Furina, Please Let Me Steal Your Heart!

"Boss, what do we do? This was too much! The security force... even the special task force will be here soon!" Gueret clenched his fists.

That wretched Phantom Thief...

Daring to claim those Sinthes were worthless?

They were the finest elixir, bringing endless prosperity. Just one sip, and any imbiber would be irrevocably enthralled.

Mora would flow into their coffers like a torrent,; they'd be rich beyond dreams overnight! A paradise of fine wine and good meat—every destitute soul's unreachable fantasy would become manifest...

Gueret drew his sword. "Get me those bastards! We're gonna gut that damn cat!"

His lackeys exchanged bewildered glances.

Huh? We're fighting the Phantom Thief?

Is this for real?

This Phantom Thief could slip away in one piece even under the combined assault of the Special Task Force and the Maison Gardiennage. She was that formidable.

"Look at all of us! How could we possibly fear her alone?"

We're going to beat her.

The lackeys couldn't help but agree. Two fists couldn't stand against four hands, and they had far more than that — surely they'd leave this Phantom Thief with a blackened eye and bloody nose in no time.

"Okay, boys, let's—"

Suddenly, a white light flashed.

It was so swift that it left no trail.

The assistant in charge crumpled to the ground, as soft as clay, and let out a scream. "I'm bleeding all over the ground!"

As they looked forward, they saw nothing out of the ordinary. But in the very next moment, the sound of tearing wind mixed with gunfire.

When they turned back, all they could see were droplets of blood and a body dancing through the air.

With each blink, another lackey fell.

Yet Luna's Phantom Thief costume remained pristine, untouched by even a speck of blood.

"Some always mistakenly think that the phantom thief is only capable of stealing and running, but that's because the previous one was too weak and of poor character. I'm different; it's just that I don't want to fight," Luna said, kicking aside the incapacitated enemy. She leisurely loaded new ammunition and pointed the gun at Gueret, the last remaining member.

"You're the last one. If you've got any tricks up your sleeve, now's the time to use them."

Gueret's voice was grim. "You're the one who said it!"

He produced a button and pressed it without hesitation.

"Did you really think we relied solely on manpower? You're sorely mistaken. Use your brain for a moment and think about it. How could a profitable industry like ours not be equipped with some Clockwork Meka?"

"Fontaine has it right," Gueret continued. "These tin cans, once ordered, will carry out any command, no matter what it is."

"Kill this one!"

-

But no one came!

Gueret was momentarily stunned. He pressed the button again. "Move, you clockwork meka! Why aren't you moving!"

"Maybe because they're at work and it's after office hours?" Luna's smile hadn't faded.

"It's you! You did this!"

Luna remained silent, a smile still playing on her lips. She pulled the gears out from the clockwork meka's body.

The gears rolled forward, coming to rest at Gueret's feet before toppling over.

Gueret's face turned ashen. If even the clockwork meka was no longer an ally, how would he stand a chance against this masked demon?

Luna tilted her chin slightly. "But I left one for you. That illegally modified clockwork meka, isn't it your prized creation?"

The sound of heavy footsteps grew nearer. Gueret turned around, his eyes flickering with a spark of hope.

The clockwork meka before him was clearly not standard issue. It had thicker framing and armor, and its overall size far exceeded any other model of meka.

Without a doubt, this one was far more menacing.

Gueret laughed heartily. "Ha ha ha! You actually kept the most terrifying, the most powerful one! I really can't decide if you've got too much water in your head from being so arrogant, or if you're just hellbent on getting yourself killed!"

He sprinted to the clockwork meka, opened the armor at its front, and dove inside.

The armored plates clamped shut, gears rotated, and the entire mechanism emitted a staccato of rigid, interlocking sounds. Then, it trained its arm-mounted launcher on Luna.

"How about this? The materials used in this clockwork mechanism far surpass those worthless gadgets issued to the Maison Gardiennage! As long as I remain within, you'll never get your hands on me... So what are you doing?"

Luna held her pocket watch, her eyes fixed on the second hand:

"One second, two seconds, three seconds..."

Gueret bellowed, "Don't you ignore me!"

A torrent of projectiles erupted from the clockwork mechanism's launcher.

Though accuracy and trajectory control were abysmal, the weapon made up for it with sheer speed and volume of fire. Even the most seasoned adventurers would struggle against such a weapon.

