Chevreuse's sharp tone only amused Luna.
"Of course, my dear police dog."
Police dog? Chevreuse frowned, annoyed.
The Special Task Force members exchanged glances, thinking: Come to think of it... she might be right?
The moment Chevreuse caught a whiff of Phantom Thief White Cat's scent, she would immediately spring into action, without hesitation.
Truly her number one fan.
"I'm always ready to be arrested by you—if you can catch me."
Luna holstered her pistol and curtsied, lifting the hem of her skirt.
Yes, her current Phantom Thief outfit now included a skirt—Chiori had insisted it would accentuate her beauty, arguing that menswear didn't suit Phantom Thief White Cat.
But since she always wore safety shorts underneath, it didn't matter much; she wouldn't let anyone other than her beloved see anything inappropriate.
Luna flashed her pocket watch.
"But you only have three minutes, okay?"
She glanced at the time on her pocket watch, then snapped the lid shut.
"The clock is ticking. Come chase me, Miss Captain."
Just like old times.
Chevreuse muttered, "As if I needed you to tell me that."
As Luna transformed into a streak of red light and darted into the distance, Chevreuse immediately barked an order.
"Pursue her!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Seeing this, Navia tossed her binoculars to Melus and sprinted after them herself.
"I'm going to check things out myself! You two stay put!"
Melus looked at Silver, who shrugged helplessly.
What else could they say?
Only physical freaks like Chevreuse and Navia could keep up with the Phantom Thief White Cat.
These two ordinary folks would do better to stay out of the fray, lest they run themselves to death.
Chiori turned away, thoroughly satisfied.
She had no interest in Luna's Phantom Thief antics; she simply wanted to see Luna wearing her clothes in front of everyone.
"Even Fashion Week couldn't match this crowd and excitement," Chiori remarked cheerfully.
Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet exchanged puzzled glances.
"Uh, what do we do next?" Freminet asked.
"Go home," Lynette replied, her tail swaying.
"Not going to chase after her to see what's up?" Lyney asked.
Lynette shook her head slightly.
"Satisfied?" Lyney asked with a grin.
Lynette didn't answer, merely twitching her cat ears.
Luna's figure from earlier remained deeply etched in her mind.
Over the past several days, Luna had shed her initial naivety and awkwardness. Now only her purified brilliance remained.
"Mm... satisfied," she murmured softly.
No wonder "Father" hadn't asked her to return to the House of the Hearth to continue her mission.
Compared to the fireside, she was far more suited to bask in the spotlight.
Lynette had once believed she could never truly understand the Luna of today.
Like the golden "sun" and the night's "shadow," they seemed incapable of mutual understanding.
But at this moment, she felt she understood Luna a little better.
"I took some photos!" Lyney winked.
"Brother, you should become a journalist too!"
"I was just doing what you wanted! Hey, wait! Don't touch the Kamera! It's expensive!"
Focalors clapped her hands a few times.
"A truly excellent opening, don't you think, Furina?" she asked with a smile.
Furina snapped out of her reverie and nodded. "Indeed. It's sure to make headlines tomorrow and cause another sensation across Fontaine. But where did that collar around her neck come from?"
It made her feel strangely uncomfortable, like a collar.
"Isn't that just a collar?" Neuvillette asked.
Furina and Focalors exchanged exasperated glances.
"Could you at least familiarize yourself with accessories first?"
"...My ignorance is showing."
Furina huffed indignantly. "That's not a collar, and I refuse to acknowledge it as such!"
With that, she turned and strode away.
"Leaving already?"
"Mm-hmm."
After all, she still needed to give Luna a physical examination. If she discovered any wounds, Furina was certain she would... would...
...get angry! That's it. Furina thought, hurrying away.
The crowd's mood returned to its initial fervor, while only the news reporters, smelling the scent of a scoop, attempted to chase after Luna, Navia, and Chevreuse.
They didn't get far before they were completely wiped out.
It was simple: they couldn't keep up.
"Could you slow down a bit...?" Charlotte gasped.
Meanwhile, at the same time...
"Boss Lorne! We have a situation!"
Inside a Confrerie, the man's gaze remained fixed on the Archon's Scale despite his subordinate's panicked voice.
This treasure was an artistic replica of the Oratrice's scales.
However, instead of measuring the weight of justice, it measured only the quantity of Mora.
The side with more Mora would tilt downward, and merely watching this spectacle filled Lorne with satisfaction.
In the end, wasn't so-called justice ultimately just another facet of profit?
"What's the situation? Short on people? Go grab some more."
Then he could drain them dry, selling off their precious "insides."
As long as he had enough money, justice would face insurmountable obstacles, unable to reach him. By then, he could withdraw unscathed.
He wasn't a noble himself, but plenty of nobles were his clients.
"No, the Special Task Force is here!"
"What?"
How could the Special Task Force have found him so quickly?
Lorne turned his head. "Impossible! How could they move so fast?"
"And there's more..."
"What else? What else is there?"
The speaker hesitated, unwilling to continue.
"Phantom Thief White Cat is here. The Special Task Force followed her..."
Hearing the name Phantom Thief White Cat, Lorne felt a chill run down his spine.
