The entrance to the Opera Epiclese was swarming with people that morning.
"Excuse me, I'm a reporter from The Steam Bird! Ouch, don't shove!"
Charlotte struggled to push through the throng, eventually reaching the front.
Several cards were pinned to the bulletin board.
Both the style and the content of the cards made Charlotte's heart race.
There's no mistake... This must be...
She immediately raised her Kamera and pressed the shutter.
The blinding flash illuminated the text on the cards:
"The world fears me, hates me, and wishes I would forever languish in darkness and death. But I have never heeded anyone's expectations."
"When the moonlight shines, I will reappear above the Opera House in a new guise before your very eyes, and claim the lost treasure—the Archon's Scale. At that moment, you will witness the prologue to a brand-new stage and drama."
"And I, alone, am the absolute protagonist."
Signed: Phantom Thief White Cat.
-
Inside the Special Task Force headquarters:
"Captain, it's a disaster! Look!" Turenna rushed to Chevreuse's side, panting, and slammed the Announcement Letter onto the table.
"Phantom Thief White Cat has been resurrected!"
Chevreuse froze at the news.
After reading the Announcement Letter, she fell into a deep silence.
There was no mistake—the familiar feeling emanating from the card confirmed it: Phantom Thief White Cat had indeed returned.
"Sh-she's resurrected?"
"But didn't Monsieur Neuvillette say she was dead?"
"Just as the Captain predicted, she wasn't dead—she'd been pretending to have vanished all along."
"If it's Phantom Thief White Cat, she could certainly deceive Monsieur Neuvillette..."
The team members buzzed with speculation.
Turenna took a sip of water and urgently asked, "Captain, what do we do?"
What do we do? Chevreuse closed her eyes.
In the end, she chose to continue down this path, even though simply maintaining her "dead" status would have allowed her to live as an ordinary person.
But that was Phantom Thief White Cat—she only ever acted according to the voice in her heart.
"You shouldn't have done this," Chevreuse murmured.
Because there was only one possible outcome.
She opened her eyes, her voice ringing with resolve: "Of course we'll capture her!"
"Yes, Ma'am!"
The "Archon's Scale" that Phantom Thief White Cat was after was very likely in the hands of the criminal organization they had been pursuing all along.
If they could use Phantom Thief White Cat's skills, they might finally be able to catch them all in one fell swoop.
Could this be the reason she chose to resurface?
The Special Task Force mobilized, its members swiftly arming themselves with rifles and assembling. Chevreuse gave the Announcement Letter one last glance, narrowing her eyes slightly.
The news of Phantom Thief White Cat's return filled Chevreuse with mixed emotions.
But most of all, she felt regret.
She still hadn't managed to enter the Special Task Force headquarters under her new identity.
And... a sliver of unspoken relief.
She really wasn't dead.
As the saying goes, cats have nine lives. Perhaps it was true after all.
Inside the Spina di Rosula headquarters:
"Young Miss, White Cat is alive!" Silver exclaimed, his sunglasses nearly falling off as he stared at the Announcement Letter in his hand.
"Ah!?"
Navia shot to her feet. "Let me see!"
She snatched the card and quickly scanned it.
That unmistakable, unforgettable sensation—there was no mistaking it. This was definitely an Announcement Letter from Phantom Thief White Cat! But hadn't Neuvillette declared her dead?
Wait a minute...
"She's tricked us all again!" Navia murmured.
Melus sighed in admiration. "Miss White Cat is truly remarkable."
"Melus, why are you praising her?"
"Because she's our savior, and the great benefactor of Poisson. Young Miss, didn't you also breathe a sigh of relief?"
Navia snapped back to reality.
Relieved? She hadn't noticed it consciously, but when she saw the Announcement Letter, the thorn lodged in her heart seemed to be pulled out, leaving her feeling lighter.
Phantom Thief White Cat was undeniably a criminal, but she was also a benefactor to both Poisson and Spina di Rosula.
That was an undeniable truth.
"...Let's go check it out!"
Navia dashed out of the headquarters.
"Hey, wait for us!"
"Young Miss, Miss White Cat won't appear until tonight!"
Inside the House of the Hearth at Hotel Bouffes d'ete, Lynette clenched the card in her hand, her eyes lowered.
"So Luna has chosen to continue as a Phantom Thief after all," Lyney sighed beside her.
"Yeah, I thought... she might come home directly," Freminet murmured, nodding slightly.
