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The golden chains shot down like lightning, each one carrying the weight of divine judgment. Yoshika barely had time to react before one wrapped around her spear, pulling it from her grip. Another snapped around her arm, burning against her skin as if it sought to bind not just her body but her very existence.

Furina, quick on her feet, summoned a tidal wave of water to push back the onslaught, but the Arbiter of Celestia simply waved a hand. The wave froze mid-air, then shattered into nothingness.

"This power..." Furina muttered, eyes widening. "It's beyond anything I've faced before."

Yoshika gritted her teeth, pulling against the chains. Flames erupted from her body, her Pyro Vision burning with fury. The chains glowed brighter in response, but they did not break.

The Arbiter of Celestia tilted their head. "You burn brightly for something that was never meant to exist."

Yoshika's flames flickered, but she refused to let their words shake her. "And yet, here I am."

With a burst of strength, she wrenched one arm free and launched herself forward, her body a streak of fire against the stormy sky. Her spear, still trapped in the golden bindings, ignited with her will, burning with an intensity that even the divine metal struggled to contain.

She struck.

The Arbiter raised their staff, blocking the attack with an effortless grace. The impact sent shockwaves through the battlefield below, sending Fontaine's forces and Celestia's enforcers reeling from the sheer force of their clash.

Furina took advantage of the moment, weaving her fingers through the air. The shattered water she had failed to control moments ago swirled back together, forming countless swords of liquid, each aimed directly at the Arbiter.

"𝘎𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵𝘺," she whispered.

The swords shot forward.

The Arbiter did not flinch. With a single motion, they twirled their staff, creating a sphere of light around them. The swords melted upon impact, dissolving into harmless mist.

"You fight well," the Arbiter acknowledged. "But resistance is futile."

A pulse of energy radiated from their body, and suddenly, the golden chains erupted from the ground itself, snaking through Fontaine like roots of an ancient tree. Buildings cracked under their weight. The battlefield was swallowed by divine light.

Furina gasped as one of the chains wrapped around her waist, pulling her toward the Arbiter.

Yoshika's eyes burned with rage. "You are not taking her."

With one final surge of power, her flames roared to life. The chains around her shattered, the sheer heat melting their once-indestructible form. She grabbed Furina's arm, pulling her back before the Arbiter could claim her.

For the first time, the Arbiter's expression flickered. Not with fear-but with interest.

"Fascinating," they murmured. "Perhaps you are more than a mistake after all."

Their staff began to glow. The sky darkened further.

And then, from the battlefield below, another power surged forth.

A massive tidal wave-larger than anything Fontaine had ever seen-rose from the city's waters. At its center stood Neuvillette, his eyes glowing with an ancient, unreadable intensity.

"You will not decide Fontaine's fate," he declared.

The Arbiter turned their gaze to him. "Ah. The one who was never meant to exist, yet still remains."

Neuvillette's expression remained calm, but his aura told another story. The sky cracked with thunder.

"This battle is not over," he said.

Yoshika and Furina stood beside him, flames and water swirling together.

Celestia's judgment had come.

But Fontaine would not fall without a fight.

---
𝖠𝖭 𝗇𝗈𝗍𝖾: 𝗒𝖺𝗒𝗒