I'm a renowned artist in Fontaine, known for five centuries."
"I can't compromise my reputation by accepting inferior work."
Though Furina's words were blunt, her true intentions were far more nuanced.
Lumine and Paimon listened to these declarations, silently hoping the quest giver's script wouldn't disappoint.
If it did, they'd feel guilty for imposing such demands on Furina, who was deigning to help them.
Furina's arrival naturally stunned the entire Troupe. Her status in Fontaine's art world was unparalleled—she could be considered the Archon of Fontaine's arts without exaggeration.
Many of the innovations in Fontaine's theatrical scene bore Furina's influence.
With Themis's intervention, the Troupe's circumstances differed significantly from the original plot.
All young girls who would have been victims of the disappearance cases had been secretly rescued by Themis and sent to other countries.
Though it was inconvenient to reveal their true identities, everyone in the Troupe knew their leader was alive and well.
With their leader at the helm, the Troupe thrived, and the relationships between its members remained harmonious.
After Furina's arrival, the group handed her the script for their upcoming performance and anxiously awaited her response.
Lauwick noticed Lumine and Paimon gazing curiously at Furina and explained the basic plot: "The story's protagonist is a young Oceanid who, against her family's warnings, transforms into human form."
"She yearns to live like humans and successfully forms friendships and romance. Everything seems perfect. But one day, her true identity is exposed, and everything spirals out of control..."
Though their leader wasn't physically present in Fontaine, the fact that the Troupe's leader was still alive was more important than anything else.
It also meant that the script for The Little Oceanid was complete!
"This script..."
Furina's eyes grew somewhat melancholic as she read Clio's lines in the script, but she quickly regained her composure.
Everyone stared at Furina, who had spoken up, filled with nervous anticipation.
It was like students standing before their headmaster.
This was hardly surprising. After all, Lady Furina's reputation for perfectionism in theater and drama was legendary.
"I love this story, so I'll help you."
"But can you perform this play perfectly?"
"I'll be watching over you closely."
Furina's response struck like thunder from clear skies, followed by ecstatic celebration.
Come on, this was Lady Furina we're talking about!
Their ordinary Troupe had somehow caught her attention, and she wanted them to play the lead role!
The cast erupted in cheers, pledging absolute obedience to Furina's every whim.
When it came to art and the stage, they'd trust no one but Lady Furina herself!
This was the one domain where even Lady Themis couldn't match her brilliance!
Watching the crowd's enthusiasm, Paimon sighed contentedly. "Bringing Furina here was the right choice after all."
As Lumine gazed at Furina's luminous figure under the stage lights, she finally understood why Themis had once whispered such unbridled admiration for her.
Furina... she truly did shine like a star.
No wonder Themis had been so devoted to her.
Lumine sighed inwardly, thinking about how Themis—equally dazzling—had left Furina. She couldn't help but feel a pang of regret and sorrow.
She then redoubled her efforts, pouring all her strength into helping Furina prepare for her first public performance since Themis' departure.
After all, she couldn't let Furina's reputation be ruined!
Through the screen that separated them, Themis watched Furina commanding the stage from across the world. Her heart was instantly drawn to the performer without hesitation.
"Furina has decided to perform. How could we not give her a grand stage befitting the occasion?"
Focalors arrived at the Troupe with a smile, her presence unnoticed by anyone. Seeing Furina's renewed vigor, she felt genuine happiness for her.
Focalors arranged for the Troupe's performance venue to be switched to the Opera Epiclese.
Neuvillette had no objections to this change. In fact, he was delighted to see Furina regain her spirit. Though his relationship with Furina wasn't as close as his bond with Themis, having spent five centuries together had softened his heart toward her.
Moreover, the Fontainians all knew of Themis' deep affection for Furina.
Even if it was for Themis's spirit in heaven, Neuvillette had no reason to oppose it.
The rehearsals for the performance went exceptionally smoothly, with Furina's supervision and direction acting like a tiger gaining wings.
On the day of the performance, Fontaine's weather was clear, warm, and bright.
Inside Opera Epiclese, Furina faced everyone's gaze. The moment she officially took the stage, she pushed the atmosphere in the hall to its highest climax.
As she walked out from behind the curtain, Furina's aura suddenly transformed, as if the drama's female lead had come to life.
In the real world, CatCatEatsNoMedicine watched the screen entering the CG transition, feeling somewhat eagerly anticipating it.