Then they could be a four-person team again, watching each other's backs, their teamwork seamless.
They could also enjoy family gatherings and celebrations together again.
"I wonder what 'Father' will think," Lyney mused.
Arlecchino hadn't returned to Fontaine yet, but the news would surely reach her ears soon.
Lynette set down the Announcement Letter and let out a soft sigh.
"Worried?" Lyney asked.
"...Yeah," Lynette replied with a single word.
Ever since Luna returned home for the family dinner, Lynette's attitude toward her seemed to have softened slightly. Lyney had noticed this and kept it in mind.
After all, the members of the House of the Hearth were his family.
"Then let's go check it out," Lyney said, standing up and twirling his hat.
"If we don't get there early to secure the best viewing spot, we'll miss the perfect angle to appreciate the performance. Come on, Lynette, Freminet."
"Alright," Freminet agreed with a nod.
Lynette's cat tail flicked as she chimed in, "Okay!"
-
Inside Palais Mermonia:
"Neuvillette, look what I have here!" Focalors grinned, waving a card.
"...An Announcement Letter?" Neuvillette replied.
"Correct!"
Focalors placed the Announcement Letter on Neuvillette's desk, then paced the room with her hands clasped behind her back.
"It seems she has no intention of retiring. But that's hardly surprising. A person's fate is often inextricably linked to their inner nature."
"And Luna is destined to remain on the stage."
She twirled gracefully. "To continue shining her light, delivering performances so brilliant and unpredictable that they leave everyone in awe."
"And I intend to be her audience. What about you, Neuvillette?"
With the truth revealed, how would the Chief Justice act? Focalors' gaze probed his reaction.
Neuvillette remained silent for a long moment.
"I can only hope she won't be brought before the Court of Judgement."
Otherwise, he would steadfastly fulfill his duty as a Judge, rendering judgment upon the sinner Luna.
At Luna's home:
Furina lay sprawled across the table, murmuring softly, "You're really going to continue being a Phantom Thief?"
"Mm-hmm."
Luna sat beside her, gently stroking Furina's hair.
"...Wouldn't it be better to live a normal life with me?" Furina whispered.
Though she said this, Furina sensed deep down that Luna would eventually transform back into Phantom Thief White Cat, dashing through moonlit nights once more. So Luna's decision didn't surprise her.
"Of course, that would be wonderful."
"Then—" Furina hesitated, her voice trailing off.
"But just because I become a Phantom Thief again doesn't mean I can't still live with you as an ordinary person," Luna said, leaning over the table to meet Furina's gaze.
Furina's soft cheek was pressed against the table as she whispered, "Being a Phantom Thief must be dangerous, right?"
"Not particularly for me."
"But I'll worry," Furina mumbled.
"Then every time I return, you can inspect my entire body. If you're vigilant enough, no injury will escape your notice."
Furina was silent for a moment before turning her head away.
"Can't you... just not be a Phantom Thief anymore?" she asked again.
"You don't have to."
No one was forcing her to become one.
"But I've made my choice." Luna tucked Furina's hair behind her ear.
Furina gripped the hem of her dress tightly. "Can't I influence your decision?"
She turned to face Luna again.
"You stole everything from me, influenced every aspect of my life, and changed my Fate—can't I change yours?" Furina couldn't help but ask.
"You already have."
This invisible bond was the most powerful proof.
Luna sat up, leaned close to Furina's ear, and whispered with a soft kiss, "Afterward, I have something I want to tell you."
"Until then, allow me to perform on stage?"
Furina shuddered.
Luna's breath, voice, body temperature, and the softness of her skin all swirled through Furina's mind, stirring her thoughts into chaos. Yet these sensations only deepened the longing in her heart.
"...You're so cunning," Furina murmured after a moment of silence.
"Then it's settled! When you return, I'll inspect you thoroughly! If I find even the tiniest scratch, I'll..."
"You'll...?"
Furina turned away, her back to Luna.
"I'll be heartbroken, in agony..."
After all, she couldn't really do anything to Luna.
At most, she could only stomp her foot in a fit of anger, just for a moment.
Luna smiled gently and leaned in again, pressing a kiss to Furina's ear. "Of course, my darling Lady Furina."
Furina's face flushed crimson, yet she couldn't help but grip Luna's fingers.
You've returned from beneath the stage to stand upon it again. But what about me...?