Chapter 94: Jackpot

"You wretched Phantom Thief, behold the bond between me and my Unrivaled Iron Armor Troll!"

Mungoth roared, channeling the power of their bond as he operated the massive Clockwork Meka.

The chainsaw whirred to life, carving through the ground and sending sparks flying.

With the attack coming, the five had no choice but to scatter and evade.

The larger the mechanical creation, the more cumbersome its movements should be—but this colossal machine clearly defied that logic.

The waist section spun, unleashing twin blades that swept across the battlefield.

Navia leaped upward, aiming a powerful strike at the cockpit.

"Defense mechanisms activated!"

But the barrage of small missiles caught Navia off guard. She hastily switched to defense, using her Geo-elemental shield to block the continuous bombardment.

"Are you alright?" Clorinde asked.

Navia wiped the ash from her face. "I'm fine, but it's hard to get close like this."

"Exactly! And my Unrivaled Iron Armor Troll has more than that!"

Two machine guns emerged from the Clockwork Meka's sides, slowly rotating before accelerating into a blur. They unleashed visible streams of Pyro bullets.

But before the bullets could reach Navia and Clorinde, countless petals suddenly fell from the sky.

"Bang," Luna murmured.

The glowing petals exploded instantly. Beneath the cascading flashes, countless grains of pollen settled onto the massive Clockwork Meka.

Dendro elements attached.

Now!

Luna gripped multiple flying knives, their blades shimmering with light, and hurled them simultaneously.

Several seed-like Dendro cores flew forth.

"Good work," Clorinde said softly, her spear and sword intertwining. The Electro shadow formed by the interweaving of spear fire and sword glint struck the Clockwork Meka, paradoxically amplifying the Dendro cores' power.

The vine-like projectiles erupted in unison, striking the giant machine's joints with pinpoint accuracy.

"It's not moving?!" Mungoth shouted, frantically working the control levers.

Move! Why won't it move?!

Chiori crossed her twin blades. "What an utterly unrefined creation."

Bulky, complicated, grotesque.

"Let me help you trim away the excess."

She charged toward the Clockwork Meka's chain-saw arm, blades flashing left and right. Each strike sliced through the metal as effortlessly as scissors through cloth.

One blade pierced the joint. She twisted her body upward.

Then both blades came down! The massive arm was cleanly severed, crashing to the ground with a thunderous boom.

"Aaahhh! My invincible armored troll's arm!"

Must we truly state our full names?

The colossal Clockwork Meka roared to life once more.

"Full salvo! I'll purge every last one of you!" Mungoth bellowed.

"Don't act like we're the villains here!"

Countless missiles streaked across the void, poised to annihilate.

With closing impossible, we must...

Navia swung her parasol. "Saturation fire! Commence barrage!"

Rose cannons materialized, unleashing a volley. Golden shells flattened the missiles mid-air, detonating in a pyrotechnic display that illuminated the entire space. Scorching winds howled through the aftermath.

Before smoke could disperse, flames erupted from within.

Chevreuse mustered every ounce of strength, driving her blazing gun tip into the Clockwork Meka's armored plate. Channeling Pyro elemental power, she reignited the core.

Another thunderous explosion shook the air.

"Futile! The core's elsewhere!" Mungoth's laughter boomed.

The Clockwork Meka's midsection whirred, its massive frame effortlessly hurling Chevreuse skyward.

"White Cat! Pistol!"

"Of course, Captain." Luna's revolver arced toward Chevreuse.

Catching the weapon mid-air, she drew her own pistol in a fluid motion.

Chevreuse narrowed her eyes, targeting the breach she'd created moments before. Two lightning-fast shots of Pyro ammunition punched through the opening, detonating with explosive force.

The massive Clockwork Meka ground to an abrupt halt.

"The core isn't here, but that doesn't mean the energy pipes aren't," Chevreuse said as she landed. She reloaded her pistol with practiced ease and tossed it back to Luna.

"Tsk. Then I'll activate the backup power. Hmph, you won't escape me now!"

The colossal machine roared back to life, but its movements lacked the initial ferocity.

It staggered unsteadily, its frame on the verge of collapse - the perfect opening for a finishing blow.

"Escape? We don't need to," Luna countered, conjuring a flower that she flung skyward.

Petal fragments danced through the air as her pristine form soared upward.

Wind elements coalesced beneath her feet, whipping the luminous petals into a swirling vortex that transformed into a drill-like weapon capable of shredding through anything in its path.

"You've taken lives and stripped wills, reducing them to worthless gems. Now it's your turn to taste the bitterness of having everything taken from you."

Luna's kick sent spinning petals spiraling into the armored plating of the massive Clockwork Meka like a drill!

Sparks flew.

The impact tore through the breach in its back, punching through to its waist where the energy erupted. Glittering petals erupted from the gaping hole, scattering into the void.

Amidst the swirling petals, Luna landed beside Chevreuse.

She reloaded and raised her pistol.

"Left?"

"Right." Chevreuse lifted her pistol.

Luna smiled faintly and squeezed the trigger.

Two bullets finally found their marks, piercing the exposed cores.

The resulting explosion blossomed like fireworks... releasing the primordial waters of the embryonic sea!

"Ha ha ha! Did you think I hadn't placed weapons here that can dissolve you?!"

"What a pity, Phantom Thief White Cat. You were so close to kicking into that toxic pool that would have claimed your life... But now, none of you can escape even with wings!"

Clorinde immediately grabbed Navia. "Quick, retreat!"

If it truly only dissolves Fontaine people...

No, better not gamble. With this thought, Chiori also retreated, leaping to a higher position.

"Hurry, Chevreuse!"