The prelude began, and the atmosphere in the hall instantly tensed up, making people unconsciously hold their breath and focus.
The moment Furina opened her mouth, CatCatEatsNoMedicine and the viewers in the live broadcast who hadn't experienced this plot yet directly jumped up.
"Holy shit! French?!"
"Furina's presence is maxed out—!"
CatCatEatsNoMedicine couldn't help but scream out loud, finding this stage play absolutely fitting!
The chat went completely crazy. Furina's fans somehow felt hot tears welling up in their eyes.
"O, if I become one with the springs."
"Can the world's wonder be restored?"
"And will you forgive us our sins, dear mother?"
Standing on the stage, Furina had completely merged with Clio's role.
Her voice was bright and clear, like a pool of pure spring water.
The audience at Opera Epiclese listened quietly to Furina's long-awaited performance, their excitement hard to describe.
But they maintained their composure, suppressing the urge to scream.
They were afraid of disturbing Lady Furina's singing.
Furina stood on the stage, showcasing her talent.
In a hidden corner of Opera Epiclese, Focalors watched Furina quietly.
The singing in her ears made her momentarily lose focus.
This play really felt personal.
After all, long, long ago, Focalors had also been one of the Oceanids who wanted to become human.
"The water's flow puts the dance in our step...."
"It nurtures our city..."
"And thee, my beloved..."
Furina's singing ended, followed by the male lead's lines to Clio.
"What about your wish?!"
The male lead asked Clio, but his voice seemed to transcend time, not just a question for Clio.
It was a soul-searching question for Furina herself.
"My... wish?"
Furina's eyes looked unfocused, as if she was seeing through paper and time itself. In the male lead, she saw the shadow of her lover Themis.
Once upon a time, Themis had asked this very question.
"If you become human... You can reveal your secret to no one. You will face suffering and Loneliness..."
"Is this truly what you want?"
As Furina pondered the question, she gently closed her eyes. Time itself provided her answer.
If one side of the scale represented her own suffering, and the other the lives of the Fontainians, there was no need for hesitation.
But why...
Why had Themis, who promised to always stand by her side, never returned to her presence?
The weight of this sacrifice came as such a crushing blow, leaving her utterly unprepared.
The arrival of this calamity made Furina repeatedly ask herself, over and over, why the price of saving Fontaine wasn't her instead.
She had made up her mind from the very beginning!
Furina's silence on the stage made the audience in the Opera House grow increasingly anxious.
Lumine, observing from backstage, inwardly cursed. Furina's state clearly showed she was affected by Themis' departure!
Just as Lumine racked her brain for solutions, the seed Furina had been guarding glowed with light.
A translucent, white phantom materialized within the golden radiance, drawing everyone's attention.
Furina gazed at the phantom before her, her eyelashes trembling slightly as misty tears welled up in her eyes.
Themis's phantom gazed tenderly at Furina, then slowly opened her lips before the watching crowd.
"If only true love were enough..."
"But alas, I must bid thee adieu."
"Our love but a bittersweet fairytale..."
The actor playing the male lead watched the scene in silent awe.
The audience below had been brought to tears the moment Themis's phantom appeared.
Ahh! Our Regent!
Furina's true lover!
Crossing the chasm of death to appear on stage!
"Yet I am here, and here I shall remain..."
"To behold the world in all its beauty..."
"Until the end of time..."
For the first time in five centuries, Regent Themis took the stage to sing.
As the final note faded, thunderous applause erupted from the audience.
The male lead's situation no longer mattered!
The spectators knew only that everything unfolding on stage was rightfully theirs!
Brilliant, Ancestors! Our shipping is real!
Though the Regent's body is gone, her spirit still watches over us!
Furina stood up, tears streaming down her cheeks.
The applause around her suddenly became irrelevant.
Before her, Themis appeared so real. Furina reached out, wanting to touch that figure.
Her fingertips trembled as they approached Themis's phantom form.
But at the moment of contact, the golden seed lost its light, and Themis's apparition vanished completely from Furina's sight.
-
[Themis gazes tenderly at you, no longer speaking...]
"Waaah! Mihoyo, you bastard! Do you have no respect for my tears?!"
"Let me die already! I'll end it right now if you want! Really! But before I go, I must say one thing - Themis x Furina is the best pairing ever!"
CatCatEatsNoMedicine's tears overflowed. In truth, the moment Themis's phantom appeared, she had lost all composure.
