Phantom Thief Resurrected!—Is Fontaine's Doom Approaching?
Around 7 PM last night, the Phantom Thief White Cat reappeared before everyone's eyes.
Though her attire differed significantly from her past appearances, the strength and aura she displayed left no doubt that this was indeed the Phantom Thief White Cat, whom everyone had previously believed to be dead!
The Phantom Thief White Cat declared, "Even the Archons cannot kill me!"
She intends to continue searching for and stealing treasures, just as she always has.
Many believe this marks the beginning of Fontaine's new doomsday, a fresh crisis looming.
"I'll never forget the sight of those Announcement Letters raining down from the sky, scattered across the ground, before the tide surged. It was like the end of the world!"
—An unnamed cleaner, utterly distraught.
"She dares to offend even the Archon, and she's already killed people! To us ordinary folk, she's like a sword dangling over our heads! We have to eliminate her."
"I never want to see her again."
"Phantom Thieves shouldn't exist in Fontaine. Why doesn't she go wreak havoc somewhere else?"
A significant number of people explicitly stated that Phantom Thief White should be spared a trial and executed immediately.
However, Chief Justice Neuvillette expressed a dissenting opinion:
"Every criminal must have their guilt determined through a trial in the opera house. Phantom Thief White is no exception."
The Court of Justice issued a massive bounty for Phantom Thief White.
Yet not a single person was willing to accept it.
An unnamed Traveler's companion remarked, "The risk-reward ratio is completely out of balance! At the very least, they need to add a few more zeros, don't you think?"
"Even if you added it, we wouldn't accept anyway."
[Image: Paimon with her eyes blurred out]
When Phantom Thief White Cat resurfaced, she immediately raided the base of a criminal syndicate trafficking in human organs, stealing the treasure known as the "Archon's Scale."
All individuals involved have been apprehended and are awaiting trial.
Five-star crime expert Mr. Mike commented, "The wicked are ground down by the wicked. What a truly unscrupulous villain fears most is often a powerful villain who adheres to their own principles."
"Because the latter's resolve will never waver, not even an inch."
Numerous celebrities, experts, media outlets, and others who had previously engaged in discussions about Phantom Thief White Cat now found themselves facing difficult choices.
"Miss White Cat, we were just speaking casually before, ha. Please don't hold it against us—you're far too magnanimous for that..."
"Uh, can we reconcile?"
We urge all citizens to abide by the law and restrain their moral conduct.
Otherwise, beware Phantom Thief White Cat knocking on your door—she reads the news!
-
Not only can she read the newspaper, but she can laugh too.
Furina glanced at the newspaper's contents, then at Luna, who was barely holding back her laughter.
"Isn't it amusing?" she said, folding the newspaper. "As soon as you return, those flies will instantly drop to their knees, begging for mercy."
"Indeed! It's utterly satisfying!" Luna exclaimed.
Furina nodded in satisfaction.
"Though I suspect quite a few people will have trouble sleeping."
"But you won't stop, will you?" Furina remarked.
"No, I won't," Luna replied.
Having made her comeback, she had to keep going.
Perhaps one day another stage will present itself for her final act, but that will be quite some time away.
Furina took a sip of milk. "Did you return yesterday's treasure already?" she asked.
"Yes," Luna replied.
Though she hadn't yet met with Chevreuse, that hadn't stopped her from returning the treasure. The cost would be charged to Chevreuse tomorrow.
"After all, it's useless to me anyway," Luna remarked casually.
"Good that you returned it," Furina said.
It was someone else's property, after all. Even if it had been stolen by a criminal gang, claiming it for oneself was never right—though the very existence of the Phantom Thief White Cat was a crime in itself.
Furina propped her cheek in her hand, thinking, But I'm a sinner myself.
I deceived the Fontainians for five centuries.
It's just that Neuvillette chose not to prosecute that crime.
"Sinners and sinners..." Furina sighed.
She then asked, "Are we still going to see a film today? We agreed."
"Sure, but what kind of film should we see?" Luna asked curiously.
"Whatever's popular, I guess. Picking and choosing is such a hassle. As long as it's not obviously a trash film."
"Like what?"
Furina raised a finger. "One: romance film; two: romance film; three: romance film! Oh, and comedy too!"
"Trust me, seventy percent of films in those genres are cheap, badly-made garbage, twenty percent are just passable, and only the last ten percent have any noteworthy merits."
Furina mused, "We could also try low-budget films."
"Because of the lack of funding, directors often have to get creative with their production methods."
"Sometimes, those unique approaches actually result in works that are far more interesting than films made with massive budgets."
Once the topic of art came up, Furina began to speak endlessly.
There was no doubt she adored the arts.