Too late! Chevreuse, being the closest, saw the primordial sea water splashing toward her.

She gritted her teeth slightly, preparing to bet everything on the slim chance that retreating with all her strength might let her survive.

But before she could act, Luna lifted her foot.

"It'll hurt a bit."

"What...?"

Anemo elements erupted. Luna's storm kick sent Chevreuse flying into the air.

Is she really using this move? Chevreuse gritted her teeth. Though not directly hit, the storm's sudden force still stung her skin.

Wait, where's the Phantom Thief? She... Chevreuse landed beside Chiori and focused her gaze.

Luna had turned around.

Burning her passion and fervor, she forged a fully ignited greatsword.

"Ignite."

The intense heat scorched the air, distorting the very sight of the battlefield.

A brilliant flaming greatsword materialized in Luna's hand.

She leaped up, bouncing midair to gain height and evade the Primordial Sea's spray.

The flaming blade traced a crimson arc through the air as it spun down—

A flash of fire.

The blazing greatsword cut through the armored plating with ease, cleaving straight down the middle.

"Curtain call."

Luna stabbed the sword into the ground.

"Losers should know when to leave the stage."

Flames surged upward from beneath the massive clockwork mechanism, erupting in sparks and explosions.

With a shriek of grinding metal, the broken device collapsed.

Boom!

The cockpit door shot open with a bang. Mongoth stumbled out, rolling across the floor before collapsing, stunned by the blast's aftershock.

Luna stepped over the spilled Primordial Sea water and stood over him.

"I—I surrender! I'll tell you everything!" Mongoth, face covered in soot, screamed out.

Luna dispelled the flaming greatsword with a flick of her wrist.

She pressed her boot onto his back, crouching down with a smile.

"Good. Let's see…."

She pulled out a pocket watch.

Time: 45 seconds.

"You lasted a little longer than expected. But still not good enough."

Snapping the watch shut, Luna said softly:

"I ask. You answer."

"Y-yes! Ask whatever you want!"

How is this thief so ridiculously strong in a direct fight?!

Is this even fair?!

"What is the Primordial Sea?"

By now, Clorinde, Navia, Chiori, and Chevreuse had also walked over.

Carefully avoiding the spilled Primordial Sea, they gathered to hear Mongoth's answer.

"I… I don't really know! I just learned about it from that guy. He said it could dissolve Fontaine residents."

"Only Fontaine residents?" Chevreuse frowned.

"Yes! I don't know why. I'm not from Fontaine—I drank the Primordial Sea of Wombs and nothing happened. Well… except that I started hearing some strange voices from the spring."

"Spring?" Luna raised an eyebrow.

"The one in front of the opera house…"

Chiori narrowed her eyes. 

"Yes, yes! I think if you're not from Fontaine, it just enhances your Hydro affinity."

"They say water gathers the emotions of many living beings… and those 'dissolved girls' I used—they had a lot of emotions too… Ah—ow!"

Luna's heel pressed down slightly. Her smile remained unchanged.

"And do you know who you've been doing business with?"

"I do, I do! He hid his name, but the voices from the spring told me—his name is Vacher…."

Vacher?

A name they'd never heard before. Navia's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

Luna leaned down, her voice soft.

"Who else? Who else is your 'partner'?"

Mongoth hesitated.

Clorinde pressed her gun to the back of his head.

"One… two—"

"Okay, okay! One of them is from the Court of Justice—"

Mongoth suddenly started foaming at the mouth.

Luna stepped back as his eyes rolled upward, his hands clawing at his throat as he choked out incoherent noises.

"Poison. He's been poisoned." Chevreuse crouched down immediately.

"Guh… aaagh… damn…"

Mongoth's mind flashed with one last memory.

The sinthe he drank last night… it was tainted. And the mastermind behind it was… obvious.

Mongoth used his final breath to rasp out a name:

"Vacher—!!"

Then, he fell still.

Navia turned her head away. "How tragic."

"…We just lost a witness." Chevreuse stood up slowly.

"But we learned a lot of valuable information." Chiori nodded toward the door at the far end of the room. "And it seems there's another room."

All their gazes shifted toward the door.

"Let's go."

This would be the end of the operation.

And after that…

Chevreuse cast a sidelong glance at Luna, who seemed deep in thought, before stepping forward.

…They were right back to where they started.

As they passed by Luna, Chevreuse stopped and tossed a Mora coin toward her.

"Nice work, Phantom Thief. Also, thanks. I'd rather not be dissolved."

Luna caught the coin between her fingers and whispered:

"Because you're scared?"

"Yes."

Chevreuse's eyes were cold. "But I'm not afraid of dying. I'm afraid that if I dissolve, you'll keep running free—just like the others."

Her answer was steady, without hesitation, devoid of fear.

Luna closed her eyes.

"Captain, you really don't let up on me, do you?" Luna smiled.

"But unlike you, I'm actually quite scared of these things."

Yeah, right. Who would believe that? She looked completely calm.

Chevreuse didn't buy it. But then she heard Luna's whisper close to her ear:

"Because if something happens to you, Captain, you won't be able to chase me anymore."

Luna pressed the Mora to her lips before slipping it into Chevreuse's pocket.

"Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you. Fontaine can't afford to lose its perfect Special Security Captain."

With that, Luna stepped through the final door.

Chevreuse: "...…."

She pulled out the coin and noticed the faintest imprint of a kiss mark on it.

She wiped her thumb over it.

It rubbed off.

But somehow, it felt like the mark was still there on her glove.

…Maybe she should change gloves when they got back.

She didn't want to let any trace of the Phantom Thief White Cat linger on her.

Not even the smallest trace.