Funinna, please let me steal your heart!

what happened?

He looked down and saw only a blade. It was piercing his chest, and blood was flowing out continuously.

who is it?

Alkien wanted to look back, but he couldn't even do that.

He felt all his strength drain away, his legs collapsed weakly, and the pool of blood in his vision gradually expanded.

"Whether one is powerful or powerless, rich or poor, death is always equal, isn't it, Mr. Alkien?"

A cold female voice rang out.

He strained to move his gaze, but could only catch a glimpse of a white hair.

"You don't think you'll be plagued by death, but I have to tell you..."

"Tonight, you are just the first."

Then his vision went dark.

Arecino stepped over the body and gently opened the door.

The second, the third, the third... Blood stained the tablecloth, the carpet, the pool; death descended silently upon the names written in the notebook.

The screams didn't start until the first rays of sunlight entered the room in the early morning.

"Murder, murder!!!"

62: Tonight's target is Fryna.

Click!

The flash of the phonograph illuminated the appearance of the corpse.

The security team searched for clues at the scene of the death, while outside, there was a cacophony of voices.

Tirena said wearily, "We just finished fighting the phantom thief last night, how come there's another murder case this morning?"

"To be precise, it was twelve cases."

"Huh? Twelve?"

Xia Worei showed no sign of fatigue: "That's right, twelve victims including Alkien. And the Shadow Court deduced that the time of death was between 2 and 3 a.m. last night."

That means he killed twelve people in one hour!?

Tirena asked uneasily, "Are all fatal wounds...the same?"

"Pretty much, all of them were killed instantly by a sharp weapon piercing their hearts. The strikes were swift and ruthless, reminding me of several very similar cases that have occurred before."

There have been similar serial murders in Fontainebleau in the past.

Overnight, several people died from a fatal blow.

There were virtually no clues or traces of the perpetrator.

Tirena was a little confused, but she couldn't help but admire her: "The captain is practically an iron man, isn't he sleepy at all?"

"I didn't sleep."

"No wonder... Ah? Didn't you sleep?! That won't do!"

Xia Worei glanced at her: "Don't worry, my mind is still perfectly clear. I can't sleep just because..."

Because a certain phantom thief kept haunting her mind.

"...I drank too much coffee. I'll go back to rest later, so don't worry."

"That's good!"

Tirena looked at the corpse: "But Alkien also deserved what he got!"

Xia Wore: "...Yes, he got his comeuppance. But his comeuppance should have been a trial by the laws of Fontainebleau, not a vigilante justice."

“But we have no evidence to arrest him. Letting him continue to roam free is also a failure to uphold justice,” Tirena retorted.

Xia Worei crossed her arms: "That's right, but you can't think like that."

"why?"

"Because we represent the order and justice of Fontaine, vigilante justice cannot, and should not, exist in Fontaine Court."

“We have the right to fire, but that does not mean we can replace the law and judge criminals in our own name.”

"Don't let your emotions control you, Tirena."

Xia Wore's expression was indifferent, her tone calm, but her gaze seemed to see through everything and return to the distant past.

This is based on her experience, and it's also her bottom line.

Tirena scratched her head: "Sorry."

"It's okay, you still have a lot to learn."

"...Captain, do you think this could have been done by the Phantom Thief?" Tirena changed the subject to make conversation.

Was it made by a phantom thief?

Xia Worei immediately denied it: "No."

"Why do you think so?"

"....intuition."

That guy is infuriating, but he's not the kind of person who would do something like that.

If she really wanted to settle scores with someone, she would probably tie them up, wrap them up like a gift, and deliver them to the gate of the garrison, giving them a "surprise" that no one would laugh at.

But perhaps this is just wishful thinking on my part. Xia Wore thought to herself.

Because she simply didn't understand the woman, the Phantom Thief White Cat.

Perhaps it was done by those two men in black she knew...

"Excuse me, I'm Charlotte, a reporter from Steambird!"

Just hearing that name gave Xia Wore a headache.

Oh my god, it's her again.

..........................

The next day.

Another series of murders in Fontaine? Does this seemingly kind man have another side?

The night before, twelve murders occurred in Fontaine, including those of Alkien, etc., all fatally wounded by a weapon piercing their hearts. The details of the case are still unclear.

But beyond the case, there is a shocking scandal?

On the surface, the nice guy Alkeen provides funding and support to many newcomers in the music industry, but behind the scenes he coerces them to meet the demands of himself and his cronies.

Including but not limited to: performing without clothes... (hereinafter omitted).

If they did not comply with them, they would suffer a series of harms. Many of the victims who had been framed by him spoke out together, thankful that justice had come.

Several artists have also come under scrutiny. Investigations suggest that Alkian and his associates bribed judges on certain music programs, and some influential figures in the music industry may be suspected of accepting bribes.

But without a doubt, this was a lynching.

The court stated, "A criminal should be tried in the courtroom, not die at someone's hands."

.....................

Inside Momang Palace.

Furina put down today's newspaper and sighed, "Is things getting more and more chaotic in Fontaine lately? Could this be a manifestation of the prophecy?"

Calamity is always preceded by chaos—this is the nature of many stories.

Funina's mind raced, and she nervously hugged her arms.

It was already nighttime, and with all the day's tasks completed, Funina finally got a short break.

Considering the arrangements to come, she should go to bed immediately to rest and recharge.

But I can't sleep.

It wasn't because she was still having nightmares, but simply because she couldn't fall asleep.

Life has nights like this all the time, let alone for an ordinary person like her.

"................." Funina stood up and went to the mirror.

She gently stroked the mirror, and her expression was reflected in it.

I was burdened with worries and utterly exhausted.

This is the side of her that she absolutely cannot show in front of the "audience," but at this moment she is all alone here.

There was no stage, no lights, and no audience.

"Not a god, yet pretending to be one... How long has it been since that day?"

She is not a god.

Although she certainly can't be called an ordinary person... after all, she has lived for so long and her appearance has never changed, but she is definitely not the water goddess of Fontaine.

In the distant past, when her first wisp of consciousness was born, she saw the person in the mirror.

White hair, strange two-tone eyes, it was exactly like me.

But the person in the mirror spoke up:

"The calamity of Fontaine will come sooner or later, and everything will happen as the prophecy says."

The prophecy is this: all will dissolve into the sea, leaving only the water god weeping alone on his throne. Only then will the sins of the Fontainebleau people be cleansed.

This is an ancient prophecy, but it is gradually becoming a reality.

For centuries, the water level in Fontainebleau has been rising, and perhaps soon the prophesied calamity will arrive.