Even after Navia reconciled with Clorinde, Clorinde could never forget that day in the dueling arena.
"I refuse to yield."
Callas knelt on one knee, gasping for breath. His face was drained of color, but the light in his eyes still burned fiercely, his resolve unshaken.
"Clorinde... I entrust Navia to you..."
Please, deliver the final blow. Callas's gaze pleaded.
Clorinde pressed her lips into a thin line. She knew Callas wasn't a criminal; she believed in him.
But personal conviction couldn't alter the inevitable outcome. If he were brought to trial, he would undoubtedly be condemned. Now, Callas's eyes held only the will to die.
There was only one response she could offer.
Grip tightening on her sword hilt, Clorinde took a deep breath.
"...Understood."
Then she struck.
Callas collapsed to the ground, blood slowly seeping from his wound.
Clorinde's hand trembled slightly. Even though this was Callas's wish, she had still slain her childhood friend's father with her own hand.
She had slain a righteous man who had acted for his daughter's sake.
She knew that judgment and justice must be based on universal principles. Justice tainted by personal feelings would devolve into private vengeance, capable of harming the innocent.
Yet, since that day, nightmares still occasionally haunted her.
What if I were to strike down another righteous person with my own hands...?
She swung her blade.
The swords clashed incessantly, their trajectories too swift for the naked eye to follow. Under the radiant glow of the Golden Theatre, they seemed to shimmer with golden light.
"Your swordsmanship has slowed, Miss Clorinde. Are you lost in thought?" Luna asked softly.
Clorinde didn't respond, banishing all distractions from her mind.
A duel demanded unwavering focus, a solemn commitment worthy of her profession, her status, and the blade in her hand.
The music continued, and Furina watched the duel from the audience with growing anxiety.
She couldn't bear to see Clorinde injured.
As for the Phantom Thief White Cat...?
...She didn't want her hurt either. For no particular reason, really. It would just be a shame for such a renowned phantom thief to be injured, wouldn't it?
Absolutely no other reason!
"You're not using Elemental Power?" Luna asked softly.
"Since you haven't used it, neither will I. You merely constructed this theatre and stage without weaponizing them against me. Therefore, I won't retaliate with Elemental Power either."
Clorinde swung her sword down in a decisive strike.
"A duel, like a judgment, must be fair and just."
"If you cannot see, I will blindfold myself."
"If you cannot walk, I will duel you in a wheelchair."
"If you cannot straighten your arm, I will fight without using my hands. I can grip my sword with my feet or even my teeth."
Luna's cheeks flushed slightly as she exhaled a warm breath. "Saying things like that only makes me admire Miss Clorinde even more."
"You are a sinner."
"But isn't a thrilling date with a sinner incredibly exciting?"
"Indeed," Clorinde replied coolly.
Their blades clashed.
Clorinde's face remained impassive as she voiced her true thoughts: "But I'll pass on this particular thrill. It's time to end this."
She meant both this farce of a play and the duel itself.
She had completely deciphered Luna's swordsmanship.
Even with the elements of Sword Dance incorporated, it remained a technique born for hunting enemies.
Yet none of Luna's movements carried the slightest hint of murderous intent...
Or even hostility.
What a peculiar Phantom Thief, Clorinde mused as she raised her sword into the final strike stance.
"It seems the decisive moment has arrived."
"Don't lose, Phantom Thief!"
"Justice will prevail!"
Furina watched anxiously, her gaze darting back and forth between Clorinde and Luna.
A burst of Fire Element erupted. Luna smiled. "Miss Clorinde, you can finally use Elemental Power, can't you?"
"...Of course."
As Luna channeled her Elemental Power, purple lightning crackled along the blade of Clorinde's sword.
A full-powered strike!
Fire and lightning, red and purple light, clashed repeatedly across the stage, each collision shaking the very air. Beneath the relentless exchange of offense and defense, their eyes searched tirelessly for an opening.
There! Clorinde thrust her final sword strike.
But it missed.
The swift purple blade merely sliced through a lock of hair near Luna's face, grazing her mask.
