"If you take a life, there's no turning back."
"That's exactly what I want."
Surrounded by roaring flames, Luna and Clorinde, both masked, exchanged silent glances before drawing their pistols in unison.
"Cut! That scene's done. Put out the fire!" Furina shouted.
The crew members grabbed fire extinguishers and sprayed water to douse the flames.
Break time.
Luna wiped the sweat from her forehead and sank into a chair.
The heat wasn't even that intense; compared to Chevreuse's explosive Fire Element bursts, it was like comparing a spark to a bonfire.
It was just stifling.
"Good job, Lulu!" Navia grabbed a towel and wiped Luna's face.
"What about me?" Clorinde asked.
"Good job to you too, Clorinde!" Navia wiped Clorinde's face as well.
Clorinde nodded, her expression unchanged.
Furina finished giving instructions to the film crew before approaching.
"Excellent, excellent! The filming is progressing at lightning speed! While half the credit goes to me, Focalors, your hard work and the dedication of the entire team have been instrumental in this success. You've all done a splendid job!"
Her tone was theatrical, but her expression clearly conveyed genuine admiration and praise.
Watching Luna act was truly a delight.
Yet Furina found herself longing for the days when Luna shone in musicals.
While Luna was dazzling on set, she truly belonged on the stage.
But one can't have their cake and eat it too. Asking Luna to juggle filming and musicals simultaneously was impossible—Navia would never allow it.
Most managers would push their stars to maximize profits and fame. Navia, however, seemed determined to shield Luna from any undue pressure.
It was almost as if she were raising Luna like a treasured child.
Luna smiled. "Thank you very much. Lady Furina, would you perhaps join us for the premiere?"
What a wonderful idea! Furina thought, but she couldn't agree.
She needed to maintain a certain distance. Furina crossed her arms and hummed dismissively. "A God's schedule is quite packed, you know. Besides, there's an internal screening beforehand. Once I've seen that, I'll lose interest in the premiere. So, I must decline."
Everyone in the industry knew about Furina's short attention span.
Luna simply nodded, unfazed. "Then watching the internal screening will be like seeing it together with Lady Furina."
"Ah..."
Wait, that... actually makes sense?
"I'll watch it myself! I want to be the first to enjoy it alone!" Furina declared hastily.
As soon as she spoke, she noticed the atmosphere within the Troupe seemed different.
"Lady Furina!" the Producer hurried over.
"What is it? You don't need to worry about the quality of my work, do you?" Furina tilted her chin, radiating confidence.
The Producer scratched his head. "I rushed over specifically to ask about the review process..."
He lowered his voice, but Luna and the others could still hear him clearly.
"The Phantom Thief White Cat has assassinated a former Court of Justice official! It's making headlines everywhere. Our Film is a serious Phantom Thief story—is that going to be a problem?"
Furina frowned slightly. "Reality is reality, and fiction is fiction."
"The themes and perspectives in our Film are perfectly sound. Besides, with me, Focalors, here, what's there to fear?"
The producer wiped cold sweat from his brow.
"That's good, that's good."
Lady Furina's assurance was all he needed.
Clutching his chest in relief, he hurried away from the set.
Navia remained silent for a moment before picking up the newspaper from the table.
Phantom Thief Who Steals "Life" Strikes? The End of the Villain Ronat
Perhaps because she had been investigating the Wilger Incident, Charlotte had written the article faster and more accurately than anyone else.
The former Court of Justice official Ronat had coerced his secretary, Rainer Wilger, into committing suicide. At the same time, he had pinned all his crimes on Wilger while embezzling an astronomical sum.
"Ronat's Golden Dog," the treasure targeted by Phantom Thief White Cat, was returned to its coffin the day after the vigilante justice incident.
When discovered, gold, silver, jewels, and various pieces of evidence were piled haphazardly beside it, every item meticulously accounted for.
Inside the Golden Dog's belly, instead of glittering Mora, were meticulously handcrafted miniature food replicas, seemingly placed there by the Phantom Thief herself.
Furina imagined it as a blessing for the little dog, wishing it would be reborn into a world where it would always be well-fed and happy.
But that was merely her personal interpretation. Even if they asked Phantom Thief White Cat directly, they likely wouldn't receive a straightforward answer.
"I never thought Phantom Thief White Cat would kill anyone," Navia murmured.
"She killed an evil man," Luna retorted casually.
Clorinde shook her head. "Emotionally, it might seem justified. But rationally... she shouldn't have acted this way."
"Clorinde, are you saying White Cat was wrong?" Furina asked.
Clorinde met her gaze.
"Yes. I share Captain Chevreuse's view that guilt should be judged by the Law, not personal vendettas."
"Vigilante justice only distorts justice and increases the risk of persecuting the innocent. The Law isn't perfect, but it's the only means we have to punish wrongdoing."
Luna nodded in agreement. "That's exactly right."
The incident had become a major scandal in Fontaine.