However, one major flaw of this heavily-armored clockwork mechanism was its painfully slow rate of rotation.

Luna sprang up, executed a graceful flip, and her hand became a blur of cold light. In an instant, ten shuriken embed themselves in the clockwork mechanism's joints.

Leaping darts?! Gueret realized with a sinking feeling.

As expected, the clockwork mechanism's movements became excruciatingly stiff. Its attempts to lock onto Luna were always half a beat too late. This brief lag was the moment of vulnerability he had been waiting for.

Bang!

The projectile mercilessly tore through the clockwork mechanism's transmission, bringing its operations to a grinding halt for a crucial moment.

Gueret watched as Luna took a swift step forward, her sword slicing through the vital part of the armor. Then, with a gentle touch, she grasped the core component.

"Wait, don't..."

With a forceful tug!

The Clockwork Meka emitted a wail, as dry mechanical parts ground against each other. Its entire body began to tremble.

It's immobilized now, ripe for the plucking.

"Seven seconds."

The sword glinted with a wet sheen. Luna danced across the field, each step graceful, each sword flick a waltz of blades.

The movements were elegant, but each held a deadly intent.

Though it was just an ordinary one-handed sword, it cut through the metal like a hot knife through butter. With each strike, Luna dismantled the Clockwork Meka, splitting open armor plates and severing the gears.

"Twelve seconds." Luna lifted her leg high into the air.

The wind elements gathered around her foot, transforming into a powerful impact. With a single kick, Luna sent the Clockwork Meka soaring into the sky.

Gueret had never felt so close to the heavens before.

In a moment of daze, a bird formed of water glided across the sky.

The aquatic bird transformed into a human silhouette.

Luna twisted her body, unleashing a roundhouse kick.

Thud! The wind elemental-infused strike mercilessly hurled the Clockwork Meka downwards. A muffled explosion reverberated through the air, spiderweb cracks radiating from the impact site.

The Clockwork Meka lay motionless, revealing Gueret's face within, an expression of utter shock. Luna landed lightly, then pulled out her pocket watch.

"15 seconds. You lasted longer than I imagined. Indeed, you're quite resilient. That deserves some praise." She tapped Gueret's face with her gun, a smile creeping across her features.

What kind of Phantom Thief was this?

This was clearly a demon wearing a mask!

"Well then... it's time for you to sleep."

Luna holstered her pistol, kicked Gueret unconscious, and then tossed him outside the canopy of the clockwork meka. She searched through his clothes and came across a notebook containing all the names of individuals who had purchased Sinthe.

Mary Bestina, Judith... Among the many unfamiliar names, there were also annotations written beside them:

Gifted

Awaiting retribution

And similar notes.

The industry surrounding Sinthe was undoubtedly massive; one didn't need to think too hard to understand the implications of these annotations.

"15 seconds. You lasted longer than I imagined. Indeed, you're quite resilient. That deserves some praise." She tapped Gueret's face with her gun, a smile creeping across her features.

What kind of Phantom Thief was this?

This was clearly a demon wearing a mask!

"Well then... it's time for you to sleep."

Luna holstered her pistol, kicked Gueret unconscious, and then tossed him outside the canopy of the clockwork meka. She searched through his clothes and came across a notebook containing all the names of individuals who had purchased Sinthe.

Mary Bestina, Judith... Among the many unfamiliar names, there were also annotations written beside them:

Gifted

Awaiting retribution

And similar notes.

The industry surrounding Sinthe was undoubtedly massive; one didn't need to think too hard to understand the implications of these annotations.

After coming into contact with Sinthe, countless families simply vanished without a trace.

Where did these vanished souls end up? The answer was all too clear. With no money left, their only option was to sell their very flesh and blood.

Luna retrieved the blood-colored gemstone from Gueret's body and held it up towards the bright moon above.

"Isn't there something almost magical about the fruits born from sin? Don't you agree, Miss Chevreuse?"

Quick footsteps approached as numerous members of the Special Task Force and the Maison Gardiennage swarmed around the area.

Chevreuse scanned her surroundings.

The figure writhing on the ground, emitting pitiful howls... Shattered bottles of Sinthe scattered across the floor... Burning cargo still smoldering... And in the center of it all, the once-precision clockwork meka, now reduced to a twisted, mangled ruin—a sight too horrific for words.

"...Even a thief's treasure is fair game to you?"