In the final instant, Luna had sensed Clorinde's lightning-fast strike.
"Miss Clorinde's swordsmanship is beautiful and swift, but..."
Arlecchino herself had declared Luna her most exceptional child, without equal.
"...I'm still a little faster."
A sword flashed.
Not the Greatsword of Passion, but a one-handed sword.
With a crisp clang, Clorinde's sword flew from her hand and pierced the floor.
Luna's blade pressed against Clorinde's throat. "The match is decided."
The stirring music faded into silence.
Furina stared wide-eyed, unable to believe what she had just witnessed. Clorinde had actually lost?
The audience below fell into stunned silence, completely astonished. The myth of her invincibility had been shattered.
"Miss Clorinde's first defeat—I'll gladly accept it. From now on, remember to dream of me."
Despite her loss, Clorinde's expression remained unchanged. A win was a win, a loss was a loss; that was the nature of a duel.
"Very well," Clorinde replied. "It might be difficult, but I'll try."
Although there was no established rule requiring the loser to fulfill the winner's request, Clorinde nodded in agreement.
Luna blinked, surprised by Clorinde's compliance. She chuckled softly. "Don't worry. Dreams with me are sure to be pleasant and relaxing... Now, please withdraw from the stage. There's no place for losers here."
With a gentle push, the curtain swiftly closed, concealing Clorinde from view. Darkness enveloped her as the curtain blocked out all light.
She retrieved her sword from the floor and stood in silence for a moment.
"Phantom Thief White Cat..."
Remembering the bold promises she had made to Furina, Clorinde couldn't help but tug her hat lower in embarrassment.
This was incredibly embarrassing.
But she had just sensed the will and conviction dwelling within Luna's sword.
It was truly remarkable. Despite being a lawbreaker, the sword's edge shone with unparalleled righteousness and integrity.
While she couldn't condone the Phantom Thief's actions, she could at least acknowledge—after that fair and just duel—that Phantom Thief White Cat was a worthy opponent.
But what should I do now?
This was also Furina's unspoken question.
"Phantom Thief!" "White Cat!" "Phantom Thief!" "White Cat!"
The crowd roared with cheers and applause.
What a spectacular duel!
Though no one could quite follow their lightning-fast movements—perhaps only a ninja's dynamic vision could have kept up—the sheer brilliance of the spectacle spoke for itself.
Clorinde doesn't seem injured. Thank goodness... Furina thought with relief. Wait!
Her expression shifted abruptly.
If Clorinde had lost, wouldn't that mean it was her turn next?
"The duel is over. I am the victor, and as agreed, the treasure is mine," Luna declared, picking up the final fragment.
With that, the Dawnstone Cone was fully assembled.
"The first treasure is now in my possession," Luna announced.
The first? Furina wondered. Wasn't her target the Dawnstone Cone itself?
Then... what was the second treasure? Everyone present pondered this question.
"You all seem rather perplexed," Luna said with a sly smile. "Perhaps you should carefully recall the announcement I sent earlier."
An announcement?
Furina remembered the notice.
"The Trinity Key, the Dawnstone Cone, and our hearts..."
At the time, everyone's attention had been focused on the first half of the statement. No one had taken the latter part seriously, dismissing it as mere banter from the Phantom Thief.
But now, it seemed... perhaps it wasn't a joke after all?
As Furina considered this, the expressions of the audience members began to shift.
"The first act has concluded! Please enjoy the second act!"
Click.
The audience suddenly found themselves unable to move. They looked down in confusion.
"My waist... I'm tied up!"
"I... I can't move!"
"Hey, Phantom Thief, what are you doing?!"
Luna raised a finger and flicked it gently.
The music swelled once more as Luna continued, her voice ringing out, "Your astonished expressions are truly amusing. You desired the Phantom Thief, and here I am. You hoped I would steal treasure, yet now you cower in fear."
"What will I do? Naturally, I'll do exactly as I please."
"—As promised in my pre-announcement, I will claim your hearts."
The spotlight swung towards the audience, its scorching beam illuminating their terrified faces.