On one hand, there was the shocking corruption of a former Court of Justice official. On the other, there was the Phantom Thief White Cat's actions.
Palais Mermonia announced an emergency retrial for the Rainer Wilger case and the prosecution of Ronat, likely to strip him of all his rights.
But Ronat was now nothing more than a lifeless corpse.
Navia cradled her face in her hands. "I... I'm more concerned about the Phantom Thief's motives."
Me too, Furina echoed inwardly, though as the God of Justice, she could never voice such sentiments aloud.
Yes, as Focalors, this is all I can say:
"Does the reason even matter? She's a murderer now, plain and simple. No matter how justifiable her motives might be, she can't escape the consequences of the Law and Justice."
Clorinde said, "I suspect there's more to it than that."
After all, there was precedent. The hostage kidnapping incident was the clearest example.
"Yes, she's not the purely evil villain people claim," Navia said earnestly.
Exactly! Furina nodded inwardly.
But... what could the real reason be?
Furina couldn't help but glance at Luna, unsure why her gaze kept drifting back to the girl's face.
Was it some instinctive feeling that Luna held the answers?
"Luna, what do you think?"
Luna smiled faintly. "I believe none of this truly matters to her."
-
Special Task Force Headquarters.
Turenna groaned, "Wow, White Cat actually managed to break the firing mechanism of my rifle..."
Bad news: Everyone's weapons were broken.
Good news: They could get reimbursed.
Perfect timing to request a batch of new equipment!
The thought brightened Turenna's mood, but her smile quickly faded when she glanced at Chevreuse, who was meticulously maintaining her beloved rifle nearby.
She exchanged glances with her teammates.
You ask.
No, you ask.
I can't bring myself to!
Ever since the night Ronat was fatally shot by Phantom Thief White Cat, Chevreuse had become noticeably more withdrawn.
Their usual routines—training, briefings, patrols—continued unchanged.
When busy, Chevreuse remained the invincible Captain of the Special Task Force.
But during downtime, she often seemed lost in thought, her mind elsewhere.
What exactly did the Captain say to Phantom Thief White Cat that night? And what did she hear in return?
After an intense exchange of meaningful glances, Turenna sighed.
Fine, I'll ask!
"Um, Captain?"
"Hmm?"
"Are you feeling unwell?" Turenna asked with an awkward smile.
"Huh?"
"Never mind!" Turenna immediately straightened up.
Chevreuse averted her gaze and remained silent for a long moment.
"I was thinking about her," she finally said.
"You mean... the Phantom Thief?"
"Yes."
She had lost. Phantom Thief White Cat had become a murderer.
Chevreuse lowered her eyes. "White Cat was once a victim of someone else's crimes."
"Huh?!"
"...Neither the Special Task Force nor the Maison Gardiennage arrived in time to save her."
"Justice was late, but she harbored no resentment. She still believed in justice, or at least leaned toward it."
"She hoped that those who uphold justice, like us, could bring light to children like her."
"She's undoubtedly a criminal, but I wish she had remained just a phantom thief who loved stealing treasures."
"If one day I can bring her to trial and have her atone for her sins in the Fortress of Meropide, I hope she'll join the Special Task Force when she's released."
"She would have been the bane of all sinners and evildoers."
"But I lost."
Chevreuse slowly rose to her feet, her voice light yet failing to ease the tension in the room.
"...I was too weak," she murmured.
"Captain..."
Moreover, Phantom Thief White Cat had said before collapsing that she had killed an evildoer long ago.
In other words, it was all too late.
As Chevreuse considered this, she clenched her fists, a surge of resentment coursing through her—not directed at Phantom Thief White Cat, but at the crimes of others that had driven her down this path.
The resentment faded, leaving behind a profound sense of powerlessness.
Chevreuse: "...."
After a long silence, she exhaled slowly.
"...Enough talk, Turenna. Get ready. We're going somewhere."
"Huh? Where?" Turenna blinked in surprise.
"To investigate Phantom Thief White Cat's Announcement letters."
White Cat had claimed she intended to steal three treasures.
"First, there's 'Ronat's Golden Dog,' a creature forged from gold and silver flesh, its skeleton built from pure sin."
"Second, there's the future and hope of two souls who have yet to find peace."
"Third... there's the 'Phantom Thief' in Miss Captain's heart."
This indicated that she would send out three warning letters.
The first was delivered to Ronat.
Meanwhile, Chevreuse had also received a warning letter from Luna.
There was no doubt the card was a warning, but Chevreuse was so enraged that she burned it without even glancing at it.
Ronat's Golden Dog had already been taken and returned.
The "Phantom Thief" in Chevreuse's heart had already been stolen by the White Cat—stolen by shooting the villains. The Phantom Thief was no longer a Phantom Thief.
The second letter, addressed to the "Undeparted," led Chevreuse to a possible explanation.
"Let's go to the Wilger family's house," she said. "They must have received a letter."