Film, theater, novels... as long as there was a story, Furina would be captivated. She had once been the protagonist of these tales, the actress on the stage.
"Furina, are you really not going to perform again?" Luna couldn't help but ask.
Furina lowered her gaze and shook her head. "No..."
Luna gently pulled Furina's face closer and kissed her lightly. "Mm, I understand. Let's go see what's playing at the Film Theater."
The lingering sensation of their lips parting left Furina momentarily dazed, but she blushed and quickly regained her composure.
Is Luna getting more brazen?
Though Furina didn't dislike kissing Luna, she felt it was going a bit too far when kisses came so frequently, as if she couldn't be left unattended for a moment.
Should I tell her to stop? That would only encourage her more.
The more you forbid someone from doing something, the more they'll want to do it—this saying might hold true.
So she dared not forbid it.
Maybe it won't be so frequent in the future... right?
Even though they weren't dating, let alone married, spending so much time together inevitably dulled the edges of many things.
But perhaps being dulled wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Or rather, it was simply inconsequential.
Furina put on her hat and took Luna's hand.
"Shall we eat lunch out?"
"Mm-hmm. Cooking is such a hassle."
As long as we can hold each other's hands, that's all that matters, Furina thought. Yes, that's all I need.
"..."
Then why is my mind flooded with the memory and sensation of kissing Luna?! Furina blushed crimson, unable to resist touching her lips.
Fortunately, once they arrived at the Film Theater, she no longer had to worry about such thoughts.
Firstly, the dim lighting hid her flushed cheeks. Secondly, because...
"Huff..."
Furina leaned against Luna's shoulder, her breathing soft and even.
She had fallen asleep.
It turned out that not every blockbuster film could keep one's spirits up. Luna, too, was struggling to suppress her yawns, fighting the urge to drift off.
After watching for a while, she gave up on the film altogether.
Might as well check the panel after the successful operation.
[Archon's Scale]
[Information: A meticulously crafted work of art modeled after the Oratrice's scales. Its simple yet ingenious mechanism allows the crystals at either end of the scales to emit a soft, gentle glow. In the industry, this exquisite piece is affectionately known as the Petite Oratrice.]
[Treasure Rarity: A
[Fixed Points: 400]
Regrettably, this scale possesses no special functions and cannot be used to enhance oneself by placing objects on either end.
I wonder what Focalors would think if she saw this treasure.
[Action Successful]
[Security Level: High]
[Treasure Rarity Level: A-Rank]
[Action Notoriety: Universally Known]
[Splendor: Soul-Stirringly Beautiful]
[Settlement Points: 400 (A-Rank Treasure) × 3 (Security Level) × 4 (Action Notoriety) × 4 (Splendor) = 19,200]
Adding the 2,000 points remaining from upgrading her skills earlier, Luna now had a total of 21,200 points.
With her Steal skill maxed out, it was time to choose another skill.
Which one should she pick?
Luna pondered for a moment, realizing that her most awkward skill at the moment was the Hydro Element's "Waterbird Dance."
For mobility, she could rely on the Wind Element and Cryo silk;
For damage, she had the Greatsword of Passion and the Golden Stage.
Pure elemental enchantment was fine for low-level matches, but in high-level combat, it could only be used as a visual effect.
But there should be a follow-up to enhance its power, right?
[Elemental Enchantment Burst: When you use a Skill that can be imbued with Elemental Power, you can further unleash a corresponding Elemental Burst—the form of the Elemental Burst will change based on the enchanted Weapon's form.]
That's the one!
[-5,000 Points.]
Might as well max out a few more Skills while I'm at it.
[Tailor (LV: 3/3): You possess a god-like mastery of garment making. However, garment making ≠ design. ]
[-2,000 Points.]
[Scriptwriting (LV: 3/3): You are intimately familiar with all aspects of the stage, understand its mechanics, and know how to present stories that resonate with audiences. The stage is yours to command. ]
[-2,000 Points.]
She decided to save the remaining Points for later. After all, they weren't going anywhere and could be spent whenever needed.
Improving her combat prowess was far more engaging than watching a film. As Luna finished upgrading, feeling utterly satisfied, the film was already reaching its climax.
Boom! A massive explosion erupted from within the film.
Furina's body jolted awake. "What's going on?" she asked, startled.
"It's just the film."
"Oh, that scared me half to death... Is it over?" Furina rubbed her eyes.
"It's over."
Furina stretched lazily. "I have to admit, it was excellent, especially when it came to lulling me to sleep."
"And it gave me a wonderful opportunity to admire your sleeping face," Luna said with a gentle smile.
"Ah? Have you been watching me the whole time?" Furina asked, embarrassed.
"Well, the film was quite boring, after all."
"That's true, but... hmm, never mind."
After all, we see each other's sleeping faces every day.