"Themis! My wife! I knew it! You could never die that easily!"
"Waaah..."
Tears streamed uncontrollably, leaving her face drenched.
CatCatEatsNoMedicine was utterly consumed by the music, her sorrow seeping deep into her heart.
Especially when Furina reached out, but in the instant before contact, Themis's phantom form completely vanished.
She wept so loudly, her words slurring as she cursed: "Mihoyo, you absolute bastard!"
"Though I know it's inappropriate to say such things at this moment."
[Why say it if it's inappropriate?! Shut up!]
[eh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh, delicious little child, born to be eaten by your mother!]
[Hahahaha! Finally, I've been waiting for this! How dare you be the only one sobbing uncontrollably!]
[Seeing the streamer cry so loudly puts me at ease.]
[Smiles gradually spread across our faces - it must all be Mihoyo's doing!]
[The time of farewell has come, parting blossoms like a profusion of flowers!]
With the plot concluded and no room manager to restrain them, the chat erupted into chaos.
CatCatEatsNoMedicine gazed tearfully at the Herrscher of Domination(the chat) on the screen, her sobs growing even louder.
"You... you people! Are you all insane?!"
"Damn it... If that's how it is, let's all perish together!"
CatCatEatsNoMedicine pulled out a pack of tissues from the drawer beside the table. Sniffing back tears, she began frantically clapping her hands in a ritualistic manner.
As the audience collectively gasped, she analyzed the tragic love story of Themis and Furina from beginning to end. When the viewers were thoroughly invested, she suddenly exclaimed:
"But the gentle and considerate Themis we knew is completely gone now!"
"While she was alive, Furina was like a noble little princess - willful, adorable, and proud!"
"But after just a few days of Themis' absence, Furina has completely transformed into Themis' likeness!"
"She should have continued being proud, for that was the Furina Themis always cherished!"
"Waaahhh—"
Her tears flowed uncontrollably. The ritual clapping was indeed powerful, but it had shattered her own emotional armor.
The more she dwelled on it, the deeper her sorrow. The streamer's weeping made half the viewers cry along, while smiles gradually spread across the faces of the other half.
[The Time of Farewell Has Come... like a field of flowers blooming in parting...]
[Bishop, lead us one last charge against the Imaginary Tree!]
[The Bishop's already dead! Just like Themis! Heh-heh-heh!]
"You Herrscher of Domination in chat, get lost! You were so busy gacha-ing that you lost all your humanity!"
[You're such a schemer! Your mind is full of your own schemes! Don't cry, streamer, let me laugh first, then I'll cry with you!]
The chat had devolved into a frenzy of demonic chaos, the streamer sobbing uncontrollably.
Finally, the room manager couldn't bear it anymore and began frantically banning users.
With the Herrscher of Domination's mouth removed, their destructive power vanished completely.
The remaining viewers tried to comfort CatCatEatsNoMedicine, urging her not to cry. But CatCatEatsNoMedicine immediately switched to full-blown purge mode.
CatCatEatsNoMedicine indiscriminately retaliated against all harm she'd received, sending the live stream's viewers into existential crisis.
"Do you have a lover? Does your lover love you?!"
Single-minded infatuated viewers were crushed!
"Have you ever been in a relationship?!"
Single viewers were crushed!
"Do you know how devastating it is to lose someone you love?!"
The one who had lost their lover received a devastating blow!
"You don't understand!"
"Because you Herrschers of Domination only know how to serve as minions!"
"Ha ha ha ha! Destroy the world! Ah ha ha ha—"
"There's nothing left worth keeping in this world!"
CatCatEatsNoMedicine's laughter grew increasingly manic. The poor girl had finally gone mad.
[Themis: Streamer, this world is still quite beautiful. Please stay sane!]
Watching CatCatEatsNoMedicine's state through the screen, Themis couldn't help but express concern for her mental well-being.
Though her little fan had previously been blunt and outspoken, it didn't hinder Themis from caring for her.
After all, she simply loved Themis too much. What could possibly be wrong with that?
She even gave Furina maxed constellations and refinements!
As long as you love Furina and give her maxed constellations and refinements, Themis believes you're all wonderful people!
[WTF, streamer, calm down! You're acting more Herrscher-like than the chat right now!]
The viewers in the live stream were growing apprehensive, but this didn't hinder the Herrschers of Domination from finding their organization's leader. One after another, they began greeting the leader with fervor.