For men like them, stained with blood, Phantom Thief White Cat was far more terrifying than Fortress of Meropide or the Special Task Force!
Not only because her motives were utterly incomprehensible, her actions unpredictable.
But also because—she truly would kill.
And even more so because—she dared to defy the Archons, treating even their divine power as a target!
A sinner fears another sinner.
And the vast majority of Fontaine's sinners trembled at the mere mention of Phantom Thief White Cat.
"If your home has a treasure and you've committed a serious crime, you're doomed." This single sentence perfectly summarized their understanding of her.
"Isn't she dead?!"
"I-I don't know!"
Lorne, burning with anxiety, shouted, "Quick, hold them off! I'll pack up and get us out of here!"
But it was already too late.
Approaching from afar, every shout, scream, and wail abruptly fell into deathly silence in her wake. Terror gripped Lorne's face.
She's here!
Lorne grabbed the gun from under the table and aimed it at the door.
If she dares to enter, I'll shoot her down!
But wait, does a gun even work against the Phantom Thief White Cat?
As he pondered this, a blinding white light erupted before his eyes. Boom! With a deafening roar and earth-shattering impact, Lorne was hurled to the ground.
When he opened his eyes, he saw her silhouette bathed in moonlight.
"Do you like the gift I gave you, Monsieur Lorne?" Luna asked with a smile.
She pulled the Greatsword of Passion from the ground and dispersed it with a wave of her hand.
Then, she walked to the Archon's Scale, snapped her fingers, and stored it in her Storage Space.
"How... did you know...?"
"That your base was here?"
Luna turned around. She could hear hurried footsteps approaching—the Special Task Force was closing in.
"Does it matter?"
She drew her pistol and aimed it at Lorne's head.
By piecing together the sketches Chiori had given her with the clues she had gathered, deducing their base's location wasn't difficult; it simply required time for confirmation.
Luna, of course, wouldn't tell the truth.
There was no need.
"When you have people carve out everything from another's body, do you ever wonder why? Of course not. To you, it doesn't matter, does it?"
Luna's index finger rested on the trigger, ready to squeeze.
"Wait, White Cat!"
Then, the Special Task Force arrived.
On the way, Luna had deliberately led them inside the "Factory."
As a result, Chevreuse and the others now understood that this was the base of the organ-trafficking criminal syndicate they had been pursuing all along.
Beneath the barrel of her gun stood an unforgivable villain.
The moment Luna pulled the trigger, "justice" would arrive. Just as it had before.
"Don't shoot," Chevreuse said earnestly.
But Chevreuse was determined not to let her repeat her actions.
"Miss Captain, I don't mind adding a little more blood to my hands. And for the others, it's even more so."
Navia had also arrived, her eyes fixed on the scene.
Luna smiled faintly. "What's the greatest benefit of being a criminal?"
"Of course, it's that no one would be surprised if you committed another crime."
And she didn't mind burdening her mask with a little more sin.
"Save me! I don't want to die!" Lorne pleaded.
Chevreuse ignored him.
"You don't mind."
Then, without hesitation, she strode toward Luna.
"But I mind."
Chevreuse firmly pressed down on Luna's pistol.
"I couldn't stop you last time, but starting today, I won't let you do this again." Chevreuse stared directly into Luna's eyes.
"If you're going to be a Phantom Thief, then be one properly."
Don't do anything else.
Luna smiled faintly and retracted her pistol. "No guarantees, but for now, I don't need to shoot."
She lightly leaped onto the dilapidated rooftop, pulling out her pocket watch.
"Three minutes are up. The brief prelude has ended, and Miss Captain still hasn't caught me tonight." Luna chuckled softly as she closed the watch.
"I will catch you," Chevreuse declared.
And only I can.
Luna curtsied gracefully, her gentle smile radiating warmth. "Then I shall eagerly await it. What brilliance will my dear Miss Captain display in this brand new performance?"
"Until next time, Miss Captain. And please, no more drowning your sorrows in alcohol like before."
Chevreuse's eyes widened. "You..."
So that Luna had been the Phantom Thief White Cat all along?
Luna offered no explanation, simply adding, "And Miss Navia as well."
Navia stared at the eyes behind the mask.
"You did a splendid job during the Judgment defense," Luna said with a faint smile.
Lulu...?
Luna turned and leaped away, vanishing into the night.
Chevreuse watched the scene unfold, then ordered: "Seal off the area! Tie up every suspect here, no exceptions!"
Her team snapped back to attention.
"Yes!"
They secured the scene, preserved the remaining evidence, and awaited backup. Once everything was done, Chevreuse let out a sigh of relief.
With this, Fontaine should be much safer now.
She glanced at Navia, who seemed lost in thought. Just as she was about to approach and speak, Chevreuse felt something in her pocket.
A premonition struck her—this might be...
She reached into her pocket, pinching the object between two fingers. It was a card.
...
Stealthily pulling it out, Chevreuse read the message:
Shall we continue our deal?
The "deal" was simple: a kiss for a treasure.
It had all started as a way to get Phantom Thief White Cat to return the treasure she had stolen.
But Chevreuse felt that even without this arrangement, White Cat would still return the treasure, still kiss her cheek, the beauty mark near her lips, and the tips of her fingers.
"...What a pointless question."