They couldn't comprehend the Phantom Thief's actions.
Yet their instinctive fear remained undiminished.
"Truly captivating," Luna murmured.
"As you all know, great paintings strive to capture human rage and terror, imprisoning their subjects within the canvas, forcing them to scream endlessly, their faces contorted in agony."
"For it is this tension that breathes life into art."
"I find such works of art equally beautiful."
Luna traced a finger across her lips, her dazzling smile only sending a chill down the audience's spines.
This Phantom Thief... she's not normal!
"Lady Furina! Save us!"
Furina snapped out of her daze, her mind racing. Why would the White Cat do this?
Her thoughts faltered as she gazed upon the sea of tense, anxious, and panicked faces.
Luna pressed a small dagger against the neck of an audience member.
"Shh. Lady Furina, please don't move rashly. Otherwise, I can't guarantee what kind of fate I'll paint for your beloved citizens."
"Stop it, White Cat!" Furina couldn't help but shout.
"Why should I?" Luna retorted.
"This isn't what a Phantom Thief should do!"
"So what?" Luna countered.
Behind the curtain, Clorinde was about to step forward when Luna's next words froze her in place.
"Isn't viewing a Phantom Thief as a champion of justice itself a betrayal of Fontaine's Justice?"
The audience fell silent.
"No! They're not criminals. You—"
And I...
"...are the real criminal," Furina whispered, her voice strained.
Luna responded with a gentle smile.
Then, with a delicate flick of her wrist, she drew the blade across the audience member's neck. A thin stream of crimson liquid welled up from the cut, causing the very person who had been cheering her moments before to scream.
"No! Don't touch me, you damn thing!"
"Oh, how I love hearing those words," Luna chuckled.
She withdrew her hand, returned to the stage, and snapped her fingers.
Multiple firearms rose from the stage floor, their barrels swiveling to aim at the audience.
"A spectacular drama always concludes with a dazzling display of fireworks. We've now reached the third and final act, everyone—"
"If there's an afterlife, don't let yourselves be deceived by the voices of others again."
"I didn't harm you before simply because I lacked interest. But now that you adore me so fervently, I'm quite intrigued to claim your souls and hearts."
The cold, black muzzles of the guns snapped the audience back to reality.
Cries erupted, a cacophony of sobs, curses, and screams. Beneath the dazzling stage, a hellish spectacle worthy of the deepest abyss was unfolding.
On the brilliantly lit stage, Luna raised her hand.
Flames ignited in the gun barrels.
"White Cat! No!" Furina shouted.
At that moment, the doors burst open.
All eyes turned to the entrance.
Navia, Lumine, Paimon, the Special Task Force, and their Captain, Chevreuse, stood in the doorway.
Paimon exclaimed in shock, "What's going on here?! This place has turned into a theater, everyone's tied up, and they're being held at gunpoint..."
Navia's gaze locked onto Luna on the stage.
"Why..." Navia murmured involuntarily, unable to believe what she was seeing.
Chevreuse recalled Luna's words from earlier. So it's true after all, she thought, suppressing the suffocating feeling rising within her. She raised her rifle.
"You're beyond saving, Phantom Thief White Cat."
Bang!
"Huh?" Furina froze, startled by the gunshot.
The searing bullet hurtled toward Luna.
The lights flickered. When they stabilized, Luna was clutching her right shoulder tightly, blood seeping through her clothes and staining the fabric crimson.
A hit!
The audience seemed to catch a glimmer of hope.
"The Special Task Force!"
"Thank goodness, we're saved..."
"Please, rescue us!"
Chevreuse's fingertips trembled slightly. Had she truly struck her target? She couldn't be sure.
Was this justice? Of course it was.
Kidnapped hostages, threats, and the true culprit—anyone would recognize this as a grave crime.
Furina stared blankly at the spot where Luna pressed her hand.
Blood... So much blood. Wouldn't excessive blood loss be fatal?
Could Phantom Thief White Cat die?
A torrent of images flashed through Furina's mind, her gaze wavering uncontrollably.