In the end, the live stream's chaotic spectacle concluded in a manner that left everyone torn between laughter and tears.
The room manager grew increasingly vigilant, eyeing everything suspiciously, afraid some Herrscher of Domination might have disguised themselves as innocent viewers to provoke the streamer.
What had been a bright and cheerful girl who refused to take medicine had been twisted into a deranged one by this ordeal.
That kind of thing was truly terrifying! Don't do it!
CatCatEatsNoMedicine only wanted Themis's body anyway. There was no need to pay such a heavy price!
The performance at the Opera Epiclese concluded amidst a mix of cheers and tearful eyes.
Though towards the end, when Themis's Shadow appeared, the play's male lead was completely forgotten.
Nevertheless, this didn't diminish the fact that the performance had been an absolutely brilliant and perfect show.
Amidst the crowd's applause, Furina withdrew from the stage and returned backstage.
Behind the stage, Focalors had been waiting there for some time.
"Themis suddenly appeared on stage just now. Furina, is it because of the seed?" Paimon asked.
Focalors walked over to Furina, watching as she pulled out the seed she had been keeping close to her heart. After examining it carefully, she shared her observations: "The seed is fine. There's no sign of it taking root or sprouting."
"However..." Under Furina's worried gaze, Focalors continued, "The light on the seed has clearly dimmed significantly."
"It seems Themis' consciousness can only manifest briefly."
"We don't know yet if it's sustained by the energy we previously infused into it."
Furina: "Still, this is good news no matter how you look at it."
As she gazed at the seed in her hand, hope broke through the soil in Furina's heart.
"If we keep working hard, there's a chance Themis might return someday."
Paimon: "That would be wonderful!"
Clapping her hands, Paimon couldn't help but laugh aloud at the news.
After the weight of Themis' departure had pressed down on them for so many days, they finally heard this hopeful news of her possible return.
How could this not make people happy?!
When even Paimon and Lumine felt this way, it was all the more true for Furina and Focalors.
"Themis' sudden departure certainly left me despondent until now."
"But knowing she's still by my side..."
"...I feel the future isn't so terrifying or sorrow-filled anymore."
Taking a deep breath, Furina clutched the seed and looked at Focalors.
"Regardless, I'll wait—until the day she returns to Fontaine."
Focalors reached out, just as Themis had done every time before.
Her warm palm rested on Furina's head, gently stroking.
"I'll wait with you."
"After all, Themis has always been someone I love too."
The future brimmed with hope, and even the tone softened with tenderness.
"Speaking of which," Focalors turned to Paimon and Lumine, "Furina performed at the Opera Epiclese for the first time in ages."
"As a reward for her perfect performance, shall we find a place for a proper feast?"
"Yay! A celebration banquet!" Paimon cheered.
"Will there be lots of delicious food?!" she asked eagerly.
"Of course," Focalors replied. "How could we possibly let you down at a celebration banquet?"
With a soft chuckle, Focalors gently rubbed Paimon's head twice.
Feeling a bit shy, Paimon hid behind Lumine.
"Little Paimon's being shy," Lumine teased, her eyes crinkling with amusement.
Paimon puffed out her cheeks and grumbled a bit before flying out again. Under the gaze of Lumine and Focalors, she then hid behind Furina.
Using her tiny fingers to poke Furina's shoulder, Paimon asked eagerly, "I want to try the newest dessert from that cake shop. Will it be at tonight's banquet?"
Furina smiled, clearly delighted by Paimon's choice. "Oh~ what excellent taste! You've chosen my favorite at first glance."
"If Paimon likes it too," Focalors added, "we'll get extra portions tonight."
With the banquet plans settled, both Paimon and Lumine couldn't contain their excitement.
The celebration banquet was held at the grand Debord Hotel, where a large private room had been reserved.
Just as the banquet was about to begin, the Captain finally arrived.
The most memorable part of the banquet was undoubtedly the appearance of the two Hydro Archons.
It was so thrilling that people didn't know what expression to make!
One Furina alone was already the goddess of art in Fontaine!
Two Furinas... Heaven! What kind of divine blessing have the Fontainians received?!
But doesn't this mean Lady Themis will suddenly have two wives from now on?!
Though Fontaine practices monogamy, the Hydro Archon has spontaneously split into two.
When it comes time to marry, should Palais Mermonia's registry list her as one person or two?!
Themis: Very nice, but I insist on one Hydro Archon! They're the same entity!