[Venti: Sigh... A god's power comes from the faith of the people. I haven't performed my duties so many years—I'm probably the second-weakest among the Seven now!]
[Jean: Mondstadt has always passed down your legends—how you split mountains with divine power, hurled them into the sea, changed the climate and terrain... Everyone praises the Anemo Archon's blessings. If you need strength, I can begin a campaign to promote your name immediately.]
[Venti (coughs lightly): I was just joking.]
[Video Compilation System: Among the original Seven, only Barbatos and Morax remain to this day. In terms of strength, this alone speaks volumes. A god's power does not only come from human faith—it also comes from the authority of the Archon seat. Their power is so immense that even their most tragic moments come from their friends, not from themselves.]
[Zhongli: No matter how great one's strength is, there are always limits. My life is filled with regrets. After protecting Liyue for five thousand years, I have been thinking of stepping down.]
[Ningguang: Lord Rex Lapis... are you leaving us?]
[Keqing: Did we do something wrong? I do hope for human governance, but that does not change my respect for you.]
[Zhongli (shakes his head): No, you have done very well. Because you have done well, the thought of stepping down arose within me. Erosion is the enemy of gods—even the strongest stone will eventually crack. I fear that one day I may lose my reason and fall into madness like Azhdaha. I was able to seal my old friend with my own hands—but when that day comes for me, who will seal me?But you need not worry. I will remain in Liyue as Zhongli. If a crisis arises that you truly cannot handle, I will step in. I will suppress everything.]
[Nahida: A god's power comes from their archon authority and the faith of the people. As a newly-born god, my authority is weak. During the last five hundred years, only a handful of people in Sumeru placed their faith in me. Even so, I still grasp the authority of dreams and can walk among the dreams of the people.No matter what, Furina should not have zero power. Therefore, in the video, she is being struck at her weakest point.]
Paimon put her hands on her hips:
"She's the Hydro Archon! Forget Archon authority—she can't even use Hydro elemental power?"
Furina quickly constructed a reason:
"It's Indemnitium Conversion! Yes—that's it, Indemnitium Conversion! A god's power comes from faith, and the justice the people of Fontaine believe in—I converted all of it into Indemnitium energy!"
"In order to support everyone's lives with energy, I relinquished all my divine power! See? I'm such a selfless god!"
But the explanation failed to convince anyone.
"That sounds extremely forced."
"Yeah… no matter how selfless she is, she shouldn't be completely powerless. A god with no power at all—can that even be called a god?"
[Ningguang: It seems that being unable to use divine power puts Furina at an absolute disadvantage.]
[Keqing: A god who cannot use godly power… The public truly cannot accept that.]
[Neuvillette: What could have forced Furina to disguise herself as a god?]
[Furina: It was the only way to save Fontaine. As for the details, let's continue watching.]
Paimon: "Looks like nobody is buying Furina's excuse…"
Hearing the crowd's doubts, Furina grew frantic:
"Everyone, don't look at me with such suspicious eyes!"
"Don't you all like me? I'm still the same Furina! You should be on my side!"
"On my side…?"
The audience had already been swayed by Lumine's reasoning and no longer believed blindly.
"If Furina really isn't the Archon, then this is extremely serious."
"Not just us—our parents' generation, our grandparents, and even the ancestors before them… all deceived by Furina?"
Furina held her head in distress:
"Enough! Enough! If I'm not the Archon, then where is the real Hydro Archon?"
"You have no evidence of another Hydro Archon. No one has stepped forward to claim the title. So other than me, who else could it be?"
Paimon: "There's… there's logic in that?! Ugh—how do we counter this? She really refuses to give up!"
[Lyney: A flawless counterattack. Furina found an excellent angle.]
[Charlotte: If Furina isn't the Archon, that means the true Hydro Archon has been absent for 500 years. Finding the real one would be nearly impossible.]
[Jean: I wonder what Lumine will do.]
[The Knave: In real negotiations, following the opponent's framework of thinking is extremely dangerous. I trust the Traveler won't fall for this trap.]
Lumine paused to think.
The answer was simple.
Even if she couldn't prove Furina wasn't a god, she could prove Furina was a human.
Fontainians dissolve in Primordial Sea Water.
Lumine spoke:
"Fontainians dissolve in the Primordial Sea. Furina—since you insist that you are a god and not human, then there is a way to rule out the possibility that you are an ordinary Fontainian."
"My friend Navia brought some Primordial Sea Water from Poisson. In Poisson, many people dissolved into it—including Navia's closest friends. So, Furina—do you dare to touch the water from Poisson?"
"By your own words, as a god, you would be completely unaffected. It would be strong evidence in your favor."
"But if you refuse, then your lie collapses."
"Of course, I must also say—no one wants to see someone dissolve into seawater. So please do not act recklessly. Admitting your falsehood will bring far less punishment."
As Lumine finished, Furina's expression visibly darkened.
Many spectators approved of Lumine's reasoning.
"If Furina is human, then she's likely a Fontainian… Will she confess?"
[The Knave: As expected of the Traveler—they immediately found the flaw. If she kept fixating on finding the real Hydro Archon, the trial would fail. It is not the Traveler who must prove anything—Furina must.]
[Lyney: The Traveler's insight is truly remarkable.]
[Neuvillette: Or perhaps the Traveler came prepared. Primordial Sea Water was their trump card. It seems they planned extensively for this trial.]
[Paimon: Neuvillette, you helped prepare too?!]
[Neuvillette: Yes. Some of the strategy was mine as well.]
Furina descended from the defendant's platform and walked toward the Primordial Sea Water.
In the video, Neuvillette tried to stop her:
"Miss Furina, this test is a claim made solely by the prosecution. It is not part of standard judicial procedure. You have the right to refuse."