White Cat, are you alright? You need treatment for your injuries... The words surged from the depths of her heart, but when she opened her mouth, no sound escaped.
Someone else spoke first.
"Lady Furina, please judge her!"
"Save us!"
"O God of Justice, please pass judgment on her..."
All eyes turned to her.
Dozens of pairs of hopeful and pleading eyes stared at her, reminding her that she was Focalors, the God of Justice, who could not pardon any crime.
Furina might have asked about Phantom Thief White Cat's injuries, perhaps even taken her for treatment.
But "Focalors" could not.
"Ha..."
The realization slipped out as a soft sound.
"Hahaha..."
Furina forced a strained, mirthless laugh, contorting her face.
Luna stared at her.
No... don't look at me...
Furina wanted to avert her gaze, but bearing the weight of everyone's attention, she declared loudly:
"Phantom Thief White Cat, your crimes are unforgivable!"
All the lights in the theater vanished, plunging the hall into pitch darkness.
In this impenetrable gloom, before anyone could adjust to the sudden darkness, a voice echoed from the stage:
"I will judge your sins and punish your iniquities!"
"Only destruction awaits you!"
It was Furina's voice.
Click. The audience realized their restraints had been released.
Not only that, but the Golden Theatre was rapidly vanishing.
With a thunderous crash, the constructed theatre disappeared completely. The scene before them brightened and sharpened, and they found themselves back in the real world.
They looked ahead.
The bloodstains on the ground were vividly crimson, and Furina stood with her back to them.
"Where's Phantom Thief White Cat?"
"I didn't see her. Did she escape?"
"Lady Furina defeated her! She fled in disgrace!"
Applause and cheers erupted.
Furina snapped back to awareness.
Something was wrong. She hadn't done anything, yet her voice had echoed across the stage... reciting lines from her performance with Phantom Thief White Cat.
A phonograph! Furina realized the truth.
This meant Phantom Thief White Cat had been prepared for everything.
"This..."
It was all a setup.
Furina turned around. The Special Task Force was securing the scene, checking each audience member for injuries.
The audience's faces showed only relief at surviving the ordeal and renewed trust in the Special Task Force.
"Compared to that Phantom Thief, the Court of Justice is definitely more trustworthy..."
"True. Even though the Court of Justice is incompetent, they're still better than that lunatic Phantom Thief..."
Chevreuse approached the audience member whose neck Luna had mimed slitting and gently wiped away the "blood."
There was no wound.
The liquid on Chevreuse's fingertip only looked like blood.
The knife was likely just a toy, completely dull. An internal mechanism probably squeezed out the fake blood.
Perhaps even the guns were just stage pyrotechnics disguised as firearms.
"So it wasn't real blood after all?" Navia whispered.
"No."
Navia fell silent, and Chevreuse remained wordless.
Everyone had been thoroughly fooled by the Phantom Thief.
"Lady Furina is truly remarkable!"
"The Phantom Thief has suffered another crushing defeat!"
Furina forced a smile in response.
An overwhelming wave of exhaustion washed over Furina, far greater than anything she had ever felt before.
White Cat... A tightness gripped Furina's chest. How is White Cat now?
If it had all been a meticulously staged drama, then what about her wound?
Clorinde slowly approached Furina.
"Lady Furina, the incident is over. We should return now."
"...Mm."
No matter how hard she tried to force a smile, a listless tone crept into Furina's voice.
With this, the Phantom Thief had stolen the people of Fontaine's doubts about the Court of Justice.
She had also completely dismantled the stage the mastermind had prepared for her.
The Phantom Thief White Cat hadn't become a champion of justice or a star; she remained unchanged—a sinner, perhaps even more deeply stained now.
But what about the Phantom Thief herself?
Luna returned home and stripped off her disguise.
"Ugh, what a mess..." She wiped the fake blood from her arms and hands.
There wasn't a single wound on her shoulder.
Luna incinerated the punctured blood bag to ashes, then leaned back in her chair, idly toying with her stolen treasure, a satisfied smile playing on her lips.
"There's nothing I can't steal, Miss Captain," the Phantom Thief had said. "Don't you forget that."